Film and Television: The Villain's Life Begins with Joy of Life

Eunuch Hou trembled with fear and looked at the Empress Dowager with difficulty.

The Empress Dowager made no comment, and her pale face showed no emotion.

The eunuch Hou's heart stirred, but he did not express it; this in itself was a form of expression.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the trembling of his fingers, and unfolded the bright yellow silk again.

His gaze swept over the edict, his Adam's apple bobbing, and finally, he gritted his teeth and began to read it aloud again.

"Prince Cheng is of noble character, filial, friendly, and intelligent..."

Perhaps he had already read it once and become familiar with the content. Now, Eunuch Hou changed the name and read it again, even more fluently and clearly than before.

"shut up!"

The crown prince's voice suddenly exploded, like a trapped beast cornered in a desperate situation. He rushed forward, reaching out to snatch the imperial edict, his eyes bloodshot and the veins on his forehead throbbing.

Zhou Cheng sat on the dragon throne, his expression unchanged, simply looking at him coldly: "This is not a place for you. Get down!"

Several eunuchs hesitated for a moment, looked at Zhou Cheng, then at the Empress Dowager, and finally pounced forward, grabbing the Crown Prince's arms on either side.

"Let me go! You dog slaves!" The prince struggled desperately, his crown tilting to one side.

He was confident in his martial prowess, and believed that none of the eunuchs serving in the palace could be inferior to him.

"That's enough!"

The Empress Dowager's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a muffled thunderclap, causing the Crown Prince's struggle to abruptly stop.

The Empress Dowager slowly stood up. She looked at the Crown Prince, her eyes filled with no anger, no heartache, only an indescribable weariness.

"Your Highness, you have lost." She sighed softly. "As a member of the royal family, remember that no matter the occasion, you must never lose the dignity of the royal family."

Now, watch closely, watch your third brother, watch Prince Cheng ascend the throne.

The Crown Prince froze on the spot, his face turning from flushed to deathly pale, then from deathly pale to ashen. He stared at the Empress Dowager in disbelief, his lips moving a few times, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He never expected that his grandmother, who had always loved him the most, would give up on him so easily.

Zhou Cheng watched this scene, and although he was not surprised, the Empress Dowager's decisiveness and pragmatism still made him look at her in a new light.

It must be said that the Empress Dowager was no simple person. Compared to the Crown Prince, she was a more purely political being, rational to the point of being ruthless.

On the scales of power, she always stood on the side with the greater weight.

The Empress Dowager's words were like a blunt knife, severing the Crown Prince's last hope.

He was half-supported and half-carried by two eunuchs as he was dragged down from the steps, his boots making a messy, clattering sound.

Below the stage, many officials had already obediently knelt down, and the number of kneeling figures continued to increase.

Dragged off the stage, the prince, filled with resentment, refused to kneel.

He simply looked up and glared at Zhou Cheng with hatred, his gaze practically wanting to devour him alive.

Zhou Cheng didn't care at all; on the contrary, he was quite pleased with the emotional points provided by the Crown Prince.

Eunuch Hou unfolded the imperial edict again, cleared his voice, and continued reading.

As his voice echoed through the hall, more and more officials chose to kneel down.

The rustling of robes rose and fell, like the wind blowing through a wheat field. Some knelt down readily, some hesitated for a moment, and some were only reluctantly bent down when someone tugged at their clothes.

Soon, only a handful of people remained standing in the hall. The eldest prince looked at Zhou Cheng on the dragon throne with a complex expression.

He never expected his third brother to be so resolute and decisive in his actions.

He glanced at the Empress Dowager above him, and seeing her sit down again, expressionless, he finally gritted his teeth and knelt down.

For the sake of the greater good, he could kneel before the crown prince, and naturally he could kneel before anyone else.

The eunuch Hou's imperial edict echoed softly in the main hall, each word like the striking of a bell, solemn and dignified.

Seeing that the dust had settled, even the most stubborn civil officials finally wavered.

