Chapter 34: A chibi version of Jiang Yan. Her pride made her hypocritical.
By this time, the feud between the two families had already begun, and the topic of their rivalry in the Chinese entertainment industry was popularized by the two of them.
However, the fans didn't care about the fate of the solo fans and relentlessly demanded an answer: "Mr. Qin Lan, if we could meet again, what would Yuan Zhi want to say to Li Lan?"
"Could Teacher Qin Lan imitate Yuan Zhi's tone and say a sentence to Teacher Jiang Yan?"
"In real life, Ms. Jiang seems to be a little younger than Ms. Qin. When Ms. Qin was on set, did she feel like Ms. Jiang was her younger sister?"
The solo fans were all taken aback by the question: "Who would want this kind of 'green tea' girl?"
Jiang's fans immediately retorted: "As if your sullen-faced sister is so lovable."
There was a risk of a physical altercation breaking out on the scene.
Qin Lan's head started to ache; she didn't want to be all lovey-dovey with Jiang Yan.
Unfortunately, fans cried for three days and three nights for Li Lan, and thousands of people wrote a petition in blood, begging for some sweet moments.
Qin Lan had no choice but to turn around reluctantly. Even though their scenes together in the movie were less than five minutes long, she was forced to "perform" off-screen: "...Little sister."
The fans immediately shed tears of joy.
This part is finally over, but then we have to play games.
damn it.
The audience said they wanted to see a video about working together in the same boat.
The host brought out several newspapers, and the participants stood in pairs. Each pair folded the newspaper in half once, and the one who kept the newspaper intact and within the boundaries at the end won.
The two companions at the liaison station naturally formed one group, and the older and younger sisters naturally formed another group.
Jiang Yan smiled warmly and gently on the surface, but Qin Lan, who was standing next to her, heard her gasp.
As soon as the host put down the newspaper, Qin Lan walked up and took the far left seat.
Jiang Yan also came up and stood on the far right of an open newspaper.
No one was eliminated in the first round.
After folding it in half once, the two women had to move closer together.
To complete the third round, the two had to stand close together on an area barely big enough to accommodate the soles of their shoes.
The production team went down first, but their comrades next door were still holding on.
Driven by a strong competitive spirit, Qin Lan wanted to win at all costs.
After being folded in half four times, the area has become pitifully small.
Jiang Yan seemed to have lost interest in playing.
Qin Lan gritted her teeth and whispered, "Come back!"
Jiang Yan pointed to the newspaper: "There's no room left."
Qin Lan: "Stand on your tiptoes."
Jiang Yan and she exchanged glances: "What are the benefits of winning?"
Qin Lan glared at her.
Whether it was due to her unfriendly gaze or the enthusiasm of the audience, Jiang Yan gave in.
They stood on the pitifully small piece of paper, toe to toe, and had to hold each other tightly.
The fans in the audience were wailing and screaming, demanding that their idol let go of that bad woman on the other side.
The other group managed to hold on for another round. The host, looking at the two newspapers that were clearly too small to hold anyone more, tried to end the game: "Let's call it a tie..."
"No way!" Qin Lan's dictionary didn't contain the word "lose," and she glared at the newspaper: "You can still stand!"
audience:"?"
The host simply folded it up and placed it in front of her: "Teacher Qin, you really can't stand up like this..."
Qin Lan said expressionlessly, "I can hold her."
Jiang Yan: "?"
Jiang's supporters roared, "Who agreed to this?!"
Qin's fans were even more distraught: "Mom won't allow it!!!"
The host fell silent and could only look at the group of male actors next door: "Uh, do you two still want to take on the challenge? If you want to try, we can have another round. If not, then first place will belong to Teacher Qin's group."
The two actors were so frightened that they waved their hands frantically, saying that it was going to be legalized soon, and the two straight men were afraid that they would be unable to explain themselves in the future.
Qin Lan triumphantly received the first-place prize—a custom-made chibi-style Li Lan figurine.
As for why the prizes are all Li Lan's dolls, it's because they were chosen based on the most heart-wrenching character.
