Phoenix in Flight
However, as the delegation from the Southern Dynasty presenting music and dance, not a single member of this formation was moved by the "Breaking the Formation Music," but instead maintained their own state of "harmony between man and nature," "tranquility," and "emptiness" while waiting to perform.
A Qiu remembered Gu Yi saying that "Shao" and "Wu" were grand dances for worshipping gods, and the dancers on stage were like bridges connecting heaven and earth with the human world. Therefore, they would not be moved by any human music or dance.
The line from the musical book recited by Sun's wife hit the nail on the head regarding the essence of the Northern Qiang's military dance.
That is, no matter how grand the scene of "Breaking the Enemy's Formation" is, how imposing its momentum is, or how much it praises the martial arts of the Northern Qiang army and stirs people's hearts, it is nothing more than the ultimate entertainment of sight and sound, and the grandeur of music and dance.
Essentially, it lacks the function of "teaching people to distinguish between likes and dislikes and to uphold the principles of humanity" and influencing their original mind.
This is not surprising—A Qiu knows very well that Wan Qiqing himself is not a person who follows the rules and constantly restrains and educates himself with the middle way. He is willful, self-willed, and unrestrained, and "Breaking the Formation Music" is his most flamboyant representative work.
A small square formation of sixty-four people stood calmly on the altar where tens of thousands of people were boiling with excitement, as if they were in the eye of a storm, facing a giant dragon with thousands of armored men, yet they did not show the slightest ripple or disturbance.
In A Qiu's heart, however, came to mind the faint, silent light of the lamp in the secluded Siyue Temple in the remote Tangli area during the war and the ruins of Jianzhang Palace.
The silence at this moment is a testament to the composure and perseverance that Sun's wife has gained after kneeling before the ancient bronze statue for so long, enduring countless trials and loneliness.
Though my strength is weak and my heart is insignificant, I am not afraid of the powerful, nor will I let my heart be like a galloping horse, drifting with the tide, or swayed by grandiose momentum.
There will always be a stage reserved for the order in my heart.
But what A Qiu didn't know was that Wan Qiqing's sense of utter defeat stemmed from another matter.
His lips moved, and through the overwhelming cacophony of voices, he uttered a question: "Who are you?"
Sun Neiren, who had been concentrating with her eyes closed, unaware of everything, finally opened them and met the pair of eyes beneath the black bird mask that seemed to belong to another world, filled with fervent hope.
In that instant, Sun Ci also felt as if the earth shook and the sea surged.
Sun Ci seemed to have returned to his younger self.
The difference was that this time, he finally saw her.
And she finally understood that "Shi Changqing" was actually Tuoba Han, the national teacher of the Northern Qiang Kingdom.
In the blink of an eye, the events of decades past, the sights and sounds of the palace, finally pieced together a rough meaning.
Without hesitation, she spoke with sharp words that pierced his heart.
"Formerly a courtesan of the Huanxian Shaoyuan, appointed by Empress Xining, and a former white-robed dancer."
The standoff on the field was fierce, and she didn't want the Southern Dynasty to lose this round of music and dance. Furthermore, old doubts and uncertainties were now clear. For the public good, for personal reasons, and for her deceased master, she felt resentment and hatred.
When she spoke of "Empress Xining," she emphasized the words.
At that moment, A Qiu heard a very faint sword cry coming from the ranks behind him, as if echoing those four words.
Sun Ci, who has always been low-key and reserved, and never boasted or claimed victory, finally revealed the most brilliant highlight of her life.
But only to hurt the person in front of him.
With each sentence spoken by Lady Sun, Wan Qiqing would take a step back.
After she finished speaking, his once sharp gaze turned ashen, as if he had transformed from life to death in an instant.
"No wonder, no wonder!" He shook his head repeatedly, as if sighing, or perhaps regretting.
Wan Qiqing was still Wan Qiqing. After staggering backward, he immediately played the Qiang flute and, with the giant dragon, retreated without looking back.
I had no interest in looking at anyone in the formation again.
