Chapter 72: Gorgeous
Jiang Youyao walked up to the inspection table slowly.

It was early August. Although it was midsummer, today was a good day. It had rained all night last night, but the sky had not cleared up yet. With the cool morning breeze, Jiang Youyao was like a bud about to bloom in the early morning, like a pink lotus, delicate and bright, trembling and blooming.

Ji Shuran dressed up for her today, and the smoky dress made the morning lively and pretty. She was like a real rich lady raised in a wealthy family, and her every move was delicate and exquisite.

The noble ladies around her cast envious glances at Ji Shuran, and Ji Shuran nodded with a smile. The people of the other Ji family also felt proud of it - even their granddaughter was so outstanding, no wonder Lipin was treated differently by Emperor Hong Xiao.

Zhou Yanbang was also in the crowd. After Jiang Youyao came on stage, whether intentionally or unintentionally, she glanced in his direction, then seemed very shy and left after a quick glance.

However, the gossipers saw all of this and immediately teased Zhou Yanbang, saying, "Miss Jiang San has gone upstairs!"

Almost all officials in Yanjing City knew about Jiang Youyao's marriage to Ningyuan Marquis's son Zhou Yanbang. Zhou Yanbang smiled, but the smile was a little forced.

The beauty was still as lively and lovely as before, but his heart had flown to another place. He couldn't help but look to the other side, in the direction of Jiang Li. But he saw Jiang Li was talking to her friend with her head tilted, and didn't notice his gaze at all.

A layer of sour sweetness suddenly surged in Zhou Yanbang's heart. At this moment, he suddenly understood what the happiness of unrequited love was. It was more torturous than anything else, but also more anticipated than anything else.

In fact, Jiang Li was not unaware of Zhou Yanbang's gaze. She felt angry and amused. The real Second Miss Jiang fell into the water and died for Zhou Yanbang. If the Ningyuan Marquis had cared about this unmarried fiancée, even if they just asked a question, Second Miss Jiang's life would not necessarily be so sad. Unfortunately, they didn't. Now Second Miss Jiang has passed away, and Zhou Yanbang is still acting like a lovelorn man, which is disgusting.

Jiang Li didn't want to pay any attention to him.

Just as I was thinking about it, Liu Xu on the side suddenly said, "Look, it's about to start."

On the stage, Jiang Youyao had just washed her hands, and she did all this very naturally and gracefully. To be fair, Jiang Li felt that at least Jiang Youyao's performance of Qin Le was really good.

Then, Jiang Youyao smiled sweetly, put her jade fingers on the lyre and plucked the first string.

Jiang Li said: "It's "Wild Goose Flying over the Plain Sand"."

Liu Xu was stunned: "How do you know?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of the piano from Jiang Youyao's fingertips poured down like flowing water, the sound of the piano was ding-dong, it was indeed "Pingsha Luoyan".

Liu Xu was a little stunned. She asked, "Have you heard Jiang Youyao play this piece at home? Did you know she was going to play this piece in advance?"

"do not know."

"Then how did you know she was playing "Pingsha Luoyan" when she just started playing?"

"You can tell by looking at her movements. Besides, one sound is enough." Jiang Li said easily.

Liu Xu was not at ease. She looked Jiang Li up and down for a while before whispering, "Don't lie to me. You have learned zither music before, right? Maybe your zither music is not bad? But how can there be a zither music master in Qingcheng Mountain? Are you a genius?"

Jiang Li felt a little amused and said, "It's not that difficult." As she spoke, she realized someone was staring at her. She looked outside and met Ye Shijie's eyes staring at her from afar.

When Ye Shijie saw her looking at him, he immediately looked away, which surprised Jiang Li.

After Ye Shijie looked away, he felt that his previous actions were like an attempt to cover up something, and he was annoyed for a moment. He thought that he was really bored and worried about Jiang Li's embarrassment today. That woman was very scheming and had many hidden cards. Who knew what incredible things she would do today? Why should he meddle in other people's business here?

"Brother Ye, what are you looking at?" Someone spoke next to him. It was Li Lian, the youngest son of Right Prime Minister Li Zhongnan.

Ye Shijie turned around and said, "I was just taking a look." Ever since Jiang Li reminded him last time that Liu Zimin and Li Lian had a good relationship and that Li Lian might have ulterior motives in trying to win him over, Ye Shijie deliberately distanced himself from Li Lian.