Jiang Yan maintained her gentle smile and took the other doll away, but Qin Lan broke out in a cold sweat when he saw her.
Qin Lan's temper flared instantly, as if someone wanted to hug her. If it weren't for winning, who would want to stand with her?
Later, Jiang Yan changed her cold demeanor and actually started speaking to her in a gentle and affectionate manner. Having grown accustomed to hearing her call her Teacher Qin in such a tender way, Teacher Qin felt very uncomfortable hearing this sudden, almost timeless greeting.
But you still have to put on an act, at least pretending that you don't care at all.
Her pride made her say one thing and mean another.
＊
The Wu Zhou revolution has come to an end, but unseen undercurrents are still silently surging in the heart of imperial power.
Wu Zetian was getting old, and the position of the fourth prince, Li Dan, as crown prince was not secure.
Among the Wu clan members, Wu Chengsi's ambition was the most obvious. He made several attempts to persuade Empress Wu to make him the crown prince.
Should she choose her son or her nephew as the heir? This question sounds absurd. Yet, this seemingly simple question troubled Wu Zetian for a long time. Her concern wasn't whether her son or nephew was closer, but rather which he should choose to ensure the long-term continuation of the Wu Zhou Empire she had built.
Li Dan's surname was Li, but his heir's surname was Wu.
How can someone with a different surname be chosen as the crown prince?
However, the renowned prime minister Di Renjie also gave an irrefutable reason: "If Your Majesty establishes a son as emperor, then after a thousand years, he will be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. If you establish a nephew as emperor, then I have never heard of a nephew becoming emperor and being enshrined in the temple."
Because of his upright character, Di Renjie's words always earned Wu Zetian's respect. Although her behavior resembled that of a ruthless capitalist, she always held gentlemen in high esteem.
Wu Zetian was in a dilemma, but her heart actually leaned towards Wu Chengsi. Comparing the empty fame she would receive after death with the life's work she had poured into it, Wu Zetian clearly wanted to continue the legacy she had painstakingly built. Wu Chengsi was very pleased with himself, but he still couldn't bring down Li Dan, who lay idle in the Eastern Palace. A large number of former officials of the Tang Dynasty stood up to protect him, and after several clashes, neither side gained much advantage.
The situation between Wu and Li is becoming increasingly tense.
The rivalry between the two families actually reflects the covert power struggle between the Zhou and Tang dynasties, as well as the power conflict between men and women.
The script contains a captivating scene imbued with a strong sense of fatalism. In 695 AD, Xue Huaiyi, a male favorite, harbored resentment due to falling out of favor and, in a fit of rage, burned down the Mingtang, which he had overseen the construction of.
The towering flames dyed the night sky of Luoyang red, and the golden phoenix, representing Wu Zetian's incarnation, collapsed with a crash.
This is truly an ominous sign.
In the dead of night, Shangguan Wan'er rode into the palace and rushed into Emperor Wu's bedchamber to report this terrible news.
Wu Zetian immediately got up, not even bothering to call the palace maids. Shangguan Wan'er quickly stepped forward to help her put on her clothes, and the two hurriedly arrived at the collapsing Wanxiang Divine Palace.
Palace servants rushed back and forth, shouting and desperately trying to extinguish the fire with buckets of water, but to no avail. Before her very eyes, Wu Zetian's most beloved building was reduced to ruins by a man consumed by jealousy…
Wu Zetian's vision went black.
Shangguan Wan'er supported her, and the two stood silently for a long time in the warm night breeze. Soon, Princess Taiping also rushed over and persuaded them to return to the palace on the grounds that the opium was too strong.
Wu Zetian remained silent as if she hadn't heard, and after a long while, she said wearily, "Return to the palace."
Princess Taiping watched as Shangguan Wan'er and her mother's figures gradually disappeared before turning around and gazing at the final, magnificent skeleton of the palace, remaining silent for a long time.
Although the Empress Wu immediately ordered the reconstruction, everything could never be restored to its original state.
