On November 7, a visitor came to Guozixue, cousin Yuan Tao.
That day at the Prince's Palace in Kuaiji, Yang Anxuan learned that Zhao Ya, the prefect of Wei County (1), had summoned Yuan Tao as a subordinate official and asked him to help write the lyrics of "Butterfly Lovers".
After returning, Yang Anxuan sent a letter to Yuan Tao telling him the good news. Calculating the time, it is already three months, and Yuan Tao should come to the capital in October.
"Brother Yu received your letter from An Xuan in early August. I can't believe that "Butterfly Lovers" has actually reached the capital and alerted the King of Kuaiji. To be honest, I really want to thank you An Xuan."
Yuan Tao followed Yang Anxuan into the Guozixue with a smile on his face, looking at the scenery in the Guozixue with excitement while explaining.
At the beginning of the year, Yuan Tao attended several gatherings with a certain chapter of "Butterfly Lovers". His elegant lyrics attracted the attention of many people.
According to what Yang Anxuan said, Yuan Tao did not take out the whole book, but selected three chapters from it: Divination for Learning, Eighteen Phases of Farewell, and Liang Zhuhua Die.
In the Ruyang area, the story of Butterfly Lovers is well-known to every household. The "Butterfly Lovers" written by Yuan Tao is different from the story passed down orally. The mythical story is more attractive, especially the story about Butterfly Lovers turning into butterflies, which made countless people cry. .
The name of the novel spread quickly in Ruyang area, and some bookstores came to visit after hearing the news and bought the book for five taels of gold.
They were copied and sold at a price of a hundred words each. It is said that thousands of copies have been sold, and bookstores are still hiring people to speed up the copying.
Last year, Yuan Zhu was kidnapped by thieves when he was worshiping his ancestors, and he almost died in the hands of Zhao Ying. After being rescued and returned home by Yang Anxuan, Yuan Zhu was furious when he learned that his people were short-sighted and put the blame on Yuan.
You must know that the Yuan family has declined, and the Yang family has taken care of the Yuan family because of their old love. The niece Yuan Ling is Yang Quanqi's wife. With this relationship, the Yang family will always take care of their kindness in the future.
He originally regarded Yuan Hong as the hope for the family's rejuvenation, but after the incident, Yuan Hong actually targeted the Yang family. The clan members even ridiculed Yuan Tao, who was outspoken, making Yuan Zhu very disappointed in Yuan Hong.
After seeing off the Yuan family, Yuan Zhu taught Yuan Hong a lesson. Unexpectedly, Yuan Hong refused to admit his mistake and proudly said that the ancestors of the Yuan family were also the fourth generation and the three fathers, so there was no use in trying to please the Yang family.
Looking at this arrogant nephew, Yuan Zhu sighed silently. The Yuan family has been in decline for a hundred years, and many members of the clan still refuse to recognize the reality, relying on their noble birth and superiority. It is sad.
As Yuan Tao became famous in Ruyang, Yuan Zhu turned his attention to this grandnephew.
Yuan Ling takes good care of Yuan Tao because of his cousin, and Yuan Tao has a close relationship with Yang Anxuan. Maybe he can get closer to the Yang family through Yuan Tao.
After "Butterfly Lovers" was circulated in Ruyang, everyone knew that the Yuan family had a talented man named Yuan Tao. This made Yuan Hong jealous of Yuan Tao, knowing that he was ranked in the eighth rank, one level higher than Yuan Tao.
When Yuan Tao brought Yang Anxuan's letter to Yuan Zhu, he revealed that King Kuaiji liked the book "Butterfly Lovers" and ordered Zhao Ya, the prefect of Wei County, to call him as a subordinate and go to the capital to compose the music and lyrics for "Butterfly Lovers".
Yuan Zhu was overjoyed. He knew that no one in the Yuan family had been an official in the past ten years. Yuan Tao being favored by the King of Kuaiji was a shortcut to success.
I anxiously waited until the end of August when the conquest documents from Wei County finally arrived. The prefect of Wei County conscripted Yuan Tao as the secretary of the county record office.
Although the Secretary of the Record Office was a ninth-grade official, Yuan Tao was able to directly become a ninth-grade official by lowering his rank, which made Yuan Hong's eyes red with envy.
You must know that under normal circumstances, you have to pass the fifth rank to be eligible to become a ninth-rank official. However, the governor of a state or the prefect of a county has the right to directly recruit talented people to avoid this requirement.
Such opportunities would mostly only be given to children of aristocratic families or famous celebrities. I didn't expect Yuan Tao to be able to get a ninth-rank official based on a copy of "Butterfly Lovers". It's really a blind eye.
Yuan Hong knew that "Butterfly Lovers" written by Yuan Tao was adapted from the story told by Yang Anxuan. He knew that he should have put down his dignity and made friends with her, but now it is too late to regret it.
