Li Shishi's piano room is very elegant. There are several pots of flowers and plants in the room, and a landscape painting hangs on the middle wall. In the middle of the piano room is an antique piano table, and on the table there is a small incense burner with burnt incense sticks on it.
Li Shishi offered Zhang Shixun a seat behind the zither table: "Master Zhang, please take a seat."
Zhang Shixun was no longer modest. Since he had agreed to play the piano, he might as well get straight to the point instead of being polite like a fool.
Zhang Shixun sat down behind the zither table, looking at the antique-looking guzheng placed on it. He unconsciously reached out and plucked it… Not bad! The high notes were crisp and bright, the midrange was strong and full, and the bass was rich and continuous.
"What a great guzheng!" Zhang Shixun exclaimed in praise. It was better than any other guzheng he had ever played.
"Mr. Zhang is a connoisseur of valuables. This zither is from the collection of the imperial palace, and I am borrowing it temporarily." Li Shishi said from the side.
This is understandable. After all, the emperor is her lover, so it is natural for him to borrow a zither.
"What do you want to hear?" Zhang Shixun asked while casually plucking the strings.
"Sir, it's up to you, just pick the best-sounding one." Dingdu track.
"Okay, can you let me wash my hands first?" Zhang Shixun asked Li Shishi.
"Oh! Look at me, how could I forget all this? It's all my negligence. I'm sorry!" Li Shishi hurriedly asked the maid to bring water, and personally lit a few incense sticks and inserted them into the small incense burner.
After washing his hands and straightening his clothes, Zhang Shixun sat down behind the piano table and began to tune the strings.
In ancient times, musical instrument strings were usually made of silk, and some were made of sheep intestines. Although musical instrument strings made of these materials were also used in later generations, few people used them.
Silk has its advantages in making guitar strings, as it is not easy to break, but its disadvantage is that the sound is relatively small, making it unsuitable for playing in noisy environments. However, it can be used in a quiet room without any taboos.
After tuning the strings, Zhang Shixun sat upright, closed his eyes and calmed his mind, then slowly placed his hands on the strings.
He first played an etude, which was specially tailored for him by his parents with great effort. It included almost fifty kinds of guqin fingerings. Although it was difficult to practice, the melody was beautiful and it was not boring to play.
After the piece was finished, Zhang Shixun gently stroked the zither and exclaimed, "What a fine zheng! The tone is rich and pure, bright but not irritating, soft but not hollow, and with a lingering charm... It's simply perfect!"
After praising them, Zhang Shixun didn't hear any response. He looked up and found that Li Shishi and Ding Dusaidu were staring at him blankly. He was stunned and blurted out, "What's wrong with you two?"
"How can you play so well?" Li Shishi was shocked by the sound of the piano just now.
"Yes, sir! You play the piano so well." Ding Dusai's face was full of admiration.
"I'll be proud if you two praise me like this," Zhang Shixun said half-jokingly.
"What's the name of this song?" asked Li Shishi.
"This is just a piano practice piece I created. I just use it to practice my fingering." Zhang Shixun felt that it was natural to use his parents' things to show off, and he didn't feel any guilt.
"Is this just your own piano practice piece?" Li Shishi opened her cherry mouth and exclaimed.
"Let me show you my poor performance! Let me show you my poor performance!" Zhang Shixun said modestly.
"Sister, I was right when I said that Mr. Zhang has superb skills, right?" Ding Du said.
"Sister, you really didn't lie to me. Master Zhang's skills are truly extraordinary. I consider myself knowledgeable and have heard many great players play, but many of Master Zhang's techniques are completely unheard of and unseen. Even Scholar Zhou is far inferior to him." Li Shishi said, praising him sincerely, "Only after listening to Master Zhang's music did I truly understand what supreme skill is."
"Mrs. Shishi, thank you for your compliment. Your skills are so extraordinary that I really don't deserve it. I feel ashamed!" Although Zhang Shixun was very thick-skinned, he felt a little embarrassed by the two people's praise.
"Mr. Zhang, I still find it hard to believe that this piece of music is actually a piano practice piece." Li Shishi's voice was soft, with an indescribable magnetism. In short, it sounded very nice.
"Yeah, I don't believe it either." Ding Dusai echoed.
"Believe it or not." Zhang Shixun smiled. How could he not hear the two people's little provocation?
"Play another good song. Don't fool us by playing fingering practice songs this time." Ding Du said.
"Okay! Okay!" Zhang Shixun was so complimented by them that he couldn't help but pluck the strings and said, "How about I play 'Spring River Moon Night' for you two?"
"A Moonlit Night on a Spring River?" Li Shishi was overjoyed and asked hurriedly, "Is it the one by Zhang Ruoxu?"
Before he could reply, Li Shishi began to chant: "The spring river tide reaches the sea level, and the bright moon rises with the tide. The shimmering waves stretch for thousands of miles, and there is no spring river without a bright moon!"
She only recited the beginning and then stopped, looking at him with her bright eyes.
"Ms. Li guessed right. It is exactly taken from the artistic conception of this poem." Zhang Shixun nodded with a smile.
"Thank you for your help, Mr. Zhang." Li Shishi stood up and bowed solemnly.
Zhang Shixun quickly stood up and said, "We are just meeting friends through the music. Madam Li, please don't be so polite. I can't bear it."
"That's right, Sister Shishi, why are you so polite?" Ding Dusai seemed surprised as well. She never came when Li Shishi was having guests, but she knew her sister's character. She was aloof and rude to others. Only a very few people could make her polite, such as Zhou Bangyan who taught her to play the piano and sing, and the current emperor.
Li Shishi did not explain, but smiled and said, "Sir, please play the song 'Spring River Moon Night' for us. We sisters are all ears."
Zhang Shixun looked at her again, then slowly sat down, closed his eyes slightly, paused for a moment, and began to play.
"Spring River Moonlit Night" is a masterpiece among masterpieces of classical music, a classic among classics. Its melodies are graceful and simple, elegant and beautiful, like a landscape painting unfolding scene by scene before the audience, vividly depicting the charming scenery of the spring river on a moonlit night - on a quiet night, the bright moon rises in the sky, the shadows of the trees sway gently on the shore, and a light boat ripples on the river surface...
What Zhang Shixun played was not the original zheng music, but a pop song adapted by later musicians based on the ancient score and the artistic conception of "Spring River Moon Night". Many famous female singers have sung it very beautifully.
As the music started, the two girls were immediately immersed in the charming melody.
As he played, Zhang Shixun actually started to sing:
I stand alone on the railing of the riverside tower, listening to the sound of bells and drums, which drift into the colorful sunset.
The spring water of the river flows slowly, the fields are deserted, only the light mist and smoke are coming...
Zhang Shixun has loved music deeply since he was a child under the influence of his parents. Although he learned musical instruments to get extra points in the college entrance examination, he really planned to be a performer for his whole life.
Unfortunately, in later generations, there are so many people learning to play musical instruments, and many of them are very talented. It is too difficult for them to stand out, and they finally have to give up.
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