Chapter 108 Phoenix's Soulmate
Li Nuo was already certain in his heart.
The requirements of the code must have been raised.
Han Zhuo's painting skills are far from being top-notch, and are not as dominant as Zhou Yu's imperial examinations among students.
Not to mention the last year's Leke champion.
A lean camel is bigger than a horse. Liu Shang's piano skills would never fall to the level that the law would look down upon.
It is very likely that as he breaks through, the standard of the code will also improve.
Fortunately, he broke through slowly.
If he had broken through earlier, he might not even have been able to obtain Han Zhuo's painting skills.
This is a good thing, but also a bad thing.
The advantage is that the skills you will acquire in the future will be of higher quality, which can ensure that you will pass the imperial examinations with flying colors.
The downside is that the quality is too high and it is difficult for him to find people who meet the requirements of the code.
Just like Zhou Yu’s imperial examination, in order to acquire Liu Shang’s piano skills, Liu Shang must first improve himself.
But Zhou Yu still had reasons to take the imperial examination. Liu Shang was already the seventh-rank Taiyue Ling. If he didn't practice, there was no reason to force him to practice.
Besides, his expertise has been neglected for so long, it is still unclear whether he can return to his previous state.
It would be more convenient to look for new candidates.
However, I still need to explain the current situation to him.
Li Nuo looked at Liu Shang who was still in a daze, smiled and said, "Master Liu, let me introduce myself. My name is Li Nuo. I believe you have heard of my name."
Liu Shang raised his head, a look of shock on his face.
Of course he had heard of this name!
The son of Li Xuanjing, the Minister of Dali Temple, had killed Li Yuan, the son of Marquis of Yunyang, not long ago. He was able to escape unscathed despite petitions from all the powerful people in the court. Who in Chang'an didn't know about this?
Li Nuo continued, "I have heard that Lord Liu is proficient in music. This time I invited Lord Liu to come here, originally I wanted to ask Lord Liu to give me some advice on music theory."
Upon hearing this, Liu Shang stood there in a daze.
What?
The people from the Dali Temple captured him just to ask him for advice?
You should have said it earlier!
Along the way, he even thought about where he would be buried after his death.
After all this trouble, it turned out to be a false alarm.
After heaving a sigh of relief, he quickly said, "No, no, I can't say I can give you any advice. If you have any questions, I will tell you everything I know."
Li Nuo didn't have anything to ask. He had no basic knowledge of music theory. Asking Liu Shang questions about music was like a kindergarten student asking the top scorer in the college entrance examination. Could he ask him what the five tones were?
The question is too naive and you will only embarrass yourself.
He smiled apologetically and said, "I took the liberty of inviting Sir Liu here in this way in order to avoid any association. I hope Sir Liu will not blame me."
Liu Shang quickly said: "No, no..."
Having been in the officialdom for so long, he is no longer a rookie.
He has already stepped half a foot into the circle of power and wealth. If he were to have any direct relationship with the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple, he would probably be in trouble after returning.
I have to say that people were very considerate of him. They arrested him on the charge of visiting a prostitute, and no one would suspect that he had any collusion with Li Xuanjing.
Li Nuo spoke again: "For the sake of Lord Liu, please stay in the Dali Temple for one night and I will let you out tomorrow. I hope Lord Liu understands."
Liu Shang immediately said: "I understand, I understand!"
The room here is quite comfortable. He would be bullied at home anyway. Instead of going home to see that slut cheating on him, he might as well stay here. At least it is more comfortable than the office in the Taiyue Bureau.
Although he was arrested and taken to the Dali Temple, he had a good impression of the son of the Dali Temple Chief Justice.
Not only does everything go smoothly.
He is also very discerning in life.
He had been preparing to become the top pick in Leco since he was born, no, before he was born.
When a mother is pregnant, she should listen to the "Six Musics" for several hours every day.
Others used "Shuowen" to learn to read, but he used "Yunmen" to learn to read.
