Tang Dynasty Little Godfather

Chapter 159 Can’t stop at all
Before the students from the nameless academy took the stage, the entire singing competition was still going for an upper-class atmosphere, but this song "A Man Should Be Self-reliant" completely changed the mood.

The atmosphere of everyday life is vividly portrayed.

The girl's shout immediately captivated almost the entire audience.

"One more song!"

"One more song!"

The shouts were deafening.

But the contestants were dumbfounded.

You illiterate people, if you don't understand, don't make a fuss here.

What kind of nonsense are they singing?

These kinds of words are used to enter competitions; nobody would believe it unless someone got in through connections.

A bunch of clowns!
However, most viewers do have limited cultural literacy. The key point is that it's a big holiday, who the hell wants to watch you show off? If it weren't for the large number of people here, and the presence of beautiful women and talented men, who would come here? This is the kind of atmosphere we want. There are many people, loud voices, and many musicians, so we can hear clearly. We also want to be happy.

Most people are seeing a large-scale chorus for the first time, and it's also the first time they've been able to sing along. The sense of participation is extremely strong.

It's no exaggeration to say that it directly brought the atmosphere of the entire game to a climax.

Feeling unsatisfied, they naturally wanted to continue the conversation.

Even for Li Longji and his comrades, this was the first time they had ever seen such a large-scale chorus. The previous chorus only had about twenty people, which was just a class-level performance. Their singing was so-so that only hobbyists like Li Longji and Jiang Jiao could appreciate it. Even Li Qiao was too ashamed to show his face at the time.

But people always improve. This time it's much more professional, with separate male and female voices, and even the instruments used are quite unique and comprehensive.

It was incredibly enjoyable to watch.

After the song ended, Li Longji felt it wasn't enough. Seeing that everyone was responding, he shamelessly said, "Since everyone wants to hear another song, why don't we let them sing another one?"

Zhang immediately retorted, "How can that be allowed? There are rules to the competition."

Jiang Yanbo quickly added, "The key issue is that their lyrics are not up to standard; they can't even be considered folk songs. Allowing them to sing a song already damages the reputation of this singing competition. Afterwards, students will definitely question why they were allowed to participate in the competition."

be opposed to!

Strongly opposed!

They completely ruined the atmosphere.

Jiang Yanbo was filled with deep regret. If he had known it would turn out like this, he would never have let them participate!
Li Qiao suddenly said, "Although this poem is very ordinary, even mediocre, it is generally inspiring and uplifting. In terms of the meaning it expresses, I think it is more in line with the policies set by Minister Zhang than the previous poems and essays."

Zhang simply frowned slightly but did not speak.

In their eyes, this word is really very ordinary, but if you want to talk about the artistic conception, it perfectly matches Zhang's literary policy, which emphasizes integrity and momentum.

In this respect alone, those previous poems and essays really can't compare.

Jiang Jiao, who was also fond of music, was thoroughly enjoying the performance. Suddenly, she had a brilliant idea and said, "Master Wu, we're almost at the halftime, so everyone needs a break. Why don't we have the Nameless Academy perform another piece? That way, we can keep the audience entertained."

Just as Wu Xin was about to refuse, Li Longji nodded repeatedly and said, "Doctor Jiang is right. There should be a performance during the intermission to liven things up. Wu Jiji, what's your proposal?"

As he spoke, his gaze was fixed on Wu Xin, as if to say, "You should know your place. You are not like Zhang Shuo and the others. They are all capable and talented officials who I must use. You should know how you rose to power!"
Wu Xin dared not hesitate for a moment and quickly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your subject obeys, Your subject will make the arrangements immediately."

After saying that, he hurriedly went down the steps and summoned Wu Chongwen.

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Chongwen exclaimed in surprise, "Such vulgar language is not fit for polite society."

"Cut the nonsense!"

Wu Xin wanted to slap him twice. "It's all your fault, you little brat. You always think you're so clever. Now you've really let a wolf into the house, making this singing competition a complete mess. Go and make arrangements."

Wu Chongwen was so angry he almost ground his teeth to powder. He stomped his foot hard, yelled "Hey!" and stormed off.

However, he did not go to talk to Wang Xi and the others in person, as he also had to save face. So he sent the master of ceremonies instead, and whispered to them to first ask if they had prepared any songs, and if so, to ask if they would like to sing another song.