Li Lian noticed Ye Shijie's attitude, smiled and said nothing, but when Ye Shijie turned his head, a hint of inquiry flashed in his eyes.

On the stage, Jiang Youyao played the piano very well.

"Wild geese flying over the flat sand" describes the scene of wild geese flying across the sky in autumn, sometimes circling and sometimes looking around. There is an old saying that "the wild geese fly and cry to express the loneliness of autumn", and the poem "the autumn is high and refreshing, the wind is calm and the sand is flat, the clouds are thousands of miles away, and the wild geese cry in the sky, borrowing the far-reaching ambition of the swans to express the mind of the hermit".

The tune was melodious and smooth. Jiang Li had never expected that Jiang Youyao would choose such a song as "Pingsha Luoyan". She thought that a lady like Jiang Youyao would play a song with a more delicate artistic conception. It was not that a woman could not play a grand song, but because the sound of the piano could convey the state of mind. How could Jiang Youyao's state of mind be so grand and unrestrained?

But Jiang Youyao plays quite well.

"This piece of music is already extremely difficult. After so many years of verification, very few people have played it. Even if someone does, their performance is very ordinary. Jiang Youyao is the first one to play it as well as she does." Liu Xu murmured, "Such a difficult fingering, but she still managed to play it. She is not unfamiliar with it at all."

Jiang Li was a little surprised when she heard this, so she asked, "Is this piece of music difficult?"

"Of course!" Liu Xu said immediately, "Among the ten famous guqin pieces in Mingyi Hall, the simplest one is "Liu Shui", followed by "Yang Chun Bai Xue", "Mei Hua San Nong", "Yu Zui Chang Wan", "Xiaoxiang Shui Yun", "Yu Jiao Wen Da", "Yang Guan Sandie", "Guang Ling San", and then "Ping Sha Luo Yan". Speaking of which, Fairy Jing Hong became famous in Yanjing because of "Ping Sha Luo Yan"... Oh," Liu Xu suddenly thought of something, "I was saying that Jiang Youyao's movements just now looked familiar. It turned out that she looked like Fairy Jing Hong... Could it be that Fairy Jing Hong had taught her privately?"

Jiang Li understood. The Jiang family could afford the price, and Ji Shuran was determined to make Jiang Youyao a big star in this inspection, so it wouldn't be difficult to invite Fairy Jinghong.

She asked, "It's only nine twists."

"The most difficult piece is 'Eighteen Beats of the Hujia'. At least there are people who play 'Wild Goose Falling on the Plain Sand', but they just don't play it well. 'Eighteen Beats of the Hujia', but in all these years, no one has ever played it in the test field, not even the most outstanding students, and even Mr. Xiao has never played it."

Mr. Xiao, of course, refers to Xiao Deyin. Jiang Li thought that Xiao Deyin had actually played it before, but she was too obsessed with perfection, and her "Eighteen Hujia Beats" was always a little off, so she simply didn't play it in front of others. In private, Xiao Deyin had been working hard for many years to practice "Eighteen Hujia Beats" well, and she had even asked for advice from herself.

However, Xue Fangfei is dead and no one knows these things anymore.

Jiang Youyao was still playing, and the wild geese had the feeling of flying back and looking back, the state of fighting up and down, the image of flying and then gathering, and the spirit of rising again after being startled. Jiang Youyao's piano music slowly unfolded the various moods of the wild geese, making people feel as if it was autumn, the sky was blue, and the wild geese passed by without leaving any trace.

Among the examiners, Xiao Deyin's expression moved slightly. Fairy Jinghong looked at Jiang Youyao's movements on the stage, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.

But he heard someone next to him say, "I wonder when the fairy will accept a disciple?"

It was the court musician, Mianju. Mianju was now in his fifties, but he still looked as happy as a young man in his twenties, laughing all the time. His coarse linen clothes had turned white, and he didn't look like a musician playing for the emperor at all. When he said this, his tone was quite teasing, and he seemed to disapprove of Fairy Jinghong's behavior.

Fairy Jinghong's ears blushed when she heard this. She had long expected that Jiang Youyao's fingering skills could not be hidden from a master like Mianju. But she was still a little embarrassed and annoyed when it was pointed out to her in front of her. But since she redeemed herself and got married, many things are different now. The son of the tea merchant she married is just an ordinary merchant, not a wealthy family. She can't show her face anymore, but she still needs food and clothing. The money Ji Shuran gave her was enough to make her family worry-free for several years, so she couldn't refuse to give Jiang Youyao advice in private.

