Chapter 27: Asking the Blue Sky

  Woo... I'm back for the 12th time. Just got home and haven't even taken a bath yet, but here I am updating already. Everyone should be touched, right? Then please vote with red tickets and register to collect it...

  Sometimes I see black tickets increasing and tears fall down

  Yizhou was anciently known as Ba and Shu, the people of Ba and Shu had established their country before the Western Zhou. In the ninth year of Qin Huiwenwang's reign, the great army of Qin marched south to conquer and destroy the state of Shu, after which it was renamed Shu Prefecture. The place where the prefecture was located took the allusion "King Zhou moved to Qi mountain, in one year the place became a village, in two years it became a town, in three years it became a capital" and named it Chengdu.

  During the Western Han Dynasty, the sericulture and brocade industry in Yizhou was already quite developed. The silk fabrics produced were gathered in Chengdu and called "Shu Brocade". The imperial court specially set up a "Brocade Official" to manage it, so Chengdu also had another name, Jin Guan City. Du Fu's poem says "Where can the Prime Minister's temple be found? Outside Jin Guan City, the cypress trees are dense and dense", which is due to this reason.

  From the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the unification of the Sui Dynasty, the Central Plains were plagued by war and chaos for hundreds of years. However, Yi Province was able to maintain relative peace and stability due to its geographical advantages. Even today, if you ask where the most prosperous place in the Sui Dynasty is, anyone can immediately answer without hesitation: "Yang first, Yi second".

  After the great Sui pacified the world, Yang Jian established the Chengdu General Administration of Yizhou, and soon after changed it to Shu Prefecture, and appointed his fourth son Yang Xiu as King of Shu to govern Chengdu. That was already in the second year of Kaihuang, eighteen years ago from now. For eighteen years, Yang Xiu governed Yizhou, handling both military and administrative matters with great order, and his reputation and prestige continued to rise. Therefore, this time the news of the birthday celebration for the Crown Prince of Shu came suddenly, but in a short period of time it caused a stir among the officials and common people. Various high-ranking families, martial arts heroes, and even distant countries such as Tubo and Huihe sent envoys to offer congratulations. Inside and outside Chengdu, it was a grand gathering of heroes, with everyone coming together. The scene was bustling, something that had not been seen in over ten years.

  The team from the Wu An Escort Bureau entered Chengdu City before the city gate closed at sunset. Although it was said that everyone had been invited to come, Li Shentong also represented Tang Guo Gong Li Yuan to come and celebrate his birthday and send gifts. However, as the sky was already late, and the journey was dusty, if they were to go to the Shu King's Mansion in this state, it would not only be impolite but also a great loss of face. Therefore, it had been decided beforehand that today they would temporarily stay at the most famous inn in Chengdu, Tang Liuyuan, and tomorrow they would pay their respects to the Shu King's Mansion.

  This Tangli Garden is vastly different from ordinary inns. Not only does it occupy a vast area, with intricately carved and beautifully painted buildings, but the layout of its gardens also closely resembles that of the imperial gardens of the Southern Chen dynasty. Moreover, there are over a thousand peony trees planted both inside and outside the garden. When the peonies bloom in June or July, the scene is even more breathtakingly beautiful. By modern standards, this place would be considered a five-star luxury hotel of the Great Sui Dynasty. It's all thanks to Li Shentong's reputation that people can stay here; otherwise, no matter how much money the Wu'an Escort Agency offered, they wouldn't have been received.

  The Tangli Garden is divided into 24 small courtyards, each named after the 24 states under Yizhou. They are all separate and independent, connected only by the Jin Palace Building facing the main street. The people from the Wu'an Guard entered the pre-booked Mianzhu Courtyard, unloaded their carriages, put away their luggage, changed clothes, washed up, and so on, with a lot of miscellaneous things to attend to. By the time they had all settled in, it was already the time when the lanterns were first lit. Li Shentong's enthusiasm did not diminish, and he instructed the shopkeeper to set up a banquet table in the elegant pavilion on the Jin Palace Building, inviting Mingyue and others to come and admire the moon with Fang Qinghui. Yang Zhao naturally didn't mind being disliked by people either, and also went with a thick face.

