The director was entirely unaware of how massive an impact his casual remarks had made on the ancients.
Everyone after the Tang Dynasty fell into a collective silence, frowning deeply.
Why did this plot sound so strangely familiar to them?
Many quickly realized this was precisely the affair of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang! Some thought with a sense of schadenfreude: Just how unloved must this First Emperor have been to have such disgusting rumors fabricated about him?
Zhao Gou pointed and gestured dismissively. "Tsk tsk, the tyrant reputation of this First Emperor must have spread far and wide. It takes someone like Us, enduring humiliation to maintain friendly relations with Jin, to spare the people of Song from casualties. What is the point of all this constant fighting and killing?"
"Your Majesty speaks wisely." Qin Hui smiled with utter obsequiousness. "Your Majesty's policy of peace negotiations is entirely for the sake of the people of Song. Calling Your Majesty an emperor through the ages is no exaggeration!"
"When the time comes, you will surely be invited by the little immortal to visit the Immortal Realm."
Delighted by these words, Zhao Gou burst into hearty laughter. "Oh, My Minister, you really do have a silver tongue!"
At this moment, both sovereign and minister were thoroughly satisfied with each other.
Time in the skyscreen moved slightly faster. Some sensitive individuals had already begun timing it, and in the blink of an eye, the First Emperor had finished acting out a scene.
In the blink of an eye—how could it possibly be finished so quickly?
Yet if one kept their eyes fixed on the skyscreen, the flow of time seemed identical, and no temporal gap could be detected at all.
The expression on Zhu Yu's face was cracking, as if she had been blasted by lightning, thoroughly charred on the outside and tender on the inside.
Watching her expression, the director across from her sensed something and tried to comfort her. "There's no help for it. Plain and boring plots don't go viral these days; you need twists and turns that are a bit twisted and abnormal to work."
"Besides, Ying Zheng has such high trending value. It would be a waste not to use him. This way, the drama instantly gets its topic and buzz."
"Work is work, you have to be flexible," the director said, offering words meant to cheer Zhu Yu up, though his own melancholic tone betrayed his true thoughts.
In the past, upon seeing such a plot, the director would undoubtedly have blasted it to pieces as utter garbage. But now, he felt that whoever wrote this script was truly a genius to come up with such a wild imagination.
Zhu Yu smiled, while inwardly resolving to keep this news strictly under wraps. It was probably better to let the ancestors have less contact with the internet.
Time on the set flew by, and the morning passed in a flash. At noon, the sun was blazing fiercely, and the noisy set made it feel as though the temperature had risen by several degrees.
The director picked up the large megaphone and shouted, "Cut! We've successfully wrapped up the morning scenes. Everyone did a fantastic job, let's take a break now!"
Someone nearby shouted, "Time to eat! Lunch is ready!"
Moving quickly before the queue formed, Zhu Yu grabbed two boxed lunches and walked with Ying Zheng to a cool spot inside a building, where they each sat on a small plastic stool.
She was poor now and had to save wherever she could.
"Brother Zheng, here, this is your lunch. It's free, hehe." She handed one of the boxed lunches from her arms to the First Emperor.
Several extras were scattered around nearby. They looked over with a hint of surprise upon seeing Ying Zheng and Zhu Yu. Weren't they the lead actors? The leads ate boxed lunches too?
In the corridor, gusts of a crossbreeze blew through, slightly dispelling the sweltering heat in everyone's hearts.
Watching how Zhu Yu opened her boxed lunch, Ying Zheng quickly learned how to do it. He stroked the lunch box and asked, "What is this item?"
The texture to the touch was very strange—quite soft, yet capable of holding things.
And it was transparent, too.
With a mouthful of rice, Zhu Yu's voice was slightly muffled. "Made of plastic. Once you work and earn enough money, you can buy the technology."
Ying Zheng asked, "Was that instant noodle fork we used yesterday also made of plastic?"
Zhu Yu nodded. "Brother Zheng, hurry up and eat. Once you're done, let's go rest in the lounge. We have quite a few scenes to shoot this afternoon, so you need to keep your energy up."
What on earth was plastic to be so miraculous? And it could even come in different colors! A storm of turbulent thoughts surged within Ying Zheng, and he secretly calculated how much he would need to earn through manual labor to buy the plastic-making technology.
