The journey of the sun and moon
A-Qiu had seen Princess Wansui's Kucha music and dance before, but it was in the brothel Luoyufang. Its fiery, vivid, and sensual aspects were indeed as Xue Hongbi had described.
After careful consideration, A-Qiu said, "Master, A-Qiu has an idea."
Knowing that this disciple was bold and clever, and often had unexpected ideas, Sun Neiren said, "Speak."
A Qiu said, "This dance of seven drums and two plates symbolizes the sun, moon and stars. People move back and forth in it, which must have the meaning of worshipping the gods of heaven and earth. The young master named this dance 'Yan Shi Ning', which means to pray for peace and prosperity in the world."
As she spoke, the four guards of Feifeng couldn't help but look at her. Among these four guards, apart from Fan Liancheng, who had little interaction with her, Shangguan Yuqi and Xiao Chang'an, needless to say, and Pei Yu also glanced at her several times.
Pei Yu first met her at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet in front of the emperor. At that time, Pei Yu watched as this white-robed dancer stood in front of the Crown Prince, holding the half of the judge's pen exposed outside the tiger's body, sending her white tiger Huan'er to the Yellow Springs.
The next time, it was when her mother, Madam Pei, interrogated the dancer in the imperial prison, but was taken away on the spot by the Junior Tutor, Gu Yi.
Neither of their interactions was pleasant, but that did not prevent Pei Yu from remembering this beautiful and graceful female musician who was originally a dancer and was highly regarded by the Junior Tutor.
Ah Qiu, however, had no time to look at her and continued:
"But since this dance is for the state banquet to welcome the Marquis of Guannei, we might as well make some changes. The first half is mainly a martial dance with the stars shining down and the gods illuminating the four directions, while the second half is mainly a civil dance with toasting and guests enjoying themselves."
Martial dances are vigorous and powerful, inheriting from sacrificial dances. The sword dance performed by Shangguan Yuqi was a typical example of a martial dance. Nowadays, it is rarely used in the Music Bureau. Firstly, the dances performed by the Music Bureau were mostly for banquets, and after the Southern Dynasties moved to Jiangdong, the music and dance style tended to be more graceful and elegant. Therefore, the training of the Music Bureau dancers was mostly in the form of gentle and delicate civil dances.
Upon hearing A Qiu's words, Sun Neiren exchanged a glance with Xue Hongbi, looked at each other for a moment, and sighed, "Your idea is a last resort, and it also solves a problem for us."
The problem is that even if the Four Guards of Flying Phoenix can use their martial arts skills to perform extremely difficult dance moves such as leaping, hovering in mid-air, and rebounding while drumming, their style will ultimately be very different from that of the Yuefu dancers.
The changes in dance postures and force habits cannot be achieved in just a few days. The martial artist's restrained and poised movements are distinct from the dancer's flamboyant and expressive style, resulting in a significant difference in temperament.
The method proposed by A Qiu was to divide the seven people into two groups, with the Flying Phoenix Guards taking charge of the martial dances and the Music Bureau dancers taking charge of the civil dances. This combination of choreography could effectively conceal their own weaknesses.
A Qiu immediately said, "Then General Xiao Fan's problem can also be solved. I suggest that not only General Xiao Fan, but also the four Fei Feng masters should wear masks to correspond to the four directions of Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger and Black Tortoise."
Fan Liancheng, hidden behind the mask, remained silent but cast a deep glance at her.
This time, as a member of the Eastern Palace Guard, Fan Liancheng was not afraid of anyone. However, if she could, she did not want to be unconventional and different in everything she did, as that would undoubtedly cause some trouble for her mother's Fan family army in the Northwest and the young master Gu Yi who recommended her.
Ah Qiu's suggestion was quite roundabout, but in essence, it was still to help her.
A Qiu added, "This arrangement is also because the four Flying Phoenix Lords are of noble status, and wearing masks makes them even more mysterious. In this way, neither Princess Wansui nor the Marquis of Guannei can fathom the true strength of our Southern Dynasty. Moreover, as the only male among us, Lord Xiao will not stand out in the slightest."
While Sun's wife was still hesitating, Xue Hongbi said to her, "Let's leave it at that! A-Qiu is right. What the stage always values is 'neatness'. I was just thinking about how to make up an excuse for Xiao Xiao, who is just a boy. If they all wear masks, it will naturally not be obvious."
Shangguan Yuqi also gave A Qiu an approving look, then turned to Sun Neiren and said, "That makes sense. It's not that we think the work of dancers is lowly, otherwise I wouldn't have performed a sword dance in front of the palace during the Mid-Autumn Festival. I also think that it's unnecessary for outsiders to know all about our dynasty's strength. Maintaining a certain degree of mystery has a greater deterrent effect."
Having no other choice, Sun's wife said to Fan Liancheng, "You don't have to take off your mask, but when you practice, you must ask General Fan to remove your armor. Otherwise, your weight will be significantly different from others, and the difference in height will be noticeable when you step on the drum and leap up and down."
This time, Fan Liancheng readily agreed: "That's no problem." Without waiting for further instructions from his wife, he went behind the screen and removed his black armor.
All that could be heard was a clanging sound of metal striking metal. Soon after, she emerged, having removed her outer robes and armor. Even though she was still wearing a mask, everyone could see that she was just a small girl dressed in black.
Lady Sun finally breathed a sigh of relief and said to the people in the corridor, "Bring the drum up here!"
Immediately, a group of dancers carried out seven large drums made of red lacquered cowhide and placed them in the location according to the positions of the Big Dipper. Then someone brought out a bronze plate in gold and silver and placed it near the handle of the Big Dipper to symbolize the sun and moon.