Fortunately, Jiang Youyao is a good candidate after all. It is better to teach a talented apprentice than one with mediocre qualifications.

I also heard Mianju say on the side: "But your disciple is really not that good."

Even though Fairy Jinghong had a good temper, she felt a little uncomfortable at the moment, so she asked, "Please give me some advice, sir."

"Fairy, please don't blame me for being too polite," Mianju said with a smile, "Miss Jiang San has only learned the fairy form, not the fairy soul. Your disciple can play most of the various postures of the geese in "Wild Geese Falling on the Plain Sand", but the broad and open meaning is still far from enough."

Fairy Jinghong was angry, but she knew that Mianju was right. She knew about Jiang Youyao's problem and tried to help her, but when it came to zither music, the teachers only taught fingering and techniques. One had to understand the heart of the zither by oneself, and no one could help. Jiang Youyao couldn't understand the heart of the zither, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"But she's a young girl, she doesn't have much to worry about, so it's normal that she can't comprehend the artistic conception. It's already very good that she can play it like this. If nothing unexpected happens, I'm afraid this girl will be the winner today." Mianju added with a smile.

After hearing what Mianju said, Fairy Jinghong felt better. She had never accepted any apprentices, nor had she instructed anyone. If Jiang Youyao, who had been instructed by her, still failed to win the first prize, it would be a joke if it got out.

While the two of them were talking, Xiao Deyin and the music officer Shi Yan did not say a word. Xiao Deyin was usually cautious and didn't say much, while Shi Yan was arrogant by nature and didn't bother to pay attention to them.

Ji Heng on the side was propping up her chin with a fan, her eyes slightly narrowed, as if she was taking a nap out of boredom.

Jiang Youyao had a graceful posture on the stage and her piano playing was very smooth and pleasant. In addition, she played the extremely difficult "Pingsha Luoyan", which undoubtedly made her the focus of everyone's attention in the test field.

"The third young lady of the Jiang family is very beautiful." Li Lian suddenly said.

Ye Shijie felt a little disgusted. After all, it was not gentlemanly to discuss a girl's appearance in public. However, Li Lian's words were immediately agreed by others, who began to express their admiration for Jiang Youyao.

On the other side, the young woman stared at Jiang Youyao on the stage and said angrily, "She is so coquettish and posing, it's so ugly!"

This person is Shen Ruyun.

Shen Ruyun admired Zhou Yanbang, so she naturally had no good face towards Zhou Yanbang's fiancée Jiang Youyao. Seeing Jiang Youyao's great success on stage, she was even more unwilling and jealous. Shen's mother beside her heard this and followed suit: "She doesn't look like a good girl from a wealthy family."

But they didn't think about it, Jiang Youyao is the daughter of the prime minister of the dynasty. In terms of background, the Shen family is a real poor family. If Shen Yurong had not won the top spot in the imperial examination, Shen Ruyun would have to be picked out first even if she was to be Jiang Youyao's maid.

"She thought she played the piano well, but she's not even half as good as my sister-in-law." Shen Ruyu blurted out.

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Ruyun was pinched hard by Shen's mother. Shen Ruyun immediately knew that she was wrong. Now the Shen family never mentioned Xue Fangfei's affairs. What if that person knew about it and got angry? It's better to be careful in everything.

Shen Ruyun remained silent.

At the Jiang family banquet, Jiang Yuyan, who had always been taciturn, couldn't help but say, "Third sister plays really beautifully."

Jiang Yu'e was very upset when she heard this, wondering why Jiang Yuyan was praising Jiang Youyao. But since Ji Shuran was by her side, she also forced a smile and said, "Of course, Third Sister is smart and has a lot of talent in playing the zither. She is the top player today. No one else dares to pick on this piece, "Pingsha Luoyan", only our Third Sister dares to pick it, and she plays it so well that there is no fault to be found. I say that in a few years, no one in Yanjing City will be her rival."

Ji Shuran said: "Yu'e, please don't flatter your third sister. If others hear this, I don't know how they will laugh at your third sister for not knowing how high the heaven is and how deep the earth is. There are people who are better than you, and there are still many things that your third sister needs to learn in the future."

Having said that, Ji Shuran couldn't hide her smile, and the smugness in her eyes made Jiang Yu'e feel dazzled.

