There were dark clouds in the sky, and at the end of the hour, it was completely dark. The lanterns shone on the bluestone road, giving it a faint green color, which made the courtyard even more deep.
It was about a hundred steps from the earthen wall gate to the main hall of Xie's Mansion. Chen Caozhi followed the steward of Xie's Mansion towards the hall. He heard the ethereal music of silk and bamboo orchestra, as if the fragrance of flowers lingering in the air in the dark night, like the fragrance of toon trees.
, and like the fragrance of roses——
Xie An lived in Dongshan and liked to plant toon trees, while Xie Daoyun only loved roses. The roses in Dongshan were so beautiful that they withered. Three years ago in late May, Chen Caozhi went to Dongshan to ask Master Zhi Mindu to treat his mother's illness. When he saw Xie
The large bush of roses beside the wooden building of the villa, pink, yellow, and pink, were blooming. At that time, Chen Caozhi stood under the roses and waited for Xie Shidianji to announce that he had entered the building——
Xie An was good at music and had lived in Dongshan for ten years, playing and singing endlessly. Now he should be recalled to Beijing, and he also brought a dozen or so prostitutes with him. His wife, Liu Dan, was not as jealous as in the past, so she would no longer close the curtain and not allow Xie An to watch the female musicians.
He said the words "fear of hurting Shengde".
The hall of Xie's Mansion is overlapping with wooden ceilings, high and spacious, separated by curtains. The whole hall can accommodate hundreds of guests. Today, there is only one guest, Chen Caozhi, and only one host, Xie An. Xie Wan is not present.
, the rest of Xie Lang, Xie Shao and others were not present. They were served by slave boys and the female musicians were on display.
Xie Anju was sitting on a square couch, wearing a turban and a shirt, holding a palm fan and half-baring his chest. There was a duck-headed spoon and a wine glass in front of the table, and there was a Ruan Qin next to it.
Xie An picked up a bamboo stick and banged it lightly on the Ruan Qin. With a "Zheng" sound, the sound of the silk and bamboo orchestra behind the curtain stopped. For a moment, the spacious hall became extremely quiet.
Xie An invited Chen Caozhi to take a seat and said calmly: "I invite Cao Zhi to come here today and let's just talk about the rhythm. Three years ago, I didn't have the opportunity to hear Cao Cao's solo performance. Tonight, I can fulfill my long-cherished wish. Please play a piece for me."
Chen Caozhi said in his heart: "This Xie An is really unpredictable. He wants to talk about music with me. He doesn't seem to care about whether Xie Daoyun will become an official. Or maybe Xie An has already made a decision. Should Xie Daoyun become an official or not?
"
Chen Caozhi bowed and said: "An Shigong is proficient in music. I have long wanted to ask for advice. I will play a piece first. I am very lucky if I can listen clearly." After saying this, he motioned to Huang Xiaotong who was sitting behind him to hand over the wooden box and took out Ke
The pavilion flute, adjusting the breath and concentration, played a song "Spring River Flowers and Moonlight Night".
"Moonlight Night on the Spring River" is a famous poem by Zhang Ruoxu of the Tang Dynasty. Some people praised it as "a single poem that is unique in the entire Tang Dynasty", and another person praised it as "a poem among poems". It was later adapted into a string piece with a beautiful and elegant melody.
The rhythm is smooth and varied, the artistic conception is far-reaching, and the music is long. Chen Caozhi played it leisurely on the flute. The expressive, melodious music instantly brought Xie An on the square couch and Xie Daoyun in the small room separated by a curtain into a clear world.
The clear sky, the fresh and natural state, seems like the bright moon is hanging high in the sky, the river is surging slightly, the fragrance of flowers and the moonlight are intoxicating -
"The tide of the spring river reaches the level of the sea, and the bright moon rises together on the sea... The river and the sky are the same color without dust, and the moon is alone in the bright sky. Who first sees the moon on the riverside? When does the moon on the river shine on people at the first time? Life has been endless from generation to generation, but the moon on the river is only similar every year.
.I don’t know who the moon in the river is waiting for, but I see the Yangtze River sending water...Who is sailing in the boat tonight? Where can I miss the moon tower?... At this time, we look at each other and don’t hear each other. I hope that the moonlight will shine on you... I don’t know how many people are riding on the moon.
