xymnovel Chapter 53 Guangling San
Chapter 53 Guangling San
All eyes immediately turned to Zhao Heng.
Zhao Heng then stood up, looked at Madam Han, and cupped his hands in greeting:
"Mother, since Miss Xue Nu has accepted the position to teach me, she is my teacher. It is an ancient practice for teachers to reside in their students' homes to facilitate instruction. If there are rumors circulating outside, it is because those people are shallow and do not understand the essence of learning. In contrast, if Miss Xue Nu is unable to teach in peace due to constant disturbances outside, or even suffers danger because of me, then it is my fault that I have neglected the important matter."
After saying that, he looked at the Snow Woman again and said:
"Miss Snow Maiden, there is no need to force your safety and peace for the sake of fame. Although our residence is simple, it can still provide a safe place. If you wish to stay temporarily, my mother and I would be more than happy to welcome you. If you feel uncomfortable, I will not force you. In the future, when I teach you, I will make proper arrangements for guards to escort you to and from school, ensuring that you can come and go without any trouble. The choice is entirely up to you."
Wu Ji was taken aback again, not expecting Zhao Heng to inexplicably try to persuade her to stay. Moreover, his words made their previous refusals seem somewhat pretentious.
A thought flashed through her mind, and she quickly looked at the Snow Woman, giving her a meaningful look.
After hearing her son's words, Madam Han found them reasonable, especially considering Xue Nu's difficult past and her current involvement in trouble because of Zhao Heng. Her heart softened immediately, and she said:
"In that case, we will do as Heng'er says. Miss Xue Nu, you don't need to worry too much. If you are willing to stay, the manor will treat you with the utmost courtesy and without any neglect. You don't need to take those empty words and gossip to heart."
Xue Nu was also somewhat taken aback. She looked up at Zhao Heng as he spoke, instinctively wanting to refuse. But when Zhao Heng said, "If you suffer danger again because of me, that would be your fault," her eyelashes trembled slightly. In the end, she didn't say anything more, but simply nodded in agreement with Madam Han.
"Snow Maiden, thank you for taking me in, Madam and Young Master..."
Wu Ji felt a great weight lifted from her heart, and a joyful expression spread across her face. She quickly offered another round of profuse thanks, but then, remembering something, she hurriedly added, "Madam, young master, the expenses for Xue Nu's food and lodging during her stay should be deducted from the betrothal gifts. I will return home soon..."
Zhao Heng waved his hand and said, "It is only right that a teacher should provide for his living needs while he is away from home. How could there be any question of withholding tuition fees? Madam Wu need not worry about this."
Wu Ji thanked her repeatedly. Seeing that her main purpose had been achieved, she felt a little ashamed, but she only said a few more polite words and told Xue Nu to teach diligently and keep to her duty. Then she tactfully took her leave, explaining that there were still matters to be taken care of in the music hall.
After sending Wu Ji away, Madam Han was in a good mood. She gave an instruction to Madam Fu and then personally led Zhao Heng and Xue Nu to the music room.
The music room is on the west side, some distance from the front hall, and separated from the main building complex by a small garden. Several clumps of green bamboo grow in the garden, and a pebble path meanders through it, creating a truly tranquil environment.
The music room was a separate wing room located at the far end of the courtyard. The room was bright and clean. A banquet table was laid out in the center, and against the wall was a zither table and a slightly lower writing desk. Several bamboo flutes hung on the wall, and a bronze incense burner was placed on a small table in the corner. There was also a bookcase with several bamboo scrolls neatly arranged inside.
The furnishings are simple, but they have everything you need, exuding elegance.
Madam Han went inside, looked around, and seemed quite satisfied.
She turned to look at Zhao Heng, who was obediently following behind her, and smiled, "You child, you're either holed up in your study or running around fiddling with those woodworking tools. You should learn some refined things to cultivate your character. Follow Miss Xue Nu and learn well, and calm your mind."
Zhao Heng replied respectfully, "Your son will remember your teachings, Mother."
