novelraw Chapter 105: "The Legend of Han and Chu" Kick-Off Ceremony
Chapter 105: "The Legend of Han and Chu" Kick-Off Ceremony
The hotel corridor in the early morning was dimly lit.
Li Jun paid no mind to his own appearance; he grabbed Jiang Ci's arm with a terrifyingly strong grip, practically half-dragging, half-pulling him into his own room.
The door slammed shut with a bang.
The floor, the bed, the sofa—everywhere in the room was strewn with open ancient texts, rubbings, and scattered folders of materials.
"Chu Songs chorus!"
Dispensing with any pleasantries, Li Jun pointed at the final chapter of the script on the table, densely marked with red ink.
"When Yu Ji performs the sword dance, it's not dead silence outside the tent! It's the heroic spirits of the eight thousand fallen Chu soldiers singing in chorus for her! Singing for their king!"
He waved his arms animatedly.
"This isn't a lovers' suicide pact, it's a sacrifice! It's the final, mournful cry of an entire era!"
Jiang Ci's eyes lit up.Vision.
This was vision.
He had originally only intended to use the "Po Zhen Wu" to create an extreme contrast, to harvest a wave of deep "Unresolved Injustice" Heartbreak Value.
But Li Jun's proposal of a "heroic spirits chorus" instantly elevated this tragic solo dance from Yu Ji's "individual tragedy" to the "collective epic" of eight thousand soldiers and a dynasty.
The Heartbreak Value was now guaranteed.
Two "madmen" equally obsessed with art to the point of near insanity found perfect agreement in that moment.
They completely ignored the passage of time and the chaotic mess of the room.
The two of them, head-to-head, simply sprawled over that pile of old papers emitting a musty smell and began frantically working out every detail of the "heroic spirits chorus."
"No! We can't use the later-compiled Chu Ci! The musicality is wrong!" Li Jun, holding a magnifying glass over a yellowed rubbing, argued back excitedly.
"The Chu songs from that period should be short, mournful, with a shamanistic tone, like a soul-summoning chant!"
Jiang Ci picked up another document, pointing at a specific section.
"Teacher Li, look here. Military war songs are about momentum. I think it should be a chorus, deep and low, like muffled thunder rising from beneath the earth, matching the drumbeats."
"The drumbeats need to be muffled, heavy! One after another, like a hammer pounding on the heart!"
"Right! And we need the sound of wind! The props team must get me the highest-powered wind machine; I want that kind of northern wind that makes the tents snap and roar!"
Nine o'clock in the morning.
Director Wei Song, carrying two packed servings of Cantonese morning tea, appeared outside Li Jun's room door.
He had thought about it all night and still decided to personally visit his old friend to "apologize with a bared back," prepared to persuade with reason and emotion, and do another round of careful ideological work.
He knocked on the door. No answer.
He pressed the doorbell. Only faint sounds of argument came from inside.
Wei Song's heart sank. He tried turning the doorknob and found the door wasn't even locked.
He pushed the door open and entered.
Then, he saw a scene he would never forget.
In the room, his Head Screenwriter and his male lead, one with graying hair, the other young and fresh-faced.
Were head-to-head, sprawled over a pile of trash-like materials, arguing fiercely over the pronunciation of an ancient Chu song note, faces red, spittle flying.
Wei Song: "..."
He silently retreated and gently closed the door.
Standing in the corridor, Wei Song was instantly flooded with wild joy and profound relief.
He knew.
The very core, the soul of this film powerful enough to leave its name in history, had been found.
He didn't disturb those two madmen again. Instead, he turned around, took out his phone, and directly called the production team.
"Hello, it's me."
"Go contact them right now. I want the best ancient music experts in the country, the kind who study pre-Qin music theory, national treasure level!"
"And a choir! I want the top-tier male choir in the country! No matter the cost, whatever it takes, find them for me as soon as possible!"
...
January 31st.
The almanac read: Auspicious for opening markets, breaking ground, and sacrificial ceremonies.