If they are not prepared, or if they are unwilling, then there is nothing that can be done.

After receiving the order, the master of ceremonies came to the stage and said to Wang Xi, who was packing up, "Young master, please wait a moment. Do you have any other pieces prepared?"

"Yes, I have!"

Wang Xi immediately replied, "We have prepared dozens of poems."

"Dozens of poems?"

The master of ceremonies was dumbfounded.

Li Jieman chuckled and said, "I'd sing until dawn if I wanted!"

"That's really unnecessary."

The master of ceremonies hurriedly said, "It's like this, we're about to have an intermission. Our chief officiant saw that your songs were very popular with the audience, so we hope you can perform another song."

"no problem."

Wang Xi readily agreed.

The master of ceremonies, like a clown, stared blankly at Wang Xi with his mouth agape. He knew that this kid had come prepared. After a long while, he said awkwardly, "Alright then. You can make some preparations."

After the master of ceremonies finished speaking, he bowed to the surrounding crowd and said, "Thank you all for coming to watch the singing competition held by our Imperial College. The participating students will take a short break, and during this time, the students from Wuming Academy will perform another song for everyone."

"it is good!"

Everyone responded in unison.

I'm so excited!
Actually, everyone had already used the restroom while preparing at the Nameless Academy, so they were in excellent condition.

Don't let the game stop.

The master of ceremonies sighed inwardly, reluctantly stepping down the stairs.

The participating students, however, were very dissatisfied. Why were they allowed to perform two songs? They immediately surrounded the students, demanding an explanation.

These students come from families no less privileged than Wang Xi and his classmates.

Wu Chongwen dared not say that this was the emperor's request, because Wu Xin had given instructions. If he said that, it would affect the students' mentality.

He simply said that the other party's academy had over a hundred people, and it wouldn't be fair to only let them perform one song, since our Imperial College had fifty people participating.

Moreover, this piece of music is not considered a competition piece, but rather a performance piece. If they don't perform it, then the performers have to perform it.

The implication was that this was nothing but the work of lowly people, and they should be left to do it.

As they were talking, a commotion suddenly broke out. Wu Chongwen turned his head and saw that all the senior brothers from Wuming Academy on the stage had stood to the side, while the junior sisters were standing in the middle.

"Oh. Men and women switched. Interesting! Interesting!" Li Longji's eyes lit up.

The surrounding ministers were speechless. It was just a change of positions; what was so interesting about that?

You approve of everything they do, without even being subtle about it; it's just so unfair.

But there is no way.

On the stage.

"Are you all ready?"

Wang Xi asked the crowd.

Everyone nodded in unison.

Wang Xi waved his hand again, and the music started again. Compared to the previous exciting piece, this one was more melodious, and the audience fell silent.

After a while, the little junior sister Linglong opened her mouth and sang: "The flowers once told me how you walked, the earth knows every corner of your heart. Sweet dreams, no one will miss them, and finally we have ushered in this joyous moment today."

The sound was extremely crisp and pleasant to the ear.

Then I heard a group of junior sisters sing in unison: "We have walked through thousands of rivers and mountains, and every meeting and smile is engraved in our hearts. On sunny and joyful days, we hold hands and have so much to say."

It has to be said that, in terms of voice and singing skills, the junior sisters are much better than those beasts. After all, they are all palace prostitutes, so they are professionals.

The melody lingered in the air, melodious and graceful.

The audience was caught up in the moment, expecting it to be as exciting and unrestrained as the previous song, allowing everyone to quickly get hyped up. However, unexpectedly, the style of the song suddenly took a 180-degree turn.

The audience was completely silent, everyone staring blankly. Only the flickering candlelight swayed in the night breeze. But as they listened, tears welled up in their eyes, and they began to hum softly, "The wind and rain have swept through every corner of the world, the same feelings have given us the same longing, the same joy, and the same song. Under the sunlight, all languages ​​are permeated."

The singing grew louder and louder, and the song gradually echoed in the sky.

As Li Longji, high above, listened to the melodious singing and watched the talented men and beautiful women below carrying lanterns, he felt inexplicably moved.

