Chapter 0605 The Forbidden City

Dozing off in the drizzling rain, listening to water droplets falling on leaves and flower edges, I found myself missing the sorrel blossoms touched by sunlight. Those beauties that could be stirred by a breath lay quietly in the low-lying places where light and shadow intertwined, perfectly bursting forth into pieces of glass-like fragments.

Among all things, what is the most beautiful?

It is light chasing darkness, then falling upon a tender heart.

Actually, Fan Baobao also knew that she couldn't comfort Zhao Fusheng; the guy had always been heavy-hearted since childhood, always keeping things to himself.

But she truly hoped Zhao Fusheng could understand that life is not about climbing high mountains or diving into deep trenches; it's just about sleeping on a standard bed and letting it take your shape.

In fact, Zhao Fusheng understood this truth better than anyone.

Other people's experiences are at most references for us; don't forget the common sense of survivor bias. As we grow up, we move forward according to our own way of thinking, and winning or losing, success or failure, are all our own lives.

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

After a long while, Zhao Fusheng stroked Fan Baobao's hair and said softly to her.

As a man, he hadn't sunk to the point of letting his woman worry about him.

Zhao Fusheng had always believed that a man should be like a mountain, bearing the heavy burden of the family. Acting like a weak child was not something a堂堂七尺男儿 should do.

"Alright, no matter what happens, don't face it alone." Fan Baobao reached out, hugged Zhao Fusheng, and whispered.

In her view, the hardest times at home were over, and from now on, they must cherish every day.

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "I know."

He was not a talented scholar with the world and the country in his heart, nor did he have such noble sentiments. Wang Zhen's matter might have dampened his spirits, but it couldn't defeat Zhao Fusheng.

"To ordain conscience for Heaven and Earth, to secure life and fortune for the people, to continue lost teachings for past sages, to establish peace for all future generations"—this is the famous saying of the Northern Song Confucian Zhang Zai, known as the Four Sentences of Hengqu.

These are the most pretentious words, setting a precedent for reckless nonsense. Our country's literati have suffered deeply from this, fostering a habit of talking big but acting small, lying to deceive the honest, seeking only verbal gratification without scientific verification. They open their mouths to talk about democracy and politics, and close them to speak of the common people. In reality, their own porridge hasn't even cooled down yet.

Zhao Fusheng wasn't that boring; he would be grateful just to live his own small life well.

Every day in life begins in the early morning. In September in Beijing, before the sun rises, the muggy heat spreads across the flat ground. On Chang'an Avenue, cars come and go, and people flow like a tide.

The ancient city's atmosphere still lingers on this capital of six dynasties; it won't change because of someone's arrival or departure.

However, Zhao Fusheng yawned and looked speechlessly at Jiang Wen beside him: "If you don't give me a reasonable explanation for why you dragged me out of bed at six in the morning, I think our relationship might need to be redefined."

Jiang Wen sneered, seemingly too busy driving to pay attention to Zhao Fusheng. When the guy repeated himself for the third time, Old Jiang finally stopped the car, pointed at a place across the street, and said to Zhao Fusheng: "I'll give you a chance to rephrase. What did you just say?"

Looking at the name above, Zhao Fusheng blinked and forced a smile: "Well, I think you, Old Jiang, are a very magnanimous person, broad-minded enough to sail a boat. Please don't bother with a country bumpkin like me, right?"

Jiang Wen snorted and pulled Zhao Fusheng toward the entrance.

The place they came to was called the Forbidden City.

"Why did you bring me here?"

As they walked inside, Zhao Fusheng asked Jiang Wen curiously.

Without turning his head, Jiang Wen said: "I'm making a movie and need to find some materials."

Blinking, Zhao Fusheng didn't understand what finding materials had to do with visiting the Forbidden City, but since Old Jiang was taking him to tour the place, he decided to forgive the guy's attitude.

As long as one is Chinese, how could they not revere the Forbidden City? Zhao Fusheng was no exception.

Having the chance to visit here, he certainly wouldn't miss it.

A place like the Forbidden City is perfectly described by the phrase 'magnificent and splendid'—carved railings, jade steps, majestic and spectacular, resplendent and magnificent.

According to historical records, the Forbidden City was built strictly following the imperial capital construction principles of 'court in front, residence behind; ancestral temple on the left, altar of the land and grain on the right' from the 'Rites of Zhou·Artificers' Record'. In its architectural layout, every brick and tile expresses the supremacy of imperial power, using changes in form and undulating heights to form an integrated whole.

Functionally, it conforms to the hierarchical system of feudal society while achieving artistic effects of left-right balance and form variation. The roof forms of Chinese architecture are rich and varied; in the Forbidden City, there are over ten different roof types. Taking the three main halls as an example, each has a different roof. The roofs of the Forbidden City are fully covered with various colored glazed tiles. The main halls are predominantly yellow. Green is used for buildings in the princes' residential areas. Other colorful glazes like blue, purple, black, emerald, peacock green, and sapphire blue are mostly used in gardens or on glazed walls. At both ends of the main ridge on the roof of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, there are glazed kissing beasts, firmly and gracefully biting the main ridge. The kissing beasts are beautifully shaped, serving both as structural components and decorations. Some tiles are molded into three-dimensional animal figures like dragons, phoenixes, lions, and sea horses, symbolizing auspiciousness and majesty, and these components play a decorative role in the architecture.

