Chapter 90
He Tong and Ye Yuze shot exterior scenes on the grassland for more than half a month. They finished the shoot successfully and were about to move to the studio.
During this time, He Tong saw fans in the fan group lamenting the lack of new content, so he took the time to livestream a few times. Although each session was short, it still delighted the fans and encouraged them to continue releasing new content with full energy.
While waiting for the flight today, He Tong was bored, so he clicked on the fan group screen and found that the fans were discussing a large tomb. It looked quite interesting, so he exited and searched for news.
A few days ago, several tomb robbers were apprehended in County C, leading to the discovery of a large tomb nestled in the mountains. Experts have preliminarily determined it dates from the early to mid-Yu Dynasty. Current investigations indicate that the tomb's size suggests the occupant was of high status. Furthermore, given the discovery of multiple holes in the tomb's roof and the fact that the tomb door was blown up by the robbers, and the deep water in the tomb passage, experts are currently preparing for a rescue excavation.
He Tong touched his chin, moved closer to Ye Yuze, showed him the news, and then asked, "Is this County C the hometown of our two characters?"
Ye Yuze nodded. "To be precise, it's Su Yuan's hometown. There's no record of Yan Yeshi's hometown, and it's likely he himself couldn't clearly identify it. The historical records of the time didn't specify it out of respect for the person, but historians have always speculated that he had Hu ancestry."
Yan Yeshi was born into slavery and sold as a child. After several uprooted lives, he was sold into the Su family while still a teenager. After Su Yuan's father died and he took over the household, he was released from captivity. Three years later, the two took the imperial examinations together, one for the civil service exam and the other for the military exam. Yan Yeshi was deeply influenced by Su Yuan and was a rare talent with both civil and military talents. According to records, he originally intended to take the civil exam, but despite meeting the three-year exile requirement for good behavior, he was deliberately harassed by the local teachers because of his family background. No one dared to vouch for him, so he had to switch to the military exam.
He Tong laughed and said, "Come to think of it, they seem quite similar to us. We all met when we were young, grew up together, and ended up staying together for life. Neither of them married in their entire lives, so it's no wonder their fans are obsessed with them. Maybe the tombs they're opening this time belong to them?"
Ye Yuze rubbed his head and said, "I think you've also been carried away by your fans."
"Don't you think they're really something? Not only did they not marry one of them, but they didn't marry both of them, and they don't even have children."
"Unless we really find the tomb of one of them and there is a clear statement on the tombstone, what happened hundreds of years ago is still for future generations to speculate."
After Ye Yuze finished speaking, he pulled He Tong to his feet and said, "It's time to board the plane. Let's go."
He Tong was dragged forward, still muttering, "Then I'll pray that this is really their grave."
◆◇◆
After moving to the movie studio, most of the scenes were about drama, which was relatively easy for He Tong and Ye Yuze. However, as the weather got hotter, it became increasingly difficult to wear the ancient costumes, especially the court robes and armor.
After the two joined the crew, their first scene was scheduled to start in the afternoon. It was a three-person scene with the protagonist Yu Mingzong.
As the seventeenth son of the Jingchang Emperor, Mingzong was an ordinary prince, unremarkable among the other princes, and was not particularly favored by the emperor. Although his mother's family and the Empress Dowager's were of the same clan, the relationship was so distant that the Empress Dowager did not provide special care for them. As a result, he was an unremarkable figure in the capital.
Mingzong, Su Yuan, and Yan Yeshi met at the foot of Yunshan Mountain outside Beijing. Mingzong, accompanied by a young eunuch, was on a leisurely trip to Yunshan. On the way, his horse was startled. Fortunately, Su Yuan and Yan Yeshi happened to pass by, and Yan Yeshi rescued Mingzong. The three of them then hiked up the mountain together and enjoyed a vegetarian meal at Tanci Temple. After spending much of the day together, Mingzong developed a deep appreciation for Su Yuan and Yan Yeshi. Su Yuan and Yan Yeshi, having guessed Mingzong's status as an imperial prince, also believed he had great ambitions and, if given the chance, would likely rise to prominence.
