Are episodic dramas good? Certainly not. There are many enduring examples of episodic dramas, such as the American series *Friends* and *The Big Bang Theory*, the Chinese dramas *Martial Arts Alliance* and *The Jianghu Isn't All About Fighting*, and the Hong Kong dramas *Detective Investigation Files 26* and *The Hilarious Detective*.
But look at these episodic dramas. What are their genres? Comedy, comedy, crime drama, detective comedy, and more comedy!
Comedy plots are relatively less complex, while crime dramas have a clear main storyline and generally don't involve emotional entanglements between the main characters (i.e., the investigation team). This shows that the short format of episodic dramas is indeed more suitable for this type of script.
So, can Zheng Bohan turn a palace intrigue drama into a comedy or a suspenseful detective drama?
This is just ridiculous!
Although Su Ge was a mediocre actor and couldn't articulate any systematic theories, she could still sense that something was amiss.
"Huh?" Su Ge questioned, "An episodic drama? 'The Tale of Clouds'? How is that possible?"
Fearing Qin Tianye might misunderstand, Su Ge quickly added, "I'm not doubting you, Teacher Qin! I mean, could there be a mistake with the actor?"
Even Su Ge, an outsider, didn't believe it. But Zheng Bohan, the screenwriter and director himself, showed a thoughtful expression.
“Episode series… In that sense, you could also say that she was the one who talked about anti-feudalism and all that?” Zheng Bohan murmured.
Qin Tianye stared at Zheng Bohan. Having been friends for many years, he was quite familiar with the other's micro-expressions.
The effect of relaying information is ultimately not as good as hearing it in person. Qin Tianye seized the opportunity and said, "It seems you really want to talk to this artist?"
Zheng Bohan was suddenly jolted awake from his reverie: "Who is she?"
"I've brought her here." Qin Tianye pointed to the door. He was always thorough and wouldn't leave things unfinished. "Would you like to see her?"
"Let her in," Zheng Bohan said impatiently. Then, he suddenly realized there was another important person in the room, so he looked at Su Ge with a questioning gaze.
As the major investor, Su Ge's importance is undeniable. If the other party insists on listening, Zheng Bohan cannot kick her out.
Qin Tianye noticed Zheng Bohan's actions and turned to Su Ge politely, "Miss Su, would you be interested in rehearsing your lines with me?"
Qin Tianye's original intention was to use the senior's influence to give Su Ge a way out and a reason to leave. Unexpectedly, Su Ge jumped up from the sofa and said without hesitation, "Of course! Teacher Qin, where shall we go to rehearse our lines?"
Qin Tianye was pleased with Su Ge's diligence. Although Su Ge's taste in scripts was somewhat questionable, overall, she was still an ambitious junior.
Qin Tianye said kindly, "I'll go outside and call that young actor over, and then we'll go to the studio to rehearse our lines."
After saying this, Qin Tianye walked towards the door. As he turned around, Su Ge gently clutched her chest, as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest.
Zheng Bohan couldn't wait to see the mysterious actor's face, so he took three steps forward and stood behind Qin Tianye to look around.
A young girl dressed in a light green palace dress stood at the door. She was quite pretty, stood properly, and held a script in her hand.
Upon seeing her in person, Zheng Bohan paused slightly, then recalled who she was: "Are you Yuzhu?"
Shang Yechu smiled shyly: "I am the actress who plays Yuzhu. My name is Shang Yechu. Director Zheng, you can just call me Xiao Ye."
"Oh." Zheng Bohan squinted and looked Shang Yechu over. The surprise and anticipation in his heart dissipated, leaving only surprise and suspicion.
He remembered this actor; Jiang Lei had recommended him. His acting was very skillful, and his performance during filming was excellent. But, but…
Zheng Bohan turned around and asked Qin Tianye, "Old Qin, is it really her?"
This statement wasn't kept from Shang Yechu.
Qin Tianye raised an eyebrow, displeased, and said, "Old Zheng, what do you mean? Would I lie to you?"
"Look at what you're saying," Zheng Bohan waved his hand and said, "It's just that she—"
"What's wrong with her? Do you look down on extras or actresses?" Qin Tianye said bluntly. "You weren't this old-fashioned before. Without Xu Hanwen, you've lost all your ability to judge people?"
These words undoubtedly hit Zheng Bohan hard. Zheng Bohan immediately stopped talking and waved to Shang Yechu, saying, "Xiao Ye, come in."
Shang Yechu pretended not to hear the two men's banter. Qin Tianye was upright and straightforward, and he didn't stand on ceremony with his old friend Zheng Bohan. Shang Yechu, however, was different.
As they spoke, Su Ge skipped and hopped to the doorway. She glanced at Shang Yechu's face, then looked away uninterestedly. He was nowhere near as good-looking as her.
"Teacher Qin, shall we go?"
Qin Tianye nodded and left with Su Ge.
Inside, Shang Yechu sat awkwardly in front of Zheng Bohan, her expression and posture perfectly befitting a fledgling actor.
"Tell me," Zheng Bohan said, scrutinizing Shang Yechu and tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "Why did you say 'The Tale of Clouds' is an episodic drama? And why did you say its main theme is anti-feudalism?"
Shang Yechu cleared her throat and stammered, "It's like this, Director."
"I noticed that the crew had a large number of actresses, far exceeding the typical number needed for a palace drama. Furthermore, the number of young actresses was roughly equal to the number of middle-aged and older actresses. This is quite rare in palace drama productions..."
"..."
"..."
At first, Shang Yechu seemed a little nervous, but gradually, she spoke more and more fluently and smoothly.
"From this, I deduce that these middle-aged and elderly actors may be portraying the later lives of these young imperial concubines," Shang Yechu said earnestly. "In 'The Tale of Clouds,' there are no winners in the traditional sense of palace intrigue, but rather a group of losers gathered together, rambling on and on about their past... It's like being in the clouds, like being in a dream..."
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