Chapter 53

"Xiao He's big head is really foolish. Although 'The Song of Gaixia' is superior to 'Farewell My Concubine' in terms of poetic intent, 'Farewell My Concubine' wins in novelty, and with the power of the 'drum' character and the Thunder Hammer, its battle song effect is far better than 'The Song of Gaixia,' which is self-sung and self-danced. Everyone in the hall has gained something, and no one dares to favor He Yong, let alone oppose Yue Heng. If He Yong continues to be stubborn, he will only bring shame upon himself."

One person summed up everyone's thoughts, even He Junbei realized this.

Those who understand the times are the wise. Everyone in the hall, except for the muddled He Yong, wanted to argue. He Junbei only regretted that he couldn't kick him to death!

He Yong, however, was stubborn. After being kicked by his uncle, he crawled back, stood in front of Yue Heng, and said with a stiff neck, "I'll apologize! Master Yue, you sang better than me, and I shouldn't have looked down on you. I apologize to you!"

Then he really went to the main seat and said similar words to each of the officials, including Cui Shilang, the magistrate of Qi County, and the head of the literary academy, without missing anyone. He was willing to lose face rather than betray his brother.

Yue Heng looked at this guy in surprise and suddenly felt a bit of goodwill towards him. He had never seen a warrior who valued the word 'righteousness' so much. In his two lifetimes, he had seen too many weak-willed people.

But this admiration lasted only a few seconds. Whether He Yong lost face or not was none of his business. The real issue was the black hand behind He Yong, and he needed to find a way to dig that person out.

Perhaps seeing He Yong's example, the low-ranking warriors who had been complaining earlier no longer dared to hide. They lined up one by one to thank Yue Heng for the battle song, their faces flushed with embarrassment.

"Master Yue, I was wrong just now. I shouldn't have called you scholars weaklings. Please forgive me?"

"I'm sorry, Master Yue. You're great. I hope you will create even better battle songs in the future to strengthen our human race!"

"I'm willing to swear to the Yellow Emperor and my martial soul that I will never look down on scholars again!"

"Yue Heng, we became acquainted through conflict. I'm convinced today. If you need anything in the future, just call me, and I'll be there without a second thought!"

This battle song had the greatest effect on warriors. After the martial god Xiang Yu's illusion appeared in Ji Cong's body, the martial souls of the warriors who saw the illusion were all stirred. Low-ranking warriors gained two to four or even five times their strength, and high-ranking generals gained half a level, equivalent to three months of killing demons.

After the low-ranking warriors thanked him, the military officials also took turns to express their gratitude. Even if they were unwilling, they had to thank Yue Heng for his help, otherwise, the shadow of Yue Heng's lineage in their martial souls might cause problems when they advanced to higher ranks.

"Master Yue, if you serve in the southern Chu front in the future, be sure to find me. I'll arrange the safest position for you!"

"Xiao Yue, here's my name card. Keep it for now. I have a senior brother in the Qicheng military department. If you encounter any trouble in Qicheng, just take my name card to him!"

"Yue Heng, do you have any relatives or enemies in Hong County? The blood levy hasn't started this year. Just say who you want to go and who you want to stay!"

"I'm a rough man, I don't know how to speak! If you ever fall on hard times, come to me. I'll treat you well and give you a life of wealth and honor!"

Yue Heng kept bowing and greeting these military officials, his face beaming with joy.

This was great; he had made so many warrior friends. If he put it bluntly, if anyone dared to provoke him, he could rally a group of people with a single call!

It was impossible to thank hundreds of people one by one. After sending off this small group of military officials, Yue Heng bowed to everyone around him and said loudly, "Everyone! There's no need to thank me individually. Creating battle poems and battle songs is the duty of scholars, all for the greater good of the human race. This is what I should do, so please don't be too formal... Oh, I'm really hungry. I haven't eaten all day. Can I have something to eat?"

Everyone in the hall laughed, and no one came up to him to make further connections.

Cui Shilang quickly waved his hand, "Come, come, Yue Heng, sit next to me! Everyone, go back to your seats. The banquet isn't over yet, and there's more to come!"

Yue Heng couldn't refuse and had to sit next to Cui Shilang. On both sides were third-rank scholars, and he kept bowing, which won the hearts of the officials.

These pedantic officials were very particular about lineage and rank. Among third-rank scholars, the one with more characters was more respected. If the number of characters was the same, the one who became a third-rank scholar first was more respected, and the later one had to respect the earlier one. It was just that kind of logic.

All these were the peculiarities of scholars!

Cui Shilang personally filled Yue Heng's cup with wine. Yue Heng didn't dare to be too casual and took the initiative to raise his cup, lowering his posture to show respect. The officials were extremely satisfied and praised Yue Heng for his understanding and talent.

"Have you prepared your essay?" Cui Shilang asked.