For the past twenty years, no matter how cold or hot it was, he practiced day and night without interruption, just to become the top scorer in music.
The Dali Temple Minister chose the right person by looking for him.
Liu Shang was organizing his words, intending to share all his experience in the imperial examination.
Li Nuo turned around and walked outside, asking Zhang Sizheng: "Master Zhang, do you know if there are any people in Chang'an who have outstanding attainments in music..."
Liu Shang's skills have been wasted, so Li Nuo can only look for someone else who is more capable.
He is the most recent top scorer in the music exam. The previous top scorers in the music exam had been in the government longer, but they were probably not as good as him.
There was no need for him to go to the Ministry of Personnel again. This Zhang Sizheng seemed to know a lot about music and might be able to give Li Nuo some advice.
Zhang Sizheng thought for a moment and said, "There is a difference between the music section of the imperial examination and the music of Taoism. Sir Liu is the latest champion of the music section. When it comes to the music section of the imperial examination, I'm afraid no one knows more about it than Sir Liu.
In addition, several music teachers in Dongshan Academy have been teaching music for their whole lives. Although their skills may not be as good as those of young people due to their age, their experience is not comparable to that of young people..."
Li Nuo sighed softly.
Leke is all about hands-on skills. Even if those old gentlemen have rich theoretical experience, it is useless if they cannot do practical work.
He thought that acquiring the six arts skills would be an easy thing, but he didn't expect that things were not as simple as he imagined.
It seems that we still have to select from the students taking part in the next imperial examination.
Their level is undoubtedly at the peak of their lives.
Liu Shang stared blankly at them as they left.
No, you’re leaving now?
Didn’t you say that you would ask him for advice on music?
Could it be that after listening to the song just now, he didn’t like me?
He admitted that his piano skills had deteriorated a lot, but a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. Even if he had neglected his skills in the past few years, looking throughout Chang'an, there were few people who knew more about the imperial music subject than him!
Liu Shang admitted that he was not good in bed.
He refuses to accept the fact that Leke is not good enough!
It's just that he hasn't practiced for a long time and his hands are not so good anymore. As long as he is given some time, he will definitely be able to return to the top.
Seeing the cell door about to close, Liu Shang suddenly stood up and shouted, "Wait a minute!"
Li Nuo and others turned around and looked at him.
Liu Shang looked at Zhang Sizheng and said, "Sir, can you please keep this zither? I will return it to you when I leave tomorrow."
Zhang Sizheng thought about it and had the guqin in his arms sent in.
Zhang Sizheng was obviously also a music lover. After leaving the cell, Li Nuo asked Zhang Sizheng, "Master Zhang, I wonder if any of the students in this class have surpassed Master Liu in music?"
Zhang Sizheng said without hesitation, "It's impossible. Before the imperial examination, Lord Liu was a well-known genius in music. Even if his level of music is not as good as before, it is still incomparable to others. Among the students taking the imperial examination this year, no one is as outstanding in music as Lord Liu was back then..."
Li Nuo was surprised and asked, "Is it so powerful?"
Zhang Si was lost in reminiscence. After a moment, he said, "Master Liu was not only the top scorer in the music exam last year, but his score in the music exam that year was also a rare "excellent" one. Throughout the past ten imperial examinations, the only ones with excellent scores in the music exam were Master Liu and Master Li back then..."
It seems that Li Nuo still underestimated this Taile Ling.
The results of the imperial examinations were divided into ten levels, similar to the rating of officials, which were divided into A, B, and C. Each level was further divided into upper, middle, and lower.
Grade A and above is generally considered the highest rating.
But above A, there is another level called "Excellent".
It's just that it's extremely difficult to get an excellent evaluation in the imperial examination, which means that this subject is so perfect that there is no flaw to be found.
If you get full marks in mathematics subjects, you can get excellent evaluation.
After all, the characteristics of the subject are there. Right is right, wrong is wrong, and there is nothing to dispute.
