Under the clear moonlight, the man walked along the pebbled path to the pavilion, faintly hearing the sound of the wind, and his brows furrowed slightly.
He turned aside and calmly said to the servant behind him, "Step back."
The servant bowed respectfully, glanced at the courtyard, sighed, and silently withdrew.
The prince is going to find that unfavored third prince again.
Ugh, this is so worrying.
After everyone left, Mu Xiao quickened his pace and headed into the courtyard.
A young man in a plain white brocade robe stood under a peach tree, his hair in a high ponytail, tied with a red rope around his waist, holding a sword in one hand.
With a whooshing sound, the young man's moves were fierce, pressing closer and closer into the void. He casually twirled his sword in a beautiful flourish, then kicked and flipped, leaping into the air!
With a wave of his hand, Zhang Guozhong activated the blower, sending peach blossoms flying everywhere.
Sword energy pierced the air, and with a light touch of his toes on the tree trunk, the boy performed a 360° spin in mid-air. The moment he landed lightly, his move was frozen in time.
Just as Mu Xiao was about to step into this area, he saw this and subconsciously withdrew, standing still in place, his eyes gradually becoming tinged with a soft halo.
"Who?!"
The sudden change in aura interrupted the boy's sword dance.
Wen Yan turned around, flicked his wrist, and flew straight towards him!
Upon recognizing the newcomer, she quickly sheathed her sword and landed in front of him. The fierceness in her eyes was gone, replaced by overflowing joy.
"Your Highness!"
The young man was as bright as the stars and the moon; when he smiled, even his features became radiant and lively.
Beyond the camera's view lies utter chaos, with piles of various instruments and equipment, and blowers still humming.
But in the lens, it's a completely different scene.
The two gazed at each other under the moonlight, petals falling one after another; the beauty of the woman and the scenery were both picturesque.
Perhaps it was because the man's gaze lingered for too long, but a faint blush crept onto the boy's delicate and pretty face. After a moment, he turned his head away to hide it, and when he looked at him like that, he seemed to have a touch of charm.
Her skin was as white as snow, and her lips were red without any lipstick.
Why are you staring at me like that?
Mu Xiao's apple bobbed slightly with restraint as he picked up a wood shaving from the boy's hair with his fingertips and showed it to him.
Wen Yan pursed her lips, turned her back, and a hint of annoyance flashed in her eyes.
She had just performed such a beautiful sword dance, and she didn't even know if A-Xiao had seen it. Yet, Ah Xiao had caught her in this embarrassing situation.
"Speak, Your Highness, what brings you to me tonight?"
Mu Xiao threw away the wood shavings he already had in his hand, carefully hid the flower petals that had been brushed off the boy's head, and followed two steps behind.
"Something happened in the Crown Prince's territory. The local magistrate ignored the disaster, resulting in deaths."
"Oh?" Wen Yan scoffed coldly, "Judging from your tone, there must be more than one, right?"
Mu Xiao stopped and said in a deep voice, "More than a hundred."
Wen Yan's eyes darkened slightly.
He turned slightly to the side and asked, "In your opinion, Your Highness, should I intervene in this matter?"
Mu Xiao remained silent for a moment, then answered irrelevantly, "The memorial impeaching the Crown Prince has been submitted. Tomorrow, there will be a fierce battle in the court."
This single case alone is far from enough to completely bring down the Crown Prince's faction.
They both knew it.
Wen Yan has been lying low for too long. If he makes a rash move, he will attract the emperor's attention. At best, he will become the target of public criticism; at worst, he may fail at the last minute.
If this continues! If this continues!!
The Great Yan is about to be ruined by this bunch of good-for-nothings!!!
Wen Yan gritted his teeth and swung his sword fiercely at the void in front of him!
As the wind rose, the young man turned around in the night, his eyes red and moist, yet the ruthlessness in them was chilling.
" Mu Xiao." The future young emperor swallowed the blood of over a hundred people with resentment, his words ringing out.
"I will surely become a Prosperous Age era!"
Upon hearing this, Mu Xiao smiled almost imperceptibly, his tall figure slightly bent.
The next moment,
This war god, who rose to fame at a young age and made outstanding contributions, and who was personally appointed by the Emperor of Great Yan as a prince of a different surname, knelt directly on one knee before the young man.
The evening breeze ruffled their hair, and in the silence, the man's response to him was palpable.
"Cut!"
After the director yelled "Cut!", he noticed that someone was still standing there, not moving. The director was also taken aback and yelled "Cut!" again.
"Cut!"
"It's over! Hello?"
Feng Chi stood up, chuckled, and patted Wen Jiu's head lightly. "You're out of character."
Wen Jiu out of her daze and immediately ran to check the surveillance footage.
"How was it? How was it?"
"Very smoothly." Zhang Guozhong almost thought he was going to be stuck for ages like a lunatic, but seeing someone running over, he immediately gave up his spot. "One take."
This shoot employed an ultra-long camera movement, filmed in a single continuous shot.
The camera transitions were smooth, and the subtle expressions of the two were natural and just right. Wen Jiu subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
"Director, do we need to do some additional shots of my sword dance just now?"
With no problems, Wen Jiu's smile eased considerably.
"Okay, Feng Chi, take a break, then you can try again." Zhang Guozhong's smile never faded. "Makeup artist, come over and touch up Wen Jiu's makeup."
"We didn't use wires earlier, let's do it again. Where's the action choreographer? Make the choreography more complex, the more visually appealing... Oh, by the way, are you up to it?"
Wen Jiu snorted, "Men aren't allowed to say no!"
"Hahaha, that's the spirit I want!"
Zhang Guozhong smiled broadly, "Don't worry about it being flashy, because young men should be full of vigor and spirit!"
"Come on, everyone, let's continue, strike while the iron is hot!"
If the first take of the sword dance was a beautiful experience, then the second Wen Jiu's sword dance can be described as a visual feast.
This shoot also specially employed "bullet time" technology, with 120 cameras precisely positioned along a computer-trackable route, spiraling upwards with smooth, continuous lens movement and 360° high-definition rotation.
The combination of dynamic images and static scenes will surely create stunning edits.
The moment the peach blossoms began to fall, all the actors and staff outside the venue were stunned.
"I take back my previous prejudice." An older actor standing next to Yu Qing smiled and remarked, "Among today's young people, there are still those who are not driven by superficiality and are willing to study diligently."
Yu Qing continued, "Whether he loves you or not, you've already seen it in his eyes, haven't you?"
"Yes, this child has very sharp eyes." Wu Qingshan's tone was full of praise. " Zhang Guozhong made the right choice."
The two then naturally continued their conversation on this topic until the next scene, when they each prepared to enter the set.
Noticing an undeniable gaze, Yu Qing subtly glanced to the side, successfully catching Gu Xun's gaze that hadn't yet turned away from Wen Jiu.