At least seven people
Sun's wife looked hesitant.
Throughout, A-Qiu possessed intelligence, insight, decisiveness, and perseverance that she greatly admired, which was why she felt comfortable entrusting the dance troupe to A-Qiu.
Even if war breaks out again, she believes that A Qiu is capable of protecting the dance troupe. But she herself is getting old, her youth is fading, and her figure is becoming more and more hunched. She is no longer the determined young girl Sun Ci who could single-handedly shoulder the burden of the turmoil of the times.
Hu Miaorong's passing broke her heart.
The rumors she heard made her even more uneasy.
Only those who have experienced war know how terrible it is.
But A-Qiu's plea to stay wasn't like the tearful, sentimental appeals of ordinary women and children; instead, it accurately struck a chord with her.
She spent half her life in the music bureau and devoted herself to the arts. If she had any extravagant wish in life, it would be to fully display her knowledge, pass on her life's accumulation, shine on the stage, and sing and laugh with the prosperous times.
Although I only met Emperor Xie Lang once at the Mid-Autumn Festival palace banquet, considering Xie Lang's actions over the years, it is not difficult to see that he is a wise ruler. The Crown Prince Xie Tiao, with his gentle and humble rendition of "King Wen's Song," is also a future wise ruler on whom we can place great hopes.
Whether it was Consort Chen, Consort Zhao, or the young lady Shangguan and Xiao Chang'an whom she had met among the new generation of talents, they were all outstanding individuals who could be trusted with their lives.
Moreover, there is also the popular and respected Junior Tutor Gu Yi.
The Great Expansion is still a new beginning; if its destiny has not run out, it may continue the prosperous era of the Southern Dynasties.
If so, then the Music Bureau will still need her.
Clearly, Xue Hongbi must have tried to persuade Sun Neiren before coming. Seeing Sun Neiren's hesitant expression, Xue Hongbi immediately said earnestly, "Sun Ci, the Music Bureau is in dire need of reconstruction. The clouds have parted and the sun is shining again. It is a time when there is much to be done. Don't leave us behind."
A-Qiu said earnestly, "Master, the dance troupe cannot do without you."
Just as Sun's wife was about to answer, a calm and clear voice rang out from outside the door.
"At this moment, Dayan needs Instructors Xue and Sun to contribute to the long-term peace of the country."
Gu Yi's appearance took everyone by surprise.
Xue Hongbi and Sun Neiren never expected that they would meet Gu Yi, the Junior Tutor of the Southern Dynasty, who was second only to the emperor and also their superior, in this room.
A Qiu hadn't expected that Gu Yi would be willing to join their discussion after the court session. She had received Sun Neiren and Xue Hongbi at Jinling Terrace, which naturally didn't escape Gu Yi's notice. But Gu Yi always avoided seeing people as much as possible; he had even completely ignored Gongye Fusu's visit last time. His arrival and participation in their conversation truly surprised A Qiu.
Gu Yi's gaze swept over Xue Hongbi and Sun Neiren before finally landing on A Qiu. He slowly said, "Today in front of the palace, we received a military report from Xiao Chang'an, 'Green Hawk,' one of the Four Guards. The Marquis of Guannei will lead three hundred elite guards and cross the river to the capital within seven days."
Even Sun Neiren and Xue Hongbi, who knew nothing about military affairs, were alarmed upon hearing this news.
The Shuofang Army under the Marquis of Guannei wields significant influence as the northern bulwark of Dayan. The last time the Marquis of Guannei paid homage to the emperor was more than twenty years ago, and they still remember the events.
It was precisely to welcome Li Mingyuan, the Marquis of Guannei at the time, that the Imperial Music Bureau, under the guidance of Empress Shangguan, created "Bai Zhu," a Qing Shang dance with a unique Han Chinese style. This new dance, originating from the court, immediately became popular throughout the country, becoming a new sensation. Xue Hongbi and Consort Sun rose to become the leading dancers of the court.
