190, Erhu performance
190, Erhu performance
When one of the teachers saw the instrument in the student's hand, he said to the teacher next to him: "In all the years since our Imperial College opened, this is the first time that a student has brought a huqin to the competition."
Seeing that the students had already started to make a move, Chai Min made a gesture to silence the people around him, asking them to stop talking.
The low and sad music slowly flowed out from the erhu strings. The originally noisy scene suddenly became quiet, and everyone's eyes were focused on the young man sitting on the stage.
Lu Mingfei closed his eyes slightly. At first, he was recalling the melody while playing the erhu. Gradually, he found that familiar feeling and played the erhu in his hand based on the familiar movements in his memory.
A moment ago, some people in the audience were making fun of the fact that someone was learning a low-quality instrument like the huqin and going on stage to compete. But after a while, all those who were making fun of the situation had sad expressions on their faces.
"What song is this? Why have I never heard of it before?"
"Wow, why am I so sad? Wow, wow..."
“…”
The person who was laughing the moment before started to have red eyes the next moment.
Even the teachers on the stage were immersed in the music after listening to this song, and sad expressions appeared on their faces.
That's right, Lu Mingfei was playing the most classic erhu piece, "Erquan Yingyue" (Moon Reflected in Two Springs), which was also their dean's favorite piece. He had studied erhu with their dean for so many years, and the piece he was most familiar with was "Erquan Yingyue" (Moon Reflected in Two Springs).
So when he picked up the erhu to practice again, he chose the piece he was most familiar with.
Zhang Lingxuan, Ye Zhuoran, and Fu Boming had all heard Lu Mingfei play this piece in the courtyard before. A few days ago, Lu Mingfei's performance was a bit choppy, but today, as he sat on the stage, he was able to play the piece smoothly.
The three people were also immersed in this sad melody, recalling the saddest thing they had encountered in the past ten years.
"Wuwuwu..." Ye Zhuoran held his lips tightly, his eyes red.
"..." Zhang Lingxuan glanced at Ye Zhuoran upon hearing the voice, speechless for a moment. After a moment, his hands moved, reaching out to pat Ye Zhuoran's shoulder.
Who knew that his comforting gesture would make Ye Zhuoran hug him and cry on his shoulder.
"..." For a moment, Zhang Lingxuan didn't know whether he should continue to comfort this person or push him away. In the end, he chose to stand here motionless.
Zhao Lang was standing behind the crowd, looking at the young man playing the erhu on the stage. However, his attention was not on the tune, but on the person playing it.
The boy on the stage gave him a strange feeling. He could sense the sadness emanating from him. "What makes you so sad?" he asked in his heart.
It’s a pity that no one answered his question.
When the last note falls, the song ends.
Lu Mingfei let out a long breath as he put away his erhu. He stood up, holding his erhu, and bowed slightly to the teachers on the stage. He also turned and bowed slightly to the audience below.
When he saw the person standing behind the crowd, he was a little surprised. He wondered when Zhao Lang came to the Imperial College.
What he didn't expect was that three of the four teachers on the stage gave him excellent grades, and only one gave him a fair grade.
Despite this, Lu Mingfei was content, for he had long known that his skills could not match the dexterity and technical prowess of students who had practiced their instruments since childhood. The three A's he received this time were a result of the piece's merits; had he played a more ordinary piece, he would have likely not received these three A's.
Just as he was about to leave the stage, one of the judges stopped him and asked, "What piece of music did you just play? Why haven't we heard it before?"
"The song is called 'Erquan Yingyue'." Lu Mingfei replied.
"But what you did?"
"This piece of music was not composed by a student. It was composed by a man named A Bing, and I heard it by accident."
"Where is that old gentleman?"
“…This, the students don’t know.”
Lu Mingfei only remembered that the author of "Erquan Yingyue" was called A Bing, but this name seemed to be a nickname, and he could not remember his full name. This was someone else's work, and although Mr. A Bing was no longer in this era, he had no intention of claiming someone else's work as his own.
Chai Min's face showed a hint of disappointment. He had hoped to have a conversation with the composer of this piece, but who knew he wouldn't get the chance? However, despite his disappointment, he quickly regained his composure and offered a couple of pointers on the piece his student had just played.
"Thank you for your guidance, teacher. I will definitely correct it next time." After thanking the teacher for his comments, Lu Mingfei went downstairs with his erhu.
But when he came down from the stage and greeted Ye Zhuoran, Zhang Lingxuan and a few others, he looked up and looked back, but Zhao Lang was gone.
Seeing Lu Mingfei looking back, Ye Zhuoran looked in the direction Lu Mingfei was looking, but saw only a group of dark heads and didn't find anything interesting. "Mingfei, what are you looking at?"