  Sichuan cuisine is one of the eight major cuisines in China, and it has been famous for a long time. In later generations, Sichuan restaurants were all over China, and almost everyone had tried boiled beef in chili sauce and fish with pickled mustard greens. However, during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, this era was before chili peppers were introduced to China. Therefore, many famous dishes that people are familiar with today cannot be tasted now. But when Yang Zhao sat down at the table, he saw a variety of delicious dishes, including lamp shadow beef, camellia tea duck, Leshan ink fish, steamed river carp, lotus mixed stir-fry, raw roasted tendon tongue, braised fish fin and duck roll, lotus chicken slices, yellow-braised big fish head, dry-roasted deer tendon, silver-skin wrapped roasted fish... and so on. The table was full of delicious food, and just looking at it without even picking up chopsticks was enough to make one's mouth water.

  It's just that on such an occasion, with this kind of guest, the exquisite dishes on the table will almost certainly be wasted. Yang Zhao couldn't help but feel a pity in his heart and decided that when it was time to disperse, he would ask the waiter to pack up the food and take it back to the people at the escort agency so they could also taste something fresh. At this point, there was no need to be polite, so he picked up his chopsticks and ate with gusto. Li Shentong had recently become accustomed to Yang Zhao's behavior, so he simply ignored him and continued to chat with Mingyue, Daqian, and Fan Qinghui about the famous scenic spots and historical sites of Chengdu, as well as other trivial matters, speaking in a smooth and pleasant tone that was quite enjoyable.

  At the time when they were not disturbing each other and enjoying themselves, suddenly a faint sound of music came from downstairs. The rhythm was lively and full of love for life and nature. Relying on his past experience of taking music classes in school and participating in the Water Splashing Festival organized by the Yunnan Provincial Government, Yang Zhao didn't need to listen to the second note to recognize that it was the music of ethnic minorities from southwest China. But Mingyue seemed to have never heard of it before. She softly exclaimed "hmm", got up from her seat, walked to the window facing the street in the elegant pavilion, and pushed it open with both hands.

  Suddenly, the joyful music and laughter from outside the window surged in, filling the entire room with excitement. Looking out of the window, all that could be seen were lanterns and colorful decorations everywhere. The crowd was packed shoulder to shoulder, with sounds of revelry rising and falling. At this moment, under the Brocade Palace, a group of beautifully dressed foreign girls were singing and dancing as they walked down the street. Behind them followed over a dozen robust young men wearing brightly colored clothes, beating waist drums as they jumped and danced along.

  The crowd on both sides of the street was excitedly pointing and discussing. The atmosphere was even more lively than the Lantern Festival, which was forbidden by the emperor. Not far away, at the other end of the street, there were several groups of people dressed in similar attire, slowly moving forward amidst the crowd. Their clothing, makeup, and music were vastly different from those in China, yet had a unique style and flavor. Looking at this scene, it was not much different from modern-day flower car parades.

  Li Shentong stole a few glances at Mingyue with the corner of his eye, and saw that this strange woman, famous for her music, was intently watching the singing and dancing below. Her face, as white as condensed milk, naturally emitted an unusual glow in the moonlight. Under the moonlight, it made Li Shentong, a young master from the prestigious Li family, feel enchanted and bewildered, unaware of where he was.

  After a long while, the group of women from other tribes finally passed under the Jin Palace and moved to other streets. Mingyue sighed deeply as if waking up from a dream, closed the window, turned around and sat down, saying with a sense of longing: "The music of these southwestern barbarians is so natural and innocent, full of endless vitality and charm, truly unique in style. After the birthday banquet of the Shu king's son is over, Mingyue will definitely stay in Ba-Shu for another year or two to collect and sort out the local music."

  Li Shentong smiled and said, "The people who just passed by downstairs were only Ba people from Shu. In the past, Zhuge Liang crossed the Lu River to the south and captured Meng Huo seven times. That Meng Huo was the leader of the Ba people in Shu. However, on a large piece of land south of Shu, north of Jiaozhi, and west of Lingnan, it is said that there are still many southern barbarian tribes, and the Ba people are also of the same ancestry. The music that has been passed down through generations in their tribe is said to be an orthodox tradition from the Three Dynasties of ancient times, which has long been lost in the Central Plains."

