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

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Zhou Cheng was not surprised that Li Yunrui would ask such a question.

Others may not know, but Li Yunrui does.

The assassins in hemp clothing who appeared at the Hanging Temple were his men.

The crown prince cooperated with Northern Qi, and the experts sent by Northern Qi were always stationed outside the capital city.

Those gardeners and stonemasons were all disguises for them.

The Hanging Temple Flower Viewing Festival is held every three years, and the last festival just ended not long ago, so the Hanging Temple's defenses are at their most lax.

That's why those experts from Northern Qi were able to successfully infiltrate and spend two months digging a cave on the highest cliff of the Hanging Temple, a cave that could shelter a dozen or so people.

The boulder that fell from the sky served as a cover for the cave entrance.

These Northern Qi experts were nominally working for the Crown Prince, but in reality, they were always at his beck and call.

Even now, the crown prince probably hasn't realized what's happening.

He never imagined that any of his men would be involved in this assassination attempt, and of course, he didn't dare to even think about it.

From Li Yunrui's perspective, Lin Ruofu's death at the hands of the assassins in hemp clothing meant that he was the one who ordered the attack.

"That was just an accident."

Zhou Cheng did not deny it.

He orchestrated the assassination at the Hanging Temple, solely to depose the crown prince in one fell swoop.

This flower viewing event was like a grand auto chess game.

With all parties setting up their pieces in advance, no one can predict how things will ultimately develop until the outcome is revealed.

The assassin struck, and the dead or injured could be Lin Ruofu, Prince Jing, Fan Jian, or even other members of the royal family.

The reason Lin Ruofu was injured was largely because he tried to show his loyalty by going forward despite not knowing any martial arts.

Lin Ruofu's death was both unexpected and unjust.

Because both Emperor Qing and he, who were present at the time, could easily have kept him alive.

Unfortunately, neither of them could intervene, and Fan Xian, the only one given hope, not only returned lying down but also delayed Lin Ruofu's best time for treatment.

"An accident...?"

Li Yunrui sighed.

She had long since lost all feelings for Lin Ruofu.

She didn't care whether Lin Ruofu lived or died. But Lin Wan'er was deeply affected by Lin Ruofu's death, and she couldn't help but feel sad.

She still felt pity for her daughter.

Especially now that she is pregnant, her maternal instincts are even stronger than before.

Her current condition prevented her from even visiting Lin Wan'er, which greatly frustrated her.

So even though she knew it wasn't the right time to see Zhou Cheng, she couldn't resist and asked him to come over.

Li Yunrui didn't dwell on Lin Ruofu's situation any longer. A person is dead, and since Zhou Cheng said it was an accident, she believed him.

Actually, she was more inclined to believe that Zhou Cheng had deliberately had Lin Ruofu killed.

That would better illustrate the possessiveness this young man has for her.

This thought only flashed through Li Yunrui's mind for a moment.

Thinking of the important matter at hand, she recalled the imperial physician she had ordered to be drowned the previous night.

"Cheng'er, I guess I can't keep this a secret for much longer." Her voice turned serious.

"His Majesty sent the imperial physician the night before last. I took care of the person, but it also alarmed His Majesty."

The assassination attempt at the Hanging Temple has left His Majesty overwhelmed. Once he has the time, he will surely come in person. I don't know how he will react when he sees me, but I will do everything in my power to save our child, as promised.

Zhou Cheng stepped forward, supporting her waist with one hand and placing the other on her protruding belly, his palm pressed against her skin, feeling the movement of the little life inside.

"Don't worry." His voice was soft, but filled with absolute certainty.

"Let me know immediately if anything happens. There are many things I can't tell you all right now."

However, I can assure you that as long as I disagree, no one in this world can harm you, or our child. Not even the emperor, not even a grandmaster.

Li Yunrui's eyes flickered.

She had always known that Zhou Cheng had a trump card, but she didn't know what it was.

However, she had some guesses about why Zhou Cheng was so confident.

There must be a grandmaster behind Zhou Cheng, but we don't know which grandmaster it is.

Hong Sixiang? Or Ye Liuyun? Or perhaps Ku He or Si Gu Jian? She couldn't guess.

However, with the support of a Grandmaster, Zhou Cheng's ascension to the position is a foregone conclusion.

In her view now, even if the Second Prince hadn't been placed under house arrest, Li Chengze and the Crown Prince combined wouldn't be worthy of challenging Zhou Cheng.

The assassination attempt at the Hanging Temple—that huge black pot had already been prepared for the Crown Prince.

Lin Ruofu's death had such a huge impact that even Emperor Qing couldn't protect the crown prince.

Zhou Cheng simply plotted and barely even made a move, yet he had already killed the Second Prince and the Crown Prince.