Madam Han was in a good mood and gave Xue Nu some instructions, her tone as if she were instructing her own nephews and nieces:
"Miss Xue Nu, please don't be shy here. If you need anything or feel uncomfortable in any way, please tell Madam Fu or speak directly to Heng'er. Don't be reserved or polite. Heng'er is new to music, so if there is anything I'm not good at, I hope you will patiently teach me."
Xue Nu glanced at Zhao Heng beside her without showing any emotion, and only bowed slightly: "Madam, rest assured, Xue Nu will do her best."
Madam Han smiled and then added a word of advice to Zhao Heng: "Miss Xue Nu is a guest and also your teacher. Don't take advantage of your age to be mischievous and bully her."
Zhao Heng smiled helplessly and said, "Mother, how could I be that kind of person?"
Madam Han gave a few more instructions, such as not to overwork and to pay attention to the time, before leaving with Madam Fu and the maids, leaving Zhao Heng and Xue Nu alone.
The footsteps faded into the distance, and the corridor returned to silence, leaving only the two of them.
The Snow Maiden seemed somewhat unaccustomed to being alone; her gaze involuntarily wandered slightly, from the zither table to the bookshelf, then from the bookshelf to the bamboo shadows outside the window, finally settling back on the flute in her hands.
Zhao Heng, however, seemed quite at ease.
As soon as Madam Han left, his obedient demeanor in front of his elders vanished. He strolled around the room for a moment, looked at the furnishings, and then went straight to the zither table and sat down in front of the seven-stringed zither.
He casually rested one hand on the edge of the table, propping his chin up, and calmly looked at the snow woman standing in the center of the room. He stared at her directly, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.
The Snow Woman stood there, holding her flute.
Zhao Heng's gaze wasn't aggressive, but it was too focused and too undisguised. She could handle the curious or greedy stares of all sorts of customers in Zuiyue Tower, and she could tolerate Wu Ji's daily nagging and scheming, but she felt slightly at a loss for words when faced with this purely frank scrutiny.
She turned her head slightly to avoid his gaze, looking at the swaying shadows of the trees outside the window, a faint blush appearing on her fair ears.
The room was so quiet that you could hear the faint sound of the wind rustling through the window paper.
Finally, the Snow Maiden couldn't hold back any longer. She turned to look at Zhao Heng and whispered, "You... you're actually skilled in music, aren't you?"
Zhao Heng raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, then instead of answering, he asked with a smile, "What makes you say that, Miss Xue Nu?"
The Snow Maiden pursed her lips, seemingly unaccustomed to explaining, but still said, "It's just a feeling. You don't seem like someone who is completely ignorant of music. Moreover, that day at the Drunken Moon Pavilion, you were able to accurately recite the 'White Snow' melody based solely on a fragment of flute music."
Zhao Heng chuckled softly upon hearing this, but did not continue the conversation. Instead, he gently stroked the strings of his zither.
"琤——" "琤——"
Several deep, low hums echoed in the room, their lingering sound resonating long afterward.
He looked up at the Snow Maiden and invited, "Since Miss Snow Maiden thinks so, how about we play a duet? Can you follow my melody and see if you can keep up?"
The Snow Maiden paused for a moment, watching Zhao Heng's posture as he played the zither, then simply raised the jade flute in her hand and said, "You can try."
Zhao Heng said no more. He sat up straight behind the zither table, his hands hovering over the strings, his expression slightly composed. After a moment's thought, he simultaneously hooked and flicked with his index and middle fingers.
The sound of the zither suddenly arose.
At first, it was low and slow, like someone sitting alone in the dead of night, reminiscing about distant events. But soon, the melody unfolded, becoming expansive and full of tension.
The melody is not the currently popular gentle and melodious piece. It subtly reveals a sense of strength, desolation, and even a hint of ruthlessness. The rhythmic fluctuations are obvious, becoming more pronounced as the melody unfolds.
The left hand presses and vibratos in the low register, producing a deep, slightly frictional boom; the right hand sometimes flicks and sometimes cleaves in the high register, producing a sharp and penetrating sound.
The Snow Woman had never heard this song before.
Its melody was unfamiliar, and its structure was unlike any classical or folk tune she knew.
