The world of film and television begins from childhood

It has been only a few months since Fan Xian entered Kyoto. He thought that Emperor Qing had already granted the marriage between Fan Xian and Lin Wan'er. But from what Li Yunrui said, it seems that the marriage has not been granted yet?

"Marriage?"

Li Yunrui was also a little surprised: "Wan'er is still young, and has not yet married, nor has she been granted a marriage. If you agree, I can ask His Majesty to grant me a marriage."

Zhou Chen immediately refused: "That's not necessary, Princess. I have no intention of marrying anyone, so there is no need to say more."

Li Yunrui's expression remained unchanged as he slowly said, "I heard that the young master had been in the capital of Northern Qi and had made friends with the eldest princess of Northern Qi. Could it be that the person the young master wants to marry is the eldest princess of Northern Qi?"

Zhou Chen smiled and said, "The princess knows everything about my affairs in Northern Qi. She is indeed the one who controls the financial power of the inner treasury and the three major districts. Her intelligence ability is really amazing."

He did not deny it and simply said, "You are right. If I really want to get married, the Princess of Northern Qi is indeed my first choice."

"Then you should understand that she is a princess of the Northern Qi royal family, and you are the Grand Master of Qing. Even if the young Emperor of Northern Qi agrees, will our Majesty agree?"

Zhou Chen said proudly: "Who I want to marry is my business, as long as the woman agrees, other people's opinions are not important to me."

Li Yunrui's eyes suddenly changed. Zhou Chen's words revealed a meaning that he did not seem to respect Emperor Qing very much.

If other royal family members heard what Zhou Chen said, they would definitely be very angry, but she was different. Instead of being unhappy, she laughed.

"Young Master, you have become a Grand Master at such a young age. Your spirit is unmatched by ordinary people. Since you do not want to marry, I will not force you."

When she talked about marriage with Zhou Chen, she was just trying it out casually. She didn't have much hope in the first place, so she wasn't disappointed when she was rejected. She just suddenly and abruptly changed the subject.

"Sir, who do you think will inherit the throne between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince?"

"I can't give an answer to the eldest princess' question. I just don't know, does the eldest princess support the crown prince or the second prince?"

Looking at Zhou Chen's half-smile, Li Yunrui frowned slightly. She felt that Zhou Chen seemed to have something else to say.

"I will support whoever inherits that position. So who do you think is better, sir?"

"I said the same thing. I have never been involved in state affairs, and I am not familiar with them. If the princess came here today for this matter, I am sorry that I cannot give you an answer."

Li Yunrui thought for a moment and asked another question.

"If I want to ask you for help in the future, what will be the price?"

"The Princess is of noble status and has numerous capable people under her. What could possibly require you to ask the Grand Master for help?"

"There is no answer now, but that doesn't mean there won't be one in the future. If we wait until then to ask, wouldn't it be a waste of time again?"

What Li Yunrui values ​​about Zhou Chen is naturally his grandmaster combat power. As for everything else, it is not important to her.

Zhou Chen hesitated for a moment and said, "That depends on what the princess wants to do. If you don't give me an answer now, I naturally can't give you an answer either."

"I don't need an answer now. I just hope that if that day comes, you can stand by my side."

"I can't guarantee that. After all, things change all the time. Who can say for sure until that time comes?"

Zhou Chen didn't want to agree to anything with the princess. This crazy woman was not trustworthy at all. He must be crazy to cooperate with her.

Li Yunrui didn't get the answer he wanted, so he talked to Zhou Chen for a while and then left Zhou's house.

Zhou Chen knew that as a grandmaster living in Kyoto, he would inevitably become a thorn in the eyes of others.

Some people want to curry favor with him, some want to use him, and some want to kill him...

The existence of a grandmaster is a huge benefit, and no one can ignore the combat power of a grandmaster.

Li Yunrui's visit still had no effect on Zhou Chen. He continued to live a secluded life as always, unless he went to the banks of the Liujing River.

When he was at Zuixianju, many people wanted to visit him, but they were all rejected by him. He didn't even need to ask a word, He Qin was able to help him deal with these people.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye the new year is here again.

A new year, a new life. For Anyuan Bo Zhou Fu, this year is another new beginning.

Because this year, Zhou Chen reached the age of coming of age.

Zhou Chen did not invite anyone else to the capping ceremony because there were no elders left in his family, so he held it alone in the ancestral hall.

Just after his crowning ceremony, Emperor Qing’s imperial edict arrived.

Emperor Qing is a maverick. As an emperor, he does not respect the etiquette of his ancestors in many things, and even his imperial edicts have his own style.

The imperial edict he gave to Zhou Chen was also different from others. Originally, Zhou Chen should have inherited the title of Earl of Anyuan, but he praised Zhou Chen in the imperial edict and gave him generous rewards in the end.

