Chapter 96

The performance of the Cai Feng Dance Troupe caused a strong reaction in the capital. The sound produced by the new instrument, when plucked, was as clear and crisp as pearls falling on a jade plate. When played rapidly, it gave a sense of impending storm, creating an intense and urgent feeling.

Especially when paired with the large drum, it easily created a battlefield atmosphere, stirring people's blood to boil.

The dance and music arranged by the Cai Feng Dance Troupe were also excellent, named "Battle Song."

"Warriors die after a hundred battles, their bodies wrapped in horsehide. In life, they wield their swords to decapitate the enemy; in death, they leap on their horses to trample the enemy..."

The afterglow of the Seventh Legion's conquest of Pingjun City was still fresh, and the appearance of such a dance and music was like pouring oil on a small flame, instantly igniting people's passion.

After watching a performance, Feng Xuanzhang, the president of the Imperial Academy, was extremely pleased. The emergence of such a piece undoubtedly indicated the successful promotion of the large drum. The plucking of the new instrument completely overturned the traditional form of wind instruments, and its impact on the development of dance and music might even surpass that of the large drum.

"This 'Battle Song' is definitely a masterpiece, probably not inferior to 'Men Should Be Strong.' Jiang Xingchen now has a rival!" Feng Xuanzhang watched several performances and, feeling the audience's enthusiasm for the music, made such an evaluation.

He was highly supportive of such competition. Although Jiang Xingchen was a benchmark set by the Emperor, it was not beneficial for the development of dance and music if he always stood out alone. Competition was necessary for progress.

After watching the performance, he reported the matter to the Emperor, who also agreed. The New Year's dance and music performance should be fair, and the audience's preference was the most important. If he protected Jiang Xingchen because of his own strategy, it would be like slapping his own face. Such a thing must not be done.

After leaving the palace, Feng Xuanzhang immediately found Yuan Hao and inquired about the plucking instrument, only to learn that the instrument came from the Xuan Yuan Heavenly Sect. While feeling regretful, he immediately decided to have craftsmen study and replicate the instrument after the New Year's performance.

At this time, the Northern Pacification Marquis, who had been staying in the capital, was no longer calm. This was related to his daughter's dreams and future.

After running to watch a performance, he had to admit that while "Battle Song" might not be as inspiring as "Men Should Be Strong," it surpassed it in atmosphere creation. Especially the killing aura produced by the new plucking instrument, when paired with the large drum, was seamless.

For several consecutive days, the people of the capital were almost entirely captivated by "Battle Song," even forgetting the once-anticipated "Men Should Be Strong." They continuously requested the Cai Feng Dance Troupe to perform more shows.

The Cai Feng Dance Troupe did not disappoint, increasing their performances from once a day to twice, and even three times a day.

In the following days, the passionate music almost became a trend. The promotion of the large drum had already laid the foundation for this trend, and with the popularity of the Cai Feng Dance Troupe, the trend erupted. However, without the new plucking instrument, other pieces could not reach the height of "Battle Song."

Faced with this situation, the Northern Pacification Marquis could no longer hold back and immediately wrote a letter to his daughter.

In Hongyuan City, the old man finally found the silk thread Jiang Xingchen needed, which was made from the silk of a creature called a demon silkworm. The strength, toughness, and thickness were all just right.

The demon silkworm was not a monster, but its life cycle was ten years long, and it preferred darkness and feared light, usually hiding in caves, making it extremely difficult to find. Even with the old man's cultivation, he showed signs of fatigue upon returning, indicating how many places he had visited in the past few days.

"Brat, if the food you make doesn't satisfy me, see how the old ancestor will deal with you!" The old man threatened Jiang Xingchen in a menacing tone and then hurriedly went to rest.

With the zither strings in hand, the next step was to string them, tighten them with tuning pegs, and then adjust the sound with the zither bridges. This process was also very complicated and intricate...

"Finally, it's done!" After adjusting the last zither bridge, Jiang Xingchen let out a long breath, sat down in the chair, and then smiled.

This was the most labor-intensive production since the array appeared. With the help of Wan Rou and the other judges, they had been working for over twenty days. At this moment, the sense of satisfaction and achievement was overwhelming.

Wan Rou and the other judges felt the same way. They had witnessed the entire process of the birth of a new instrument. If they were not exhausted and powerless, they would have been jumping with joy.

After resting for a while, Wan Rou said, "Jiang Xingchen, try it out!"

"Sure!" Jiang Xingchen sat up straight, took a deep breath, changed his breathing method, and the array in his mind gently vibrated. He placed his hands on the zither strings.

"Pling!" After a crisp sound, a series of tinkling sounds followed, like flowing water, entering the ears of Wan Rou and the others.

Jiang Xingchen did not know the musical score, but the effect of the array allowed him to clearly grasp each note's change and the position of the finger movements, making the sound very rhythmic.

