I Want to Become the King of the Silver Screen [Entertainment Industry] Chapter 7

 Chapter 7: Egg Tarts

What kind of person was Emperor Han of Hui, Liu Ying?

After receiving the script, Jiang Yin searched online for the question “How to perceive Emperor Han Hui” He wanted to see the modern public’s views since the TV drama was meant for present-day audiences.

He discovered that the opinions on this question were quite polarized.

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On the other hand, those who liked him felt that he was very pitiful. When he was young, his biological father suffered defeat and during their escape, his father personally kicked him and his elder sister off the carriage, not just once. If this happened today, no parent would dare to do such a thing. There would definitely be an outcry, leaving deep psychological scars on the children.

As the crown prince, he was despised by his biological father as “not resembling him” and his father often contemplated deposing him in favor of the favored son, Liu Ruyi. It was only with the help of his mother that he finally became emperor. However, his mother was a strong and authoritarian figure who not only turned Lady Qi into a human pig but also forced her 16-year-old son to witness it.

He wanted to protect his younger brother, Liu Ruyi, but in the blink of an eye, Liu Ruyi was poisoned by his mother. He treated his elder brother, Liu Fei, with respect, yet he too narrowly escaped being poisoned by his mother. Moreover, he was forced to marry his own niece as the empress, and in the end, he died in melancholy, succumbing to alcohol, at the young age of 23.

He was kind-hearted and weak, but at the same time, filial.

He would set aside past grievances to protect his younger brother, Liu Ruyi, and treated his elder brother, Liu Fei, with respect. Even though his biological father had abandoned him and caused him harm, he issued an edict to have a temple built for him. Though his political affairs were disrupted by his mother, he listened and tolerated, but it doesn’t mean he did nothing.

He abolished the tax increase, encouraged farming by the people, showed compassion for the young and the elderly, implemented benevolent governance, abolished the oppressive law of book confiscation, and improved the city of Chang’an.

In Jiang Yin’s view, he did better than him.

Apart from the general amnesty Jiang Yin declared upon ascending the throne, he didn’t accomplish much. All the political edicts were carried out by the court officials, the regent prince, and the empress dowager.

Of course, they couldn’t be entirely compared. Liu Ying ascended the throne at the age of sixteen and ruled for seven years. On the other hand, when he ascended the throne, he was only ten years old, and before his downfall, he had only ruled for a short four years. The regent prince and empress dowager constantly prevented him from assuming full authority due to his lack of a marriage, and his influence in the court was far inferior to that of Liu Ying. He was basically just a figurehead.

However, in terms of being manipulated as tools, they were the same.

Equally helpless and suffering.

The only difference was that Liu Ying’s suffering was caused by his biological mother manipulating him, while his suffering stemmed from his weak and feeble body, unable to resist.

Everyone was counting the days, even hoping for his death. Whether it was the palace servants or the court officials, no matter how well they concealed it, their gazes unintentionally revealed their anticipation of his impending demise.

So, when he learned that the original owner of his body had transmigrated into him, he felt a sense of relief. Their expectations were about to be dashed.

However, TV dramas are adaptations based on history, and the screenwriters always incorporate some personal perspectives. Especially in this drama that focuses on Empress Liu, although she is not portrayed as completely virtuous, she should not be depicted as a completely villainous character either. Even the depiction of the human pig punishment was initially suppressed before being highlighted. The plot would showcase various scenes of Lady Qi’s arrogance and bullying towards Empress Liu, and when Lady Qi gets dealt with, the audience will feel satisfaction rather than sympathy.

Regarding the portrayal of Liu Ying, it primarily focuses on his conflicts with Empress Liu, showcasing her frustration at his lack of ambition. It’s not just about treating him as a mere tool. After all, in history, when Liu Ying died, Empress Liu shed tears without weeping, but if it were depicted truthfully, it would seem excessively cold-hearted. As a TV drama, it must have conflicts and contradictions, with multi-dimensional character portrayals. Even if he doesn’t cry during the mourning scenes, they still need to film a scene of him shedding tears indoors.

Jiang Yin always felt that the script he received had been edited. Perhaps the director didn’t have much faith in his acting skills, so they minimized his solo shots as much as possible. Most of his scenes were designed to stimulate Empress Liu’s emotional transformation, enriching her character while diminishing his presence.

However, he couldn’t say much about it. After all, he had parachuted into this industry.

