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

Time flies like an arrow, and the day of the spring imperial examination results announcement arrived in the blink of an eye. The capital city was bustling with activity. Crowds thronged before the list, everyone craning their necks, hoping to find their child's name on it. Qi Heng High School had Wen Yanjing on the list as well.

Overjoyed, Qi Heng didn't waste a moment and hurried home to tell the princess the good news. The princess was delighted and repeatedly expressed her approval. Qi Heng seized the opportunity to make a request to the princess, who, after a moment's thought, finally agreed and immediately prepared to go to the Sheng family to propose marriage. Qi Heng had become a widower after only a few months of marriage, and the princess felt sorry for her son. Now that he had achieved some success, she thought that if he could marry Minglan of the Sheng family, it wouldn't be a waste of her son's talents.

Meanwhile, Minglan and Rulan met at a tavern near the posting of the exam results. They found a window seat and sat down, enjoying tea and food while watching the lively scene outside. Rulan, preoccupied with Wen Yanjing, had her mind already on the list of successful candidates, and after a short while, she hurriedly took her leave. Minglan, on the other hand, and Xiaotao focused on their meal, enjoying themselves immensely, when Gu Tingye unexpectedly arrived.

The moment Minglan saw Gu Tingye, her chopsticks involuntarily froze in mid-air, her expression wary, unwilling to speak further with him. Seeing this, Gu Tingye quickly asked her to stay, earnestly explaining the situation. Only then did Minglan realize that Gu Tingye had never intended to marry Rulan from the beginning; his true target had always been her.

Gu Tingye slowly began to speak, recalling how he had saved Minglan in Youyang years ago. His words were filled with deep affection, and he said that from that moment on, he had made up his mind to marry Sheng Minglan. Minglan was puzzled and couldn't help but question him why he didn't just go and propose marriage directly, since that would have almost implicated Rulan in the situation. Gu Tingye smiled wryly. He knew his reputation was not good back then, and he also knew that Old Madam Sheng had a strong personality. It might be possible to arrange a marriage, but to break off the engagement would be as difficult as climbing to the sky.

Not only that, Gu Tingye was also certain that Minglan and the He family were not destined to be together. It turned out that he was behind everything concerning the Cao family. He secretly used his connections to secure a general amnesty and arranged for the Grand Canal Gang to send Cao Jinxiu to the capital. Upon hearing all this, Minglan felt as if the clouds had parted and the sun had shone through; the mysteries in her heart were finally solved, and she understood everything.

Gu Tingye's gaze was intense, his eyes filled with an unwavering determination to win Minglan's heart, and his words made no attempt to conceal his fervent desire. He smiled broadly, with a touch of naivety, and said, "Ever since I learned about Rulan and Wen Yanjing's affair, I've been so happy I haven't slept a wink all night. Look, I've even used military tactics to win you over." He looked as if he were boasting about a hard-won victory.

Upon hearing this, Minglan was instantly filled with anger. Her almond-shaped eyes widened as she scolded, "How could you use Rulan's reputation to your advantage? Such behavior is outrageous!" However, Gu Tingye remained calm and composed, slowly uttering a series of words. His meticulous plan was like an invisible net, quietly enveloping Minglan, leaving her feeling utterly trapped. Minglan was both angry and annoyed. She turned to leave, but as she did, she couldn't help but turn back and curse, "You shameless scoundrel! What do you take me for? A fish in a net to be manipulated, or a wild boar in a trap waiting to be slaughtered?"

Gu Tingye watched her departing figure, not annoyed at all, but rather with a slight smile on his lips and eyes full of joy. In his eyes, Minglan's annoyed expression only made her more adorable.

Meanwhile, at the Sheng residence, the princess arrived gracefully with lavish gifts. Before she could even propose marriage, Wang Ruofu greeted her, her words carrying a subtle undertone: "Your Highness's arrival today is truly unfortunate. I've been busy arranging marriages for my two daughters lately." Her words subtly reflected the old resentment over the princess's past arrogance, as if these words were a veiled response to her past actions, tinged with a hint of boasting and sarcasm.

Upon hearing this, the princess's face instantly turned extremely ugly, realizing she had been given the cold shoulder. She barely managed to maintain her composure, hurriedly stood up, and left without even exchanging pleasantries.

