The film being shot that day was "The Tale of the Twilight Clouds," which tells the story of a princess from a small country who is presented to the emperor.
To demonstrate the improved relations between the two countries, the princess received lavish treatment. Not only could she wear her country's traditional clothing in the palace, but she could also host a grand grassland banquet in her own palace.
The princess was a visitor from the grasslands and enjoyed horseback riding and hunting. Having just left her homeland, she was homesick. To alleviate her longing, the emperor specially moved the autumn hunt forward and accompanied her to the hunting grounds in Bashang.
Historical dramas often feature grassland scenes, but not every production team has the time or budget to film on the vast grasslands of northern China. Therefore, there is a large grassland specifically designated for this purpose to the east of Hengshi Film and Television City, called Dongcheng Grassland.
Compared to the vast grasslands of the north, the grasslands of Dongcheng are certainly not as magnificent. But they are sufficient.
Zheng Bohan reluctantly bled out a large sum of money to pay the owner of Dongcheng Grassland a three-day lease. The film crew needed to film all the grassland scenes within those three days.
The exorbitant rent was suffocating Zheng Bohan. He repeatedly emphasized to the crew that the actors in this segment must film diligently and try not to delay the shooting schedule. After all, every extra day the rent was paid meant an extra piece of his wallet.
The cast and crew of this segment headed in a large group towards the East City meadow. Qin Tianye was among them, as were the actors playing the princess and others. In addition, Princess Shang Yechu, the eldest princess, was naturally also there to accompany her father, the emperor, on the hunt.
Su Ge doesn't have any scenes in this episode, since it's unlikely the emperor would be reminiscing about his deceased wife while riding a horse or grilling meat. Su Ge herself was also worried that the scorching sun on the grassland would tan her skin, so she didn't come along.
Zheng Bohan didn't offer any special treatment; he simply chartered a bus, and everyone rode together to Dongcheng Grassland.
Zheng Bohan and Fu Yu, the screenwriter of the "Twilight Clouds" segment, sat in a row. Behind them, Qin Tianye and Shang Yechu sat together.
After all, they are father and daughter in the drama, so they should spend more time together in real life.
Qin Tianye had a very good impression of Shang Yechu. She was hardworking, ambitious, and willing to endure hardship; most importantly, she was also very talented.
The bus was leisurely crawling along the city streets when Qin Tianye struck up a conversation with Shang Yechu: "Little Ye, do you want to go over the lines?"
"If it's not too much trouble, that would be great," Shang Yechu said with a smile.
After saying that, Shang Yechu blinked slightly, and in an instant, her expression changed: "Does Father Emperor want to forgive Consort Yue?"
She didn't look at the script; instead, she recited the line directly from memory.
Qin Tianye raised an eyebrow slightly, without even glancing at the script. He lowered his eyes, his voice flat and emotionless: "What are you trying to say?"
Shang Yechu said timidly, "But Consort Yue has betrayed Father Emperor after all... If we deal with her like this, it may damage the dignity of the imperial family."
"How could the majesty of the imperial family be shaken by a barbarian woman?" Qin Tianye glanced at Shang Yechu. "You want me to execute her?"
Shang Yechu respectfully replied, "Sparing her life is a testament to Father Emperor's magnanimity; I dare not presume to know more."
"Do you think I'm too soft-hearted?" Qin Tianye said calmly.
"Your subject wouldn't dare!" Shang Yechu's voice was flustered. "Your subject only... only..."
Fu Yu, who was sitting in the seat in front of the two, suddenly spoke in a high-pitched voice: "Your Majesty, the leader of the Northern Desert, Amodun, has presented a birthday gift to Your Majesty."
Shang Yechu naturally asked, "Father's birthday is still two or three months away, why is the Northern Desert presenting birthday gifts so early?"
Qin Tianye paused slightly, as if looking at something. Then he spoke, his tone indifferent: "Open the box and show it to Princess Pingzhao."
Fu Yu made an onomatopoeic sound: "Clatter."
Shang Yechu's breath hitched, and the next second, she suddenly let out a low scream!
Although Shang Yechu had tried her best to lower her voice, the other people on the bus still looked at her.
Shang Yechu gave everyone an apologetic smile: "Sorry, I was memorizing my lines."
Only then did everyone look away.
Fu Yu, sitting in the front seat, nodded in satisfaction: "This is more like reciting lines properly. Each generation is worse than the last. Back in my day, sigh..."
Fu Yu's catchphrase is "Back in my day," which Zheng Bohan has gotten used to. He chuckled and scolded, "Aren't you going to say my lines are weak?"
"It doesn't sound watery when someone reads it aloud," Fu Yu said, shaking his head.
With different screenwriters responsible for different segments, the script inevitably appears disjointed. Therefore, Zheng Bohan needed to coordinate the entire series and polish and refine the script uniformly.
The lines spoken by Shang Yechu and Qin Tianye were added by Zheng Bohan.
“Old Zheng, Old Zheng,” Fu Yu sighed, “you’re not bad. I can see that you’re better than that old geezer Xu Hanwen.”
The bus finally left the city and gradually picked up speed. The soft, warm autumn sun shone through the windows, making everyone drowsy.
In this relaxed atmosphere, someone suggested, "Why don't we all sing some songs?"
"What are you going to sing?" someone nearby asked with interest.
"How about singing something everyone knows?" The person who first suggested it thought for a moment, "How about 'West Mountain Rain'?"
"OK!"
"good!"
Everyone echoed this sentiment.
Who should start?
"I'll do it," Shang Yechu said with a smile.
Shang Yechu clapped his hands and cleared his throat:
"Flowers bloom in the north, snow falls in the south."
The crowd sang in unison:
"Rain on the Luo River, moon over Luzhou;"
This song is the theme song of the TV series "Xi Yuan," and it became a nationwide hit along with the series. The lyrics were written by Zheng Bohan himself.
Zheng Bohan frowned. This song reminded him of Xu Hanwen, and that feeling wasn't pleasant.
Just as Zheng Bohan was about to speak up to stop him, he heard Qin Tianye sing along behind him:
"The mighty river flows on, its winds carry away the past; the eternal sky remains, but our love endures..."
The crowd grew even more excited and sang in unison:
"Life is fleeting and turbulent, like lightning; the rise and fall of dynasties come and go like the changing of the night."
"The river breeze cannot dispel the sorrows of ages past; where do we stand on the desk of history now..."
This is a heroic song. Because Zheng Bohan wrote this song during the most spirited and energetic years of his life.
Zheng Bohan's lips trembled slightly, but he ultimately didn't stop the group of happy young people and let them go.
The bus, filled with laughter and joy, sped towards Weichang in Bashang.
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