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

Li Yunrui knew Zhou Cheng quite well.

As soon as she saw Zhou Cheng's waving gesture, she knew what she was about to face.

She hesitated for a moment.

Just for a fleeting moment.

Then she took a deep breath, gripped the ledger tightly, and walked over step by step.

Sometime later, the account book ended up on the wooden floor.

I don't know how much time passed.

Unable to bear the conquest, Li Yunrui crouched down, enduring the resistance and swallowing all the humiliation.

She slumped over the table, panting heavily, her wisps of hair damp with sweat and clinging to her cheeks.

After a long while, she propped herself up with trembling hands.

The first thing she did was pick up the cup of tea that she had only taken a sip of and then dismissed.

The tea had long since gone cold.

Ignoring all that, she tilted her head back, gargled, and then turned to spit into the tea tray beside her.

Water stains lingered at the corners of her lips, slowly sliding down her chin and dripping onto her disheveled clothes.

She rinsed her mouth twice more before putting down her teacup.

It took her a long time to calm down before her breathing and emotions finally stabilized.

Zhou Cheng leaned back in his chair, contentedly tidying up his clothes.

Li Yunrui looked at him, her voice hoarse:

"Are you satisfied now? Tell me, how did you get hold of my smuggling records with Northern Qi?"

Zhou Cheng looked up at her.

Then he reached out his hand again, gesturing for her to come and sit on his lap.

Li Yunrui's body trembled slightly.

Resistance, lingering fear, and a hint of indescribable emotion flashed in his eyes.

But she still didn't refuse.

She obediently walked over and sat down on his lap.

Zhou Cheng reached out and put his arm around her waist, his palm resting against her waistline.

"If you can trade with Northern Qi, so can I." He lowered his head and smelled the faint fragrance in her hair. "I don't know why Aunt has suddenly become distant from Cheng'er lately. I had no choice but to ask Northern Qi for some accounts to see in order to get closer to Aunt and stop being turned away."

Zhou Cheng spoke casually, but Li Yunrui frowned.

"I believe you've been out of sight in the border region for almost a month, going off to make a deal with Northern Qi. But what could you possibly be trading with Northern Qi? Why would they give you something so important? They should know you're going to use this to blackmail me!"

Zhou Cheng smiled.

"What blackmail? Auntie's words are too harsh. It was clearly consensual just now. I was sitting there and hardly moved."

Li Yunrui's face darkened, and Zhou Cheng leaned closer to her ear, lowering his voice:

"My aunt is wondering what I traded with Northern Qi, but it's actually quite obvious."

I, the King of Cheng, have no power, no people, no wealth; apart from myself, I possess nothing of value.

The Northern Qi made a deal with me because they saw my extraordinary talent, abundant resources, outstanding abilities, and exceptional character. Therefore, they placed a heavy bet on my future.

Li Yunrui rolled her eyes and turned her head away disdainfully.

This bastard's extraordinary talent is undeniable, but what other abilities does he have?

Unless the Northern Qi emperor was a woman disguised as a man and had been seduced by him, who would bet on this bastard?

"If you don't want to tell me, don't try to fob me off with nonsense. I won't ask any more questions."

Her voice regained its usual coldness, "I'll only ask you this: what do you want by threatening me with this?"

Li Yunrui knew that Zhou Cheng coveted her body, but she also knew that when Zhou Cheng brought out the accounts of her smuggling with Northern Qi, it was definitely not just to get her body and vent his anger.

"My aunt is indeed very clever."

Zhou Cheng praised Li Yunrui as if he wasn't the one who had called Li Yunrui "stupid" before.

Li Yunrui remained expressionless.

He paused, then slowly began to speak:

"I need my aunt's help. The Northern Qi peace delegation will be arriving in the capital soon. I know you have connections with Zhuang Mohan. I don't care what kind of deal you have, I need you to arrange for Zhuang Mohan to have a secret meeting with the Crown Prince after you meet with him."

Li Yunrui's pupils contracted slightly.

She hadn't expected that Zhou Cheng even knew about her connection with Zhuang Mohan.

However, when she heard Zhou Cheng ask her to arrange for Zhuang Mohan to meet with the Crown Prince, she had an idea. She turned slightly and put her arms around his shoulders.

Why did you arrange for Zhuang Mohan to meet with the Crown Prince?

One is a literary master of Qi, the other is the crown prince; arranging a private meeting between these two was no easy feat.

