How did a street urchin from the film crew end up in a Northern Song Dynasty drama called "The

A chilly autumn wind swirled withered leaves, rattling against the windowpanes. Minglan and Old Madam Sheng sat around a charcoal brazier, discussing their journey back to the capital. A yellowed map lay spread out on the sandalwood table, its ink markings indicating the post stations along the way. Old Madam Sheng poked at the embers with a silver hairpin, murmuring, "By the time the winter solstice is over, the snow on the roads should have melted considerably..."

Before she could finish speaking, Madam Fang stumbled in, the silk flower at her temple askew, panting, "Grandma! The Great Grandma... she's dying!"

Minglan followed Old Madam Sheng briskly through the corridor. A thin layer of frost covered the bluestone bricks, making a crunching sound underfoot. The courtyard of the Old Madam was filled with a strong smell of medicine, and the maids sobbed with red eyes.

Before the bed with its curtains drawn, the old lady's cloudy eyes struggled to move beneath her eyelids. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, her skeletal hands grabbing Sheng Wei and Sheng Yun, struggling to sit up. A strange blush appeared on her sallow, emaciated face.

"Mother, what's wrong? Please tell me?" Sheng Yun quietly hugged the old lady's body and asked, crying.

The old lady stared blankly at something, muttering to herself, then suddenly screamed, "...Shu'er! My Shu'er!" Her shrill scream startled all her children and grandchildren in the room.

The old lady, as if possessed, cried out in a hoarse voice, "Shu'er!...It's all my fault! I failed to protect you!"

The Sheng siblings were already in tears. The old lady coughed violently, then collapsed backward as if all her strength had left her, a series of hoarse, broken words escaping her throat: "...Shu'er, you, you can rest assured, Mother has avenged you! That vile maid who harmed you, Mother has found her! Mother went out and searched several prefectures...Found her! She thought she could live happily after running off with the money, hahaha...No way! Mother sold her to the lowest of coal mines, and after she died...her bones were ground to dust!...Revenge...Revenge..."

The laughter was even more unpleasant than crying. Minglan couldn't imagine that the usually kind and gentle old lady would reveal such an unusually vicious tone. Just how deep was her resentment back then?

The eldest matriarch passed away with resentment, plunging the entire Sheng family into grief. Cries echoed in every corner, heart-wrenching to witness. On the day of the funeral, the sky was overcast, and the cold wind howled, as if mourning the eldest matriarch's departure. Due to illness, the eldest matriarch was unable to attend the funeral and had to remain at home.

The funeral procession moved slowly, the atmosphere solemn and dignified. However, just as the procession reached the halfway point, it was suddenly attacked by a group of bandits. These bandits were fierce and brutal, killing indiscriminately and robbing anyone they saw, plunging the scene into chaos.

Shulan, Pinlan, and Minglan, inside the carriage, were terrified. Without thinking, they jumped off the carriage and ran desperately forward, hoping to escape the clutches of the bandits. In the chaos, Minglan became separated from the others and fled alone in unfamiliar surroundings.

Just as Minglan was feeling hopeless, the soldiers arrived in time and engaged the bandits in a fierce battle. Seeing the situation was unfavorable, the bandits fled in disarray. Minglan breathed a sigh of relief, but she was still shaken and didn't know where to go.

She ran wildly through the wilderness like a headless fly, with only one thought in her mind: to get as far away from those dreadful bandits as possible. Suddenly, a fast horse galloped up from behind, and before Minglan could react, she was grabbed and lifted onto its back.

Minglan was terrified, thinking she had fallen into the hands of bad people again. She struggled desperately, trying to break free. However, when she heard a familiar voice, her body suddenly froze.

"Don't be afraid, it's me." The voice was deep and gentle, with a hint of concern.

Minglan slowly turned her head, and when she saw the person riding the horse, her fear was instantly replaced by surprise. It was Gu Tingye!

After temporarily placing the coffin of the matriarch in a safe house, the Sheng family children hurriedly returned home. However, when the matriarch discovered that Sheng Minglan had not returned with her, she became extremely anxious and began to curse loudly. Seeing this, everyone had no choice but to go out again to search for Sheng Minglan.