Regardless of the tribe's thoughts, Yuan Zhu squeezed out 100,000 yuan from the tribe and arranged for two tribesmen to accompany Yuan Tao to Beijing.
The overseas Chinese from Wei County were settled in Xiangyang, but the prefect Zhao spent most of the year in Beijing. The affairs of the government office were handled by the chief clerk, so he could only focus on pleasing King Kuaiji.
It was learned from the King of Kuaiji that Yuan Tao and Yang Anxuan were cousins, and that this "Butterfly Lovers" appeared after Yang Anxuan accompanied his mother to Ruyang to worship his ancestors. Zhao Ya asked Yuan Tao to come to Jiankang directly to find him, and prepare for the side trip. I changed the performance and asked Yang Anxuan to take the time to give guidance.
Yuan Tao went to Tangyi to visit his uncle and aunt, but Yuan stayed at home for half a month, so he came to the capital a little late.
"Brother Yu has already met Governor Zhao." Yuan Tao sat down at the banquet in his residence and said, "Prefect Zhao asked Brother Yu to adapt "Butterfly Lovers" as soon as possible, so that it can be rehearsed in the palace before the year."
Glancing at Yang Anxuan, Yuan Tao said uneasily: "An Xuan, Brother Yu knows that his abilities are limited. I hope An Xuan can give me more guidance on this adaptation of "Butterfly Lovers"."
With that said, Yuan Tao stood up and bowed to Yang Anxuan.
Yang Anxuan smiled and said: "Brother, you're welcome. Where does my cousin live? How about living in the house that Yu bought? If I have time, I can discuss it with my cousin."
Yuan Tao was very happy and stayed in the inn these days. Firewood and rice are expensive in Beijing, and they cost hundreds of dollars every day. I don't know how long the 100,000 dollars brought can last. Yang Anxuan's words solved his urgent need.
"That's very good. Thank you very much An Xuan." Yuan Tao said gratefully.
It was almost noon, and Yang Anxuan said with a smile: "My cousin came to Jiankang. I did my best to show my friendship as a landlord and called a few friends to help my cousin."
They hired a painted boat on the Qinhuai River and invited Yin Dun, Liu Zhong, Tao Ping, Gan Yue and others to accompany them. They went boating on the river and drank wine in the wind. They talked and laughed and were at ease.
There is no shortage of fresh food on the Qinhuai River (2). Fish, shrimps, crabs, eels, ducks, geese and other waterfowl, plus pigs, mutton, mallows, and spinach, are all on the table.
Yuan Tao and others enjoyed the meal. Yang Anxuan tasted it and felt that it had a strong fishy smell, and the smell of meat and poultry was not eliminated, especially the spicy taste was not enough.
After time travel, what made Yang Anxuan most dissatisfied was the food. The food was poor, with few types, and not many condiments. There were onions, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, pepper, etc., and then there were black beans, vinegar, wine, and spicy food. Flavored with three treasures pepper, mustard seeds and cornel. The seasoned chili peppers did not appear, which made Yang Anxuan very uncomfortable.
There are many cooking techniques, including baking, simmering, roasting, boiling, steaming, broiling, pickling, soaking, etc., but there is no iron pot, and the technique of stir-frying over high fire is not common. Pork is expensive, and few people make lard for cooking. It is not known how long it will take for vegetable oil to appear.
Yang Anxuan picked up the wine to dilute the mutton smell in his mouth. The wine was made from Wucheng Ruo wine and cost fifty yuan per catty.
Ruoxia wine is famous for its fragrance. The wine is soaked with oranges, plum blossoms, pine knots, etc. It is said to be the best made in October, and is called "October White".
The wine is light and mellow, which is a bit bland for Yang Anxuan. It lacks the mellow and long-lasting meaning, which makes Yang Anxuan feel nostalgic.
After the food and wine were served, there was a singer on board who walked into the cabin. Yingying paid her respects and said, "My dear Xing Niang, I have just learned the song "Lovesickness" from Shulan Courtyard in Jingkou. There are not many people in Beijing who can sing this song. Please keep it." These gentlemen will be full of praise after hearing this."
Liu Zhong held the cup and laughed loudly: "Ms. Xing, you are really a master of your own craft. You know the person who made this song is in the boat."
Xing Niang's eyes were as wide as Xing's. She turned her gaze on everyone's faces and said in surprise: "I wonder who is Young Master Yang?"
New song master Yang Xiaochuang is already a celebrity in the romantic field. Shenghuaju helped her maid Miao Lan become famous with her song "Farewell", making Miao Lan the lucky one envied by all the actors; Jixianju acted for Lady Wei, and her half-song "Asking for the Moon" became famous in the capital.
Therefore, Yang Anxuan had an excellent reputation among the prostitutes, and all the dancers and singers in the building were proud to be acquainted with them. Unfortunately, Yang Anxuan showed up in Yiqiu Tower and Shenghuaju, and never appeared in the prostitutes again. This made the prostitutes They are a bit disillusioned.
