Actor: Thank you.

The following morning, a scream suddenly came from the "Empresses in the Palace" film crew, which was under construction in Hengdian.

"why?"

"I went through three rounds of auditions."

"We've tried on all the costumes."

"Why won't you let me act now...?"

A girl, tears streaming down her face, was sobbing in front of Zheng Xiaolong.

Director Zheng had finally recovered from yesterday's fatigue, but after she wailed like that, he almost had to take some fast-acting medication again.

Why... Zheng Xiaolong glanced at this person.

How would I know when you offended your "sugar daddy"?

If Zhang Yuan wanted to change the male and female leads, or not use male and female leads at all, Zheng Xiaolong would have to compete for all five of the top male and female roles.

He won't agree unless you give him a definite reason.

Because Director Zheng has learned his lesson the hard way.

The previous film, "The Golden Wedding: Love and Storms," ​​is also known as "The Golden Wedding 2."

The first film was so successful that the investors pressured Director Zheng to make a sequel.

As a result, I got a lot of flak!

It's the one starring Hu Jun, Zhou Yun, and Jiang Wen.

Not only were several minor characters replaced by the investors, but a large number of sponsor advertisements were also added.

In particular, the advertisements for cooking oil and alcohol were no longer filmed in the second half of the TV series; instead, the characters in the show openly read the advertisements aloud.

Viewers made numerous complaint calls to the four major satellite TV stations that broadcast the first run of the show, which greatly displeased the stations.

They held Zheng Xiaolong accountable, which made him feel very uncomfortable.

Of course, he also got a share of the money.

Then Jiangsu TV and Anhui TV wanted to make an edited version, removing the commercials before airing it.

Now the sponsors and investors are unhappy!

They sent lawyer's letters directly to the two TV stations, accusing them of breach of contract.

If you delete it, my advertising fees will be wasted.

Anyway, Zheng Xiaolong was attacked from both sides, which was enough to make him suffer.

This experience has made him even more resistant to the current trend of investors interfering too much in the production of works.

But Zhang Yuan made this request, and it would seem unreasonable to refuse.

Moreover, he also helped him fend off interference from Vanke.

“We discussed it again and felt that this role was not suitable for you.”

"Why doesn't it fit?"

"I can sing opera and do folk dance. Isn't that why you chose me?"

"In short, now is not the right time." Zheng Xiaolong was quite honest and didn't implicate Zhang Yuan to take the blame.

The girl was crying loudly and was taken aside by the assistant director and producer.

You can't make a scene; it will disturb others.

But the news spread quickly.

Especially after a short while, Zhang Xiaolong brought his niece to try on Yu Ying'er's costume.

There are sharp-eyed people in the crew who can tell at a glance.

"Hey, is this the one who took that girl's spot?"

"It seems to be a relative of Zhang Xiaolong."

"Does he have that much influence?"

"How could that be? I heard from Director Zheng's assistant that it was the investor who made the special request last night."

"Oh...this girl is so lucky."

Rumors started circulating and quickly spread throughout the film crew.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yuan went to the film set for a stroll after getting up in the morning.

The role assigned to him was that of the monk Lu Zhu.

That is, the female protagonist Xiyu's "first love".

His scenes are all at night; he doesn't have much to do during the day.

This film features a lot of action scenes, making it one of the few action films in recent years with very exciting and fluid fight sequences.

Unrivaled among period dramas of the same period.

It's a pity that this film was released at the wrong time; period action films were no longer so popular.

Upon arriving at the film set, the first thing to do is to get to know everyone.

His main co-star was Lin Xilei, who played the female lead before her plastic surgery.

This woman is tall and thin, and in her early years she always appeared in various Hong Kong films as a sexy woman.

From a distance, her face and figure are just average.

At least it doesn't suit his taste.

He has a rather imposing, somewhat masculine appearance.

Especially as they get older, the baby fat on their cheeks fades, and their demeanor becomes more serious.

This person has become quite popular in recent years, and after collaborating with a bunch of big brands, he plans to change his career path.

Besides "Reign of Assassins," he also starred in "The Great Laughing Swordsman" with Zhao Benshan's troupe, both of which are period dramas.

But this guy wasn't very good at playing, so I politely asked him to take care of me.

Zhang Yuan didn't care; he just needed to practice with the action director.