But that didn’t mean he had no room to showcase his talent.

Since he had decided to continue in the entertainment industry, he naturally wanted to strive for the top, especially after fully understanding the image and privileges of celebrities here. His thoughts aligned with those of the original owner.

He wanted to become popular, to become a big star.

Jiang Yin didn’t think there was anything wrong with wanting to be famous. Even when he was playing the role of a prince in the cold palace, he had thoughts about the throne. Since he had entered this profession, he wanted to be the best and reach the highest position.

Moreover, through intensive training and observing on set, he had developed a genuine interest in acting.

This kind of role-playing in someone else’s life can be quite interesting.

In his past life, he couldn’t even be himself, but now he can experience the joys of various lives.

In the past few days, he has roughly planned for the future. The ultimate goal is, of course, to become a movie emperor. To achieve that, he needs to improve his acting skills and be mindful of his words and actions from now on.

Let’s not mention the previous works the original owner had filmed. Now that he’s taking over the role, he must treat it seriously and give it his all.

One week of intensive training, one week of observation. Although he can’t compare to veteran actors like Zhang Ningli, he must not let Zhou Yan overshadow him.

“Okay!”

“One, two, three, action!”

Liu Ying and Liu Fei entered the hall hand in hand, both of them wearing smiles, showing a good brotherly relationship.

The camera zoomed in.

Liu Ying, dressed in black court attire, was handsome and elegant. Every step he took had a peculiar rhythm, like a spotlight, instantly capturing everyone’s attention and stealing most of the frame.

Although Liu Fei by his side was also dignified and handsome, he couldn’t match Liu Ying in terms of appearance, temperament, or demeanor. He paled in comparison within the same frame.

After taking a few steps, Liu Ying slowed down and turned to his brother, speaking warmly, “Long time no see, brother. Shall we have a good chat today?”

Liu Fei smiled, “That would be great.”

Then, the two of them simultaneously raised their hands, indicating for the other to go first. Seeing this, they couldn’t help but smile at each other.

Liu Ying shook his head first, “Even though it’s a family feast, brother should go first. Don’t refuse.”

His gaze was sincere, with a gentle smile on his lips. It emanated innate benevolence and magnanimity, as well as an undeniable noble and elegant aura.

Liu Fei hesitated for a moment and spoke, “In that case—”

“Cut!”

Director Liang’s cold voice resounded mercilessly, “What’s wrong with Liu Fei? Why did you pause there? Just say your lines directly!”

It seems that Zou Yan didn’t expect to be called out, and he hesitated for a moment before realizing it. Even though he knew Director Liang was blunt and had witnessed him scolding other actors before, experiencing it himself made him realize how embarrassing it could be. Under the curious gazes around him, he defended himself, “I think even though Liu Fei and Liu Ying are brothers, Liu Ying is now the emperor. There is a distinction between ruler and subject, so he should hesitate.”

Director Liang was merciless when directing, scolding even those who intruded on their own accord, let alone those who were brought in by someone else. He had even reprimanded veteran actors before. He furrowed his eyebrows and said, “Are you the director or am I the director? Should I step aside and let you direct? Where is Lao Zhao? Who taught you the lines? How did you learn them?”

Zou Yan’s face instantly turned red.

The onlookers were also somewhat surprised, especially the young actors in the supporting roles. Their dislike for Zou Yan did not mean they liked Jiang Yin. Particularly the few who came from prestigious acting academies, they had worked hard in auditions and assessments to be selected, while someone who did nothing and relied on finding a sponsor and using connections was parachuted in. Moreover, he was rejected by the sponsor, so they had no respect for him.

Zou Yan and Jiang Yin facing off was something they welcomed. They had often secretly instigated conflicts between the two, and some even maliciously hoped that they would cause a big scene and be kicked out of the crew.

Many people had come today claiming to cheer on their “little buddy,” but in reality, they came to witness a spectacle.

However, they didn’t expect Zou Yan to be the one causing trouble first. What surprised them even more was that Jiang Yin’s acting skills were actually not weak.

He stood there, without the need for eunuchs or palace maids to complement him, without the need for camera angles or deliberate editing emphasis. The feeling he gave off was that of an emperor, a living and breathing emperor standing before everyone!

This was terrifying.

What was scarier than someone who was genuinely hardworking and dedicated? Talent!

