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

How could Li Yunrui possibly remember something that happened a year ago?

Seeing her expression, Zhou Cheng understood, but he didn't care much.

"It's okay to forget, anyway..."

Before he finished speaking, he gently hooked his finger on Li Yunrui's waist, and the brocade belt embroidered with cloud patterns suddenly loosened.

The moment his clothes came undone, Li Yunrui, who remained calm despite being choked, couldn't help but catch his breath.

"Li Chengcheng, what are you doing?"

"You know the answer already, so you ask."

"Are you crazy? Who do you think we are? How dare you be so insolent!"

"Heh...identity?" Zhou Cheng chuckled softly.

Li Yunrui was not Emperor Qing's biological sister, nor was she related to him by blood.

This is hardly a secret in Beijing.

He naturally dared not cross the true boundaries, but beyond that, why should he have any other concerns?

"I told you, you'd pay the price. If you're unwilling to pay, I'll just have to take it myself!"

"—How dare you! Get out of my way!"

Li Yunrui tried to break free, but her arms and body remained firmly in place like iron clamps.

With a few quick flicks, Zhou Cheng's fingers touched the thin straps of her undergarment.

As if sensing the warmth of his palm, Li Yunrui trembled slightly.

She gripped the hand that was making the movement tightly with both hands, while lowering her voice to try and remain calm:

"Li Chengcheng, that's enough! If you go any further, I'll call for help! Disgracing the palace is a serious crime, and even if you are a prince, your fate won't be good!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Cheng didn't stop what he was doing; instead, he sneered:

"If this becomes public knowledge, I'll be in big trouble, but what about you?"

If I dare to do it, I am naturally willing to bear the consequences.

As everyone knows, I have never been ambitious. Even if I am stripped of my title and exiled to a commoner, what difference will it make?

But you are different! The power in your hands, the control of the imperial treasury, the prestige of being the eldest princess… are you willing to give all of this up?

Li Yunrui's breath hitched.

She desperately wanted to slap him back, forcefully declare what she was reluctant to do, and even adopt a posture of mutual destruction to show those behind her what true respect was.

But...she dared not...

What a madman fears most is encountering an even madder madman!

Li Chengcheng, she had met countless people, yet she couldn't understand him at all.

Over the years, none of his actions were within her expectations.

She was afraid of accidents.

She dared not gamble, much less could afford to gamble.

Outside the hall, a strong wind swept in, shattering the tranquility of the lotus pond inch by inch.

One hour later.

Zhou Cheng, dressed neatly and with his shoes on, walked directly to the tea table, sat down, and poured himself a cup of tea that had long since gone cold.

After a long while, Li Yunrui's eyes slowly focused, and he finally regained some consciousness.

She subconsciously raised her hand and pulled a light veil over her head.

.

After Zhou Cheng put down the empty teapot, Li Yunrui was fully awake.

She suppressed her discomfort, tried to put aside all her emotions, and began to weigh the pros and cons.

Taking a few deep breaths, she tightened her clothing, glanced at the man beside the tea table, and, despite the lingering fear, forced herself to remain calm:

"Cheng, Chengcheng, we are now one, and from now on, we will share both glory and loss."

"I ask you, now that you have won His Majesty's favor and been granted the title of Prince Cheng, have you considered pursuing a higher position upon returning to the capital?"

Zhou Cheng put down his teacup and glanced at her.

This woman only resembles a normal woman when she is lost in self-absorption; once she regains her senses, she reverts to being a thoroughly political creature.

However, he wasn't surprised, and simply said:

"Among the royal family members, none with ambitions wouldn't want to advance further. If I could sit on that throne, I would naturally want to. However, my father is still in his prime and far from the time to step down. What's the use of keeping an eye on things now?"

"How could it be useless?" Li Yunrui frowned slightly and said, "If we don't plan ahead now, what will we have to compete with the Second Prince and the Crown Prince when the court's power is completely divided up?"