They looked at each other, some sighed, some shook their heads, some had red eyes, and finally prepared to bend their knees.

Just as these men were mentally preparing to kneel in humiliation for the sake of the stability of the state and the well-being of the people, the eunuch Hou's edict was coming to an end, with only the last sentence remaining: "Proclaim this to the world, so that all may know."

At that moment, a commotion suddenly arose outside the hall.

Immediately afterwards, a clear and powerful voice pierced through the palace doors and reached the ears of everyone:

"Wait a minute!"

Eunuch Hou was startled, his voice stopped abruptly, and he almost dropped the imperial edict.

Come again?

The kneeling officials in the hall turned to look, only to find that the outside world had become a vast expanse of white. Snowflakes fell like goose feathers, blanketing the entire imperial city as if to bury it. A wind, carrying a contrasting warmth and swirling snowflakes, followed the dim light and poured into the Taiji Hall.

Through the wind and snow, two groups of warriors clad in red armor, accompanied by a graceful figure, strode through the snow.

In front of the red-armored warrior was a young man in black armor, with a cold face, sharp eyes, a long sword at his waist, and a steady gait.

This is Qin Heng, son of Qin Ye, the Privy Councilor.

The red-armored warriors behind Qin Heng were not the red-clad knights under Fan Jian's command, but they were still related to Fan Jian.

Those twenty-odd men were the Tiger Guards personally trained by Fan Jian, who were assigned by the Empress Dowager to the inner palace to protect the safety of the concubines.

They were all composed, with sharp eyes and synchronized steps; their armor gleamed coldly in the snow.

I just don't know why I ended up here with Qin Heng.

As the crowd drew in, everyone was able to see clearly that the figure covered in snow and being escorted by the Tiger Guards was none other than Princess Li Yunrui, who had been confined to the palace.

At this moment, Li Yunrui was wrapped in a snow-white mink cloak, as if she had blended into the snow. Underneath the cloak, her high, protruding belly was barely concealed.

Her face was expressionless, only her eyes held a hint of helplessness.

As Qin Heng and his men approached, the imperial guards at the palace gate stood up, their hands on their sword hilts. But upon seeing Li Yunrui in the crowd, they hesitated, drawing their swords halfway before slowly pushing them back in.

When Zhou Cheng was interrupted during his ascension to the throne, he did not get angry.

He merely frowned slightly as he glanced at Qin Heng, who had led the troops in, before turning his gaze to Li Yunrui.

With Li Yunrui here, the plan to control the harem naturally encountered an unexpected turn of events.

He simply didn't know what kind of accident had happened.

The imperial guards in the main hall drew their swords, but because Li Yunrui was in their hands, they were hesitant to act rashly and could only watch helplessly as Qin Heng and his group continued to advance, passing through the hall gates and going deeper into the palace.

Qin Heng stopped in front of the main hall.

He raised his head, his gaze fixed on Zhou Cheng on the dragon throne, his voice resounding like iron:

"King Cheng has committed treason and disregarded the law, stealing the sacred artifacts of the state! The Qin family is loyal to the country and swore to serve the late emperor to the death; we will never allow this!"

Zhou Cheng looked down at him, not angry, but simply asked, "What is the Qin family trying to do?"

Qin Heng tilted his head back, straightening his back even more, and raised his voice even louder: "The Crown Prince is the heir apparent, and his succession to the throne is legitimate and in accordance with the laws and norms. King Cheng, with his regalia and weapons, coerces the officials. His conduct is improper, his position is illegitimate, and the Qin family, the court, and the people should not accept this!"

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope shone in the crown prince's eyes.

Many court officials also showed signs of joy.

Zhou Cheng shook his head in disappointment, his tone laced with sarcasm: "What high-sounding nonsense! With such a grand display, I thought your Qin family was about to rebel, but it turns out you just want to support the Crown Prince."

"Your Qin family has always been neutral, what? Now you support the Crown Prince? What benefit will the Crown Prince gain from ascending the throne?"

