Gu Jiangli squatted down to be at Yun Qing's eye level: "Yun Qing really likes music, doesn't she?"
Yun Qing nodded, a slightly carefree smile appearing on his youthful face. "I like it." But soon, the smile faded: "But Mother, don't you think it's not good to like this?"
"How could that be? Yunqing, liking music is not a bad thing."
Yun Qing lowered her head, her voice muffled: "Didn't Mother want me to study hard? Actually, I know that when my brother left, he asked the teacher at Baiwen Academy to leave me a letter of recommendation. As long as I grow a little older, I can directly enter Baiwen Academy with that letter."
"However, I don't have my brother's abilities. My brother is naturally studious and has a photographic memory. I am not as good as my brother. If I really go to Baiwen Academy in the future, I will definitely embarrass my brother."
"I don't want to learn those things, I just want to learn to play the piano and listen to music."
Gu Jiangli frowned slightly, now gradually understanding Yun Qing's worries.
Although the children are young, they have a lot on their minds. She had previously overlooked Yun Qing's thoughts.
Gu Jiangli patted Yun Qing's head, her face showing no reproach, but gentleness and kindness: "Yun Qing, music is a beautiful thing in this world. If you are willing to learn it and like to learn it, your mother and father will not object."
"Really?" Yun Qing's eyes lit up with joy.
"Of course, since Yunqing wants to learn, why don't we go somewhere together first? I'll take Yunqing to hear something different."
"OK."
Upon hearing that they were going out to play, Yun Qing seemed happier than ever.
"Mother, should we bring Father along?"
"No need, Father has a lot on his plate, so we won't take him this time. We'll be back soon."
"good!"
Gu Jiangli led Yun Qing to the riverbank.
Nestled amidst mountains and water, shrouded in mist, this place evokes a sense of otherworldly paradise.
Gu Jiangli and the others were on the riverbank. They brought a few chairs and sat with Yun Qing, looking towards the river.
The two ships were faintly visible in the light mist, and Yun Qing observed them very carefully.
"Mother, what are we here to see?" His round, bright eyes blinked, filled with curiosity.
Gu Jiangli looked ahead and said calmly, "Yunqing, there are many scholars and gentlemen on those two boats. Among them, Zhao Qingyan is good at playing the guqin and Fang Shiyuan is good at playing the sheng. The two of them are proficient in music and also like poetry and painting. They meet on the boat on the third day of every month and invite other friends to compose poems together."
"Some say that their duet is like heavenly music; listening to one piece makes one feel as if they are there, and the lingering sound can last for three days."
As the two ships drew closer, and she knew the people on board must have seen each other, she smirked and said:
"Listen, it's about to begin."
Upon hearing this, Yun Qing immediately focused her attention, staring intently at the two boats on the river, refusing to look away for even a moment.
A moment later, the strings were plucked, and the music came from the center of the river.
The mere sound made Yun Qing tense up.
He had never heard such powerful music before, like a thousand troops coming from the river, with ten thousand bows and arrows poised behind him, ready to attack at any moment.
The sound of the zither was so powerful and majestic that it was completely different from what he had heard before.
After the guqin began to play, the sheng followed closely behind.
With just two instruments, the performance conveyed the energy of dozens of people.
Yun Qing couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up from his chair with a dazed look in his eyes and took several steps forward.
The river water had already soaked his trouser legs, but he didn't feel the cold at all. He only felt that something in front of him was attracting him, making him unable to resist getting closer and closer.
Gu Jiangli did not stop him, because she knew he had not yet heard the most exciting part.
Halfway through the music, voices suddenly came from the boat.
The soaring verses, combined with the music, amplified the overall effect.
Their casual remarks are often beautiful and memorable.
One person utters two lines, or three lines, in harmony with the zither and sheng, making one's blood boil.
Yun Qing had long forgotten his thoughts; his breathing became rapid and his eyes slightly red.
He longed to go forward, to get on the ship, to recite poetry and play music with them.
But what blocked his way was a pool of river water beneath his feet.
He could only watch from afar, unable to get close to them no matter what he did.
The music ended.
The river surface returned to calm.
The sounds of several young men chatting happily still lingered on the boat. They were so engrossed in their conversation, praising the mountains and rivers, that they were completely unaware that a child on the shore had already been influenced by them.
Yun Qing returned to her chair with red eyes, her expression clearly showing disappointment.
Gu Jiangli was well aware of this, but she didn't rush to ask questions. Instead, she took his hand and said, "We've finished listening to the music, we should go back now."
She pulled, but Yun Qing remained seated and unmoved.
"What's wrong? Don't you want to leave yet?" Gu Jiangli asked with a half-smile.
Yun Qing hung her head and asked in a muffled voice, "Mother, I want to get on the boat too, I want to be with those brothers, but this river is so wide, I can't swim across. How... how can I be with them?"
Gu Jiangli chuckled secretly, but the smile vanished as she squatted down.
She said, "Yunqing, the distance between you and those young masters is not this river."
Yun Qing asked, puzzled, "What is that?"
"Yunqing, think carefully. Can you understand the poems and lyrics written by those young masters? Do you understand their meaning? Do you know the emotions hidden in the zither and sheng duet? Do you know what story this piece tells?"
Yun Qing looked blank, shook her head, and looked even more aggrieved.
"I have no idea."
"So, even if your mother and father send you onto those two boats, will you really be able to chat with those brothers on board? If you are no different from the one on the shore now, then even if you are on the boat, you will only be able to hear their playing and poetry up close. Yunqing, if you want to get close to them, it is not enough to simply get on a boat with them."
"Only those who have read many books and seen many things can play the most moving melodies and compose the most touching poems."
Yun Qing seemed to have had a sudden realization.
"I... I should study a lot more, right?"
Gu Jiangli smiled faintly and remained silent.
Yunqing said anxiously, "Mother, let's go back quickly and find me a teacher. I will study hard!"
He jumped up from the chair and pulled Gu Jiangli back.
Gu Jiangli held his hand, smiling broadly. Yun Qing understood these principles and knew what to do.
Fortunately, it's not too late to understand these things now.
"Alright, alright, I'll have your father find you a tutor to teach you to read."
"Yes, Mother, I have something else I'd like to ask you."
"What's up?"
"Can I learn to play the guqin and sheng? Could you find a teacher to instruct me?"
Yun Qing was full of fighting spirit, which made Gu Jiangli laugh.
"Sure, as long as you have enough time, you can study however you want."
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