Suddenly, they heard singing from the side. Turning their heads, they saw that the foreign envoys, including the noble children who had come with them, were also singing: "We have walked through thousands of rivers and mountains. Every meeting and smile is engraved in our hearts. On sunny and joyful days, we hold hands and have so much to say."

Many people also had tears in their eyes.

Li Longji couldn't help but smile slightly, muttering to himself, "Que'er truly will not disappoint me."

Zhang Shuo and Yuan Qianyao also glanced at the foreign envoys. Listening to the lyrics, which were devoid of any artistic conception and extremely straightforward, and looking at everyone's expressions, they were also somewhat moved.

Boom!
The music is over!

But everyone was still singing, "The same feelings gave us the same longing, the same joy gave us the same song. Under the sunlight, all languages ​​are permeated!"

Can't stop, can't stop at all.

I've only just learned it; if I don't sing a few more lines, I'm afraid I'll forget it.

The senior and junior students of the nameless academy turned their heads to look, and happy smiles appeared on their faces.

Wang Xi was also in high spirits. Suddenly, he waved his hand again, and the music, which had stopped, immediately started playing again.

The audience understood immediately and joined in singing loudly.

Again!
Twice!

It wasn't until the third take that everyone gradually stopped.

"One more song!"

It was another roar that cracked his voice.

That shout made Wu Xin's heart tremble. He thought, "I've worked so hard to organize this singing competition, I can't let it turn into your concert!"
Brother! Can you give me a way out?

"Thank you! Thank you! We only prepared two songs."

Wang Xi cupped his hands in greeting to the surroundings and said, "Let's look forward to the wonderful performances from our fellow disciples."

After a moment of regret, thunderous applause erupted.

Deafening.

Amidst applause, Wang Xi and his group waved as they stepped off the stage.

Upon arriving at the foot of the stage, Huangfu Sengnian greeted him, saying, "You are right."

Neither he nor Wang Shuang went on stage. Wang Shuang did so because of her family background, while he did so because of his personality; he was unwilling to follow the crowd and disregarded all etiquette and rules.

Wang Xi humbly replied, "That's not necessarily true. Who knows if that piece of music will receive an even better response?"

Huangfu Sengnian shook his head and said, "This piece of music is the most suitable."

It turned out that Wang Xi had written several songs and planned to sing two of them, because he knew that one song would not be enough for Li Longji.

However, Huangfu Sengnian preferred the song "Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty," but after careful consideration, Wang Xi decided to choose "The Same Song."

While "Serving the Country with Utmost Loyalty" is more powerful and its musical style is more suitable, it inevitably carries a tragic tone. It might be more appropriate if it were set in the Song Dynasty.

But it's definitely not suitable for the current situation.

The current empire is at its zenith.

Moreover, there are many foreign people here. If you were to sing "Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty," they would be afraid. After all, the Tang Dynasty had already conquered many countries. If you were to still look northwards, wouldn't the Turks be terrified? I'm already calling you father, what are you still looking for?
Wang Xi personally preferred to spread the ideas of the Heavenly Khan, which was to promote the integration of various ethnic groups, because this was also the most unique aspect of the Tang Dynasty.

Even in the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty, many foreign peoples still held a glimmer of hope for the Tang Dynasty, hoping that another Heavenly Khan would emerge and recreate the glorious Tang Dynasty.

Although it is impossible, such aspirations are extremely rare, and it can even be said that there is only one such example in feudal history.

Adding a gentle song to this sharp blade might be a better choice.

Huangfu Sengnian didn't understand at first because the lyrics seemed very ordinary, the kind of song a child would sing. But just now, he saw people from all countries and ethnic groups singing the same song with tears in their eyes.

Only then did I realize that in this situation, there might not be a better song than this; even Li Bai and Du Fu couldn't do it!
Linghu Baodi and her group were in a state of extreme excitement. As soon as they stepped off the stage, they immediately started provoking their "senior brothers".

Because in the past, they only got to be scolded, and all the praise was given to these senior brothers.

Now that the situation has been reversed, how could they let this opportunity pass? They exhausted every word they knew to provoke the other side, and even started rolling up their sleeves, becoming overly excited.

The senior students naturally couldn't swallow this, and they responded with all sorts of rebuttals.

They made all sorts of solemn oaths, saying that if they could win first place with this kind of word, they would immediately commit suicide.

