fake gentry

Xie Hong got up and sat down in front of the zither.

He tuned the strings again. The way he tuned them made Xi Xuan's expression freeze.

Modern harmonic calibration requires repeated comparisons from the first to the seventh string until the open string tone and the twelfth fret harmonic of each pair of strings completely coincide.

This method is far superior to the tuning techniques of this era.

After Xie Hong finished adjusting, he looked up and found Xi Xuan staring intently at his fingers, her eyes full of focus and seriousness.

He felt a surge of pride.

You little punk, I'll scare you to death.

He immediately took a deep breath and placed his hands on the strings.

Xie Hong played "Pipa Yu," a piece originally for the pipa, but which can also be played on the guqin. He liked the lingering, poignant melody of the piece.

Xi Xuan's gaze never left the moment the music began.

Although she was only sixteen years old, she had been playing the piano for thirteen years and had memorized hundreds of scores, but she had never heard such a melody before.

The melody doesn't belong to any of the five tones or twelve musical scales, yet it stands on its own. Every turn of the melody falls in an unexpected place, yet it is surprisingly beautiful. Moreover, the Jiao Wei Qin seems to have come alive in Xie Hong's hands.

That seems to be how this famous instrument should look.

The music was sometimes sparse and clear, like walking alone under the moon, and sometimes dense and intense, like rain pattering on banana leaves.

Xi Zhong's wine cup stopped in mid-air, and he forgot to drink it.

During the Han and Jin dynasties, Qing Shang music was popular, emphasizing a certain artistic conception, and people without cultural refinement simply couldn't appreciate it.

Modern music, however, emphasizes emotional resonance, captivating listeners and leaving ancient music, which was considered too sophisticated and inaccessible, far surpassing it.

Xi Yin leaned against her sister and noticed that her sister, her uncle, and even the servants and retainers seemed to be listening intently.

Xi Xuan was still in a daze even after Xie Hong stopped.

She had been so composed when she played "High Mountains and Flowing Water" just now, but now she didn't even know where to put her hands. To her, Xie Hong's playing was almost equivalent to showing off his skills and completely overwhelming her.

It's not that she played badly; it's just a difference in the times.

Xi Zhong suddenly slammed his wine cup on the ground, spilling wine onto his robe without a second thought: "Feng Zhi, is this all you've got? My daughter, do you now realize there are mountains beyond mountains?"

Xi Xuan slowly rose, then bowed respectfully to Xie Hong: "I am honored to receive your instruction, Young Master Xie. What is the name of this piece?"

Xie Honglue pondered for a moment: "This piece is a playful creation of mine and has no name yet. If you like it, young lady, you may name it whatever you like."

Xi Xuan...

Do people say that?

Among the daughters of prominent noble families today, she was a renowned woman of talent, but unexpectedly, she was dealt a devastating blow by an unknown man from the Xie family.

Xi Yin's eyes darted around, and he immediately jumped up and ran to Xie Hong, looking up at him and saying, "Brother Xie, please play one more song! Please play one more song!"

Although he was young, he was very clever and noticed that his older sister seemed unhappy.

Looking at Xi Yin's eager little face, Xie Hong smiled and began to play another piece.

The melody of this piece only has about ten notes, repeated over and over. Xi Yin's eyes lit up as she listened. Xi Xuan, who had been trying to hold back her tension at first, couldn't hold it in anymore when she heard it for the second time, and a smile curved her lips.

Xi Yin noticed that her older sister was smiling, and she was so happy that she giggled.

Xi Zhong was taken aback at first, then chuckled and shook his head, pointing at Xie Hong, saying, "Fengzhi, Fengzhi, where did you learn this childish tune? Is it also one of your playful creations?"

Xi Yin asked eagerly, "Brother Xie, what is the name of this piece of music?"

Xie Hong's hand paused on the strings: "Two tigers."