Return, the setting moon shakes the trees all over the river with love..."
Beautiful verses passed through Chen Caozhi's mind, and a string of musical notes flowed out from his fingertips. Chen Caozhi was immersed in it and played with all his heart, vividly expressing a beautiful and distant artistic conception.
Behind the curtain, Xie Daoyun was so intoxicated that he couldn't help but play the strings on his legs with his slender jade fingers, as if he were harmonizing with a banana-leaf harp. He thought in his heart: "If you listen to this music, there will be no regrets even if you die!"
The sound of the flute passed away, and the spacious hall was silent. The moonlit night, the fragrance of flowers, the faint river tide, and the sentimental and beautiful thoughts seemed not far away. The hall of Xie Mansion at this time was very different from the previous moment.
, this is a very wonderful feeling.
Xie An couldn't help but sigh: "The universe is infinite, and in the short time I have been alive, the beautiful sounds are the most sincere and touching. In the past, Zhongni heard Shao and knew the virtues of Yu and Shun; Ji Zha listened to the strings and knew the style of the countries. Today, after hearing the elegant performance of Cao, it is
Knowing that life is precious, having an open mind, appreciating and appreciating things are all reflected in this song."
Xie An took the Ruan Qin, broke it with bamboo sticks, and played a tune with a clanging sound. He sung an old poem: "We are happy to celebrate the festival, and we are wearing the same clothes. Thin clouds and sunny scenery, gentle wind wings, light sailing. Pure wine.
Tao Dan Mansion, Wu Ruo traveled to the Xi Tang Dynasty. Wanshu was confused, An Fujue and Peng Shang."
Suddenly, the sound was silent.
After a long time, Xie An said: "I've just stopped listening to it tonight. There are even more wonderful songs performed by it. I don't dare to invite you again. I'll wait for another day."
Chen Caozhi stood up and left, but heard Xie An say: "Being born in this world, life is at risk. If you want to go far away, you will have to rely on the family for the sake of the family. I am determined to let Zhu Yingtai become an official. Tomorrow I will let Zhu Yingtai become an official.
Come to visit Cao Zhi and Minister Xi, and I will go to Xifu at the end of the month."
Xie Daoyun in the small room behind the curtain was not too surprised when she heard the words of her third uncle Xie An. She was surprised that she was so calm. Well, she was going to the West Mansion, so she should prepare well.
Xie Daoyun heard her third uncle sending Chen Caozhi out, and she sat quietly. After a while, the third uncle's clogs made a clear sound, and he returned to the hall and called: "A Yuan——"
Xie Daoyun knew that his third uncle had something to give him, so he responded, came out from behind the curtain, and sat uprightly on his knees in front of the square couch, waiting for instructions.
Xie An asked: "Does A Yuan know what music Chen Caozhi just played?"
Xie Daoyun said: "I don't know, it should be a new song made by him."
Xie An was silent for a long time and asked: "A Yuan plans not to marry for the rest of his life?"
Xie Daoyun hesitated for a moment and said, "My niece is unfilial and makes my uncle worried."
Xie An said: "You go to Xifu to practice for a year, and then you can become my assistant."
Xie Daoyun responded: "Yes."
Xie An added: "Huan Gong's will is unpredictable, and Chen Cao's intention is difficult to understand. You are a descendant of my Xie family. Don't take the wrong path. Serving the court is the right path. Chen Cao is really the talent of Wang Zuo, and
He is very elegant and charming. As friends with him, you and Ah Li should encourage each other to contribute to the country."
…
The next morning, Xie Daoyun dressed up, put on a turban and undershirt, and came to the Gu Mansion to visit Chen Caozhi. Gu Kaizhi welcomed her into the mansion, and they went to the small courtyard to meet Chen Caozhi. Gu Kaizhi complained that he was rejected twice at the door, and Xie Daoyun apologized.
: "I really didn't know Changkang came to visit. If it weren't for Xi Shilang and Zizhong, I still wouldn't be able to go out."
Gu Kaizhi asked what was the reason?