Although several subjects in the imperial examinations are difficult, there are still several excellent test papers emerging every year.
But music science is different. It is subjective, and the examiner's preference can affect the score assessment to a certain extent.
An excellent performance in music is as significant as a full score in Chinese in the college entrance examination, and its difficulty is incomparable to that of mathematics.
Not to mention being excellent, even being at the top level is difficult.
Most of the time, Leke's top scorer's grades are just A or below A.
When Li Nuo left the Dali Temple, he heard faint sounds of a zither coming from inside the temple...
Zhang Si was standing outside the cell with a look of surprise on his face.
As expected of one of the only two people in decades to have won the top prize in music, when he played it the second time, it was much better than the first time.
At this time, Li Nuo was already sitting in the carriage.
Liu Shang now doesn’t even look down on the law code, so there is no need for him to test those students.
The previous music science champions didn’t have much hope.
It would be better to urge Liu Shang more.
With his talent, if he practices hard for a period of time, he may be able to return to his peak.
Let’s wait until he comes out of the Dali Temple.
Butler Wu's driving skills have improved a lot compared to before. Li Nuo leaned against the carriage, intending to take a rest, when suddenly he heard a burst of music.
Li Nuo doesn't have a very high appreciation of music, but this piece of music is quite nice.
He opened his eyes and said, "Stop."
The carriage slowly stopped. Li Nuo lifted the curtain and looked outside, his expression slightly stunned.
It turned out to be Yuyin Pavilion.
He thought about it, jumped off the carriage, and walked into Yuyin Pavilion.
He had no interest in listening to music before, but since he was going to take the imperial examination, it was impossible for him not to understand music.
I don’t know what the level of the musicians in Yuyin Pavilion is. If he can find a musician recognized by the code, it will save him a lot of effort.
Yuyin Pavilion is such a big store, and no one knows how much money comes in every day. Li Nuo doesn't believe that they have paid taxes honestly on every income.
For things like this, it's fine if you don't check, but once you check, you'll know the answer.
Yuyin Pavilion’s business is very good.
The hall on the first floor was packed with people, and on a stage on the second floor surrounded by a translucent gauze curtain, a musician could be vaguely seen playing.
The song she played was the same song that Li Nuo had just heard.
Inside the counter, several women were chatting. One of them looked up and was suddenly stunned. Then she quickly walked out of the counter, came to Li Nuo and said, "Sir, you are here. I will take you upstairs..."
Seeing this, other guests in the hall couldn't help but whisper to the people around them.
"Didn't they say there were no private rooms upstairs?"
"I'm afraid it's some big shot. There must be a few rooms in a place like this that are reserved for big shots."
"Who is this person? He looks unfamiliar..."
Amid the discussions of the crowd, Li Nuo was taken by the woman to a room upstairs.
He looked around and it seemed to be the same room as last time.
A charming woman was fiddling with a vase of flowers at the table. When she heard the noise coming from the door, she turned around and was slightly startled. She immediately stood up, smiled and walked forward, saying in a soft voice, "Sir, you are here..."
After a moment.
In a room on the second floor of Yuyin Pavilion, Li Nuo took a sip of fragrant tea and admired a vase of flowers on the table.
Unexpectedly, the expert in flower arrangement in Yuyin Pavilion turned out to be Miss Fenghuang.
That being said, she must also be proficient in painting.
Under normal circumstances, those who are proficient in painting will also be good at calligraphy.
She is also the head of Yuyin Pavilion, so she must know how to play some musical instruments.
In this way, she is almost the kind of woman that my wife envies, who is proficient in everything from music, chess, calligraphy and painting.
And she's in good shape.
It’s a pity that I can’t fight.
“Squeak…”
The door of the inner room was pushed open and Miss Phoenix walked out.
She even changed her clothes on purpose.
Although this long skirt is not very revealing, it highlights her waist.
Li Nuo only glanced at it, then looked away and asked directly, "Excuse me, Miss Fenghuang, which girl in Yuyin Pavilion is the best at music?"