Xue Hongbi was always bold and capable, and quick-witted. She immediately asked, "Would the state banquet welcoming the Marquis of Guannei require a dance performance?"
Gu Yi nodded and said, "Instructor Xue's guess was extremely accurate. That's true, but it's not just that."
Facing the questioning gazes of the three women, he said, "The Kucha music and dance troupe that the Marquis of Guannei presented last time is still at the post station. Are you all aware of this?"
The two instructors nodded; they had heard much about it from within the Music Bureau. The Music Bureau of this dynasty was not large in number, and its organization was much more streamlined than in previous dynasties. They had also heard that the emperor intended to absorb this music and dance troupe into the Music Bureau.
But they didn't find it special, because during their youth, when the Music Bureau was at its most prosperous, there were ten music troupes in the palace, and Han Chinese Qing Shang was only one of them; the other nine were all Hu music and dance.
Learning, absorbing, and innovating the songs and dances of other ethnic groups is also a symbol of the prosperity of a great nation's civilization and its openness to culture.
Ah Qiu, who had personally visited the post station and met Princess Wansui, immediately sensed something was wrong. The thought of the cunning and unpredictable Princess Wansui made her realize that this music and dance troupe was a potential threat, and she only wondered when it would erupt.
Gu Yi said, "At the request of the Marquis of Guannei, the Kucha Dance Troupe will present their most famous 'Heavenly Palace Music and Dance' at the state banquet. The dance presented by my Dayan should at least be on par with it and not pale in comparison."
Otherwise, in terms of culture and popular support, the Southern Dynasties would have already lost a battle.
For at least several centuries, the Southern Dynasties were regarded as the legitimate successors of the Han Dynasty and the true inheritors of Central Plains culture. Therefore, even after retreating to Jiangdong, they continued to receive the favor and support of both the northern and southern Han forces.
This was true of the Shuofang Army before Li Chongyu, and it was also true of the Fan Family Army on the southwestern border.
The outward manifestation of cultural superiority is ritual, music, and dance. The magnificence and grandeur of the forms, and the solemnity and reverence of the atmosphere, are all convincing evidence of cultural lineage.
Lady Sun immediately frowned and said, "A dance contest is not a martial arts competition, so how can we distinguish who is better and who is superior?"
Her question immediately hit the nail on the head.
The quality of music and dance is not like that of swords and spears, where life and death are decided at a glance. Some people prefer the popular, while others prefer the refined. Common people enjoy lively and bustling performances, while the gentry of the Southern Dynasties favored elegance and tranquility. To put it simply, the superiority of a dance performed by sixty-four people versus a solo dance by only one dancer involves many complex considerations.
However, if it's a contest of martial arts, the sixty-four people are usually the winner.
This was precisely what Consort Sun was worried about. She had often seen the music and dance of the Hu tribes, which were grand in scale, beautiful in appearance, gorgeous in costume, lively and cheerful, and—sexy and moving. In terms of the best way to entertain guests, the music and dance of the Qing Shang tribes were superior.
Otherwise, among the ten categories of music in the previous dynasty's Music Bureau, nine would not have been dominated by Hu music, while only one would have been dominated by Qing Shang music.
It wasn't until Empress Shangguan compiled "Bai Zhu" that Qing Shang had the opportunity to stand out.
Therefore, Lady Sun, who was a courtesan, truly felt a deep sense of gratitude towards Empress Shangguan.
It was "White Silk" that allowed her to stand out in the music bureau at that time, where women of all shapes and sizes had their own unique charm, and to get the opportunity to be seen.
Although she did not aspire to this, her life as a dancer finally achieved fulfillment.
The three musicians present were waiting quietly for Gu Yi's answer.
Both A Qiu and Xue Hongbi are leaders in the art of dance, and they are well aware of the weight of Sun Neiren's question.
