Starting when Fan Xians mom 'entered the world' with Wu Zhu. Seeing how she became the legend she is.

Also the rise of the Emperor, Chen Ping Ping and many others.

Would end with her dying but would still be a fun ride I think as long as the same writer and screenwriter is behind it.

Oh I'd love this more than anything (aside from season 3 ofc). I'd love to see Ye Qing Mei's story as it's like falling in love with a character you've never met. Her tone in the letters she left for Fan Xian and Wu Zhu was  hilarious and it would be fascinating to see her inventing things and just throwing events into pure chaos just by simply existing (bonus if they show at least one or two of the times she and Wu Zhu sneaked into the palace as that will never not amuse me).

Also...that huge, epic battle between Chen Ping Ping and Xiao En when CPP lost the use of his legs.The Emperor scheming as a Prince, and seeing if he actually did fall in love with YQM. There's just so many interesting stories there...tbh if Mao Ni simply wrote this as a prequel novel I'd be ecstatic.

The prequel’s opening scene should be of YQM,s last moments, how happy she was after giving birth to FX, how her best friend Fan Jian’s first wife (  eventual mother of Ruoruo) was there to assist her, when suddenly their peace is shattered by the attack of many, many soldiers entering their courtyard. YQM and Mrs.  FJ run to a secret place to hide with baby FX. By pre-arrangement, Mrs. FJ switches her recent newborn son with baby FX and runs to hide in another secret location.  YQE, knowing that the attackers will eventually find her secret location, reflects upon in a long series of flashbacks  her beginnings in the divine Temple, why she chose to escape to help the humans of the new world to have a better life by sharing her superior, advanced products  ( contrary to the wishes of the temple)  and her ideas of equality. 

After the series of flashbacks, detailed below, YQM is found by the attackers.  Before she dies,  the audience learns that YQM is content with her fate.  She has killed and now knows the scales of justice must be balanced with her own death and the death of the child with her.  She is aware that the Emprtot is behind her murder, and the irony of it all, but knows that she had made the necessary preparations for her child to  survive.  As she lays dying, she is proud of her contributions to the new world, the sharing of her new products and ideals; happy to have done something worthwhile in her life instead of living out her years in the temple,  She has no regrets. Her final thought  bids farewell to little bamboo. 

Epilogue, after the series of flashbacks (below),  Wu Zhu arrives at the courtyard, too late to save YME.  He finds Mrs. FJ and baby FX and whisks FX to safety in scenes similar to the opening scenes of joy of life 1. 

Here are some of the possible flashback scenes:

YQM’s early life in the temple: how she got to know Wu Zhu and  why she determined to help the new human civilization. 

YQM escapes  with the  Barrett  gun  from the temple with Ku He and Xiao Enl At some later point, she goes back to get Wu Zhu.

This early part might be less exciting, but necessary. After she leaves the temple, her first stop  is Dongyi where she meets and trains Si GuJian and starts her business, but decides to leave for the bigger pastures of Qing. Maybe  SGJ did not want YQM to leave because he worshipped/loved her, but his family told him he was crazy to love her; whereupon he went crazy and killed them all  (except future shadow). 

Next huge flashback scene is her time in Qing  and covers events like:
- how does she meet then Prince  Li Yu,  future emperor of Qing?  He at first seems to share in her visions of equality but his rise to power corrupts him and leads to  him ultimately betraying YQM and her ideals. 

- when does she decide to help him become crown prince and future emperor by killing the two brothers of Li Yu’s father with the Barrett gun, making Li Yu‘s father the emperor (and  LI YU  emperor when he succeeds  his father)?   

-when did she go get Wu Zhu?  Before or after the killings? Does she decide to get Wu Zhu to free him from the temple or  does she get him to protect her because she senses impending danger? 

- when does she develop the three great workshops that introduce new  and superior products to the market?  Does Li Yu court YQM for herself or her money? It would be great to see YQM  make her place in the world, raising chaos and hopes  as she becomes the richest person in the world.  What traps she must have had to overcome in a male-dominated feudal society?

- how does she meet Chen Peng peng and  Fan Jian  and Fie Jie and develop deep friendships, and earn their everlasting loyalty? This is a huge one, particularly why Fan Jian agrees to sacrifice his first born for FX; 

- how does Wu Zhu break his programming and become loyal to YQM instead? It would be great to see some of their escapades together, to see them bond. 

- how many enforcers  and acolytes sent by the Temple to  recapture YME were killed by Wu Zhu to protect her? That could be source for interesting fight scenes.

- another fight scene could be Emperor’s Qing  battles in Northern Qi where his meridian explode, leading him to think YQM betrayed him, sowing the first seeds of  his  betrayal.

- and of course,, CPP’s trip to capture Xaio En  where he  loses the use of his  legs and YQM builds him his special wheelchair. Does she build the special chair right away? Or does she  build a second chair with special qualities when she begins to suspect things? (The fighting or tricks to capture Xaio En, a 9th level ace, should be amazing! )

- will we see if a young  or infant Yan Bin Yun  is indeed taken from northern Qi ?  That could be a nice Easter egg. 

- how beautiful would a young Li Yun Ri be? Would the prequel spell out the exact relationship between her and Li Yu / the emperor and how she/YQM/the emperor formed a love triangle?

- the killing of YQM is of course the climax.  Even if CPP and  Wu zhu were lured away, CPP would have sent overwatch personnel to protect YQM while he  was away.  Was he stupid or were the guards overwhelmed too? A clearer explanation is needed as to why there were not enough clues for CPP  to figure it out until nearly 20 years later.  

plus all the new plot twists and intrigues the author will add, should make for an interesting prequel indeed. 


 

If the rumor of prequel is true, I hope they casted someone carefree like Haitang Duoduo. Because from the written letter to FX, to the stories regarding YQM- she seemed like a free spirit who does whatever the hell she wants. She pulled the old Emperor's beard, she jumps on walls and had Wu Zhu came and beat the hell out of the Ye General's mansion, she's like the novel FX but with more audacity!