[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment":3,"chapter-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-109":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Intelligence King of Chinese Entertainment",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2260412,4411,"Chapter 109: Drinking Horses at Hanhai, Sealing Langju Mountain, Regulating the Great River, Forming Ranks","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-109",109,"\u003Cp>In September, \"Snow Goddess Dragon\" aired on multiple terrestrial channels and county-level stations; while not outstanding, its performance was quite impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to the enormous gap between the other distributor’s TV station and Yi’an Film & Television, the production team directly terminated the contract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"Snow Goddess Dragon\" production team preferred to pay the breach penalty rather than entrust any distribution rights to anyone but Yi’an Film & Television.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Yi’an Film & Television had already proven its distribution capability, the team believed that granting Yi’an full distribution rights would earn them more than the penalty fee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yi’an did not disappoint the team; after acquiring the territories previously assigned to the other distributor, it quickly secured breakthroughs with two municipal TV stations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the most critical development was Yi’an establishing contact with two satellite TV channels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li personally met with one of the satellite channels showing strong interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negotiations are still at a stalemate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a historical drama, \"Snow Goddess Dragon\" had a higher starting price than modern dramas like \"Conquest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was standard industry practice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>TV stations had their own logic for buying dramas: they estimated the production team’s investment cost, assessed potential profit margins, then made offers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Modern dramas had lower costume, makeup, and set costs than historical dramas; unless they offered other advantages, their prices were usually lower than historical dramas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The number of episodes also affected pricing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More episodes did not mean more profit; while the total price might be higher, the per-episode price would drop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, a 40-episode drama might sell for 4 million total, but only 100,000 per episode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A 20-episode drama might sell for only 3 million total, but 150,000 per episode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, most current TV dramas were 20 to 30 episodes; those exceeding 40 episodes were rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was that more episodes lowered cost-effectiveness and return rates, and the high total price made TV stations wary of risk, reducing their willingness to buy and increasing distribution difficulty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this applied to ordinary production teams; if a project had strong confidence or became a hit, more episodes meant more profit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each project required individual analysis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After comparing the distribution of \"Conquest\" and \"Snow Goddess Dragon,\" Yan Li realized there were many subtleties in TV drama distribution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It required both skill and market timing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A forgotten drama like \"Conquest\" could be turned from trash into treasure—low cost, high return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not unusual for a heavily hyped, multi-million-dollar project to end up losing everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more Yan Li thought about it, the more he realized the film and television industry carried significant risk—both production and distribution could fail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was better to have a stable platform, unshakable and in control; even if one or two attempts failed or suffered minor setbacks, it wouldn’t cripple the business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only the state allowed private companies to run TV stations!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yan Li quickly discarded this unrealistic idea and refocused on \"Snow Goddess Dragon’s\" distribution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although it had the advantage of being a historical drama, \"Snow Goddess Dragon\" suffered from multiple weaknesses: no satellite channel success, weak terrestrial channel data, and a high episode count—all giving TV stations reasons to push prices down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most interested channel, Chongqing Satellite TV, offered only 120,000 per episode; with 45 episodes total, the deal amounted to just 5.4 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering \"Conquest\" had sold to Hebei Satellite TV at 150,000 per episode, Yan Li still felt this price was too low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hoped to negotiate up to 6 million—130,000 or more per episode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since \"Snow Goddess Dragon’s\" ratings were worse than \"Conquest’s,\" few satellite channels would rush to bid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, any satellite channel that came to negotiate must be pushed hard for maximum profit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Chongqing Satellite TV had not agreed and negotiations remained deadlocked, Yan Li’s intelligence system told him the issue wasn’t serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Chongqing Satellite TV secured the deal and successfully launched, and if the drama gained initial traction, Yan Li believed another satellite channel might still be negotiable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li ran the numbers for the \"Snow Goddess Dragon\" producers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The production cost of \"Snow Goddess Dragon\" was around 8 million, given the cast and costume\u002Fset expenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Yan Li could secure two satellite channels in the first round—one at 6 million—that would total 12 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adding terrestrial channel revenue, DVD sales, and second-run broadcasts, the total income for \"Snow Goddess Dragon\" could exceed 20 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yi’an’s distribution share was 15%, roughly 3 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After deducting production costs and Yan Li’s distribution cut, the producers could still net several million; if later sales were strong, a 10-million profit was possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though far below \"Conquest’s\" returns, this was still substantial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"Snow Goddess Dragon\" producers would likely be satisfied, and Yi’an could further build its reputation in distribution, attracting more business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yan Li’s real focus wasn’t the distribution business itself—he wanted to use this advantage to get involved in quality projects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some projects lacked funding and could be bought with money; others weren’t short on cash—or not that short—and some wanted creative independence and refused outside investment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At such times, money alone wouldn’t work—but if distribution became the entry point, it might yield surprising results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your team may not need money, but you still want to make more, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Yan Li could help you sell your drama for a higher price and greater profit, wouldn’t your team be tempted?