Sun Neiren leaped up and landed steadily in the center of the drum. At this moment, she was wearing a long-sleeved dance costume, and the long skirt tied at her waist concealed her footwork. However, only a "dong" sound was heard, followed by a rhythmic three-beat drumbeat, two light and one heavy, which rose up as she danced.
Everyone present stared in astonishment. Combining footwork with body movements is a basic training that geisha receive in the Reiro (a type of dance hall) when they first enter the dance school. However, to create drumbeats purely with footwork, with varying degrees of intensity, and to combine this with large horizontal and vertical leaps, raises the difficulty level considerably.
Sun Neiren stomped on the drums, performing moves such as "Breaking the Willow," "Gazing at the Moon," "Picking Flowers," and "Rainbow," connecting the drums with rotations and leaps. Although it seemed effortless, she was already sweating slightly.
When the song ended, she spun around and landed, saying to Zhang Exu and Cui Luzhu, "That's roughly it. You two try it."
Zhang Exu and Cui Lüzhu responded in unison and immediately leaped towards the drumhead.
They had all been dancing since childhood and were among the best in the dance troupe. They were familiar with the dance moves and knew the dynamics by heart. They thought it was just a matter of turning the drum surface from the ground, so it shouldn't be a big deal.
To everyone's surprise, as soon as the two landed, Zhang E'xu landed straight on the drum surface, staring blankly as if petrified, seemingly unable to move her limbs. Cui Luzhu, on the other hand, landed with a thud, not quite managing to land on the drum surface, but instead sat down on the ground with a thud, knocking over the drum that was supposed to land on it.
At this moment, a hint of smugness finally appeared on Sun's face as she said, "Now you know how powerful I am, right?"
Then he said to A Qiu, "You mustn't embarrass our Music Bureau in front of the four Lords Fei Feng."
A Qiu had already seen it clearly: the cowhide stretched on the drumhead trembled slightly. Zhang E'xu must have realized immediately after landing that she was unsteady, let alone able to dance and find no foothold. Cui Luzhu must have miscontrolled her landing point when she landed on the drum, causing it to tilt to one side and fall over.
She took a deep breath and lightly leaped towards a drum, laughing, "Don't laugh at me if I fall." She then landed steadily in the center of a large drum, standing firmly on her own two feet. She lightly tapped the drumhead with one foot, producing a "thump" sound, and laughed, "How was that?"
Xue Hongbi was extremely satisfied and said, "Recite the whole part of your master's dance."
Ah Qiu had an excellent memory. He leaped and twirled between the seven drumbeats, performing all the dance moves that his wife had just shown in a continuous and fluid manner. His footwork was also rhythmic and resounding, and he did not make a single mistake.
After this round, not only Shangguan Yu, Pei Yu, and Fan Liancheng all looked at her with admiration, but even Xiao Chang'an, who was well-versed in music and was originally a member of the Music Bureau, couldn't help but clap his hands and say, "Bravo!" The other dancers in the corridor who were watching intently cheered and applauded incessantly.
A Qiu leaped down from the drum and said with a grin, "The four of you may give it a try."
The four guards of Feifeng exchanged glances, and Shangguan Yuqi smiled and said, "I would like to ask Dian Le a question."
A Qiu was naturally open and honest with Shangguan Yuqi, saying, "Please ask, Miss."
Shangguan Yuqi said, "Controlling my center of gravity and making various movements on the drum surface is not difficult for me, but I don't know how to ensure that every landing, whether light or heavy or fast, is in rhythm."
Making sure each drumbeat falls in rhythm is something that martial arts masters have never trained for.
Ah Qiu laughed and said, "It's actually very simple. All movements have rhythm and regularity. There is always a back and forth when you advance, and the right foot must follow when the left foot advances. You only need to distinguish the weight and rhythm the first time. After that, it's all about repeating the rhythm. And the footwork will definitely correspond to the upper body. Try it yourself and you'll see."
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yuqi smiled and said, "I am honored to have learned from you." She then leaped into the air, landing lightly on the drum surface like a crane. Her right hand formed a sword incantation, leading the "Phoenix Facing the Sun" movement. She spun and crouched, using her sword intent to guide her steps, her feet striking the drum. The drumbeats were deep and clear, her movements sharp and powerful. In just a few turns and backs, her movements were incredibly graceful and beautiful, her footwork varying in intensity. The entire corridor erupted in cheers.
Shangguan Yuqi, dressed in white, gracefully descended and asked with a smile, "Is this still acceptable?"
Ah Qiu was completely stunned, clapping loudly and saying, "Miss is truly the smartest woman I've ever met, she understands everything so easily..."
Before she could finish speaking, she heard a cold "humph" from the side. Pei Yu had actually done a somersault, flipping onto the drumhead with a backward bow motion, and slapped the drum with both hands, making a heavy "thump".
She then stomped her feet and clapped her hands, performing several somersaults in a row, and walked across all seven drums. She landed gracefully, stood up, dusted off her hands, and said calmly, "These drums are quite sturdy."
Xue Hongbi used to be a concubine in the Pei family. In fact, Madam Pei was her mistress, and Pei Yu was her eldest daughter. She immediately smiled and said, "Then please go easy on me, Miss. After all, this is a performance, not killing enemies. Please take it easy and don't break the drum."
Pei Yu's expression softened somewhat, but he avoided looking at A Qiu and asked Sun Neiren, "What does the instructor think?"
Although Pei Yu was not likable, her acrobatic-like eight consecutive somersaults left A Qiu speechless with her mouth agape. Even though Pei Yu didn't ask her anything, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Miss Pei actually has such a skill! It's truly an eye-opener! I reckon even Princess Wansui would be speechless after seeing this!"
Although Pei Yu didn't look at her, a proud smile appeared on her lips as she said lightly, "When I used to play with Huan'er, I used this move for fun. This is the only move I know!"
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