Meanwhile, Gu Tingye brought Sheng Minglan back to the camp. He poured Minglan a bowl of hot tea with concern, and seeing her trembling hands, Gu Tingye felt a pang of sorrow. Minglan picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and the hot tea went down her throat, but it failed to dispel the fear and unease in her heart.

Even now, Minglan's emotions had not completely calmed down, and her hands were still trembling slightly. When she heard that Gu Tingye had now become a military commander, she couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Now that you have obtained this official position, you should go to the front line to make military achievements. Staying here in Youyang, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to get promoted."

Gu Tingye smiled slightly, not directly answering Minglan's question. However, Minglan saw right through him. It turned out that Minglan had already guessed seven or eight parts of the reason why Gu Tingye hadn't gone to the front lines.

Sheng Minglan had never expected Gu Tingye to choose to join the army, and she couldn't help but admire his courage and determination. At the same time, she secretly lamented that although she was a woman, she could not do what she wanted as freely as Gu Tingye.

Just then, Shi Tou came to report that the bandits had been wiped out and the Sheng family was searching everywhere for Sheng Minglan. Upon hearing this, Gu Tingye decided to let Minglan go home. Before she left, he specially handed Minglan a hidden arrow and instructed her, "Remember to use it if you encounter danger."

It was the dead of night, all was quiet, and the streets were deserted, with only the pitch-black night shrouding the land. Sheng Minglan walked alone on this silent street, feeling a sense of unease.

Suddenly, a dark figure darted out from the shadows, blocking Sheng Minglan's path. Sheng Minglan looked closely and saw it was a bandit! Startled, she quickly raised her hidden dart and fired without hesitation. With a "whoosh," the dart flew out like lightning, striking the bandit accurately in the leg.

The bandit cried out in pain and fled in panic, disappearing into the darkness. Seeing this, Sheng Minglan breathed a sigh of relief and continued walking.

However, just as she turned to leave, Gu Tingye and Shi Tou emerged from the shadows. It turned out that the arrow hadn't been fired by Sheng Minglan, but rather by Gu Tingye who had secretly thrown it. He had been secretly protecting Sheng Minglan, ensuring her safety.

Shi Tou looked at Gu Tingye with a puzzled expression and asked, "Second Master, why don't you personally escort Miss Sheng home, instead of sneaking around like this?"

Gu Tingye smiled slightly and explained, "Miss Sheng is currently in mourning. If someone sees her returning with me, it might cause some unnecessary gossip. That wouldn't be good for her reputation. So, I think it's more appropriate to escort her secretly, like we are now."

After hearing this, Shi Tou suddenly understood and deeply admired Gu Tingye's thoughtfulness and thoroughness.

Old Madam Sheng was extremely worried, and upon hearing Minglan's voice, she broke down in tears, bringing a sigh of relief to everyone in the Sheng family. Old Madam Sheng had originally planned to leave after the New Year, but now she couldn't wait any longer; they would leave the day after the First Madam's burial. Sheng Wei naturally tried to persuade her to stay, but Old Madam Sheng was more afraid of the turmoil in the court, so she decided to return to the capital by land. The next day, the Sheng family saw off Old Madam Sheng and Sheng Minglan's carriage. Gu Tingye, Shitou, and Rong'er also returned to the capital, but they didn't go to say hello, instead secretly protecting them.

Grandma Sheng and Sheng Minglan found a shop to rest at. To avoid suspicion, Gu Tingye lit a fire in the back and told Rong'er that he was out of money. The Sheng family's caravan set off again, but a group of bandits were eyeing them menacingly on the hillside. Gu Tingye calmly walked out carrying Rong'er and advised them not to target the people below. They ignored him, so Gu Tingye handed Rong'er to Shitou and fought the bandits alone. Rong'er recited "The Yueyang Tower" beside him, and before she finished, Gu Tingye had beaten the bandits so badly they couldn't get up. He asked the leader to pass on a message, telling his brothers across the land not to target the Sheng family so everyone could have a peaceful New Year.

In Tokyo, Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu were already waiting at the city gate to welcome Old Madam Sheng and Sheng Minglan into the city. After they returned home, Gu Tingye, who had been following behind, turned back. When Granny Chang opened the door and saw Gu Tingye and Rong'er, she wept with joy.