Fenghuang was a little surprised. Wasn't he not interested in Le Dao? Why was he asking this today?
After a brief moment of confusion, she smiled and said, "Sir, you are asking the right person."
Li Nuo was slightly stunned and asked, "Could it be you?"
Fenghuang walked to the guqin in the room confidently and said, "I am not bragging. In terms of military strategy, I am not as good as Yuanyang, and in terms of archery, I am not as good as Nightingale. But in terms of music, I am second to none in the entire Yuyin Pavilion. No one dares to claim to be first..."
Yuyin Pavilion is a very strange place.
Although it was a music troupe, each of the girls possessed extraordinary skills, either military tactics or archery.
Is this something an indecent girl in a brothel should know?
Even a decent girl shouldn't do that!
In comparison, Phoenix's specialties seem a bit more normal.
Li Nuo complained in his heart and said, "Can you please play a song for me, young lady?"
Fenghuang sat down beside the zither and said with a smile, "Of course, what song would you like to hear, sir?"
She wanted to compose a song for him last time, but he refused.
I don't know why he suddenly changed his temper this time.
He doesn't want it when it's given to him.
When you don't give it to me, I'll ask for it.
Li Nuo thought for a moment and said, "It's up to you. Any song is fine."
In fact, apart from Liule, he didn't know the names of other songs.
Fenghuang thought for a moment and said, "Then I will just play a piece of my own composition."
Li Nuo put down his teacup and listened attentively.
She gently plucked the strings with her fingers, and the plaintive music began to flow through her fingertips.
Li Nuo closed his eyes and listened with some intoxication.
Miss Phoenix really didn't brag. Even Li Nuo, a layman, could tell that she played much better than the musician outside.
But compared to Liu Shang...
To be honest, Li Nuo still thinks Liu Shang is more powerful.
Both of them play the piano beautifully, but in different ways.
Just like the difference between a pop singer and a national team, there is something indescribable in Liu Shang's music compared to Fenghuang's.
This is Li Nuo's intuitive feeling as an outsider.
But if you ask him what exactly is going on, he can't say.
But this trip to Yuyin Pavilion should have been in vain.
Even Liu Shang's ability is looked down upon by the Code, let alone the Phoenix.
Yuyin Pavilion, just as Li Nuo was immersed in the performance of Fenghuang.
Dali Temple.
A group of officials and runners from the Dali Temple stood outside a cell, listening to the music coming from inside, with the same intoxicated looks on their faces.
The music inside has never stopped since just now.
Even people who don't understand music can hear that the music coming from inside is getting better and better.
Zhang Sizheng, who knew a little about music, was even more shocked.
Liu Shangzhen plays better every time than the previous one.
Almost every time, he could hear obvious improvement.
He is worthy of being the top scholar who received an “excellent” evaluation.
This talent for enjoying the Tao is truly terrifying.
Even though he had been abandoned for a long time, from the moment he touched the zither, Liu Shang, the former top scorer in music, was slowly returning.
Inside the cell.
Liu Shang closed his eyes and entered a state of complete selflessness.
The comments of the Dali Temple official and their attitude towards him deeply hurt his proud heart.
He played Cloud Gate over and over again.
As the beginning of the six kinds of music, these melodies have long been engraved in his soul.
Bang!
After playing it for who knows how many times, a string on the harp finally broke because it could not bear the pressure.
Liu Shang's ten fingers were bleeding, but there was a smile on his face.
He hadn't touched the piano for a long time, and he needed some time to get back to the feeling of playing.
The last time he did it, he already had 70% of his strength at his peak.
70% is enough!
Even if he had only used 70% of his strength back then, he would still be the undisputed number one in music science.
He looked at a figure standing outside the cell and said proudly, "Sir outside, didn't you say that my piano skills have deteriorated a lot? How was the song just now? Why are you mute? Speak!"