The two did not deliberately lower their voices, and the nearby extras listened with looks of utter amazement.
One of them whispered to a companion, "I've spent time on big production crews before, but this is the first time I've seen an actor stay in character this deeply."
"Me too," the companion nodded. "Even maintaining the character persona in daily life... isn't this newcomer a bit too dedicated?"
"Tsk tsk, should we go get acquainted now? I'm certain this newcomer is going to be a star!" another voice chimed in.
"That face is extraordinary. It's rare to find someone who looks this handsome without looking effeminate."
The girl who had started the conversation grumbled, "What's wrong with being effeminate? It's not like the entertainment industry lacks tough guys—what percentage do they even make up?"
They whispered among themselves, glancing over at Ying Zheng from time to time. And indeed, even sitting on a small stool like that, he possessed such commanding presence, his back ramrod straight.
After exchanging glances, several of them egged each other on to go over, but stage fright got the better of them, and in the end, no one dared to step forward.
As Ying Zheng opened his boxed lunch, the rich aroma of food rushed straight up his nostrils. Fortunately, he was not someone who wore his emotions on his face, otherwise the unsightly look of craving on his countenance would have been exposed for all under heaven to see.
The grains of rice were plump and pristine white, accompanied by two meatballs the size of an infant's fist. The broth was savory and delicious, the shredded scallions mixed with tofu offered a refreshing contrast, and the green vegetables on the side were dotted just right.
For the common people across the realm, it was precisely the dinner hour.
Liu Che stared intently at that dish of shredded scallions with tofu. Had he miscalculated? Why did it look so much like the Liqi presented by the Prince of Huainan?
Yet in his heart, he already believed it somewhat.
Excitedly, he had someone bring the Liqi forward. "Come, Minister Wei, taste this Liqi from the Immortal Realm as well."
Naturally not daring to accept, Wei Qing hurriedly declined.
Liu Che loved this measured and tactful demeanor of Wei Qing's. He waved a hand, scooped a spoonful of Liqi from his own bowl, and said, "Since it is a reward, why should Minister Wei not accept it?"
"Minister Wei is well worthy of it."
Deeply moved, Wei Qing dropped to his knees, kowtowed, and expressed his gratitude.
Taking advantage of the moment, Liu Che pulled him to his feet and lavished him with a string of sweet words. Wei Qing became even more moved, and Liu Che himself felt a stirring of emotion, seeming truly touched by Wei Qing's pledge of loyalty. What a magnificent pair of sovereign and minister!
The other ministers watched this display of deep sovereign-minister affection with numb expressions. Your Majesty, do you remember that there are other ministers here besides Wei Qing?
Meanwhile, the Prince of Huainan felt somewhat guilty looking at that dish of scallions and tofu. Surely the Emperor couldn't tell, and since the Immortal Realm also had this dish, it only proved its status as a supreme treasure!
In an instant, his confidence surged back.
The lion's head meatballs nearby made most people salivate. Liu Che looked at the lavish feast on his own table, then at the First Emperor's boxed lunch, and suddenly felt his own meal lacked all flavor.
With a toss of his chopsticks, he slumped back into his seat.
"We have changed Our mind! That food looks truly delicious, and even the rice alone looks fragrant. Acting is nothing—we can act too!"
"We can be an actor as well!"
"Someone come, invite the Marquis of Liu to Us!" Liu Che suddenly sat up and called out loudly. "Have the Marquis think of a way to send a letter to the Immortal Realm!"
A man of immortal-like stature such as the Marquis of Liu would surely understand such matters.
Using external Daoist priests could not be trusted.
More importantly, conducting a massive search for Daoist priests was a behavior too similar to the First Emperor's, and Liu Bang feared that this imitation of the First Emperor would leak out.
"Brother Zheng, there is free soup over there that you can ladle out. If you want some, just ask that kind-looking matron to serve you," Zhu Yu said between bites, pointing toward a kindly-faced middle-aged woman in the distance.
Following Zhu Yu's direction, Ying Zheng looked over and nodded to indicate he understood.
After the meal, he actually went over to ladle some soup. It was kelp and tofu soup, and the saltiness was quite pronounced, which somewhat surprised Ying Zheng. The meal itself was one thing, but even watery soups used salt so liberally?