The action choreographer for this film is also a familiar face, Dong Wei from "Bodyguards and Assassins," whose teacher is Fen Juhua, and whose fellow students include Law Kar-ying, Lam Ching-ying, and John Lone.

Action choreographers or actors with a background in Peking Opera generally design better-looking movements.

Michelle Yeoh had arrived long ago, and Zhang Yuan saw his older sister applying a plaster to herself during a break in filming.

He clearly sustained many injuries while filming action scenes, which shows his dedication.

Michelle Yeoh's acting and action scenes are flawless; however, she appears a bit too old for the lead role.

But finding someone to replace her isn't easy.

There are still a few male action stars, but there's a complete lack of female action stars.

It comes down to her and Kara Hui's generation.

Sissi can film action scenes, but that's all she can do; she's not a professional.

No matter how hard you practice, the difference will be obvious once you start moving.

Without proper training from childhood, the movements are always a bit lacking.

Although John Woo was the producer, he was not on set.

But he wasn't there; his daughter was.

Her father assigned her a supporting role.

Director Su Zhaobin introduced him to each of them one by one.

Wu Baige's daughter is an American citizen, and Lin Xilei is an American citizen.

Yang Ziqiong is a Singaporean citizen.

The male lead, Jung Woo-sung, is of Korean nationality.

Half of the main actors in this production are foreigners.

Most of the main actors are from Hong Kong and Taiwan, as expected of John Woo, it's still the same old habit.

This man's daughter is dark-skinned and not very attractive; she can't even speak Chinese well.

After communicating with her, Zhang Yuan found that he could communicate more smoothly in English.

Forget it, he's just a relative anyway, so he can't be bothered to say anything more.

Jung Woo-sung looked listless. Even though he had filmed "Daisy" in China a few years ago, he still couldn't speak a word of Chinese.

arrogant!

Chinese actors, no matter which country they go to film in, will try to learn the local language.

Almost all professional artists are like this. Whether they speak well or not is secondary, and having an accent doesn't matter, but they will always learn.

But the Koreans are different.

Learning English is fine.

But almost no one learns Chinese.

This includes Jung Woo-sung, and Jun Ji-hyun, who was filming "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" with Lee Hyung-hyung.

Throughout the entire filming process, all the co-stars were Chinese artists.

They'd rather use a translator every day than learn Chinese.

In this respect, Kim Hee-sun did a better job.

Before filming "The Myth", I specifically sought out a teacher and spent several months learning the pronunciation of all the lines in the script.

But as soon as she arrived on set, Chenlong told her that the script had been changed.

My sister cried for days...

This is also because Chenlong is awesome, and many Koreans are his fans, which is why they are willing to cooperate.

South Korea has had several "de-Chinese" movements, which have created a popular sentiment that speaking Chinese is shameful and a betrayal of the Korean people.

However, the doctors, lawyers, and even the top executives of the conglomerates all speak Chinese and are proficient in writing it.

In reality, Chinese has become a means of class monopoly in South Korea.

People at the bottom of society dislike it and refuse to learn it.

The ruling class, on the other hand, had their children learn Chinese from a young age.

Without Chinese, they are unable to express themselves in a large number of professional books and technical terms. Even if poor people want to move up in society, they cannot even understand the professional books.

So when Zhang Yuan saw that Jung Woo-sung couldn't speak Chinese, he understood.

Turns out he was just a nobody...

They're definitely from the lower rungs of society.

Zhang Yuan knew some basic Korean, but deliberately only spoke English in front of him.

When colonists hear the language of "father," they automatically become subservient in terms of their dignity.

"boss."

He was "educating" the Korean male protagonist in English when a woman's voice sounded beside him.

Zhang Yuqi, who was assigned the second female lead by him, took the initiative to go up and greet him.

They were quite polite in their address.

Although things haven't been settled with Stephen Chow yet, she still refers to him as her boss.

"Oh, you're doing well?"

"Yes, filming action scenes requires training, which is quite tough."

Her character, Ye Zhanqing, has a significant amount of screen time and is quite important.

In addition, the characters are distinctive, and their distinctive feature is that they are particularly erotic...

So the characters are quite likable and easy to remember. And Ye Zhanqing and Wang Xueqi, who play the Wheel King, correspond to the female lead Xi Yu and the male lead Zhang Renfeng in the plot.

