sovbooks Chapter 70 So how else do you want to change it?
Chapter 70 So how else do you want to change it?
All that was just praise; now it's time to talk about the problems with "Nirvana in Fire".
"Qi Yue, do you really think the script absolutely has to be changed?"
The atmosphere in Guo Fan's office was somewhat tense.
After much difficulty, Qi Yue finally agreed to consider playing the role of Mei Changsu, but unexpectedly, he soon presented Guo Fan with an even more troublesome condition:
He's fine with acting, but the script for "Nirvana in Fire" has to be changed.
Caught between Tang Ren and Qi Yue, Guo Fan felt a surge of anxiety.
But Qi Yue remained very confident.
"Yes, changes are needed. Many things need to be changed."
Guo Fan scratched his head, somewhat regretting his initial decision.
"Then tell me, what needs to be changed?"
Qi Yue opened the script outline Guo Fan had given him, pointing to several key points.
"For example, the starting point of the whole story, the Chiyan Army's unjust case. According to the current script, the Emperor of Liang, out of fear of Commander Lin Xie's growing power, coupled with the framing by treacherous officials like Xia Jiang and Xie Yu, issued an edict to slaughter 70,000 elite Chiyan Army soldiers?"
"Is this really okay?"
He looked up at Guo Fan.
"Throughout history, there are many examples of emperors distrusting their meritorious officials and discarding them once they've served their purpose. Liu Bang killed Han Xin, Zhao Gou killed Yue Fei... But note that they killed 'generals,' 'commanders,' and 'leaders.' What emperor with even a modicum of common sense would decide to massacre 70,000 well-trained and well-equipped elite central troops simply because he feared a single general?"
Guo Fan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but felt powerless to refute it.
"What does 70,000 elite troops mean? They are the pillars of the nation! The backbone of the border defense! How many troops would be needed to massacre them? How much turmoil would it cause? How many additional casualties would hundreds of thousands of troops suffer in a battle? And how would we appease the troops and fill the gaps in the border defense afterwards? This is simply shaking the foundation of the country! Any emperor with a sound mind, no matter how much he fears Lin Xie, would never do such a foolish thing that would destroy the Great Wall and have endless consequences."
"Therefore, this must be changed. A more reasonable approach would be for the emperor to resolve to eliminate Lin Xie, who had achieved great merit and threatened his position, along with his core confidants and cronies, to prevent future troubles. As for the large number of ordinary soldiers in the Chiyan Army, they would be dealt with through 'reorganization,' 'dismantling,' 'transfer,' or even 'disbandment,' disintegrating them rather than simply massacring them. This way, the root of the tragedy and the rationality of the hatred are preserved, while avoiding major logical flaws."
Guo Fan listened carefully, his brows furrowed, but he had to admit that Qi Yue's analysis was incisive, pointing directly to the weaknesses in the script's historical and political logic.
He nodded: "That...that makes sense. The logic is more rigorous, and the dramatic conflict can be preserved. I can discuss this with the screenwriting team at Tangren."
"Second," Qi Yue continued, moving his finger to the character settings section.
"As a drama that touts 'political intrigue,' the initial character setting of the male protagonist, Mei Changsu, is too 'powerful,' almost to the point of disrupting the balance of power struggles."
He listed them one by one:
"Look, his fiancée is Princess Nihuang of the Mu Prince's Mansion in Yunnan, who commands 100,000 iron cavalry in the southern border; his childhood friend is Prince Jing, Xiao Jingyan, a prince with a large army; his best friend is Meng Zhi, the commander of the Imperial Guards, who is also a top-notch martial arts expert; he himself is the leader of the Jiangzuo Alliance, the number one gang in the Jianghu, which controls fourteen prefectures in Jiangzuo and is richer than a country. He is known as the 'Kirin Talent' and his wisdom is almost supernatural... and his only weakness is that he is in poor health."
"With such terrifying overall strength and connections, why would he need to be so cautious and cunning when he goes to the capital for revenge? Why would he need to proceed step by step as if walking on thin ice? He has many more direct and efficient means to achieve his goal. This would make the so-called power struggle seem childish and weaken the audience's sense of immersion and tension."
Guo Fan also realized the problem and frowned, saying, "So you mean...?"
"Two choices." Qi Yue held up two fingers.
"Or, let's just drop the serious label of political intrigue and admit that this is a drama with a protagonist's halo at its peak, showing how Brother Su uses his incredible resources and connections to sweep through everything. The market needs dramas that are satisfying, no problem."
"Or," he said, lowering his finger and emphasizing his words.
"We must weaken Mei Changsu's initial characterization. Princess Nihuang's power can be retained, but it needs to be subject to stricter checks and balances from the court, and cannot be used by him at any time; Prince Jing can be an ally, but in the early stages, he must be weak and vulnerable, even in danger of losing his own life; Meng Zhi can help, but due to his status as a member of the Imperial Guard and the power of the emperor, the forces he can mobilize are limited; the Jiangzuo Alliance can provide intelligence and financial support, but its ability to directly interfere in the court must be greatly reduced..."
"What Mei Changsu can truly rely on is his wisdom and understanding of people's hearts, not these obvious and overwhelming external forces. Only in this way can the 'scheming' in power struggles have value, and only then will the struggles be interesting."
Guo Fan pondered for a moment; he definitely wouldn't want to make it a mindless, feel-good drama. Therefore, weakening the plot and increasing the emphasis on intellectual battles seemed reasonable.
"...I understand what you mean. I also need to have in-depth discussions with Tangren Media and the original author on this point."
"Third," Qi Yue said again.
"Huh? There's more..." Guo Fan felt his head was spinning even more.
Just as Qi Yue was about to continue speaking, he caught a glimpse of a figure tiptoeing along the wall outside the office door, trying to slip past.
"noob!"
The figure outside the door froze abruptly, then awkwardly poked half its head in. It was Bai Mengyan, who was still carrying a breakfast bag and looked guilty.
"Good morning, bosses... I... I'm not late!"
She tried to argue, but dared not look Qi Yue in the eye.
"Come in," Qi Yue commanded.
Bai Mengyan, with a pained expression, shuffled in, muttering under her breath with her head down:
"Boss... I was just... just three minutes late... I really won't do it again! Please don't dock my pay, I'm waiting to get paid..."
Qi Yue rolled his eyes at her, annoyed: "I didn't say I was going to deduct your wages."
Bai Mengyan looked up in surprise.
"You're here. I'll ask you a question later." Qi Yue pointed to the empty chair next to him.
"Huh? Oh."
Although she didn't understand what was going on, Bai Mengyan still obediently sat down.
Qi Yue ignored her and turned back to Guo Fan, continuing with his "third point":
"The third point, and the most crucial one, is that the male protagonist Mei Changsu's ultimate goal also needs to be adjusted."
"Huh? This needs to be changed too?" Guo Fan was genuinely dumbfounded.
Anyone who has written a screenplay knows that the protagonist's ultimate goal is the ultimate goal of the entire script; it is the soul and driving force of the story.
If even this is changed, then the entire script structure and the characters' arcs may have to be completely rewritten!
He asked tentatively, his voice slightly strained, "Then...how else do you want to change it?"