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Yan Li could either take a cut through distribution, or use it as leverage to invest in the project—earning from both production and distribution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>TV stations are powerful—they can bully clients!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Producers are powerful—they can hold out for the best offer!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the middleman is powerful, why not play both sides and profit from both?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li imagined that if he truly became the industry’s top distributor, a single stomp could shake the entire film and television world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps he could even lead the creation of industry distribution rules—or unite all producers and TV stations to collectively pressure the other side and secure better terms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li snapped out of his daydreaming and slapped his own forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earning a little money had gone to his head—he was fantasizing about private TV stations and setting industry rules, as if he were some government bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t fear being targeted by everyone and sent to a sewing machine or assigned to a truck ride…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In mid-September, Yan Li set aside company work and Qin Lan, Dong Xuan, and traveled to Inner Mongolia’s grasslands to film the war scenes for \"Emperor Wu of Han.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The production team had already started filming in early September and had urged him two or three times before Yan Li finally finished his tasks and joined the set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li also negotiated with the producer and boss of \"Fortune Star Zhu Bajie,\" asking if he could switch roles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had once thought Niuwang was just a side character, but now he felt the role had too much screen time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to manage the pre-production of \"Happy Seven Fairies,\" visit \"Detective Di Renjie,\" and handle other business—his time was extremely tight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he planned to play a minor supporting role in \"Fortune Star Zhu Bajie\"—just enough to avoid breaking his promise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His main goal was to convince director Meng Ji and Fan Xiaopang to join \"Happy Seven Fairies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaotian was hesitant; after the \"Southern Metropolis Daily\" report, Yan Li had gained minor fame, and Fan wanted to ride the hype.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, he was a master of self-promotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The online voting for casting in \"Pingshan Xiaoying\" had been Fan Xiaotian’s own plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he pushed it too hard, he had even provoked Lu Yi, who publicly refused to participate, calling it a trashy stunt, sparking a public feud with Fan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yan Li was different from Lu Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yi was famous, but only as an actor; Yan Li, though just starting, was already the boss of a film and television company managing multiple projects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaotian, with his seniority, had no reason to fear offending Yan Li—but there was no need to make an enemy when their relationship was already good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Fan Xiaotian chose to stall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would wait until Yan Li joined the set, then find a way to convince him to play Niuwang; if that failed, he’d offer another role.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li, with his intelligence system, understood Fan Xiaotian’s plan and intended to respond as needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the first production team that actively wanted him to join.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder everyone wanted fame—status changed everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And not only did \"Fortune Star Zhu Bajie\" treat him differently; when Yan Li arrived at the \"Emperor Wu of Han\" set, he found his treatment far better than during his earlier days in Hengdian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he had delayed joining by several days, Yan Li personally visited the producer and director to apologize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both were very approachable; Hu Mei smiled more than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The producer even inquired about his health, asked if he was adjusting to the grasslands, and arranged for him the best accommodation on set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other cast members and crew were even more so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they didn’t flatter or grovel to Yan Li, they no longer treated him as just a supporting actor—they clearly showed him more respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ren Zhong, who got along well with Yan Li and was one year older, had previously called him by his name; now, without noticing, he switched to “Brother Yan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several senior crew members no longer called him “Little Yan” but used his name or more affectionate terms like “Yan’er” or “Younger Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several staff members Yan Li had befriended earlier expressed, directly or indirectly, admiration and reverence for “Boss Yan,” eagerly waiting for \"Emperor Wu of Han\" to wrap so they could join him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Lin Jiachuan, who had accompanied Yan Li on two sets, was deeply moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, you really need to make it big—when you’re successful, everyone’s nice, everyone smiles.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Conversely, if one day I fall, lose my glory, these nice people turn bad, and smiles become frowns.