Qin Heng's expression remained unchanged, and his voice was steady: "The Qin family remains neutral in the face of factional strife, but it will never remain neutral in the face of the law and loyalty to the emperor and the country."

Of course, that's just polite talk.

It was simply that the Qin family felt the Crown Prince's personality and temperament were easier to control, and that the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne would be more beneficial to them.

Therefore, as soon as news of Emperor Qing's death spread, they made arrangements and reached a tacit understanding with the Empress Dowager.

Even with the crown prince's successful ascension to the throne, the Qin family remained standing and controlled supreme power.

But when Li Yunrui arranged for the Imperial Guards to control the inner palace, he guessed that something unexpected would happen in the Taiji Hall.

After his father, Qin Ye, met with the Empress Dowager, he gained her trust and was temporarily appointed as the commander of the capital's defenses, leading the Tiger Guard and temporarily taking over the defense of the inner palace.

When a coup occurred in the harem, he led his Tiger Guards to quickly suppress it.

The twenty-odd Tiger Guards were equivalent to three top-tier ninth-rank martial arts masters, a fact Li Yunrui had not anticipated.

So much so that after Qin Heng figured out who was instigating it, he directly led the Tiger Guards in a surprise attack on Guangxin Palace, advancing with unstoppable momentum and taking control of Li Yunrui, who was peacefully resting in the palace and waiting for good news.

At this moment, Li Yunrui suddenly spoke to Zhou Cheng on the dragon throne, his voice tinged with impatience: "Qin Heng has taken my token; the city gate authorities will probably open the city gates soon!"

The City Gate Office was a crucial government office in charge of the four gates of the capital.

After the city gates are closed, only the Empress Dowager's imperial edict can order the city gate guards to open them.

However, even before ascending the throne, the main officials of the city gate bureau had been bribed by Li Yunrui, and her tokens could also be used to mobilize the city gates.

Zhou Cheng instantly understood what Li Yunrui meant.

The opening of the city gates meant that the Qin family could now mobilize troops from outside the capital to enter the city.

As the chief envoy of the Privy Council, Qin Ye had the authority to command all the troops in the country. With just one order from Qin Ye, tens of thousands of elite troops from the capital garrison outside the city could march straight in through the city gates.

If Qin Ye leads his troops into the city and takes control of the palace, the succession to the throne will naturally be decided by the Qin family.

Among the officials, there were quite a few astute and perceptive individuals. Upon hearing Li Yunrui's words, some immediately understood the implications. Many of the officials who had been kneeling silently stood up again.

Threatened with weapons by Zhou Cheng, they chose to kneel down.

Now that the leverage of military power has shifted to the Qin family, and the Qin family is supporting the Crown Prince, it's only natural that they have stood up.

These officials and scholars still had some sense of shame. Although they wanted to angrily criticize Zhou Cheng for supporting the Crown Prince, they ultimately didn't dare to speak up because of his repeated changes of heart.

Zhou Cheng, of course, couldn't be bothered to look at such people. He simply stood up and turned his gaze back to Li Yunrui: "The token doesn't matter. Aunt, are you alright?"

Li Yunrui didn't expect that Zhou Cheng would care about her first, instead of asking about the situation or troop strength.

She pursed her lips, and in the end just shook her head.

She's not worried about herself now, but rather that if they lose this time, they'll probably lose badly.

Now that Zhou Cheng has resorted to violence in the palace, once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he will certainly not be spared.

She might survive, but in the end, she'll probably become a prisoner, lose her freedom, and live a life worse than death.

The Crown Prince was also processing all the information at that moment.

He never expected that things would take such a turn for the better after so many twists and turns.

His face regained its color, and his eyes gleamed with excitement.

The Empress Dowager was speechless. She hadn't expected that her casual arrangement would lead to this situation. Now, the enthronement ceremony had been fraught with twists and turns, turning into a complete farce.