This gave her more and more confidence in Zhou Cheng, and at the same time, made her increasingly infatuated with this man.

Everything about them is now completely tied up.

As long as Zhou Cheng takes the throne and she gives birth to another child, based on this relationship, nothing in the entire Qing Kingdom will be able to shake her position.

For the rest of her life, all she had to do was control the imperial treasury, enjoy luxury, and watch the world go by.

The stability and ultimate pursuit she had sought her whole life were within reach; all she had to do was endure.

"My little man is becoming more and more domineering!"

Li Yunrui smiled charmingly, her eyes sparkling.

Then she continued, "The Forensic Bureau must have already discovered clues about the Crown Prince. I will release that evidence bit by bit, without giving myself away. No matter how brilliant Chen Pingping is, he'll have to obediently serve as our tool. Hehe, the only pity is that Fan Xian is lucky enough to survive. Otherwise, everything would be perfect!"

Zhou Cheng didn't want to talk.

He couldn't completely trust Li Yunrui to do things.

His plans were naturally well-organized; he wouldn't rely entirely on Li Yunrui.

The role Li Yunrui can play is essentially icing on the cake; whether she's there or not makes little difference.

Of course, he wouldn't say any of this, lest that bitch get agitated and go crazy again.

Thinking of Fan Xian, he sighed inwardly, realizing that Li Yunrui's obsession with Fan Xian was still too strong.

I'll find an opportunity later to talk to her and let her understand the real Ye Qingmei.

In his eyes, a woman who could squander even the best of her abilities was no better than this crazy woman.

Li Yunrui was limited by the times and suffered a setback; otherwise, with her ruthless and unscrupulous nature, she would have achieved more than Ye Qingmei in many aspects.

After exchanging some more details with Li Yunrui, Zhou Cheng left Guangxin Palace.

He returned to Prince Cheng's residence and did not go out again.

Now, he does nothing, yet he triumphs over everything.

He just needs to wait, wait for the bullets to fly a little longer!

.......

The Mansion of the Marquis of Sinan.

After the morning court session, and after making arrangements at the Observatory, Chen Pingping could no longer contain himself and personally went to the Fan residence to check on Fan Xian's condition.

After being instructed to disinfect himself several times with alcohol, Chen Pingping had his shadow stand guard at the door before he himself pushed his wheelchair to meet Fan Xian.

Fan Xian has woken up and seems to be in good spirits.

It can only be said that the Heavenly Dao True Qi truly lives up to its reputation as the number one true qi for healing and recovery.

After just one night's rest, Fan Xian noticed that the wound under the bandage had already begun to scab over, looking as if it had recovered for two or three days.

Chen Pingping pushed the wheelchair in, and Fan Xian turned his head to look at it.

Chen Pingping approached the bedside, her voice carrying a hint of relief:

"It's good that you're awake. Now Wan'er can rest easy."

When Fan Xian saw Chen Pingping enter, he had a lot of questions he wanted to ask.

He didn't expect the other party to mention Lin Wan'er, and he immediately realized something was wrong.

Since he was injured, he hasn't seen Lin Wan'er even once.

Given their relationship, Lin Wan'er should have been the first to come and take care of him.

He was seriously injured yesterday and was not fully conscious. He was only thinking about saving himself and didn't want Lin Wan'er to worry about him, so he didn't think much about it.

Now that his life is spared and his wounds are bandaged, he realizes that something is wrong.

"What's wrong with Wan'er?" Fan Xian asked anxiously.

Because he was breathing too fast, the sudden rise and fall of his chest aggravated his wound, causing his face to turn pale instantly.

Chen Pingping was taken aback, not expecting Fan Xian's reaction.

He instantly understood that Fan Jian was worried about Fan Xian and had not told him about Lin Wan'er's coma.

He quickly turned his wheelchair and reached out to comfort Fan Xian:

"Don't worry. Wan'er is alright now. Yesterday, Prime Minister Lin died from poisoning, and you were seriously injured and your life was in danger. Wan'er couldn't bear the shock and fainted. She woke up yesterday, but she was too grief-stricken and weak to move. Last night, when she heard that you were out of danger, she wanted to come and take care of you, but I stopped her. She was worried all night and had just fallen asleep when I stopped her from coming to see you."

After hearing Chen Pingping's explanation, Fan Xian finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

If you were to ask who he was most worried about in this world, it would undoubtedly be Lin Wan'er.

Although he was still worried about Lin Wan'er's condition, what shocked him even more from Chen Pingping's words was that he never expected that Lin Ruofu, the most powerful minister in the Qing Kingdom, who was second only to the emperor, would actually be dead!

You should know that Lin Ruofu was still alive and kicking when he went to chase the assassin yesterday.