Shulanyuan opened on July 8th, and it has been nearly three months since today. According to Yang Anxuan's instructions in advance, a new song will be released only every February to March. On the day of the opening, "Ask the Moon" was sung, which was considered a new song. Now it has been released from Xingxuan My mother learned that "Lovesickness" was the second song she sang.
Yang Anxuan asked, "Ms. Xing, how many songs have been heard from Shulan Courtyard?"
Xing Niang's eyes fell on Yang Anxuan's face, she came to the banquet to worship, and said softly: "Xing Niang pays homage to Young Master Yang. Young Master Yang acted righteously for Madam Wei and Miss Miao Lan, and the slaves and other women in the brothel deeply admired him." This gift is a token of my gratitude to Mr. Yang for his eagerness and kindness."
This gift was a bit big, and Yang Anxuan couldn't sit still, so he stood up and helped Xing Niang up, saying, "It's such a big effort, but I don't dare to take it as Lady Xing's praise. Lady Xing will sing "Lovesickness", so that we can appreciate the meaning of lovesickness in this song."
The words made Yuan Tao and others laugh and said: "That's right."
When Xing Niang saw Yang Anxuan returning to the banquet, she picked up the Yao Qin and sat cross-legged in the middle. The cold sound of the Qin sounded and she sang: "Red beans grow in the south. When spring comes, a few branches will grow. I hope you will pick more. This is the most lovesick thing."
After finishing the song, Yuan Tao sighed: "The words are simple and unpretentious, the rhythm is harmonious and soft, the pen is full of flowers, and the tune is touching. It can be called a masterpiece. An Xuan's talent is amazing."
Yin Dun was in a trance, wondering who An Xuan had in mind when he wrote this song. If the girl heard about this song, she would definitely cry again.
Xing Niang said with a smile: "The song "Lovesickness" came from Jingkou, so I made a special trip to Shulan Courtyard to steal a piano teacher. When I arrived at Shulan Courtyard, I discovered that half of the people in the audience were sent by prostitutes in the capital."
Xingyan glanced at Yang Anxuan, and then said: "Xingniang heard from Miss Miaolan that she needs the guidance of the young master in her folk music. Today, by fate, Xingniang can meet the young master, and I hope that the young master can give some guidance to Xingniang."
Putting the qin beside her, Xingniang buried her head deeply, unable to bow down.
Yang Anxuan was quite satisfied with Xingniang's attitude. If Xingniang asked for new songs, he would definitely refuse, not because new songs are expensive and hard to come by, but because it can tell a person's quality.
Xing Niang just asked him for advice, and because of the previous words, Yang Anxuan said happily: "It is fate that we meet, so I will just say a few words."
Xingniang straightened up in surprise. She only had a glimmer of hope, but she didn't expect Mr. Yang to actually give her advice.
The sweet dream came true, and the excited tears fell uncontrollably. Xingniang choked with sobs and bowed again: "Thank you, thank you sir."
Yin Dun knew that Madam Yuehua of Yiqiu Tower had become famous in the brothel with Yang Anxuan's song "Farewell". Unfortunately, she rashly asked for the song when she first met An Xuan. She hated An Xuan and later slapped Miao Lan. It angered Yang Anxuan even more.
Yang Anxuan took the opportunity to compete with Yu Xuan, making Miss Miao Lan famous, and also created a new name for everyone. Because of this incident, I also saw Yuehua's character clearly, and never went to Yiqiu Tower again.
If Xingniang can get some guidance from him, she will definitely be different in her singing style in the future. If it is publicized and she gets personal guidance from An Xuan, she will definitely be different from others.
Looking at Xingniang's old clothes, she thought she would not be happy on the Qinhuai River. With An Xuan's help, she would definitely stand out.
Thinking of this, Yin Dun raised his glass happily and said with a smile: "Ms. Xing, this opportunity is rare, so cherish it."
Yang Anxuan listened to Xingniang's playing and singing, and gave random instructions. The pronunciation of the song "Lovesickness" became more and more beautiful and lingering.
After Xingniang learned it, she played and sang it again. It was much more melodious than the first time she sang it. Xingniang was overjoyed and thanked her again.
Yang Anxuan saw that Xing Niang was extremely obedient and was a good person, so he said: "There is another word in this song, so I will give it to you. Remember it. Red beans grow in the south, and they grow old branches in autumn. I advise you not to pick them, because they are the most loved ones." .”
Yuan Tao smiled and said: "This "Lovesickness" is different in spring and autumn."
The song "Lovesickness" was sung in the brothels of Jiankang prostitutes, but the prostitutes on a painting studio on the Qinhuai River sang a different song and lyrics, which was equally touching, causing princes and grandsons to board the boat one after another to listen to the two seasons of lovesickness.
Xingniang's fate changed because of this.
