Who are you calling powerful?.

Chapter 666: Fake Cao Cao, Real Dong Zhuo, Popular Before the Show

As mentioned earlier, the plot of the entire drama "Chi Le Chuan" is divided into three stages.

The first stage was the rise, when Gao Huan gradually became a local lord from a poor boy.

By the end of this period, Erzhu Rong had seized power, eliminated his greatest rival, Ge Rong, and sent generals from various places to wipe out other small and medium-sized rebel forces, almost unifying the north on the surface.

The protagonist Gao Huan was Erzhu Rong's trusted adviser and made great contributions when Erzhu Rong usurped power and defeated Ge Rong, so he was also entrusted with important tasks and initially took charge of military power.

So at the beginning of the second stage, Gao Huan led his troops to cooperate with other troops to defeat the forces of Yang Kan, Xing Gao and others, and was promoted to the governor of Jinzhou.

This appointment was both a sign of respect for Gao Huan and a warning to him.

What is important is that Jinzhou is the key to Erzhu Rong's hinterland. It has a large population, fertile land, developed economy and transportation. It can be said to be a first-class place.

The warning was that Jinzhou was the hinterland, and in the southeast, northwest, and northeast it was either Erzhu Rong's clan confidants or Gao Huan's enemy Heba Yue, who kept a close eye on Gao Huan. Although life there was good, Gao Huan lost his strategic mobility.

Because at this time Erzhu Rong had already realized that Gao Huan was a very talented person, but he was unwilling to be inferior to others and had rebelled many times before, so he used him and was on guard against him.

Gao Huan felt Erzhu Rong's vigilance and his great power, so he hid his ambitions and lay dormant in Jinzhou.

According to this script, Gao Huan would not be able to cause any trouble and would have to work honestly for the Erzhu family.

Unless he lives a long life, like Sima Yi, outlasting several generations of the Erzhu family and holding a high position, he might be able to carry out a XX rebellion in his later years.

However, the same thing still applies: Erzhu Rong said he was Cao Cao, but in fact he was Dong Zhuo, and the destiny did not rest with him, Erzhu.

Therefore, the first few episodes of the second phase of "Chi Le Chuan" are from the perspective of Gao Huan's forces in Jinzhou and the perspective of the court's top officials, which lead to the death of Erzhu Rong.

When filming the death of Erzhu Rong, Wei Yang deliberately cancelled his own notice for the day and sat in person with director Zhang Yongxin to watch the filming of this scene, which could be regarded as the turning point of the whole play.

To introduce the background, Erzhu Rong launched the Heyin Rebellion, killed the empress dowager, the young emperor, and all the civil and military officials to seize power. Because he was not yet fully powerful, he made Yuan Ziyou, a member of the royal family and the Prince of Changle, the emperor.

As Erzhu Rong grew more powerful and his ambitions expanded, conflicts between him and the puppet emperor Yuan Ziyou increased.

Yuan Ziyou was dissatisfied with the Erzhu family's arrogance and was even more afraid of his own kingdom being usurped and his own fate, so he did not want to be a king who would lose his country.

So he planned to kill Erzhu Rong.

Throughout the dynasties, struggles between puppet emperors and powerful ministers were common.

Among them, it is more common for powerful ministers to depose emperors, while it is rare for a puppet emperor in a weaker position to kill the powerful ministers.

Among them, the Han Dynasty was the peak period. Emperor He of Han killed the Dou family, and Emperor Heng of Han killed General Liang Ji. To expand on this, Emperor Xuan of Han's subsequent liquidation of the Wei family can also be considered a counterattack.

The most famous one is the killing of Dong Zhuo by Emperor Xian of Han. Of course, the main planner and implementer was Wang Yun, and Emperor Xian of Han was just a background figure.

Later, Emperor Xian of Han also wanted to deal with Cao Cao again, but failed.

When Cao Cao's descendant Cao Mao became a puppet of the Sima family, he fought back in anger and was killed in the street. Although he failed, he nailed the Sima family to the pillar of shame.

