Chapter 187: Musical Instrument Competition
Su Nanxiang stood up, walked to the center of the square, and curtsied to the Emperor. “Your Majesty, the summer resort banquet is only held once a year. If we just eat and drink, it will be rather boring. Please allow me to play the zither to add to the fun.”
“Good!” The Emperor nodded approvingly. The Mountain Resort was far away from the Imperial Palace, so the imperial musicians and dancers didn’t follow him here. The summer resort banquet was actually a little boring. It couldn’t be better if someone wanted to put on a show.
An insidious, malicious smile flicked across Su Nanxiang’s lips, as she said, “I think it will be monotonous if I play the zither alone. So I want to invite a young lady to play the vertical bamboo flute. We can play a tune together. Your Majesty, what do you think of it?”
“I give you permission to do that!” The Emperor waved his hand, giving his seal of approval.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Su Nanxiang gave a curtsy, with a malicious smile hovering on her lips. Her eyes swept over other young ladies and finally settled upon Murong Xue. Then she said smilingly, “Miss Murong, please come forward and play a tune together with me.”
On hearing this, Murong Xue, who had been just reaching for the fruits on the table, paused and knitted her brows. There were so many young ladies in the square. Why did Su Nanxiang choose Murong Xue to play instruments with her? Obviously, she was brewing a plot. Murong Xue gave a firm refusal, “Sorry, Miss Su. I can’t play the vertical bamboo flute.”
Su Nanxiang didn’t get angry at being refused. She looked at Murong Xue with a smile and said, “I’ve heard that Marquise used to be the first talented woman in the capital, and was thoroughly accomplished in lyre-playing, chess, calligraphy and painting. You are her daughter. It’s impossible that you can’t play the vertical bamboo flute…”
Murong Xue gave a brittle laugh. The original owner’s mother, Lady Shen was indeed thoroughly accomplished in lyre-playing, chess, calligraphy and painting, but she passed away when the original owner was four years old. So she didn’t have the chance to teach her daughter anything although she was such a talented woman.
Su Nanxiang knew what Murong Xue didn’t learn anything from Lady Shen, but she still asked Murong Xue to play a tune with her. Clearly, she wanted to make Murong Xue look dumb…
‘I just came here to avoid summer heat. I haven’t done anything to provoke Su Nanxiang. Why does she try to make me look bad?’ Murong Xue thought.
Murong Xue lapsed into silence. Su Nanxiang twisted her lips into a sardonic smile. She knew clearly that Murong Xue couldn’t play the vertical bamboo flute. The reason she invited Murong Xue to play a tune with her was because she wanted to humiliate Murong Xue.
Su Nanxiang said, “Miss Murong, His Majesty has acceded to my request. If you refuse to play the vertical bamboo flute, it means that you are defying His Majesty.”
A cold smile formed onto Murong Xue’s lips. ‘Defying His Majesty? Su Nanxiang is trying to pin labels on me. If I refuse her, she will certainly make a mountain out of a molehill and advise His Majesty to punish me and my family. In order to play a tune with me, Su Nanxiang has racked her brains in scheming. All right, I will satisfy her request, but…’ Murong Xue thought to herself.
“I really can’t play the vertical bamboo flute. Can I use other instruments?” she asked.
“Yes, of course.” Su Nanxiang nodded, as a small, unobtrusive and sardonic smile curved her lips. Murong Xue would lose face, no matter what instrument she used.
“Thank you,” Murong Xue said indifferently. She stood up, walked to a big tree, picked a green leaf and wiped the dust off it…
“I’m going to play the zither. Miss Murong, please listen carefully!” said Su Nanxiang with an air of superiority. She put her slender fingers on the strings, and then gently twanged them. A melodious sound of the zither was wafted to everyone’s ears.
Refreshed by the music, the whole audience gasped with admiration. Su Nanxiang played the zither well. Could Murong Xue join the melody?
Everyone looked sideways at Murong Xue, who slowly lifted the leaf to her lips and skillfully played it. The beautiful music rang out and joined the sound of the zither, sounding melodious and dulcet…
Su Nanxiang slightly raised an eyebrow in surprise. She hadn’t expected that Murong Xue could chime in with her melody. But anyway, she was confident of her ability to beat Murong Xue at music.
She looked at Murong Xue, a flicker of scorn in her cold eyes. Then she swept her slender fingers rapidly over the strings of the zither. The music swelled and quickened into an exciting rhythm. The sonorous tune got people’s adrenaline pumping…
Murong Xue curved her lips into a sardonic smile. ‘This piece of music is only suitable for the zither. It can’t be played by other musical instruments, such as the bamboo flute and the vertical bamboo flute, because it’s too high-pitched. Su Nanxiang chose this piece of music to play because she wants to make me look bad. I won’t let her plan work…’ she thought to herself.
Murong Xue’s eyes turned cold. The tune she played suddenly changed into an ethereal melody. Everyone felt as if they were a cloud floating freely in the sky or a lark flying in the breeze and drizzle. They felt completely relaxed and joyful.
The people present looked at one another, speechless. The tune Murong Xue played was beautiful, but it was obviously different from Su Nanxiang’s tune…
Murong Xue snorted. No one stipulated that she should play the same tune as Su Nanxiang. It was clear that Su Nanxiang wanted to humiliate her by completely defeating her in music. It would be stupid if she continued to play the same tune with Su Nanxiang…
Looking at Murong Xue who was holding the leaf and playing the tune, Su Nanxiang uttered a snorting laugh. ‘I have never heard of anyone using a leaf to play a tune on official occasions. Murong Xue is the first to do so. Although her music is pleasant to the ear, her playing is primitive, rough, and disorganized. How dare she present such a performance in front of everyone? Isn’t she afraid of being laughed at? She can’t compare with me in music. Murong Xue is sure to lose this game…’ she thought.
Su Nanxiang gave a mocking smile, and was about to make an ironic remark about Murong Xue’s rough performance when a bird flapped into the square.
What was going on?
Su Nanxiang frowned and was preparing to ask what happened. Just then, lots of beautiful birds fluttered their wings and flew into the square, whirling over Murong Xue’s head…
Under the guidance of the tune Murong Xue was playing, the birds gathered together and automatically flew into various formations, such as chevron, circle and square. Then, with the rhythm of music, they hovered above the square.
The graceful formations, beautiful combinations, and perfect movements shocked everyone. The guards, maids, eunuchs and palace attendants all stopped and looked curiously at the birds flying in formations…
A few bold birds left the formations and gently fluttered down onto the hands of the Empress and imperial concubines…
The Empress and imperial concubines were taken aback. The birds stood obediently without any sign of attacking. So they gradually set their mind at rest and stared at the birds on their palms with curious eyes. The birds were all immersed in the beautiful music with their eyes closed. They held up their talons, flapping their wings gently…
There was a beautiful bird with bright feathers standing on the table in front of Ouyang Shaochen. The bird fluttered its wings, pivoted gracefully and circled over his head, proudly showing its beautiful dances…
Ouyang Shaochen’s obsidian-like eyes swept over the birds lightly and finally settled upon Murong Xue who was playing music with a leaf. In the golden sunlight, black strands of her hair and her light purple skirt were fluttering in the breeze. She looked like a pretty fairy maiden, catching everyone’s eye…