The little heroine investigates a mysterious case

The audience had not yet recovered from the madness brought to them by the Song Dynasty team, when they saw five people slowly walking onto the stage.

Five men of varying ages.

They did not wear fancy performance costumes, but were dressed in simple, ordinary clothes.

Among them were two elderly men who looked to be in their sixties, with a lot of vicissitudes of life. Their hair and beards were all gray, and the wrinkles on their faces were as deep as ravines.

There were two other men who were also around forty years old, with ordinary looks, the kind that would not stand out in the crowd, and their smiles were a bit shy.

The four people looked at the huge crowd of audiences surrounding the stage and felt very uneasy. They didn't seem to know what to do with their hands and feet, and they all looked at Guan Liushui for help.

Guan Liushui was the only one among the five people who remained calm.

At this time, he also changed his previous exquisite female attire when singing and dancing, and dressed up as a handsome young fisherman with a fish basket in his hand.

The five of them didn't bring any musical instruments, nor did they have anyone to accompany them, nor did they make any unnecessary movements. They just stood obediently in three rows in staggered rows.

Watching the flowing water, one person stood in the first row, two middle-aged people stood in the second row, and two old people stood in the third row.

The crowd began to whisper. The splendor and prosperity that had just come to an end, what were these five men doing on stage?

Is this the participating team from Xia Country?

He looks like an old farmer working the land, or a farmhand doing rough work, and has nothing to do with a song and dance performance.

In the box, Zhao Xuan's eyes suddenly widened, looking at the five people on the stage in disbelief.

"What's Brother Shui up to? Bringing four such unreliable people on stage, is he just throwing everything out? Knowing he can't win, is he just going to mess around?"

Gu Zhanghua raised his hand and tapped Zhao Xuan on the forehead.

"Where's your confidence in Brother Shui? I think he's planning to surprise us!"

Empress Dowager Nie also looked at the five people with confused eyes.

"I've never seen a team like this before. Are they going to perform songs and dances? Maybe some kind of yangge dance, the kind people do to celebrate a good harvest?"

"Do you also know Yangge dance?"

A gentle smile appeared on Empress Dowager Nie's face.

"Silly child, I wasn't born in the palace. My family used to make a living on the sea. We were ordinary people. How could I not know about yangge dance?"

On the stage, Guan Liushui turned around to look at the four people and whispered with a smile.

"Don't be nervous. Just sing as usual. You all like the song I taught you, right?"

The four of them immediately straightened up and nodded vigorously towards Guan Liushui. They really liked the songs that Brother Shui taught them and could not help but humming them.

At this moment, the oppressive feeling brought to them by the audience suddenly dissipated. They silently recalled the melody and lyrics of the ballad in their minds and fell into their own thoughts.

Guan Liushui looked at the audience in front of him and said loudly:

"Now we will sing a folk song for everyone. The song is called "Henghe Ballad"."

After that, Guan Liushui took the lead in singing the first line of the lyrics without hesitation:

The water of the Heng River keeps flowing

Flowed through my hometown, flowed through Liyang

(The other four immediately began to sing along with Guan Liushui)

Dear relatives far away

Please listen to me sing this Henghe Ballad

Every time I sing

Reminds me of home and Liyang

Thinking of the good girl I miss

Recalling the fragrance of rice flowers in my hometown

I remember catching fish in the clear stream

I remember picking mushrooms on the green hills

Eeyah eeyah eeyah hey!

Dear relatives far away

Please listen to me sing this Henghe Ballad

Every time I sing

Reminds me of home and Liyang

Thinking of the good girl I miss

Recalling the fragrance of rice flowers in my hometown

……

The five people hummed the song over and over again. The melody was simple and the lyrics were plain and without any frills.

The old people's singing is deep and powerful, the middle-aged people's singing is vigorous and powerful, and the sound of flowing water is clear and melodious. The singing is full of people's love for the Heng River and their attachment to their homeland.

As Zhao Xuan listened, she held Gu Zhanghua's hand tightly, her heart filled with surging homesickness, and her eyes couldn't help but moisten.

All the audience around the stage fell silent the moment the song started. There was no sound of musical instruments to stir their emotions, nor was there any dazzling dance to stimulate their senses.

The five people standing quietly, singing softly, made them feel the strong thoughts surging.

Henghe River, ah Henghe River!

The mother river runs through the entire Qiankun Continent, flows through the Xia and Yue countries, and finally flows into the vast ocean in the Song country.

The tributaries of the Heng River are spread all over the Qiankun Continent, and everyone present has benefited from the Heng River!