The Tiger Guards around Qin Heng were arranged by Fan Jian to protect her.

She only stayed in the harem because she felt she had no use for it.

Compared to Qin Heng, she was naturally better able to command these Tiger Guards.

In the Taiji Hall, these twenty Tiger Guards were enough to suppress all the Imperial Guards present.

Qin Ye has not yet led his army into the palace. At this moment, it can be said that whether the Crown Prince or Zhou Cheng succeeds to the throne is entirely up to her.

At first, she naturally favored the Crown Prince, but now that Zhou Cheng is about to ascend the throne, does she really still want to help the Crown Prince to the throne?

The sacred instruments of state and the throne of the emperor, reversed so drastically in a single day, would surely become a laughingstock for the entire world.

The Empress Dowager hesitated for a moment, her brows furrowed.

Zhou Cheng, however, seemed completely unaware of the impending crisis. He even asked Li Yunrui, "How is the situation at Hanguang Palace? Was my mother alright?"

Li Yunrui was also confused as to whether Zhou Cheng was simply carefree or overly confident. She simply told him the truth: "Consort Li is naturally unharmed and is still in Hanguang Palace."

Hearing this, Zhou Cheng nodded.

Of all the women in the harem, the only one he truly cared about was Consort Li. As for outside the palace, he had already made all the necessary arrangements and was prepared for any unforeseen events.

"Empress Dowager!" the Crown Prince called out, his voice filled with urgency and impatience.

He was well aware of the current situation.

With just a word from the Empress Dowager, he could reclaim the throne. But he couldn't understand why his grandmother, who had always supported him, was so oblivious now!

"Yunrui, come here first!"

The Empress Dowager waved to Li Yunrui.

She could tell that her daughter supported Zhou Cheng.

Once he chooses the crown prince, his most beloved daughter will definitely not get any benefit.

She couldn't find a reason to support Zhou Cheng and wondered why her daughter, who had always supported the Crown Prince, would suddenly switch her support to Zhou Cheng.

Li Yunrui stepped forward slowly, and the Tiger Guards did not stop him. Qin Heng also made no attempt to stop him.

He used Li Yunrui as a hostage simply to enter the Taiji Palace without resorting to violence.

If his father, Qin Ye, is not mistaken, he has already led a large army into the capital and will soon be able to surround the palace.

Even without Li Yunrui, even without the Tiger Guards, he didn't think anyone else could cause any trouble.

Li Yunrui walked step by step to the Empress Dowager.

She glanced at Zhou Cheng, then at the dragon throne behind him, her expression complex.

To be honest, this was the first time she had ever stood so high in the Taiji Hall and been so close to the dragon throne.

"Yunrui, you..."

Just as the Empress Dowager was about to ask Li Yunrui a question, her gaze suddenly fell on the bulge in Li Yunrui's abdomen.

From the moment she entered the hall, Li Yunrui was shrouded in a snow-white mink cloak. She only noticed that Li Yunrui's face had become rounder and did not pay attention to anything else.

Now that Li Yunrui was close by, she suddenly realized that Li Yunrui was heavily pregnant, and looked to be about seven or eight months along.

The Empress Dowager looked somewhat bewildered.

She was well aware of Li Yunrui's relationship with Lin Ruofu and knew that this child could not possibly be Lin Ruofu's.

But whose child is this?

Li Yunrui lived deep within the inner palace, which was not a place that ordinary men could enter.

The Empress Dowager wanted to ask, but in this situation, she didn't know how to begin.

She frowned as she looked at Li Yunrui, only to see him turn his head away, avoiding her gaze.

The Empress Dowager's heart skipped a beat.

She wasn't like this when Li Yunrui was pregnant with Lin Wan'er. Back then, she was nonchalant and arrogant, never avoiding her gaze.

His current appearance suggests he's feeling guilty.

Are you more guilty than when you were sixteen and gave birth?

The Empress Dowager's ominous premonition grew stronger, almost exactly like that of Emperor Qing at the time.

