Late Tang Dynasty: Descendants of the Imperial Clan

Peng Jingrou was also taken aback, then clapped his hands and laughed, saying repeatedly:

"Excellent! Jingzhi is indeed thoughtful! Someone, lead that servant to choose a musical instrument!"

He was overjoyed, thinking that his efforts to win over the young man before the banquet had worked, and that the young man was indeed sensible and knew that he should show his loyalty at this time.

However, others did not think this way.

Those officers who had just been weeping covered their faces turned ashen and their eyes were filled with anger after hearing Li Cenji's words.

Although they surrendered due to circumstances, they still harbored some shame in their hearts, feeling that they had let down the Tang Dynasty and their ancestors.

Seeing Li Cenji so obsequious, even offering to play music to entertain, the hatred in his heart burned like fire.

Li Changfu couldn't contain himself any longer and whispered a sarcastic remark in his elder brother's ear:

"Brother, look at that fellow! I've never seen such a shameless person before! How could Lord Zheng be so blind as to choose such a creature to guard him?"

Li Changyan frowned, said nothing, but picked up his wine cup and took a big gulp.

Sun Chu sat among the civil officials, gazing at Li Cenji's retreating figure, and sighed inwardly.

He recalled Zheng Tian's high regard for Li Cenji, the five hundred elite Imperial Guards, and the young man's calm and composed demeanor when Zheng Tian fell ill...

I thought he was a man of principle, but it turns out he's just an opportunist who changes his tune with the wind.

Sun Chu shook his head, lowered his eyes, and stopped looking at him.

Li Cenji took in the reactions of everyone in the hall.

He didn't care at all.

He led Xu Tai and followed the servant to a side room, where they picked up a large drum.

The drum was quite large, with a cowhide drumhead. When struck, it produced a deep, resonant sound that could travel far.

Li Cenji patted the drumhead, tested the sound, nodded in satisfaction, and said to Xu Tai:

"You beat the drum."

Xu Tai looked bewildered and whispered:

"Captain, are you... really going to offer music?"

Li Cenji glanced at him, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said:

"What, do you think I'm going there to flatter that eunuch?"

Xu Tai opened his mouth but didn't dare to answer, but his eyes clearly said: Isn't that right?

Li Cenji didn't explain, he only said:

"Just beat the drum with all your might. You don't need to worry about anything else."

Xu Tai nodded, still somewhat doubtful.

The two men carried the large drum back to the hall. Li Cenji bowed to Peng Jingrou and Huang Chao's envoy, and said with a smile:

"Lord Peng, messenger, I shall make a fool of myself."

Peng Jingrou said with a smile:

"Lieutenant Li, please."

The envoy from Huang Chao, also full of anticipation, clapped his hands and said:

"Very well, I'd like to hear what song Lieutenant Li is singing."

Li Cenji took a deep breath and stepped into the hall to stand still.

Xu Tai set up the large drum to the side, holding a drumstick in each hand, and got into position.

Li Cenji closed his eyes and calmed himself down.

When I opened my eyes again, they were clear.

He spoke.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was deep and steady, with a touch of Kucha charm in its tone, and also conveying a sense of the clanging of swords and the thunder of war.

"Having received the decree from the emperor, we will unite to punish the rebellious minister..."

As soon as these two lines were uttered, Xu Tai's drumsticks fell.

"Thump!"

A drumbeat resounded, like muffled thunder rolling across the sky, causing the candlelight in the hall to flicker.

The drowsy officers and soldiers suddenly jolted awake and looked up.

Li Cenji's voice continued:

"Let us sing 'Breaking the Enemy's Formation' together, and enjoy the peace and prosperity of the people..."

"Thump! Thump!"

The drumbeats grew increasingly rapid, like ten thousand horses galloping, like thunder roaring in fury.

The "Qin King's Battle Song" was originally a military song, with a stirring and powerful melody and a strong and resounding rhythm, quite different from the soft and weak folk songs just now.

This song was composed when Emperor Taizong was still the Prince of Qin. After defeating Liu Wuzhou and consolidating the foundation of the Tang Dynasty, the soldiers, grateful for his achievements, set the old tune to new lyrics.

The poem contains images of war, the spirit of conquering vast distances, the victory in every battle, and the peace and prosperity of the world.

Those were the most prosperous years of the Tang Dynasty, a glorious era when all nations paid tribute and all directions offered congratulations.

It was a golden age created by Emperor Taizong Wen, and it is the proudest glory in the hearts of every soldier of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Cenji's body swayed to the rhythm, his movements bold and powerful, and his singing grew higher and more passionate:

"The imperial spirit spreads throughout the four seas, and the virtuous waters remain clear for a thousand years..."