"Compete? With the second son? With the crown prince?"

Zhou Cheng simply held his teacup and shook his head.

"The allocation of that position has always depended solely on the Emperor's will. Whether the court powers, or others, compete for it or not, is ultimately meaningless."

Li Yunrui had a completely different idea from him.

"How could it be meaningless? Only by stepping into the arena and fighting for it can you let His Majesty see your abilities and look at you differently. You are still young, and perhaps you don't know, but His Majesty rose from humble beginnings, and he won that position through his own efforts! The position of Crown Prince is not unchangeable!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Cheng remained unmoved, merely smiling faintly without saying a word.

He knew far better than Li Yunrui how Emperor Qing ascended to the throne.

When the late emperor was alive, he was just a down-on-his-luck prince who was not favored. In the line of succession, he would probably only be ahead of a dog.

If Ye Qingmei hadn't intervened so decisively, using Barrett to clear away all obstacles for him, not only would the late emperor have had no chance of sitting on the throne, but Emperor Qing, the heir apparent of Prince Cheng, would have had no chance of succeeding to the throne.

Perhaps it's because we lack something that we care about it more.

In order to legitimize his rule and resolve the historical issues left over from the previous emperor's ascension to the throne, Emperor Qing's obsession with so-called "legitimacy" and "rites" reached an almost fanatical level after he took the throne.

It also set a precedent of "the crown prince not being ranked among the princes".

In Emperor Qing's heart, the only heir to the throne has always been the Crown Prince.

Whether it's the Second Prince, him, Li Yunrui, or Fan Xian, they are all whetstones used to hone the Crown Prince.

This was something that no one else could have imagined, except for him who knew it early on through the plot.

Zhou Cheng's calm demeanor ignited Li Yunrui's anger.

She forcefully suppressed her anger, trying to keep her voice calm and gentle:

"Now that things have come to this, even if not for yourself, you should at least try to fight for your aunt's sake."

"?"

Zhou Cheng gave her a strange look.

For her?

Oh......

Li Yunrui is beautiful, but her thoughts are even more beautiful. She's truly a greedy woman!

However, he was now completely satisfied and didn't want to provoke the woman too much. After all, she was a madwoman, and if he provoked her too much, she might give up and cause trouble.

He's actually quite possessive and doesn't want to have any more like-minded people.

Not wanting to dwell on this, he changed the subject:

"Aunt, instead of worrying about me, you should worry about yourself. Father has already issued an imperial edict at the banquet, so Fan Xian will likely be arriving in the capital soon. Once Fan Xian marries Wan'er, will you hand over control of the Imperial Treasury or not?"

Sure enough, the moment Fan Xian was mentioned, and his personal interests were involved, Li Yunrui's attention was immediately diverted.

She almost gritted her teeth as she said:

"Fan Xian is protected by skilled guards. I've sent assassins several times, but they've all failed. If Fan Xian goes to the capital, he'll be a huge problem for both of us!"

Zhou Cheng raised an eyebrow.

"Auntie, what you're saying is ridiculous. How could Fan Xian's trip to the capital be a problem for me?"

During the conversation, Li Yunrui regained some of her strength.

She forced herself to sit up, covering herself with her clothes, and said irritably:

"All these years, when you've asked me for money and personnel, haven't you always gone through the Imperial Treasury? If Fan Xian were in charge of the Imperial Treasury, would he easily give you preferential treatment?"

Zhou Cheng thought for a moment and nodded, "That makes sense."

Now that Fan Xian has taken over the Imperial Treasury, given that man's personality, it's unlikely he'll receive any special treatment.

However, the internal treasury being in Li Yunrui's hands wouldn't be much more convenient for him either.

He estimated that if he withdrew one thousand taels of silver, the imperial treasury would record it as ten thousand.

However, he never intended to pay back the debt, so he didn't care.

Zhou Cheng put down his teacup and asked, "So, what are your plans, Aunt?"

