Xie Hongxing was also very surprised to see Xu Jiang. She then looked at the two adults beside her and bowed politely to her, "Greetings, Shopkeeper Xu."
Xu Jiang was stunned for a moment, then he understood and stood up to salute her in return.
After Xu Jiang sat down, Zhong Lu asked curiously, "How did Shopkeeper Xu know Madam Xie from Pingkangfang?"
Xu Jiang replied, "I met her through a friend." She added, "She is a woman who values friendship and loyalty."
Zhong Lu didn't ask any further questions, but nodded and said, "Madam Xie plays the pipa very well. If you are selected this time, you can leave Pingkangfang and join the Jiaofang."
Xie Hongxing was a brothel girl and a private prostitute. If she was selected into the music academy, she would be transferred to an official prostitute. Although she was still a prostitute, her status and treatment were much better than those in brothels.
She wanted to fight for herself.
Xu Jiang was worried and couldn't help but feel nervous for her.
After the musicians were in place, several guests arrived one after another. Judging from their clothes, they must be either rich or noble.
Seeing that everyone was present, Wu Qingye stood up and said a few polite words to them, then led them to the pavilion nearby.
The waterside pavilion is built by the water, open on all sides, and uses the scenery to create a scene, ethereal and light. Performing music here, people and scenery are in harmony, creating a unique realm.
The guests sit in the center, and the musicians sit on the left and right. After everyone is seated, tea and snacks are served.
Wu Qingye stood up and walked to the railing, facing the crowd and said, "Since we are gathering friends for music today, then we should also talk about our feelings and express our thoughts through music. Wu, although I am not very talented, will just throw out some ideas to stimulate discussion. Afterwards, please feel free to speak freely."
Then he played a tune on the flute.
Xu Jiang was thirsty and drinking tea. When she heard the song, she choked and coughed, and quickly covered her mouth, almost making a fool of herself in front of others.
The song this person played was the one she had just played, "The Luan Bird Perched on the Wutong Tree".
Zhong Lu and Mu Cong were also a little surprised and couldn't help but look at Xu Jiang.
Xu Jiang put down her teacup and looked up, meeting Wu Qingye's slightly smiling gaze. She withdrew her gaze a little embarrassedly, then looked at her nose with her eyes and her heart with her nose, putting aside all distractions and concentrating on listening to the music.
The piece itself was simple, and Wu Qingye, a doctor of teaching and a master of musical principles, played it effortlessly. However, unlike Xu Jiang's cheerful and lively music, his flute had a second layer of sentimentality, less like a bird bearing seeds than a courting bird.
Although barbarian men and women would play this song when they were in love, and the song did have this meaning, wasn't Wu Qingye too quick to grasp it?
Oh my God, I hope she has misunderstood and is being too sentimental. There is a jealous jar at home, and it would be terrible if it was overturned.
When the flute sound fades away, the bamboo flute begins to sound faintly.
Xu Jiang turned her head and saw that the person playing the flute was a man among the twelve musicians. He was about forty years old, steady and calm, but the sound of the flute was sad and lingering.
The piece played was "Remembering Old Friends".
The musicians in the Imperial Music Bureau are skilled in technique, but what is even more moving than the technique is the emotion in the music and the meaning in the scene. Before the song is over, the guests' clothes are already wet.
Xu Jiang was also touched, and memories of the past came back. She couldn't help but feel a blockage in her throat, a sore nose, and almost cried. Fortunately, the sound of a sheng came, accompanied by the passing spring breeze, soothing the sadness in her heart.
They went to look for him and found that the person playing the sheng was a folk musician. He had a rough appearance, but his voice was delicate and soft. He played a song called "Spring in the Courtyard".
With the arrival of spring, there will be a struggle for spring. A string of sounds rises together, spreading out a beautiful and cheerful melody. The person playing the zither is a musician, a pretty girl of sixteen or seventeen, playing the song "Hundred Flowers Leading".
Hundreds of flowers compete for spring, some are strong and some are weak. The sound of the pipa suddenly rises, and it blends with the second half of "A Hundred Flowers Introduction", which makes people's hearts surge with emotion.
The girl plucked the strings, leaving only the sound of the pipa. The pipa was like a beautiful peony, standing out among the flowers, but it only brought a moment of joy before turning sad again.
The red face leaves the mirror, the flowers leave the trees, and they are the things that cannot be retained in this world.
The song "Falling Petals" made everyone present sigh.
Xu Jiang stared at Xie Hongxing and couldn't help feeling pity in her heart. This song and this person were both like fallen petals, unable to control their own fate.
The lowly grass by the roadside is trampled by everyone, how dare you compare yourself to the spring flowers? A harsh flute note suddenly burst out.
Xu Jiang frowned and looked over. It was a man among the folk musicians, about twenty years old. He stared at Xie Hongxing with disdain while playing the flute. His performance of "Partridge Flying" was completely disappointing.
Xie Hongxing pursed her thin lips, her expression slightly filled with shame and anger.
At that moment, the xiqin exploded, taking over the tune and scattering the flute sounds. It was still "The Quail Flies," narrated with the xiqin's unique timbre, but with a sense of irony, as if someone was standing over the musician, mocking his shallowness and ignorance.
Xu Jiang craned her neck to watch for a moment, then spotted the zither player among the group of musicians: a woman with a lingering charm. Then, the young woman who had previously played "Hundred Flowers" began to pluck the strings and join the woman in a performance to voice her discontent.
Xie Hongxing's eyes were slightly red. She took a deep breath, and the lingering sound of "Song of the Frontier" followed by "The Quail Flies" rose up, telling the pain of being unable to control her own body and the repressed unwillingness in her heart.
I saw her ten fingers flying, and the sound of them was like wind and rain, like crying and complaining, which made people feel infinitely sad.
After the song was over, the sound of the strings lingered in the air, and everyone was unable to recover for a long time.
Afterwards, someone played the piano and beat the drums... Three cups of tea were served before the round ended.
Wu Qingye asked the musicians to rest for a while, then asked the adults to go to the side hall to discuss the matter. Ben also invited Xu Jiang to go with him, but Xu Jiang declined because she felt it was inappropriate.
After the few people left, the musicians and musicians became active again, gathering in groups of three or four to chat. Xu Jiang saw Xie Hongxing walking out of the water pavilion, so she stood up and followed her.
Coincidentally, there was an apricot tree next to the water pavilion. Spring came late at the bottom of the pond, and the flowers were in full bloom at this time. Xie Hongxing walked under the tree and stared at the fallen flowers on the water in a daze.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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