"The student has prepared it and should have no major problems," Yue Heng replied.

Magistrate Qi said, "Thanks to you, Master Su was willing to sing in front of so many people today. You really made me look good!"

Yue Heng was taken aback, "Isn't the victory banquet an annual event for the county office? Could she dare to refuse the county office's arrangements?"

Magistrate Qi explained, "In Hong County, and even in Qizhou, no one dares to force Master Su. If she doesn't want to sing, even nobles and aristocrats can't enjoy her performance. If she does, even a poor scholar might have the chance to meet her."

The head of the literary academy stroked his beard and smiled, "So, everything depends on her mood!"

Cui Shilang joined the conversation, very interested, "I've heard of Miss Su from hundreds of miles away in Qicheng. She's truly an extraordinary woman! I heard that Master Ji said that anyone who dares to make things difficult for Miss Su will not be spared."

Everyone expressed that they had heard of this, and they all sighed in unison.

Yue Heng was a bit moved. He thought a courtesan or a singer would have to sing when asked, but it turned out she was just like him, singing only when she felt like it. Who was this Master Ji? The Ji surname was rare, could he be from the royal family of Chu?

The banquet continued. After the warriors' performances, it was the turn of the scholars and students.

Yue Heng's performances, as the first-place winner, were saved for last. Ji Cong, the second-place winner, had already performed a sword dance, and both had summoned the martial god Xiang Yu, so they didn't need to join the ordinary scholars' performances.

Although other students ranked high, some had particularly high scores in the re-examination illusion, but their poetry wasn't particularly outstanding. Therefore, only ten excellent poems were selected, and their creators came to the main seat to recite them.

Yue Heng, sitting next to Cui Shilang, enjoyed the same treatment as the officials. After the students paid their respects to the officials, they would also thank Yue Heng for his battle song.

The scholars' divine palaces were also enhanced by the battle song, but the effect was much weaker than for warriors. Most just had their divine palaces expanded and their talent increased. Only those with a 'sword' character related to the battle song in their bodies would see an increase in the power of that character.

As the banquet neared its end, it was time for Yue Heng's works to be presented.

The first poem, of course, was "The Ballad of Mulan," hosted by the head of the literary academy.

A lie requires ten more lies to cover it up. When Magistrate Qi and the head of the literary academy mentioned the so-called "Capital's 'Mulan Song,'" they knew the truth would eventually come out. The head of the literary academy could only admit his mistake.

The head of the literary academy introduced, "The 'Ballad of Mulan' is a rare poem praising a woman. It vividly describes the image of a female hero, celebrating her bravery and determination to protect her country. This is the story of a legendary woman."

In the ancient era before the divine punishment, men governed the outside, and women governed the inside. But nowadays, women are respected for both their literary and martial skills, and many positions are exclusively held by women.

However, some people still hold the old-fashioned view, especially among scholars, where women are the least represented. Female warriors and female craftsmen and spirit masters are common, but female scholars are extremely rare. The head of the literary academy was a staunch opponent of women's public roles.

So, he could only stop his introduction there and closed his mouth, signaling the band leader to come on stage.

Yue Heng saw the band leader bring four musicians on stage: one with a horn, one with a cymbal, one with a drum, and one with a flute.

The horns and drums in the Zhongyuan world were similar to those in the future.

The brass cymbal resembled a gong, and in the story of "Journey to the West," the Yellow Eyebrow Monster used this treasure to cover Sun Wukong. When the two cymbals were struck together, they produced a metallic sound.

The flute was a popular instrument in the grasslands beyond the frontier, controlled by finger holes and a reed to produce different tones. It was likely the main instrument for the melody.

The four musicians were all a bit older, and the two with the horn and flute were particularly strong and robust, with flushed faces and large chest and abdominal movements, indicating a high lung capacity.

The head of the literary academy smiled and introduced, "Due to the time constraints, Master Hu gathered the most famous musicians in Hong County to arrange this piece. Many people have heard Yue Heng recite this poem at the examination hall. Today, Master Hu will perform this battle poem, 'The Ballad of Mulan,' in the banquet style!"

"Great!"

Many people cheered, and the officials and their families who were familiar with banquet music were particularly excited, having been looking forward to it.

Yue Heng, not ashamed to ask, turned to Cui Shilang and asked, "Lord Cui, why such a grand arrangement? Is there something special about this piece?"

Cui Shilang asked casually, "You're the original author. What don't you know?"

Yue Heng was embarrassed, "The student is not very familiar with music, and I don't know what the requirements are for banquet music!"

Cui Shilang was happy to explain, "Banquet music has certain standards. First, the poetry must be easy to recite, with a folk song style, rich and varied, simple and natural, and the words must follow the rhythm. Second, your poem is a long one, unlike short songs of a few dozen characters. The performance is complex and varied, and you can see how everyone is full of anticipation!"