Chapter 40: Radiant Beiluo Town's Spirit Song

Xu Fengnian suddenly turned his head and saw a slender figure standing at the end of the alley. His mind raced as he quickly recognized the person's face, falling silent in surprise. It was the delicate girl from the beef stall, holding a bamboo branch, her slender shoulders trembling continuously, and her eyes staring blankly at the prince, who was holding a knife. Xu Fengnian found himself in an awkward situation, unable to smile or be fierce. If she were an assassin's accomplice, he would simply kill her. But this harmless young girl didn't give the prince a chance to feel awkward; she had already turned and run away. Xu Fengnian had no intention of pursuing her. For a young woman from a common family, not being scared out of her wits was already remarkable. How could she dare to gossip? Besides, no one would believe her, and even if they did, no one would care.

In Beiliang, what was Xu Xiao if not an emperor, lacking only the nine-dragon python robe?

Xu Fengnian found the little girl who lived near the temple. She was still 'fighting' with her candied haws, likely finding the hawthorn too sour; she had only bitten off the outer rock sugar, reluctant to throw away the rest but also unwilling to eat it, so she stood there holding it, waiting for him. Xu Fengnian unceremoniously took the hawthorn and ate it in a few bites. He led the little girl to the beef stall three streets away and ordered three portions of braised meat. The shop owner was still very attentive, but Xu Fengnian didn't see the bamboo-wielding girl whose name was probably Jia Jiajia. On their way back to the Prince of Liang's manor, Xu Fengnian smiled and said, "I'll show you something before you go home."

The little girl, curious, asked, "What is it?"

Xu Fengnian gently replied, "It's a secret that cannot be revealed."

The little girl pouted and said, "My dad says all 'heaven's secrets' are lies."

Xu Fengnian didn't mind and brought her back to the manor. They first went to Wutong Courtyard. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he clapped his hands. Upon hearing the clapping, all the maids, from the older ones like Hongshu, Lvyi, and Huanghua, to the younger ones, stopped what they were doing and rushed out of the building, gathering in the courtyard. Their cheerful chatter filled the air, and each face showed anticipation. Although the little girl had met Sister Hongshu before, being suddenly faced with so many beautiful 'sisters' made her feel a bit overwhelmed. She only heard Xu Fengnian say, "The usual rules apply. Go on, be at the mountaintop around this time tomorrow." The 'sisters' burst into laughter, their faces beaming with joy, and then dispersed.

After sending the unaware little girl back to her residence, Xu Fengnian walked alone towards the "Chu-Shu Subdued" Music Hall. It was a five-story building, fully equipped with bells, drums, zithers, lutes, stone chimes, and ocarinas. There were over ten master musicians and music officials, more than 160 junior masters (bell masters, chime masters, ocarina masters), and numerous singers and dancers. All these people were supported by the prince for free. In the entire Liang territory, no one else could afford to maintain such a music hall. On the first floor was a large set of chime bells, comprising eight groups with a total of sixty-five bells. The bell stand was two and a half meters high, with the bells hung in three layers, arranged in an L-shape, giving it an impressive presence. The largest yongzhong bell was human height and weighed nearly five hundred catties. This was where the phrase "bell ringing and cauldron dining," signifying extreme wealth and luxury, originated. The Liyang Dynasty followed ancient rites: the Emperor had eight rows of dancers, dukes and princes had six, marquises had four, and scholars had two. Therefore, the Prince of Beiliang's dance troupe could have six rows, totaling forty-eight dancers. Xu Fengnian was often idle, but he had a period when he was deeply fascinated by rites and music. He particularly favored the "vulgar Shu music," widely considered decadent at the time, but was also proficient in the "refined Chu music" praised by old scholars. The prince managed to 'play' with all the courtesans of Liang, not just by throwing money around.

Bells are considered the foremost of all musical instruments.

Xu Fengnian lightly tapped the yongzhong bell to test its sound and frowned slightly. The craftsmanship of the manor's chime bells was exquisite, with majestic forms, appropriate thickness, and a wide tonal range. However, being used only a few times a year, deviations in tuning and transposition were inevitable. More than half of these sixty-plus bells in the set were made by him and Xu Weixiong, and they were most sensitive to the quality of the bells' sound. If one were to call Xu Fengnian idle, it certainly wouldn't be unfair to this prince from a first-rank princely family. Making bells was far more time-consuming and energy-draining than leading vicious dogs and servants to harass respectable women on the streets. Was he really going to become a bell-maker in the future? Not only with chime bells, but Xu Fengnian also researched the sheng (mouth organ). Following his omniscient second sister, he improved the thirteen and seventeen-reed sheng to twenty-four and thirty-six reeds, making them sound as clear as a young phoenix's cry.