Jiang Yu'e thought, she was no worse than Jiang Youyao, but because the eldest wife was rich and powerful, she could hire the best teachers. If she could learn piano from those famous teachers like Jiang Youyao, she would naturally be able to stand out in the examination field.

Why was he not born in the first house? Why were his parents illegitimate children? If they were from a commoner family, it would be fine, but among the third house of the Jiang family, why was his family the most ordinary?
Jiang Yu'e was extremely unwilling.

Her reluctance was not noticed by anyone. At this moment, Jiang Li was also watching Jiang Youyao's school exam.

"She plays...really well." Liu Xu spoke with difficulty, seeming very reluctant to admit this fact. However, the reactions of the crowd had already explained everything. Compared with last year, this year's Jiang Youyao had widened the gap with others.

Jiang Li said: "But she doesn't have a heart for Qin."

"Qin Xin?" Liu Xu was stunned.

"When playing "Pingsha Luoyan" to the end, the composer expressed the feeling that the world is dangerous and not as good as the nature of wild geese. After landing, the sand is flat and the water is far away, the mind is at ease, friends are without suspicion, and males and females have a good chat. The music is quiet and beautiful, and there is movement in the stillness and stillness in the movement. Both movement and stillness are appropriate, and the posture is light." Jiang Li said carefully: "But because Jiang Youyao's piano heart lacks a bit of 'indifference', her piano sound lacks a bit of 'lightness'."

Liu Xu listened to Jiang Li carefully.

"My third sister has indeed played this piece of music, 'Pingsha Luoyan', to perfection. However, even if she has played it a thousand times, or even ten thousand times, as long as she has not comprehended the artistic conception and touched the heart of the music, there will definitely be something missing in her music, and she will not be the best."

"You have a point." Liu Xu listened and also felt the meaning, but shook his head and said: "It's easy for you to say the word zither heart, but it's not so easy to touch it. Some zither masters can't touch it even in their entire lives. I'm afraid that no one in our Mingyi Hall can have it. It's too difficult to comprehend the artistic conception!"

Jiang Li smiled. Indeed, it seemed a bit of a pipe dream to expect a young lady who had grown up in a boudoir to comprehend the broad-mindedness of a flock of geese and the boldness and indifference of the vast world. Not to mention a young lady, even ordinary people might not be exposed to it when they get older.

As she was talking, Jiang Youyao's piano piece was coming to an end. She finished the last part beautifully, and the piano music stopped. Soon, cheers and applause broke out one after another in the inspection field.

This was not the case among previous female students.

Jiang Youyao was very happy about this honor. She smiled even more brightly, saluted the examiner, and walked down the testing table slowly.

Liu Xu was so nervous that sweat oozed out of her palms. She said to Jiang Li, "What should I do? It's your turn."

"It's okay." Jiang Li had to comfort her in return: "I'll be back soon." As she said that, she was about to leave, but Liu Xu grabbed her sleeve.

Liu Xu said, "Wait! I haven't asked you yet, what are you going to play?"

Jiang Li smiled at her and said, "It's a song that no one has ever played before." Then she left.

Liu Xu stood there, muttering, "Play a tune that no one has ever played before, no one has ever played before...she..." Her eyes suddenly froze, and she looked in disbelief at the back of the figure walking up to the checking table.

"No way……"

When Jiang Li went up, she happened to meet Jiang Youyao coming down. When the two of them crossed paths, Jiang Youyao smiled sweetly and said, "Second sister, I wish you all the best."

Jiang Li replied without even turning her head: "Of course."

The little boy with a red scarf standing on the inspection table shouted, "The thirteenth one, Jiang Li."

The whole place was silent.

Jiang Li walked up to the inspection table.

"Look, your sister is going upstairs." A nosy boy next to Jiang Jingrui was pushing and making a fuss.

"Stop making noise." Jiang Jingrui was a little angry.

The man looked at his face and asked curiously, "Why, are you still waiting to hear your sister play a heavenly music? Jiang Ershao, are you not sick?"

The young men all knew about the good deeds done by the second daughter of the Jiang family eight years ago, and they also knew that the second daughter of the Jiang family had stayed in the nunnery for eight years. Everyone tacitly agreed that the second daughter of the Jiang family was an unlearned fool. Even if she won the first prize in Mingyi Hall, it was difficult to shake this inherent impression for a while. In addition, books, mathematics, and etiquette can probably be learned in the nunnery, but the zither, charioteering, and archery are not things that can be learned in the nunnery.