Li Yunrui paused for a moment, thought for a moment, and then said:

"I didn't expect His Majesty to issue an imperial edict directly today. If His Majesty is just looking for a pretext to bring Fan Xian to the capital, I have plenty of ways to deal with him here in the capital."

Now that His Majesty has issued a public edict, the entire court is aware of Fan Xian's existence. If he enters the capital alive, I will be at a disadvantage.

"Does Auntie have any thoughts?"

Zhou Cheng asked the question, but he already had the answer in his heart.

Sure enough, Li Yunrui hesitated for a moment, then looked up with a hint of relief in his eyes:

"There are some things I don't need to hide from you. I plan to use my connections with the Crown Prince to get people from the Censorate to assassinate Fan Xian. I will not allow Fan Xian to enter the capital alive."

Upon hearing "Forensic Examiner's Office," Zhou Cheng thought to himself, "Just as I suspected."

He glanced at Li Yunrui as if he were looking at a pitiful Tom the cat.

This woman's logic is frighteningly simple.

The dignified Princess could never have imagined that Emperor Qing and Chen Pingping had already anticipated her actions based on her temperament.

They had even deliberately arranged for her to use the chess piece "Teng Zijing".

"What kind of look is that?"

"Nothing much! I just thought of something funny!"

Zhou Cheng waved his hand.

The plot unfolding in the normal order would only benefit him, so there was no need for him to deliberately interfere.

Li Yunrui merely frowned slightly, not paying much attention, and continued:

"I'm still not entirely at ease relying solely on the Crown Prince to send assassins from the Bureau of Investigation. The assassins I sent before were already seventh-rank experts, and even the strongest assassins from the Bureau of Investigation will be roughly at that level. Just to be on the safe side, I need your help, Cheng'er?"

"I?"

Zhou Cheng pointed to himself.

"That's right. I've heard that you have two eighth-rank experts by your side."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Cheng immediately understood her intention and interrupted her:

"My dear aunt! Those two eighth-rank guards were arranged by Father Emperor for the trip to Mount Dadong. In reality, they were His Majesty's eyes and ears."

I sent them to assassinate Fan Xian, and I reckon the secret report will be on Father Emperor's desk shortly afterward.

I'm not afraid of trouble, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to cause trouble. Auntie, please don't get me into trouble!

Li Yunrui frowned and glared at him:

"This won't work, that won't work! You don't even have a single decent person under you, you can't help with even the smallest things, what use are you to me?"

Zhou Cheng wasn't annoyed; he simply smiled and said:

"It's precisely because it's useless that it won't be easily exploited!"

"you....."

Li Yunrui was so angry that she couldn't speak.

The shamelessness of the person in front of her was completely unexpected.

Hearing the negative feedback of less than ten points in his ear, Zhou Cheng gave up the idea of ​​continuing to fleece Li Yunrui.

He then offered words of comfort:

"It's true that I have no one else to rely on, but I can still offer my aunt some advice. As the saying goes, those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly."

Before Li Yunrui could say anything, he continued:

"The assassination attempt arranged by Aunt can continue. If that still fails, then we'll wait for Fan Xian to arrive in the capital."

When Fan Xian arrived in the capital, there were many people watching him, and his aunt was not the only one who wanted to get rid of him.

Aunt can wait for others to deal with Fan Xian while she tries to find a way to break off Wan'er's engagement with Fan Xian.

Once the engagement is dissolved, Fan Xian will just be an illegitimate child from the countryside, and probably not many people will keep an eye on him.

"Sending top experts from the capital to eliminate him will be a piece of cake!"

After listening, Li Yunrui seemed to be deep in thought:

"The idea is good. However, the engagement was personally arranged by His Majesty; it's not so easy to dissolve!"

