binnovel Chapter 146 Ye Ru Practices the Qin
Chapter 146 Ye Ru Practices the Qin
Chapter 146 Ye Ru Practices the Qin
Upon hearing Ye Ru's agreement, Minister Li Baiyuan (Civil Minister) and Minister Chen Tianjian (Military Minister) nodded, then said to the former:
"In that case, we'll take our leave. The people from the four great academies will arrive in Zhongjie City in three days, and we'll be there to watch."
After saying goodbye to the two, Ye Ru hadn't even sat down when Chen Changfeng sent him a message:
"Congratulations to Ye Tongsheng on winning the national competition! Furthermore, there's a second piece of good news: the Legalist school has agreed to publish your book, *Investiture of the Gods*, but only on the condition that you hand over your movable type printing technology. What even the head of the Yu family, a novelist, couldn't accomplish, you, a mere student, have done with ease. Truly, the younger generation is to be feared."
Upon seeing the message, Ye Ru smiled and then replied to Chen Changfeng:
"I am grateful for Chen Ru's trouble and will thank him in the future. I can hand over the movable type printing technology. Please give me all the money from the publication, as I have other uses for it."
After sending the message, Ye Ru took out the Taihe Qin. He had already reached the second level in calligraphy, but he had not made any progress in the other three disciplines. Ye Ru knew that different paths lead to the same goal, so he took advantage of these three days to hone his qin skills so that he could teach Su Tongyao the se later.
Ye Ru played the Taihe Qin symbolically, and its wide range, deep tone, and lingering resonance impressed him greatly.
The qin is said to have nine virtues and is an instrument of gentlemen. Legend has it that Fuxi made the qin, Shun fixed it with five strings, King Wen added one string, and King Wu added another string to make it seven strings when he attacked King Zhou. It is also known as the sound of the ancient times and the sound of heaven and earth.
Ye Ru drew upon his knowledge of the guqin from the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries and then began to try playing it.
The qin has techniques. The right-hand fingering techniques mainly include plucking, lifting, stroking, picking, hooking, flicking, striking, and plucking, while the left-hand techniques are mainly divided into pressing and sliding.
The syllables include kneeling, raising, covering, pushing out, clawing, pinching, and simultaneous sounds. The glissando includes vibrato, glissando, colliding, calling, advancing and returning, retreating and returning, and separating.
After a moment's thought, Ye Ru chose a relatively simple piece, "Xiangfei's Lament," to practice.
The "Lament of Xiangfei" is a piece of music created by Aruwei, the governor of Nanjian during the Yuan Dynasty, using the story of Xiangfei. The melody of the whole piece is melancholy, as if Xiangfei is telling her story in detail.
However, Ye Ru's practice session was unsuccessful. The piece he played was not pleasing to the ear at all, and many students could not bear to listen to it. But when they opened the door and saw that he was the champion of this year's National Children's Competition, they respectfully withdrew.
Ye Ru knew that this was too noisy, so he took the initiative to go to a secluded riverbank in Zhongjie City to continue playing.
Ye Ru gradually became immersed in his own music, carefully listening to each note and pondering the differences between them.
……
"It is said that the entrance examinations for the four major academies this year are quite rigorous, with questions randomly selected. Candidates must be proficient in at least one of the four classical literary arts, and the exams are no less demanding than those for the imperial examinations for young scholars."
At an inn, Chen Tianjian raised his wine glass, stared at the amber liquid inside, and said in a deep voice.
"I have received a notice from Yingtian Academy. The Left Prime Minister's influence extends not only to the military but also to the four major academies. The people who came to recruit students this time are the Left Prime Minister's people."
Wen Xiang nodded and said.
"Well, Ye Ru's talent is top-notch. If someone were to secretly sabotage him, he would probably have to stop there with regret."
Kong Delin frowned as well and spoke slowly.