Zhou Chen's title of Anyuan Earl was directly upgraded to Duke of the State, and he was given the title of.

Duke of Zhenguo!

Chapter 1438 Redeem yourself and capture Sang Wen

Duke of Zhenguo!

This is not a simple title of Duke. Generally speaking, even if one is conferred the title of Duke, the title of Duke of Guardian of the Country will not be considered.

Because the title of Duke of Zhenguo is, in most cases, reserved for royal relatives, or only for those with great military merits who find it difficult to confer another title.

You should know that even Qin Ye, the current number one military figure in Qing Kingdom, could not be granted the title of Duke of Zhenguo.

But Emperor Qing did not follow the usual path. Zhou Chen should have inherited the title of Earl of Anyuan, but he conferred Zhou Chen the title of Duke of Zhenguo, a title of great significance.

This is because Emperor Qing's imperial power is too strong, so he was able to overcome public opposition and confer the title of Duke Zhenguo. If it were an emperor who was not strong enough, it would not have been possible.

Perhaps in the eyes of many people, they think that Emperor Qing’s reward is too high, but when they think of Zhou Chen’s identity as a grandmaster, they will feel relieved. Could it be that the only five grandmasters in the world are not as good as the title of a duke?

Zhou Chen didn't care much about the title of Duke of Zhenguo. I have even been an emperor, so why would I care about your title of Duke of Zhenguo?

But no matter what, after being granted the title of Duke, the status of the Zhou family in Kyoto immediately rose.

There was just one thing that made Zhou Chen quite unhappy. He felt that Emperor Qing was too petty. He only conferred the title of Duke Zhenguo on him, and did not say that he would be awarded a bigger and better Duke's Mansion. At the very least, he should have been given a few imperial farms outside the city or something like that.

As a result, although he got an honorary title, he received no rewards such as real estate, gold or silver. It was not economical at all.

I guess he spent all the money on researching arrows and "bulletproof vests".

Zhou Chen didn't care about gold and silver, mainly because the financial situation of the Zhou Mansion was not very good. Before, he suddenly took those old soldiers into the mansion. There were dozens of old soldiers, with their families, totaling more than 200 people.

Such a large population was indeed a huge financial pressure for the previously impoverished Zhou family.

After all, Zhou Chen’s rise has only been short, and cannot be immediately converted into ready-made profits. It will take some time for the transition to happen slowly.

Zhou Chen still has tens of thousands of taels of gold in his system, but he has not thought of taking it all out. Gold is hard currency, and he also has to consider his future world travel.

After Emperor Qing's reward came down, the Zhou Mansion, the Duke of Zhenguo, suddenly became the focus of Kyoto again. The number of visiting cards they received was no less than before, but Zhou Chen naturally could not manage them personally, so he handed them all over to Tong Quan to handle.

During this period of time, perhaps because he had met so many important people, Tong Quan grew very fast and was already showing signs of becoming the top steward of the Zhou Mansion.

The fact that Zhou Chen was a grandmaster had been a hot topic in Kyoto for a long time, but because Zhou Chen had always been very low-key, the popularity gradually subsided over time.

Now, apart from the top leaders of those major forces who are still keeping an eye on Zhou Chen and want to win him over, other people have rarely paid attention to Zhou Chen. After all, the Grand Master is too far away from them.

Moreover, this is the capital of Qing Kingdom. Warriors are not the mainstream after all. The pursuit of power is above all else, and the ups and downs of officialdom are the eternal topics of Kyoto.

Zuixianju!

Zhou Chen comes here about ten days a month and has long been a regular customer. Every time he comes, Si Lili accompanies him. Besides him, there is also Sang Wen.

Because of him, Sang Wen has recently become a popular geisha in Zuixianju, but no one dares to take advantage of her because she is labeled as "Zhou Chen".

Zhou Chen was enjoying Si Lili's service and listening to Sang Wen's playing, and suddenly asked Si Lili.

"If you, Zuixianju, want to redeem yourself, what should you do?"

"Redemption?"

Si Lili was stunned. She was certainly not stupid enough to think that Zhou Chen wanted to redeem her. She was a spy of Northern Qi and had the responsibilities of a spy. Even if Zhou Chen wanted to redeem her, she would not agree. What's more, Zhou Chen knew her identity, so it was impossible for him to make such a decision.

In just a moment, she understood and glanced at Sang Wen who was sitting there playing the piano.

"My Lord, do you want to redeem Sang Wen?"

"Ah."

Although she had already guessed the answer, Si Lili still felt sad when she saw Zhou Chen nod.

More than a month passed, and she had a strong liking for Zhou Chen, this unique man. He was outstanding in all aspects and respected the brothel girls. Zhou Chen's temperament and behavior really fascinated her.