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The drums thundered, echoing throughout the entire mansion.

The candlelight in the hall flickered violently, casting Li Cenji's tall and majestic figure on the wall.

The soldiers who were chatting idly outside the courtyard stopped talking and pricked up their ears to listen carefully when they heard the drumming and singing.

The personal guards of the various town generals in the side hall also put down their wine cups, stood up, and gathered at the door to look towards the main hall.

The servants stopped what they were doing, the dancers forgot to continue dancing, and the musicians, holding their instruments, stared blankly at the young man singing loudly in the hall.

The vast military governor's mansion seemed to be brought to a standstill by the sound of drums and songs.

Li Cenji's singing grew louder and louder, each word like the clash of metal and stone:

"We no longer wear military uniforms; today we announce our victory..."

"Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The drumbeats grew more urgent and intense, like a torrential downpour or a volley of arrows.

The officers and soldiers in the hall all changed their expressions suddenly.

Some people opened their mouths wide, some stared wide-eyed, some clenched their fists, and some trembled uncontrollably.

The melody of "The Qin King's Battle Song" was like a key, suddenly unlocking the long-sealed door in their hearts.

Behind the gate lies the glory and splendor of the Tang Dynasty for over two hundred years.

It is the heroic figure of Emperor Taizong Wen conquering the world on horseback, the prosperity of the Zhenguan era, the abundance of resources and people during the Kaiyuan era, and the magnificent atmosphere of poetry, wine and women and the tribute from all nations.

All that glory is contained in this one piece of music.

That was the glory that the soldiers of the Great Tang Dynasty had defended with their blood and lives.

Li Changyan's tiger-like eyes had been filled with tears for some time now.

His lips trembled, his hands trembled, and his heart trembled even more.

He recalled the days when he was young and fought bloody battles on the frontier, the brothers who died on the battlefield, and the spirited young man of the Tang Dynasty who was determined to serve his country to the death.

Looking at his brother's appearance, Li Changfu wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, he felt as if something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Sun Chu hung his head, his white beard trembling violently, and two streams of hot tears rolled down his cheeks, dripping onto his clothes and spreading out a wet patch.

He silently recited in his heart:

Emperor Taizong... Your subject is so sorry...

The other officers and generals in the hall were mostly in the same situation.

Some covered their faces and wept, some looked up at the sky and sighed, and some clenched their fists and slammed them on the table with a dull thud.

The smile on Huang Chao's envoy's face had vanished completely, replaced by bewilderment and unease.

He couldn't understand what the song was about, but he could clearly sense that the atmosphere in the hall had changed.

It became eerie, oppressive, and...

It's getting dangerous.

Peng Jingrou's expression also changed.

He was originally a eunuch who had spent decades in the palace. How could he not recognize the significance of the "Qin King's Battle Song"?

He sobered up considerably instantly, stood up abruptly, and shouted sharply:

"Li Cenji! What...what are you singing?!"

Li Cenji, however, turned a deaf ear.

His singing was nearing its end, and also at its most powerful point:

"...Let us all enjoy this peaceful life!"

After singing the last line, Xu Tai mustered all his strength and slammed the drumstick heavily onto the drumhead—

"Thump—!"

A deafening roar, like the collapse of the heavens and the splitting of the earth, like the thunder's might.

The sound of drums echoed and lingered in the courtyard for a long time.

The entire military governor's residence was deathly silent.

All eyes were fixed on the young man in the hall.

Li Cenji slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calmly sweeping over everyone in the hall before finally settling on Peng Jingrou and Huang Chao's envoy.

A slight smile appeared on his lips.

Yet that smile was as cold as frost and snow in the twelfth lunar month.

"Lord Peng,"

He spoke slowly, his voice soft but each word clear.

"Did you find my singing pleasant to listen to?"

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Before the blush had faded from Peng Jingrou's fair face, a look of shock and anger welled up inside.

He slammed his hand on the table, causing the wine cups and dishes to jump and clatter, and shouted in a shrill voice:

"Li Cenji! How dare you! To play such a thing at this banquet—"

He didn't finish his sentence.

Because Li Cenji had already made a move.

The ancestral short blade, hidden in the robe, was now in his hand.

He was like a fully drawn bow, having been poised for a long time, and suddenly burst forth, so fast that everyone in the hall only saw a green shadow flash by.

He was already standing in the hall to play the dance music, now only six or seven steps away from the head of the table, just a breath away.

Before Peng Jingrou could even utter the word "wait," Li Cenji had already arrived in front of her.