  The bright moonlight shone with an unusual glow, and it seemed even more serene and yearning. "This bright moon is indeed something I've never heard of before," he said. "Confucius said that when rituals are lost, one should seek them in the wilderness, and when music is lost, one should seek its essence as well. Why didn't I think of this before?" He turned around and bowed to Li Shentong again, saying softly, "Thank you, Mr. Li, for pointing this out. My interest has suddenly been piqued. Sisters Fang, Mr. Li, and Mr. Yang, if you would do me the honor, please listen to me play a tune." He then took out a purple jade flute from his sleeve, put it to his lips, and adjusted the pitch. His slender fingers danced across the holes, and a melodious sound immediately filled the air.

  The bright moon was praised by Wang Qinghui as the "Double Absolute of Guqin and Xiao", unparalleled in the world. But on this journey, Yang Zhen had never heard her play music before. At this moment, he listened carefully with his ears perked up, and all he could hear was the sound of the Xiao, its melody lingering and sorrowful, starting off as if it were about to break but then continued in a very soft and delicate manner. Gradually, the sound grew louder, like the morning sun rising, birds chirping; followed by the sound of a mountain stream flowing, jade splashing. Then came the vibrant colors of a hundred flowers competing with each other, ten thousand purples and reds; interspersed with the songs of birds, some singing in harmony with others. It was as if the beauty of spring returning to the earth, all things coming back to life, the heaven and earth filled with vitality, everywhere thriving and flourishing, was vividly presented before his eyes.

  In an instant, the entire Jin Guan Lou, inside and out, was completely silent. No matter what those guests were originally doing, they all held their breath, afraid of disturbing this virtuoso's performance, even more afraid of missing a single note. But as the sound of the sheng gradually unfolded, it presented the scene of sunset in the west, birds returning to their nests, and finally night falling, all grandeur gone, everything once again returned to peace and tranquility.

  It was a long time before the crowd came to their senses. Yang Zhao was so enchanted that he felt his heart racing and his soul trembling, and even Fang Qinghui, who had always been calm and composed, couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. Li Shentong was even more entranced, muttering to himself: "When I heard the music of the State of Qi, I forgot the taste of meat for three months. It's said that 'one doesn't realize how delightful it is until it reaches this point.' I used to think that was just an exaggeration by the ancients. But... but... after witnessing the extraordinary zither skills of Master Mingyue, I'm afraid it won't be just three months - perhaps even three years will pass without my knowing the taste of meat."

  The bright moon shines with a faint smile, but the smile seems to be without joy, and instead, inadvertently reveals a hint of desolation. She has long since heard too many similar flattering words, and no longer finds them precious. But those who flatter her are merely an audience, not true kindred spirits. And she yearns for someone who can truly understand her, and resonate with her like the strings of a zither. Does such a person really exist? If so, where is he?

  Yang Zhao didn't truly understand Mingyue's music. However, he could see. In that instant, what he saw in her eyes wasn't a peerless fairy or a goddess of music worshiped by all. But just an ordinary woman who was melancholic and unhappy because she couldn't find anyone to share her music with. Those sorrowful and injured eyes met his gaze, and Yang Zhao suddenly felt... a dull ache in his chest.

  A surge of sentiment suddenly arose, and under the urging of an inexplicable impulse, Young Master Wang abruptly let out a long, loud whistle. He picked up his chopsticks and struck them forcefully against the dishes on the wine table, singing in a clear voice: "When will the bright moon appear? I'll ask the blue sky with my wine."

  As soon as the song began, Mingyue's slender body suddenly shook. She stared at Yang Zhao with wide eyes in disbelief. Those autumnal eyes were filled with astonishment for a moment. Even Fang Qinghui's hand, which seemed to be about to wrap around her own shoulder, suddenly hovered in mid-air and refused to fall back down, without her even realizing it.

  Yang Zhao stood up, holding a wine cup and pushing the window to gaze at the moon, without looking back at the crowd behind him. He sang loudly: "I don't know what palace is in the sky, what year is it tonight? I want to ride the wind to return home, but I'm afraid that the jade buildings and crystal halls are too cold in high places. Dancing and playing with the clear shadows, how can it be compared to being in the human world?"