Zhou Cheng smiled.

"It may not be easy, but I believe my aunt can do it."

He held her waist.

"As for the purpose, it is of course to find fault with the Crown Prince. My father has elevated me to this position; if I don't do something, wouldn't it be a waste of his good intentions?"

Li Yunrui's eyes flickered slightly.

"Are you trying to compete with the Crown Prince?"

Zhou Cheng didn't explain much.

"If you think so, then so be it."

He paused, then said in a calm tone:

"I am prepared to depose the crown prince."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunrui was first taken aback, and then a sense of absurdity welled up in his heart.

She really wanted to laugh!

I think this bastard must have gone mad after going to the border region.

However, she was now being exploited for her weakness, and there were some things she could only think but not say directly, so she said them tactfully:

"Deposing the Crown Prince won't be easy. His Majesty won't depose him without a grave offense. And just because the Crown Prince met with Zhuang Mohan? That's far from enough!"

Zhou Cheng looked at her, their faces almost touching.

As they spoke, you could even see their breaths brushing against the fine downy hairs on each other's faces.

"To tell you the truth, Aunt, Zhuang Mohan was also involved in my dealings with Northern Qi. On certain occasions, he would do things for me."

He paused.

"You yourself said that to depose the Crown Prince, it must be for an extremely serious offense. What could be considered an extremely serious offense against the Crown Prince? What could possibly be so serious as to offend him?"

Li Yunrui narrowed his eyes, without waiting for a moment to think.

Zhou Cheng then gave the answer directly:

"Of course it's treason. If the Crown Prince rebels, His Majesty will surely depose him."

Li Yunrui frowned.

"Let the crown prince rebel? How could that be possible?"

"Nothing is impossible."

"Father has pushed Li Chengze out with me. How much pressure will the Crown Prince face? Currently, none of the six ministries support the Crown Prince. He himself feels that his position as Crown Prince is merely nominal. I know that Aunt also supports the Crown Prince, so I need Aunt to completely give up on the Crown Prince."

He looked down into her eyes.

"I won't say what the Crown Prince's feelings are for his aunt. If his aunt breaks with him when necessary, the Crown Prince will definitely suffer a blow."

A crown prince, disregarded by His Majesty, suppressed by his brothers, shunned by court officials, and rejected by the woman he loves—all these failures come one after another—do you think he wouldn't feel desperate? Would he feel utterly defeated? Would he be terrified that His Majesty would depose him?

When Li Yunrui heard about the Crown Prince's feelings for her, her eyes flickered slightly, but she remained silent and listened.

Zhou Cheng continued, "Given the Crown Prince's character, would a desperate heir apparent willingly sit and wait for his doom? Like a drowning person, would he let go of that last straw?"

"At that time, we had already made advance arrangements."

"Zhuang Mohan's role now is to show the Crown Prince that lifeline. During the meeting, Zhuang Mohan will promise the Crown Prince support for Northern Qi. In desperation later, do you think the Crown Prince will grasp at this straw and even rebel?"

A smile crept onto his lips again.

"If he still doesn't rebel, the Northern Qi forces lying in ambush in the capital will rebel under the Crown Prince's banner. Then, Aunt and I can work together to expose his dealings with Northern Qi and his collusion with Northern Qi to plot a rebellion. At that point, he will rebel even if he doesn't want to. As long as Aunt and I are of one mind, the Crown Prince's elimination is a foregone conclusion."

He briefly explained his plan, but made no mention of the fact that Emperor Qing also needed the crown prince to rebel.

Upon hearing this, Li Yunrui's heart was suddenly stirred, and he quickly began to make calculations.

Her relationship with Zhou Cheng, and the evidence in Zhou Cheng's possession, truly made them inseparable, sharing both prosperity and adversity.

If Northern Qi's support for Zhou Cheng is truly as strong as he claims, the two of them working together might actually be able to depose the crown prince.

Depose the crown prince and install Zhou Cheng in the throne?

For a moment, she hesitated.

Then, she asked the most crucial question:

"What benefit would I gain from deposing the crown prince?"

"If I take over, my aunt's position will be secure. Not only will she not have to worry about handing over the inner treasury, but she will also receive more."

Li Yunrui turned her head away abruptly, her gaze ambiguous.

"What? You don't believe me? You're all mine, why would I begrudge giving up that little bit of power?"

Li Yunrui sneered.