Xi Zhong stood up and walked to Xie Hong, patting him heavily on the shoulder: "Fengzhi, tonight I will write a letter to the clan chief, letting the old friends of the Xi clan know that the young master of the Xie family of Chen Commandery is not only a dragon among men in appearance and demeanor, but also a master of both poetry and music. Thinking back to when Wei Shubao traveled from Yuzhang to the capital, the crowds were so large that your uncle was the governor of Yuzhang. If you enter Jiankang, you will surely recreate that glory and become famous throughout the land!"

Xie Hong smiled and shook his head: "This junior is unworthy of such praise from Master Xi."

Wei Jie was one of the four most handsome men in ancient China, and Xie Hong was quite proud of being praised as a beauty.

He stood up and returned the Jiao Wei Qin to Xi Xuan. Xi Xuan looked at him and said softly, "Thank you, young master. Do you have the sheet music for that piece?"

Xie Hong was taken aback.

He doesn't have a single sheet music book.

He can only read sheet music. The ancient Chinese Yanyue (燕乐) half-character notation was extremely complex and was formed during the Tang and Song dynasties, and it no longer exists today.

What were the musical scores from the Jin Dynasty called again?

He reacted quickly and said earnestly to Xi Xuan, "I do not have a score. If you like, I can play it for you. You can transcribe it yourself."

Xi Xuan didn't say anything more, but curtsied slightly to thank him. Xi Yin pestered her, saying, "Sister, write down the two tigers too, I want to learn how to play them for my brother."

Xie Hong couldn't help but chuckle. He didn't know Xi Jian's youngest son's name or age, but he should be about the same age as Xie An, only two or three years old.

"Feng Zhi," Xi Zhong suddenly asked with a smile, "I have something to say."

"Please speak, Lord Xi."

Xi Chao looked around and said, "The scenery here is picturesque. If the world is at peace, Fengzhi can choose to live here in seclusion, invite friends and discuss metaphysics and Confucianism. It is truly a wonderful thing."

He then changed the subject: "But now the aristocratic families are in turmoil. Does someone of your talent, Fengzhi, intend to live in seclusion? I have seen countless scholars, but none are like Fengzhi. If you are willing to serve in the government, I can recommend you to Yanzhou. What do you say?"

Xie Hong shook his head repeatedly, politely declining: "Master Xi, I am still young and have no interest in an official career for the next five years. I only wish to devote myself to nature."

As he spoke, he stood up, straightened his robes, and smiled at Xi Yin, "Little guest, would you like to come with me to pick wild vegetables?"

Xi Yin immediately jumped up, her face beaming, and followed Xie Hong away. Xi Xuan stared blankly at Xie Hong leading Xi Yin away.

Xi Zhong then spoke up: "My daughter, what do you think of Xie Fengzhi?"

Xi Xuan blushed slightly and remained silent.

During this trip to Jiangzuo, Xi Zhong would take her to visit the local high-ranking families in each place. This was partly arranged by Xi Jian, and partly to find a husband for Xi Xuan.

However, the four prominent families of Gu, Lu, Zhu, and Zhang in Wu never intermarried with the northern gentry. Other second- or third-class gentry families from the north and south also rarely intermarried. If the Xi family of Gaoping wanted to join the ranks of the first-class gentry, they could only look among the prominent families with immigrant surnames.

The best choice would naturally be the Wang family of Langya.

But now Wang Dun's rebellion has caused widespread panic, and the reputation of the Langya Wang clan has been completely ruined.

There aren't many options left, just the Yu family of Yingchuan, the Ruan family of Chenliu, and the Yang family of Taishan.

But the talent and appearance of someone of the right age are not suitable, and those with talent and good looks are not from the right social class.

Xie Hong's shortcomings are also obvious. The Xie clan of Chenjun is now of lower social standing than the Xi clan of Gaoping, and he also comes from a minor branch of the clan.

But in Xi Zhong's opinion, Xie Hong's demeanor, manners, appearance, and physique were unmatched by anyone else, not just the Xie family of Chen Commandery, but even among all the high-ranking families in the world.

Xie Hong was unaware that someone was eyeing his body. He took Xi Yin with him and used half of the skill he had used to coax older women during his live streams to coax little Xi Yin into becoming an embryo.

He had figured out 99% of Xi Xuan's situation.