In July, Jiankang City was under a scorching sun. The locust tree outside the lecture hall drooped its branches listlessly, and only the cicada on the tree screamed tirelessly.
There were only about twenty people in the lecture hall. Yang Anxuan listened to Assistant Professor Yan's lecture on "Gongyang" with dull eyes, and Yin Dun beside him was also drowsy.
A voice outside the door interrupted Yan Ning's lecture, "The Prince of Kuaiji sent someone to invite Yang Anxuan."
Yang Anxuan was startled, as if cold water had been poured on his head, and he immediately woke up.
The King of Kuaiji invites you, what do you mean? The King of Kuaiji has always had a grudge against the Yang family. It was King Kuaiji's fault that he was demoted from the upper-middle class to the upper-lower class. The good or bad luck of inviting him to the palace is unpredictable.
Under the confused gaze of everyone, Yang Anxuan stood up and bowed to Yan Ning before stepping out of the lecture hall.
Under the corridor of the lecture hall stood an official with a gauze hat and blue gauze clothes. Yang Anxuan followed the official out of the Guozixue, and an ox cart stopped outside the door.
With the imperial city as the center, Jiankang is surrounded by Baishi Lei, Xuanwu City, and Nanlangye County City in the north; Stone City in the west, Ye City, and Xizhou City in the southwest; Dongfu City in the southeast; and Danyang County City in the south, all of which are heavily guarded. Guard the imperial capital.
The ox cart drove eastward across the Qingxi Bridge and entered the south gate of Dongfu City, where the Kuaiji Palace is located.
After getting off the oxcart, Yang Anxuan stood under the stone steps and looked up at the majestic palace. The palace stood on a high platform, with majestic brackets and cornices. Hege guards stood in front of the door.
Before he could take a closer look, the official stepped up the steps, and Yang Anxuan hurriedly followed behind him.
The entrance to the mansion does not go straight through the corridor, but instead takes the long corridor to the west. Along the road, trees and trees block the sun, overhanging vines cover the road, and the mountains, rocks, springs and streams are ingeniously arranged, so beautiful that it is no wonder that the emperor would criticize it for "excessive decoration".
Facing the cool breeze, I saw green leaves floating on the light waves, and the sound of silk and bamboo singing came from the waterside pavilion in the distance.
There were many people waiting outside the waterside pavilion. The government officials asked Yang Anxuan to wait outside and then went in to report.
A plaque reading "Listen to the Rain" hangs under the waterside pavilion. Yang Anxuan listened attentively to the lyrics inside, "...I send my brother to Wuliting on the 5th, with paper, pen, ink and inkstone with me. My brother often writes letters when he comes home. I will embroider the house to wait for good news, so that I don't worry about it."
It is the story of "Butterfly Lovers", and it is "Butterfly Lovers" written by cousin Yuan Tao based on his own story. It has been spread to the capital, and Yang Anxuan smiled at the corner of his mouth.
After waiting for a while, the official came out and said, "Your Majesty, please come."
Although it is a waterside pavilion, the interior is high, spacious and gorgeously decorated, and can accommodate dozens of people for a gathering.
A singer continued to sing, accompanied by the dancers' light dance, "...Seven sent my brother to Qiaodong, where the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl met happily. People passing by were envious of me. Who knew that this scene was like a dream, and when I woke up, I would still be in the wrong place. …”
Yang Anxuan stopped by the door, without interrupting the singer's singing, and looked at the situation in the waterside pavilion.
Sitting cross-legged in the middle is a man in white robes, with a white crown and a white face, and three black beards. He squints his eyes and taps the beat with the tail of a mulberry in his hand. He should be Sima Daozi, the king of Kuaiji.
There is a person sitting on the left. Judging from his clothes, he should be an official of the Central Government. He is shaking his head, looking intoxicated.
When the singer finished singing "Ten send brother off to ten miles of pavilion, don't be sad when brother Liang goes back. The marriage is so thin that there is no name. Yue Lao tied the red headband by mistake, but I hope brother Liang has good health and longevity." Sima Daozi opened his eyes and waved his hand to signal the singer to stop. Next, he sighed: "Beauty of Butterfly Lovers, she was destined to die but not destined to be destined. It's a sigh."
