The first scene is set in the imperial palace.
Xu Chengzhi, who plays Emperor Jingyuan, sits high on a gleaming dragon throne, looking down at all the civil and military officials in the court, not daring to utter a sound.
Only General Yang Zhi, played by Lin Yang, refused to kneel. He slightly adjusted the sleeves of his wide official robe, placed his left hand over his right, and respectfully bowed to the furious emperor.
"Your Majesty, I request permission to lead an expedition to attack the Liao army and reclaim our land. I beg Your Majesty to grant my request!" This was General Yang Zhi's third request to lead an expedition, and her words were still firm and powerful, showing that she was determined to go to war.
His fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and Emperor Jingyuan's eyes were filled with an uncontrollable gloom. He grabbed several memorials presented to him by the eunuch beside him and angrily slammed them to the ground next to General Yang Zhi, who was bowing deeply.
The blow startled the eunuch beside him, who immediately knelt down, prostrating himself on the ground, not daring to utter a sound.
The emperor was furious, and the ministers and servants present were all panicked and didn't know what to do.
General Yang Zhi, however, remained aloof, not even glancing at the memorial lying beside him. Instead, he straightened his back and boldly stared at the person sitting in the highest position in the world.
"Your Majesty, please grant my request!"
"Yang Zhi! Don't force me!" His anger was uncontrollable, and he had to shout to vent some of the raging fire that was burning in his chest.
During the Jingyuan era, the Liao army invaded for many years. In order to protect the safety of the people, the Liao army ceded territory to sue for peace, which brought temporary stability.
In the past two years, the Liao soldiers have become increasingly rampant, burning, killing, and looting on the border. Local officials, in order to protect themselves, have suppressed the matter. Most villages have already been occupied by the Liao soldiers, and the people are suffering terribly, living in dire straits.
Emperor Jingyuan sent several generals to quell the matter, but amidst the chaos of war, the news sent back to the capital by fast horse was not one of victory, but rather the heads of the generals.
The blood on his neck had not yet completely dried and congealed; his long hair was disheveled; his face, with its eyes still open, was covered in dirt; his death was tragic. We mourned him.
To alleviate Emperor Jingyuan's distress, officials repeatedly submitted memorials recommending General Yang Zhi to lead an expedition against Liao and restore peace to the common people.
Unexpectedly, this not only failed to relieve Emperor Jingyuan's annoyance, but also fueled his anger.
The emperor dismissed several senior officials who had submitted memorials without cause, and suppressed all of them.
Now that all the officials have submitted their recommendations, and Yang Zhi is aware of the matter, he is powerless to suppress it any longer.
Yang Zhi was promoted to general in the last two years and was the first female general of the dynasty. She had a wealth of military achievements and was victorious in every battle. She was a promising talent in military affairs.
However, this campaign against Liao was far too dangerous, and he dared not let her take the risk, nor could he bear to let her take the risk.
Yang Zhi removed his official hat, kowtowed three times heavily towards the dragon throne, and continued to volunteer for the expedition, saying, "I beg Your Majesty to grant my request!"
He knew her personality all too well; once she made up her mind to do something, no one could persuade her otherwise.
Emperor Jingyuan slowly contracted his five fingers on the armrest of the dragon throne, his grip so tight it seemed he wanted to crush the golden throne.
He looked around and saw that although the officials below dared not utter a sound, their hearts, along with hers as she kowtowed, were waiting for that one word.
"Granted!" He stood up, angrily tossed his robe aside, and left.
After much deliberation, he finally gave up the word that everyone in the world had been hoping for.
"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!" Yang Zhi kowtowed heavily in the direction the Emperor had left, his head buried in the ground, his expression unreadable.
"Cut—" Zheng Linzhou watched the scene through the switchboard camera. He had been drawn into the emotions of the scene from the very first shot and hadn't called for a stop until the first scene was completed smoothly. Only then did he remember to call "cut."
Only after that sound did everyone present snap out of their reverie.
With so many people gathered inside and the air not circulating, Lin Yang was already covered in sweat, and half of her makeup was ruined.
Upon seeing this, the makeup artist quickly brought all her tools and went to touch up Lin Yang's makeup.
"Lin Yang and Xu Chengzhi are both excellent, they nailed it in one take! They truly deserve to be the two leads I chose. Everyone should learn from them!" In front of everyone, Zheng Linzhou couldn't stop praising them, his eyes full of admiration.
"I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it. It's because everyone acted so well that it was easier for me to get into character. Everyone worked so hard." Lin Yang bowed deeply to all the extras and supporting actors, showing his humility.
She subtly tilted her head, her gaze searching for Xu Chengzhi's location.
He then chose a corner seat, buried himself in the script, and completely ignored Zheng Linzhou's praise.
"Let's take a break first, and then continue with the second scene later." Zheng Linzhou had also seen Xu Chengzhi's actions, but he didn't care that Xu Chengzhi hadn't responded to him. Instead, he thoughtfully told everyone to take a break for a while.
Sure enough, in Zheng Linzhou's mind, as long as you have talent, he doesn't care about any strange or unusual personality.
However, now that we're resting, it's time to put the plan into action.
With her makeup almost done, Lin Yang smiled and dismissed the makeup artist, then walked towards Zheng Linzhou's direction.
Wearing heavy court robes, he broke out in a sweat after only a few steps.
"Director Zheng..." Lin Yang approached Zheng Linzhou from behind and spoke cautiously.
Zheng Linzhou was completely absorbed in the camera, replaying the first scene he had just filmed, analyzing it carefully.
"What's wrong, Lin Yang?" He didn't even look up.
"I have something I'd like to discuss with you. Would it be convenient for us to talk over there for a while?" Lin Yang pointed outside the hall.
There were many people around, and the director's camera was positioned right in the center, so who knows how many people were secretly watching them.
She couldn't let anyone else hear about the favor she wanted to ask Zheng Linzhou for.
Otherwise, at best, people will think she's crazy, and at worst, her reputation will be ruined.
"What is it? Can't we just talk about it here?" Zheng Linzhou paused the video playback, his brows furrowing slightly as his interest was interrupted.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
