Song Zhiyan noticed that Ye Chutang didn't want to be a female teacher.
"Does Miss Ye have any concerns?"
Although there were many restrictions on women in this era, and being in the public eye every day would invite criticism.
But he didn't think Ye Chutang was the kind of woman who would be bound by rules. Otherwise, she wouldn't have come to the Poetry Recitation Tower.
Ye Chutang took a sip of the excellent Biluochun tea and smiled brightly.
"Compared to teaching, I prefer freedom."
"To put it simply, I'm lazy."
Song Zhiyan was amused by Ye Chutang's answer.
"Miss Ye is really... insightful."
One could only obtain freedom by seeing through things and letting them go. It was really true.
"Of course. One's life in this world is at most a hundred years. One should live as freely as possible."
Song Zhiyan stopped smiling and looked at Ye Chutang seriously with his eyes.
"Miss Ye, in such a world, no one can truly be care - free. You came to the Poetry Recitation Tower to gain fame so that you could stand higher and break free from the shackles. I can help you."
"The condition is to be a female teacher at Huating Academy?"
"Miss Ye, no matter how high one stands, one is still under the rule of the emperor. In this world, no one can escape."
The Song family had been established for hundreds of years and had gone through three dynasties. They clearly knew what to do when the country was in decline and the common people were suffering.
Only when the country was peaceful and the monarch was wise and the ministers were virtuous could there be freedom.
Ye Chutang put down the teacup and looked at Song Zhiyan seriously as well.
"Dean Song, everyone has their own way of living. How do you know that your idea of freedom is the same as mine?"
It was okay to help others casually, but asking her to save the world, forget it.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade Ye Chutang, Song Zhiyan changed the topic.
"It was my rudeness. I shouldn't have forced Miss Ye to make a choice."
After saying that, he got up and walked to a guqin.
"This is a guqin that the Poetry Recitation Tower just obtained. I want to try the sound of the qin. Miss Ye doesn't mind, do you?"
Although Ye Chutang was not good at music, she had learned a little and knew something about it.
Song Zhiyan had an ulterior motive, and so did she.
The longer she stayed in this room, the more beneficial it would be for her to gain fame.
"It's my honor to listen to Dean Song play the guqin."
Song Zhiyan moved the guqin to the table. The maid stepped forward to light incense, and the servant boy brought clean water for him to wash his hands.
After finishing the preparations, he tried the sound of the qin and started playing.
It was a tune that Ye Chutang had never heard before.
At first, it was quiet and serene, then it became lively and vivid. In a blink of an eye, it was full of sobs, followed by the sound of war, and finally, it was full of prosperity.
When Song Zhiyan pressed his hand on the strings to eliminate the lingering sound, applause and praises sounded outside the qin room.
He looked at Ye Chutang. "What does Miss Ye think?"
Ye Chutang gave an honest evaluation. "The guqin is a masterpiece, and Dean Song's guqin skills are superb. The sound of the qin is full of emotions. It's played very well."
She could tell that he had the world in mind and great love.
"This guqin..."
Ye Chutang knew that Song Zhiyan wanted to start from the origin of the guqin to continue persuading her.
She immediately interrupted him. "This guqin is good. Can I try it?"
Song Zhiyan turned the guqin around and placed it in front of Ye Chutang. "Please, Miss Ye."
Yesterday.
Ye Chutang had made a stunning performance, but she hadn't touched on the areas of annotating ancient books and music.
People didn't doubt her literary ability, but they were speculating whether music was her weak point.
So, she wanted to give everyone a surprise today.
Ye Chutang washed her hands, tried the feel of the guqin, and played the prosperous "Spring Snow".
Song Zhiyan gave her two lines of poetry.
"Pure and clean, like snow - covered bamboo and precious jade; all things know spring, with gentle breeze and mild atmosphere."
[Note: Taken from the commentary of "The Mysterious and Secret Score"]
"Does Miss Ye mean that winter will eventually pass and spring will come, and all things will recover?"
