Film and Television: The Villain's Life Begins with Joy of Life

Fan Ruoruo is the eldest daughter of Fan Jian, the Earl of Sinan. In terms of status, she is far superior to Fan Xian, who is nominally the eldest son of an illegitimate family.

Fan Jian held the position of Minister of the South and concurrently served as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, but he was not merely a civil official.

He also secretly trained the Tiger Guards for Emperor Qing, giving him control of the strongest secret force in the capital.

In terms of background and social standing, Fan Ruoruo is in no way inferior to Ye Ling'er.

Emperor Qing's betrothal of Ye Ling'er to Zhou Cheng effectively leveled the playing field between him and the Crown Prince and the Second Prince.

If he agrees to let Zhou Cheng marry Fan Ruoruo and brings the Fan family to his side, then the balance of power among the three parties will be completely disrupted.

This sends a signal to the outside world that the heir apparent is about to be replaced.

Emperor Qing would certainly not do that.

He was also disgusted by Zhou Cheng's insatiable greed, so he cursed him out loud.

"Get out of my way!"

Zhou Cheng wasn't annoyed by the scolding. But these words made the Second Prince's mind race.

He narrowed his eyes, immediately flicked his robe, stepped forward, and bowed.

"Father, I have reached marriageable age and have heard of the daughter of the Fan family. She is virtuous, gentle, and renowned for her talent. My third brother is not satisfied with the daughter of the Ye family; he is truly greedy. As the elder brother, I do not wish to fall behind my brothers. I wish to ask for the hand of marriage from Fan Ruoruo, the daughter of the Fan family. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission!"

After he finished speaking, he raised his head, his face displaying just the right amount of earnestness.

Emperor Qing's face darkened, and he pointed at him irritably.

"You get out of here too!"

The second prince's expression froze, and he awkwardly touched his nose before retreating.

Marrying Fan Ruoruo would have been of extraordinary benefit to him; what a pity...

Seeing Zhou Cheng and the Second Prince being scolded one after another, Fan Xian finally let out a long sigh after holding his breath for a long time.

To be honest, he was really scared when Zhou Cheng proposed to Fan Ruoruo.

He was genuinely afraid that Emperor Qing might suddenly decide to grant him a marriage.

Fan Ruoruo is one of the most important people to him in this world.

As the elder brother, he couldn't bear to watch his sister marry these inhuman royals.

Once Emperor Qing grants the marriage, he will have no choice but to flee the Qing Kingdom with Lin Wan'er and Fan Ruoruo and wander the world.

Fortunately, the worst-case scenario did not occur.

Seeing Li Chengze being scolded and forced to retreat, Zhou Cheng did not gloat.

He glanced at Fan Xian, then bowed to Emperor Qing and said:

"Father, you instructed us to protect Fan Xian, which has made Fan Ruoruo's marriage a big problem."

Emperor Qing frowned.

"What does your protection of Fan Xian have to do with Fan Ruoruo?"

Zhou Cheng said solemnly, "Of course it's related. This young Master Fan is not only the Director of the Censorate, but he will also soon marry a princess and take over the Imperial Treasury. As a result, his power and influence are truly immense."

In any future competition among us brothers, we will never be able to surpass this young Master Fan.

He paused.

"Father, you know that Fan Xian is capable and, more importantly, sentimental. He dotes on his sister. Whoever Fan Ruoruo marries, Fan Xian will definitely side with her. If Fan Xian takes sides, how can we brothers unite to protect him?"

The Crown Prince and the Second Prince exchanged a glance upon hearing this, and then spoke in unison:

"Father, what my third brother (younger brother) said makes sense."

Emperor Qing tilted his head and sneered, glancing at the Crown Prince and the Second Prince before finally settling his gaze on Zhou Cheng.

"It's rare that the three of you are of one mind. You're all afraid Fan Xian will side with you, huh! Third brother, then tell me, how do you plan to prevent Fan Xian from taking sides? Are you suggesting we stop Fan Ruoruo from getting married?"

He stared at Zhou Cheng, his gaze sharp as a knife.

