fake gentry

By this time, Xie Hong had won over the vast majority of people in the hall.

When Wang Dun saw that Xie Hong had recognized Ke Ting's flute so readily, he immediately laughed and said, "I've heard you're skilled at the zither, but could you also be skilled at the flute?"

Xie Hong shook his head and said, "I only have a little knowledge of this; how can I compare to Master Liang's esteemed student?"

Wang Dun and the others were all taken aback, looking at Xie Hong with some surprise, while Song Yi trembled and his expression changed drastically.

A distinguished student of Liang Shi?

Wang Han slowly shifted his gaze from Xie Hong to Song Yi and said, "Young Master Xie, none of us know the surname of Shi Jilun's favorite concubine, so why do you alone know it? The Luo family of Yuzhang once said that you are a spy from Jie Zhao, and I think it's not far off."

Xie Hong wanted nothing more than to get up and kick Wang Han to death. How the hell did I know? Could I tell you I found it online?

He never expected that a casual remark he made would give Wang Han something to hold against him.

Wen Qiao immediately retorted, "General Wei, why be so insistent? Young Master Xie is so learned; it's not surprising that we don't know. Surely Young Master Xie has his reasons for not knowing; could you please enlighten us?"

Xie Hong was secretly grateful. After getting rid of Wang Hanhen, he could only follow the conversation and say lightly, "I have been fond of learning since I was a child, especially music. Even Zhong Gong of the Xi family in Gaoping once gave me a Jiao Wei Qin (a type of zither)."

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the Jiao Wei Qin (a type of zither).

The Jiaowei Qin was far more famous than the Keting Di, and unexpectedly it ended up in Xie Hong's hands.

Everyone knows that Lady Xi of Gaoping traveled to Jiangzuo. After all, she would visit the local high-ranking families wherever she went. Lady Xi was choosing a son-in-law. How did the Xie family's son catch Lady Xi's eye?

Wang Dun's face immediately darkened.

How could the Langya Wang clan possibly respect the Gaoping Xi clan? Moreover, Xi Jian held considerable military power, making them extremely wary of him.

If he wanted to become emperor, he only needed to guard against two people: Tao Kan in Guangzhou and Xi Jian in Yanzhou. The rest were not worth worrying about.

"Hmph, if Lady Xi can give you Jiao Wei, I can give you Ke Ting. Answer me quickly, how did you learn Green Pearl's surname?"

Xie Hong glanced at Wang Dun, unsure of what he had said to offend Wang Ahei, and could only slowly say, "Liang Shi is a native of Bobai, originally surnamed Liang. Shi Chong bought her for ten bushels of pearls, and thus named her Lüzhu (Green Pearl)."

Shi Chong was famous for his immense wealth, and there were countless anecdotes about his extravagant displays of wealth at the Golden Valley Garden. However, Xie Hong's words still shocked everyone present.

Ten bushels of pearls.

Pearls are extremely valuable today, considered among the rarest and most precious treasures.

Not only are they extremely difficult to obtain, but their production is also extremely low, and their circulation is limited.

In short, this thing is the core symbol of wealth and a marker of social class; only aristocratic families and upper-class nobles can afford to own it.

Ordinary pearls are already quite valuable, but top-quality large natural pearls are priceless, far beyond the reach of ordinary noble families.

No wonder Shi Chong was reluctant to give Green Pearl to Sun Xiu.

"Later, Shi Chong was falsely accused of treason and was surrounded by troops sent by Zhao Wang Sima Lun. Shi Chong lamented to Liang Shi that he was now guilty because of her. Liang Shi, to prove her innocence, jumped off the building and died."

"In chaotic times, it is already extremely difficult for a woman to gain a foothold, let alone live with dignity."

The crowd in the hall sighed with emotion. Song Yi was already teary-eyed and couldn't help but curtsy to Xie Hong from afar, to which Xie Hong returned the gesture.

Xie Hong was recounting her personal experience, and the scenes from that time reappeared before her eyes one by one.

Wang Dun then ordered Song Yi to deliver the item to Xie Hong, and loudly proclaimed, "Xie Fengzhi, if you can recognize this item, I will give you the Ke Ting Flute."

Xie Hong appeared unconcerned, but inwardly he was overjoyed.

