The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

170. Youthful Culture and Tourism (Part Two)

All morning I watched Li Zichun display his prowess, mastering all sorts of games with ease.

Then everyone visited the museum of writing inside. This era still has oracle bone script, bronze inscriptions and other inscriptions, as well as various writing systems on bamboo slips, silk books, pottery, jade, currency, seals, and other materials, and cultural relics related to the unification and evolution of writing.

The museum displays replicas of the unearthed artifacts with written records, allowing visitors to appreciate the wisdom and written history of the ancients.

Li Zichun subconsciously asked if he could download and copy a copy. Gu Qianyi looked at the curator, who smiled and nodded: "Sure, all downloads are free. As long as you want to learn, we will not use any rules to hinder anyone in the country from pursuing their studies and making progress."

Li Zichun smiled and nodded his thanks. By the time the show ended, someone was already waiting for him with a copied external hard drive.

This is always the case with literary programs; they rack their brains to increase their interest and watchability.

Li Zichun mostly remained silent, letting those around him appear to increase their exposure.

As the crowd toured the library, the people inside began to riot.

Every time they went to a floor, they attracted a huge crowd. As for knowledge, they could learn it tomorrow, but if they didn't see the handsome men and beautiful women in front of them today, they wouldn't see them again tomorrow.

Even the security guards couldn't resist taking out their phones to secretly take pictures.

As for the elderly ladies sweeping and mopping, oh my dear old baby, you've already mopped the floor three times already...

Each floor has a corresponding student as a guide, and Li Zichun didn't expect to run into his old friend Xu Qiunian here.

Li Zichun gave her a big hug as soon as they met, and patted her head gently and happily.

This little incident didn't cause much of a stir, after all, there were too many people who wanted to get close to Li Zichun, and among those who were traveling with him, who wouldn't want to be closer to him!

The recording and filming of the entire program lasted a day. By the end, the entire scene was packed with people. The sight of top beauties gathered together was incredibly captivating. Everyone shouted the names of their respective idols, with Li Zichun being the loudest.

Finally, he had to come out and give everyone an explanation. Standing on the temporary stage in the lobby, he said with a smile, "This is the National Library. Please keep quiet and do not disturb other people's studies."

"But since everyone is so enthusiastic, I'll play a few more songs for everyone's books."

The crowd cheered; everyone was making such a fuss because they wanted to hear their songs!

Li Zichun thought for a moment and asked the curator if there was a pipa. The curator nodded and said yes, but in fact there wasn't any. However, the curator had extensive connections, so whether there was one or not was just a matter of making a phone call. He could just send one or two people to get it.

During the waiting period, Li Zichun continued recording the program with everyone, and secretly wrote two simple lyrics and musical scores for Zhao Qianfan and Li Jiawei, saying, "Memorize them quickly."

He also wrote a poem for Xue Qingrou and a song for Du Zihua, so that they could memorize them quickly.

Everyone quickly got into the zone and began their high-energy reading and note-taking session.

When the pipa arrived, he smiled and said, "I wasn't planning to sing, but since everyone is so enthusiastic and we're in a library, I'll dedicate a piece from my teacher's repertoire, 'The Song of the Pipa.' I hope it won't make your college entrance exams any more difficult. I'll present you with 'The Song of the Pipa.'"

Amid cheers from the audience, Li Zichun began to sing softly: "At the head of the Xunyang River, seeing off guests at night, maple leaves and reeds rustle in the autumn breeze..."

She finally appeared after much anticipation, still half-concealing her face like a pipa player.

A few turns of the pegs and a few plucks of the strings, and before the melody is formed, the emotion is already there.

The strings, muted and restrained, seemed to lament a life of unfulfilled ambitions.

With lowered brows and flowing fingers, she continued to play the zither, expressing the boundless thoughts in her heart.

Gently gather, slowly twist, smear, and pick; first, it's the Rainbow Skirt, then the Six Melodies.

The large strings clang like a sudden rainstorm, the small strings whisper like a private conversation.

The sounds of the zither, a cacophony of notes, fall like pearls of all sizes onto a jade plate.

The warbling of orioles glides beneath the flowers; the murmuring of springs flows difficult beneath the ice.

The icy spring is cold and astringent, the strings are frozen and silent, the sound is temporarily silenced.

A hidden sorrow and resentment arise; at this moment, silence speaks louder than words.