Jiang Jingrui's face was as red as the bottom of a pot. Although he was unsure in his heart, he was very indignant when he heard others say this about Jiang Li. He said angrily: "You don't have eyes, you will know after you see it."

“Just take a look.” The boys replied with a smile.

They were still talking excitedly but they didn't notice that the Ningyuan Marquis's son beside them was following Jiang Li on the stage with his eyes, unwilling to leave for a long time.

Jiang Li is burning incense and bathing her hands.

When she first started learning to play the guqin, she didn't know anything about burning incense or washing her hands. Incense is a precious thing, used by wealthy families. Tongxiang was poor, and Xue Huaiyuan's salary was not enough to support them, let alone a better guqin. Xue Huaiyuan carved a guqin for her out of wood. That guqin was used by Jiang Li when she first started learning to play. It was very obscure and the tone was dull. After Jiang Li learned to play the guqin, she refused to use it again.

Her second harp was a trophy that Xue Zhao won in a duel. At that time, Xue Zhao was challenged by someone who had a rich family and a very good seven-stringed harp. Xue Zhao knew that she had always wanted a good harp, so he took advantage of her and made a bet with the person that if the person lost, he would have to give him the harp.

The zither was a considerable sum of money for the Xue family, but it was nothing for the other family. Jiang Li could even remember that day when Xue Zhao ran in excitedly, put the zither on his back on the table, and said to her proudly, "Sister, this is a zither for you!"

Later, the piano stayed with her for a long time.

She used that zither to play "Fisherman's Song at Dusk", "The Music of Spring", "Wild Geese Falling on the Plain Sand" and "Three Variations on Plum Blossoms".

A sword goes with a hero. When I first started learning, I thought that I needed a good piano to match my art. But later on, I became more open-minded. There are not so many great pianos in the world. Good pianos are common, but good piano players are rare.

What a pity... Later, she followed Shen Yurong to Yanjing and was married. Shen's mother said that she was a wife and should take on the heavy responsibility of the family, and could not sing and dance like before. The zither was locked in the Shen family's warehouse, covered with dust, and left in the dark.

I heard that after Xue Fangfei died, the Shen family burned all of Xue Fangfei's belongings. I guess the lyre, which was full of her memories and the love of her father and brother, was also reduced to ashes in the fire.

Jiang Li lowered her eyes, feeling very strange. At this moment, her heart was unusually calm.

"What's wrong with her? Why hasn't she started yet?" Someone asked impatiently when they saw that she was not moving.

"Miss Jiang Er, is it possible that she doesn't know how to use the zither and is now stupid?"

Someone analyzed: "It is indeed possible. There is no place to learn the piano in the nunnery."

"If you really can't do it, forget it. Why bother to embarrass yourself just to prove yourself?"

"It's for face. It's so embarrassing to say no."

"Hey, isn't it embarrassing to just stand here and do nothing?"

His ears were filled with all kinds of ridicule, sarcasm, pity and sympathy. Ye Shijie looked at Jiang Li with some anxiety. What's wrong with Jiang Li? Wasn't she very smart and calculating the last time I saw her? Why is she helpless now? Where has her intelligence gone? Jiang Li was silent on the inspection table, and Jiang Youyao and Jiang Yu'e were happy at the same time. If Jiang Li couldn't do anything on this inspection table, even if she got first place in the three subjects before, it couldn't hide the fact that she was a joke.

Ji Shuran said worriedly: "What happened to Li'er..."

"Could it be that my second sister is not good at it?" Jiang Youyao shook her head and said to herself, "How is that possible? My second sister is the smartest one, she won the first place in the top three subjects, so she must be good at playing the piano this time."

It would have been better if she didn't say it. Once she said it, everyone began to doubt whether Jiang Li's title as the leader of the three sects was really worthy of the title.

Seeing Jiang Li standing still on the stage, Meng Hongjin was overjoyed. The gloom that had been building for the past few days was swept away. She even wished that Jiang Li would fall on the inspection table again and be humiliated.

Even Xiao Deyin in the audience frowned and motioned the little boy to come forward to give a reminder. If Jiang Li didn't take any action, she would be kicked off the stage.

Just as the boy in the red scarf was about to step forward to remind her, Jiang Li suddenly spoke without any warning.

"The light and wind flow at the beginning of the month, and the new forest is full of brocade flowers. Lovers play with the spring moon, gracefully dragging their skirts."