"How did Prime Minister Lin die?" Fan Xian asked.

Seeing that Fan Xian knew nothing, Chen Pingping did not hide anything and recounted everything that had happened before and after Fan Xian was injured.

When he heard that Lin Ruofu had been delayed because he was waiting for him to return for detoxification and treatment, he was speechless.

Of course, Fan Xian wouldn't wallow in self-pity or get stuck in a rut, thinking that he was the one who caused Lin Ruofu's death.

He could only lament the unpredictability of life and the cruel twists of fate, that Lin Ruofu, a powerful prime minister, had died so hastily and unjustly.

To be honest, the Lin family seems to have had a pretty rough time ever since he came to Beijing.

First Lin Gong died because of him, and now Lin Ruofu's death is also related to him.

After a moment of reflection, Fan Xian stopped dwelling on the matter.

He was still worried about Lin Wan'er, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

"How are you feeling now?" Chen Pingping asked about Fan Xian's physical condition.

Fan Xian moved his body, sensed his surroundings, and then sighed:

"My life has been saved, but my wounds hurt, and I've lost all my internal energy."

Chen Pingping paused for a moment, then spoke to comfort him:

"It's alright. As long as you're alive, you have everything. You can practice your true energy again! Ku He's unique technique, the Heavenly Dao True Energy, is the best in the world for healing and recovery. It is said to have the ability to reshape one's bones and meridians."

Fan Xian's eyes lit up.

Since he woke up, he has been feeling lost and dejected.

Martial artists are used to the power and sense of security that come from having true qi by their side. Without true qi, it's like losing most of their life.

If he could recover, he would naturally not let any opportunity slip by.

Thinking of the true energy that the Great Sage had infused into his body last night, its restorative effect was incredibly strong.

I wonder how the Great Sage's cultivation technique compares to the Heavenly Dao True Qi!

"Will Ku He spread the word?" Fan Xian asked.

Chen Pingping shook his head: "I never tell anyone."

Fan Xian's lips twitched, and he almost rolled his eyes.

What's there to say if we don't share this?

In the end, instead of pinning his hopes on Ku He, he might as well ask his fellow villager Da Sheng for help!

Although he already owed the Great Sage a life, he didn't want to owe anyone more favors.

But then again, he already owes his life, so why would he need a favor like a set of martial arts techniques?

I don't know if the Great Sage's skills can help him, but I have to give it a try!

Chen Pingping knew he couldn't get the Heavenly Dao Technique from Ku He, but he said this only to give Fan Xian a glimmer of hope.

Of course, he didn't know that Fan Xian had an even greater hope in his heart.

Not wanting Fan Xian to remain in despair, he changed the subject:

"The assassination attempt at the Hanging Temple has come to a conclusion."

Sure enough, Fan Xian was immediately drawn to his words.

"What was the result?"

Chen Pingping did not hide anything and first explained the background of the guard and the eunuch.

The main content is about historical issues.

One case involves a non-Han Chinese, and the other involves former royalty and nobility. Both have harbored hatred for many years, and now that they have the opportunity, they have made their move.

Upon hearing this, Fan Xian seemed unconcerned about the identities of the two assassins, simply saying, "What a coincidence?"

Chen Pingping nodded: "What a coincidence."

"Where is the white-clad swordsman?" Fan Xian asked, tilting his head to stare into Chen Pingping's eyes.

Chen Pingping paused, avoiding his gaze: "Your Majesty has a discerning eye; that is indeed Si Gu Jian's younger brother. Back then, Si Gu Jian slaughtered his entire clan, but he was the only one spared."

Fan Xian pursed his lips.

After a long pause, he continued to stare at Chen Pingping and said, "It was the shadow that hurt me."

Chen Pingping's face twitched. She seemed to want to say something, opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't say anything.

Fan Xian withdrew his gaze and looked at the ceiling above: "At first, I didn't know either. Later, when I pressed him harder, I saw the clues."

Chen Pingping, holding onto her wheelchair, turned her head and scanned her surroundings.

Fan Xian caught his movement out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't change his posture. He simply said, "Don't worry, there's no one else here. I was worried about the wound getting infected, so I didn't let anyone in."

Chen Pingping didn't understand the wound infection, but he was clearly relieved.

Then, he frowned and looked at Fan Xian:

"You're too reckless! You've lost all your inner energy and are still recovering from serious injuries. If I say something that harms you, what will you do?"

Fan Xian wore a half-smile, still staring at the ceiling, and asked only, "Is it a shadow?"

"Yes."

"You're going to kill me?"

"No. It was an accident."

Chen Pingping explained the situation to Fan Xian.

His true energy suddenly vanished, and the shadow couldn't stop its attack, which is why it severely injured him.