Qi Baijia was also amazed. He paused his hand that was munching on melon seeds. He had witnessed Jiang Yin’s acting skills firsthand. During the audition for that mother-in-law and daughter-in-law drama, they had auditioned together. In his eyes, Jiang Yin’s acting was simply bad.

At the time, when the director chose Jiang Yin, he naturally felt a sense of dissatisfaction. But after being in the industry for so many years, having roles taken away by someone with weaker acting skills was not a new experience for him. He had learned to accept it; otherwise, he would have given up and opened a hot pot restaurant long ago.

However, he didn’t expect that within just half a year, Jiang Yin’s acting skills would improve so much.

Could it be because of the different genre?

Indeed, some actors were more suited to certain genres. Some were comfortable and natural in period dramas but appeared awkward in modern plays, while others who had been immersed in period dramas for a long time found it difficult to adapt to other genres.

That explanation seemed reasonable.

Others in the scene seemed to share the same thoughts, with some believing that Jiang Yin’s appearance gave him an advantage, thinking that if they had his face, they could achieve the same effect.

However, Zou Yan, who was acting opposite Jiang Yin, didn’t think so. He had a clear and intuitive sense of Jiang Yin’s transformation. Even though he was smiling and his voice and tone were gentle, Zou Yan felt an indescribable pressure, especially when Jiang Yin turned and spoke his first line to him. He almost couldn’t respond. It was completely different from what he had seen of Jiang Yin’s performance in other plays!

Furthermore, he had originally planned to use his acting skills to teach Jiang Yin a lesson, but he didn’t expect to be called out first and scolded by Director Liang. Zou Yan knew that Director Liang was unhappy because his uncle had helped him replace the originally cast special supporting actor for Liu Fei’s role, but he didn’t expect him to be so merciless.

Zou Yan’s teeth were almost grinding to dust, and he felt like he could hear whispers from others.

“And you!” After reprimanding Zou Yan, Director Liang suddenly looked at Jiang Yin, but his tone softened slightly. “Tone down your aura a bit. You’re playing Liu Ying, not Liu Bang!”

“Okay,” Jiang Yin immediately nodded, indicating that he would carefully consider the advice. He had indeed released a little bit of his presence to suppress Zou Yan just now. He was unsure of Zou Yan’s acting skills, so he had exerted his full effort. But he didn’t expect that his acting skills wouldn’t be as proud as he himself was.

Moreover, he had a feeling that Director Liang’s differential treatment of Zou Yan had some intentional elements in it. It seemed that his relationship with Zhao Bian might not be as harmonious as everyone thought.

He pondered over this.

Such obvious disparate treatment from Director Liang infuriated Zou Yan to the point of choking.

Among the crowd, Chen Dan secretly gave Jiang Yin a thumbs-up. He was extremely excited now. He had overheard the discussions among Qi Baijia and the others. It turned out that his little Yin had been on the wrong path all along and should have focused on period dramas!

Afterward, Zou Yan, whether due to being scolded mercilessly by Director Liang or being provoked by Jiang Yin, had several consecutive carded scenes in the short play. He finally regained his composure when Director Liang was about to stand up and throw the chair. The scene of the two brothers enjoying a harmonious banquet was shot with stumbling and hesitation.

“Take a twenty-minute break!” Director Liang was quite angry. His temper was never good, and he would get angry if a scene exceeded three takes. “Zou Yan, adjust your mindset. If you’re still in this state for the next scene of the poisoned wine, I’ll replace you!”

Zou Yan’s face turned ugly. He no longer had the arrogant and complacent attitude of the previous days. He couldn’t blame Director Liang, so he shifted all his resentment onto Jiang Yin. If it weren’t for him, how could he have lost so much face!

With all eyes on him, he couldn’t say anything. He cast a resentful glance at Jiang Yin and turned to leave to adjust himself. The few supporting actors who had been around him hurriedly followed to comfort him.

Jiang Yin didn’t pay any attention to the situation and walked straight to Chen Dan, extending his hand. “I won. Where’s my egg tart?”

Before the start of the scene, he had made a bet with Chen Dan. If Zou Yan was the first one to be called out, then Jiang Yin would win, and his reward would be a box of egg tarts.

Chen Dan couldn’t be happier. “Don’t worry, I’ve already placed the order. It’ll be here soon.”

Jiang Yin’s eyes curved with satisfaction.

***

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