Gu Yi looked deeply at his wife, Sun, and softly uttered seven words;
"He who wins the hearts of the people wins."
The three of them were initially taken aback, but then they all showed expressions of sudden realization.
Although Gu Yi's answer had nothing to do with music, it hit the nail on the head.
Regardless of its form, number of participants, or style, the ultimate goal of all art used for display is to capture people's hearts.
But what is the human heart? And what kind of human heart does this dance aim to win?
Gu Yi turned his gaze to A Qiu again and said softly but firmly, "A Qiu, go and get those two bricks."
When the two Han Dynasty bricks inscribed with "May you live a thousand years" and "The Chanyu's marriage alliance" were presented in their entirety before Sun and Xue, their first reaction was to hold their breath, followed by a sharp gasp.
At the time, Gu Yi only felt that the lines of the portrait on the brick were smooth and the style was simple and ancient. He had seen many silk paintings and brick paintings in his life, but he did not think that the portraits on these two stones were particularly amazing.
He never put on airs about things he didn't know, and immediately asked, "Did the two instructors see anything unusual?"
Although A Qiu had seen the images on these two portrait stones before, she hadn't thought about them in depth. It wasn't until Gu Yi pointed out that he asked them to try to recreate the dance depicted on the bricks that she began to examine them from this perspective.
She was overwhelmed with shock after just one glance.
Lady Sun, with a solemn expression, bowed and said, "Reporting to the Junior Master, this is the 'Seven Plates and Two Drums' dance from the Han Dynasty music and dance, which has long been lost."
Ignoring the risk of disrespecting the antiquities, she traced the incised lines on the portrait with her finger and explained: "This dance pose is the famous 'bending waist and raising sleeves,' but the skill of bending the waist is close to that of contortion. In the next instant, the dancer must rely solely on the strength of her side waist to bounce up and swing her long sleeves out."
She then pointed to the next figure and said, "This person is flying on one foot on the drum surface, but his whole body has tilted out of the drum surface. His body and long sleeves are connected to form a tilting posture, about to fall but not yet falling, creating a wonderful effect of counter-gravity, as if he is suspended in the void, showing extremely high level of control over his center of gravity."
She continued, "The feet are like a plate or a drum, requiring precise control over the landing point and force, so that every step and stance is rhythmic. Moreover, the leaping, soaring, and spinning all demand extremely high physical abilities in balance, movement, and jumping."
She finished speaking hastily, and concluded, "No wonder it was lost."
A Qiu and Gu Yi exchanged a glance, and saw understanding in each other's eyes.
The more difficult the skill, the easier it is to be lost. This is because there are only a handful of people in each generation who can fully meet all the requirements. Coupled with war, disasters, and changing times, if no one in a generation takes over, the skill will be lost forever, and future generations can only imagine its beauty through portraits.
The Dance of Seven Plates and Two Drums is a combination of dance and acrobatics, which has long surpassed the scope of ordinary dance.
Xue Hongbi also smiled wryly: "Purely in terms of body control, I'm afraid only A Qiu, Zhang Exu, and Cui Luzhu in the dance troupe can currently perform these movements."
Gu Yi said in a deep voice, "The Kucha Dance Troupe has twenty-four people. If we want to win, how many people do we need at least?"
Sun's wife had already considered this in her mind, and replied, "At least seven people."
At this moment, quality over quantity is key, but too few people won't be enough to command the scene.
A-Qiu asked, "Would the two instructors be willing to participate?"
Sun Neiren and Xue Hongbi both shook their heads and said with a wry smile, "It's not that we're too proud to admit our age, but as we get older, our physical strength and flexibility can no longer meet such near-limit requirements. We might have been able to try in our prime, but it's absolutely impossible now. If we were to strain our backs or lose our balance and fall during the performance, that would truly be a disgrace to our dynasty."
A-Qiu dismissed the thought, paused for a moment, and then said, "I also thought of someone else."
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