This is a folk tune. Jiang Li's singing is not the official language of Yanjing, but rather a dialect from some place, with a lively flavor.

"What is this?" Jiang Youyao asked Ji Shuran.

Ji Shuran shook her head. She had never heard of it either.

"It sounds like a folk tune from somewhere," Second Housewife Lu's eyes lit up. "Could it be that Li learned it from the people in the mountains when she was in the nunnery?"

That's possible.

Jiang Li was not affected at all. She still did not pluck the strings, but just sat in front of the guqin and sang a minor tune that was very unfamiliar to everyone in the audience.

"The green lotus covers the green water, and the lotus blossoms are bright red. My lover wants to pick me, and my heart wants to hold the lotus."

Her voice was clear and gentle, as pure as an undiscovered stream, tranquil and lively, flowing along with the spring snow, carrying sunlight and morning dew, morning glow and evening breeze.

It was like a lotus-picking girl in the mountains meeting her lover for the first time. The naive feelings between the boy and girl were on the verge of bursting out, quickly sprouting and growing into lush green trees and fragrant flowers.

"The autumn wind blows in through the window, and the curtains flutter. I look up at the bright moon, and my feelings are expressed in the light thousands of miles away."

The girl was immersed in her lover's smile and placed all her tenderness in the moonlight. She was so simple and lovely. She was originally happy, but love also made her sad.

Love is wonderful, it makes everything lovely. It makes people forget that spring and summer are so short, autumn has come, and winter is not far away.

She sang: "When we parted, the spring grass was green, and now the osmanthus snow is full. Who knows the pain of missing you, and my hair has turned white."

Her singing stopped abruptly.

As the seasons change, the singing girl's wait is ultimately in vain, but her best years have passed, and she doesn't know whether it is the years that have been wasted, or the years that have been wasted.

Jiang Li's voice is very nice, and her singing is even more beautiful. Unconsciously, the people in the inspection field were also attracted by this crisp tune and indulged in that sweet and sad dream.

Someone murmured, "What's the name of this tune? Why haven't I heard of it before?"

"I don't know." Someone else shook his head: "It doesn't sound like the Yanjing accent."

Not far from Princess Yongning, Shen Yurong suddenly looked up and stared at the girl on the stage. He had heard this song before...

This is a folk song widely spread in Tongxiang, called "Midnight Song of the Four Seasons", which almost every girl in Tongxiang can sing. Jiang Li smiled faintly, she had sung it before.

Offstage, Xiao Deyin frowned, wondering what she was thinking. Fairy Jinghong was a little surprised, Shi Yan was still serious, with no expression, but Mianju was so happy that he danced with joy, and even said to Fairy Jinghong: "This little girl is interesting, in the zither competition, the competition is always about the zither, but she sang a song, and the song is not bad!"

"That won't work either." Fairy Jinghong explained in a gentle voice, "If she doesn't compete in zither and music, she can only be considered cheating, which is unfair to other students."

Mianju curled her lips and was about to speak when she suddenly realized something and was amused. She said, "What trick? Look, the Duke was also woken up by her song."

It turned out that Ji Heng had opened his eyes at some point and was now pressing the handle of a fan to his lips, looking at the girl on the stage with a subtle smile on his face.

This was the first time from the beginning till now that Ji Heng showed a "listening" attitude.

On the other end, Jiang Yu'e asked, "Second sister, are you just going to sing a song and not play the piano?"

The song is certainly novel, but the competition in zither music is about the "zither" rather than the "song".

It seems that Miss Jiang Er is really at her wit's end, so she thought of singing instead of playing the zither. Just as everyone was thinking this, they saw Jiang Li stretch out her hands, touch the strings of the zither, and pluck them.

The first sound flowed out.

"Gah..." The audience almost choked, "She wants to play."

"Listen to what she is playing..."

Before he could utter the word "what", another string of smooth piano sounds passed through his ears, even louder than Jiang Youyao's, as if someone was using a knife to carve into his heart bit by bit.

"She played the 'Eighteen Beats of the Hujia'!"

Someone heard it and became so excited that his voice changed tone.

As soon as these words came out, everyone changed color. "Eighteen beats of the Hujia", even the teacher of Mingyi Hall couldn't play this song, and if she accidentally changed it back and made a fool of herself, how dare Jiang Li?

How many years has it been since I heard someone play "Eighteen Beats of the Hujia"? !