His eyes fell on Yang Anxuan by the door. Sima Daozi greeted him with a smile and said, "But 'Yang Xiaochuang' came forward to talk."
Yang Anxuan stepped forward quickly, bowed to the ground and said: "Hongnong Yang Anxuan, pay homage to the prince. I wish the prince good health and good luck."
When Yang Anxuan straightened up, Sima Daozi looked at Yang Anxuan seriously and suddenly said: "Yang Anxuan, this king has demoted you from upper-middle grade to upper-lower grade. Are you dissatisfied in your heart?"
After learning that King Kuaiji had summoned him, Yang Anxuan was thinking about what Sima Daozi might ask along the way. Yang Anxuan had already expected the question of being demoted.
Yang Anxuan calmly bowed and said: "I dare not deceive the prince. When I first heard that the prince lowered the servant's rank by one level, I was really a little resentful."
Sima Daozi stretched out his hand and twirled his beard, and listened expressionlessly to Yang Anxuan as he continued: "But when I came to Jiankang to study in Guozi, I realized that the world is so vast, and that I am just a frog in the well. I then realized that the prince surrendered the first rank of his servant and reserved it for advancement. The level of the body is actually a sign of love and protection, and I thank the prince for his fist."
With that said, Yang Anxuan bowed to the ground again.
"Hahahaha", Sima Daozi laughed loudly and said: "I know that An Xuan is a smart man, and he will definitely understand the painstaking efforts of me. If not, how could he write "Little Window Quiet Sentences" that is so impressive? Let’s talk with your mouth. Sit down and talk.”
Yang Anxuan sat down on the right side, and a maid served fruits and tea.
A handsome man opposite said: "Yang Anxuan, I have heard the lyrics and music you wrote, and they are really good. What you just sang was a ten-part excerpt from "Butterfly Lovers". What do you think?"
Yang Anxuan cupped his hands and said: "The story of "Butterfly Lovers" is so touching. I just listened to a few words and felt it was so touching and touching."
The man smiled proudly and said: "This song was compiled by me. When I saw you performing "Farewell" in the middle of the blooming flowers, I ordered someone to perform the farewell at Shu Shu Pavilion. I was deeply touched and wanted to adapt "Butterfly Lovers" accordingly. story."
Yang Anxuan did not expect that his unintentional move would actually promote the development of Liyuan opera. Today's operas are mainly in the form of singing by kaikos and accompanied by dancers. There are "Jiaodai" (Baixi), which is mainly about competition, "Joining the Army Opera" performed in the form of question and answer, and the song and dance "Tawo Niang" which plays short stories about life. ", etc., are all dramas in their infancy. The drama style that integrated singing and performance did not appear until the mid-Tang Dynasty.
When Yang Anxuan asked Yuan Tao to write "Butterfly Lovers", he wanted to publish a novel about strange things, but never thought about turning it into an opera. This man actually had the foresight to create a pioneering opera, so he might as well lend a hand.
Yang Anxuan bowed his hands and said, "May I ask your name?"
The man put on a majestic look and said, "I am Zhao Ya, the prefect of Wei County."
It turns out that this person is Zhao Ya, a sycophant known as Ru Qianqiu. Zhao Ya was born as an actor, so it's no wonder that he is very sensitive to opera performances.
Yang Anxuan pretended that he had never heard of Zhao Ya's name and said with a smile: "What I did that day in Shengkai's residence was just random and I didn't think carefully about it. Zhao Taishou's fantastic ideas are thought-provoking. I believe that Zhao Taishou adapted the story "Butterfly Lovers" will surely be known all over the world."
Zhao Ya saw that Yang Anxuan didn't react strangely when he heard his name, and his good feelings increased greatly. He laughed and said, "I asked the prince to invite you An Xuan, just to hear your opinion."
Sima Daozi flicked his tail and said: "An Xuan, you wrote the song "Farewell" and half of the song "Asking the Moon", which are all very popular works. I wonder if the second half of "Asking the Moon" has ever been composed?"
Yang Anxuan seemed to have answered the question unintentionally: "I entered Guozixue and accepted Che Gong as my teacher. Che Gong is very strict with the fool and has a lot of homework. He really has no intention to write music and lyrics."
"Oh, did the Marquis of Linxiang accept you as a disciple?" Sima Daozi frowned slightly. Che Yin was a trusted minister of the emperor and had a normal relationship with him. As a result, Yang Anxuan's relationship with him was invisibly alienated.
