CHAPTER 103

Although "Deep in the Palace" was set in a fictional dynasty, it placed great emphasis on court etiquette and proper demeanor. Xiaoyuan's role as the crown prince's attendant—played in cross-gender casting—required the longest training period.

On the first day of training, costume fittings and makeup tests took priority. Unexpectedly, both the head screenwriter and director had come to observe her final look from the outer chamber, making Xiaoyuan somewhat nervous.

After changing into the costume, the fit was slightly loose. One stylist pinned it at the back while another examined it closely. "Hmm... Sister Yuan, your figure is too good. You might need to wear a chest binder later, though it might be uncomfortable."

"Ah, it's fine. I'll wear it if needed." Xiaoyuan agreed without hesitation.

"I think the clothes don't need to be too fitted. Liang Ji is inherently tall and slender, so a slightly loose fit can also hide feminine features."

"We might need to add some height to the shoe soles—it'll make you appear taller on camera."

"Let me take your measurements to confirm the shoe size."

After the measurements, the makeup artist leaned in, studying her carefully. "Sister Yuan, have a seat. Let me see..."

The makeup artist was an expert in historical drama styling, born in the 1960s and now in his fifties, though he looked barely thirty.

Xiaoyuan felt embarrassed being addressed as "Sister Yuan" by him and quickly said, "Please just call me Xiaoyuan."

The makeup artist smiled. "Okay, Xiaoyuan. I'll give your eyebrows a more heroic look..." As he spoke, his hands moved swiftly yet lightly, seamlessly switching between brushes, sponges, and spray bottles.

Xiaoyuan gazed at her reflection, utterly impressed by the makeup artist's skill.

"I'm still debating whether to cover this mole. Personally, I think we should leave it," the makeup artist said, holding up a brush as he consulted his two assistants. "What do you two think?"

"I think it should be covered, it's a bit too feminine. Ah, but I really like this mole."

"I like it too. Liang Ji is originally a man with a feminine appearance, unparalleled in beauty, Teacher. I think we should keep Sister Yuan's unique charm."

"Let's ask the director for his opinion later."

"I'd prefer to keep it. What do you think, Lao Xu?" the makeup artist asked.

Xu Shumin was first stunned by her appearance in the black, pure-faced yè sā (a type of traditional Chinese garment), then stroked his chin, staring at her thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Xu Muyi clapped his hands in delight, his face full of admiration. "Wow, heavens! Dad, look! You were worried about Xiaoyuan's appearance before, but now you don't have to, right? Hey, Dad... Dad?"

Xu Shumin didn't even have time to acknowledge him. With a wave of his hand, he muttered something under his breath and walked off.

"Perfect, perfect. Teacher, you make the call—I think this is excellent as is," Xu Muyi said with a nod and a smile before quickly catching up to Xu Shumin. "Dad, wait for me..."

While Xiaoyuan was still puzzled, the makeup artist nodded knowingly. "Lao Xu must be off revising the script. Don't worry about it."

Sure enough, a few days later, Xiaoyuan received the final version of the script. She eagerly opened it and found herself unable to put it down. The previous draft she had read was already captivating, but this final version was even more engrossing—she was hooked from the first page.

Liang Ji turned out to be a central connecting figure in the story, far more important than she had imagined.

The Great Chong Dynasty's Emperor Qingyuan was frail and thin, with few offspring. He had three princesses and two imperial princes. The first was the Crown Prince, born to the Empress, who had not yet reached the age of twenty. The second imperial prince was born to Consort Zheng and was only nine years old.

Emperor Qingyuan had little interest in women, politics, or literature—his sole passion was raising birds and cultivating flowers.

The Empress had been arranged by the late Emperor, while Consort Zheng, with her breathtaking beauty, enjoyed greater favor. Moreover, Consort Zheng was the Empress Dowager's niece. Thus, even though the second prince was still young, the question of who would inherit this vast empire remained undecided.

The court ministers each had their own allegiances. Beneath the surface calm of the Great Chong Dynasty lurked many hidden reefs.

Emperor Qingyuan was not the Empress Dowager's biological son but was raised in her palace from a young age. He was also not the former emperor's first choice for a prince. He was not outstanding in either literary or military prowess, possessing mediocre aptitude. The reason he ascended to the throne was because his other brothers fought among themselves, resulting in death and disability, leaving only him. In the first few years after his ascension, political affairs were still controlled by the Empress Dowager, until her niece from her maternal family entered the imperial harem, becoming the later Consort Zheng. Only then did the Empress Dowager gradually relinquish her power.

This was a court drama about power struggles, with numerous characters and intricate relationships. Xiaoyuan couldn't help but draw character relationship maps with a pen as she read, to help herself understand.

Emperor Qingyuan was played by veteran actor Zeng Li, the empress by He Chenying, Consort Zheng by Zheng Wan, and the Empress Dowager by Zhu Ehua—an all-star cast of the entertainment industry, all senior figures who could be considered Xiaoyuan's elders or even elders' elders.

Most of the other actresses were her contemporaries: Zou Yirui played Princess Chong'an, the empress's daughter; Guo Zhilu played Princess Chongping, Consort Zheng's daughter; while Lu Jingnian played the palace maid Suhe.