Did I really manage to collect the two most famous artifacts in the world so easily?

Song Yi stepped forward gracefully, put down what she was holding, and then lifted the silk cloth covering it, revealing what was underneath.

Everyone in the hall turned to look, but Xie Hong froze on the spot for a moment.

His heart was in turmoil.

In the Eastern Han Dynasty book "Shiming·Shiyueqi", the pipa was written as "piba" in terms of playing technique, which is the earliest written record of the name pipa.

During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the pipa was changed to the lute, which is the ruanqin of later generations, but it was not until the Tang Dynasty that it was called the ruanxian.

The Chinese ruan has a perfectly round soundbox, a straight neck that runs directly through the body, and two sound holes on the soundboard, giving it a neat and rounded shape.

However, the pipa has a pear-shaped soundbox, a backward-curving neck, a narrow and long body, and no sound holes on the soundboard, making it a foreign instrument.

Xie Hong vaguely remembered that the Western Region pipa was indeed introduced to the Central Plains through the Silk Road in the mid-to-late Northern and Southern Dynasties, but where did Wang Dun, who was in Jiangzuo in the early Eastern Jin Dynasty, get it from?

Xie Hong's reaction surprised everyone in the hall.

Wang Dun's heart tightened. Could it be that Xie's son truly recognized this item?

broken!

I shouldn't have said that I gave him the Ke Ting flute.

If he were to receive a flute, would the songstress also give one?

If I don't give it away, people will laugh at me for being stingy; but if I do give it away, I'll feel reluctant to part with it.

"This object belongs to the Parthian Sassanid dynasty in the Western Regions. It is called the Ut, also known as the Balbat, and is comparable to the Qin pipa."

Wang Dun asked, "Can you play?"

Xie Hongdao asked, "Is this the third difficulty for the Duke?"

Wang Han immediately sneered, "How dare you, you child! The Prime Minister ordered you to play the zither, and you dare to push your luck!"

Xie Hong slowly said, "This matter concerns my life, so it cannot be taken lightly. The world says that the Duke is harsh and ungrateful, but I think that the Duke is generous and righteous. It must be that the villains around him have put the Duke in an unjust position."

These words shocked the entire hall.

Wang Han's face suddenly turned blood red, and he looked speechless and unable to say anything, while Wang Dun turned into an ice sculpture.

He suspected that Xie Hong was making veiled attacks.

In his early years, he did indeed have a sense of loyalty. He once disregarded the prohibition and insisted on taking his friends to visit the Crown Prince, who was then imprisoned.

This move earned him immense prestige both in and out of government.

But what did he do after that?

He had promised Tao Kan a high position, but after the deal was done, he went back on his word, taking the promised position of Governor of Jingzhou for himself and sending Tao Kan to the remote city of Guangzhou, which completely broke Tao Kan's heart and turned him into an enemy.

Wang Bin accused him of causing trouble, and he even wanted to kill Wang Bin. Later, he even planned to silence his own nephew, Wang Yunzhi.

Zhou Yi was his old friend. After he captured Jiankang, he killed his former friend without hesitation, showing no regard for their past friendship.

The phrase "cruel and ungrateful" comes from the "Strategies of the Warring States." Shang Yang's governance of Qin was described as cruel and ungrateful, and he ultimately met a tragic end by being torn apart by chariots.

Wang Dun was unaware that after his death, his corpse was whipped and his head was cut off, a fate not much different from Shang Yang's.

Lu Wan, Wen Qiao, and the others originally liked and admired Xie Hong very much, but after hearing Xie Hong's words, they immediately became worried.

Previously, no one had dared to say that he was mean and ungrateful to Wang Dun's face, but Xie Hong did.

Everyone here is smart; who can't tell that Xie Hong is making veiled criticisms?

I fear that from this point on, Wang Dun will truly become a mean and ungrateful person.

How to put it? Wang Dun was somewhat ambitious and eager for quick success. He sensed a hint of sarcasm in Xie Hong's words, and was naturally very displeased.

But he was a ruthless and ambitious man. He merely glanced at his elder brother Wang Han, then turned to Xie Hong and said with a smile, "Fengzhi, please don't be offended. If you can play this instrument, I will give you a beautiful concubine."

Xie Hong...