Zhao Ya ignored Sima Daozi's mood and asked enthusiastically: "An Xuan, you sent two people to play the farewell scene in Changting that day. I wonder if Liang Zhu can also be played by two people, one person will play Liang Shanbo and the other Zhu Zhu. Yingtai.”
Yang Anxuan gave high fives and said inspiredly: "There are also costumes and scenery..."
Zhao Ya immediately interrupted Yang Anxuan and asked, "What is a set?"
Yang Anxuan talked about what he knew about opera, causing Sima Daozi to interrupt from time to time, and the three people discussed it animatedly.
After talking for more than half an hour, Si Guai Daozi stroked his beard and said: "In this way, the lyrics of "Butterfly Lovers" will have to be changed, and different characters will have different lyrics."
Zhao Ya's eyes flickered and he said eagerly: "The new song of "Butterfly Lovers" is the first of its kind. Zhao wants to play Liang Shan Bo and reproduce this poignant story. The lyrics will be troublesome for you, An Xuan."
Yang Anxuan shook his head and said: "Prefect Zhao, your servants must not be idle. If you neglect your studies, Mr. Che will have to drive your servants out of the house."
Although Zhao Ya disagreed, he couldn't persuade Yang Anxuan not to focus on his studies.
Sima Daozi was looking forward to the new song and said with a smile: "Who wrote this "Butterfly Lovers"? I think the lyrics and music are quite elegant, so I might as well ask him to revise it."
Zhao Ya smiled and said, "I have asked about him. He is a child of the Yuan family in Runan. His name is Yuan Tao. He was designated as the ninth grade last year."
"Runan Yuan Family", Sima Daozi glanced at Yang Anxuan meaningfully and said: "Since he is a talented person, he is recruited here. Zhao Ya, you are the prefect of Wei County, give him a job as a subordinate, specially adapted "Butterfly Lovers" is it."
…………
Liu Zhong came back from Jingkou and brought back the news that Shulan Yuan would be opened on July 8.
That day, He Qian, the champion general of the Beifu Army, brought a group of his subordinates to support him. Miao Lan stunned everyone with his song "Asking for the Moon", which immediately became the red card of the Jingkou prostitute house. Lady Wei and the musician Xu Xuan also became famous.
With He Qian as a Bodhisattva, other brothels would not dare to make mistakes even if they were jealous. Liu Zhong stayed in Jingkou for five days and came back when he saw that the brothel was on track.
During the banquet, Yang Anxuan was a little absent-minded while listening to Liu Zhong's talk about the grand opening of Shulan Courtyard with great joy.
He helped Mrs. Wei and his wife out of righteous indignation, and arranged for Miao Lan to do it casually. As for sending them to Jingkou, apart from the deep water in Jiankang and temporary avoidance of the Wang family, Yang Anxuan had deeper considerations.
Jingkou is located on the south bank of the lower reaches of Jiankang, only a day's journey from the capital. It plays an important role both geographically and militarily. It is not only a hub for military supply, but also the only place for supplies from Sanwu to Beijing.
As the northern prefecture, Jingkou also has the implicit intention to compete with the Xifu upstream. Once there is a change in the capital, the soldiers at Jingkou can quickly reinforce it to ensure the safety of the capital.
However, Sanwu is in the south of Jingkou, and there are heavy troops guarding Jingkou, so Sanwu can be protected.
There is a large area of barren land here, housing refugees from the north and the south. The Beifu Army was recruited from these refugees back then. Therefore, Jingkou is still a base for those who want to regain their old places. Countless refugees living in Jingkou dream of returning to their homeland one day.
Before sending Miao Lan and others to Jingkou, Yang Anxuan had a deep conversation with them and told Madam Wei that they should make friends with heroes to support them. You must know that many of Liu Song's good ministers and generals came from Jingkou.
The special geographical location of Jingkou made it well-informed. Yang Anxuan wanted to set up a base here to collect information from all over the world. Madam Wei and the others were Yang Anxuan's arrangements in advance.
Yang Anxuan picked up his wine glass and drank with Liu Zhong, sighing in his heart that he came too late and was too far behind. He could only rely on his understanding of history to catch up, hoping to catch up with the big drama of competing in the world.
