Chapter 72 Part 5: Stunning
My apologies >.< I wanted so badly to move on for this chapter that the previous chapter was marked as 73.4 when it should be 72.4. As mentioned before in Chapter 72.1, this chapter’s word count is 7x as much, while each chapter is usually split into 2. Thus making Chapter 72 to have 14 parts if going by usual word count. However, to speed it up and not going so crazy, the word count for each chapter part has been increased (notice the almost 1.5x increase in length?) and hopefully, this chapter can end in 10 parts instead of 14. I’m trying to add more but it’s simply not possible at the moment. With this chapter, I’m also trying to speed up so consequent chapters (providing they go back to normal word count) could be published in full chapter instead of in parts.
All in all, there’re a h.e.l.luva lot of info from many parties in this chapter… really…. and I personally find some to be soooo redundant.
Jiang Li said: “But she doesn’t have the heart of guqin.”
“The heart of guqin?” Liu Xu blanked.
“Playing till the end of《Wild Geese on the Shoal》 , the composer showed the sinister things of the world, realizing it wasn’t as good as the wild geese. When it fell, the sand was flat and the water was far away, the mind was at ease, the companion was unsuspecting, there’s a narration of the male and female. The music sound was calm, beautifully stretched, long and unbroken. There’s movement in the calmness, there’s calm in the movement. Each stillness and movement should match and the posture relaxes.” Jiang Li spoke quietly: “But due to Jiang You Yao’s heart of guqin, the ‘simplicity’ is missing quite a bit. Therefore, her qin sound lacks ‘lightheartedness’.”
Liu Xu listened carefully to Jiang Li.
“My third sister really plays this song《Wild Geese on the Shoal》 to perfection. But even if she plays 1,000 times or 10,000 times, as long as she hasn’t comprehend the mood and touched the heart of guqin, the sound of her playing will always be lacking something. Then she won’t be the best.”
“What you said is reasonable.” Liu Xu listened and felt it. But she then shook her head and said: “These two words, heart of guqin, it’s easy for you to say but it’s not so easy to touch. Some musicians, even towards the end of their lives, were still unable to get it. Afraid in our Ming Yi Hall, there’s even more n.o.body who possesses it. This artistic mood, to understand it is too hard!”
Jiang Li smiled, it was indeed so. Wanting to let the n.o.ble ladies who were raised in the boudoir to understand the wild geese’s distant relations and openness, the simple and bold life of living in the vast expanse of heaven and earth, this was somewhat nonsensical. Not mentioning the n.o.ble daughters, even ordinary people who were older may not necessarily be exposed to it.
During their talk, Jiang You Yao’s song was nearing the end. She completed the final part beautifully and as the last qin tone stopped, very quickly the sound of cheering and clapping rang out in the field.
This didn’t happen in the previous female students’ performances.
Jiang You Yao was also very happy to receive this special honor and her smile became even more brilliant. She walked towards the examiners and gave a courtesy, then neither hurriedly nor slowly walked down the stage.
Sweat came out from Liu Xu’s nervous palms. She spoke to Jiang Li: “What to do? It’s your turn.”
“It’s fine.” Jiang Li comforted her in turn: “I’ll soon return.” She spoke as she was leaving, but Liu Xu grabbed her sleeve.
Liu Xu said: “Wait! I haven’t asked you, what are you going to play?”
Jiang Li smiled at her: “Play something n.o.body has ever played before.” Then she left.
Liu Xu was rooted in place and mumbled: “Play something n.o.body has ever played before, n.o.body has ever played before….. She…..” Her gaze abruptly froze and looked unbelievably at that rear figure who was going up the examination stage.
“It can’t be…….”
As Jiang Li went up, she happened to meet Jiang You Yao who was going down. When the two people pa.s.sed each other, Jiang You Yao smiled very sweetly and said: “Second sister, wish you all the best.”
Without turning her head around, Jiang Li replied: “Of course.”
The young boy with the red scarf stood on the examination stage and yelled: “Number 13, Jiang Li.”
Everyone present was extremely quiet.
Jiang Li walked towards the exam table.
“Quickly see, your younger sister is up.” Beside Jiang Jing Rui, a meddlesome young man shoved and jeered.
“Don’t be noisy.” Jiang Jing Rui was a little bit angry.
That person looked at his complexion and weirdly spoke: “Why, you are still waiting to hear your younger sister play heavenly music? Jiang second young master, you’re not sick, are you?”
The youngsters knew the matter that happened eight years ago, they were also aware that Jiang second miss stayed in the nunnery for eight years. All of them tacitly agreed that Jiang second miss was a good-for-nothing, ignorant and incompetent. Even after she got first position in Ming Yi Hall, for a time, it was hard to shake this deeply entrenched impression. Moreover, calligraphy, calculation, etiquette, they could probably be learnt in the nunnery. But guqin, riding and archery weren’t something that could be learnt in the nunnery.