The first scene we filmed today was the three of them playing in the mountains and exchanging witty banter.
He Tong and Ye Yuze arrived earlier, put on their makeup and waited on the side, waiting to change into their costumes when the filming started.
Shortly after we sat down, Lu Wenyuan, who played the lead role of Emperor Mingzong, arrived with the director, Pei Junhua. Lu Wenyuan still had makeup on, so it seemed they were coming from another set.
He Tong and Ye Yuze came forward to greet him. They had met Pei Junhua at the audition. Pei Junhua was demanding on set, but off set he had a carefree and easygoing personality. They had gotten along quite well back then. Now, he naturally took the initiative to introduce the two parties.
Unexpectedly, Lu Wenyuan spoke first and smiled at Ye Yuze: "Xiao Ze, we are working together again."
Although Ye Yuze rarely smiled at outsiders, he replied with a gentle expression at this moment: "Uncle Lu, please take care of me."
Hearing his words, not only Pei Junhua was surprised, but the crew members who were secretly paying attention to the situation here also gasped inwardly.
Lu Wenyuan was forty-three, in the prime of his life, and considered one of the most accomplished actors at the top of the domestic film and television scene. Ye Yuze was less than twenty years older than him, so how low on the emotional intelligence spectrum would one have to be to call someone "uncle"? Even if he didn't resort to the polite "Brother Lu," he still deserved to be called "Teacher Lu," right?
Some who had been brainwashed by the negative stories surrounding He Tong and Ye Yuze secretly laughed at them—they were so cocky after winning the Best Actor award that they acted like big shots in front of Lu Wenyuan. Lu Wenyuan's temper wasn't exactly good, and those who watched the show were gloating, waiting for his retort, eagerly anticipating a live showdown between the new and old generations of Best Actor.
However, Lu Wenyuan laughed heartily and patted Ye Yuze's shoulder. "No, no, I really don't dare to be so arrogant. Back then, I called your mother "sister" because I was shameless. Now that you're in this industry, we should be friends as equals, as equals."
He Tong, who knew the previous situation, also joined in the fun: "Honestly, facing Teacher Lu's face, I really can't bring myself to call you 'Uncle'."
Lu Wenyuan is currently playing the 19-year-old Emperor Mingzong, and the makeup on his face naturally makes him look younger. In the play, Emperor Mingzong is younger than Su Yuan and Yan Yeshi.
Pei Junhua looked from one to the other and asked the surrounding jaw-dropping curious people: "No, do you know each other?"
Lu Wenyuan nodded with a smile: "When I first entered the industry, I worked with Xiaoze's mother on several dramas and received a lot of care from her. Xiaoze also had a guest appearance in the drama at that time, and that's when we met."
He Tong and Ye Yuze's backgrounds have never been made public. Although Pei Junhua was somewhat interested, he also knew that this place was crowded with people and that this was not the right time to bring up the subject, so he changed the subject, "That guy was right to call you uncle. Okay, okay, let's shoot first, and then you can catch up later. Touch up your makeup if you need to, and I'll see how the set is prepared."
Pei Junhua turned around and called the assistant director after he finished speaking. The staff members who had just stopped working and were quietly watching quickly got back to work.
Seeing that everyone over there had dispersed and gone about their business, Lu Wenyuan suppressed his smile and lowered his voice to say to Ye He and the others, "I heard from my assistant that someone on the crew is spreading negative news about you two, saying that you're unsociable, have bad tempers, and act like big shots. I'm afraid you must have offended some villain when you took these two roles."
He Tong, however, kept smiling and whispered, "This is the only little trick I have, which is not worthy of being shown on the stage. I dare not expose myself to the sun at all."
