Chapter 45

The next day, the New Year Song and Dance Preliminary Selection officially began. The current New Year Song and Dance Preliminary Selection was no longer just a selection process; it was more like a festival! Dozens of stages were set up throughout the city, each surrounded by crowds. On the streets, one could often see several women dressed in beautiful, colorful clothes performing with great enthusiasm, and there were always many people watching. The real preliminary selection venue was even more crowded, packed with people.

Jiang Xingchen came out early in the morning, accompanied by Meier, Wanrou, Mo Hongxian, his second brother, the fourth brother, Zhao Danqing, Sun Sanqiang, and six soldiers, all heading to the preliminary selection venue. The road was filled with people.

As they approached the venue, Jiang Xingchen saw the surging crowd from a distance and frowned: "So many people, without microphones, speakers, or other modern equipment, even if the sound is loud, it will likely be drowned out by the noisy crowd. People far away probably won't even be able to see what the performers on stage look like!"

However, when they arrived at the performance venue, Jiang Xingchen understood.

The entire performance venue was shaped like a blooming flower, with four petals extending outward from the center. Each petal was a large horn-shaped opening, and the two sides of the curved arch walls extended outward like two giant arms, then closed together, creating a sound-gathering effect.

Wanrou then explained: "This performance stage was specially designed and built by the imperial capital's architectural family. The four viewing areas can accommodate ten thousand people in total."

Jiang Xingchen looked forward but could hardly estimate the number of people; there were definitely more than ten thousand, and many would not be able to squeeze in!

When they got closer, his second brother and the others could no longer follow. Jiang Xingchen, Wanrou, and the six soldiers had to go backstage to prepare.

After stopping, Zhao Danqing and the others looked at Jiang Xingchen with teasing eyes. His second brother approached with a smile, patted Jiang Xingchen on the shoulder, and said, "Little brother, I didn't expect you to start playing with children's stuff. Perform well..."

Wanrou suddenly glanced sideways and whispered, "Hongxian, hit him!"

"Smack!" Almost as soon as Wanrou spoke, Mo Hongxian's smile vanished, and she slapped the back of his second brother's head.

"Ouch!" His second brother yelped and quickly shrank back.

The fourth brother, Zhao Danqing, and Sun Sanqiang couldn't hold back their laughter.

But then they saw Wanrou's stern gaze and immediately fell silent, the sudden change from laughter to seriousness almost made Jiang Xingchen laugh out loud.

However, at this moment, everyone realized that Wanrou was not in a good mood.

Indeed, as they had thought, Wanrou was a bit heavy-hearted. Although she had gained a new understanding of the drum over the past two days and was attracted by its strong rhythm, they had not fully unleashed their power and had been controlling their strength, which made her feel uncertain about whether the performance would be recognized, especially since almost all the performers were men.

The six soldiers also blushed and lowered their heads slightly, as no man had ever performed in a song and dance show before. They were unsure if they would become a laughingstock in the military. Even when they agreed to perform for Jiang Xingchen, they did it secretly without making it public.

"Don't be embarrassed. After today, I guarantee you will be famous in the military!" Jiang Xingchen patted the shoulder of the soldier in front.

Hearing Jiang Xingchen's confident tone, the soldiers thought about last night's rehearsal, and their expressions gradually returned to normal, their eyes showing a hint of enthusiasm.

"Let's go!" Without letting them think too much, Jiang Xingchen waved to Mo Hongxian and Meier, urging the carriage to continue forward...

At the backstage, they got off the carriage, and the six soldiers carried two large drums and their costumes, following Jiang Xingchen and Wanrou.

When they showed their performance credentials, the person in charge of reception almost dropped his jaw. In all these years, he had never seen men in a dance and music troupe.

He stared straight at Wanrou and the others, making them feel depressed. It wasn't until Jiang Xingchen loudly reminded him that he snapped back to reality and hurriedly led them in.

All along the way, they received curious looks, and some girls even covered their mouths and giggled.

Wanrou's face was ashen, and the six soldiers wanted to find a crack to hide in.

Only Jiang Xingchen maintained a faint smile and nodded to the people around him.

Led by the person, they entered the room marked "Zijing Dance and Music Troupe," and Wanrou and the six soldiers heaved a sigh of relief.

"Xingchen, can we really do it? We're not using any instruments besides the drums!" Wanrou asked.

"Wanrou, if you don't have confidence, we're already defeated... Believe in me, and believe in yourself. Our arrangement may not be perfect, but it will be enough to shock everyone!"

For this performance, Jiang Xingchen did not use any instruments, not because he didn't want to, but because the instruments in this world were not suitable. He had wanted to make a suona, but there was no time. However, he believed that with his control over rhythm and dynamics, he could achieve the desired effect.