"That's hard to say. Who would be willing to give up control of the Imperial Treasury? And now, who knows who's being fickle, secretly colluding with Fan Xian for the sake of the Imperial Treasury?"

"If I lose my power in the Imperial Treasury, what am I to you? You're only saying this because you still have some value to me, aren't you?"

Zhou Cheng frowned.

"Who told you I was having an affair with Fan Xian?"

He reached out and turned her face back.

"If you like the Imperial Treasury, then keep it. If I really wanted Fan Xian, I would have given him the account book long ago. Why would I have kept it until now?"

Li Yunrui was stunned.

She thought about it and realized that it was indeed true.

If Zhou Cheng really wanted Fan Xian to take over the Imperial Treasury, the accounts of her smuggling transactions with Northern Qi would be enough to make her hand over the Imperial Treasury.

Zhou Cheng patted her lower back:

"I want you more than control of the Imperial Treasury. If I come to power, I will give you whatever you want."

These seemingly sweet words stirred something deep within Li Yunrui's heart.

The feeling was so intense, yet so fleeting.

Given her personality and experiences, she naturally wouldn't trust anyone's promises.

But at this moment, an indescribable emotion still welled up in my heart.

She took a deep breath, stared at Zhou Cheng's face, and suddenly said:

"You said you'd give me anything I wanted. But what if I asked you to give me a child?"

Compared to the promised power and position, children are a greater form of security for women.

She had never thought about their relationship before.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Cheng was stunned for a moment, then fell silent.

Seeing this, the slight emotion that had touched Li Yunrui quickly turned cold, but before she could utter a sarcastic remark,

Zhou Cheng nodded seriously:

"If you want a child, I can give you one. However, that depends on your feelings for me."

Li Yunrui's breath hitched, and after a long while, she exhaled. She smiled with a complex expression, then lowered her head slightly and turned her face away.

"I was just kidding."

"I will arrange Zhuang Mohan's meeting with the Crown Prince. However, I cannot control what happens after the meeting."

Zhou Cheng didn't say much about the children, he just nodded.

"Just arrange the meeting, I'll take care of the rest."

The two exchanged a few more words and finalized the details.

Li Yunrui got up from him and carefully tidied her clothes.

Her hands were still trembling a little, and she didn't know why.

They spent far too much time in the study.

If he doesn't show his face again, rumors will inevitably circulate.

Li Yunrui moved awkwardly to the door and pushed it open.

Outside the door, her personal maid stood motionless, eyes downcast.

Upon seeing the door open, the female official stepped forward without saying a word, using her body to block the view as much as possible in order to conceal the unnaturalness of Li Yunrui's steps.

Li Yunrui also tried her best to control the strange feeling in her body and endure the discomfort. She chatted and laughed with Zhou Cheng and was seen off to the carriage by him.

Not far away, Sang Wen and Si Lili were observing this area.

Sang Wen had intended to deliver water to the study, but was stopped by Li Yunrui's female attendant.

She didn't think much of it at the time, but later Zhou Cheng and Li Yunrui spent far too long in the study.

Now that Li Yunrui has come out, she subconsciously begins to observe Li Yunrui's gait.

Although Li Yunrui tried her best to cover it up, she still discovered the clues.

She was extremely familiar with that walking style.

Not only her, but Si Lili, who was beside her, also noticed something was wrong.

The two exchanged a quick glance, both seeing the shock and unease in each other's eyes.

……

A busy day has come to an end.

That night, Zhou Cheng first put Sang Wen to bed.

The candlelight flickered, casting shifting shadows on the curtains. A faint fragrance filled the air, mingled with the unique scents of the two individuals.

Zhou Cheng gently stroked Sang Wen's body.

Although Sang Wen tried her best to appear natural and accommodating, he could still sense that she had something on her mind.

"What's wrong?" He looked down at her.

Sang Wen bit her lip and hesitated for a moment.

Out of trust and reliance on Zhou Cheng, she still told him about her discovery that afternoon.

After listening, Zhou Cheng pinched her cheek and smiled.

"You've observed quite carefully."

He paused.

"Yes, that's right, I did have that kind of relationship with her. And it started before all of yours."

Sang Wen's body stiffened slightly.

She bit her lip, looked up at him, her eyes filled with worry.

"Your Highness, that wouldn't be good. If we're discovered, the consequences... would be unimaginable."

Her voice was strained.

"The Princess is indeed stunningly beautiful, but it's too dangerous to enjoy her for a moment. Sang Wen doesn't want anything to happen to His Highness."