"You guys stay here, I'll go to the bathroom and be back soon." Lu Mingfei asked Zhang Lingxuan, Ye Zhuoran and the other two to continue to participate in the competition here. He gave his erhu to their eldest brother to help him hold it, and then walked to the back.
But when he walked to the back, he didn't see Zhao Lang.
Did he leave?
That's not right...
Knowing that Zhao Lang wouldn't leave so soon, Lu Mingfei walked out of the crowd. Sure enough, when he looked up, he saw Zhao Lang standing on the corridor. Their eyes met, and he knew Zhao Lang was waiting for him.
The two exchanged glances, and he gestured for Zhao Lang to move forward, and he followed behind Zhao Lang. During this process, the two kept a distance from each other so that others would not notice that they knew each other.
There is a competition going on in the square today, and many people are there, so there are not many people here in the back.
The two of them walked to an empty pavilion and saw Zhao Lang standing inside. Lu Mingfei also walked in and asked him with a smile, "Why are you here at the Imperial Academy?"
"I had nothing to do, so I came to see you." Zhao Lang looked at the young man walking towards him and said, "You played the huqin well just now."
"Haha, thank you for the compliment. I'm just taking advantage of you, senior." Lu Mingfei said.
Seeing that Zhao Lang had come to the Imperial College so leisurely to watch them take the exam, he asked him, "Hey, don't you have monthly exams at the Imperial College?"
"The competitions in the Imperial College are not as frequent as those in your Imperial Academy. There they only have competitions once every six months." Zhao Lang said.
"Oh, no wonder." Lu Mingfei nodded in understanding.
"No wonder?" Zhao Lang looked at Lu Mingfei's face with an expression of understanding. He didn't know what Lu Mingfei had understood.
"You guys are so relaxed." At this point, Lu Mingfei said with envy, "I also think that the Imperial College's monthly competitions are too frequent. You don't know, for this monthly exam, I slept for two or three hours many nights before getting up to study."
"What are the exams for the Imperial College?"
"It's pretty much the same as yours."
In fact, Zhao Lang didn't care much about the competitions at the Imperial College. He just took the exams casually every time, so as not to stand out and attract the emperor's attention, nor to put himself at the bottom and be ridiculed by others.
However, this does not mean that he has learned nothing in Kyoto Prefecture over the years.
Zhao Lang knew in his heart that no matter how he appeared to be living a carefree life, he still had to study and learn martial arts. As long as the emperor did not revoke their status as princes, they would be the princes of their respective prefectures.
If he could ever return to Beijun, he would be the heir apparent to his father's throne. If he didn't have the ability, his brothers in Prince Ding's mansion would be the first to disobey him, and neither would the generals in the army nor the officials in Beijun, who would recognize him as their leader. He would then become a Prince Ding in name only. He knew the emperor had summoned them to Jingdu Prefecture for so many years with this in mind.
Is there any better way than to disintegrate the power of each vassal king from within?
Therefore, if he wants to be able to sit firmly on the throne of the king one day, he needs the talent and courage to sit on that position.
However, Zhao Lang never mentioned these things even to Lu Mingfei, his good friend of nearly ten years.
Although Zhao Lang didn't mention it, Lu Mingfei knew that this friend was not an unlearned and unlearned playboy. The two of them could be friends because they both had a similar side, which was that they liked to roll themselves up.
The relationship between the two was not suitable to be exposed in public, so they exchanged a few words in the pavilion and agreed to meet in the evening, and then Zhao Lang left first.
After Zhao Lang left, Lu Mingfei also left the pavilion and returned to the crowded square in front, where he found Zhang Lingxuan, Ye Zhuoran and their senior brother.
"Where have you been? Why have you been gone for so long?" Ye Zhuoran asked when he saw Lu Mingfei coming back.
"I went to the toilet and took some fresh air outside. Is it your turn?" Lu Mingfei took his erhu from his senior brother. He was going to keep this erhu for future exams, so it couldn't be damaged.
It seemed that there was no erhu for sale outside, and he didn't know where Zhao Lang found this erhu for him.
"Not yet, it should be soon." Ye Zhuoran became more and more anxious as he waited, wishing he would be the next to go on stage.
He had just finished thinking this when he heard someone calling his name on the stage.
"Next, Ye Zhuoran."
“…” Ye Zhuoran.
"It's your turn. Go up. Don't be nervous. Just finish playing the song and you'll pass." Lu Mingfei patted Ye Zhuoran on the shoulder and encouraged him.
"Yeah." Ye Zhuoran nodded and glanced at Zhang Lingxuan.
Seeing Zhang Lingxuan nodded to him, he also plucked up the courage and walked towards the stairs.
…
By the time the four of them finished performing on stage that day, it was already afternoon.
Tomorrow is a ten-day holiday, so the four of us returned to the dormitory, packed up our things and went out.
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