The late Han Dynasty, the Three Kingdoms, the Jin Dynasty, and the Northern and Southern Dynasties were very close to each other. Everyone has heard the stories of powerful ministers deposing emperors and puppet emperors killing powerful ministers, so both sides were on guard, which also increased the difficulty.

Yuan Ziyou was definitely a capable emperor. After planning to kill Erzhu Rong, he began to take action.

The first is to show weakness and paralyze Erzhu Rong and others to avoid being deposed. The second is to gather his followers and ensure that he has enough power to fight back. The third is to instigate the opponent's manpower, cooperate internally and externally, and strike a fatal blow. The fourth is to make a good post-war plan to prevent Erzhu Rong's forces from counterattacking.

Judging from its series of measures, this plan is very thorough and has been well implemented.

Erzhu Rong never doubted Yuan Ziyou from beginning to end, even though many people reminded him many times, including Gao Huan, but he did not take it seriously.

Yuan Ziyou also relied on the prestige of the Northern Wei court and his dissatisfaction with Erzhu Rong to win over a number of capable people and accumulate a certain amount of power.

The most important thing is that Yuan Ziyou won over the key figure - Xi Yi.

Who is this person? He is Erzhu Rong's cousin, and is equivalent to the third in command of Erzhu Rong's group, second only to Erzhu Rong himself and Yuan Tianmu. His status is higher than some of Erzhu's relatives.

This man's betrayal was even more outrageous than Lu Bu's backstabbing of Dong Zhuo.

In fact, Lu's position in Dong Zhuo's group is not high. He is more of a bodyguard and a close associate. He cannot be compared with Xi Yi. The latter is more like the son-in-law Niu Fu, who is not only deadly but also shakes the foundation.

After killing Erzhu Rong and Yuan Tianmu, theoretically Xi Yi had the hope of inheriting their power and stabilizing the situation.

When writing the script, Wei Yang noticed this key figure. He and other screenwriters made many guesses about why he betrayed Erzhu Rong.

The most realistic consideration is for the sake of rights.

He killed Erzhu Rong and Yuan Tianmu. He was the most senior member of Erzhu Rong's group. Perhaps he thought he could replace Erzhu Rong, but he failed miserably.

A deeper consideration is the camp.

Erzhu Rong was a Khitan, and Xi Yi was a Xianbei. He did not want the Xianbei Dynasty of Northern Wei to be destroyed, so he stood on the side of Yuan Ziyou.

A more romantic assumption is that Xi Yi was a loyal and upright person in the Northern Wei Dynasty from beginning to end.

He was forced to surrender to his cousin Erzhu Rong because of the chaotic times. After Erzhu Rong came to power, he helped because Erzhu Rong was indeed protecting him.

Before the Heyin Incident, many people saw Erzhu Rong's ambition, but on the surface he was indeed the pillar of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was after the Heyin Incident that his true face was exposed.

Perhaps from this moment on, Xi Yi decided to part ways with Erzhu Rong, or even kill him.

There are too many cases in history where comrades-in-arms became enemies because of different ideals. Didn’t Xiao He, who was comparable to Cao Cao, hang himself to show his determination after Xun Yu was proclaimed Duke?
Wei Yang and others believe that Xi Yi should have all three of these ideas, perhaps even more of the first two.

But the final script chose the third option. The reason is very simple. TV dramas are also a kind of art, and art requires romance.

It goes without saying that who is more impressive: a power-hungry and self-important Xianbei noble, or a loyal man who, knowing the risks, resolutely gives up his high status to serve the monarch.

Although "Chi Le Chuan" is a biographical drama about Gao Huan, other characters have many highlights.

As far as Wei Yang is concerned, in works with themes of kingship and hegemony, the element of loyalty is absolutely indispensable.