This scene seems to foreshadow the end of the Wu Zhou Dynasty.
Xue Huaiyi's actions completely alienated the Empress. Empress Wu realized how terrifying a resentful man could be, so she plotted to have him executed.
The death of Xue Huaiyi did not reduce the number of pests in the empire.
Under the cruel bureaucratic system of the Wu Zhou dynasty, a large number of ruthless officials enjoyed the emperor's favor. To control the court and maintain her rule, Wu Zetian successively favored four notorious cruel officials. Among them, Lai Junchen, skilled at fabricating charges and falsely accusing virtuous officials, was the most infamous. He treated power as a game, even writing down the names of officials and throwing them to the emperor to eliminate whoever was chosen.
As Lai's power grew, he no longer respected even the Empress Wu. He not only deceived the emperor but also planned to falsely accuse Crown Prince Li Dan and Prince Li Zhe of plotting a rebellion.
The crowd had reached its limit. Triggered by the Wei Suizhong incident, Wu Chengsi summoned the Wu family to discuss countermeasures.
"Lai Junchen is a madman!" Wu Youning shouted first, "It's one thing for him to be arrogant all the time, but now he actually wants to harm us!"
"Yes!" Zhu Wu said indignantly, but his voice also contained fear. After all, Lai Junchen was currently in the limelight. He had falsely accused the highly respected Ming Chancellor Di Renjie, members of the imperial family such as Prince Li Wu, and even Princess Taiping, the most favored son of Emperor Wu. However, Emperor Wu insisted on protecting him and had never expressed his opinion.
No one could figure out the Empress's attitude.
"Kill him." Princess Taiping, who had been silent all along, coldly uttered three words.
"Kill him?" People gasped, then began to discuss amongst themselves: "Lai Junchen is currently enjoying the Emperor's favor; what chance does he have of succeeding?"
"That's right. If we don't manage to kill Lai Junchen, he'll hold a grudge against us."
"How do we kill him? Suing him won't do any good, so how about we resort to dirty tricks?"
"What are you thinking? If His Majesty is furious and starts a thorough investigation, neither of us will be able to get away with it."
"You seem to have misunderstood something."
Among the group of male actors, Jiang Yan slowly stood up. Even her floor-length gown couldn't compare to the arrogant look in her eyes. She was flamboyant and beautiful, like a poisonous flower that looked down on everyone else.
"How can anyone still be worried about being targeted by Lai Junchen because of this?" she sneered, her face turning icy. "He's already targeting us."
This news was fabricated by Wei Suizhong to use someone else to do his dirty work, and it was exaggerated by Wu Chengsi. But given Lai Junchen's mad dog-like behavior, everyone thought it was perfectly reasonable for him to be planning to deal with the Wu family.
"If we don't kill him first, then you will all be the ones lured into a trap tomorrow," Princess Taiping sneered.
Wu Chengsi quickly clapped his hands: "It's settled then."
The group was forced onto the pirate ship. Although they understood that bringing down Lai Junchen was now a necessity, they were still at a loss.
Wu Chengsi was also a bit at a loss, hoping that Princess Taiping would say a few more words.
Taiping gave a cold laugh.
She certainly knew the only way to bring down Lai Junchen. Empress Wu valued him because he could easily eliminate her enemies, but such a person was not irreplaceable. Now that the regime was stable, Lai Junchen's importance was not what it used to be.
However, Empress Wu was unwilling to lose such a capable subordinate, otherwise she would not have ignored the repeated impeachments against him by her ministers.
But Taiping knew what Empress Wu was afraid of.
She feared most that someone would shake the foundations of her rule, and that the attitudes of those who supported her legitimate ascension to the throne would change. Therefore, if Lai Junchen was already hated to the core by everyone, Empress Wu would definitely kick him aside decisively to avoid becoming an enemy of the people herself.
After leaving Wu Chengsi, Princess Taiping went to the East Palace to see her fourth brother, Li Dan.
Wu Chengsi and others then went to communicate with the imperial guards generals of the North and South.
