Seeing that he seemed a little annoyed, Father Ding kept silent for a rare moment, picked up the wine jug and took a big gulp.
Zhang Shixun thought to himself how come this old man had changed his personality? He always argued with him and never showed weakness. What happened today?
I looked at Ding's father curiously and found a hint of cunning in the corner of his eyes. I knew I had been fooled. It turned out that this old man was trying to trick me.
Old ginger is still spicy.
Ding Dusai came over and said, "Mr. Zhang, it's your turn next. Are you ready?"
"I'm ready." Zhang Shixun stood up and said, "Let me clean my hands."
Ding Dusai knew his habit and had already prepared it for him. He waved his hand and a servant came over with a copper basin.
Zhang Shixun put his hand into the copper basin. The warm water inside was neither hot nor cold. He looked up and smiled at Ding Dusai. What a considerate woman.
"The person in my dream, the familiar face, you are the tenderness that I have been waiting for. Even if my tears drown the world, I will not let go."
"Throughout the ages, love remains the eternal myth. Through the ebb and flow of the tide, I never regret the promise of true love...Holding your hands tightly, let us never be separated.
Waiting for the flowers to bloom, spring comes and goes, the ruthless years laugh at my madness..."
…
This song is the theme song of the movie "The Myth" and won the Best Film and Television Song Award at the Music Billboard that year.
There are two versions of the lyrics, one by Jackie Chan and Kim Hee Sun, and the other by Deng Nan and Han Hong.
Zhang Shixun chose the latter.
Today is New Year's Eve. Unlike usual days, most of the people who can enter the peony shed are people of status and position. These people are not ordinary people. Poetry and songs are compulsory courses for them, and they can appreciate the artistic conception of the lyrics.
Zhang Shixun was born into a musical family. He has a certain level of skill in both playing and singing. Although he cannot be said to be at a professional level, his singing and playing at this time and space is definitely at the master level.
When Zhang Shixun was sitting alone on the stage singing, the whole audience was silent. The moving lyrics and beautiful and sad melody deeply moved the audience.
When the last note ended, there was silence in the Lotus Pavilion. After a pause, there was a burst of cheers, one after another.
"Sir!" When Zhang Shixun returned to the backstage, Ding Dusai looked at him and burst into tears.
"Why are you crying for no reason?" Zhang Shixun asked, holding her hand.
"Sir, the singing is so good. I feel like the lyrics were written for me. I am so moved."
"Don't! It's just a song, you shouldn't be so moved."
"Hello!" A discordant voice appeared.
The two men had no choice but to let go. Zhang Shixun hated this old man so much.
Someone said to Madam Ding, "Master, the audience is not happy and wants Master Zhang to sing one more song."
Sure enough, backstage one could hear shouts from the audience, which simply meant "one more".
Faced with such enthusiastic audiences, all opera troupes generally will not disappoint the audience.
Before Ding Dusai could beg him, Zhang Shixun said with a wry smile, "I knew it would be like this, I knew it would be like this."
"Then let's sing another song." Ding Dusai took the initiative to hold his hand regardless of his father being beside him.
Zhang Shixun's heart moved, and he thought to himself: I like holding her hand, does she like holding mine too?
Ding Dusai whispered, "Sir, if I guess correctly, my sister is definitely not alone. The official should also be in my sister's stand."
"Are you sure?"
"Um!"
Zhang Shixun looked out through the gap in the curtain and saw several strong men with their arms folded standing under the stand where Li Shishi was. There was also an acquaintance among them - Jiang Xuan.
He was Zhao Ji's personal bodyguard, equivalent to the chief guard in later generations. Since this guy appeared here, Zhao Ji was probably here too.
Ding Dusai urged: "Sir, stop being hysterical and get on stage quickly."
"Oh! All right."
When Zhang Shixun came on stage again, Li Shishi was crying in the stands.
"Shishi, stop crying. It makes my nose sore too." Someone next to her tried to persuade her. This person was none other than the current emperor Zhao Ji.
"Throughout the vicissitudes of life, only love remains an eternal myth." Li Shishi recited a few verses of the lyrics over and over again: "...Spring comes and goes, the ruthless years laugh at my madness..."
"The artistic conception of the lyrics is quite good, but the rhythm doesn't match." Zhao Ji said. He felt jealous when he saw how obsessed she was with the song.
He was proficient in all arts, including music, chess, calligraphy and painting. He began to create and organize music when he was in his twenties. He summarized the popular music before him, created new tunes, and formed Yuefu Ci with lyrics. The rules and regulations he formulated afterwards have continued to influence the lyrics and music after the Song Dynasty.
In a sense, Zhao Ji was a great musician.
"Your Excellency, there are many people today who excel at reciting poetry, but many of them are merely whining without reason. Few can truly express their feelings through song. Although the tune Zhang Shixun sings doesn't quite match the rhythm, it does speak volumes."
"Even so, this kind of song and lyrics can only be sung in brothels and theaters, not in elegant halls."
"It doesn't matter if it's not worthy of being performed in a formal setting, as long as someone is willing to listen. What's more, this is the Lotus Pavilion, the very kind of brothel that officials look down upon."
Zhao Ji was a little angry when he heard this. Usually, Li Shishi was always obedient to him. What happened to her today?
"Master, please don't be angry. I was touched by the song just now. Women will eventually lose their beauty. If I grow old and lose my beauty, will you still like me?"
Without waiting for Zhao Ji's reply, Li Shishi continued, "Every woman wants to find a man to be with her for life, forever and ever, until old age. Just like what Zhang Shixun sang in his song: 'Ebb and flow, but I never regret the promise of true love... My lord, can you stay with me forever?"
"I..." Zhao Ji's face turned red. As an emperor with thousands of beauties in his harem, he was the least qualified to talk about "true love" with others.
Li Shishi noticed that he had a suspicious look on his face and quickly stopped talking. "My lord, please don't mind me. I was talking about every girl's wish and I didn't mean to test you."
"Shishi, let's not talk about this today... Look, kid Zhang is on stage again. I wonder what song he will sing this time." Zhao Ji finally found an opportunity to change the subject.
Li Shishi looked towards the stage and found that Zhang Shixun had been standing in the center of the stage without her noticing.
"Alas! You never let me go." Zhang Shixun pointed at the audience with his hands on his hips. "Every time I go on stage, you force me to perform a few more pieces before I stop. Do you have a grudge against me?"
The audience burst into laughter, and someone shouted loudly, "Two is not enough! It's New Year's Day now, if you don't perform three or five, we won't let you go."
Zhang Shixun gritted his teeth and acted angrily, "You fat bastard, why are you here again? If you yell again... I'll go down and fight you for three hundred rounds."
The fat man held his head in his hands and said, "Ouch! I won't scream anymore. Please be magnanimous and let me go."
There was another burst of laughter from the audience.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com