Zhou Cheng smiled and said:

"If all else fails, Auntie should go to the Empress Dowager and plead for him, saying a few bad things about Fan Xian. The Empress Dowager dotes on Wan'er the most, so she might be able to persuade His Majesty."

Li Yunrui rolled his eyes at him and sneered:

"The women of the inner palace are not allowed to interfere in politics, and I cannot disturb the Empress Dowager unless absolutely necessary. Besides, the Empress Dowager may not be willing to help me in this matter."

Zhou Cheng nodded:

"Normally, that's true. However, if Wan'er is unwilling to marry Fan Xian and takes the initiative to plead with the Empress Dowager, then there might be a sliver of a chance."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Li Yunrui grabbed the pillow next to her and threw it at her angrily.

She angrily said:

"The marriage agreement is His Majesty's will. If Wan'er resists, she will be disrespecting His Majesty. Even if it is dissolved afterward, how will Wan'er face herself? You bastard, you're harming Wan'er!"

Zhou Cheng caught the pillow casually.

He didn't expect Li Yunrui to react so strongly.

But then I thought about it again, since it involves my own daughter, it seems normal to have a strong reaction.

Then, he changed the subject:

"Since Wan'er's initiative is not working, why not have Fan Xian take the initiative to annul the engagement?"

Li Yunrui suppressed the heaving of his chest and let out a cold snort:

"Take the initiative to annul the engagement? How could that be! Wan'er is a princess, with unparalleled beauty. Marrying her would mean taking control of the imperial treasury and possessing immense wealth. What man in the world could resist such temptation?"

"That's not necessarily true." Zhou Cheng tapped the tea table with his fingers. "Some people value power and wealth more than their own lives, but there are always others... who don't."

Li Yunrui's face darkened, suspecting the other person was using a sarcastic remark against her, and she said impatiently, "I don't believe it!"

Zhou Cheng: "It's all about human effort. How can you say it's impossible if you don't even try?"

Li Yunrui's eyes darted around, and he said calmly, "If the assassination fails, can you persuade Fan Xian to annul the engagement?"

Zhou Cheng nodded in surprise:

"I can give it a try. However, I need manpower to investigate Fan Xian's detailed information, and I hope Aunt can arrange some people to work for me."

"So this is your real goal, isn't it?" Li Yunrui sneered. "But if it can be accomplished, it's not impossible!"

She added, "I see now. Cheng'er, you are not without ambition!"

"It's just that Chengze and the Crown Prince have set their sights on the imperial court, while you've set your sights on me, your aunt!"

Zhou Cheng simply smiled, neither speaking nor admitting nor denying.

Li Yunrui believed he had seen through his thoughts and had intended to make a few sarcastic remarks.

At that moment, a female official announced something outside the bedchamber.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince requests an audience."

"The Crown Prince?"

Li Yunrui frowned, thinking to himself that he had come at a really bad time.

She wanted to use her connection with the Crown Prince to get the Imperial Censorate to assassinate Fan Xian, but she was currently in a very unwell condition.

He let out a long breath, deciding there was no need to rush, and then coldly gave the order to the person outside the door:

"If you refuse to see me, just say I'm unwell. We'll talk another day."

The female official outside the door acknowledged and withdrew.

Zhou Cheng's expression was a half-smile:

"This Crown Prince really cares about his aunt. As the heir apparent, there are probably many matters to be arranged in the Eastern Palace after the palace banquet."

The Crown Prince rushed here to visit his aunt; his filial piety is truly commendable.

"Even the most filial son can't compare to your audacity, Cheng'er!" Li Yunrui rolled her eyes at him and stretched out her hand: "Come on, help me get dressed first. I need to take a bath; I can't move."

Another half hour passed, and Zhou Cheng stuffed the list and token given to him by Li Yunrui into his pocket and walked out of Guangxin Palace.

As soon as they stepped out of the gate, they saw that the imperial carriage was still waiting quietly by the roadside.

Crown Prince Li Chengqian, who had been waiting outside for an unknown amount of time, jumped out of the carriage as soon as he saw him.