Zhou Cheng remained silent, as if he didn't know how to answer.

Fan Xian's expression changed several times. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he quickly clasped his hands and bowed to Emperor Qing.

"Your Majesty! I believe that what the Third Prince said is not entirely without merit."

Emperor Qing turned to him, his gaze unfriendly.

Fan Xian forced a smile and said, "My sister Ruoruo, if she gets married, it is indeed difficult for me, as her elder brother, not to help her out. However, Ruoruo is not an object and should not be fought over by the princes for their own benefit."

He took a deep breath.

"For the sake of stability in the court, and to prevent the princes from developing any rifts with us siblings, if it is absolutely necessary, it is acceptable for Ruo Ruo not to marry."

Emperor Qing gave a cold laugh.

He pointed at Fan Xian, his tone laced with sarcasm:

"You, as an elder brother, truly dote on your sister by not letting her get married."

Fan Xian forced himself to remain silent.

It would be better for Fan Ruoruo not to marry anyone than to marry those two scoundrels, Zhou Cheng and Li Chengze.

With his modern mindset, if he doesn't want to get married, he doesn't have to. It won't stop him from dating and having children!

Princess Li Yunrui is still unmarried, but her daughter is going to marry him!

Just as the atmosphere became tense, Zhou Cheng, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke. He immediately said to Fan Xian:

"Marriage is a major life event; how can an elder brother make such a selfish decision?"

Fan Xian glared at him.

Selfish?

If you, you bastard, hadn't suddenly declared that you wanted to marry Ruoruo, how could he have said something as despicable as not letting his sister get married!

Zhou Cheng ignored his gaze and turned to Emperor Qing, saying:

"It is inevitable that people have selfish desires. My two brothers and I are not afraid of competition, but we are afraid of favoritism. We ask that Father Emperor allow the daughter of the Fan family to choose her own marriage, and let those who admire her rely on their own abilities. When the time comes, whoever marries the daughter of the Fan family will have Fan Xian's help. It will be fair competition, and I think no one will have anything to say. They will not be so rude as to vent their anger indiscriminately."

Emperor Qing looked at Zhou Cheng without speaking. After a long while, just as the Crown Prince and the others were becoming somewhat uneasy, Emperor Qing suddenly smiled.

He pointed at Zhou Cheng.

"Third brother, oh third brother, I understand now. Your biased stance doesn't seem to be directed at Fan Xian, it's at me!"

"Your marriage proposal was rejected, and you fear that I will marry the Fan family's daughter to someone else, thus favoring the Crown Prince or the Second Prince. You use this 'favoritism' argument? Fair competition? Free choice in marriage? You really know how to think, and you really dare to say such things!"

Emperor Qing snorted coldly.

"You're trying to subtly sow discord between me and others! I see you're becoming increasingly brazen and ungrateful!"

He looked at Fan Xian and the other two.

"Fan Xian, what do you think?"

Fan Xian hesitated for a moment,

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, Prince Cheng's words are not without merit."

He gritted his teeth.

Compared to not getting married, a marriage of one's own choice is undoubtedly the best option for Fan Ruoruo.

To be honest, he was a little surprised that he actually heard Zhou Cheng speak human language.

"Hmm?" Emperor Qing frowned.

He looked at the Crown Prince and the Second Prince.

The crown prince was thinking quickly.

Of the three, logically speaking, he was the least likely to marry Fan Ruoruo. He was the Crown Prince, the future emperor; who he married as his Crown Princess was a matter of national importance, not something to be taken lightly.

If Fan Ruoruo marries him of her own volition, as long as she is not the Crown Princess but a concubine, it will only bring him benefits and no harm.

The second prince's mind started to wander again.

He understood, of course, that normally Emperor Qing would not allow Fan Ruoruo to marry him.

But Fan Ruoruo chose to marry him voluntarily, so not only could Emperor Qing not say anything, but no one else could either!

If he could marry Fan Ruoruo, he would not only gain the support of the Fan family, but also Fan Xian's favor.

At that time, his support will gain an overwhelming advantage.