Originally, playing the zither required using plectrums, but the demon silkworm silk was extremely smooth, and he could use the optimal force, so there was no feeling of discomfort.

The high notes were clear and pleasant, like rippling water, while the low notes were reserved and melodious... Wan Rou was almost entranced.

After playing for a while, Jiang Xingchen pressed his hands on the zither strings to stop the vibration. Compared to the finely crafted zithers from his previous life, this one still had some flaws, but it was basically good. The sound quality was slightly inferior, and the range was not as wide.

"Really good!" Wan Rou exclaimed.

However, the judges frowned and hesitated, "The sound of this instrument is excellent, but when paired with 'Men Should Be Strong,' it seems a bit off!"

Jiang Xingchen smiled bitterly in his heart. He knew the problem, but there was no time to research the suona and pipa now.

At this moment, a servant from the Northern Pacification Marquis's residence rushed in and said to Wan Rou, "Miss, an urgent letter from the Marquis!"

"Oh!" Wan Rou took the white silk, and her eyebrows furrowed tightly, her expression unusually serious.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Xingchen and the other judges gathered around, and they were all stunned when they saw the content of the letter.

"Plucking, there's actually a stringed instrument, and it pairs extremely well with the large drum!" Jiang Xingchen's heart sank. This situation was completely unexpected. He never thought that someone would create a stringed instrument at this time.

"The 'Battle Song,' the Cai Feng Dance Troupe is performing continuously in the capital, with a huge response!" The judges were most concerned about this. Although the stringed instrument was also surprising, they were more concerned about the Cai Feng Dance Troupe's performance.

"This 'Battle Song' is not inferior to 'Men Should Be Strong,' and Father gave it such a high evaluation!" Wan Rou's expression became even more serious. If this were true, they would have no advantage. Both sides had the large drum, and the other side's instrument paired well with the drum, and the piece was just as good.

"They are performing continuously to gain as much audience support as possible... Truly clever, this way, they will have a significant advantage at the New Year's performance!" one of the judges said.

"Yes! With pieces of the same level, they gain an advantage by promoting them in advance!"

Jiang Xingchen pondered for a moment and then suddenly smiled, saying calmly, "Too much promotion isn't necessarily an advantage."

"Oh?" The others immediately turned to look at him, their faces full of questions.

"Even the best dish can become tiring if eaten too much. The same type of music performed continuously, won't the audience get tired of it?" Jiang Xingchen said.

The judges thought for a moment and shook their heads, "Probably not, the trend started by your 'Men Should Be Strong' is just beginning!"

Jiang Xingchen smiled and said, "Then let's create another trend, making it even stronger!"

"Jiang Xingchen, you mean to..." Wan Rou looked at Jiang Xingchen in surprise.

"We'll also go to the capital and perform three times a day... Sister Wan Rou, can your body handle it?" Jiang Xingchen asked.

"Isn't this like challenging them now... But our accompaniment..." Wan Rou did not consider her physical condition.

"The accompaniment doesn't matter. Our goal is to make the audience feel aesthetic fatigue... The real competition will be at the New Year's performance... We don't necessarily have to perform 'Men Should Be Strong'!"

"What!" The others stared at Jiang Xingchen in disbelief. They had never thought of giving up such a classic piece.

"Can you... create an even more classic piece? This... there's only about a month left until the New Year's performance..." Wan Rou murmured.

"Ha ha, don't worry, Sister Wan Rou! Rest well for now. In a few days, you'll be busy, not only performing the鼓舞 (鼓舞 means鼓舞, but in this context, it likely refers to a specific dance or performance), but also learning a new instrument!"

"Ah!" The others looked even more puzzled. Making a zither was already so labor-intensive; how could they find time to create another one?

"This instrument is called a flute... Sister Wan Rou, we'll surprise everyone!" With great confidence, Jiang Xingchen decided to set out the next day and head to the capital immediately.

Although making a flute was also labor-intensive, it was different from the zither. His hands' flexibility could be fully utilized. The precise adjustment of the hole spacing and the setting of the tuning were challenging, but he could accurately position them with the current array. The experience with wind instruments in this world would also be helpful.

When he got home, he immediately found Sun Sanqiang and asked him to find bamboo poles, but they needed to be two to three years old. In his previous life, when he was in junior high school, he bought a flute, and the vendor told him this. Later, he checked, and it was indeed true, but he wasn't sure if the flute he bought was from that age.

Although the season was not right, bamboo poles two to three years old could still be found. Soon, Sun Sanqiang brought a large bundle of bamboo poles...

The next morning, four carriages stopped in front of Jiang Xingchen's house. Mo Hongxian, his second brother, and Zhao Danqing all came.

Jiang Xingchen led Mei'er out and got into the carriage, which slowly left for the imperial capital!