Translator: Lan_ Editor: Efydatia

  It was like a bug in his shoes. Chow Yun-Fat was eager to meet the young actor and experience his charm first hand. Hollywood was crazy about him after all.

  It was a rare sunny day, so the royal palace looked splendid in the sunshine. Actually, it looked like a yellow palace. Its red carpet had a golden, cloudy pattern, and all the walls were covered in golden silk, except for the red wooden frames. Even the windows with the hollowed-out designs had golden leaves pasted on them.

  All the props and decorations were gold, including the lanterns, the maids’ hats and the tableware. The palace had been built by 3,000 workers, but the crew’s need for golden props could only be met by a small wholesale market in Yiwu, China.

  Before Qin Guan could look at the dazzling hall carefully, he suddenly saw his costume and almost fainted.

  As the eldest prince of the empire, he would be living in that splendid palace. His robe was the same color as the palace. Thanks to the absence of light cyan as a background color, he would look like a moving gold ingot.

  The dominant hue of the film was gold, which was the favorite color of rich people all over the world.

  Qin Guan didn’t agree with the aesthetic approach of the film, so he focused on his performance instead.

  The first scene of the film revolved around him and Gong Lee.

  The emperor had returned to his country with his troops, frightening his eldest son, who had committed adultery with his stepmother three years ago.

  The empress had heard from her son that his eldest brother would be returning to Qingzhou to get rid of this unhealthy love. This was the first real conflict of the film. All the cameras were locked on their faces, which set very high standards for one’s acting skills.

  The short scene, which would last only two minutes, attracted all the leading actors. This would be the first cooperation between the international award-winning actor and actress. It would be a splendid clash of talent.

  Thus, Qin Guan began acting with Gong Lee amid the crowd.

  Gong Lee entered the palace of her stepson angrily. She was furious at the coward.

  Meanwhile, Qin Guan had been cultivating his spirit with his eyes closed. Even his golden crown and robe couldn’t outshine his charm.

  When he saw the empress clearly, the awkward expression on his face shocked the audience. Qin Guan was great at expressing emotions, so everyone could sense what he felt.

  Gong Lee took action. She was the best actress in China after all. Frowning, she grabbed Qin Guan’s sleeves angrily and pressed her cheek against his jaw. The two of them were lovers after all. Their each movement and expression were textbook. It was a feast of acting skills, as well as a competition between the two actors.

  An ordinary actor would have surrendered to her vigor, but Qin Guan only turned his face sideways to hide in the dark. He was rejecting his stepmother.

  "Father is coming back. I’m his son, and you are my mother after all."

  He stated his purpose clearly. He wanted to put an end to their immoral love.

  "I’m not your mother. This is not a dead end."

  Despite Qin Guan’s rejection, Gong didn’t leave. Instead, she moved her hands back and stood up straight. At that moment, she was not a woman in love, but the most powerful empress in the world.

  "Let’s go welcome your Father first." She turned around and left without hesitation.

  "Good! Cut!"

  The first scene was over.

  Director Zhang Yimou didn’t make any comments. Those two actors did not need his guidance. He had to pay close attention to another actor instead.

  That actor was Jay Chou, who had been selected among the top 10 most influential guys in Asia by "The Times" in 2005. The talented young musician had no experience in film. If it hadn’t been for the sponsors from Taiwan and Zhang’s high expectations for the international box office, they would never have cast such a greenhand for a big-budget film.

  Nevertheless, Chou was very eager to act in the film. He had even hired a martial arts trainer a few months earlier especially for the film, so the boy had his good points as well.