The Crown Prince and the Second Prince exchanged a glance.

In that glance, there was probing, calculation, and a hint of unspoken understanding.

Then, the two of them stood up and bowed:

"Father, I think what my third brother (or younger brother) said makes sense!"

Emperor Qing was so angry at the sight that he almost laughed.

He shook his head.

"Good, good, it's rare that you brothers all have the same idea. You're not afraid of Fan Xian's bias, but you're afraid of my bias."

He looked at the Crown Prince, then at the Second Prince, then at Zhou Cheng, and finally his gaze settled on Fan Xian.

He took a deep breath.

"Very well, since that's what you all think, then I'll reluctantly grant your wish! However, I can only promise not to bestow a marriage upon the Fan family's daughter; I won't interfere with the matter of the Marquis of Sinan. If you prefer fair competition, then use your own methods. But whoever loses in the future, don't come bothering me!"

After saying that, he waved his hand impatiently.

"Get out, all of you, get out!"

The four quickly bowed and took their leave.

……

As Fan Xian walked out of the palace, he let out a long sigh of relief.

He was in a good mood.

When Zhou Cheng asked to marry Fan Ruoruo, he was terrified and even contemplated killing her.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Cheng offered a good suggestion in the end.

Now Fan Ruoruo doesn't have to be forced to marry or become a bargaining chip in political transactions; she can choose the person she likes herself.

As her older brother, he was genuinely happy for her!

As for Fan Ruoruo being pursued by princes or other members of the royal family, Fan Xian is not worried at all.

Those bastards, who could Ruoruo possibly fancy?

Unless Ruoruo is blind and mentally blind, he doesn't need to worry about her.

He practically skipped and hopped into the carriage and headed towards the Fan residence.

He wanted to tell Ruoruo this good news!

……

Zhou Cheng left the palace not long ago.

News spread that Fan Xian would be leading the delegation on an upcoming mission to Northern Qi.

Li Yunrui, who was in Guangxin Palace, was among the first to receive the news.

Upon hearing the news, Li Yunrui, who was still resting on his bed, was immediately in high spirits.

She summoned a lady-in-waiting to help her get out of bed and do her makeup.

After several attempts to control him, Li Yunrui discovered that Fan Xian was far more difficult to manage after arriving in the capital than before.

That kid is not only good at martial arts, but also quite talented. He's very lucky and has a long life. She tried to use various methods to find fault with him several times, but she couldn't get any leverage over him.

Yesterday, she risked leaving the palace to ask Zhou Cheng for a recommendation, all so that Fan Xian could legitimately leave the capital.

In Kyoto, even if she were the eldest princess, the most skilled fighters she could mobilize would be no more than eighth-rank officials.

Once outside of Kyoto, her influence extends far beyond just a few eighth-rank officials.

She was preparing to use her trump card on Fan Xian.

A trump card that can defeat Fan Xian!

Junshan Gathering!

This is a secret organization that she secretly established with all her resources after taking control of the inner treasury.

Junshan Society, through the ties of interest within the inner treasury, extends its reach to various countries and is composed of the most powerful and influential figures in the world.

Despite being called an organization, Junshan Club is actually more like a secretive communication and transaction platform.

The list of members brought together the most influential figures in the world at that time, covering multiple fields such as politics, martial arts, and business.

Members can connect with each other and conduct various transactions using secrets or resources.

Prince Qing, the Second Prince, Master Shi, the Second Priest of Qing Temple, Shen Zhong of Northern Qi, and even the Four Grandmasters of Dongyi City, Ku He of Northern Qi, and Ye Liuyun of Qing were all members of the Junshan Society.

Li Yunrui planned to take advantage of Fan Xian's mission to Northern Qi to directly mobilize the power of the Junshan Society.

She prepared to contact Ye Liuyun.

With the help of Grandmaster Ye Liuyun, Fan Xian was completely killed.

Go!

After handing the secret letter to the female official and instructing her to release a carrier pigeon to contact Ye Liuyun,

Li Yunrui sat in front of the dressing mirror for a while and decided to have a heart-to-heart talk with Lin Wan'er.