The strengths and weaknesses of the TV series "Reign of Assassins" are exactly the same.

The advantage is that this film is not just about fighting and killing; it also incorporates the foundations of Buddhism and the philosophy of mind.

The downside is that this raises the bar for watching the film.

At its core, the story is a Buddhist tale.

Ananda, one of the ten great disciples and a cousin of Shakyamuni, met a woman one day and fell in love with her.

The Buddha asked him how much he liked the woman, and Ananda replied.

I would become a stone bridge, enduring five hundred years of wind, five hundred years of sun, and five hundred years of rain, just so she could walk across it.

This story, along with "Who Buried You in Your Past Life," "Pearl and Grass," and "The Merchant's Four Wives," is known as one of the four great love stories in Buddhism.

But this is a story that involves more than just love; it also touches on Buddhism and philosophy.

The core of the story of "Reign of Assassins" lies in "persistence and letting go".

The female protagonist, Xiyu, gives up her identity as an assassin and wants to become an ordinary woman and live a normal life.

The male protagonist, Zhang Renfeng, had his entire family slaughtered by King Zhuanlun and his men. In the end, he let go of his obsession with revenge and married Xiyu, one of the assassins from back then.

Having attachments but letting go of them—that is turning towards good.

Or, in more modern parlance, it's called reconciliation with oneself.

Only by making peace with oneself can one make peace with the world.

King Chakravartin also had his obsessions. His obsession was that he had entered the palace as a young man and become a eunuch. He had always wanted to regain his male form, which is why he did everything he could to seize Rama's remains.

Ye Zhanqing, the newcomer who replaced Xiyu in joining the Black Stone assassin organization, was obsessed with carnal desire.

Her lust for sex and obsession with physical desires led her to kill her newlywed husband and his entire family.

Because the other party "can't do it".

Also because the Wheel King is "incompetent"—to be precise, not incompetent, but nonexistent.

She mocked and ridiculed him, but ultimately met her demise when she was buried alive by the Wheel King.

Having obsessions, being controlled by those obsessions and losing oneself, ultimately leads to physical death and the dissipation of one's spiritual essence.

Ironically, the first time the female protagonist, Xi Yu, "kills" the male protagonist, Zhang Renfeng, is on a stone bridge.

Knowing that she hadn't killed the other person, Xi Yu deliberately let them go.

The place where King Yama buried Ye Zhanqing alive was also under a stone bridge.

Both are stone bridges, both are for men and women.

One couple reconciled because of love, while the other became twisted because of their obsession.

The script for this film is very cleverly designed, and it incorporates Buddhist Zen sayings very well.

The problem is that many viewers came out after watching the whole show without understanding these "fillings" at all.

If you don't understand it, your evaluation won't be good.

It wasn't until the "end of the martial arts era" that people rediscovered this show and found that not only were the action scenes classic, but the content was also quite exciting.

It's all set off by peers.

Ye Zhanqing, a woman with a penchant for women, exists in the film to contrast with and highlight the female protagonist Xiyu's ability to "let go."

Zhang Yuqi is a person who is "obsessed".

They often act impulsively due to anger and emotions, leading to irrational behavior.

She doesn't even need to act; she can just stand there.

It is even greener than the leaves that are bursting forth.

Besides his obsession, another characteristic of this character is his lust...

"Boss." The man with the squinting glasses stepped forward.

"Are you free tonight? I'd like to talk to you about the script and work."

"It would be best to talk about it ten or so times."

Zhang Yuan: …

I just arrived on set!

Did you get hooked on chatting with me last time?

She doesn't need to act; she is who she is.

Zhang Yuan recalled his time filming "The Return of the Condor Heroes".

Are Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu somewhat similar to the male and female protagonists of this drama?

Yang Guo let go of his hatred for losing his arm.

Xiaolongnu let go of her hatred for being defiled.

Their devotion was solely for each other.

Similar concepts can be found in Jin Yong's earlier works.

However, in the later stages, especially in "The Deer and the Cauldron," this idealistic model was completely abandoned, and realism became more and more prevalent.

If Lord Wei were to find out about this matter, which has endured five hundred years of wind, five hundred years of sun, and five hundred years of rain...

I would even transform into a stone bridge, just to see you once?
I guarantee they'll say something.

"I won't do a losing business!"