In the bustling capital city, within the Qi State Duke's mansion, Princess Pingning, having failed in her marriage proposal, returned home heartbroken. Upon hearing the news that Minglan had been betrothed to Gu Tingye, Qi Heng was consumed by rage. He abruptly raised his hand and smashed his teacup on the ground with a resounding crash, shards of porcelain flying everywhere, mirroring his shattered heart. Without a moment's hesitation, Qi Heng turned and hurried out the door, heading straight for Gu Tingye.

Before long, Qi Heng stood before Gu Tingye. His eyes were bloodshot, his expression filled with anger and resentment. He questioned sharply, "Gu Tingye, why do you insist on marrying Minglan? You know perfectly well that I have always loved her!" His voice trembled slightly, as if suppressing endless pain.

Gu Tingye remained calm, meeting Qi Heng's gaze with composure, and slowly said, "I thought you had already let go. Back then, wasn't it you who gave up on Minglan first? How can you blame others for that?" His words were unhurried, yet they struck Qi Heng's heart like a heavy hammer.

Qi Heng was speechless and stood there dumbfounded after hearing these words. Only then did he realize how deep Gu Tingye's feelings for Minglan were, and that he had been in love with her for a long time.

Gu Tingye tilted his head slightly, his thoughts seemingly drifting back to the past, and slowly said, "Back then, when I saw that you and Minglan were mutually in love, I also considered helping you two get together. But you were too weak, and in the face of so many obstacles, you simply couldn't protect her. I couldn't bear to see her suffer in the future, so I made the painful decision that I must marry Minglan in this life and give her a stable support." His voice was deep and firm, revealing an undeniable determination.

Having said that, Gu Tingye looked directly at Qi Heng and said calmly yet firmly, "If you don't believe me, you can go ask Minglan. I know very well that she will never choose you again, no matter what." After saying that, he looked at Qi Heng quietly, his eyes filled with a hint of pity and a touch of helplessness.

Qi Heng was unwilling to give up. Although Gu Tingye's words had deeply wounded him, he still refused to give up. With his last glimmer of hope, he hurried to the Sheng residence. However, fate seemed to always be against him. The gates of the Sheng residence were tightly shut, ruthlessly refusing him entry and leaving him with a cold shoulder.

Just then, Xiao Tao appeared from behind the door, representing Old Madam Sheng to reprimand Qi Heng. Xiao Tao's words were sharp, like arrows piercing Qi Heng: "Back then, even if you had no other choice, you still repeatedly took the initiative to seduce my sixth daughter. You knew perfectly well that your marriage was not your own decision, yet you refused to give up. Do you know that because of your actions, my daughter was pointed at and gossiped about wherever she went, and people called her delusional!" Xiao Tao's face turned red with anger, her eyes filled with heartache for her daughter and fury for Qi Heng.

Minglan quietly hid in the shadows, listening to everything clearly. Her eyes were filled with complex emotions, reflecting both past pain and present helplessness. Watching Xiaotao mercilessly berate Qi Heng before slamming the door shut, Minglan stood frozen in place, as if under a spell.

She possessed an inner pride, like a plum blossom blooming alone in the dead of winter, stubborn and resilient. Her past experiences had taught her that life's path could only move forward, never backward. Those past pains and regrets had become her driving force, inspiring her to bravely face the future. At this moment, she took a deep breath, slowly calming her emotions, turned and strode away with firm steps, leaving behind only a resolute silhouette.

Gu Tingye, full of vigor and high spirits, strode into the Gu family mansion. As soon as he entered, he couldn't wait to announce, "I'm getting married, and this is a marriage arranged by the Emperor himself!" After saying that, he looked directly at Madam Qin with piercing eyes and warned her mercilessly, "From now on, don't bother trying to stir up trouble anymore. It's pointless."

Madam Qin's face instantly lit up with a smile, and she repeatedly praised him, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. Hearing this, Gu Tingyu's face immediately darkened, as if water could drip from it, his expression extremely sour. Seeing this, Gu Tingye's lips curled into a mocking smile, and he added a few more words, each one like a sharp blade piercing Gu Tingyu's heart. Finally, he declared that he planned to properly renovate the courtyard in preparation for the upcoming wedding.

