Duanmu Ci's singing is actually quite good, after all, he has a teacher who loves to sing. (This last part is a nonsensical string of characters and doesn't translate directly.)

In the past, when Confucius sang with others, if the person sang well, Confucius would always ask them to sing it again, and then sing along with them. This is what is meant by "If someone sings well with Confucius, he will always ask them to sing it in reverse, and then he will join in."

Even during his serious illness, he sang, "Mount Tai is crumbling! The pillars are collapsing! The wise man is withering!" This shows that Confucius was indeed a music enthusiast… Although such a description might be somewhat disrespectful to Confucius, it is, after all, the truth. Back then, Confucius enjoyed the music of the Shao in the state of Qi and forgot the taste of meat for three months. He studied music under the musician Shi Xiangzi of the state of Lu, working diligently and conscientiously, an attitude that puts all others to shame.

Therefore, Duanmu Ci did not consider being a musician to be a lowly profession. In the Tang Dynasty, "good men" would not pursue music as a profession; only "bad men" would. Even in the Ming Dynasty, there was still a "lowly" household registration for "music households." Duanmu Ci, using the alias Li Guinian, went against the grain, presenting his musical skills to the emperor and playing the Gong and Yu melodies among the high officials.

Duanmu Ci closed his eyes and pondered, erasing the images of those drinking, playing the zither, chanting wildly, or singing loudly from his mind, leaving only a charming silhouette.

He seemed to see the banquet held in the Daming Palace years ago, with palace maids coming and going, pouring wine and serving dishes on the low tables for the guests, and then the Imperial Concubine leading a group of dancers into the hall, dancing gracefully to the sound of zithers and lutes.

What a magnificent dance it was! The dancers' white robes flowed like clouds above the golden palace, every movement perfectly in rhythm, every lyric conveying the elegance of their attire. The nobles were completely captivated, and even Emperor Xuanzong, seated high on his dragon throne, swayed his head and occasionally took a sip of wine from the Western Regions, nearly dropping his luminous glass cup.

He himself hid behind the beaded curtain, holding a pipa, to accompany the imperial concubine.

"Ah!" A delicate cry suddenly interrupted the rhythm of the music, and the dance came to a stop.

Duanmu Ci couldn't help but feel a little angry. Who was so rude as to ruin the mood? He looked closely and saw the stunningly beautiful Yu Huan playfully scolding another palace beauty, "Sister Mei Fei, you stepped on Yu Huan's skirt."

Oh, it turns out that Consort Mei accidentally stepped on the hem of Yu Huan's skirt, who was leading the dance. But perhaps it wasn't "accidental"; maybe it was intentional? The Imperial Concubine has entered the palace. Consort Mei has fallen out of favor, so some petty tricks might be on her side. However, Consort Mei has always been virtuous; she wouldn't resort to such low-class tactics.

Just as the two had finished adjusting their skirts and were preparing to dance again, Emperor Xuanzong suddenly spoke up. "Enough, the song and dance have ended, and their charm cannot be continued. Let's save it for next time." He looked quite regretful.

The assembled officials were also filled with regret, for such opportunities to see the Imperial Concubine dance in person were extremely rare. Having missed this chance, they didn't know when they would get another one. What a pity!

Duanmu Ci, however, neither agreed nor disagreed, simply putting down his pipa. He was a master of Peking Opera. His Majesty and the Empress often summoned him to rehearse songs and dances, so he had no worries about not seeing the Empress's graceful figure.

"Teacher Duanmu, Teacher Duanmu!" A not-so-fair hand waved wildly in front of his eyes, forcibly pulling Duanmu Ci back from his thoughts that had drifted back a thousand years. "What are you thinking about? You're so lost in thought. I've called you several times and you haven't answered."

Duanmu Ci lowered his eyelids. "What do you want me to do?"

"Let's eat!" Chu Xinsu said matter-of-factly. "Nothing is more important than eating. It's finally noon, how about we go out to eat? A new hot pot restaurant recently opened near the school. It looks pretty good, how about we try it? Consider it a welcome dinner for you."

I've been back in China for almost a week, and you're only now remembering to throw me a welcome-back dinner...

Duanmu Ci waved his hand wearily, "Forget it. I haven't been feeling well lately, so I can't eat hot pot. You and Teacher Qiu go eat it."

"Oh right, you're sick." Chu Xinsu looked like she suddenly realized something. "Then you really can't go out to eat with us, otherwise it wouldn't be good if you infected us."

That's what I meant...

If you said that to Akishino-kun, someone's head would probably be ripped off... Duanmu Ci thinks he probably knows how this kid will die later.

Chu Xinsu swaggered out of the office. His arrogant figure was quite captivating, at least to Duanmu Ci, who now felt a strong urge to ambush him…

Forget it, out of sight, out of mind. After the arrogant figure disappeared through the door, Duanmu Ci came back to his senses and started thinking about the "Rainbow Feather Dance".

The Chinese are very romantic, at least in their thinking. The ancient King of Chu, having only a rather embarrassing dream, actually developed it into a beautiful story of incest. Every great hero who would later rise to prominence and dominate the world, in their childhood, would encounter a wise old man who foresaw the future. Moreover, these old men all looked almost identical; Duanmu Ci strongly suspected that they were all the same person…

As the pinnacle of Chinese romance, the Tang Dynasty's "Rainbow Feather Dress Dance" was no exception, and it also had a romantic... but unreliable legend.

Legend has it that Emperor Xuanzong once dreamt that he ascended to heaven along a moonlit path, visiting the Moon Palace at night. He heard celestial music playing, and fairies in flowing robes danced gracefully amidst elegant trees and darting white rabbits. The fairies' songs were enchanting and beautiful, their dances graceful and elegant. The Moon Goddess herself personally congratulated the Holy Emperor on his long life.

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