Xu Fengnian bent down and flicked a bell with his finger; the sound was melodious and rich. When the sound faded, he softly said, "Come out."

Killing two birds with one stone.

Yu Youwei, who had spent the whole day upstairs playing the yu, walked down. After the Winter Solstice, it was indeed a good day for leisure and playing the yu, in tune with the huangzhong pitch.

She wore a pristine white fox fur cloak, looking graceful and untouched by dust.

The little girl, Li Zi, walked in from outside. She had been stealthily following the prince all the way to the music hall where both Chu and Shu music bowed in deference.

She could barely be considered a refreshing, budding beauty, like a girl next door. But in the Prince of Beiliang's manor, with its countless beautiful maids, she was truly unremarkable. Even the dancers and courtesans kept by the prince as mere playthings could outshine her. Fortunately, the little girl had not yet reached the age where she would consciously engage in rivalry; she only dreamed of becoming a carefree female knight-errant, blissfully unaware of competition for beauty.

The little girl giggled and skipped over to Xu Fengnian, curiously stroking the large bell. With a look of admiration, she said, "Xu Fengnian, you know about this too?"

Xu Fengnian smiled and said, "I know a little."

The little girl said regretfully, "I'm far from it. My mom always said I was tone-deaf, even worse than the monks chanting at home."

Xu Fengnian teased, "I already experienced that when I taught you to whistle."

The little girl lifted her foot to step on Xu Fengnian, but he dodged. Unwilling to give up, the little girl began to 'chase and attack' the prince.

Standing at the stairwell, Yu Youwei softly sighed, "This little girl is truly bold."

After a short play-fight, Xu Fengnian saw Qingniao standing at the door, her expression a little unnatural.

A thought struck Xu Fengnian. He gently pressed the little girl's head with one hand, then pointed to Yu Youwei with the other, saying with a smile, "Li Zi, you play with Sister Yu for a bit. I need to go pick someone up."

The little girl responded with an "Oh."

At the doorway, Xu Fengnian turned to Yu Youwei and instructed, "Please look after Li Zi. Oh, and I'll need you to perform sword dances these next two days."

Yu Youwei frowned but ultimately did not refuse.

Xu Fengnian rushed to Wutong Courtyard, grabbed two boxes of chess pieces, and ran towards the lake.

There he saw a woman leading a horse.

Behind her, the manor's stewards and servants were all holding their breath, trembling like mice seeing a cat.

Xu Fengnian jogged over and gave them a look. The silent, terrified servants, as if granted amnesty, instantly scattered like birds and beasts.

With a fawning smile, Xu Fengnian asked, "Second Sister, are you tired? Are you hungry?"

The woman, who was being flattered by the prince, glanced at the Xiudong saber at Xu Fengnian's waist, her eyes growing colder. She said nothing.

Xu Fengnian was not discouraged. He carefully walked beside her and said, "Second Sister, I carved a set of chess pieces for you on Mount Wudang. There are three hundred and sixty-one pieces, for your 19x19 board. Would you like to see?"

In the manor, the servants all knew that the Eldest Princess, Xu Zhihu, feared the Grand Chancellor, who feared the prince, and Xu Fengnian, in turn, feared Xu Weixiong. It was a case of "one thing subjugates another," but when it came to the Second Princess, she seemed to fear nothing, utterly fearless. As a woman, she dared to wield a sword and kill on the battlefields of Beiliang. No one in the manor, high or low, didn't feel a chill down their spine when it came to her, whose schemes and strategies were far superior to anyone else's. Even Jiang Ni, considered a spirited and resilient maid, was thrown into a well by Xu Weixiong for three days and three nights. When she was pulled out, the formerly vibrant girl looked like a ghost with no soul left.

Xu Weixiong didn't even look at the chess box or pieces, walking on in silence.

Xu Fengnian called out "Sister" with a wronged tone.

"Am I your sister?" Xu Weixiong said coldly.

Xu Fengnian kept walking, muttering, "Is practicing my saber really cause for such a fuss with me? We haven't seen each other in over three years, and you don't even smile."

Xu Weixiong struck fiercely.

In the twilight, a flash of light surged.

Xu Fengnian's left hand pulsed with pain, and the chess box slipped from his grasp. A whole box of one hundred and eighty white chess pieces fell through the air, creating over a hundred splashes of water as they hit, truly like celestial maidens scattering flowers.