Huang Chao's envoy, Wang Jing, was already quite drunk and had sensed something was wrong while listening to the music. Now, seeing Li Cenji suddenly launch an attack, he was immediately sobered up.

He instinctively tried to get up, placing his palms on the table. But before he could even lift his body three inches, he felt a chill in his throat.

It felt like a cold wind swept across my neck, light and almost painless.

Immediately afterwards, a warm liquid gushed from his throat, splashing into the wine cup in front of him, turning the half-empty cup of wine a striking scarlet.

Wang Jing opened his mouth, and a muffled "ho ho" sound came out of his throat, like a bellows that had been cut open.

His eyes widened in shock and disbelief. He flailed his arms wildly in the air as if trying to grab something, but ultimately grasped nothing.

He slumped off the chair and collapsed to the ground.

The corpse twitched twice on the ground and then lay still, with only blood still gushing from its throat, soaking a large patch of blue bricks.

Peng Jingrou's reaction was not slow either.

He was, after all, a man of the world who had been immersed in the palace for decades and had experienced all sorts of situations.

Seeing that Li Cenji had ended Wang Jing's life with a single stroke, he was terrified and no longer dared to display any of his military supervisor's arrogance.

He didn't care about appearances at that moment, kicked the chair behind him, and turned to run towards the side room.

If you can escape into the side room, there is a path leading to the backyard, where his trusted guards are stationed. If you manage to get there, you will still have a chance to survive.

However, he was fast, but Li Cenji was even faster.

The original body had practiced martial arts since childhood and was skilled in archery and horsemanship. Although it could not be considered a fierce general capable of defeating ten thousand men, it was still one of the most agile in the Imperial Guard.

Li Cenji sealed Wang Jing's throat with a single strike, and without pausing, he reached out with his left arm, his hand gripping Peng Jingrou's collar like an iron clamp.

Peng Jingrou felt a strong force coming from the back of her neck, and she was pulled back.

He stumbled and nearly fell backward, but before he could struggle, a cold, short blade was already pressed against his throat.

The blade was still stained with Wang Jing's blood, warm and sticky, clinging to his well-maintained skin, making the hairs on his body stand on end.

"Lord Peng, where are we headed?"

Li Cenji's voice rang in his ears, neither too loud nor too soft, neither too fast nor too slow, and even with a hint of gentle laughter.

However, when Peng Jingrou heard this voice, he immediately stopped moving.

They dared not move an inch.

Because he could clearly feel that the blade was pressed against his throat, and if it went in just one more inch, he would be joining Wang Jing in death.

From Li Cenji's sudden attack to Wang Jing's death and Peng Jingrou's capture, it may seem like a long story, but in reality, it only took a few breaths.

Only then did the people in the hall finally come to their senses.

The officers and soldiers who had just been weeping with their faces covered were now staring wide-eyed and gaping in disbelief at the scene before them.

Someone's wine cup fell to the ground with a "crack" and shattered into pieces.

Some people tried to stand up, but their legs felt as weak as if they were filled with lead, and they fell back down halfway up.

Some people even instinctively reached for the swords at their waists, but who brought a weapon to the banquet today?

Li Changyan was the first to react.

The military commander from Fengxiang was initially shocked, then suddenly realized, and finally a complex and unfathomable expression appeared on his face.

His younger brother, Li Changfu, who had just been cursing Li Cenji as "shameless," now looked as if he had been slapped hard across the face, his mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time.

Sun Chu raised his head, tears still clinging to his white beard, but a sudden glint of light flashed in his cloudy old eyes.

The servants, dancers, and musicians below the hall were already terrified.

The dancers screamed in terror and scattered in all directions.

The musicians grabbed their instruments and scrambled to hide behind the pillars.

Among the servants, some collapsed to the ground, unable to move, while others panicked and rushed out of the door, creating utter chaos.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps, accompanied by the clanging of armor plates colliding, came from afar, surging towards them like a tide.

The soldiers who had been on duty outside the courtyard had just finished listening to "The Qin King's Battle Song" and were now gathering in twos and threes, discussing it in hushed tones.

These soldiers were border troops from Fengxiang and Longyou. Although they could not read many characters, they had heard the tune of "Qin King's Battle Song" many times.

That was the military music left behind by Emperor Taizong, and it was played whenever the army went on a campaign, returned in triumph, or presented prisoners.

Upon hearing the sudden sound of drums and the resounding singing, the soldiers involuntarily straightened their backs and raised their chests.

Some hummed along softly, some gripped their spears tightly, and some secretly wiped their eyes with their sleeves.