Chapter 549: Stop acting, the emperor is not as domineering as you

 The director took one look at Jiang Li and immediately felt this person was perfectly suited to play emperor-type roles.

Calm, powerful, broad-minded, protecting all living beings… Jiang Li simply stood there casually, yet the director spotted his extraordinary aura at first glance.

“Do you have any acting experience?”

Jiang Li pondered slightly, thinking about his experiences with the Human Sovereign candidates, recalling including but not limited to the Old Human Sovereign, Human Sovereign candidates, and others, then said uncertainly: “I suppose you could say yes.”

The director slapped his palm and called the costume designer over: “That’s perfect then. Come, get him changed into costume.”

When Jiang Li put on the imperial robes, without making any special movements, simply standing there normally, he resembled a great emperor ruling over the world. The costume designer didn’t dare approach him, instinctively keeping her distance.

“Your aura is good, but your expression doesn’t look like an emperor’s. Be more serious, don’t always wear a smile – that’s too ordinary. As a powerful figure, you need to have the demeanor of a powerful figure.”

Jiang Li said honestly: “I have no experience in this area. Please explain.”

The director became increasingly convinced Jiang Li was a good actor and began teaching by example: “Young people being humble and eager to learn is good – maintain that. Although you’ve never been a powerful figure, you can put yourself in their shoes, consider things from the perspective of the ultimate powerhouse, someone standing at the pinnacle of worldly power.”

“As a powerful figure, you need to have the magnanimity of a powerhouse. Not smiling casually is the most basic requirement. Think about it – if you’re approachable and amiable, wouldn’t some people think you’re easy to bully, obeying superficially while opposing secretly, not following your commands?”

“That makes sense. Please continue.”

“Also, as a powerful figure, you need to have killing intent between your brows. The process of becoming an emperor must involve storms of blood, killing countless people. Compassion doesn’t command troops. To ascend the throne, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands have died because of you – this is the source of your killing intent…”

“See if this is how it should be?”

Jiang Li withdrew his smile, closed his eyes, flicked his sleeves, and placed his hands behind his back, his entire body resembling a clay sculpture.

When he opened his eyes again, a cold and domineering suffocating feeling swept over everyone. Compared to his own aura, the imperial robes seemed crude and shoddy, unworthy of his status.

Jiang Li slowly spoke, his tone carrying indifference that treated life as worthless grass.

“You are fortunate to behold Our countenance. Why do you not kneel?”

Thump—

The director and others felt their legs go weak, uncontrollably kneeling down, shouting “Long live the emperor!”

Unexpectedly, Jiang Li became furious: “Absurd! We are the ruler of ten thousand generations, the immortal emperor – how could We have merely ten thousand years of lifespan?!”

“You treacherous rebels harbor evil intentions, cursing Us to short life – you deserve execution!”

“Guards! Drag them out and behead them at the Meridian Gate!”

“Your Majesty spare us, Your Majesty spare us!” The director and others felt someone dragging them from behind, frightening them into urgently begging Jiang Li to revoke the imperial order.

Actually, this was Jiang Li using his magic power to pull them backward.

Jiang Li withdrew his magic power, and the director fell to the ground. Only then did he suddenly realize this was acting, and the person before him wasn’t a real emperor, just an ordinary person.

The director struggled to stop his legs from trembling, forcing a smile as he said: “You really have acting talent.”

“Having a reference makes it easier to act.” Jiang Li had tried mimicking the First Emperor’s feeling, with excellent results.

For mortals, the First Emperor represented supreme heavenly majesty that couldn’t be directly gazed upon or spoken to.

“Should I act according to this feeling then?”

“No, no, no – tone it down! The emperor in my script is the emperor of an ancient country, not the emperor of the entire continent. He doesn’t have your level of domineering aura.”

“Forget it, just return to your original self. With you acting like this, the other actors can’t cooperate well either.” The director saw the actors were all trembling with fear, not daring to approach Jiang Li.

“Oh.” Jiang Li felt acting was really quite difficult, requiring constant switching between the First Emperor and himself.

“This is much better.” The director felt relieved. After Jiang Li restrained his domineering aura, the actors also returned to normal.

When Wen Qing’er finished changing clothes and came out to see Jiang Li wearing imperial robes, she thought she had time-traveled.

“Master, why do I feel like Senior Jiang Li seems to be having quite a lot of fun?”

Radiant Enlightenment Daoist said seriously: “We cannot judge matters only by appearance. Superficially, Fellow Daoist Jiang Li is simply playing around, but actually this represents the manifestation of entering and transcending the mundane. Fellow Daoist Jiang Li freely switches between the identity of a transcendent master and an ordinary person – just this mental state alone is worth us learning from for our entire lives!”

Wen Quan nodded confusedly, although he still felt Senior Jiang Li was simply playing around.

…

“Come, come, let’s start the first scene.”

“The first scene: concubines compete to show off their beauty, attempting to win the emperor’s favor. What the emperor needs to do is remain unmoved by beautiful women.”

The actresses the director selected were all extremely beautiful, every smile and frown exuding charm that could captivate hearts. Acting uninterested in these women was very difficult.

“Your Majesty, please taste this – lychees transported from the south.”

A concubine peeled the lychee skin, revealing the white tender flesh, preparing to feed it to Jiang Li.

The concubine smiled, refreshingly delightful. Any man seeing this scene would instinctively open his mouth.

“This item’s transportation exhausts the people and wastes resources. How could We indulge Our personal preferences to deplete the national treasury?”

The concubine had no choice but to take the lychee away with grievance.

Another concubine displayed her talents, dancing and posing, fully exhibiting her seductive charms.

“You dance quite well, but it’s a shame you didn’t step to the rhythm correctly. Go practice more. Also, wear your clothes properly – dropping clothes while dancing clearly shows your dancing isn’t skilled enough yet.” Jiang Li commented.

Another concubine prepared delicious food, its aroma wafting through the air. While serving the dishes, she pretended to accidentally burn herself, wanting Jiang Li to hold her hand and blow on it.

Jiang Li directly summoned the imperial physician, telling her to rest well, not even touching her.

Wen Qing’er was also one of the concubines. Since she sang very well, she sang for Jiang Li – just pure singing without accompaniment, yet everyone present listened as if intoxicated.

“You sing quite well.” Jiang Li applauded, signaling for the next one.

The concubines exhausted all their methods, yet Jiang Li remained unmoved.

After watching once, even the director felt this emperor was somewhat too indifferent to beautiful women.

Jiang Li secretly shook his head. He could emerge unstained from the mud even when entering the Joyous Sect – how could such petty tricks make his heart flutter.

…

“Begin the second scene.”

“The second scene is the story of breaking chopsticks. First the crown prince tries to break chopsticks, and after the crown prince fails, the emperor tries, finally teaching the princes and princesses about principles for conducting oneself in society.”

“Royal son, come, break this chopstick.”

The crown prince broke a single chopstick with slight effort.

“Come, now break these ten chopsticks.”

The crown prince gritted his teeth, using all his strength, and broke them too.

“Now break these fifty chopsticks.”

This time the crown prince couldn’t break them. He returned the bundle of chopsticks to his imperial father, obediently waiting for his father’s lecture.

Jiang Li took the fifty chopsticks and gently broke them.

“See, breaking fifty chopsticks isn’t difficult. What principle does this illustrate? Each of you speak up.”

The princes and princesses looked at each other.

The director looked at the script, then looked at Jiang Li, always feeling that either the script or Jiang Li must have a problem.

Which one had the problem?