Xu Weixiong continued forward, ignoring the prince who stood stunned on the spot. She merely said expressionlessly, "I saw it."

Xu Fengnian, left with only a box of black pieces, watched his second sister's figure disappear into the distance, sighing long after she was gone.

The next day, Xu Fengnian went to Luotu Courtyard to visit Xu Weixiong, but his second sister refused to see him.

On the third day, he finally saw his second sister in person, thanks to Xu Fengnian climbing over walls and up buildings.

She lay on her bed, holding a copy of "Kao Gong Ji" (Records of Examination of Craftsmen) – a book not highly regarded by scholars of the time – completely ignoring Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian, with a cheeky grin, tried to lie down on the bed, but the ancient sword by Xu Weixiong's side clanged, unsheathing half an inch.

Xu Fengnian helplessly said, "Second Sister, when will you stop being angry?"

She softly said, "I'm going back to the academy soon. If I don't see you, I naturally won't be angry."

Xu Fengnian was stunned for a moment, then asked, "You're not staying home for New Year's? Not waiting for Xu Xiao to come back?"

Xu Weixiong simply turned a page.

Xu Fengnian remained silent.

Sitting from noon until dusk, Xu Fengnian finally put down the lonely chess box and left the clean, simple Luotu Courtyard, which resembled a snow cave, feeling dejected.

Xu Weixiong got up from her bed, ate some pastries, glanced at the sky outside the window, and then went to the stables to get Chi She, her beloved horse. When she said she was leaving, she really left, never dragging her feet.

After leading out her beloved spiritual horse, which she had only tamed by chance, Xu Weixiong hesitated for a moment, then turned back into the courtyard and picked up a small item.

Xu Fengnian stood at the manor gate, watching with his own eyes as the horse, the person, and the sword departed resolutely.

Without even needing to go to Luotu Courtyard to check, Xu Fengnian knew that chess box was still sitting there in the distance.

What was the point?

What woman in this world truly enjoys traveling far and alone?

Xu Fengnian walked towards the peak of Qingliang Mountain. Below the Yellow Crane Pavilion there, a song and dance performance, which could be described as truly rare in the world, was about to take place.

It was originally meant for the little girl, Li Zi, but unexpectedly, it was dedicated to his second sister.

The lyrics for this "Resplendent Beiliang Spirit-Suppressing Song" were written by the departing Xu Weixiong. Xu Fengnian composed the music.

Tonight, Yu Youwei would perform her sword dance. The grand music would be played by Hongshe, Qingniao, and the other women, while Lvyi, Huangshang, and over thirty other musicians would play zithers, lutes, sheng, and yu. There would be one hundred and sixty singers and dancers.

On the summit of Qingliang Mountain, the lights made it as bright as day. The entire city could look up and see the splendor. The entire city could hear the grand, heavenly music. The city's inhabitants eagerly spread the news: "The prince is going to present music again!"

Below the Yellow Crane Pavilion, the flames soared like a rainbow.

"Beiliang has a million varied households, how many wrapped in iron armor are but withered bones?Fame and glory are given to a pot of wine; I ask, how many handfuls of dust are emperors, generals, and ministers?Rabbits roam the mountains, foxes sleep in the woods; their spirit devours the land like tigers.Ten measures of pearls, a red stove in snow; fair hands and slender waists become lonely.Ten thousand bows and crossbows, countless slain. A million heads, rolling in the road.Good men, do not say that the heroes of the world have fallen into my grasp.Young women, do not keep your deep affections hidden within.Come, come, listen who beats the beauty's drum.Come, come, see who is the butcher of the mortal realm?"

The "Spirit-Suppressing Song" totals one thousand and eight characters. It was widely circulated among the Beiliang army.

On the city tower, there were only three people: Xu Xiao, his adopted son Chen Zhibao, and Xu Weixiong, whom they had finally stopped.

Xu Xiao held a bowl of strong liquor suspended in his right hand, closing his eyes to listen intently to the song, while his left hand tapped his knee. Chen Zhibao's expression was solemn. Xu Weixiong went downstairs halfway through the song. In her palm, she clutched a perfectly round, ink-black chess piece.

Yellow Crane Pavilion.

The little girl, witnessing such a vast and magnificent spectacle for the first time, was too stunned to speak. The timid, clumsy Ben Nanbei beside her was so frightened he ran off, disappearing from sight.

Li Zi stared blankly at the prince, who was reclining on a couch not far away. She saw him slowly sipping wine, wearing a purple-gold crown, a white robe, with a touch of crimson at his brow, looking like an unburdened celestial being.