He was completely unaware that his eldest disciple and third disciple were also hidden among them.
Feeling he had escaped a disaster, A Qiu immediately took a step closer to Sun's wife.
She could sense that her master was on the verge of collapse.
To maintain composure and answer questions without making a single mistake in front of Wan Qiqing, a grandmaster and uncrowned king, was no easy task.
Those with weaker wills would have already trembled and been unable to stand.
Yet, Sun's wife, a frail woman, accomplished it.
Sun's wife had been standing still with great effort, but now that she relaxed, she was trembling slightly.
Even so, she pushed Ah Qiu away with her shoulder without saying a word, refusing her touch and support.
A-Qiu was taken aback, then lowered her voice and said urgently, "I am not Shi Changqing's daughter. Master... please allow me to tell you later."
She guessed that Sun Neiren knew that Shi Changqing was a major enemy of the Southern Dynasty, and that she was Shi Changqing's daughter. She thought that such an ambush at the Music Bureau must be malicious and that she was deeply hurt by being deceived. Therefore, she resolutely rejected her kindness.
But a pang of sadness welled up inside me: Is there really going to be another chance to explain?
To everyone's surprise, when Sun's wife looked at her, her previously dejected gaze became clear and sharp again.
Ah Qiu clearly heard her say in her ear, "I already knew."
A Qiu's mind went blank, her whole body trembled violently, and at this moment she could barely stand.
Sun's wife knew all along... but when exactly did she find out?
She knew, but she never questioned her about it.
After she left the Music Bureau, went to Jinlingtai, and then to Taileshu, she rarely interacted with Lady Sun again, and never had the opportunity to confess herself to her.
Sun's wife remained silent, guarding her secret. This time, without asking any questions, she agreed to bring her here.
Sun's wife gave her a calm look and said softly, "Get ready to go on stage."
The sounds of bells, drums, and chimes resounded, signaling the end of the Northern Qiang's "Breaking the Enemy's Formation Music," and the army filed out.
Before leaving the stage, Wan Qiqing, dressed in white robes, glanced back at them one last time.
A faint sound of a flute rose gently.
The entire arena, which had been buzzing with excitement because of the "Breaking the Enemy's Formation" music, fell silent instantly. Even the newly enthroned emperor, Huli Jin, standing before the altar, looked in this direction.
A Qiu finally recognized that the one who led the way into the arena with the first note of his purple bamboo flute was Xiao Chang'an.
The remaining people entered in turn.
Ah Qiu also cleared his mind of all distractions, focused his mind, and followed the others into the arena, concentrating all his energy on the music that was about to be presented.
"Shao" is a civil dance, with music mainly played on the xiao (vertical flute) and guan (vertical pipe). It is said that "when the xiao and xiao are played nine times, the phoenix comes to pay homage." Among the flute and xiao musicians of the Southern Dynasties Music Bureau, Xiao Chang'an, the direct disciple of An Gong, was the best. Logically, Xiao Chang'an should have been the lead musician, but since he was in the dance troupe at the moment, he could not serve as the lead musician.
Therefore, after his first cry, he fell silent. This silence, however, suddenly added a touch of solemnity to the atmosphere.
The bell tolls, and the strings vibrate in unison.
Each person held a sparrow feather or a pheasant tail and circled around in place, rising and falling evenly, neither too fast nor too slow, all moving steadily according to the rhythm of the music.
The music is like the harmonious song of phoenixes, its sound clear, melodious, and elegant. In a word, it is harmonious and pleasant.
Legend has it that the patterns on the phoenix feathers naturally form the five characters "仁、义、礼、智、信" (benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness), thus the phoenix is a symbol of emperors and a sign of virtue.
Compared to the intense and uplifting "Breaking the Enemy's Formation" dance just now, where a thousand-strong army formation resembled a giant dragon in the arena, with waves of surging waves, the sound of stringed instruments was now clear and melodious. The dancers' movements and postures were graceful and orderly, with every rise and fall perfectly in sync with the music.