"No matter what, we should help Ye Ru when the four great academies arrive. By the way, do you have Ye Ru's world-renowned battle poem? The preliminary competition was so thrilling that I forgot to watch it for a moment."
Suddenly, Wen Xiang said to Kong Delin.
"Yes, we are here. Today is perfect. Let the three of us appreciate it; perhaps it will be helpful to our poetry."
Kong Delin remembered something and took out Ye Ru's "Man Jiang Hong" and placed it on the table.
The three people gathered around the article to read it, and gradually, they felt a sense of astonishment.
"I never expected that Ye Ru could write such a great work at such a young age, especially since it was written in a hurry. After what happened to Xiao Wenqi, I really believe that Ye Ru was a great scholar who broke his own book and reduced his literary rank to a child student."
Kong Delin gave a wry smile and said.
"The preceding lines of this poem express the author's grief and indignation at the Central Plains falling back into enemy hands, lamenting the wasted efforts of the past, and also expressing his desire to continue striving and achieve merit in his prime. The opening five lines are abrupt and forceful, bursting forth from nowhere. The anger in his heart burns fiercely and unstoppably, using exaggeration to describe the fury over the loss of his homeland."
"Having been stationed on the frontier, I can better appreciate the meaning behind Ye Ru's words. This poem shares some similarities with ancient poems; 'The rain has stopped' is from the song of the Yi River, while the phrase 'Do not wait idly' should be a timeless proverb, possessing immense grandeur and ambition. Even after a thousand years, reading it still feels vibrant and inspiring."
Chen Tianjian's eyes lit up, and he praised it.
"This statement hits the nail on the head, 'to start afresh, to reclaim our lost lands, and face the imperial palace.' The ending expresses the grand ambition of recovering lost territories and the arduous campaign with an optimistic spirit. It conveys both confidence in victory and loyalty to the Holy Temple and the King. Ye Ru's use of 'reclaim our lost lands' instead of directly mentioning triumph or victory is truly a brilliant touch."
Minister Li Baiyuan nodded in agreement.
"I disagree. Forgive my humble opinion, but I think the most brilliant touch in this poem should be the fourteen characters: 'Thirty years of fame and fortune are but dust and dirt, eight thousand miles of road are but clouds and moon.' These fourteen characters are truly unexpected and utterly amazing!"
These fourteen characters, sung softly, evoke the image of a general clutching his chest, consoling himself for a lifetime of sorrow. His resolute heart and unyielding spirit reveal him to be a hero, a man of deep feeling, worthy of witness. Fame and fortune are what I desire, how could they be as insignificant as dust? The hardships of constant striving are nothing compared to the joy of sharing the beauty of the clouds and moon.
Kong Delin stroked his beard and shook his head as he spoke.
"Brother Kong's insight is brilliant. This poem should also be included in the battle chants, and General Chen should distribute them to the frontier. Musicians can then compose melodies for them; their power as battle music might be no less than that of 'The Song of the Great Wind.'"
Wen Xiang's eyes lit up, and he carefully recited the poem again before speaking.
"Yes, I agree. We will submit a memorial to the emperor later, requesting that musicians compose this 'Man Jiang Hong' melody and then teach it to musicians in the border regions. Ye Ru's actions have inadvertently earned him a reward. Reporting this to the Holy Academy might yield some benefits."
Chen Tianjian nodded in agreement.
……
At this moment, Ye Ru finished playing a piece, and he vaguely felt a sense of immersion in the music.
"We've finally made some progress, but we still need to practice more. As for the banquet, we'll talk about it after the academy finishes its enrollment period."
Ye Ru lowered his head, sorting out his thoughts, and wrote down all his insights from this piano practice session.
He looked up at the window; the sky was completely dark outside. Ye Ru washed his face and then rested.
For the remaining two days, Ye Ru practiced the piano incessantly, then wrote down his insights. With the help of the Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries), Ye Ru's fingering technique improved rapidly...