Not only that, but everyone here could partake in such palatable meals.
Only the Immortal Realm could achieve this.
He noted this matter down, intending to ask the little immortal tonight when he returned about why salt was used so frequently here.
During the lunch break, Zhu Yu originally planned to take Ying Zheng to the lounge, but halfway there, they ran into "Fusu".
Grinning broadly, the actor threw an arm around the First Emperor's shoulder. "Father, getting ready to rest, are you?"
Ying Zheng glanced at the man's hand. His pitch-black pupils swept across it, seeming to drop the surrounding temperature by several degrees, scaring the actor into pulling his hand back instantly. Still, the man forced a smile and said, "President Zhu, let's go rest in my motorhome instead."
That was too terrifying! With a gaze like that, no wonder the director said this newcomer was rather paranoid.
Glancing at Ying Zheng, Zhu Yu also smiled and nodded. "Alright then, sorry to trouble you."
The lounge only had two large, rattling electric fans that sounded like tearing glass when they spun, and with a huge crowd resting in there, it provided practically no cooling relief.
Motorhomes were different; the air conditioning in an actor's motorhome would certainly be running continuously.
Why was this carriage different from Old Fang's?
Stepping inside the motorhome, Ying Zheng was struck with surprise by the luxurious interior; he had never expected the inside of such an iron beast to look like this.
Seeing a dark screen, though not large, it reminded Ying Zheng of the skyscreen hanging over the sky of Great Qin.
There was also a glass cup placed on a small table. After finishing the water inside, Ying Zheng picked it up to examine it closely, tracing almost every part of the cup with his fingers.
Watching Ying Zheng's examination, the actor playing Fusu sidled up to Zhu Yu and whispered complaints. "President Zhu, is this artist of yours raised in seclusion from childhood?"
Judging by his expression, it looked as if he were seeing all of this for the first time.
How strange—did modern people like this still exist?
Coughing awkwardly, Zhu Yu said, "He's in character. He's in character."
The actor retorted, "...?"
He glanced back at Ying Zheng, only to find that the other man had caught his complaint. A chilling gaze swept over him, giving him another shiver.
Good grief, the guy really thought he was the First Emperor of Qin.
Zhu Yu remained silent. Anyway, whenever asked, it was just that their actor was deeply immersed in character—that was dedication!
After the midday break, the afternoon shooting commenced.
Just like the morning, Ying Zheng made very few mistakes in his performance, drawing endless praise from the director and the rest of the crew. Extraordinary! Nearly every scene was done in a single take.
As for his rival actor, completely suppressed at first, his competitive spirit had been ignited afterward, but... he was still suppressed.
At least, a performance that might have originally scored a hundred points managed to squeeze out some extra credit through sheer effort.
Not to mention the veteran actors, who were all exceptionally skilled in their craft and had spent years deeply rooted in theater; both their performance and delivery were top-notch.
Everyone exerted themselves to the utmost, presenting their absolute finest state.
The director... the director grew even more excited and enthusiastic. Initially feeling that a passing grade of good would suffice for this drama, he now demanded a perfect score!
Zhu Yu thought silently: "...?"
"Thank you, System 0208."
[......]
[You are welcome, Host. This is what I ought to do.]
Ying Zheng acted throughout the entire afternoon. While all the other actors on set used small handheld fans to cool off under the blazing sun, sweat had practically soaked through his inner garments.
Yet he made not a single complaint, standing ramrod straight without a single flaw in his posture.
Having never been an assistant before, Zhu Yu hadn't considered things thoroughly. Seeing Ying Zheng drenched in sweat and recalling that he was working hard to earn money for her production, she managed to scrounge a small electric fan from the director by the afternoon.
"Look, Brother Zheng, whatever others have, you must have as well."
Zhu Yu handed a pink mini electric fan to Ying Zheng.
Her face was flushed red from the sun, and her moist eyes were tinged with a smile, making her look exceptionally vibrant.
Taking the fan, Ying Zheng stared fixedly at Zhu Yu for a few solid seconds. A subtle ripple crossed his deep eyes, and after holding her gaze long enough to make her somewhat uneasy, he lowered his eyes and offered his sincere thanks.
The little immortal was truly kind.