She knew that Lin Wan'er liked Fan Xian.

But she wouldn't allow it.

Back then, Ye Qingmei suppressed her, and she would never allow Ye Qingmei's son to suppress her daughter as well.

As a mother, she had some feelings for Lin Wan'er.

Lin Wan'er is in poor health, so she needs to prepare her mentally in advance so that she won't be unable to cope after the incident.

After the lady-in-waiting returned, Li Yunrui, still exhausted and aching from overwork, was driven directly out of the palace by the lady-in-waiting and headed straight for the royal villa.

......

Royal Villa.

The afternoon sun shone warmly on the courtyard, where several osmanthus trees were in full bloom, their branches adorned with golden blossoms, their fragrance filling the air and drifting in the breeze.

Several birds hopped and chirped on the branches, adding a touch of life to the tranquil courtyard.

Lin Wan'er sat on the veranda, holding a book in her hands, but her eyes and attention were not on the book at all.

A man was sitting opposite her.

Fan Xian.

Fan Xian came to the villa today specifically to tell Lin Wan'er the good news—Emperor Qing has agreed to arrange their marriage once he returns from his mission to Northern Qi.

Lin Wan'er's face showed worry and anticipation. As the two were talking, a maid hurried in.

The maid was already used to Fan Xian, and she quickly stepped forward, lowering her voice:

"The Princess has arrived!"

Lin Wan'er was startled, and her eyes lit up with surprise.

Since she moved into this villa, Li Yunrui has never visited her even once.

Lin Wan'er threw down her book, quickly straightened her clothes, and then she suddenly saw Fan Xian, which made her a little flustered.

"Fan Xian, shouldn't you hide?"

Fan Xian shook his head.

"No need, it's not like I haven't met the Princess before."

He had met Li Yunrui before.

During his last visit to the palace, he not only met the mothers of several princes, but also Li Yunrui.

It was around that time that Li Yunrui revealed himself to be the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on him.

After that meeting, the two dropped their pretenses.

Now that everyone's stopped pretending, why is he still hiding?

Lin Wan'er hesitated. She and Fan Xian were not yet married, and it would be improper for Li Yunrui to see Fan Xian now.

She wanted to say something more, but Li Yunrui had already stepped into the inner courtyard and saw Fan Xian at first glance.

Upon seeing Fan Xian, Li Yunrui's gentle expression instantly turned cold.

She glanced at Lin Wan'er, noticing nothing unusual about her clothes and expression, then turned to Fan Xian.

"Oh, so Lord Fan is here too." She said with a forced smile, "I heard that Lord Fan is about to be sent as an envoy to Northern Qi. Instead of packing your bags at home and preparing to go to your death in Northern Qi, what are you doing here? Giving your last words?"

As soon as Li Yunrui spoke, Lin Wan'er's expression changed immediately.

Before she could speak, Fan Xian grabbed her hand.

Fan Xian smiled, neither humble nor arrogant:

"Your Highness is too kind. I am indeed going on a mission to Northern Qi to fulfill the task Your Majesty has entrusted to me and to enhance our national prestige. It is not a matter of dying. I am very lucky; I have survived many assassination attempts over the years, and not only have I not died, but I have become more and more vigorous. I believe that nothing will happen on this mission to Northern Qi. As for my last words, they are unnecessary."

Li Yunrui snorted coldly.

Seeing Fan Xian and Lin Wan'er holding hands felt particularly jarring to her.

This reminded her of Zhou Cheng and Ye Ling'er. She knew all too well what Ye Ling'er was like in Zhou Cheng's household.

The thought that Ye Qingmei's son might have touched her daughter made her blood pressure spike and her temples throb.

She was determined to kill Fan Xian at all costs, and her visit was specifically to remind Lin Wan'er.

Seeing the deep affection between the two, she no longer bothered to pretend in front of Lin Wan'er.

