Chapter 40: Three Kingdoms

The script was actually quite simple; as long as he wrote a rough draft, the simulation panel could generate a perfect screenplay for him.

However, when it came to choosing a Chinese dynasty, he found himself somewhat indecisive.

"Han or Tang, Han or Tang... Cheng Sheng, why not film something about the Han Dynasty or the Three Kingdoms?" Master Han suggested after some consideration.

In truth, he leaned toward the Three Kingdoms, because it had a vast audience and allowed for references to previous Three Kingdoms film and television works.

The Han Dynasty, or the Three Kingdoms!

Cheng Sheng pondered this in his mind.

If he filmed a movie about the Han Dynasty, he couldn't ignore Emperor Wu of Han, but the war scenes involving Emperor Wu were truly difficult to film.

Due to ethnic relations, many things could not be depicted explicitly, as it might undermine ethnic unity.

In 2001, Huang Xiaoming filmed the television series *The Emperor in Han Dynasty*. The series told the story of Emperor Wu (Liu Che) during his time as Crown Prince, when he possessed great ambition but no real power. He befriended ambitious youths such as Zhang Tang, Guan Fu, Li Ling, and Guo Sheren, calling themselves the "Crown Prince Party."

When Empress Dowager Dou attempted to depose the Crown Prince to install the Prince of Liang to protect the interests of the Dou clan, Liu Che found himself isolated, with only his sister, Princess Pingyang, truly supporting him.

With the help of his many friends in the "Crown Prince Party" and Dongfang Shuo, Liu Che finally ascended to become Emperor Wu of Han.

When it aired in 2002, the series was an explosive hit. As soon as the second season was released, it was purchased at a high price by the "Eight Major TV Stations" for exclusive broadcasting rights in Yizhou, and its broadcast in the capital triggered an extraordinary response.

But no matter how successful *The Emperor in Han Dynasty* was, it still lacked in certain areas—particularly the foreign warfare scenes, which were mostly glossed over or shown through only a few fleeting images.

In reality, maintaining ethnic unity is crucial; one must respect and accommodate cultures and customs different from one's own.

If Cheng Sheng wanted to film Emperor Wu of Han, he would have to omit the war scenes and certain inappropriate remarks, but that would destroy the integrity of the plot.

Therefore, filming Emperor Wu of Han was actually not a good choice.

If he truly had to choose, the Three Kingdoms was actually a good subject.

But filming the Three Kingdoms well was too difficult.

After all, the Three Kingdoms theme had been filmed to death; to come up with something new, one had to invest heavily.

"The Three Kingdoms," Cheng Sheng finally decided.

Others might not be able to find a new angle, but Cheng Sheng was different. With the support of the simulation panel, the screenplay would not be an issue; he could even reconstruct the history of that era one-to-one.

"The Three Kingdoms, huh? Then do you want to film *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* or *Records of the Three Kingdoms*?" Master Han asked.

"The magnificent history I love isn't the kind found in novels," Cheng Sheng said with a smile.

There was a fundamental difference between *Records of the Three Kingdoms* and *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*.

*Records of the Three Kingdoms* is official history, while *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* is a historical novel. The two differ fundamentally in their nature as documents, their historical accuracy, and their creative purpose.

The former is a biographical dynastic history compiled by Chen Shou of the Western Jin Dynasty, while the latter is a vernacular novel written by Luo Guanzhong during the transition from the Yuan to the Ming Dynasty.

Modern people love reading *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, and most even treat it as actual history, but those who truly understand history do not particularly like the book.

Influenced by the folk culture of the Song and Yuan dynasties, Luo Guanzhong emphasized a "respect Liu, disparage Cao" bias, shaping a heroic ensemble for the Shu Han faction.

However, in official history, Cao Wei was the legitimate successor.

Cheng Sheng wanted to restore the true Three Kingdoms and let the countrymen realize that *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* is merely a novel, while *Records of the Three Kingdoms* is the true history.