Whether we'll take first place is still uncertain.

But it was tough on the students who participated in the second half of the competition.

I know everything!

After this climax, you immediately enter a sage mode, feeling bored with everything, unless someone with an exceptionally good appearance and figure comes along.

However, the likelihood of this happening is extremely small.

They are all participating individually, and their scale is no match for Wuming Academy. Unless they present a timeless masterpiece, they cannot impress people.

The atmosphere was somewhat subdued throughout the second half.

The audience was somewhat disappointed because no one could bring them any surprises; it was all just sword dancing and reciting poetry, playing the zither and reciting poetry.

Look at that nameless academy, how wonderful their performance was!

There is no innovation whatsoever.

Even Li Longji found it somewhat dull; although there were some poems with no major flaws, they were not impressive enough to give people a sense of wonder.

In the end, all the passion was given to the nameless academy.

Zhang said they had all seen it and were quite frustrated, as it was completely different from what they had imagined.

at last!

Wait until all the contestants have finished their competitions.

Next comes the selection process.

Jiang Yanbo hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, you have lost."

Li Longji was stunned for a moment before he remembered that he seemed to have a bet with them.

However, Han Xiu thought that Li Longji was not convinced, so he quickly said, "The words from that nameless academy have no artistic conception whatsoever. They are more like last place."

Jiang Yanbo lamented to himself, "It's my fault! It's my fault! I thought that the nameless gentleman was very learned, and that a great teacher produces great students. I was sure that the poems they performed would have something special. But I never thought that, alas, I'm afraid we'll be laughed at tomorrow."

Another official said, "Indeed! The words from this nameless academy are simply not worthy of being performed here."

Looking at their anxious expressions, Li Longji couldn't help but find it amusing. "Are you mocking the Nameless Academy, or are you mocking me?"

"I don't dare."

The crowd stood up and responded.

“But that’s what you really think.”

Li Longji chuckled twice and said, "In terms of poetry and prose, I am not as good as Minister Zhang, but I still have the ability to judge. This is a poetry and prose competition, so of course the criteria should be poetry and prose. Wuming Academy is definitely in last place, and I accept my defeat wholeheartedly!"

The ministers were taken aback.

They originally thought that Li Longji would definitely give the first place to the nameless academy, but unexpectedly, he directly named the last place.

this.!

Li Longji glanced at them and chuckled, "You are truly judging others by your own petty standards. I will have the money you just bet returned to you in full."

Han Xiu, Jiang Yanbo, and the others blushed.

Little did they know, Li Longji didn't care about being number one at all. He had only made a bet with them to vent Wang Xi's anger. He was looking forward to a surprise, and he was already satisfied with just those two duets.

As for whether it's number one...

In this situation, even if it's not number one, it's better than number one.

The most memorable performance tonight was undoubtedly the grand chorus from the nameless academy.

Moreover, Li Longji is not incompetent now; his mind is very clear. The singing competition is to pave the way for the future imperial examinations, and we must not let this trend go astray.

Zhang said, "Since the nameless academy can win applause, it must have its unique features. Although the words are ordinary, its artistic conception is better than other poems and essays. This shows that they have indeed put a lot of thought into it."

Once he spoke, coupled with the emperor's modesty, the others dared not say much.

Actually, they didn't think much of the first song, but they did feel that the second song had something to praise, mainly because of the occasion and the people there.

Only after their internal argument was over did the foreign envoys begin to express their opinions, and they all echoed Zhang's words, as no one wanted to offend the officials of the Tang Dynasty over such a trivial matter.

They certainly like "The Same Song," and the more inclusive Tang Dynasty appears, the more at ease they feel.

From their perspective, facing the mighty Tang Dynasty, it's impossible not to feel fear.

Sitting beside him, Yamato Nagamine suddenly said, "The way the Nameless Academy plays music is truly an eye-opener for us. It's unbelievable that so many people can play together without the slightest disorder. The first piece was stirring and exciting, while the second was melodious and gentle, like a spring breeze, which is very moving. I hope that someone can be sent to learn this way of playing music. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request."

Upon hearing this, envoys from various countries stepped forward, all expressing their desire to learn this way of playing music.

They love singing and dancing, so they definitely want to bring that back with them.

Jiang Yanbo and his group were extremely displeased upon hearing this.