Having experienced hardships and setbacks since childhood, she was very sensitive. After spending a long time together, she found that Zhou Chen was really different from all the men she had met before.

Serving Zhou Chen, she did not feel aggrieved or uncomfortable. Instead, she felt very relaxed. Zhou Chen gave her the feeling that they were equal.

She also understood why someone like Haitang Duoduo, who was devoted to the pursuit of martial arts, would look at Zhou Chen differently.

She really didn't understand why someone like Zhou Chen would fall for Sang Wen. If he was attracted by Sang Wen's beauty, he would not have waited so long for her to make a move. Besides, she didn't think she was less good-looking than Sang Wen, so Zhou Chen must be attracted to more than just Sang Wen's beauty.

Because of this, she couldn't understand it even more. It couldn't be because Sang Wen played the pipa so well, right?

It’s not that Zuixianju is without some pipa players similar to Sang Wen, but Zhou Chen doesn’t seem to be interested in them.

"If it were someone else, they wouldn't just need money to redeem themselves, but if it were you, I believe the owner of Zuixianju would agree."

In today's Kyoto, how many people dare to offend Zhou Chen?

Zhou Chen nodded, and after Sang Wen finished playing, he called her over.

"Sang Wen, do you want to leave Zuixianju?"

"leave?"

Sang Wen was confused by Zhou Chen's sudden question, and then she thought of the reason.

"Sir, do you want to redeem me?"

"Correct."

Sang Wen's face flushed immediately, with excitement, anxiety, and expectation...

There is no girl in the brothel who doesn't want to escape from this vortex, but not everyone has the ability and opportunity to do so.

Sang Wen naturally wanted to leave the brothel, but she also understood that it was almost impossible to do so on her own. Even though she had been saving money, it was still a drop in the bucket.

But if Zhou Chen is willing to redeem her, that would be different.

Although most of the brothel girls who were redeemed did not have a good outcome, she still held out a glimmer of hope because she was a prostitute and because the one who was going to redeem her was Zhou Chen.

"If your Excellency wishes, I will."

Si Lili felt even worse as she looked at Sang Wen, whose face was full of expectation and longing. Of course, she wanted to leave, but when she thought of her brother who was still in Northern Qi, she had no choice.

Zhou Chen said: "Okay, go find the manager and tell him that I want to redeem you. You can follow me later. I will send you the silver you need."

Sang Wen hurriedly said: "Sir, I also have some silver..."

Zhou Chen smiled and said, "I redeemed you, how can I use your money? Don't worry, I'm not that poor."

When the owner of Zuixianju learned that Zhou Chen wanted to redeem Sang Wen, he was surprised but relieved at the same time.

Sang Wen is just a prostitute. Although he is very outstanding, he is not irreplaceable. If Zhou Chen wants to redeem Si Lili, he may still hesitate, but if it is just Sang Wen, there is no need to hesitate and he will agree directly.

If it were someone else, the owner of Zuixianju might have charged a huge sum of money, but since Zhou Chen was the one making the move, they didn't dare to ask for an exorbitant price.

In less than an hour, the matter was settled, and Sang Wen's indenture contract was in Zhou Chen's hands.

Zhou Chen burned the indenture contract in front of Sang Wen.

Looking at the indenture contract that was burned to ashes, Sang Wen and Si Lili were stunned, especially Sang Wen, who was shaking with excitement.

"grown ups."

Zhou Chen just asked softly: "Even if there is no indenture, will you betray me?"

"will not."

Sang Wen gave an affirmative answer and watched Zhou Chen burn the indenture contract nonchalantly. At this moment, she was even more devoted to him.

Si Lili congratulated Sang Wen with a complicated expression. Which woman wouldn't like a man like this?

When Sang Wen and Zhou Chen left Zuixianju, they were looked at with envy by countless girls in Zuixianju. It was already a great fortune to be redeemed, and to be redeemed by a big shot like Zhou Chen was something they dared not even dream of for these brothel girls.

"Is this all you have?"

When Sang Wen left, he only took a small package besides his pipa.

"Nothing else is important to me. Only these silver and jewelry are earned by me. I have to take them away."

Zhou Chen said: "That's right, from now on we have to get rid of this kind of place, and everything will start over. Let's go."

Seeing Sang Wen and Zhou Chen getting into the carriage together, He Qin, who was in charge of driving the carriage, was stunned. The young master had come to Zuixianju many times, but this was the first time he took a girl away.

Inside the carriage, Zhou Chen asked Sang Wen, "What do you want to do in the future?"

Sang Wen's eyes flashed with confusion: "What to do? Of course, I will serve you, my lord. I will do whatever you ask me to do."