The Empress Dowager stared at Li Yunrui's lower abdomen and suddenly remembered that before Emperor Qing left the capital, he was inexplicably furious and imprisoned Li Yunrui in Guangxin Palace.

She felt something was amiss at the time, but she never figured out why.

Upon seeing that Li Yunrui was pregnant and noticing her guilty and evasive demeanor, an absurd thought immediately took hold of his mind.

Her vision blurred, but she still looked at Zhou Cheng defiantly and asked, "His...his?"

Li Yunrui sighed inwardly, marveling at how sharp and clear-headed the Empress Dowager's mind was, despite her advanced age.

Now that things have come to this, she seemed to have no need to hide anything anymore, and she gave a helpless "hmm".

The Empress Dowager suddenly stood up, her fingers trembling and her lips quivering with anger.

She couldn't utter a single word.

Finally, she pointed at Li Yunrui and, disregarding any semblance of royal decorum, slapped him across the face.

"Snapped!"

The Empress Dowager's actions left the Crown Prince dumbfounded, the First Prince dumbfounded, Qin Heng bewildered, and the entire court officials utterly dumbfounded.

Most of them didn't even notice the unusual thing about Li Yunrui, let alone understand what had happened on the imperial throne.

Now that the Empress Dowager has hit Li Yunrui, they assume it's because she's angry that Li Yunrui conspired with Zhou Cheng to commit treason.

Li Yunrui took a slap, but didn't react at all.

She simply raised her hand to wipe the corner of her mouth, turned her head, and said to Zhou Cheng:

"Qin Ye is about to lead his troops into the palace, and the imperial guards can't stop him. We miscalculated, and now we have no choice but to fight to the death! You should still have people with you, right?"

Zhou Cheng was at a loss for words, and could only say, "My men... should all be here."

To be honest, the Qin family's actions were indeed somewhat unexpected.

In his plan, even if the Qin family wanted to support the Crown Prince, they would have to lead their troops into the capital.

All four gates of Kyoto are under Li Yunrui's control; if they don't open the gates, Qin Ye can't break in.

If he had delayed for a day or two, he would have already ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor to the world, and naturally he wouldn't have cared about the Qin cause anymore.

However, Qin Heng, whom the Empress Dowager had left in the palace as a hostage, became a variable, daring to lead the Tiger Guards straight to Guangxin Palace.

This is something no one could have predicted in advance.

It can only be said that Qin Heng is indeed a top figure among the younger generation in Kyoto. Not only is he outstanding in martial arts, but he is also decisive and meticulous in his actions.

"Are all your people here?"

Li Yunrui touched her ear, somewhat doubting whether she had misheard.

Besides the Imperial Guards, the only people in this hall are officials and eunuchs. What use are these people in front of tens of thousands of troops?

She felt a little regretful.

I'm tempted to turn on them and be ruthless.

Given her temperament, she should have betrayed and shifted the blame without any burden at this moment, but for some reason, it became so difficult.

The Empress Dowager, supported by Eunuch Hou, was in great pain and her body was swaying precariously.

She never imagined that such a vile and immoral thing would happen around her.

She was initially hesitant between the Crown Prince and Zhou Cheng due to concerns about the Emperor's reputation.

Now, Zhou Cheng's scandalous affair with Li Yunrui has left her with no other choice!

She asked herself, even if Emperor Qing were alive, he would choose the Crown Prince over Zhou Cheng!

The throne was once again bequeathed to the crown prince. In a single day, the imperial regalia changed hands three times. This succession to the throne had become a child's play, a real joke. But now that things had come to this, she accepted it!

"Crown Prince!" the Empress Dowager cried out, her voice hoarse and resolute.

The prince's face lit up with joy.

It's here! It's finally here!

The Empress Dowager was trembling, and just as she was about to have the Tiger Guards subdue Zhou Cheng, shouts of killing suddenly came from outside the hall, shaking the heavens and earth and tearing through the snow curtain!