Filming

A week later, all preparations for the production were complete, and the television series Young Bao Qingtian officially began filming at the Huairou Film and Television Base.

As the sole screenwriter for the production crew, Li Xun naturally moved into the film and television base with them.

Without realizing it, another seven days passed.

It was precisely three o'clock this afternoon.

"Alright, that's a wrap for this take. Everyone, take a fifteen-minute break. Don't wander too far."

Director Kong Teng was very satisfied with the results of this take. The actors were putting in a lot of effort and were very obedient. Whether they were big stars or extras, no one caused any trouble during filming. The filming progress was even faster than expected, and the director was in a great mood, so he waved his hand, telling everyone to rest.

Li Xun sat on a small stool, leisurely watching the actors mill about before him, also in a great mood. Men and women in ancient costumes were holding mobile phones. Some were playing "Fight the Landlord," some were playing "Match-3," and some were scrolling through short videos, looking comical and amusing.

Chen Minghao, dressed in magnificent ancient attire, clasped his hands behind his back within his wide sleeves and walked with deliberate steps towards Li Xun.

Seeing this, Li Xun quickly stood up to greet him. Chen Minghao stopped in front of Li Xun and said with a smile, "I generally don't act in shows that are filmed and broadcast simultaneously because I can't see the subsequent scripts. Without seeing the subsequent scripts, I can't guarantee the quality. But as soon as I read your first six episodes, I immediately agreed to act. Do you know why?"

Li Xun asked, "Why?"

Chen Minghao smiled, "Because in just six episodes, I saw your screenwriting skills, your literary talent, and your imagination."

Li Xun quickly replied, "Brother Chen, you flatter me. It's really not that good; there's still a lot of room for improvement. But I'm truly very happy to receive your recognition."

"Do you know?" Chen Minghao continued, "My contract with the production crew explicitly states that the condition for my agreement to act in this drama is that the screenwriting team cannot be changed at any time. In other words, if you're not here tomorrow, or if the subsequent scripts are not written by you personally, then I can refuse the subsequent filming tasks unconditionally at any time."

Li Xun was touched and said, "Brother Chen, if you ever need my help with anything in the future, I'll go through fire and water for you!"

Chen Minghao patted Li Xun's shoulder and smiled, "You're too kind. I'm just trying not to ruin the reputation I've worked hard to build over the years. However, your future achievements should not be lower than mine. Old brother might really need to bother you someday."

Li Xun said solemnly, "As long as Brother Chen asks, I'll definitely have no objections. Brother Chen, you might not know, but the initial Young Bao Qingtian was rated as a B-Class Production. It was only after you agreed to play the Eighth Prince that President Ma of the company approved the adjustment of Young Bao Qingtian's production level to A-Class. The commission for an A-Class screenwriter is 200,000 per episode, while for a B-Class screenwriter, it's 100,000. Young Bao Qingtian is expected to have 40 episodes. The difference per episode is 100,000, so for 40 episodes, that's 4 million. It's no exaggeration to say that your participation alone has brought me an additional 4 million in income."

Chen Minghao laughed heartily and said, "Perhaps President Ma adjusted it because of me, but in reality, even if I hadn't acted in this drama, its production level would definitely have been A-Class."

As he spoke, he looked to the other side, where Huang Zhou, playing Bao Zheng, was talking to Director Kong Teng.

Chen Minghao continued, "The fact that you could persuade Huang Zhou to play Bao Zheng means this drama's production level would not be lower than A-Class."

Li Xun gave a wry smile and said, "Because of this, even now, Huang Zhou's agent and his assistant look at me as if I'm an enemy."

Chen Minghao laughed heartily and said, "It's all your fault for being so persuasive. You managed to trick a perfectly good international director, an Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film, into acting in a web drama. If this drama becomes a hit, that's fine. But if it fails, I think you'll have to wait for Huang Zhou's agent to hunt you down at your home!"

Just then, Director Kong Teng's voice was heard, "Alright, alright, let's get back to work. We'll try to shoot two more scenes before it gets dark!"

Amidst a chorus of sighs, the actors and staff took their positions.

With everything ready, and following the clapboard, filming officially began.

This scene depicted Bao Zheng successfully narrowing down the suspect to Goryeo's Seventh Prince, Wang Xi, through a series of clues.

Bao Zheng first broke the Seventh Prince Wang Xi's alibi.