What's even more peculiar is the "meaning" within it. The music carries an overwhelming sense of chilling dread, not a simulation of the clamor of a battlefield, but a more restrained strength and pathos.
Like the sound of wind in the autumn fields, like the watchful gaze of a lonely city in the night, like something as imposing as a mountain pressing down irresistibly, suffocating you, yet bursting forth with an upward struggle at a certain turning point, like the struggle of a trapped beast.
When the Snow Woman first heard it, she couldn't hide her surprise. But she quickly held her breath, immersing herself completely in the strange music, keenly capturing the landing point of each note, feeling the emotional fluctuations and the power building up in the melody, her fingers lightly pressing and moving on the tone holes, as if silently simulating, searching for an opportunity to enter.
As the first section ended, the music abruptly stopped on a slightly abrupt high note, leaving a lingering resonance. Zhao Heng looked up at her.
The Snow Woman understood, and as the second, slightly slower section of the zither music began, her eyelashes drooped and her breath flowed freely.
The clear, melodious sound of the xiao (a type of vertical bamboo flute) suddenly cut in.
The sound of the xiao (vertical flute) was clear and melodious, initially tentative, carefully weaving into the gaps left by the qin (zither) sound.
She didn't simply follow the melody, but rather keenly captured the emotional nuances within the piano music.
When the zither's sound is melancholic and lingering, the flute's sound transforms into a long, slightly chilly sigh, spiraling upwards; when the zither's sound suddenly turns intense, bursting forth with the sound of metal and stone, the flute's sound does not compete with it, but instead abruptly stops, responding with a few clear, jade-like staccato notes, as if observing coldly from the sidelines, or as if interpreting that tragedy in another way.
The two complemented each other and formed an amazing tacit understanding in a very short time.
Gradually, the sounds of the xiao (vertical flute) and the qin (zither) became less distinct.
They began to intertwine and entwine. The fierce and majestic sound of the zither, as if with the clear and distant sound of the xiao as its background, became even more profound and desolate; the lofty and lonely sound of the xiao, on the other hand, found its support in the powerful sound of the zither and was no longer adrift.
Two completely different timbres, two seemingly contradictory emotions, surprisingly created a strange harmony and a tension that complemented each other in the music room at this moment.
The zither and flute played in harmony.
……
Outside the main gate of Lord Chunping's residence.
Several riders arrived at the gate of the mansion and stopped.
The lead rider was a robust man in his thirties. He wore only a dark-colored robe suitable for riding and archery, and had a neatly trimmed short beard. His face was not handsome, and even somewhat rugged, but he had broad eyebrows, a straight nose and a square mouth, and his skin was slightly tanned from being exposed to the wind and sun.
What is most striking is his tall and upright figure, with broad shoulders and a thick back. Although he did not carry heavy weapons, only a standard military longsword, he sat quietly on his horse with a calm yet sharp gaze, making it clear at a glance that he was a general who came from the military and had experienced battles.
Unlike those pampered noble generals, he was like a piece of iron that had been forged through countless trials, solid and reliable.
Following behind him was Li Shen, the Palace Attendant.
Li Lingcheng dismounted first and politely said to the man, "General Li, you have been retired for a long time, but your horsemanship has not declined at all, and you are even more agile. Please wait a moment while I go forward to inform him."
The man addressed as "General Li" nodded amicably without saying a word, then dismounted and waited with his mount by the side.
Li Lingcheng walked towards the gate of the mansion and saw that the gatekeeper had already come out to greet him respectfully. He said, "I am Li Shen, the palace official. I have been ordered by the king to bring you here. You have important matters to discuss with Prince Heng. Please inform him immediately."
The gatekeeper dared not be negligent. He respectfully invited Li Lingcheng and General Li and the others into the front courtyard to wait for tea, while immediately sending someone to inform them inside.
General Li followed Li Lingcheng into the mansion and habitually glanced at the scenery and layout of the mansion.
The location of passageways, corridors, and buildings; the planting of plants in the courtyard; whether the corners of walls are easy to hide in... these instinctive observations flashed through my mind.
As he walked through the front yard toward the reception hall, his brow twitched almost imperceptibly, and he paused slightly, his ears twitching.