They use the water of the Heng River to irrigate their crops, draw water from the Heng River for cooking and washing, and catch fish and shrimp from the Heng River. On hot summer days, children will jump into the Heng River to swim and cool off.

As the slow, powerful and melodious singing went on, gratitude slowly flowed in their hearts, and many people couldn't help but shed tears.

The mother river has nurtured them generation after generation and accompanied them throughout the long years. They grew up from little children to adults and then gradually grew old. The Heng River has never been stingy in its devotion to them!

When the singing gradually faded away, the audience seemed to still be immersed in the emotion and joy they had just felt. No one took the lead in applauding, and they all looked quietly at the five people standing quietly on the stage.

Obviously, this refreshing performance style caught them off guard, but it was also so memorable.

It was not until the five members of Guan Liushui bowed deeply to the audience and walked backstage that the audience erupted into warm and long-lasting applause.

Empress Dowager Nie stood up, wiped her tears and clapped her hands vigorously.

"What a great song! It reminds me of when I was little and I used to pick up shells by the river with my mom."

Zhao Xuan's eyes were still red, and she was surprised to hear what Empress Dowager Nie said.

"Have you ever collected shells?"

“Who says it’s not true? When I was little, my family was poor and we all lived on a boat. My father and brother made a living by fishing and supported our whole family.

My favorite thing was to go to the Heng River with my mother and pick up shells! They were so delicious when boiled in water. I never tasted such delicious shell meat again until I was selected to enter the imperial palace at the age of sixteen.

Empress Dowager Nie sighed as she spoke.

"Now that my parents are gone, hearing the young man sing this song today reminded me of my carefree childhood, my parents, and my brother. I haven't seen my brother for several years.

If Henghe Yao doesn't take first place, I'll be the first to disagree!"

Zhao Xuan excitedly urged Empress Dowager Nie.

"Mother, would you like to vote for them? Is your one vote worth ten votes from our judges? You are the Queen Mother!"

Gu Zhanghua couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"I was hoping to see who could challenge Brother Shui and the others, but now the Queen Mother has already chosen first place. The rest of the way is a foregone conclusion. This isn't fun!"

Empress Dowager Nie commented very seriously.

“Actually, the performances from those groups just now were also very exciting and lively to watch, but in terms of emotional sincerity, this one is the best!

Their performance was free of any fancy embellishments; they sang with their true hearts the most simple, pure, and sincere emotions!"

Empress Dowager Nie waved and called a young eunuch over.

"Go tell President Liu Huinian that I'm voting for the Xia Country team and I'll give them a full score!"

The young eunuch took the order and left.

Gu Zhanghua remembered something and quickly shared it with Empress Dowager Nie.

"I heard that the ten teams that made it to the finals will be going on a continental tour!"

Empress Dowager Nie clapped her hands excitedly, her face full of relief.

"That's great! I hope more people can hear their singing! Although Yue didn't get a good ranking, it's really thoughtful of them to hold such a grand song and dance competition!"

"Mother, you must praise President Liu later. He was instrumental in ensuring this competition came to a successful conclusion!"

Zhao Xuan smiled and took credit for Liu Huinian in front of Empress Dowager Nie, as a way of repaying Liu Huinian for sending her the invitation.

"Okay, mother will give him many rewards!"

The remaining three participating teams were all from the State of Yue. With the excellent singing performances of the State of Song and Guanliushui as a precedent, the singing and dancing performances of the State of Yue were unsatisfactory.

In the end, there was no suspense and the team led by Guan Liushui won the first place.

After Liu Huinian announced the list of winners, it was midnight on New Year's Eve. Dazzling fireworks were launched into the sky one after another, and deafening firecrackers sounded all around.

Zhao Xuan and Gu Zhanghua accompanied Empress Dowager Nie, looking up at the colorful fireworks blooming in the sky.

"Mother, look! This firework is so beautiful!"

The new year is here!

Their eyes are full of expectation, hoping that all their loved ones will have smooth sailing, peace and happiness in the new year!

This is the most simple and unpretentious blessing, just like the song "Henghe Ballad"!

Under the same night sky, Xia Country.

Emperor Xia Gu Li and Xiao Aiyue, Gu Jiancheng and Ma Zhenzhen, Gu Jingfeng and his wives, as well as the big guys in Prince Xian’s Mansion, Qin Shao and his family of three, and many, many people who care about Zhao Xuan and Gu Zhanghua.

They also looked at the fireworks blooming in the sky, hoping that the two would return safely!