Bao Zheng said, "He had an assassin wear his clothes and seek pleasure in the east of the city, deliberately getting into arguments with people to make them remember him. Han people rarely see Goryeo people and can't recall their faces clearly, so they could only remember their clothing. According to the testimony of the people at the scene, we all thought that person was the Seventh Prince Wang Xi. It was supposed to be flawless, but the person getting scalded on the back by a kettle became the biggest flaw."

After Bao Zheng broke the Seventh Prince Wang Xi's alibi, Prefect Gongsun Zhen asked, "Then why would Wang Xi want to kill the Crown Prince? They are brothers. What benefit would this bring him?"

Bao Zheng replied, "Precisely because they are brothers. Earlier, I checked the Goryeo lineage chart. Although the King of Goryeo has many sons, most have died young. The Crown Prince, Wang Gang, is the eldest son. If the eldest son dies, it will be the Seventh Prince Wang Xi who ascends the throne. Wang Xi kept many assassins, all to assassinate Wang Gang. When the assassination failed, he killed them to silence them!"

Bao Zheng's words successfully made everyone begin to believe that Goryeo's Seventh Prince Wang Xi was the murderer.

However, Bao Zheng himself began to hesitate.

"But!"

At this moment, the Eighth Prince, played by Chen Minghao, appeared, interrupting Bao Zheng. The Eighth Prince said, "But what? The evidence is all here. Bring your men and arrest him at Laiyi Pavilion immediately!"

Bao Zheng quickly stopped him, "Wait a moment!"

Bao Zheng stepped forward, standing in front of the Eighth Prince, and said, "Your Highness, what I said earlier was just my personal speculation. There are still many mysteries that haven't been solved. For example, how did he get in, how did he kill, and how did he get out?"

The Eighth Prince retorted, "Enough! Now there is a motive for the murder, and the assassin was his subordinate. He also has no evidence of being elsewhere, so it is sufficient to prove that the murderer is Goryeo's Seventh Prince Wang Xi."

Bao Zheng argued, "That doesn't necessarily mean he committed the murder!?"

The Eighth Prince said, "You don't need to say any more. I have my reasons!"

"Cut!"

Director Kong Teng watched the scene on the monitor. Photography and sound reported that everything was okay. Kong Teng called out, "That's a wrap for this take!"

This scene, featuring the confrontation between Chen Minghao and Huang Zhou, was completed with extremely high quality.

Huang Zhou is a leading figure among the younger generation of acting talents, while Chen Minghao is a film industry veteran with nearly 20 years of fame. Today, two generations of acting talents, one young and one experienced, competed on the same stage, igniting an extraordinary spark.

This scene represented a conflict of two philosophies.

Bao Zheng's heart was solely focused on the truth. Even if the suspect was a heinous villain, and even if bringing such a villain to justice would benefit everyone, as long as the doubts in his heart were not completely resolved, and as long as the suspect might not be the real killer, he would investigate to the end.

The Eighth Prince, on the other hand, focused on the bigger picture and prioritized the overall situation.

If the Goryeo Crown Prince was killed by someone from Goryeo, then the Kingdom of Goryeo would not blame the Great Song. This way, the alliance between the Song and Goryeo would not be broken.

However, if Bao Zheng's relentless pursuit of the true killer led to the killer being identified as a Song person, and if this caused the Song-Goryeo alliance to break, forcing Goryeo to turn to the Great Liao, then Liao would have no worries on its southern front. At that time, Liao would inevitably march south, leading to widespread suffering.

So, did the Eighth Prince not know that the true killer might not be Goryeo's Seventh Prince Wang Xi?

Of course, he knew.

But for the sake of the common people of the world, and for the sake of the grand strategy of the Song-Goryeo alliance against Liao, he had to choose to compromise.

It's difficult to say which of the two philosophies is right or wrong, and in fact, the two philosophies are intertwined.

Wasn't Bao Zheng now like the Eighth Prince in his youth?

In this scene, Huang Zhou portrayed Bao Zheng's dedication to the truth, while Chen Minghao perfectly interpreted the Eighth Prince's admiration for Bao Zheng's persistent pursuit of the real culprit. At the same time, he appropriately expressed the Eighth Prince's helplessness in having to compromise due to the difficult circumstances.

In one scene, the Eighth Prince's conflicted heart, wishing for Bao Zheng to uphold the truth while also hoping he would compromise and be more diplomatic, was vividly displayed.

Director Kong Teng watched the footage on the monitor, vaguely sensing that his career might be on the cusp of a new, broader horizon.