The sound of music could be faintly heard.
The zither's sound was clear and resonant, carrying the power of wind and thunder.
The sound of the flute is clear and melodious, like ice springs splitting rocks, pure, cold, and aloof.
The two intertwined, penetrating the barrier of the courtyard space. Although slightly blurred due to the distance, his extraordinary hearing still allowed him to faintly capture the rhythm and unique sense of harmony contained within.
He was not a scholar well-versed in music, nor did he have in-depth knowledge of the five notes of the pentatonic scale. However, his years of military service gave him an instinctive sensitivity to rhythm and the emotions conveyed in sound.
This music was completely different from all the decadent music he had heard in the mansions of noble families in Handan.
He couldn't help but raise his eyes and glance in the direction from which the music was coming. His thick, straight eyebrows twitched slightly, and a hint of contemplation and curiosity flashed in his eyes.
But I didn't ask any further questions.
He simply followed the guide and continued walking forward.
……
In the music room.
The duet of the qin and xiao was coming to an end.
After the last melody, the sounds of the zither and the flute almost simultaneously subsided, turning into several long and gradually fading echoes that resonated with each other, like waves receding from the tide, lapping against the shore in layers, and finally quietly dissipating into the air.
A room was left in silence.
Zhao Heng gently pressed his hands on the still slightly trembling strings, stopping the last hum.
He slowly exhaled, sweat beading on his forehead; the intense performance he had just put in was also exhausting for him.
The Snow Woman's chest rose and fell slightly, and her fair cheeks flushed a light red from her focused performance, like white jade glowing with rosy clouds. Even the stray hairs on her forehead were damp with sweat, clinging to her temples and neck, adding a touch of liveliness to her cool and aloof demeanor.
She was slightly out of breath, clearly the ensemble performance had taken a toll on her, not only because of her technique, but also because she had been completely immersed in the unfamiliar yet captivating melody.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The tacit understanding between the partners and the emotional fluctuations brought about by the music seemed to bring them closer, but also created a new and subtle atmosphere that made it difficult for them to know how to interact naturally.
"This piece of music—"
"you--"
Two voices broke the silence almost simultaneously, then stopped abruptly at the same time.
The Snow Maiden lowered her eyes first, her voice slightly faster than usual: "Young master, please speak first."
Seeing her like this, Zhao Heng couldn't help but chuckle, his tone softening with a relaxed ease after sharing: "Since you spoke first, please ask first."
The Snow Maiden raised her eyes, gazed at him intently for a moment, and then, without further hesitation, asked directly, "The melody you just played was truly extraordinary, evoking images of secluded valleys and forests, its spirit lofty and profound, yet subtly conveying a sense of injustice and protest. I have studied musical scores before, but have never heard of this tune. May I ask its name and origin?"
Zhao Heng plucked a string, producing a soft "zheng" sound, and pondered, "This piece is called 'Guangling San'."
"I stumbled upon it by chance in a tattered ancient score in my father's library. Much of the original text was missing, leaving only fragments. My teacher happened to be quite knowledgeable in the art of the qin, so he attempted to piece it together based on the remaining artistic conception. According to my teacher's speculation, the generous and sorrowful sentiment conveyed in the piece seems to be inspired by the legacy of Nie Zheng's assassination of Han. Because its origin is elusive, and the completion of the piece was mostly done by my teacher, it has never been passed down, so it is natural that you, young lady, have never heard it."
The Snow Woman paused for a moment, a thoughtful look in her eyes.
She didn't press for why Lady Han had said Zhao Heng was a novice in music. Instead, she gently wiped the glistening beads of sweat from her forehead with the corner of her sleeve, as if savoring the breathtaking atmosphere of the piece she had just heard. She whispered, "Guangling San... Nie Zheng assassinating Han, so that's how it is. No wonder it had such grandeur."
"I've already answered the question about the origin of the song's title. Now, may I ask my question?"
"Please ask, sir."
Zhao Heng smiled and said calmly, "You came to my residence to teach me, and even agreed to stay here temporarily... it wasn't entirely your own wish, was it?"
The snow woman abruptly stopped wiping her forehead.