Xie Daoyun said: "I have been weak since I was a child, and I am afraid that I will not be able to bear the burden of writing documents. Therefore, the elders of the Xie family do not allow me to serve as an official."
Gu Kaizhi looked Xie Daoyun up and down as he walked, and said: "Brother Yingtai is indeed thin, but he is in good spirits. When we arrive in Xifu, we will ride horses and swim with Zizhong every day, and our bodies will naturally become stronger. Zizhong knows how to eat and maintain health. If anything happens,
He can also cure your illness, haha, I will also ask to enter the Xifu next year."
Xie Daoyun only said yes. When he saw Chen Caozhi, he bowed deeply and said, "Thank you Zizhong."
Chen Caozhi smiled and returned the courtesy: "If I don't help Brother Yingtai, I will feel uneasy. If I help Brother Yingtai, I will feel uneasy."
Xie Daoyun knew what Chen Caozhi was referring to and said, "This is my own decision. Why should Zizhong care?"
Chen Caozhi was copying "Treatise on Qi" and had already copied one volume. He immediately took this book with him and went to see Xi Chao with Xie Daoyun. Xi Chao entered Taicheng but did not return.
Not far away, Chen Caozhi heard from his third brother Chen Shang that construction of a house had begun there, and he wanted to see how the progress was going. Xie Daoyun also went to see it.
According to Chen Caozhi's design, the Chen family's mansion is divided into four parts: southeast, northwest and northwest. Due to limited financial resources, the east garden was built first. The east garden is Chen Caozhi's slightly simplified drawing based on the pattern of Tuisi Garden in Tongli Town, Suzhou.
, and the layout is more sparse. Chen Shang has asked an accountant to make a budget for the East Garden. It is estimated that the completion of the East Garden will cost about 3.8 million yuan. Last time, Jing Nu sent 500,000 yuan and five pounds of gold.
A total of one million dollars, including the million dollars donated by Xie Daoyun, the million dollars given and borrowed by Gu Kaizhi, as well as the 300 pieces of silk given by the Empress Dowager Chu last time and the 500 pieces of silk rewarded by Huan Wen. Each piece of silk is worth 600 yuan.
Money, eight hundred bolts of silk, nearly half a million yuan, is enough to build the East Garden.
When Chen Caozhi and Xie Daoyun went to visit the Qinhuai River, they saw craftsmen digging canals to divert water from the Qinhuai River, forming a two-acre pond in the garden, and then building pavilions and pavilions around the small lake. This is a typical retreat.
The architectural style of Tuisi Garden is also called Tieshui Garden. The architectural layout of Tuisi Garden is the most exquisite and compact among the famous gardens that Chen Caozhi has visited. Of course, Chen's East Garden has a large foundation and requires a lot of building materials.
A bit more open.
Xie Daoyun listened to Chen Caozhi's instructions to her. It is appropriate to build a pavilion here, a pavilion there, a pavilion near the water, a nine-curved corridor, etc. Even how to build these pavilions and pavilions, whether they are civil engineering or full-scale construction.
The wooden structures are all exquisite, and I can't help but wonder: "Zizhong, where did you learn these? I don't think it's strange that you are proficient in Confucianism, Xuan Dynasty, calligraphy, painting and music, but you are also proficient in the construction of pavilions and houses, which makes me very happy.
Strange."
Chen Caozhi smiled and said: "Can you tell me a dream? This is what I saw in the fairy pavilion in my dream."
Xie Daoyun gently shook the palm fan, looked at Chen Caozhi and said, "You are really a mysterious person. Sometimes I wonder, Zi Zhong, where did you come from?"
Chen Caozhi was taken aback, with a calm expression on his face, and replied: "Come from the same place."
Xie Daoyun said: "You come from the sky, you are a banished immortal." After that, he turned around and looked at the sparkling Qinhuai River in the sun, and continued: "The songs you play are all fairy music, which makes me have nowhere to go."
The sentimentality can go away.”
In the scorching sun of June, as clear waves passed by, Chen Caozhi felt an indescribable touch, not because Xie Daoyun praised him so highly, but because Xie Daoyun had touched the most sensitive part of his soul in his two lives——
Nowhere to go? Weird terminology, confusing?
We have no choice when it comes to where we are coming from and where we are going. There is only one way.