From Yang Guo to Wei Xiaobao, one wonders what Jin Yong went through...

When reading the book, everyone feels that Yang Guo is a true master, a prodigal son who turns over a new leaf, and the story is very moving.

But when it comes to themselves, everyone would want to be Wei Xiaobao.

What love, what affection?

I'll get you pregnant first, then you'll be mine even if you're not!
When it comes to women and money, Wei Xiaobao is so genuine, adhering to the simple value of "I want it all".

At this moment, Zhang Yuan, who was Yang Guo, let go of his "obsession".

An obsession with "leaving a clean reputation in the world".

Lord Wei is right!

"Well... let's talk about discussing the script tonight," Zhang Yuan cleared his throat.

I still have to pretend.

"Oh, you recognize them?" At this moment, another woman came up to them.

She plays a supporting role in the film as Lei Bin's wife, a needle expert and obsessed with making "instant noodles".

Jiang Yiyan came to the film crew through her connection with Orange Sky Entertainment.

“You’re here too.” Zhang Yuan glanced at her.

Her character's name is Tian Qingtong.

Like the couple Ye Zhanqing and the Wheel King, Tian Qingtong and her husband Lei Bin also exist to correspond to the male and female protagonists.

The story of "Reign of Assassins" has been called the "martial arts version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith".

It's that Hollywood blockbuster starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, where the couple are both hidden master assassins. From discovering each other's identities to finally reconciling and falling in love again.

The basic routine is exactly the same.

Tian Qingtong and her husband Lei Bin are also a pair of male and female assassins who want to retire!
They look exactly like the two main characters.

The result was that they were separated by death.

Jiang Yiyan's acting skills, appearance, and overall abilities... are just so-so.

Anyway, she's not as good as Zhang Yuqi.

There are plenty of people in the entertainment industry with mediocre talent, so it doesn't really matter.

But this woman has a problem.

cheap!
What does it mean to be cheap?

To act like a prostitute while pretending to be virtuous is the most despicable thing in the world.

Her eyes swept back and forth between Zhang Yuan and Zhang Yuqi before she revealed a sly smile.

"You two seem to know each other quite well."

“Yes, we knew each other before,” Zhang Yuqi replied with a smile.

"Oh... Zhang Yuan, it's been a long time since we last met."

"Oh, right." Jiang Yiyan blinked, making her eyes look clear.

"Where's Sisi?"

Are you still together?

Zhang Yuan: …

“Oh dear, you two… perhaps I shouldn’t have brought this up.” She then pointed at Zhang Yuan and Zhang Yuqi.

"We're just friends..." Zhang Yuqi was about to explain, but before she could utter the word "friends," Zhang Yuan raised his hand to stop her.

"There's no need to explain to her."

At the same time, he gave Miss Jiang a cold look.

This isn't the first time I've acted like a fool.

"What I do with Sissi is none of your business."

"She and I are classmates, so I'm just concerned about her."

"What class do you belong to? Is it any of your business to care?" Zhang Yuan retorted directly.

"You're really free?"

"We still have time to chat."

"No, I just saw you and came over to say hello." Miss Jiang's expression was somewhat stiff.

She didn't expect that Zhang Yuan was not one to joke around and showed no sign of "showing tenderness to a beautiful woman".

"You've said hello, why are you still here?" Zhang Yuan stared into her eyes.

She's getting annoyed by it.

"I'm off then, see you later." He quickly ran off with a fake smile.

"Oh!" Zhang Yuqi finally realized what was going on.

"This person is pretending to say something wrong, but actually he's just looking for trouble."

“You guessed right,” Zhang Yuan replied dismissively.

"Foolish." Zhang Yuqi summed up the other person's behavior in two words.

Zhang Yuan watched Jiang Yiyan's retreating figure.

This person's obsession lies in his ordinary background, his ordinary acting skills, his ordinary appearance, and his ordinary mind.

Therefore, she harbors an innate, deep-seated resentment towards Sisi, who comes from a wealthy family, has excellent resources, and is more attractive than her.

If she can let go, she can still move forward.

If you can't let go, you'll be trapped in obsession for the rest of your life and lose yourself.

The worst thing you can do is to think you're clever.

Because the character Lu Zhu, played by Zhang Yuan, is a monk.

You think you can just run away after offending the abbot? (End of Chapter)