Assassination was no longer feasible. At this moment, A Qiu could only think of the essence of the Shao music taught to her by Lady Sun: May the government govern with ease and the world be peaceful and safe. Lady Sun had explained that the grand dance of the Six Dynasties did not emphasize technique and expressiveness, but rather the solemnity and reverence of the performers. They had to be constantly vigilant in their thoughts and actions, and have a heart as sincere as that of heaven and earth.
The Six Dynasties Grand Dance had been lost for nearly a hundred years. Yet, it was performed again on the high platform of the Luoyang Palace by envoys from the Southern Dynasty to congratulate the newly enthroned emperor of the Hu people on the unification of the four seas into one family. How poignant this is!
Bright as the sun, clear as the moon, Heaven and Earth, if you truly protect these children of Yao and Shun, please give me a chance.
As A-Qiu danced and swirled with the crowd, he offered this prayer with his heart turned toward the altar.
As she turned, she saw that beside the chief priest, Huli Jin, a beautiful woman in a white robe trailing on the ground and with gold rings around her arms was lighting a torch for him. This woman was none other than the Lady of the Purple Palace.
She immediately realized: since His Majesty was in charge of music and dance in the Zichen Palace, he also held the position of a partial priestess. Therefore, she was also part of the responsibility for the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven.
As the Shao dance progressed more and more, no one in the audience made a fuss. Everyone, whether they knew the dance or not, was involuntarily drawn in by its phoenix-like cries and harmonious sentiments, and was compelled to deeply immerse themselves in the world of the music.
Here, there is no boasting of brute force or flaunting of victory, but only a peaceful belief in caring for the young and respecting the elderly, honoring the virtuous and capable. Everyone knows how to behave appropriately and not overstep boundaries; they respect and tolerate each other, listen to each other's voices, and complement and support one another.
Just as water flows uphill, its form is ever-changing, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, yet it never loses its virtue of nourishing and conforming to all things.
Phoenixes soar together, their cries resounding; this is the moral order that "Shao" ultimately presents.
The thousands present held their breath, but A Qiu knew in his heart that most of the Northern Qiang people would probably not be able to be influenced by it and understand its profound meaning. This was because the ethics and morality that had evolved and matured over thousands of years of agricultural civilization could only be vaguely understood by barbarians who lived by killing and robbing, and would ultimately be difficult to suddenly realize in a single night.
She gazed at the scene and saw that the few Han Chinese officials all had tears welling up in their eyes.
If there is an ideal for governing a country, it is the ideal of a harmonious and civilized society that every generation of Han Chinese rulers has been familiar with throughout history. Every generation of Han Chinese politicians, regardless of their wisdom or folly, their abilities or their capacity for self-discipline and adherence to propriety, at the very least, knew that they had to evolve in the same direction.
This is a consensus, and also a spirit etched into the blood of the nation.
But the invasion of the Five Barbarian Tribes completely overturned everything. All social order and traditions vanished.
Where is my former master, Wan Qiqing, at this very moment?
She could not see him, but she knew he must be somewhere in the arena, quietly observing the highest symbol of Han-style political civilization.
The most striking similarity between Master and Hulü Guang is that they both once deeply admired the civilization of the Han people.
Even after the fall of the Central Plains regime, he went by the alias Shi Changqing and infiltrated the Jianzhang Palace of the Southern Dynasty to learn from the political wisdom and nation-building strategies of the Han people. Under the rule of the renowned prime minister Shangguan Jin, he dared not even enter the court to avoid attracting attention, and could only hide in the inner palace as a musician.
What exactly did Master learn and what did he realize?
At this moment, A Qiu realized that she still had to call him Master in her heart. The reason was simple: compared to Hulü Guang's despicable and twisted nature, Wan Qiqing was ultimately a virtuous gentleman, a person with an open mind. Perhaps at times, his reason was insufficient to control his emotions, but his disregard for Han and non-Han bloodlines in raising his three disciples single-handedly demonstrated his foresight and inclusiveness in politics.
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