With his usual honest smile on his face, he looked pure and innocent, like a harmless child.

"Third Brother, I saw your carriage as soon as I arrived. Did you see Aunt in the palace? Is Aunt unwell? Is it serious?"

Zhou Cheng simply cupped his hands in greeting, listened to the negative notification sound in his ear, and casually said:

"My aunt was unwell, but it's nothing serious, and she's resting now."

"Ah?" The Crown Prince looked surprised. "My aunt is unwell, yet she kept Third Brother in the palace for so long. Is there anything urgent? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Zhou Cheng smiled and patted the Crown Prince on the shoulder:

"It's nothing serious. Since Your Highness is so interested, I'll be frank with you."

My aunt told me that recently, people have been drawing her portrait and even secretly coming to her for advice. The person's identity is special, and she felt troubled, wanting to refuse but unable to, which led to her illness.

I was really troubled; what ideas could a rough man like me possibly have? Since Your Highness is so interested, then let Your Highness ponder this difficult problem!

[Li Chengqian's negative emotions +999!]

After Zhou Cheng finished speaking, he suppressed a laugh and put on a relieved expression.

Ignoring the Crown Prince's stiff expression, he boarded his own carriage and drove away.

The crown prince was left standing there, his face turning pale and then flushed.

........

Upon returning to Prince Cheng's residence, Zhou Cheng immediately summoned Chen Bao.

"Go and check the records of a man named Teng Zijing in the Forensic Science Bureau, find his family members, and bring them back to your residence."

After saying that, he whispered a reminder, "This matter doesn't need to be done too secretly."

Upon hearing this, Chen Bao immediately understood: "Yes, sir!"

Watching Chen Bao's departing figure, Zhou Cheng rubbed his temples.

"It seems it's time to recruit some of our own forces."

For a dignified eighth-rank master to have to do even the smallest things personally is truly disrespectful to talented individuals.

"Ordinary people are easy to recruit, but the key is reliable informants..."

Without a reliable intelligence network in Kyoto, it would be difficult to keep track of Fan Xian's movements after he entered the capital, which would greatly diminish his advantage of being a prophet.

The list Li Yunrui provided contained many names, but they were ultimately just pawns in her game. Once she used them, every move she made would be observed by Li Yunrui.

He needs someone who belongs entirely to him.

However, building from scratch is too slow, which means it would require a lot of money and time.

What he lacks most right now is money and time.

The largest intelligence network in Kyoto was the Censorate. Next was Emperor Qing's secret service and the Censorate.

He couldn't get involved in any of these areas.

Even if you can plant spies, your every move will still be noticed by others.

Zhou Cheng thought to himself, "I need a ready-made intelligence network that doesn't cost me any money or time..."

After thinking about it for a moment, his eyes lit up.

Surprisingly, he actually knew of an intelligence system that met all these criteria!

......

As dusk settled and the city lights began to twinkle.

The banks of the Liujing River were filled with the sounds of music and revelry, with painted boats gliding on the water and the sounds of string and wind instruments drifting on the breeze.

The colorful lanterns are reflected on the river, breaking into millions of floating spots of light, like a galaxy fallen to earth.

The riverbank was lined with restaurants and brothels, where laughter, toasts, and the melodious songs of courtesans blended together to create a decadent atmosphere.

Zuixianju is the most famous brothel on the banks of the Liujing River. Its three-story eaves are covered with glass lanterns, illuminating half the street as bright as day.

Carriages and horses were constantly coming and going in front of the gate, and young masters and nobles in brocade robes were coming and going. The air was filled with the scent of perfume and wine.

Zhou Cheng, dressed in an indigo brocade robe with dark patterns and holding an ivory folding fan sprinkled with gold, disguised himself as an ordinary wealthy young master. He was accompanied only by his bodyguard Chen Quan as he slowly stepped into Zuixianju.