The inspection field suddenly became quiet. In the silence, someone suddenly burst into laughter. It was Mian Ju. He was so happy that he danced with joy. He no longer looked like a court musician. He was extremely excited: "It's the 'Eighteen Beats of the Hujia'. This little girl is so brave! So brave!"

Fairy Jinghong said helplessly: "Sir, be quiet."

Mianju quickly smiled awkwardly and fell silent immediately.

So the only sound on the inspection field was Jiang Li's piano.

"Eighteen Beats of the Hujia" describes a woman's homesickness, the sorrow of her children and her resentment. The key word is "sorrow". Let's not talk about the teachers. The female students of Mingyi Hall are all young girls from aristocratic families. They are innocent and carefree. Even if they are a little sad, they are all trivial. How can they play the word "sorrow"? It is difficult to even play "sadness".

Although people often say that they can empathize with others, how can empathy be as simple as four words? Perhaps only saints who care about the world can do it.

Meng Hongjin sneered, "You really don't know how high the heavens are and how deep the earth is. You're just making a fool of yourself..."

She originally thought that Jiang Li would not be able to play such a piece of music well. If Jiang Li could play it well, wouldn't it mean that Jiang Li was better than the smartest and most talented woman in Mingyi Hall in recent years? How could this be possible?

But her laughter gradually stopped and her expression became more and more ugly.

Jiang Li's fingering was very skillful, as if she had already learned the piano for decades. Her movements were also very graceful, without any deliberateness or embellishment, and were incredibly casual and light.

The girl was sitting on the checking table. The wind was clear and the sun was dim. Her sleeves were loose, her skin was green and she looked pretty and lovely. For a moment, the checking field became a deep valley in the mountains. It was not as impetuous as the world of fame and fortune. It was as if she was playing the music for herself.

I play it for myself.

Jiang Li's eyes didn't look at anything in front of her, but it seemed like she had seen everything in front of her.

The composer left her hometown and her children. Not only did she leave her hometown and lose her children, but her family was also broken up and her loved ones died.

The man beside her was a Zhongshan wolf, and her family was left with nothing in this unprovoked disaster. What was hateful was that the enemy was rising step by step. Since her rebirth, she finally saw the enemy again, but she could not avenge her father and brother at this moment, so she had to hold back.

To endure in silence is deplorable, to have a deep blood feud is deplorable, to have an innocent person die is deplorable, to have a whole family suffer misfortune is deplorable. To be oppressed by the powerful is deplorable, to have no eyes is deplorable, deplorable, deplorable!

The sound of the piano was as clear as a sword piercing the sky. At that moment, a great resentment rose to the sky, making the listeners feel heartbroken and overwhelmed with sorrow.

Miserable! Sorrowful! Heart-wrenching!

After many years, someone finally played "Eighteen Beats of the Hujia" for the first time on the test field. I thought that as long as this girl could remember the fingerings completely, she would be very good. However, Jiang Li not only remembered it completely, but also remembered it fluently. Looking at her, it was clear that she was not unfamiliar with it at all.

That would be fine, but how could a fifteen-year-old girl like her play the song "Sad"?
In the twelfth beat, there is equal parts sorrow and joy, and it is hard to describe the feelings of leaving and staying. In the thirteenth beat, the strings are in a hurry to adjust to the sorrow, and my heart is torn and no one knows it.

At the fourteenth beat, tears are streaming down my face, the river flows eastward, and my heart is filled with thoughts. At the fifteenth beat, the rhythm is urgent, and my chest is filled with anger, but who knows the song?

Sixteen beats of thoughts, my son and I are in different places. The sun rises in the east and the moon sets in the west, we look at each other in vain, I am heartbroken that we cannot be together. I am worried about the daylilies, and I feel sad when I play the harp. Now I am leaving my son and returning to my hometown, the old grievances are heavy and the new ones are long. I cry blood and look up to the sky, why did I live and suffer this disaster alone.

Xiao Deyin's usually gentle face was a little stiff at this moment. Looking closely, her fingers were still trembling slightly. Jiang Li's music, at least in the "Eighteen Beats of the Hujia", was much better than hers! The superb skills displayed by Jiang Li in this piece could even make her her husband!