Princess Taiping's proposed solution was to submit a joint petition.
The more people you recruit, the better. You need to make Empress Wu realize that Lai Junchen has offended everyone in the world.
Soon, led by Wu Chengsi, members of the Wu clan and princes of the Li family responded, accusing Lai Junchen of heinous crimes and deserving execution according to the law.
As expected, the Empress did not give a reply.
The princes of the Wu clan became anxious and came to visit Princess Taiping to ask for advice.
Taiping was too lazy to talk to the fools, so he just said a few words of comfort and sent them all away.
Submitting a petition to accuse the emperor is only the first step; it would be strange if the Empress Wu agreed so easily.
Following Lai Junchen's imprisonment, Wang Jishan, a senior minister deeply trusted by Empress Wu, also offered his advice on the matter.
Empress Wu still did not express her opinion, but Princess Taiping remained calm.
Shangguan Wan'er placed a piece on the board: "Your Highness...aren't you in a hurry?"
Taiping Heizi typed in: "What's the rush?"
"Urgent... People are coming in waves to offer their advice, but His Majesty remains unmoved."
“No game of chess can capture a piece after just two moves.” Taiping added, “The last move can only be successful because there are already many pieces in front of it.”
Shangguan Wan'er smiled and said, "Your Highness is different from before."
Taiping smiled coldly: "Xue Shao's death is of great use. I have finally seen through the court and people's hearts."
Shangguan paused for a moment, then said, “Your Highness, I congratulate you first. I believe Your Highness already understands what I said to you when the phoenix came to pay homage.”
Taiping didn't speak, placed the last piece, then let go and threw all the pieces back.
Shangguan looked down at the chessboard carefully for a long time before smiling and saying, "I have lost. I will play with Your Highness another day."
Just as Yu Jintang called out "Cut!" with satisfaction, Qin Lan picked up another set of chess pieces: "I haven't lost. There's still a way out."
Jiang Yan paused for a moment, staring at the chessboard as well: "I don't know much about Go, but I feel like we can't make any more moves."
"We can still walk here." Qin Lan placed a piece with satisfaction and gestured with his chin towards her: "You're good."
Jiang Yan rested her chin on her hand and glanced at it a couple of times. Although she couldn't figure out what her strategy was, she still made a move to intercept based on her intuition.
Qin Lan smiled smugly, made another move, and said, "It's back to life."
The production team was preparing for the next scene, while the two lead actors, surrounded by makeup artists and assistants, were engrossed in playing chess. Neither of them spoke, moving one move at a time. Qin Lan's moves became faster and faster, while Jiang Yan's contemplation time grew longer and longer. Xiao Qing craned her neck, watching for a long time but couldn't figure out anything, only feeling that the white pieces on the board were like dragons awakening, stretching out their forms.
Qin Lan had only one piece left. She was waiting for Jiang Yan to make her move so she could announce her great victory.
Jiang Yan looked down at it intently for a while, then smiled and said, "You win."
She placed the chess pieces one by one beside her, absentmindedly pointing: "Teacher Qin really does want to do everything perfectly."
Qin Lan satisfied his almost obsessive competitive spirit, but he didn't feel particularly happy about winning against Jiang Yan.
However, she still placed the chess piece neatly on the last eye, glanced at her opponent, and said, "You haven't had a master, so it would be unfair for me to play with you."
Jiang Yan nodded slightly, and the two remained silent for a long time.
Once out of the game of chess, Qin Lan's attention returned to the real world. This was the first time they had a calm and peaceful conversation since their breakup.
They were so engrossed in discussing the game's strategy that the atmosphere between them was surprisingly harmonious.
The behind-the-scenes team couldn't bear to look away, as if the two were still in their respective roles.
"The two actors are so dedicated; they don't break character even during their breaks," people exclaimed sincerely.
"Yes, yes, the atmosphere between them is so harmonious, it's exactly the same as the atmosphere between Taiping and Shangguan. It feels like longtime friends gradually breaking up after a falling out. There's a strong sense of unfamiliarity, but you can also immediately feel that they used to be the closest of friends."