"Cheng Sheng, if you film it this way, have you considered the audience's reaction?"

Master Han was well aware of the status *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* held in the minds of contemporary people.

"That is exactly why I want to film *Records of the Three Kingdoms*—to make everyone understand that *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* is just a novel," Cheng Sheng said smilingly.

Seeing that Cheng Sheng would not change his mind, Master Han stopped persuading him and changed the subject: "Cheng Sheng, how do you plan to film it? What kind of help can China Film provide?"

"I want to start from the Yellow Turban Rebellion; that is also the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era."

"As for help, I hope President Han can provide support in terms of equipment, film, and even funding."

When filming the Three Kingdoms, many people prefer to film the Battle of Red Cliffs because of its high recognition.

In another memory, the Hong Kong director Wu Baige had filmed a movie about Red Cliffs.

But that movie was... Cheng Sheng didn't even know how to evaluate it.

The core idea the film tried to express through the Battle of Red Cliffs was actually peace!

What were they thinking?

What era was the Three Kingdoms? It was an era of constant warfare; there was no peace.

To be fair, among star-studded movies, there are good ones, but there are even more terrible ones.

In *Red Cliff*, stars such as Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Jin Cheng Wu, Zhang Zhen, Zhang Fengyi, Lin Zhi-lin, Hu Jun, and a certain Zhao were gathered. The end result was that, in order to give the stars prominence, many fictional historical stories were created, hiding many irrationalities and parodies within the historical backdrop. This wasn't the story of Red Cliffs; it was a bizarre story from a screenwriter's head.

In particular, when Cheng Sheng saw Sister Zhilin's line, "Mengmeng, stand up," from his other memory, he was nearly shocked out of his wits.

Was this a serious historical film?

It was truly full of flaws.

The ending was especially shocking.

On the eve of the great battle, for the sake of the Sun-Liu allied forces, Xiao Qiao went generously to Cao Cao's camp, using her beauty to ensnare the Cao Cao who admired her. Finally, her husband Zhou Yu waited for the east wind.

In the end, just like in history, the Sun-Liu alliance achieved victory.

If Xiao Qiao hadn't gone to chat with Cao Cao, the Sun-Liu allied forces would have died.

This grand fantasy would have terrified both Luo Guanzhong and Chen Shou.

Seeing this, Cheng Sheng nearly had a heart attack.

Cao Cao attacked Jiangdong for Xiao Qiao?

That was one hell of a stretch.

As Chinese people, many are familiar with the stories of the Three Kingdoms, and *Red Cliff* did a terrible job of distorting these stories.

Perhaps it respected certain facts, as many stories known to the public are the product of Luo Guanzhong's imagination and the creativity of the working people. However, adaptation should have principles.

But *Red Cliff* had no principles.

Cheng Sheng truly did not understand how an international director like Wu Baige could film such a flawed movie.

He seriously doubted whether the *A Better Tomorrow* that Wu Baige filmed previously was even allowed to be made; otherwise, how could such a massive flop have been produced?

"China Film will definitely provide full support. Cheng Sheng, before we cooperate, you will need to register a studio or a company; after all, it makes cooperation more convenient," Master Han said.

Without a studio or a company, cooperation would be troublesome.

Cheng Sheng understood this as well, and he also planned to register a studio within the next few days.

As for a company!

Cheng Sheng had no such intention for now.

He was registering a studio primarily for his own convenience in filming movies.

Moreover, a studio would serve him alone.

"I will get it done in the next two days," Cheng Sheng said.

"How will you distribute the investment shares for your film?"

Hearing this, Cheng Sheng knew that Master Han was asking how much of a share China Film could obtain.

"I will set aside fifty percent. As for how much share China Film can take, we will need to wait for the script to be finished and then calculate the total investment. President Han, we can discuss this later," Cheng Sheng said.

"Good, then I will wait for your good news," President Han said with a smile.

...

(End of Chapter)