Chapter 56

The woman who was hit fell to the ground, blood streaking her face. The other woman quickly rushed over and gently wiped away the blood with a handkerchief. The two women huddled together, trembling and sobbing quietly, afraid to make a sound, fearing another beating and arousing pity. The young man in the brocade robe pointed at the group of Turks, furious, and said coldly, "You Turks, while in our Tang Dynasty, you must abide by our Tang laws. Beating innocent Tang citizens without cause, are you not afraid of being thrown into prison?"

The Turks burst into laughter. The one who spoke Chinese pointed at the young man in the brocade robe and said, "Little boy, don't shout recklessly. With your scrawny body, even the weakest servant could crush you with a finger!"

"Oh no! Honorable guests! What did these two performers do to offend you? They are new here and really don't know any better. Please, be magnanimous and let these two ignorant girls go! Our inn will certainly punish them properly!" The manager came up, glanced at the scene, and quickly bowed, saying this while signaling the servants to help the two women up.

"Manager, you are wrong! Since we are honored guests, if we want to hear a song, they must sing for us! Otherwise, what good are they? We might as well take them back to the grasslands and have them serve the brave warriors, producing more warriors!" The Turk looked at the two women with ill intent and laughed.

The manager's brows furrowed, but he did not get angry. He smiled and said, "Oh, honored guests, what you say is amusing, ha ha! These two girls are so thin, they have no meat on their bones! They really don't know the songs from your homeland. How about this? We will waive your meal expenses at Yixiangju today, and you won't have to trouble these two girls. What do you think?"

"Our brave warriors of the grasslands never go back on our word. Sing! If you can't, you will be taken away!" The Turk, red-faced and agitated, reeked of alcohol and moved toward the two women. The manager quickly blocked him, but the Turk grabbed him by the waist, lifted him up, and threw him, smashing several tables. The manager lay on the ground, groaning, and the servants rushed over to help him, but he couldn't get up.

The group of Turks looked drunk and intent on causing trouble. Seeing the manager thrown and unable to get up, they all laughed wildly, pointing at the innkeeper.

These Turks were strong and towering, each one carrying weapons, and their presence was intimidating. After the manager was thrown, the other diners were full of anger but no one dared to step forward.

The two women huddled together, trembling and begging, while the Turks approached with sinister faces.

Xu Qixian held a wine jar, his fists clenched, his face full of anger. If it weren't for the Turks' strength, he would have smashed the jar on them. The others at the table felt the same.

"Turk dogs! With me here today, you will not act recklessly!" The young man in the brocade robe suddenly kicked over the table, picked up a wine jar, and threw it at one of the Turks. The Turk swung his whip, shattering the jar, and then walked toward the young man with a sinister smile.

Seeing the two trembling, helpless women, Xia Hongsheng was filled with rage, his eyes wide and fixed on the Turks. Memories of the Five Barbarians' chaos, the Liao and Jin's oppression of the Song, the Yuan's massacre of the Han, and the Qing's rule that nearly destroyed the nation flooded his mind. He felt something rising in his chest, and his stubbornness from the future could no longer be contained. He slammed his fist on the table and stood up, stepping out of the private room, his eyes blazing with anger, and shouted, "Turks! Turn around!"

The Turks turned at the sound, seeing a young man standing there, looking at them coldly. They made a gesture to draw their swords to scare Xia Hongsheng, but he was unmoved.

"Junior Brother!..." The other students quickly came over, worried about Xia Hongsheng's impulsiveness.

"It's fine." Xia Hongsheng pushed away the hand holding him and took a few steps forward, stopping in front of the two women. He said coldly, "Isn't it just singing? I happen to have a new song. If you want to hear it, I will sing it for you!"

The Turks didn't take Xia Hongsheng seriously, looking at him mockingly.

Xia Hongsheng took a deep breath and asked the women, "Miss, please play the zither. The music should evoke the sound of battle and the vast desert."

The woman, startled, quickly stood up, adjusted the zither, and played a stirring melody, evoking the power of battle and the vast desert.

Xia Hongsheng nodded in satisfaction and said to the other woman, "Miss, please play the drum to accompany the zither!"

The woman, gritting her teeth, ignored the blood on her face, and played the drum, the sound like the hooves of horses. The two women, their eyes filled with anger, played with all their might, and from their frail bodies, a powerful and stirring energy emerged.