The number one zither player in Yanjing now seemed like a joke!
Fairy Jinghong was also very surprised. She had already been a wife and mother, and did not care about fame and fortune. Therefore, she was not nervous when the younger generation surpassed her. She was just very puzzled. How could a 14-year-old girl understand the sorrow of "Eighteen Beats of the Hujia" so thoroughly? Even though Jiang Li lost her mother at a young age and was sent to a nunnery at the age of seven, and even though she had lived a hard life in the mountains for eight years, these hardships were not exactly the same as the "sorrow" in the music.

This is simply unbelievable.

Mianju was the happiest. His eyes sparkled as he stared at Jiang Li like a miser who suddenly found a large piece of gold. He was salivating and unwilling to look away. He even murmured, "This is a natural musician!"

Shi Yan was better than Mian Ju, but when he heard Jiang Li's music, he changed his arrogant look and was gradually moved. He was a music official, not as carefree as Mian Ju, but as long as it was good music, he would appreciate it with all his heart.

The last of the four is Ji Heng.

Everyone in the room was attracted and bewitched by Jiang Li's piano playing. The sound seemed to have a confusing effect, making everyone who heard it feel sad, as if they saw a scorched earth with no grass growing. They then thought of their own tragic experiences and found it difficult to control themselves.

The sound of the zither has such magical power that according to legend, a magic zither player can use the sound of the zither to bring people into the fantasy world of his own making, making them lose themselves. There are probably no magic zither players in the world, but there are skilled zither players who can convey their hearts and feelings through the sound of the zither.

When all the people were captured by the zither player, there was only one person who was not moved by the sound of the zither.

He was neither jealous of the sound of the piano like Jiang Youyao and Meng Hongjin, nor was he terrified by the piano art like Xiao Deyin, nor was he obsessed with it like the others. He just looked at Jiang Li, and the smile on his face did not change at all.

Ji Heng was looking at Jiang Li.

His eyelashes were long, and his eyes were very charming, as if he was also intoxicated by the music, but when you look closely, you can see that he is very sober. He isolated himself from the sound of the piano, just like he isolated himself from the crowd.

Watching Jiang Li playing the piano was like watching a play performed by a troupe invited by his own house. Watching the people in the examination hall being immersed in the sound of Jiang Li's piano was like watching a play within a play.

There are all kinds of people on and off the stage, and the world is bustling with people. He is like a heartless beauty, standing outside the play and watching coldly, just like a spectator.

He pulled away very soberly.

Some people are detached, some are addicted, what about Jiang Li, the person playing the piano?

She was enveloped in great sorrow. The sorrow of the piano and her inner sadness seemed to become two shadows that grew together, competing to stretch. She seemed to be split into two, a crazy Xue Fangfei, sobbing and telling her sorrow in the piano music, and a Jiang Li, calmly watching the reactions of the audience.

The seventeenth beat makes me sad, the mountains and rivers make it difficult to travel. When I leave, I miss my hometown and feel lost, when I come back, I miss my children so much.

Although the eighteen beats of the song have ended, the sound lingers and the thoughts are endless. So we know that stringed instruments are all the work of nature, and sorrow and joy are in accordance with people's hearts. If there is change, they will be connected. The Hu and Han are different in different regions and customs, and the sky and the earth are separated, and the son is in the west and the mother is in the east. My resentment is as vast as the sky, and the world is vast, but it cannot contain it.

Sorrow always comes to an end, and the music of the piano always ends.

Jiang Li finished playing the last tune and suddenly stopped playing. After the loud noise, there was an empty silence.

No one spoke, and everything in the world seemed to be silent for the sad music.

Liu Xu, who was sitting in the audience, felt her face was cold. She raised her hand and touched it. She didn't know when her face was wet with tears. Looking around, many people were crying at the sound, all of them were disappointed.

"Eighteen Beats of the Hujia" was finally played on the inspection field, but the country tune before the eighteen beats added a sad color to this tragic song.

Everyone couldn't help but look at Jiang Li on the stage. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, no one would have believed that a fifteen-year-old girl could play this song.

The girl stood on the testing table, her hair rustling in the breeze. She lowered her head slightly, so people couldn't see her expression clearly, but they felt that the girl was very quiet.

Jiang Li sighed deeply in her heart, and as soon as she looked up, she was stunned.

She met a pair of beautiful, narrow eyes, full of amusement.

　Ahri [shy]: Please four mentors turn around for me~
　　Ji Heng: (/▽╲)

　　It's on the shelves and I'm asking for the first order! Dear customers, please make sure to support the genuine version of Xiaoxiang Academy~啾咪（づ￣3￣）づ╭?～

　　
　
(End of this chapter)