Arc 1: Part 73
The highly anticipated movie "The Emperor" was selling out theaters as soon as it premiered.
Bai Li had come to the theater early with some friends. With popcorn in their left hands, cola in their right, and 3D glasses precisely positioned, they were eagerly anticipating the moment when the logo of Guangdian Studios would fly across the screen.
"Let me tell you, I saw a tip from 'Mao Zai Studio'. The male lead emperor was originally supposed to be played by Ji Yu, but didn't Ji Yu get into legal trouble? So, Director Zhang replaced him with a veteran actor who started his career as a child actor. He isn't very famous, but his acting skills are even better! However, the investors were unhappy with Tong Su, complaining about her constant dramas."
His friends were surprised, "What? What now? This isn't Tong Su's fault."
Bai Li proudly said, "And so, her brother, the CEO of Xi Corporation, Xi Chen Zhao, invested three billion to directly replace that investor! Tong Su plays Empress Xiao, who has no blood relation to the main antagonist. She fancied her stepbrother and chose to enter the palace to help Xiao Lingchen..."
As the two were whispering to each other, a stern voice came from the person in the next seat, "Could you please shut up with the spoilers? I've uninstalled Weibo, uninstalled Tieba, and have gone to great lengths to avoid spoilers — only to be spoiled by you two!"
Feeling awkward, Bai Li and his friends promptly covered their mouths and quieted down.
Soon, the movie began.
The young emperor was informed that he must make Xiao Lingchen's step-sister his queen. Unhappy, the emperor began rampaging within the palace.
The emperor, dissatisfied with his life, quarreled daily with Empress Xiao who had entered the palace. As the plot unfolded, the powerful antagonist usurped the throne, dethroned the emperor, and expelled him from the palace, making him the Prince of Shun'an to humiliate him.
Though the Prince of Shun'an was shamed, he led a luxurious and carefree life. However, the hatred for the usurper ate him up inside.
He willingly employed the elder sister of Empress Xiao, who was of the same mother, to serve as a singer as a means of humiliating her. Secretly, he was also planning to assassinate the new emperor.
Just when he was carrying out his plot, the once Empress Xiao, now the wife of the Prince, accidentally overheard and immediately turned around to tip off the new emperor.
On discovery, the dethroned emperor was shocked and infuriated, deciding to promptly silence the former emperor once and for all.
He assumed the matter was settled, only for his rage to multiply when he heard of the sudden death of the wife of the Prince of Shun'an. The new emperor was furious; he ordered a massacre at the prince's house, eliminating almost all members of the previous dynasty!
On screen, amid a storm of blood and violence, the dethroned emperor managed to escape, doing everything he could to hide.
The once splendidly-fed emperor had to hide even in a pigsty, becoming a mucky pig keeper.
The audiences were engrossed in the conspiracies and power struggles of the movie, too absorbed to even breathe. The thrill of the plot deeply seduced them.
The main antagonist, Xiao Lingchen, was throughout the movie hidden behind a beaded curtain, with only his tall, striking figure vaguely visible.
From behind the curtain, commands seeped out. The voice was indifferent, yet it set off a chess game that could stir up the entire world.
As the plot progressed, the audience slowly began to feel sympathy and reluctance towards the prime antagonist.
People said he seized power and manipulated the young emperor.
However, he did so because the previous reign was dark, corruption was rampant, and the people were living in hardship.
People characterized his reign as brutal and reckless.
Yet, he was bent on exterminating wicked officials, maintaining the court's integrity internally, subduing vassals externally, and purifying the political environment.
People named him a thorough tyrant.
Yet, during his reign, he established a prosperous era lasting so many years. He pacified barbarians to ensure a tranquil society. The world was peaceful, doors were not locked at night, and no lost item was picked up from the road. It was an epoch of unrivaled prosperity.
However.
Even an emperor cannot escape the destiny of death.
Xiao Lingchen was on his deathbed.
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