Xia Hongsheng turned to the Turks, his eyes cold, and began to sing slowly and deeply.

"Anger makes my hair stand on end,

Leaning on the railing,

The rain has stopped.

Lifting my eyes,

I look up to the sky and roar,

My heart filled with intense passion.

Thirty years of glory are like dust,

Eight thousand miles of clouds and moon.

Do not waste time,

Let your youth not turn white,

Only to regret in vain!

The humiliation of the Wei alliance,

Has yet to be avenged.

The hatred of the ministers,

When will it be extinguished!

Drive the chariot,

Break through the贺兰山缺.

My ambition is to eat the flesh of the barbarians,

And drink the blood of the Turks with a laugh.

When the time comes,

Restore the old mountains and rivers,

And present them to the emperor!"

... Xia Hongsheng almost used all his strength to shout, his voice reaching the sky, his spirit soaring. He felt a sense of righteousness fill his chest, his heart swelling with emotion. He shouted the song over and over, but the excitement in his chest still could not be released, so he shouted, "Drum again!"

"Yes!" The two women, trembling, clenched their teeth, and responded clearly. The other diners, excited and red-faced, came out of their private rooms, holding hands, standing tall, and shouting the song with all their might. The sound shook the earth, captivating everyone.

"Everyone! Come, sing with me!" Emotionally charged and drunk, Xia Hongsheng grabbed the trembling Xu Qixian and shouted together. The others responded, shouting the inspiring song with all their might. The diners and passersby joined in, the passionate and heroic voices rising and falling, the diners shouting until they were drenched in sweat, but still unable to contain their excitement. Each person felt like a general on the battlefield, their shouts making the Turks tremble and want to flee.

"Ha ha ha!... Good! May I ask, does this song have a name?" The young man in the brocade robe, his voice hoarse but still excited, asked.

Xia Hongsheng stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes fixed on the Turks, smiling, and said slowly, "To spill the blood of the Turks, to dye the river red! This song is called 'Full River Red'!"

"Spill the blood of the Turks! Dye the river red! Ha ha ha, what a great 'Full River Red'! What a great 'Full River Red'!" The diners' laughter shook the roof of Yixiangju, the Turks' legs trembling, they turned and fled in panic.

Drunk, Xia Hongsheng felt a figure enter the endless darkness, clad in golden armor, riding a horse. Suddenly, the figure became clear, a beautifully dressed woman walked gracefully, her hairpin trembling, revealing a familiar face. She smiled seductively and said, "I am Empress Xu..."

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and Xia Hongsheng sat up in shock.

Looking around, he saw only a quiet room, no Empress Xu, no Li Shimin.

Xia Hongsheng smiled, if the Xu Hui he knew was the historical Xu Hui, then the history books must have reduced her age by a decade, as it is recorded that Xu Hui was born in the early years of the Zhenguan era.

This was his room in the inn of the academy. Xia Hongsheng got out of bed, feeling his throat dry and sore, as if it were cracked. He quickly went to the table, poured a glass of cold water, and drank it all, feeling slightly better.

Even in ancient times, his alcohol tolerance hadn't changed. Even unrefined alcohol could get him drunk. Xia Hongsheng shook his head, but the alcohol had worn off, and he felt no dizziness or headache, fully recovered. He looked out the window, and it was already morning. He opened the door and saw no one outside, only a servant wiping the tables.

"Sir, you are awake?" The servant saw Xia Hongsheng and called out from below.

"Yes, I'm awake. Where are the others? Did they all go to the poetry meeting?" Xia Hongsheng asked, his voice hoarse from the previous day's shouting.

The servant smiled, "Sir, please wait. There is still food in the kitchen. I will heat it up and bring it to your room. The other young masters have gone to the academy. After you eat, you can go see them!"

"Ha ha, thank you, little brother!" Xia Hongsheng, feeling hungry, smiled and thanked him.

Poetry meeting, he needed to eat quickly and go see!

(PS: Thank you to the following readers for their support: 孤旅漫漫, 萨sammy米, 赡养人类, 梦灭五丈原, hz湖州傲霸, 停留在记忆, 邪云归来, 乖小孩安安, M虎, 米小米816, 书友121119, 承翌. Thanks! ... Please recommend and collect the story!)

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