Chapter 72 Part 3: Stunning
“But for many years, n.o.body ever played《Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute》 in the exam. Even the most outstanding student in guqin, or even Teacher Xiao, have never played this song.”
Teacher Xiao naturally referred to Xiao Deyin. Jiang Li thought, actually, Xiao Deyin could play it. It’s just that she overly pursued flawlessness. Moreover, her 《Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute》 was always a little bit worse. So she simply refused to show it to others. In order to play 《Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute》 well, Xiao Deyin had practiced hard for many years in private. She even consulted her before.
But Xue Fang Fei was already dead. No one knew these matters anymore.
Jiang You Yao was still playing and there’s a feeling of the geese soaring forward and circling around. The flying form of ups and down, gliding and gathering, being startled and having their spirits back. In Jiang You Yao’s guqin sound, the various moods of the geese were unexpectedly captured and slowly unfurled, making people feel as if it was that autumn day, where the vast sky was blue and the geese pa.s.sed by without leaving any traces.
In the examiners’ place, Xiao Deyin’s expression changed slightly, Jinghong fairy looked at Jiang You Yao’s movements and a trace of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.
Someone spoke from the side: “Don’t know when did fairy accept a disciple?”
It was the court musician, Mian Ju. Mian Ju was now in his fifties, but he looked like a happy 20 years old young man, laughing happily all day long. He wore a white coa.r.s.e hemp cloth and did not resemble the emperor’s musician in the slightest. When he said this, there’s ridicule in his tone, totally disapproving of Jinghong fairy’s actions.
When Jinghong fairy heard this, her ears turned red. Jiang You Yao’s finger techniques couldn’t be concealed from an expert like Mian Ju, she also knew since earlier. It’s just that being pointed bluntly like this was still somewhat humiliating. But since she had been redeemed and taken as a wife, many things had changed. Her husband, the son of the tea merchant, was just an ordinary businessman, really wasn’t a wealthy family. She couldn’t show her face, but after all, they needed firewood, rice, oil and salt. The silver that Ji Shuran gave was enough to let the old and young in the family be worry free for a few years. Thus, she wasn’t able to refuse and gave directions to Jiang You Yao in private.
Fortunately, Jiang You Yao was quite a good seedling. Teaching a disciple with ingeniousness was always better than those with mediocre apt.i.tude.
She further heard Mian Ju continue saying: “But your disciple…. Is really nothing great.”
Although Jinghong fairy had a good temper, she also felt uncomfortable at the moment and asked: “Mister, please advise.”
“Fairy don’t blame this old man for being polite,” Mian Ju grinned and said: “This Jiang third miss only acquired fairy’s form, but didn’t acquire fairy’s spirit. Your disciple was almost able to fully play the hundred forms of the group of wild geese in《Wild Geese on the Shoal》. But this leisurely, bright and generous feeling still fell short by a lot.”
Jinghong fairy was upset, but she knew Mian Ju was right. She was aware of this problem in Jiang You Yao, she had also exerted great effort to help her. However, the thing with music was, the teachers could only teach them the fingering and techniques, but the students had to understand the heart of guqin themselves, n.o.body could help them with this. There’s no way around it if Jiang You Yao couldn’t comprehend the heart of guqin.
“Aftar all it’s still a young girl, age is still small and has no worries. It’s normal not to comprehend this kind of artistic mood. Able to play like this is already very good. If there’s nothing unexpected, perhaps this young lady would be today’s number one.” Mian Ju smiled and added.
Jinghong fairy felt better upon hearing these last sentences from Mian Ju. She had never received any disciple, nor gave directions to any other person. If Jiang You Yao, who’d gotten her guidance, in the end was still unable to come first, when this spread out, it would become a laughing matter.
When the two of them were talking, neither Xiao Deyin nor Shi Yan, the music teacher, said a word. It’s usual for Xiao Deyin to keep to herself and didn’t speak much. Shi Yan had an arrogant nature and was too lazy to pay attention to them.
On the contrary, Ji Heng, who was on the side, supported his chin with his fan while narrowing his eyes slightly, as if he was dozing off from boredom.