Facing Wei Song's penetrating scrutiny that seed to see right through him, Jiang Ci did not avoid it.
He steadily placed the teacup in his hand back onto the rough stone table.
"Tap."
A soft sound, clearly audible in the silent courtyard.
Then he spoke.
"History books are written by later generations."
"They are written by the victors."
Jiang Ci's voice wasn't loud, but each word was exceptionally clear and forceful.
"Xiang Yu at the Hongn Feast was not the Hegemon-King, nor was he the general of Western Chu. At that mont, he was the 'protagonist' living in his own script."
Protagonist.
This word caused Wei Song, who was lowering his head to savor the tea, to pause his movent slightly.
Jiang Ci ignored his reaction, imrsing himself in his own logic.
"His entire life was one of invincibility in battle, conquering all he attacked. In his world, there was only conquest and glory, no conspiracies or sches."
"What was Liu Bang?"
Jiang Ci asked and answered his own question.
"He was a man kneeling before him, wagging his tail and begging for rcy, almost clinging to his thigh pleading for his life."
"In Xiang Yu's script, such a person didn't even qualify as a worthy opponent. He was just a 'cannon fodder extra' who had already completely submitted, unworthy of being part of the main drama."
"Killing an extra would dirty the protagonist's stage."
Jiang Ci's speech wasn't fast, yet it carried a strange persuasiveness.
He didn't quote classics or analyze military strategy and the situation. He simply stood from the perspective of an actor, a character, dissecting that hero from over two thousand years ago.
"So, the root of Xiang Yu's tragedy was never so 'womanly kindness'."
"It was extre arrogance."
"He believed in absolute power, disdaining any form of conspiracy or trickery. What he wanted was to win honorably, to make his opponent lose with genuine acceptance."
"That's why he let Liu Bang go."
"Because in his eyes, Liu Bang had already lost at that mont, forever unable to turn the tables."
Jiang Ci raised his head, looking directly at Wei Song.
"This was the true beginning of his tragic fate."
As his words fell.
The courtyard house once again sank into a deathly silence.
Only the unknown bird in the old locust tree chirped crisply twice more.
Wei Song was stunned.
His fingers holding the purple clay teacup froze mid-air, completely motionless.
His sharp scrutiny gradually dissolved, slowly transforming into a kind of incredulous astonishnt, and finally turning into intensely fervent appreciation.
He had spent a full five years on the script for "The Legend of Han and Chu".
The historians he had t, the cultural consultants he had consulted, the actors he had interviewed—if not a hundred, then at least eighty.
Everyone could analyze it eloquently from perspectives like politics, military affairs, and character flaws.
But not a single person.
Not a single person could, like Jiang Ci, use a "protagonist" and "cannon fodder extra" theory to so simply, brutally, and yet so precisely, stab straight into the very soul of the character Xiang Yu!
What he had been looking for was never an actor who could recite history books.
He was looking for a "madman" who could truly understand a character's soul, resonate with the character, even beco the character itself!
Jiang Ci's answer perfectly aligned with his entire vision for "The Legend of Han and Chu"!
"Good!"
A loud exclamation shattered the tranquility of the courtyard.
Wei Song slamd the stone table!
"Bang!"
The teacups on the table jumped.
He abruptly stood up, laughing heartily, his laughter filled with the exhilaration of finding a kindred spirit.
"Good! Well said!"
Wei Song strode over to Jiang Ci in a few steps, placing both hands heavily on his shoulders, his whole person in a state of extre excitent.
"Jiang Ci! You are the person I've been looking for!"
"The role of Liu Bang is yours and yours alone!"
The calmness on Jiang Ci's face, born from his imrsion in the character analysis, instantly cracked.
He froze completely.
What? They were just discussing Xiang Yu perfectly well, why was he being assigned the role of Liu Bang?
This completely threw Jiang Ci off track.
Liu... Liu Bang?
That scheming, patient, cunning, adaptable Liu Bang who rose from a village head to emperor, ultimately ruling the world as Emperor Gaozu of Han?
From start to finish, which part of that character had anything to do with "tragic"?
Which part could make the audience "heartbroken"?
How was this any different from asking him to film a campus sweet romance drama?!
"Director Wei."
Jiang Ci stood up almost imdiately.
His reaction froze Wei Song's smile on his face.
Jiang Ci gave him no ti to think, directly refusing in a firm tone.
"Sorry, Director Wei, I cannot play Liu Bang."
Wei Song frowned, completely unable to understand.
"Why?"
"Liu Bang is the hidden-line protagonist of this drama. His patience, his political maneuvering, his rise—the character layers are more complex than Xiang Yu's, and there's more room for performance. Don't you understand?"
This was a role countless actors dread of!
A role that could showcase an actor's depth and breadth of acting skill!
He was giving it to Jiang Ci, and Jiang Ci was actually refusing?
Jiang Ci looked directly at Wei Song, not yielding an inch.
"I want to play Xiang Yu."
Five words, clear and resolute.
Wei Song looked at Jiang Ci and fell silent.
That intensely fervent appreciation from monts ago rapidly cooled, transforming into a complex scrutiny.
He sat back down on the stone stool, pouring himself a cup of tea that had already cooled slightly.
"The role of Xiang Yu already has a candidate."
He admitted frankly.
"The investnt for 'The Legend of Han and Chu' is huge, over five hundred million. The capital backing it is intricate and complex."
"The largest investor, Evergreen Entertainnt, has already recomnded their top male actor to play Xiang Yu."
Jiang Ci's heart sank bit by bit.
He knew this was the norm in the industry.
Capital always held the primary power of speech.
But he couldn't back down.
Seeing the undisguised disappointnt on Jiang Ci's face and that unyielding stubbornness that refused to be extinguished, Wei Song ultimately felt sowhat reluctant.
When he judged people, he looked first at acting skill, second at character.
Jiang Ci's performance, in both aspects, had amazed him.
He felt a desire to cherish talent.
In the end, he relented, deciding to give this young man a chance, and also give himself one.
"Two weeks from now."
Wei Song spoke slowly.
"That person will return from another production set."
"At that ti, I will arrange an open audition."
"The two of you will compete openly."
"Whoever can convince , convince the producer, convince everyone—that person will be my Xiang Yu."
Jiang Ci's breath hitched for a mont.
An opportunity!
He pressed, "Who is that person?"
Wei Song looked at him deeply, then uttered, word by word, that na that carried imnse weight in the Chinese-language film industry circle.
"Peng Shaofeng."
"Three-ti Golden Horse Award Best Actor nominee."
"The leading figure among the middle generation from Taiwan."
Each title was enough to suffocate a person with pressure.
This was an opponent almost impossible to defeat.
Yet, Jiang Ci simply listened calmly.
Then, he gave his own answer.
"Alright."
"I accept."
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