The epic blockbuster "The Legend of Han and Chu," prepared for five years with an investment breaking the 600 million mark, held its grand Opening Ceremony at the Qin Palace exterior set built in the Beijing outskirts film studio.
The site was crowded with media, their long guns and short cannons everywhere.
On the high platform, the incense altar and offerings were all in place.
Wei Song, leading the main creative team, took turns offering incense.
Midway through the ceremony, it entered the segment the media most anticipated.
Wei Song took the microphone and officially announced the core cast lineup, besides the male and female leads, to the outside world.
"Next, I will introduce to everyone several important partners of our 'The Legend of Han and Chu'."
"The actor portraying Liu Bang is Qin Feng. The actor portraying Xiang Yu is Jiang Ci. The actress portraying Yu Ji is Zhao Yingfei."
"Portraying the Strategist Sage Zhang Liang is Liu Hanyu!"
As soon as the words fell, a huge gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd of reporters below.
Liu Hanyu! That powerhouse veteran actor who has won all the mainstream domestic awards!
"Portraying the Second Father Fan Zeng is Huang Shengqiu!"
Another wave of sharp intakes of breath. Huang Shengqiu, notoriously an acting fanatic, extremely difficult to work with, but his acting skills are already legendary.
"Portraying the fierce general Fan Kuai is Chen Chun!"
"Portraying the Military Immortal Han Xin is An Zhijie!"
...
One name after another, each weighty enough to make the entire industry tremble three times, was spoken by Wei Song.
The reporters on site were already numb.
Everyone's gaze eventually converged on the center of that dazzling group of veteran actors.
On that young man wearing a simple black suit, his expression calm.
A reporter from a well-known entertainment media outlet, standing in the front row, finally seized a chance to ask a question.
His question was sharp and direct.
"Teacher Jiang Ci! Hello!"
"As a newcomer who has only officially acted in two supporting roles so far, now as the male lead of 'The Legend of Han and Chu',"
"Surrounded by so many top-tier seniors and veteran actors, and soon to perform the most crucial scenes opposite Film Emperor Qin Feng."
The reporter raised his volume, ensuring every word could be clearly heard across the venue.
"May I ask, what is your greatest feeling at this moment? Do you feel any pressure?"
As soon as this question was thrown out, the atmosphere at the scene immediately tensed.
Saying there was pressure would show lack of confidence, an inability to command the stage.
Saying there was no pressure would be arrogant and disrespectful to the seniors.
Wei Song stood to the side, his fingertips tightening slightly.
The veteran actors, besides Liu Hanyu, also looked at this young man who would soon act opposite them with a hint of probing interest.
Jiang Ci took the microphone handed to him by a staff member.
He didn't answer immediately.
He just slowly raised his head and looked towards the distant, grayish sky.
The venue was so quiet you could hear the wind.
Everyone waited for his answer.
Jiang Ci finally moved.
He brought the microphone to his mouth. His voice, devoid of inflection, clearly spread throughout the entire venue.
"The word 'pressure' is a question for the actor Jiang Ci."
He paused, his gaze withdrawing from the distance, calmly sweeping over all the cameras below the stage.
"But starting today, on the Film Set, there is no Jiang Ci, no Teacher Qin Feng, and no esteemed seniors."
These words caused an uproar in the venue.
A flash of triumph crossed the questioning reporter's face, thinking he had caught evidence of Jiang Ci's arrogance.
However, Jiang Ci's next sentence made everyone's breath hitch.
"Here, there is only Xiang Yu, Liu Bang, Fan Zeng, Zhang Liang."
"Xiang Yu wouldn't consider pressure."
The corner of Jiang Ci's mouth lifted in an extremely faint curve.
"He would only ask, when will Liu Bang come before me."
Wei Song was very satisfied with Jiang Ci's answer. He took the microphone and announced loudly to all the cameras:
"The first scene of 'The Legend of Han and Chu' starts filming tomorrow! Scene: Julu, the prisoner massacre pit!"