Ye Chutang didn't answer and politely asked, "Dean Song, can I play the pipa again?"
Although Song Zhiyan didn't understand Ye Chutang's intention, he agreed.
"Zigui, go and get the best pipa."
"Yes, young master."
When the servant boy brought the pipa back, Ye Chutang said, "Don't close the door. Open the windows too so that everyone can listen."
"Ambush from All Sides" was a great tune, very suitable for these literati to experience.
Song Zhiyan had an intuition that the pipa tune Ye Chutang was going to play was not simple.
He asked, "Does Miss Ye want to play on the high platform on the fifth floor?"
The inside of the Poetry Recitation Tower was hollow, with countless ancient and modern masterpieces of poetry, calligraphy, and paintings hanging.
For the convenience of the young servants to hang things, there was a small suspended platform on each floor, fixed by four iron chains with pillars underneath. It was very stable.
Ye Chutang nodded. "Okay."
After trying the sound of the pipa, she carried the pipa and went up to the high platform on the fifth floor.
The maid carried a comfortable chair there.
Song Zhiyan asked the servant boy to inform below to open all the windows of the Poetry Recitation Tower.
If Ye Chutang wanted to gain fame, then he would help her.
By the way, he would also use her popularity to make the Poetry Recitation Tower more famous.
After Ye Chutang sat down, she plucked the strings of the pipa, and a solemn and murderous atmosphere immediately emerged.
It was like arranging troops, the sound of bugles in the camp, the meeting of two armies, the glint of swords, the fight for life and death, and the emergence of ambushes.
Those who listened felt as if they were on the scene, their blood boiling, and at the same time, they felt nervous.
Qi Yanzhou, who was passing by outside the Poetry Recitation Tower, stopped immediately when he heard the sound.
He asked the doorman, "Who is playing the pipa?"
"Your Highness, Prince Chen, it's Miss Ye."
Since Qi Yanzhou stopped being a prodigal, he had never entered any literary and romantic occasions.
Today, he broke the rule.
After writing a poem about the livelihood of the people, he entered the Poetry Recitation Tower.
As soon as he stepped into the tower, the tune of war suddenly changed.
One side was on the verge of defeat, and the tune was sad and solemn.
Many people were moved to tears.
Song Zhiyan looked at Ye Chutang, who was playing the pipa obliviously, and was deeply shocked by her emotional tune.
How could there be such a woman in the world, better than thousands of men!
Just when he thought it was a sad tune.
The tune suddenly turned upwards, becoming impassioned and majestic.
This was the victorious side celebrating.
Those who listened changed from sadness to joy, as if they had won a battle themselves. They were overjoyed and cheered loudly.
After Ye Chutang finished playing, she got up, returned to the qin room, and returned the pipa to Song Zhiyan.
After Song Zhiyan asked the servant boy to put away the pipa, he bowed deeply to Ye Chutang.
"What tune did Miss Ye play just now? It was so shocking."
"Ambush from All Sides. I didn't compose it. I just learned a little by chance."
"Miss Ye is being modest. I'm afraid there is no one in the entire Beichen Kingdom who can play it better than you."
"This tune itself is well - structured and full of emotions. As long as one doesn't play it wrong, this effect can be achieved."
After saying that, Ye Chutang asked, "Dean Song, do you know the purpose of my playing these two tunes?"
Song Zhiyan nodded.
"The coming of spring after winter is a very beautiful thing, but it often needs a mountain of blood and corpses to exchange for it."
The historical trend could not be stopped.
He was willing to go with the flow, and it was okay that someone didn't want to be involved.
Ye Chutang smiled and said, "Dean Song has great ambitions. I wish you success, but I'm just a little woman and don't want to care too much."
"Understood."
Just then, the young servant knocked on the open door.
"Dean, Miss Ye, His Highness, Prince Chen, is here."