"Wan'er, you'd better keep your distance from Fan Xian. Let me be frank with you, Fan Xian's mother is Ye Qingmei, and I will never allow Ye Qingmei's son to marry my daughter. Unless I'm dead!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Wan'er was struck dumb, her face turning deathly pale.

"mother!"

She looked at Li Yunrui, her eyes reddening, her voice trembling:

"Mother... how could you do this! Your feud with Fan Xian's mother is a matter of your generation, it has nothing to do with Fan Xian, why are you targeting Fan Xian?"

She took a deep breath, meeting Li Yunrui's icy gaze.

"I love Fan Xian, and my daughter truly loves him. You told me you wanted to kill him, Mother. Did you even consider my feelings?"

Li Yunrui looked at her, a complex emotion flashing across his eyes.

Soon, her eyes were filled with coldness.

She flicked her sleeve and said coldly:

"It was because I considered your feelings that I repeatedly told you to break off the engagement for you. It was because I considered your feelings that I left the palace to see you."

Her icy gaze fell on Fan Xian. "You can marry anyone, but not Fan Xian! I'm telling you now, I won't let this kid return to the capital alive. His Majesty said he'd arrange your marriage if he returned to the capital. Just take that with a grain of salt and prepare yourself mentally."

Tears welled up in Lin Wan'er's eyes.

She suddenly broke free from Fan Xian's hand, took two steps forward, and grabbed Li Yunrui's sleeve tightly.

"Mother! You're considering my feelings, but that means telling me beforehand that you're going to kill the person I love? You're considering my feelings? You're being this good to me?"

She grabbed Li Yunrui's hand and stared into her eyes.

"Mom, do you know what I like to eat?"

Li Yunrui was taken aback.

She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Lin Wan'er looked at her, tears streaming down her face.

"I like to eat chicken drumsticks. You may not know, but Fan Xian does."

"I love the starry sky. You may not know, but Fan Xian does."

"You keep saying you're doing this for my own good, but you know nothing about it."

"Fan Xian is the one who understands me best, is most willing to understand me, and is the best to me! In this life, I will only marry him!"

"I used to lie to myself, to myself that you were in trouble, to myself that you were doing it for my own good, and to myself that if I was a good daughter my mother would love me!"

But now, I can't fool myself anymore. Fan Xian taught me what love is.

Her voice grew louder and louder, until it was almost a shout:

"You don't love me at all, you don't love anyone! You're a completely unfit mother!"

As Li Yunrui listened to Lin Wan'er's accusations, his face went from shock and anger to death in an instant.

She felt as if her disguise had been exposed and couldn't accept it for a moment.

She gasped for breath, swayed, staggered backward, and nearly fell.

Lin Wan'er was startled and, forgetting her cries and accusations, quickly grabbed her hand and helped her up.

"Mother! What's wrong?"

Li Yunrui's face was pale, and she couldn't say a word. She clutched her lower abdomen, her breathing rapid.

"Mother, I'm sorry, Wan'er was wrong. Please don't scare Wan'er!"

Lin Wan'er was at a loss, and she quickly looked at Fan Xian:

"Fan Xian! Quickly, help me see what's wrong with my mother!"

Without Lin Wan'er saying anything, Fan Xian quickly stepped forward, placing one hand on Li Yunrui's back to help her catch her breath, and the other hand on her pulse.

His fingers had barely touched that fair wrist when, as if electrocuted, his expression changed drastically.

That pulse...

Fan Xian quickly suppressed his emotions.

Seeing that his expression was off, Lin Wan'er asked urgently:

"What's wrong? Is my mother alright?"

Fan Xian paused for a moment, then said:

"I'm fine. It's just that I didn't get enough rest, and the blood rushed to my head, causing... a momentary choking, and my lungs and internal organs are a bit weak."

When he said this, his gaze did not fall on Lin Wan'er, but on Li Yunrui's face.

Li Yunrui also came to her senses at this moment.

She was so angry at Lin Wan'er's words that she almost choked, and now she felt a stomachache.

She clutched her lower abdomen, took deep breaths, and tried to calm her churning blood.

She looked up and noticed Fan Xian's strange gaze, which made her heart tighten.

