Tang Dynasty Little Godfather

Chapter 75 The Little Cao Cao of the Tang Dynasty (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
"A pot of turbid wine brings joy to our meeting. So many things, past and present, are all consigned to laughter and conversation."

Under Wang Xi's direction, Xue Jun and the others sang with great enthusiasm, their bodies swaying from side to side in rhythm.

However, due to the short practice period, it can be said that there was absolutely no technique involved, it was all just emotion. Those ripped high notes, wow, it was truly... indescribable.

Hongxiu, who was watching from the side, kept wiping away sweat.

Is it really possible to sing like that?

She wasn't worried about ruining her reputation; she didn't care about those things. What she was worried about was that many of the audience members today were people who were well-versed in music. Would this music be pleasing to their ears?
She had even suggested not doing the theme song, as it would expose her weaknesses, but Tao Mo insisted on doing it.

She could only do her best.

However, Wang Maozhong and his group of military officers found it very catchy. Firstly, those people above were their sons, and secondly, they were all very ordinary people, and the lyrics and music really suited their tastes. They even hummed along and swayed their bodies to the tune.

Zhang said they simply stroked their beards and smiled, without showing any disgust.

To be fair, if a group of courtesans were singing like that on stage, they would probably all shout in unison, "Damn it, give us our money back!"

But nowadays, it's just a bunch of teenagers. What more could they ask for? Just give it their all.

To Hongxiu's surprise, some ministers who were well-versed in music listened very attentively, because the style of the music was quite different from the popular styles at the time, which aroused their curiosity.

But when it comes to being a master of music, Li Longji is truly second to none.

Unlike Zhang Shuo and the others, his focus was not on how well the singing was done. His eyes were fixed on Wang Xi, his gaze filled with surprise. Before she even finished singing, he couldn't help but wave to Tao Mo.

Tao Mo walked over and asked softly, "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"

Li Longji asked in a low voice, "What is Wang Xiaoque doing?"

Tao Mo hurriedly explained, "He's conducting the music."

"Command?" Li Longji asked excitedly, "What's the explanation for this?"

Tao Mo said, "Your Majesty, this is actually a large chorus. Not only does it require many singers, but it also involves a great deal of instruments. Therefore, it needs one person to conduct in front of it, otherwise it will become chaotic and disorderly."

"Wonderful! Wonderful! No wonder so many people played, yet the transitions were so smooth, without a single pause or flaw. Your method is truly ingenious."

Although Li Longji lowered his voice, he could not hide his excitement.

Tao Mo hesitated for a moment, then said, "To be honest, this...this was not my idea, but Wang Xiaoque's."

"Sparrow?"

Li Longji was very shocked.

This is impossible.

I've heard all about that kid's character in the palace; he's notoriously good-for-nothing.

"Yes."

Tao Mo nodded.

"I never imagined that Sparrow would have such talent."

Li Longji still couldn't believe it.

Tao Mo hurriedly said, "That's right! Wang Xiaoque has extremely high talent in music, dance, painting and other fields. I only need to give her a little guidance and she can not only memorize it but also apply it to other situations."

This lively teaching method was actually all arranged by Wang Xiaoque and Hongxiu. I am quite old, and my voice is no longer what it used to be. Moreover, to be honest, Your Majesty, I am not very proficient in music; I only have a superficial understanding. Otherwise, I wouldn't have waited until Hongxiu arrived to implement this lively teaching method.”

In this regard, he dared not take credit for it and had to push it all onto Wang Xi. This was all arranged, and the reason was simple: whether he knew music or not, people could easily find out with a simple question, and he couldn't pretend to be sick.

Li Longji did not doubt it much, after all, many nobles were proficient in music and had extraordinary talent. He said, "That is true, but it is still thanks to your good teaching, otherwise, how come I have never heard of Que'er having such ability before? Now she can paint and play music, it is really unbelievable."

Tao Mo quickly replied, "Your Majesty flatters me; I dare not accept such praise."

Li Longji nodded slightly, then said in a low voice, "Actually, I agree with your teaching methods, but there are some things that need to be considered carefully."

This shows that he still has a good impression of Tao Mo, and at the same time, he is implying to Tao Mo that since things have come to this point, you are not innocent either, and I can only deal with the matter on its own merits.

Tao Mo didn't understand at all, he just nodded, and then followed the procedure and said a few words of self-reproach.

at last!

The music is over!

"it is good!"

"Well done!"

"You sang so beautifully."

Wang Maozhong and his fellow military officers all stood up and cheered for their son, and they were all doing so from the bottom of their hearts.

Although it was lowbrow and not considered literature or poetry, it was already quite good for them.

Zhang Jiazhen, Zhang Shuo, Yuan Qianyao, and others did not argue with them about whether it was good or bad. On the contrary, they all smiled and said some polite words.

Your son sang very well!

And so on.

This displeased Jiang Yanbo and the others, who whispered to Zhang to argue that the singing was terrible.

You can't applaud like that without a clear conscience!
You promised to stand by my side.

Zhang said magnanimously that they were just a group of spoiled brats, and so young. Their performance was already quite good, and they had their own unique strengths, so we shouldn't be too harsh on them.

Moreover, the key today is not how well they sing, but the vivid teaching method.

No hurry! No hurry!
Li Qiao was the only one wiping his sweat. He was also very skilled in music. Although it wasn't bad, it wasn't amazing either. If he sang like this, how good could his acting be?