The front palaces of the Forbidden City were designed to be grand and magnificent, with bright and open courtyards, symbolizing the supreme authority of the feudal regime. The Hall of Supreme Harmony sits at the center of the Forbidden City's diagonal line, with ten auspicious mythical beasts at each of its four corners, vivid and lifelike.

The designers of the Forbidden City believed this would display the emperor's majesty and awe the world. The rear inner court, however, required deep courtyards and compact buildings. Thus, the six eastern and western palaces each form their own complex, with their own palace gates and walls, arranged in orderly pairs, complemented by palace lanterns, couplets, embroidered couches, and beds, all reflecting the needs of a luxurious lifestyle. Behind the inner court is the Imperial Garden, with evergreen pines and cypresses that withstand the cold, exquisite rockeries built from beautiful stones, and pavilions, towers, and terraces nestled among them, elegant and tranquil.

To highlight the emperor's supreme authority, the Forbidden City has a central axis running from south to north. Along this axis, according to the ancient system of 'court in front, residence behind', are arranged the three main halls where the emperor issued orders and symbolized the center of power, and the three rear palaces where the emperor and empress lived. In the inner court area, north of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, two secondary axes are formed: one centered on the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, where the retired emperor lived, and the other on the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, where the empress dowager and imperial concubines lived. These two secondary axes correspond with the outer court centered on the Gate of Supreme Harmony, flanked by the Hall of Literary Brilliance on the left and the Hall of Martial Valor on the right.

Between the two secondary axes and the central axis are the Palace of Abstinence and the Hall of Nourishing the Mind, followed by the six eastern and western palaces where imperial concubines resided. For defensive purposes, these palaces are surrounded by walls up to ten meters high, with corner towers at the four corners and a moat outside.

To be fair, reading about these things in books and actually being there in person are completely different experiences.

At the very least, Zhao Fusheng now felt as if he were in the world depicted in Ming and Qing novels, and he became solemn.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing that Zhao Fusheng, who was usually not very serious, had become so quiet, Jiang Wen asked curiously.

Zhao Fusheng smiled a bit awkwardly and shook his head gently: "Nothing, I just think it's very beautiful here."

"Heh, only at times like this," Jiang Wen said with a bitter smile, shaking his head helplessly.

Zhao Fusheng was startled, then realized that by now, the Forbidden City, as a tourist attraction, had long become a noisy and bustling place.

This was the change of the times, something no one could do anything about, and it wouldn't change according to anyone's will.

"By the way, what movie are you making?" Zhao Fusheng shook his head and asked Jiang Wen curiously.

Jiang Wen smiled: "Warriors of Heaven and Earth!"

Huh?

Zhao Fusheng blinked, and what came to mind was a movie he had only heard the name of, with no memory of the plot.

In his memory, it seemed to be a movie Jiang Wen acted in after being blacklisted, and it was co-starred with an actress who became popular through Qiong Yao's melodramas.

Zhao Fusheng really couldn't be bothered to comment on that person; after all, some people, even mentioning their names, would dirty one's mouth, and that person was exactly that kind.

There was no way around it—for someone who forgot their ancestors, Zhao Fusheng simply couldn't muster any respect.

Although in this life, Zhao Fusheng hadn't yet seen that person's figure in newspapers or on TV.

But that didn't stop Zhao Fusheng from disliking her; in fact, he was certain that if one day or if he had the chance, he would definitely not let go of the opportunity to suppress her.

A woman who posed for photos with the Japanese flag, used Taiwanese artists in her movies, and packaged herself as a female entrepreneur—Zhao Fusheng felt that the entertainment industry would be at least a bit cleaner without someone like her.

Of course, he wouldn't say these things to Jiang Wen, so Zhao Fusheng just asked Jiang Wen curiously: "If you're the male lead, who's the female lead?"

"Oh, a newcomer," Jiang Wen replied absentmindedly.

Clearly, he didn't care about it at all.

After all, with his status in the industry, even if he was blacklisted, he didn't need to care about who the actress opposite him was, let alone a newcomer.

"Newcomer?" Zhao Fusheng was a bit curious and thought for a moment, then said: "What's her name?"

"Zhao Yan," Jiang Wen thought for a moment and said to Zhao Fusheng: "What, are you interested in this film?"

To be honest, he wasn't satisfied with the script for this film, but he couldn't refuse it out of friendship and because the investors offered a good fee.

If Zhao Fusheng was interested, he could let Zhao Fusheng rewrite the script.

After all, Jiang Wen had faith in the guy's screenwriting skills.

Unexpectedly, the moment he heard that name, Zhao Fusheng's face darkened instantly.