…
Yuyin Pavilion.
Li Nuo finally understood why so many people liked to listen to music.
Apart from doing something else that makes you happy after listening to the song,
As far as the process of listening to music is concerned, being able to hear a high-level performance is itself a kind of enjoyment that goes deep into the soul, just like tasting a glass of mellow wine.
only……
Li Nuo opened his eyes, a puzzled look on his face.
I was listening to this piece of music just now, and it was fine.
Now, to him, everything seems inadequate.
The wine that smelled mellow and fragrant one second suddenly tasted sour the next second.
It seemed like the player was suddenly replaced.
But soon, Li Nuo realized that it was not the person playing the music who had changed.
But the people who listen to the music have changed.
He looked at the code and found that the portrait of Liu Shang on the last page had lit up.
At the same time, his mind also gained some music theory knowledge that he had never been exposed to before.
What's going on?
Can the portrait on the code brighten by itself?
This was also the first time he encountered such a situation.
At this time, the music in the room gradually faded away. Miss Phoenix withdrew her hands from the strings, looked at Li Nuo with a smile, and asked, "How is my playing?"
Although Li Nuo had a lot to complain about the performance just now, he didn't want to attack others for no reason, so he said, "It's okay."
Phoenix was prepared to hear all kinds of flowery compliments from him, but all she got was "Not bad".
This caused a big gap in her heart.
She pretended to be sincere and said, "I can't play well, please give me some pointers."
Seeing her sincerity, Li Nuo stopped hiding anything and said, "Then I'll be frank. There are indeed many problems with your playing."
Phoenix was slightly stunned.
No, she was just being polite. Are you really giving her some advice?
Doesn't he know nothing about music?
She took a deep breath, calmed herself down a little, and asked for advice with an expression on her face, "Please teach me, sir."
Li Nuo looked at her, thought for a moment, and then said slowly: "To be honest, your basic skills are barely passable, but when you play, you focus too much on technique and ignore the emotions. Music has a soul, and your music is just a shell without a soul. It's just a show of skill, the worst of the worst...
Just barely?
No soul?
The worst of the worst?
Fenghuang looked at Li Nuo with a dull expression.
Everyone knows that music should have soul, but those who can give music soul are all masters who have been immersed in this art for decades. Isn't it too harsh to ask her to meet the standards of a master?
She twisted her hips, made some room, and said unconvincedly, "Sir, can you show me what kind of music has soul?"
Li Nuo walked to the guqin and said, "Take the piece you just played as an example. From what I can hear, the piece describes a woman's longing for her husband. The melody is mournful and solemn. This wife must have lost her husband in the war, but you only told the most simple story and did not play out the woman's strong longing for her husband..."
Phoenix looked at Li Nuo in disbelief.
It is easy to find a lover, but hard to find a soulmate.
At this moment, she felt like she had found a soulmate.
This song was composed by her, and only she knew the background of the song. Li Nuo was the first person to tell the story behind this song...
If you are not really well versed in music, you will not be able to make such incisive comments.
While she was still in shock, a sad and mournful piece of music came out from Li Nuo's fingertips.
Phoenix sat there in a daze.
He was able to play the original song after just listening to it once!
As she listened to the music, she seemed to have turned into the woman in the story.
The childhood sweethearts finally got married. Just as they were about to embrace the happiness that was within their reach, a war broke out between their country and a neighboring country. On the wedding night, the husband was drafted into the army, leaving the bride alone facing the red candles in the bridal chamber...
She thought about him day and night, and waited eagerly for three years, but what she got was the sad news that her husband had died...
A tear rolled down Phoenix's beautiful cheek.
At first there was only one drop, and then it became a string.
This song was composed by her, and she knows the story behind the music better than anyone else.
The music penetrated her soul deeply. She couldn't control her emotions at all. She felt an unknown sorrow in her heart. She couldn't bear it any longer. She leaned on Li Nuo's shoulder and cried sadly...
(End of this chapter)
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