An ominous premonition arose in my heart.

But having boarded the pirate ship, he had no choice but to follow the plan.

Suddenly, a burst of rapid gong and drum sounds drew everyone's attention to the stage again. There were only a few musicians on the stage, while the students who had been singing had all left.

After a performance of music, a man stepped onto the stage. It was Xue Jun, who loudly recited: "The late Eastern Han Dynasty!"

Everyone looked confused.

Is this someone reciting an article?

We're here today to observe lively teaching methods, not to test the students' learning outcomes.

Xue Maozong, however, listened intently, nodding and swaying his head.

She would occasionally glance defiantly at Jiang Yanbo. Look at that!

Look at this!

My son has become so outstanding since he left your Imperial College.

She can even recite texts now.

Don't you feel ashamed?
Jiang Yanbo gave these brutes a disdainful look.

Is this considered excellent? My three-year-old grandson can recite it better than him. You are all shameless.

As they listened, they gradually understood that this was explaining the background of the story.

The reason for choosing Xue Jun was, as he himself said when he volunteered, that he had a loud voice, which was a real advantage in an era without megaphones!
"The late Eastern Han Dynasty."

Li Longji muttered to himself, then asked Tao Mo, "Is the story to come about the Three Kingdoms period?"

Tao Mo nodded and said, "That's right."

Li Longji hurriedly asked again, "Is there such a Cao Mengde?"

Tao Mo hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, Cao Mengde is the protagonist of this play."

"is it?"

Li Longji was overjoyed.

He was a huge fan of Cao Cao and called himself the "Little Cao Cao of the Tang Dynasty".

Expectations immediately soared.

Ding ding ding!

With a crisp drumbeat, a shout rang out: "The assassin is there!"

Swish swish!
Suddenly, the blade flashed brightly.

Everyone was startled and stood up.

The first to react was Li Longji. He pushed aside the guards in front of him and pointed to the stage, saying, "It's just a play, don't panic."

After all, they were people who lived through the reign of Empress Wu Zetian and had seen countless bloody battles.

Everyone turned around and saw a chubby boy appear on the stage with long beards hanging from his ears, but he seemed to be frightened by the scene and stared at them blankly.

It turned out to be a false alarm.

Everyone sat down again, muttering complaints under their breath.

What to do.

To start by calling someone an "assassin"—with the emperor right here, shouting those two words is tantamount to suicide.

Li Qiao was drenched in sweat. The scene went wrong right from the start. Is there any way to salvage this?

Linghu Baodi on stage also felt wronged.

I came out, and instead of applause, you even drew your swords!

Wang Xi, who was hiding to the side, was also depressed. It's true that even the wisest can make a mistake. He only thought of giving the opening a sense of urgency so that the emperor could get into the mood quickly, but he didn't think of this. After all, in his era, people didn't just shout things out. Of course, he couldn't blame himself for this. He immediately complained to Huangfu Sengnian and Li Jieman, "Why didn't anyone remind me? What were you doing?"

Huangfu Sengnian and Li Jieman glared at each other in anger. Could there be anything more shameless than this?

"Alright! Let's stop here for now and focus on the bigger picture."

Wang Xi raised his hand and whispered to the stage, "Baodi. Baodi. Don't panic, keep performing."

Linghu Baodi finally realized what was happening and continued her act, feigning panic as if she were looking for a place to hide.

It has to be said that this kid's acting was incredibly lifelike, much better than his singing.

At this moment, a burly man appeared from each side, circled the stage, and then captured him.

Linghu Baodi shook her head and sang: "Jumping into the dragon pool, escaping the tiger's den, fleeing disaster and avoiding calamity; but who knew that I would fall into the net in Zhongmou County and see how Chen Gong would deal with me."

His singing startled everyone.

Wow! There really is something there.

Another burst of rapid gong and drum sounds, and a person walked out, followed by two soldiers.

Han Dachui exclaimed excitedly, "My son, he's my son!"

This Chen Gong was played by Han Xiaohu. He asked, "Is the next stop Cao Cao?"

"Oh, so this fat guy is playing Cao Mengde."

Li Longji sat up straight in surprise.

Tao Mo nodded and said, "That's right. It is said that Cao Cao was rather fat, so this man was chosen to play the role."

Li Longji nodded repeatedly and said, "It's clear that you've done your research. That fake beard and red face is quite impressive."

Even Zhang Jiazhen couldn't help but whisper to Yuan Qianyao beside her, "It really seems to have some skill; it doesn't look like something you'd just use to fool people."

Zhang Shuo and Yuan Qianyao nodded frequently.

Today, traditional opera is still in its infancy, with performances revolving around a single military drama. The makeup and vocal styles are quite ordinary, making it extremely lowbrow in contemporary popular culture. Now, it's surprising to see performers sporting fake beards and delivering lines in a singing style.

I've broadened my horizons.

I've really broadened my horizons.

The artistic genes within them began to multiply rapidly.

Everyone watched with complete concentration.

But how did Cao Cao become an assassin?

After a conversation between Chen Gong and Cao Cao, they realized that the story was fabricated, with Cao Cao attempting to assassinate Dong Zhuo.

Li Longji was very satisfied with this plot.

Although the story is fictional, these are all historical figures, literary giants whom we all know, making it feel very familiar to read about them.

(End of this chapter)