Zhou Cheng could sense that Sang Wen was genuinely worried about him.

He felt a warmth in his heart and kissed her on the cheek.

"Don't worry. I'm not afraid to do it. I know what I'm doing."

He looked at her.

"You sisters should keep my relationship with Li Yunrui to yourselves and not tell anyone else."

Sang Wen smiled bitterly.

How could she dare to tell anyone about something like this?

However, she also felt Zhou Cheng's doting and trust towards them.

Such sordid affairs, if committed in the residences of other powerful and wealthy families, would likely have resulted in the secret execution of those who knew about them.

But Zhou Cheng seemed not to care at all, and even treated them with great care.

A warm feeling welled up in Sang Wen's heart, and her attachment to him deepened even more.

She snuggled closer to him and softly hummed in agreement.

……

Life goes on as usual.

The only change compared to the past is that people from the mansion come to visit from time to time, which annoys Zhou Cheng a lot.

However, this feeling of frustration didn't last more than a few days.

As the Northern Qi delegation entered the capital, all eyes in the city fell on this group, and gradually no one dared to visit them casually during this sensitive time.

Zhou Cheng finally found some peace and quiet.

That day, he sat in his study, looking through the secret report that Si Lili had handed him.

Teng Zijing came over yesterday to report on Fan Xian's movements throughout the day.

Based on the information Si Lili obtained through her connections, Zhou Cheng immediately guessed what was going to happen next within the Detective Academy.

With Zhuang Mohan's arrival in Beijing, the key to whether Qingqi's peace talks will succeed also rests on Zhuang Mohan's shoulders.

The Censorate was tasked with protecting Zhuang Mohan, and its main forces were dispatched.

Now, the Investigation Institute is weak, and Chen Pingping's biggest protective force—the Black Knights—is also absent.

Those who disagreed with Chen Pingping hatched a plan to take advantage of this opportunity to ambush and kill him.

Of course, this so-called rebellion was, from beginning to end, a trap deliberately set by Chen Pingping, who used himself as bait.

This was all to eliminate any voices opposing him within the Censorate, paving the way for the smooth handover of the Censorate to Fan Xian.

Zhou Cheng put down the secret, a smile appearing on his lips.

The opportune moment to obtain the Heavenly Dao Technique—

Here it comes!

……

Talk about the other side.

When Zhou Cheng went to Bianzhou, Fan Xian met Li Yunrui and heard Li Yunrui reveal that he was the real mastermind behind the Niulan Street assassination.

Because Teng Zijing was still alive, and Lin Gong was already dead, Fan Xian, though resentful that Li Yunrui wanted to kill him, did not have the intention to kill him.

After all, Li Yunrui is Lin Wan'er's biological mother.

Fan Xian dared not tell Wu Zhu that Li Yunrui wanted to kill him, for fear that Wu Zhu would take it upon himself to kill Li Yunrui again.

Fan Xian chose to swallow his anger.

They didn't even have the idea of ​​driving Li Yunrui out of Kyoto.

All he's thinking about now is getting married to Lin Wan'er, then leaving Kyoto as soon as possible, and returning to Danzhou to live his own quiet life.

Because of the seven-character quatrain he composed at the poetry gathering, Fan Xian's reputation in the literary world of Qing Kingdom soared.

Just as Zhuang Mohan was about to arrive in the capital, Fan Xian was appointed by Emperor Qing as the deputy envoy to receive the Northern Qi delegation, responsible for assisting in the negotiations.

On this day, Fan Xian had just learned from Fan Jian the whole story of how he became the deputy envoy for reception.

He had just left the Sinan Earl's residence, preparing to go to the Court of State Ceremonies to find out what he, as the deputy envoy in charge of reception, needed to do and what the procedures were.

Before they could even get into the carriage, a figure was seen walking towards them.

The man was completely shrouded in a black robe, with a mask worn under his hood.

Fan Xian stopped in his tracks.

In broad daylight, a person dressed in a black robe is indeed conspicuous.

However, he wasn't too surprised. After all, Chen Pingping's shadow always dressed like this.

Fan Xian realized that the person in front of him was not Shadow. He was secretly on guard, judging whether the person had ill intentions—when he suddenly felt a chill!

His gaze quickly focused on the mask under the hood.

He stood there, stunned.

His eyes widened, and he raised his hand, trembling, pointing at the face.

The voice was full of disbelief.

"The...Great Sage?!"