The material handler rolled up a piece of paper and used it as a microphone, then handed it over with a very kind smile, saying, "Did you two agree to stay on set today?"
Qin Lan was silent for two seconds, then gave a cool "hmm" to the camera.
Jiang Yan nodded slightly.
The behind-the-scenes crew had walked away, leaving only Xiaoqing and Jiang Yan's assistant around.
Qin Lan thought for a moment and said, "I didn't break character."
Jiang Yan was silent for two seconds, then said, "Me too."
Xiaoqing was secretly getting excited, but then they fell silent again.
Qin Lan really wanted to say something, but she didn't know how to start.
When it was lunchtime, Xiaoqing brought over two meals.
Qin Lan directly told her to give the other copy to Jiang Yan.
When they were dating, Jiang Yan's meals were always taken care of by Xiao Qing, who designed nutritious meals based on their body fat percentages according to the Qin family's chef. However, when they ate lunch on set, Xiao Qing would secretly deliver the meals, but now she didn't hide it from anyone.
Just then, Jiang Yan's assistant returned with a lunchbox and was stunned when she saw it.
Qin Lan glanced at her and saw that Jiang Yan hesitated for a moment before taking away the meal she had prepared. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Sister, this..." Jiang Yan's assistant was dumbfounded, and kept stealing glances at Qin Lan.
Qin Lan sat aloofly to the side, continuing to eat her meal.
"Just leave it there. We'll see which staff member hasn't eaten yet," Jiang Yan said.
"Thank you, Teacher Qin," she said again.
"You're welcome," Qin Lan said, feeling quite satisfied.
She took a bite, looked up, and her gaze seemed to be feeding a puppy. She thought she must have some feelings for Jiang Yan, because her eyes kept lingering around her.
"Eat more carrots," she couldn't help but say.
Jiang Yan looked at her in surprise.
The two assistants stopped eating and looked furtive.
Qin Lan was embarrassed, but still insisted, "You need to supplement your nutrition and can't be picky about food."
Jiang Yan reluctantly picked up a carrot from the pile she had chosen and said, "Okay, Teacher Qin."
Xiaoqing is numb. Is this how one should feel after a breakup?
The extras were buzzing with discussion, and the fans of the couple were obsessed with shipping them.
The release of the behind-the-scenes footage shocked many netizens, with many speculating whether the relationship between the two had improved.
At this moment, the crew members did not realize that Qin Lan had prepared Jiang Yan's lunch. They only saw Qin Lan say something to Jiang Yan, and then Jiang Yan helplessly ate a piece of... carrot.
The extras whispered among themselves, "Teacher Qin is too domineering. How can she force people to eat?"
"That's right, didn't you see that Teacher Jiang doesn't like carrots at all? She picked them all out."
But after Jiang Yan handed the insulated lunchbox to Xiao Qing, everyone was confused: "Why did Teacher Jiang give the lunchbox to Teacher Qin's assistant?"
"I don't know, why did Teacher Qin's assistant take away both lunchboxes at the same time?"
"Don't you guys think those two lunchboxes look a bit similar?" the palace maid said quietly.
"Who's speaking?" the crowd exclaimed in terror.
“Turn around, we’re here.” The second palace maid said in an equally ethereal voice, her face filled with a strange, ecstatic joy.
"Hehehe, didn't you guys notice how similar the two teachers' lunchboxes are?" Palace Maid Number Three let out a happy, strange laugh.
"It does look a bit like the same style." The group observed for a while.
"Could it be that Teacher Jiang's lunch was prepared by Teacher Qin?" someone suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
"No wonder Teacher Qin made Teacher Jiang eat carrots! Everything makes sense now!" someone exclaimed excitedly.
Upon hearing this, the palace maids number one, two, and three shed tears of happiness.
The man continued, "Teacher Qin must have known all along that Teacher Jiang doesn't like carrots, so she came up with this idea to torment Teacher Jiang!"
The smiles of the palace maids gradually faded: "..."
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