Whether it was under Gao Huan, Yuwen Tai, Erzhu Rong, or even under the villain Ge Rong, there were such loyal ministers. Naturally, the Northern Wei court also had to have its own loyal ministers.

Yuan Ziyou was a fiery emperor who would not tolerate humiliation, so he should have his own loyal and righteous people.

This scene is the highlight of Yuan Ziyou and Xi Yi, and is also the final swan song of the great hero Erzhu Rong.

In history, this palace coup was very clean and swift, with Yuan Ziyou personally drawing his sword and starting the fight. Others rushed forward and killed Erzhu Rong, Yuan Tianmu, Erzhu Rong's sons and others.

But if we want to shoot a TV series, we have to add some scenes. Erzhu Rong is an important character after all, and we can’t be too careless about the bottom line.

So in this scene, Yuan Ziyou was arranged to launch a surprise attack first and injure Erzhu Rong. Then the others rushed forward and Yuan Tianmu died tragically on the spot. Erzhu Rong temporarily held on with his martial arts. Later, the accompanying guards, led by Erzhu Rong's son, fought desperately to break into the hall.

After a fierce battle, Erzhu Rong and his men were outnumbered and only a few of them were left, and they were seriously injured.

At this time, Xi Yi came out, and the cousins ​​and Yuan Ziyou exchanged a few words. Erzhu Rong smiled miserably, unwilling to surrender, and fought with a knife, and finally died in an ambush. …

"Haha, I regret not listening to He Liuhun (Gao Huan) and Shilong (Erzhu Shilong). You little bastard, the fate of the Yuan Wei Dynasty has come to an end. Although Erzhu Rong is dead today, there will be another Tianzhu General."

After saying that, Hu Jun, with disheveled hair and covered in blood, staggered towards Yuan Ziyou, and was then overwhelmed by the armored soldiers.

"Your Majesty, the evil thief Erzhu has been executed."

An armored veteran knelt on one knee, holding a bloody head in his hands. Xi Yi, played by Liu Yijun, closed his eyes with a complicated expression, then showed a firm expression and turned around to bow.

"The traitor has been executed, God bless Wei!"

As soon as these words were spoken, many generals and soldiers in the hall bowed and shouted in unison.

"The traitor has been executed, God bless Wei!"

After shouting three times, director Zhang Yongxin behind the monitor glanced at Boss Wei, and seeing that he didn't respond, he picked up the loudspeaker.

"Okay, everyone, don't move. Let's add a panoramic view and make the sound louder and more powerful."

A few more shots were added, and the death of Erzhu Rong was considered complete. The rest was about how Yuan Ziyou and others arranged the aftermath. Strictly speaking, the plan was correct, but their forces were too weak and they failed to control the situation, and were eventually destroyed by the Erzhu Group.

Wei Yang did not continue to pay attention to the subsequent filming. After the death of Erzhu Rong was filmed, Zhang Yongxin had no problem with the remaining scenes.

Including this shoot, Wei Yang actually didn't intervene much. At most he gave some suggestions. Most of the shooting work was done by Zhang himself. After all, he is the famous director of Blue Whale and has real talents under him.

After speaking to the director, Wei Yang called over his assistant and then walked towards the hall.

The other actors have already moved to prepare for the next scene, the dead actors are resting or leaving, and the crew members are cleaning up.

Hu Jun, covered in blood, was holding his own "head" and looking it up and down, marveling at it.

"Don't mention it, the props are well made, and they look quite similar."

Upon hearing this, Wei Yang continued, "3D printing, the degree of simulation is much better than before. If you like it, take it home."

"Forget it. It's unlucky."

Hu Jun shook his head and looked at the flowers in Wei Yang's hand. He knew they were the flowers for the finale of the ceremony and said in surprise, "Wow, President Wei personally sent me the flowers. I am so honored."

After he finishes filming this scene, the countdown to the final shoot will basically begin. At most, there will be some minor processing, and he will probably leave the crew in a few days.