She gasped for breath, struggled to stay upright, and shook off Lin Wan'er's hand.

"I'm fine."

She glanced deeply at Lin Wan'er, who was both anxious and guilty, then at Fan Xian, whose expression was strange, and frowned.

"Wan'er, I can pretend I didn't hear what you just said. I'll say it again: I will not allow my daughter to marry Ye Qingmei's son, unless I'm dead!"

After saying that, she pushed away Lin Wan'er's hand that came to help her and turned to leave.

Even though Lin Wan'er chased after her and tried to stop her, she still left the villa directly.

……

Lin Wan'er stood at the entrance of the villa, watching the carriage disappear into the distance, and tears streamed down her face again uncontrollably.

She didn't understand why things had turned out this way!

She couldn't understand why Li Yunrui's resentment towards everything related to the house was so deep!

At the same time, she secretly regretted that her words had been too harsh and had hurt her mother's feelings.

She turned to look at Fan Xian, who immediately wiped away her tears with heartache.

"Fan Xian, is my mother really alright?"

She trusted Fan Xian's medical skills. Her tuberculosis, which even the imperial physicians couldn't cure, had been mostly healed after several months of treatment by Fan Xian. If Fan Xian said she was fine, then she was probably fine.

But Fan Xian hesitated to speak.

Lin Wan'er's heart tightened. She immediately grabbed Fan Xian's sleeve.

"What happened? Say something!"

Fan Xian looked at her, remained silent for a long while, and then whispered:

"Wan'er, your mother, the Princess... is pregnant."

Lin Wan'er was stunned, as if she doubted that there was something wrong with her ears.

"What?"

She stared at Fan Xian, hoping he would repeat it again.

"Don't be ridiculous, how could that be?"

Fan Xian's eyes, however, were very serious.

"I'm not joking. I can feel it clearly, it's definitely a pregnancy pulse—it's been almost two months."

Lin Wan'er's body trembled uncontrollably, which startled Fan Xian so much that he quickly hugged her.

She naturally trusted Fan Xian's medical skills.

Since Fan Xian said he did, then his mother really did have one.

"How...how could this happen?"

Lin Wan'er's voice was trembling.

She knew that Li Yunrui and Lin Ruofu had not been in contact for many years.

This child cannot be her father's.

Whose is it?

Lin Wan'er was devastated.

The already fragile image of Li Yunrui as a mother in her heart has been further shattered.

……

Guangxin Palace.

Li Yunrui returned to his palace and sat on the couch, feeling restless.

Fan Xian's strange expression lingered in her mind.

What exactly did he see?

Do I have a problem?

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became, and finally summoned the female official.

"Go, fetch the imperial physician."

The imperial physician was quickly summoned; he was an elderly man with gray hair who had served in the Imperial Medical Academy for many years.

The imperial physician had been in the palace since she was a child.

He bowed respectfully, then carefully took Li Yunrui's pulse.

A moment later, his expression turned somewhat strange.

Li Yunrui stared at him.

"explain."

The imperial physician opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

Li Yunrui's voice turned cold:

"I'm telling you to speak!"

The imperial physician took a deep breath and knelt down:

"Congratulations, Your Highness, Your Highness... is pregnant."

Li Yunrui was completely stunned.

She stood there, her ears ringing, unable to hear a single word the imperial physician said next.

Is she pregnant?

Is she pregnant?

Whose is it?

Who else could it be?

But they clearly took precautions... no, there was one time... it was at Prince Cheng's residence...

The imperial physician saw that she was in a daze, lying on the ground, with cold sweat pouring down her face.

He didn't even dare to ask whether it was a prescription to preserve the pregnancy or a prescription to abort it.

Li Yunrui sat there, her expression shifting, without moving.

After a long while, color returned to Li Yunrui's eyes.

She glanced at the old imperial physician lying on the ground, but had no interest in asking anything.

He simply waved his hand, instructing the lady-in-waiting to escort the person out.

Soon, the lady-in-waiting returned from outside.

"Your Highness, it's all cleaned up..."