The displeasure in Madam Qin's heart surged like a tidal wave, and she couldn't help but say sarcastically, "Back when Master Gu Yankai got married, there wasn't such a grand affair." Her words were full of resentment and jealousy. Gu Tingye, however, didn't care at all, holding his head high and replying confidently, "This is His Majesty's will; I'm merely following orders." These words infuriated Madam Qin and Gu Tingyu, and they couldn't help but suspect that Gu Tingye's actions might be part of a plot to seize the title.

The next day, before dawn, Gu Tingye plunged into the courtyard and busied himself with tasks. He personally directed the servants to move objects and clear away clutter, his enthusiastic efforts seemingly transforming the entire courtyard. Gu Tingyu stood at a distance, observing coldly. He was meticulous and saw through everything. He knew that the one truly coveting the title was not Gu Tingye, but Xiao Qinshi. Over the years, Xiao Qinshi had appeared gentle and kind, but secretly she had long hoped for his early death so that her biological son, Gu Tingwei, could inherit the title. Now that Gu Tingye had suddenly returned and was about to marry Sheng Minglan, whom the emperor had bestowed upon him, he feared that he and Minglan would suffer from Xiao Qinshi's harassment and hardship in the future. Thinking of this, Gu Tingyu frowned slightly, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

Warm sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice, dappling the room of Old Madam Sheng. Minglan moved gracefully to Old Madam Sheng's side, her brows furrowed with worry and helplessness, and couldn't help but complain about Gu Tingye.

“Grandmother, you don’t know, Gu Tingye’s behavior is really unpredictable.” Minglan frowned slightly, her tone carrying a hint of reproach. “But speaking of which, he is quite a gentleman. He once rescued and escorted me, and those scenes still make me shudder to think about them. Yet, to protect my reputation, he never made a fuss about it.”

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Sheng was slightly taken aback, her eyes filled with surprise. Minglan had never mentioned these things to her before. The old lady had always been very caring towards Minglan, and being kept in the dark about such an important matter inevitably aroused a hint of doubt in her heart.

Minglan gently bit her lower lip and continued, "When Gu Tingye told me all these things back then, I don't know why, but I felt a little proud. After all, being silently protected like that, anyone would feel a little happy." She paused slightly, her expression gradually turning somber, and she sighed softly, "But later, the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I felt. I felt both angry and helpless. I'm really worried that if I really marry him, what will happen if I suffer any grievances?"

Grandma Sheng looked at Minglan with heartache, gently patting her hand. Her eyes were full of love and determination, as if giving Minglan a reassurance: "My dear child, don't worry. As long as you don't want to, even if it's an official marriage, Grandma will never let them take the person away. With Grandma here, I will definitely protect you." Grandma's words were firm and resolute, as if building an unbreakable barrier for Minglan.

Just a few days ago, Gu Tingye shamelessly begged the Princess Consort to organize a polo match. He had his own plans, intending to invite all the noble families in the capital, and the Sheng family would naturally be on the invitation list. Therefore, he specifically instructed Madam Wang to make sure that Minglan came along.

Finally, the day of the polo match arrived. The sun shone brightly, illuminating the vast polo field. As Gu Tingye had hoped, Madam Wang pulled Minglan to the sidelines to watch the game. The moment Minglan saw Gu Tingye on the field, a wave of annoyance washed over her, and she wished she could stand up and leave immediately.

Gu Tingye walked confidently to the princess, his face plastered with a fawning smile, and pleaded, "Your Highness, I humbly request a gift from you, which I may present as a betrothal present to my future wife. I hope you will grant my request." The princess found his eagerness amusing and casually removed a hairpin from her hair, offering it to Gu Tingye. However, she quickly changed her tone, saying, "Getting this hairpin isn't difficult. If you can win this next round, it will be yours."

Upon hearing this, Gu Tingye smiled confidently and immediately accepted the order. He stood up nimbly and walked towards the center of the arena. Minglan, seeing him get up, fearing he would come and bother her, hurriedly stood up and rushed off the field. But after taking only a few steps, she looked up and was surprised to find Gu Tingye already waiting for her not far ahead, as if he had expected her to take this path.