Wei Yang smiled and said, "You know, I'm too busy in the group, so I may not be able to see you off. I'm just expressing my gratitude in advance."

In addition to flowers, Wei Yang also took two boxes, which contained peripheral items from "Chi Le Chuan" and personal props of the character Erzhu Rong. They were not particularly valuable, but quite commemorative.

"Too polite."

Hu Jun was a little flattered. Generally speaking, it is normal for actors and crew to express their gratitude when they finish filming.

The ceremony and the gifts are similar, but who delivers them is different.

There were many actors from the crew of "Chi Le Chuan" who came to make guest appearances, and many of them had finished filming. Boss Wei also showed up, but Hu Jun was the first one to personally send flowers and gifts.

You know, Wei Yang is not only the leading actor and producer, but also a big shot in the entertainment industry and even the richest man today. Considering these identities, even a veteran like Hu Jun felt honored that Boss Wei came to personally see off the filming.

After saying goodbye and taking a group photo, Wei Yang left.

He reserved a day today, not only to watch the show, but also to spend time with Liu Shishi and her daughter who had not left yet.

Hu Jun couldn't help but post a Weibo post about the group photo.

To be honest, I have worked with many big-name directors, but this is my first time working with The Richest Man.

Until now he still doesn't understand. They are all actors, so why is he getting worse and worse while Wei Yang has become the richest man at such a young age.

We are all in the same industry, why is there such a big gap between us?

When Wei Yang arrived at Jiangnan Huayuan, Hu Jun's Weibo had already become a hot topic.

In fact, since the filming of "Chi Le Chuan" started, many artists have posted photos with Boss Wei on Weibo, which more or less revealed some details.

At least some of Wei Yang's makeup of Gao Huan are well known to the public, and many media and even self-media have secretly photographed them.

There is almost no leak of filming clips, and the crew is very strict. In case someone takes the video and posts it online, we can also apply to the platform to have it removed.

But the Reuters footage was ambiguous, and "Chi Le Chuan" turned a blind eye to it. Although this led to some information leaks, it also increased attention and popularity for the crew.

It’s because of these group photos and Reuters of the artists, plus Wei Yang’s starring role and the luxurious lineup, "Chi Le Chuan" became popular before it was even aired.

The crew is still filming now, and its online attention is comparable to some of the less popular dramas currently on air.

Some platforms such as Tieba, Weibo, and Zhihu already have dedicated sections for this purpose, and many people have become interested in this relatively unpopular period in history of the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Some bloggers with a very keen sense of smell have already started making related videos, ready to take advantage of this wave of traffic.

Even online writers have joined in the fun, with several new historical books from the Northern and Southern Dynasties appearing, most of which revolve around Gao Huan.

These people are planning to fight a protracted war. After all, it would be too competitive to wait until "Chi Le Chuan" is broadcast before grabbing traffic.

It is better to prepare early. If you accumulate enough strength, you may even get a big boost.

These things can be seen by self-media and online writers, not to mention the film and television industry.

As early as when the project of "Chi Le Chuan" was launched, there were rumors about several projects on the theme of the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Last year, "Chi Le Chuan" was delayed for a while, and two dramas have already started filming, while others are waiting and watching.

"Chi Le Chuan" officially started filming this year, and several crews also began filming the project soon, including some well-known companies in the industry such as Huanyu and Xinli.

Wei Yang inquired around and found out that the show that Si Yatou Huanyu was going to film was "Empress Dugu", the story of Yang Jian and Dugu Jialuo.

Xinli is stubborn and seems to be filming the story of Gao Huan. The tentative name is "Legend of Northern Qi", which clearly shows that it wants to compete with Boss Wei.

Wei Yang thought he had misheard at first, but when he thought about the penguin standing behind Xinli, he understood.

The competition was fake, but the purpose was to get attention. If things went wrong, Sony would take the blame, while Penguin would earn enough traffic and attention.

Since I can't win head-on, I'm going to resort to trickery...

(End of this chapter)