A silver bottle suddenly shatters, water gushing forth; iron cavalry charges forth, swords and spears clashing.

The music ends, the plectrum is put down, and the four strings sound as if tearing silk.

East and west boats are silent, only the white autumn moon shines on the river.

......

This year's joy will return next year; autumn moon and spring breeze will pass by idly.

......

I sighed upon hearing the pipa, and now I sigh again upon hearing these words.

We are both wanderers in this world, why should we need to have known each other before?

......

Do not refuse to sit and play another tune; for you, I will compose a "Pipa Ballad."

Moved by my words, I stood for a long time, then sat down and urged the strings to play faster and faster.

The mournful sound was unlike any heard before; all those present wept upon hearing it.

Who wept the most among those present? The Jiangzhou Sima, his blue robe soaked with tears.

Jiangzhou Sima's blue robe was soaked with sweat.

After the song ended, a moment of silence fell over the audience. Everyone was reflecting on this long narrative poem, and each person could glean something from it.

After Li Zichun finished singing, he put away his pipa and prepared to leave the stage, which was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Because the entire poem's subtitles had already appeared on the large screen behind us, such a long poem is enough to stand tall in the entire history of literature.

"The theme of our recording today is literature. To fit the theme, let's have Zhao Qianfan and Li Jiawei, the two golden couple, perform a program."

The two who were suddenly called out were a little confused. They hadn't been told they had to sing, but what should they sing?

Zhao Qianfan and Li Jiawei looked at each other and silently took out the lyrics and music that Li Zichun had just written for them. Fortunately, they had a tacit understanding beforehand, and the twenty-odd minutes from picking up the pipa to finishing the performance was enough for them to sing it several times.

So the two of them were forced onto the stage, and after taking a deep breath, they began to sing "Do You Know?":

One day, flowers bloom beside the willows; seeking fragrance, I mistakenly found the pavilion lord. I drank in the morning glow for half a day; wind and rain could not penetrate my skin.

The palace lord, thin and frail, stands high on the platform, tears streaming down his face. Having delivered the brocade letter, he turns back, only to find no more years to steal.

Last night, the rain was sparse and the wind was strong; a deep sleep could not dispel the lingering effects of the wine. I asked the person rolling up the curtain, who replied that the crabapple blossoms were still there. Do you know, do you know, it should be that the green leaves are lush and the red flowers are faded...

The lyrics of this song are not many, but they are full of tender and lingering romance. The two singers' harmonious voices vividly depict the past scenes of the poet Li Qingzhao. The poignant performance slowly draws the listener in, each note touching the heart. The a cappella singing makes the whole song seem both sad and happy, melancholic yet positive, full of tender warmth and emotion.

When the two finished singing, the audience applauded with enjoyment. Their a cappella singing brought out the subtlety of the lyrics, carrying the lament and sadness of fleeting youth, and the hope of spending a lifetime together.

After they finished singing, it was Xue Qingrou's turn last. She was a little nervous; this was the first time she had ever had a performance with an impromptu addition. But encouraged by Li Zichun, she stood up and slowly began to recite Xin Qiji's "Qing Yu An: Yuan Xi":

The east wind at night releases a thousand trees of blossoms. It also blows down stars like rain. The road is filled with the fragrance of fine carriages and carved horses. The sound of phoenix flutes stirs, the jade pot shines, and fish and dragons dance all night. Moths, willow branches, and golden threads adorn the scene. Laughter and sweet fragrance linger. I searched for him a thousand times in the crowd. Suddenly, I turned around, and there he was, in the dim light.

Xue Qingrou swayed her body and finished reciting a new song, captivating the entire audience.

Finally, it was Du Zihua's turn to take the stage.

PS: Data is from the internet.

"Pipa Xing" is a song with lyrics by Bai Juyi, music by Tu Youqin, arrangement by Tu Youqin and He Yi, and sung by Qi Ran and Shen Miren. It is one of the songs in the college entrance examination memorization series. The newly arranged "Pipa Xing" (lyrical version) was re-released on July 5, 2019.

"Do You Know" is the theme song of the TV series "The Story of Minglan" with lyrics by Li Qingzhao and Zhang Jingyi, music and arrangement by Liu Xuandou, and vocals by Hu Xia and Yu Kewei. It was released on December 22, 2018.