Seeing Jiang Xingchen's confident demeanor, Wanrou seemed to be influenced, and her anxious heart gradually calmed down.

"Wanrou, don't think too much! Just fully perform what we practiced these two days! Follow my rhythm, and don't worry about anything else!"

"Okay, I understand! Our Zijing Dance and Music Troupe is the second to perform. Let's change into our costumes quickly!" Wanrou nodded and then walked into the small room...

At this time, the audience had already entered, and hundreds of security personnel were maintaining order, making everything seem well-organized. However, the crowd's chatter was quite noisy.

"Who do you think will win this time?"

"The Xuanfei Dance and Music Troupe. They are not only beautiful but also have beautiful voices. They were selected last year to perform in the imperial capital! They will definitely win this year too!"

"Xuanfei is a given, their strength is evident. It's said that after they won last year, Duke Qiyue personally rewarded them with noble status... However, there are two more slots. I'm more optimistic about the Chenxi Dance and Music Troupe. I've seen their performances a few times, and they are very good!"

"I don't think they will make it. The Lanmeng Dance and Music Troupe and the Yunhua Dance and Music Troupe are also very strong!"

"Have you forgotten the Piocai Dance and Music Troupe? They almost won last year, and the judges from the Imperial Academy felt it was a pity..."

Meier, who was with Mo Hongxian, listened to the surrounding discussions, pouted, and said unhappily, "Brother and Wanrou's Zijing Dance and Music Troupe is the best... Uh~"

Before she could finish, Meier's mouth was covered by Mo Hongxian, "Little girl, don't mention the Zijing Dance and Music Troupe!"

While saying this, Mo Hongxian looked around, afraid that someone might hear.

"Why?" the little girl asked.

"I'm afraid we'll be embarrassed... Men performing in a song and dance show will make people laugh their heads off!"

"Hmph!" Meier puffed her cheeks in anger and said nothing more.

Due to their special status, they were led to the front row, where only a few rows of seats were near the stage. In the second row, they sat in front of the Imperial Academy's judges, the Duke of Dingbei, and several high officials from Hongyuan City, as well as the seven army commanders who happened to be there.

When the venue was almost full, the Duke of Dingbei personally went on stage and announced the official start of the New Year Song and Dance Preliminary Selection.

His voice, enhanced by the sound-gathering design of the venue, instantly suppressed all the noise, and the entire performance area fell silent, followed by enthusiastic applause.

Jiang Xingchen, already dressed, was waiting at the entrance to the stage. Hearing the Duke of Dingbei's voice, he couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise: "Martial arts has such benefits; his voice is as loud as if he were using a microphone!"

When the venue fell silent again, the performance officially began.

The first to perform was the Chenxi Dance and Music Troupe. Five girls with pure looks gave an outstanding performance, showcasing their strengths and beauty through their songs and dances. Jiang Xingchen had to admit that this group was much better than the performance he had taken Meier to see at the dance and music venue last time!

When the performance ended, the audience erupted in thunderous applause, and the Imperial Academy's judges gave high praise.

The performance evaluation was divided into four levels: ordinary, good, excellent, and outstanding. The first dance and music troupe received an excellent rating, which added more pressure to Wanrou.

"Don't worry!" Jiang Xingchen gently patted Wanrou.

Taking a deep breath, Wanrou no longer had any杂念, and she growled, "Let's go! It's our turn!"

As the venue had just calmed down, it suddenly erupted again, with everyone staring at the stage with wide eyes, their expressions varied.

"Men! It's actually men performing... What a joke!"

"What are they holding? Where are the instruments?"

"My goodness, there are even soldiers, and they are wearing fish-scale armor!"

"That girl is really beautiful, and her outfit is... so novel!"

The various comments made the entire venue noisy. The Duke of Dingbei, in the front row, lowered his head in embarrassment. The Imperial Academy's judges looked at the stage with stunned expressions, holding the roster but not knowing that the performers were all men, and the only woman was dressed... The faces of the seven army commanders turned black. Weren't the performers on stage the first batch of wounded soldiers who used the sheep gut sutures? How embarrassing!

Meier, in the second row, was excited, her eyes shining, and she waved her small fists, shouting, "Brother, go for it!"

Mo Hongxian, who had not been paying attention, did not cover the little girl's mouth and groaned in frustration, immediately lowering her head.

His second brother, the fourth brother, Sun Sanqiang, and Zhao Danqing immediately distanced themselves from Meier, looking at her with surprised eyes, as if they didn't know her.

Following this, the venue burst into laughter. Although no one said anything, the meaning was clear.

"Boom!" At that moment, a deep, thunderous sound suddenly vibrated the air, striking everyone's hearts, and all the laughter instantly disappeared.