I really didn't intend to make a living based on my looks.

Of course, Yu Zheng would never admit to plagiarism...

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Moreover, he raced against time from the preparation stage, pushing forward the filming and production of "Palace" with a clear goal.

He's exploiting the time difference.

Whoever airs it first will be the "first Qing Dynasty time-travel drama".

Viewers are prejudiced from the start; no matter how good the next thing is, it's just following the trend.

This principle is the same as in war: whoever occupies the hill first wins.

He Chengming changed the subject: "Has Yang Mi agreed yet?"

"I agreed."

"She just left Rongxinda and we're in dire need of a leading lady who can carry a drama. We have a good script and a good platform, so she'll definitely be happy to take the role."

"The drama 'Beauty's Rival in Palace' just finished airing. She played Mo Xueyuan in it, and the audience response was good. Let's strike while the iron is hot."

"Beauty's Rival in Palace" aired on various satellite TV channels in March of this year. Ruby Lin starred in the lead role, while Yang Mi played a supporting role with limited but memorable screen time.

Yu Zheng was also the producer of that drama, and he had worked with Yang Mi before; they had a close relationship.

This time, when I handed the notebook over, the other party didn't hesitate.

"What about the Eighth Prince?" He Chengming asked.

Yu Zheng's expression changed. "Don't mention it."

"Yan Guan and Qiao Zhenyu, both of them refused."

"You refused? Why?"

"They said they were in talks for other projects. Actually, they just didn't like them. They thought our show was too idol-like and not serious enough. They said those actors with formal training had a lot of bad habits."

"But I approached Feng Shaofeng," Yu Zheng said, softening his tone, "He's not picky."

He Chengming nodded: "He's alright too."

Yu Zheng took another sip of coffee. "By the way, why did you come so early today?"

"Oh, there's something I need to tell you," He Chengming said, pulling a USB drive from his pocket. "Isn't our drama 'A Good Wife and Loving Mother' airing on Shandong TV?"

"Yesterday, Director Fang called me and said he has a kid who sings well and wants to submit him for our theme song."

"Shandong TV?" Yu Zheng frowned. "What kid?"

"They said it was the child of one of their colleagues at the station, who had just been admitted to the Beijing Film Academy and sang a song while recording a program at the station."

Yu Zheng didn't take it too seriously.

He'd seen plenty of these "connections" recommendations; nine out of ten were just there to make up the numbers.

"What song?"

"I haven't listened to it yet, why don't you give it a listen?"

Yu Zheng hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

He Chengming plugged the USB drive into the computer, opened the folder, and clicked on the video.

Yu Zheng didn't take it seriously at first, until Jiang Chen came out.

? ? ? ? ?

The video finished playing and then the image froze.

"What's the name of this song?" Yu Zheng asked.

"The Power of Love".

"The offering of love..." Yu Zheng murmured, "These lyrics are really good, they fit our drama very well."

"So what do you mean?"

"Let him audition."

He Chengming was stunned: "Huh?"

Weren't we supposed to be talking about the theme song?

What the hell is an audition?

"Don't you think he's very handsome?" Yu Zheng pointed to the frozen image on the screen.

He Chengming: "..."

So love will disappear?

Is the white moonlight no match for the heavenly descender?

"While you're at it, check if he has a management company."

"You really want to use him?"

"We can talk!"

……

August 9, Hengdian.

As Jiang Chen stepped off the bus, a wave of heat hit him.

The ground temperature soared to 40 degrees Celsius, and the air was filled with the acrid smell of the sun-baked concrete.

You could cook an egg if you threw it in...

He stood by the roadside, dragging his suitcase, and glanced up at the hotel sign: Hengdian International Trade Building.

It's a three-star hotel, considered one of the best in the area.

Several film crew vehicles were parked at the entrance, with A4 sheets of "Palace" printed on the back of their windshields, the edges of which were curled from the sun.

Several workers in work uniforms were squatting on the steps smoking, holding walkie-talkies in their hands, their name tags around their necks crooked.

Jiang Chen dragged his suitcase inside, still feeling a little dazed.

He really hadn't expected things to develop in this way.

He originally intended to sell the song "The Power of Love" to Yu Zheng to make a small profit.

This song was the theme song of "Palace" in my past life. It was incredibly popular and played everywhere.

Ke Yuzheng doesn't play by the rules.

After hearing his song, they insisted that he audition.

The fourteenth prince was the one they tried.

The Fourteenth Prince doesn't have many scenes in the drama; he only appears around episode 30, and in total, he has about 70 or 80 scenes.

But this character is well-developed; he's youthful, spirited, affectionate, and stubborn, which makes him very appealing.

Jiang Chen had watched this show in his previous life and knew its significance.

At the beginning of 2011, "Palace" aired on Hunan TV, and its ratings soared, peaking at over 3 and firmly holding the top spot for the year.

Yang Mi rose to A-list status with this drama, Feng Shaofeng went from being a "perennial second lead" to the "Eighth Prince himself," and even the theme song "The Power of Love" became a hit song of the year.

Only a fool would pass up an opportunity like that.

So he didn't hesitate and agreed immediately.

Yu Zheng gave him a package deal, 18,000 yuan.

The role involves about 70 or 80 scenes. If we calculate based on 30 episodes, each episode would cost 600 yuan.

As for the song "The Power of Love," Yu Zheng gave eight thousand yuan.

Of course, the two only discussed the cost of singing and recording film and television OSTs.

Jiang Chen made a deal, adding a condition: he would sing the male version of the theme song.

Yu Zheng thought about it and agreed, bringing the total to 26,000.

Actually, this matter is not complicated.

Yu Zheng thought his image was suitable, so he started to deceive him in various ways.

"It's a shame your face isn't in one of my productions."

"The Fourteenth Prince is practically tailor-made for you."

"You sing the songs yourself, you play the roles yourself, isn't that great?"

In short, it all boils down to three words: seeking cheap prices.

He's known in the industry for liking to use newcomers. Do you really think he likes to train new talent?

That's to save money...

Jiang Chen was aware of the show's success, and although the pay was relatively low for a newcomer, he still agreed to it.

The two hit it off immediately!

Jiang Chen dragged his suitcase into the hotel lobby. The air conditioning hit him, and he finally felt alive again.

On one side of the lobby, there were several simple folding tables covered with red cloth. On them were a sign-in book, a pen, and a stack of crew notices. A piece of white paper with the words "Palace: The Lock Heart Jade Actors Registration Area" was pasted on the corner of the table, with messy handwriting.

A young man in a gray T-shirt and black-rimmed glasses was sitting behind the table, looking down at his phone. When he saw Jiang Chen come over, he casually glanced at him and said, "Give me your name."

This person is Yang Le, the executive producer of Yu Zheng's studio. He has worked with Yu Zheng on several dramas, and is responsible for miscellaneous tasks such as actor coordination, attendance, and room allocation. He is a familiar face in the industry.

"Jiang Chen." Jiang Chen leaned his suitcase against the table and handed over his ID card.

"Leave your ID card with me for now; the hotel will need it for registration."

Yang Le flipped through the sign-in book, found his name and ticked it, then took out a room key and a film crew schedule from the drawer.

"The Fourteenth Prince, right? Room 307, a double room, you'll be sharing with the crew's production assistant."