  "Beyond the vermilion pavilion, beneath the silken door, shining without sleep. Why should there be resentment? What reason is there for longingly gazing at the parting moon? People have joys and sorrows, partings and reunions; the moon has its phases of fullness and emptiness - these things are difficult to perfect in this world. But I wish that we may long endure, together sharing the beauty of the moon, a thousand miles apart."

  Su Dongpo's ancient masterpiece, the wonderful place doesn't need to be mentioned. Although several hundred years separate the Sui and Song dynasties, truly good things can indeed transcend time. Moreover, at this moment Yang Zhao sang this verse of "Shuǐ Tiáo Gē Tóu", and it coincidentally matched the current situation. The deep emotions hidden in every word and sentence of the lyrics sounded as if he was expressing his true feelings to this Xiao Zhong Xianzi. Under the bright moon, everyone's expressions changed constantly, surprising, astonishing, lightly scolding, shyly smiling, deeply sighing... The impact and shock that this short verse of a hundred or so words brought to her heart was even more powerful than an 8-magnitude earthquake.

  Fan Qinghui's hand, suspended in mid-air, slowly lowered, and the thin gauze covering her face made it impossible to discern whether she was happy or angry. Li Shentong's right arm clenched into a fist, slightly trembling, his face expressionless, like a wooden puppet. The elegant pavilion suddenly fell silent again, but compared to the scene when Mingyue and others finished playing earlier, it lacked a few degrees of harmony, and added several degrees of inexplicable... awkwardness?

  "Good, good. This melody should only exist in heaven, and it's rare to hear it in the mortal world. It's really good."

  A loud, boorish laughter suddenly came from next door, shattering the silence on this side. Although the other party's heartfelt praise was a bit rough, it was still good intentions. But that voice didn't know how to make itself sound like both slaughtering pigs and scraping pots, making it utterly unbearable. Especially after everyone had just performed her extraordinary Sheng music last month, the contrast made the difference even more enormous and intolerable.

  Li Shentong was so angry that he couldn't vent his emotions, and this shout was like a spark that ignited the fire in his chest. This young master from a noble family suddenly threw away his usual gentle and polite demeanor, and angrily shouted: "Who is making such a big noise here? You're not being respectful, get out!" He exerted all his strength and slapped down with one palm. Amidst the loud crashing sound, the entire wooden table made of nanmu wood, which could seat seven or eight people, was smashed into pieces by his angry slap.

  The sudden commotion caused the dishes and wine to scatter everywhere, and Yang Zhao hastily reached out to grab Mingyue's waist, pulling her back seven or eight steps. The shattered porcelain and scattered food didn't touch them, but instead flew towards the quiet and reserved woman, only to suddenly fall to the ground as if hitting an invisible wall three feet away from her body. From next door, that strange voice rang out again, saying in a refined tone: "You're really unreasonable. I was just chatting with those two esteemed guests, what business is it of yours? You're truly being unreasonable."

  That person's voice was already unbearable, yet he still didn't know when to stop and continued to argue with Li Shentong in a serious tone, which was like adding fuel to the fire, making this young master from a noble family even angrier. He still valued his identity and didn't bother to waste any more words on that strange person who had suddenly appeared next door. With a cold hum, he kicked out with his right foot. The two chopsticks that had been scattered on the floor suddenly shot through the wall of the elegant pavilion, straight at the strange person with the unpleasant voice. The force was even stronger than a strong bow and hard crossbow.

  The crowd gasped in shock and cried out, "Hands down..." Before they could finish speaking, a loud whooshing sound filled the air as the two chopsticks flew back like lightning. Li Shentong was startled and hastily dodged to the side. All that could be heard were two light clinking sounds as the chopsticks grazed his cheek and embedded themselves in the wall behind him, leaving only two black dots. Immediately after, a loud crash shook the air as the wall separating the two rooms was punched down by a robust fist. A burly figure strode over, shouting in a coarse voice, "A gentleman uses his mouth but not his fists! You've come to provoke me, you mad dog! You've enraged the scholar, and now you want to drink penalty wine?!"

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  Note 1: Tang Liuyuan is a real restaurant that actually exists in Guangzhou. Tonight at 12, I'm going there to have dinner with my aunt. Alas, it's really expensive...