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li was young, so he truly enjoyed the changes brought by success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But thanks to his intelligence system, which revealed people’s true thoughts, Yan Li remained calm and rational, not lost in the illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To keep seeing smiles long-term, you must climb up—and stay from falling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Long March has only just begun; brief joy is fine, but don’t forget to stay alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, no matter how others changed their attitude toward him, Yan Li himself continued to maintain his previous humble, low-key demeanor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He acted on set exactly as he had in Hengdian—sometimes even working harder than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This earned him extra respect from many observant people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the film and television industry, many had become overnight sensations or made big money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But many others, blinded by fame and fortune, changed their personalities, became arrogant and reckless, and eventually vanished into obscurity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his age, Yan Li was still in the prime of his career, yet he maintained this composure—whether genuine or feigned, it revealed an uncommon inner strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yan Li’s time with the cast of *Emperor Wu of Han* grew longer, and with the heavy shooting schedule, public attention toward him gradually faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li was perfectly happy to enjoy the ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike generals such as Li Guang, who needed to fight on the battlefield, Huo Qubing primarily demonstrated his military command abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Yan Li had few hand-to-hand combat scenes; most of his scenes involved leading troops in standoff, analyzing strategy, and at most, leading elite cavalry charges—there were hardly any direct duels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although filming these scenes wasn’t easy, they weren’t particularly grueling or exhausting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li himself felt no hardship or fatigue at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Imagine you’re clad in armor, mounted on a swift steed, behind you a line of fully armed cavalry, banners snapping, hooves thundering, all shouting “General!” and faithfully obeying your orders—then, with a single command, your soldiers spur their horses, raise their blades, and charge with you into the enemy camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What man could resist such allure?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly, there were several scenes where Yan Li got goosebumps—from his temples all the way down to his heels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every childhood fantasy of draping a sheet over himself, wielding a wooden stick to slash at grass, had been made real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exhausted?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d die smiling even if he dropped dead from exhaustion!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just Yan Li—even Lin Jiachuan, the deputy general who charged alongside him, groaned every day from the jolting ride, yet the next morning he’d be bursting with energy the moment filming began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the filming was so exhilarating, the youthful vigor and fiery passion of Huo Qubing, the young general riding wild across the battlefield, were plainly etched onto Yan Li’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Hu Mei couldn’t help praising him several times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d already performed well when filming in Hengdian; now he’d truly found the character’s soul—he could act however he wanted, and it all worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of thing had happened before in *Emperor Wu of Han*—to Lu Shuming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu himself told Yan Li that during the filming of *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, his early episodes were merely decent, but later he couldn’t recall exactly which scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might not even have been filming—perhaps he was just standing by with a sword, smoothing his beard, and suddenly everything clicked—he found the pulse of Guan Yu, embodying both form and spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li had merely felt that leading cavalry across the grasslands was exhilarating and refreshing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Hu Mei and Lu Shuming spoke up, he realized his own state of mind might have accidentally aligned with Huo Qubing’s character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That born warrior, the undefeated champion, when leading troops to hunt down the Xiongnu across the steppes, surely felt the same fiery passion—viewing the Xiongnu as meat on the chopping block, food on the plate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riding this momentum, Yan Li set aside distractions and fully immersed himself, embodying Huo Qubing’s major battles in the drama.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First battle: the teenage Piao Yao Commandant Huo Qubing, fresh from training, led eight hundred elite cavalry, launched a surprise strike, and smashed directly into the Xiongnu rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, he beheaded and captured over two thousand, including several high-ranking Xiongnu nobles and royalty, achieving instant fame and topping all military achievements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Hexi Campaign, after being promoted to Biaoqi General, Huo Qubing led over ten thousand troops on another expedition, fighting the Xiongnu through spring and autumn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In spring, he crossed Wuli, attacked Shupu, crossed Hunuo, fought across five kingdoms, marched a thousand li in haste, dealt a crushing blow to the Xiongnu main force, killed two Xiongnu kings, seized the golden idol of Heaven worship, and struck terror across the steppes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In summer, he plunged deep alone, reaching the Qilian Mountains, capturing five Xiongnu kings and their five queens, taking over a hundred Xiongnu princes, officials, and nobles prisoner, beheading more than thirty thousand, then cooperating with imperial forces to force the Hunye King’s surrender, bringing tens of thousands of his followers into Han territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xiongnu sang a lament: “Lost our Qilian Mountains, our livestock no longer thrive; lost our Yan Mountains, our brides no longer glow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Northern Desert Campaign, Huo Qubing joined Wei Qing in joint operations, leading fifty thousand troops to smash the Xiongnu army, chasing them all the way to Langjuxu Mountain, performing the rites of Heaven worship and earth consecration, beheading over seventy thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watering horses at the Han Sea, consecrating Langjuxu Mountain, extending westward to the Great River, establishing commanderies along the Qilian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historical records state that after this battle, the Xiongnu fled far away, the southern desert held no royal court, and their power declined sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li didn’t know how Lu Shuming felt after finishing *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he confirmed the day *Emperor Wu of Han* wrapped, Yan Li himself, still in costume, rode his horse and silently galloped across the grasslands all afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Caught a chill and ran a fever yesterday, so fewer updates—will make up the word count later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2677,"2026-06-19T16:16:52.605Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c3cd3131cc3b6196586e8d69849150a95213c851b2cbb8329ce831e08f668ed9","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-110","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-108",405,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-cover.jpg"]