[{"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-8":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},2260311,4411,"Chapter 8: I Am Yan Li, I Am Qin Lan","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-8",8,"\u003Cp>\"Beijing Lanji Express Internet Cafe Fire Caused by Arson; Two Suspects Arrested\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li walked toward the dressing room, sipping his soy milk while scrolling through the news on the newspaper he’d bought at the kiosk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This nationwide shocker had drawn more attention these past two days than China’s soccer team’s elimination from the Japan-Korea World Cup; many on the set of \"Heroes of Sui and Tang\" were discussing it, and reportedly several internet cafes in Hengdian had been shut down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for Yan Li, the most important part of this news was that the system had triggered a somewhat interesting piece of intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It revealed that relevant authorities, due to the negative impact of the incident, were discussing canceling approval policies for individual internet cafes and controlling the market and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li didn’t really understand bureaucratic matters, but he vaguely sensed there was profit to be made here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know much else, but over the past two years at university, he’d visited plenty of internet cafes and knew how popular the business was among young people and students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially this year, games like \"Legend,\" \"World of Warcraft,\" and \"CS\" had become wildly popular, making internet cafe business booming—every shop was packed, and you had to queue just to get online.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was already a highly profitable business with demand far exceeding supply, and now the authorities wanted to impose restrictions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that happened, the remaining internet cafes would face no competition, monopolize the market, and make a fortune!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Yan Li knew things might not be as simple as he imagined, but that didn’t stop him from filing this intelligence under the “Money Tree” category.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since acquiring the intelligence system, Yan Li had gathered a few seemingly promising business opportunities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But due to factors like capital, connections, timing, and ability, he could only stare helplessly at these so-called opportunities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take the internet cafe business—even without the system, Yan Li knew it was profitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But knowing wasn’t enough—he had no money, and no connections to open an internet cafe in Beijing, where long-term development required deep roots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even an internet cafe—he could barely afford to buy a computer right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he could only hold off for now, file it away, and consider it again once he’d saved up some capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Slurp—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he neared the dressing room, he finished his soy milk, crushed the paper cup, and was about to look around for a trash bin when he noticed the long-haired girl he’d met in the grove was following him not far behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unlike her usual T-shirt and jeans, she was now wearing a costume.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A queue headpiece and a blue qipao—classic Qing palace attire—but her makeup looked softer, more delicate and timid than usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Small world—we meet again. Just finished shooting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hadn’t expected to run into Yan Li, paused in surprise, then nodded, her face clearly tired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All-night shoot last night. Didn’t sleep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That must be tough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li sighed, glanced at the breakfast he’d bought for Wang Xiu, and without hesitation handed it to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hungry? Just bought it on the way—still warm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long-haired girl waved it off: “No, no, I’ll buy something myself when I get back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be polite—it’s not expensive. We’ve run into each other twice in different places—that’s fate. You won’t finish makeup for hours after this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then… thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that, the girl—evidently truly hungry—stopped refusing, thanked him, and took the breakfast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A simple breakfast—he didn’t think much of it—but he was more curious about her costume: she was from the \"My Fair Princess III\" set too…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re playing Ziwei, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d read the news: the \"My Fair Princess\" cast had been completely overhauled; both Xiao Yanzi and Ziwei had new actresses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered the actress playing Xiao Yanzi—wasn’t it Huang Yi, who’d been in \"The Wrong Bride, Right Groom\"? But he didn’t know who played Ziwei—couldn’t even recall her name. Could it be this girl?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long-haired girl shook her head: “No, I’m playing Zhihua.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s Zhihua?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li was confused—he’d watched both seasons of \"My Fair Princess,\" and there was no such character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl explained: “New character in the third season.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li understood, and introduced himself: “I’m on the 'Heroes of Sui and Tang' set—I play Yuwen Chengdu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yuwen Chengdu? The second strongest hero of Sui and Tang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl clearly knew the \"Sui and Tang Legends\" story; hearing this, she became interested, sized him up, and nodded approvingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, you really do have the bearing of a great Sui-Tang general.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was Yan Li’s turn to feel awkward—he knew anyone who heard “Yuwen Chengdu” assumed the character was a legendary warrior, unaware that in this version, General Tianbao was a comedic figure who queued up and made a fool of himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He laughed it off, and they arrived at the building housing the dressing rooms; since they needed different rooms, they prepared to part ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li had taken only a few steps when the girl called him back, slapping her forehead in frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m so tired I’ve lost my mind—we’ve met several times, you’ve even fed me breakfast, and I still don’t know your name.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yan Li. Yan as in ‘color,’ Li as in ‘etiquette.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She repeated it, then gave her own name: “I’m Qin Lan. Qin as in the Qin Dynasty, Lan as in ‘orchid.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it. I’ll remember.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li gave an OK sign and waved goodbye. Qin Lan watched his back for two seconds, then, unable to bear her hunger, opened the breakfast he’d given her and took a bite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mmm, it’s pretty good!