Upon hearing this, Fan Xian felt that he was indeed incredibly unlucky.

But after thinking for a moment, he asked again, "Does Shadow know the other assassins? They seem to work together quite well."

"It's a coincidence," Chen Pingping denied directly.

"The shadow and the others were complete strangers. There was no discussion, no premeditation; everything came together by chance. In retrospect, this was a divine scheme, unpredictable and unrepeatable."

Fan Xian chuckled and turned to look at him: "A divine scheme? I bet this divine one is in a wheelchair."

Chen Pingping also knew that there were too many coincidences, making it difficult to explain and be convincing.

He could only say, "I only sent a shadow; I can't be considered a deity. But speaking of deities, I do have two candidates."

"Oh? I wonder which two?" Fan Xian became interested.

He was very curious about who this person was that Chen Pingping could call a god!

"One, of course, is our Emperor," Chen Pingping said.

"Your Majesty? What makes you say that?"

"Because the very first fire at the Hanging Temple was set by His Majesty!"

"His Majesty set fire? What was he after?" Fan Xian frowned.

Chen Pingping said, "You are here unaware that just this morning at court, His Majesty issued an imperial edict exiling Gong Dian and the Ye family out of the capital."

"What?" Fan Xian's eyes widened in surprise.

Chen Pingping told him everything that had happened at the morning court session that day.

He said, "Prince Cheng's power has completely overwhelmed the Crown Prince. This is not what His Majesty wants, so he needs a new balance, and that's why the fire at the Hanging Temple happened."

Fan Xian was still somewhat hesitant: "So, His Majesty deliberately diverted the palace ceremony at that time?"

Chen Pingping nodded.

Fan Xian was speechless for a moment.

He felt that if what Chen Pingping said was true, then Gong Dian and the Ye family were really unlucky.

After a long pause, he processed this information and then asked:

"Who is the other deity?"

Chen Pingping's expression also turned serious.

"This is just my guess; I have no evidence whatsoever."

Upon seeing Chen Pingping's expression, Fan Xian became even more curious.

"Who is it?"

"Prince Cheng!"

Fan Xian blinked, thinking he had misheard.

Chen Pingping said slowly, "You heard me right, it's Prince Cheng!"

"What does this have to do with Lee Seung-sung?"

Chen Pingping: "Of those assassins, I only mentioned the guard, the eunuch, and the shadow before, but I didn't mention the majority of them, the hemp-cloth craftsmen."

Fan Xian: "What? Could those artisan assassins be working for Prince Cheng?"

Chen Pingping shook his head: "Quite the opposite. The craftsmen were the most numerous assassins, with both corpses and survivors. According to the investigation by the Forensic Bureau, these assassins from Northern Qi have close ties with the Crown Prince. Although we haven't found the most direct evidence yet, the Crown Prince is likely involved."

Fan Xian found it hard to believe that the assassins were connected to the Crown Prince.

After all, in his view, the Crown Prince simply didn't have the ability, let alone the courage!

"Since those assassins are connected to the Crown Prince, why did the Dean say that the immortal might be Prince Cheng?"

Chen Pingping took a deep breath, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as an ancient well:

"Lin Ruofu is dead. This is a huge matter that cannot be suppressed. Now my investigation has reached the Crown Prince, and we must continue to investigate."

Once verified, plotting to harm His Majesty and poisoning the Prime Minister is a crime of treason, which is unforgivable!

Even the crown prince is subject to demotion at best, and execution at worst. Now that the second prince is imprisoned, if the crown prince is deposed, who do you think would quietly reap the greatest benefit?

Fan Xian pondered, "Is it Prince Cheng?"

Chen Pingping nodded seriously: "That's right. Recently, a series of events have occurred in Kyoto, and Prince Cheng seems to have done nothing, yet he has gained many benefits."

This is even more true now. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, and even if he simply remains safely in his residence, the position of Crown Prince is already his for the taking!

Fan Xian fell silent.

Based on Chen Pingping's analysis, he found that Chen Pingping was right.

If the Crown Prince proves to be plotting a rebellion, Emperor Qing will have no choice.

His impression of Zhou Cheng was that Zhou Cheng was indeed mysterious and unpredictable, and different from others.

But the other party isn't a prophet; can they really do that?

The Chrysanthemum Appreciation Festival at the Hanging Temple is held every three years, and this time, apart from Emperor Qing, no one else will know about it in advance.

The guards and eunuchs were an accident, the Shadow was a top expert, and those hemp-cloth craftsmen, how could they have entered the venue without being arranged months in advance?

Fan Xian frowned and muttered, "But there's no evidence?"

Chen Pingping shook his head, his voice low and meaningful: "Some things don't need evidence. The results will tell us everything."