Okay!

Since you all want to learn from the Nameless Academy, then go to the Nameless Academy.

Of course, they were just unhappy.

This is a diplomatic matter, a matter of national importance; the Imperial Academy isn't run by their family.

Li Longji couldn't help but look at Li Qiao again.

Li Qiao then pretended to look around.

"How useless! If I, Que'er, were here, he would surely have a solution." Li Longji coughed and could only reply perfunctorily, "Well, cough cough, we'll talk about it later."

After saying that, he quickly changed the subject, "Gentlemen, let's not argue about this. If we're talking about poetry, Wuming Academy is definitely last place, but we can't let them set a bad precedent and ruin the artistic conception of poetry. Hehe."

Everyone bowed in unison, saying, "Your Majesty is wise."

Now that we've ruled out the nameless academy, things are easier to discuss.

After some discussion, the group quickly selected the top ten. Since none of the poems and essays surpassed their talent, the selection process was relatively easy.

Moreover, Zhang's opinion was the primary basis for the decision.

He, on the other hand, gave his reasons based on the rules he had set, emphasizing neatness and basic principles, while prioritizing artistic conception.

Ultimately, the top ten were all students from the Imperial Academy, and Wu Chongwen just happened to be tenth, which was more or less due to some personal connections.

If the two are roughly the same, then Wu Chongwen must have come first.

As for international students from various countries, only Chao Heng made it into the top ten, and he ranked fourth.

However, this delighted the Japanese envoys, who then began to look down on Silla in various ways.

They keep saying they're close to the Tang Dynasty, but what good is that? Look at them.

Silla was extremely frustrated.

Once confirmed, the master of ceremonies immediately announced it on stage.

There was some applause and cheers, but not much; it was mainly cheers from people within the circle.

As ordinary viewers, they don't care about the artistic conception of the poem; they only care about which piece of music leaves the deepest impression on them.

That was undoubtedly the nameless academy.

Somewhat disappointed.

"congratulations!"

Wu Chongwen stepped forward and cupped his hands to Wang Xi and the others, saying, "Fellow disciples, we have won first place, but we are still last place. This was personally selected by His Majesty."

"Ha ha!"

The surrounding senior students immediately burst into laughter.

After holding it in all night, I can finally vent my anger.

"You had the nerve to say we were here to compete for second place. Haha."

"What's wrong!"

Wang Xi laughed and said, "Last place is still first. What I just said was that we should compete for second to last place. You've misunderstood."

"Even now, you're still being stubborn."

"I'm just being stubborn, so what can you do about it?"

Wang Xi said with a grin.

Li Jie said with a grin, "Although we came in last place, we received the most applause and cheers."

Huangfu Sengnian said, "I suppose after tonight, all your masterpieces will be forgotten, and people will only be singing the same song."

Seeing that they had no sense of shame, the senior students were furious.

Just then, a song was suddenly heard: "Thousands of rivers and mountains, we have walked through them, and every smile we shared is etched in our memories!"

Linghu Baodi chuckled and said, "We probably won't even have to wait until tomorrow."

After saying that, he sang loudly: "Starlight shines on all of our childhoods, giving us the same feelings, the same longing, the same joy, and the same song."

After he started singing, everyone else joined in.

The audience members who were just about to leave turned back and started singing along.

The atmosphere immediately warmed up again.

But it made the senior brothers so angry that their mouths twisted in disbelief.

The officials on the stage, including Zhang Shuo, also looked extremely grim.

This is the biggest irony of their selection process.

Actually, before Wang Xi and his group arrived, they knew they would definitely be last. They weren't there to compete for first place; they were there to cause trouble and get revenge on their seniors. They might not get first place, but they wanted to make the one who did feel like they were eating shit.

It's better not to take it.

Because there is no first place in literature, even if they win first place, it will attract a lot of controversy and cause trouble for themselves. With their level, they can't care about this. This is not their path. So their goal is very simple: to make everyone happy, to make the Imperial Academy uncomfortable, to make the Wu family uncomfortable, and to make their senior brothers uncomfortable.

P.S.: I have a bad cold. I was thinking of taking the day off, but I decided to finish writing about the singing competition first. That will be the end of the afternoon. Whether I update tomorrow will depend on my health.

(End of this chapter)