Her main scene partner was Zhou Yu, who played the crown prince. In his early thirties, Zhou was actually too old for the role. The creative team had auditioned countless actors under thirty—some multiple times—but none met their standards, whether due to poor acting, weak delivery, unsuitable height, or other shortcomings.

Finally, they had no choice but to select Zhou Yu, who had won a Best Actor award once.

He was a bit over 1.7 meters tall, with fair skin, a slender build, a small face, and clear, handsome features. However, his eyes were large, and he loved to smile, causing many wrinkles at the corners of his eyes when he laughed. Xiaoyuan heard from Zou Yirui, the gossip collector, that Xu Shumin told him to smile less recently, preferably not at all, and Xu Muyi directly sent him a box of eye masks, which left Zhou Yu speechless and amused.

Xiaoyuan also laughed for a long time after hearing about it.

Most cast members were undergoing etiquette training. Xu Muyi often dropped by to chat and eat with everyone. Fair-skinned with round glasses, his single-lidded eyes crinkling into slits when he smiled, his harmless demeanor quickly won over the crew, who affectionately called him "Little Director Xu."

The young director truly had no airs. One day, he came to watch Xiaoyuan's training and immediately called her "Senior Sister," which surprised Xiaoyuan.

He said with a grin, "I'm also from Huaxi, from the directing department, three years your junior."

Xiaoyuan forced a smile at this comparison—how mortifying that this fresh graduate could helm such a prestigious production while she dared not accept the title of senior.

She felt more and more that this Little Director Xu was a miraculous figure. He was now famous in the industry before having any works, and all his peers knew he relied on his father. Part of the reason everyone was polite to him now was because of his father. When the official announcement day came, he would undoubtedly face more criticism.

Yet he showed no sign of pressure, always beaming brighter than June sunshine. Whether this reflected inner strength or simple carefreeness remained unclear...

Her wandering thoughts were quickly reined in as she continued reading the script. Xiaoyuan noticed that Xu Shumin had made some adjustments to Liang Ji's scenes—not necessarily adding more, but making previously subtle plotlines more explicit.

By the time she finished, Xiaoyuan was so shocked she bit her finger until it turned red.

To put it in modern terms, Liang Ji was a multi-faceted undercover agent.

He had entered the palace in his teens, assigned to serve the crown prince. Over the years, the prince treated him with unusual closeness—perhaps even harboring some unspeakable feelings.

The Empress had long suspected Liang Ji was a spy planted by Consort Zheng, while Consort Zheng herself believed he was the Empress Dowager's mole within the Empress's circles.

The relationship between Consort Zheng and the Empress Dowager—aunt and niece—wasn't as united as outsiders assumed. They were far from being of one mind, so Consort Zheng sought to turn Liang Ji into her own true informant.

But in reality, Liang Ji wasn't a mole for any of them—not the Empress, the Empress Dowager, nor Consort Zheng.

His true master was someone else entirely.

Liang Ji maneuvered between these three factions—seducing the prince, feigning loyalty to the Empress, and scheming to drive a wedge between Consort Zheng and the Empress Dowager.

He lived behind a mask, his true self hidden from everyone. His fate was tragic in the end, and by the time Xiaoyuan reached the conclusion, her eyes brimmed with tears. She couldn't help but let out a deep, heavy sigh.

Liang Ji truly was a remarkable character. His life was full of misfortune—his extraordinary beauty led to him being sent into the palace, where from that day on, he was nothing more than a trapped pawn, forced to obey his master's commands.

Later, by chance, he saved Suhe, a lowly palace maid who was being bull!ed. Suhe was an unremarkable girl whose greatest wish was to leave the palace when she came of age and find a good man to marry.

In her, Liang Ji found rare warmth. He hoped her dreams would come true. Grateful for his rescue and his repeated secret acts of kindness, Suhe gradually developed a quiet, enduring affection for him.

Xiaoyuan sighed several times, picking up a pen to mark up the script. She highlighted key lines in red and noted confusing parts in blue.

Then, after some thought, she grabbed a black gel pen to summarize Liang Ji's "emotional lines," counting the key scenes. The count left her stunned once more.

She had seen Xu Shumin's previous TV dramas—he excelled at weaving intricate plots with deep, lingering emotions. His works always struck her as grand, noble, profound, and proper...

But here, Liang Ji had ambiguous relationships with the crown prince, and also with the Empress...

Wait, Liang Ji and both mother and son...?

And then there were also int!mate moments between Liang Ji and Suhe.

All of these were scenes she would have to perform—but she was cross-dressing. She was a woman herself.

Her scenes with Zhou Yu, who played the Crown Prince—although it was portrayed as BL (Boy's Love), to the audience it might look more like a cross-dressing BG (Boy/Girl) romance.

Her scenes with He Chenying and Lu Jingnian—though written as BG, wouldn't viewers see it as GL?

Because she was playing the role, Xu Shumin's script seemed to blend BL, BG, and GL all together. Wasn't this way too bold?

Would this even pass censorship? Could it be aired?

Xu Shumin was already in his sixties, yet his creative vitality showed no signs of decline or obsolescence. He was keeping up with the times remarkably well.

Xiaoyuan was in awe. 'Lao Xu, you're seriously ahead of the curve.'

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