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heroes of Sui and Tang,\" dressing room\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li entered, exchanged greetings with familiar actors and makeup artists, found an empty seat, and opened his newspaper to wait for Wang Xiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few minutes later, Wang Xiu finished her work and came over: “Hey, didn’t you bring me breakfast today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did. Ran into a pretty girl on the way and gave it to her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li spoke plainly; Wang Xiu assumed he was teasing her: “Liar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Believe it or not, you won’t go hungry—I just called Jiang Zhong, he’ll bring you something soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Zhong played Yuwen Chenglong, Yuwen Chengdu’s older brother on set; off-camera, they were also on good terms—Jiang Zhong was the person Yan Li knew best on the \"Heroes of Sui and Tang\" set, after Wang Decai and Wang Xiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to Yan Li, Jiang Zhong had also been assigned to Wang Xiu’s makeup team, so he had no objection to helping out with a meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as there was food, Wang Xiu didn’t care who brought it; she rolled up her sleeves and began applying Yan Li’s makeup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li gave special instructions: “I’ve got a lot of scenes today—put extra care into it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When have I ever skimped? Do you think I’d eat your food for free?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After more than a week on set, Yan Li’s role as Yuwen Chengdu was finally no longer just a background character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s scenes centered on him and Yuwen Huaji.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plot: Yuwen Huaji kills Yang Guang, seizes the Imperial Seal, and declares himself emperor. Upon hearing this, other rebel kings rally under the banner of avenging Yang Guang, rushing to seize the seal to legitimize their claim over the empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plot had flaws, but it was logically coherent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the Imperial Seal symbolized legitimacy; ambitious warlords all wanted to use it to prove they inherited the Sui dynasty’s Mandate of Heaven—logically sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Yan Li strongly suspected the \"Heroes of Sui and Tang\" screenwriters hadn’t thought this deeply—they probably just treated the Imperial Seal like the Dragon-Slaying Saber…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a grand palace, but Yuwen Huaji wore a bright yellow dragon robe styled after the Ming dynasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In early-2000s historical dramas, costume and prop details were rarely historically accurate; except for special Qing dynasty productions, costumes for other dynasties were largely interchangeable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, many historical costumes and hairstyles were heavily modernized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some designs stood out as striking, but most were cheap, low-quality studio-photo-style fakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The costumes and props of \"Heroes of Sui and Tang\" had nothing to do with professionalism or historical accuracy, but they weren’t absurd either—the aesthetics were passable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, Yan Li’s Yuwen Chengdu, now elevated to “prince,” had additional royal embellishments added to his original golden crown, black robe, beast-shouldered golden chainmail armor—on the robe, wrist guards, and breastplate—to signify imperial nobility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made the character’s appearance more lavish and refined, and, as clothes make the man, Yan Li himself looked even more heroic and valiant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was both the director’s request and Wang Xiu’s personal touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her line “I don’t eat your food for free” wasn’t just talk—she’d put real effort into Yan Li’s look, making him as attractive as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, besides their personal rapport, it also had to do with Yan Li’s natural good looks, giving Wang Xiu ample room to showcase her skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every profession has its quirks: calligraphers see good brushes and paper and want to write; chefs see fine ingredients and want to stir-fry; service workers see handsome guys and want to give tips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Similarly, makeup artists seeing a handsome face and good physique naturally want to make them look stunning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It satisfies their personal taste, proves their skill to others, and doubles as free advertising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe a producer or director watching the show will admire the makeup and costume design, ask around the industry, and Wang Xiu lands a better job.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even though Wang Xiu had enhanced his appearance, Yuwen Chengdu’s plot and character remained frustrating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When hearing the rebel kings were coming to attack, Yuwen Huaji grew anxious, but Yuwen Chengdu, proud of his martial prowess, dismissed all rebel lords with contempt and shouted wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, give the order—I’ll lead the troops and slaughter them until not a single heir remains!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the messenger reported that Li Yuan’s forces were the first to arrive—Yuwen Chengdu’s face changed instantly; his earlier arrogance vanished, his brow furrowed, and he asked nervously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who leads Li Yuan’s army?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The messenger replied: “Your Highness, the enemy commander is Li Yuanji.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Yuanji?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuwen Chengdu murmured the name, his brow relaxed, a sneer of disdain spread across his face, and he bowed to the throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, I’ll lead the troops out of Tongguan, kill Li Yuanji to consecrate our banners, then march straight to Chang’an.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuwen Huaji beamed: “My son is brave!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the messenger added, cheekily: “Your Highness, Li Yuanji commands, but Li Yuanba is the vanguard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that nightmare had arrived, Yuwen Chengdu’s face turned ashen, as if his father had just died—visible fear and cowardice washed over him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuwen Huaji, knowing Li Yuanba’s strength, urgently asked his son for a plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuwen Chengdu wanted to bluster, but thinking of that monster, he couldn’t muster courage—he lowered his head, avoided his father’s gaze, like a defeated rooster, utterly stripped of his earlier arrogance, his voice weak and hollow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For now, we have no choice but to hold Tongguan Pass at all costs, waiting until the enemy’s grain supplies are completely exhausted.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the director’s command, Yan Li stepped out of character, feeling utterly drained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong, arrogant one moment and terrified the next — a pure fool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My version of Yuwen Chengdu will surely become the most despised and mocked Tianbao General in history...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just signed the contract — please support with monthly votes; if possible, consider tipping to help boost my fan ranking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1940,"2026-06-19T16:16:52.605Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","865d6b24b51a97c08036f6206a500a4f14aaef62e32764b458d9b08d87a5ae25","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-9","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-7",405,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-cover.jpg"]