Lu Wenyuan looked at the two men's calm demeanor and chuckled, "That's right. If they dare to show up, we can just suppress them. Let's go and film the show. As long as we stand tall enough, those people will never dare to confront us in person."
The whole afternoon's filming went smoothly. For scenes like this without intense action, as long as the actors are in good condition and can get into the role quickly, it's not difficult to get it right in one take. And besides, the three people filming today are all renowned for their acting prowess.
Except for one or two mistakes made by the actor who played the young eunuch accompanying Emperor Mingzong, which required several retakes, the rest were all done in one take. The filming effect was particularly good because of the acting of the three actors, which made Pei Junhua feel very happy for the whole afternoon.
After the last shot was finished, He Tong and Ye Yuze went to the dressing room to remove their makeup. Lu Wenyuan didn't rush to leave. He just took off his costume, changed into a T-shirt, and came to find Pei Junhua.
He and Pei Junhua had worked together on several dramas before, and they were old acquaintances. They were quite casual with each other in private. Now he said directly: "Old Pei, while the camera is confiscated, let me see the footage from this afternoon."
It's not uncommon for actors to want to see the filming effects, but it's a bit strange when they come and ask to see it after work is done.
Pei Junhua asked as he tuned him out, "What's wrong? Do you feel something is wrong?"
Lu Wenyuan put his fist to his lips and coughed, then whispered, "I don't know what you look like in front of the camera, but when I'm acting... it's quite exciting, but sometimes I feel like I'm a bit redundant..."
Pei Junhua was puzzled: "Redundant? I didn't feel it when I saw it on camera. You are the protagonist, how can you be redundant?"
The two of them lowered their heads and reviewed the scenes shot in the afternoon. However, Pei Junhua only adjusted the panoramic camera position, so it was all panoramic shots with no close-ups.
Then……
Pei Junhua laughed and patted Lu Wenyuan on the shoulder: "Old Lu, Old Lu, I didn't expect that there would be times when you were forced to be redundant, hahahaha."
Lu Wenyuan sighed helplessly, but couldn't help laughing.
Pei Junhua comforted him: "It's okay, those shots are basically going to be edited out. Didn't you notice anything wrong when I focused on the close-up shots? The main character will definitely be highlighted in the drama."
Lu Wenyuan didn't take it seriously: "I just want to see if it's my illusion. Okay, I'll go take off my makeup."
After he left, Pei Junhua, who stayed there, touched his chin and thought for a while, then picked up the machine and went to find He Tong and Ye Yuze.
That night, the official Weibo of the crew of "Anhe Shengshi", which occasionally posted some behind-the-scenes footage to maintain the popularity, posted another behind-the-scenes video.
@Serial Drama Peace and Prosperity V: Emperor Mingzong: I seem a little redundant?
The video shows several clips of Emperor Mingzong as a prince and the young Su Yuan and Yan Yeshi playing on Yunshan Mountain.
The first scene is that several people have to cross a slightly wide stream. Mingzong crosses first, and the young eunuch and Yan Yeshi also cross. Then Yan Yeshi turns around and reaches out to Su Yuan, pulling Su Yuan over.
The second scene is about several people preparing to have a vegetarian meal. When they sat down, the young eunuch pulled a chair for Mingzong. Yan Yeshi next to him also pulled a chair for Su Yuan. He watched him sit down before he sat down himself.
The third scene is during the meal. The young eunuch served dishes to Mingzong from time to time, and Yan Yeshi also quickly changed the public chopsticks to help Su Yuan pick up the dishes from a distance. His movements were very natural, and Su Yuan also received them very calmly.
Netizens who follow this drama and rushed to see the behind-the-scenes footage: Hahahaha, Mingzong, you, a playboy, will also have a day when you are fed dog food!
As a result, before the show was even aired, Yan Su CP became a hot topic.
The author has something to say: Thanks to the little angel "twilight" for the nutrient solution~~
Thanks to the little angel "Ji Teng" for the nutrient solution~~
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