Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Four Skills Stunning
Not long after, Qin Mubai brought over medicinal wine and wine utensils. Naturally, it was Qin Shubao who personally held the cup for the Emperor. As soon as the wine was poured out, Li Shimin exclaimed, “Uncle Treasure, what kind of medicinal wine is this? The moment it comes out of the pot, the entire room is filled with fragrance!”

“Why don’t you try it, Your Majesty?” Qin Shubao smiled and even sold out.

Li Shimin curiously picked up the cup and sniffed it carefully. He smiled and said, “Looks like I’m ignorant. I can’t smell what wine it is. Alright, I’ll know after tasting it.”

After saying that, he took a sip.

Since he was the Son of Heaven, he naturally had extraordinary experience. Li Shimin’s wine tasting skills were extraordinary. Li Shimin rolled up his tongue and tasted the wine. His eyes suddenly widened and his face turned red. He seemed to want to spit out what was in his mouth, so he could only forcefully swallow the wine in embarrassment due to his manners.

“Cough, cough!” Li Shimin coughed repeatedly, “What a strong wine! Strong! Strong!”

“Father, are you alright?!” Li Ke, who was sitting below, was frightened after saying three “fierce” words in a row.

Qin Shubao calmly stroked his long beard and chuckled, “Your Majesty, how about this wine?”

Li Shimin waved his hand again and again. He took a few long breaths and finally regained his breath. He laughed loudly, “Good wine! I have never drank such strong wine before in my life! If I had drunk a cup of wine ten or twenty years earlier, I would have been completely fearless of killing people. Haha!”

“Your Majesty is indeed as heroic as you were back then!” Qin Shubao also laughed heartily. The two men who had been bathed in blood side by side on the battlefield seemed to have returned to the past.

‘”Who would dare to say that we can drink such strong liquor? Uncle Treasure, our alcohol capacity has always been considered the best amongst the crowd, but we only need to drink half a pot of this liquor to collapse to the ground-quickly tell me, what kind of liquor is this? It’s so strange!” Li Shimin looked at Qin Shubao with interest and asked.

Qin Shubao chuckled and raised his finger to Qin Mubai, “Your Majesty should ask your son. He brought this wine.”

“Huh?” Li Shimin raised his eyebrows in surprise. He looked at Qin Mubai, who was standing at the side, and said, “Qin Sanlang, where did this wine come from?”

Qin Mubai’s heart lit up as he thought to himself, “Looks like my father intends for me to show off in front of the Emperor … Such a thing is obviously something that can happen and cannot be sought.”

Thus, Qin Mubai calmly bowed his hands and said, “This lowly person does not dare to deceive His Majesty. This wine is made in a way that is unique to our Great Tang Dynasty. It was made by a secret technique taught by an expert from the outside world who accidentally obtained a successful cultivation.”

“Is there such a thing?” Li Shimin was slightly surprised and slightly knitted his eyebrows. He nodded thoughtfully, “Since it’s a secret technique of a Taoist master, then is it a Taoist immortal wine?” Since it is an immortal wine that I have never heard of, and it comes from your Qin Manor, I will give this wine the name … Qin Immortal Wine! Uncle Treasure, don’t think that I’m greedy. Today, I drank to my heart’s content. I still need to bring some back to the palace and the concubines to taste it slowly. Are you stingy? Haha! ”

Qin Shubao smiled and said, “Your Majesty, wouldn’t this mash of bitter wine in my house become an imperial wine? Haha! How dare I be stingy, I’ll give you half a jar-the remaining half is for me to treat my rheumatic ham. I can’t give it all to Your Majesty at once, right? Haha!”

“Second Brother Qin, you’re really stingy with me!” Li Shimin laughed heartily. He turned to Qin Mubai and said, “Qin Sanlang, don’t you know how to make this wine? I will give you an imperial edict. In the future, whenever I make wine for your father, I will also make a jar for you. I am willing to buy it for a large sum of money.”

“This lowly one obeys the decree. It is my honor to serve His Majesty.” Qin Mubai cupped his hands and smiled. He thought to himself that Li Shimin, the emperor, was considerate and respectful of “intellectual property rights”. He did not force me to tell him how to make wine.

Since he likes it, if I choose an opportunity to offer it in the future, it might be a path of birth. Even if he couldn’t use this method to soar and use the emperor as a living advertisement, it would still be an unlimited source of business opportunities.

Since it was an opportunity, there was no reason to let it go!

Today, the Qin Manor was like a family banquet, where the monarchs and subjects drank together. From time to time, Qin Mubai thought that the rumors that Li Shimin treated his subjects like relatives did not seem to be an illusory glorification.

“Looks like I really came to the right place today. This trip is worth it!” Li Shimin laughed happily, “Come, Qin Sanlang, you don’t have to be so formal anymore. Sit next to Ke’er and take a cup with him to share this Qin Xian wine!”

“Wine without meat is not a feast.” Qin Shubao patted his hand and said, “Someone, prepare a banquet!”

“Uncle Bao, I know that you have always been quiet, but if there is wine and meat without music, it will not be a banquet. This is a good taste for me.” After saying that, Li Shimin shook his head and smiled self-deprecatingly. “Since the Empress passed away, I haven’t had such a relaxed and happy time. Do you mind offering me some music to let me have a good time?” Li Shimin smiled self-deprecatingly.

“Since His Majesty has issued a decree, I dare to disobey? But I do not have a good kabuki.” Qin Shubao naturally knew Li Shimin’s hobby. He smiled and said, “Someone, quickly go to the western city …”

“Wait.” Li Shimin mysteriously chuckled and interrupted Qin Shubao, “Uncle Bao, you already have a peerless musician in your own mansion. Who else are you going to invite outside?”

Qin Mubai, who was sitting in the lower seat, thought, What does the Emperor mean by this? It seems to be coming for me!

Qin Shubao, however, was stunned. He blinked and pondered for a moment before shaking his head blankly, “Your Majesty, I don’t understand what you said. There isn’t a single servant maid in my family who is proficient in music.”

“That’s why I said that as a father, you really don’t know your own son.” Li Shimin chuckled mysteriously, “Father has a banquet, son waits on him, performs music and dances. It is both a joy of human relations and a way of filial piety.” After saying that, he pointed to Qin Mubai and said, “Qin Sanlang, what are you waiting for?”

Qin Mubai was slightly shocked, “Strange, why did the Emperor suddenly act like this?”

Qin Shubao was even more shocked, “Why did His Majesty say that? Liang’er has not learned music nor dancing since she was young, so let me send someone to invite the geisha!”

“No need, no need!” Li Shimin waved his hand and looked at Qin Mubai with a smile.

Qin Mubai could only stand up and cupped his hands. “May I know what kind of instrument His Majesty wants this lowly person to play?”

Li Shimin chuckled and said with interest, “Of course it’s the pipa.”

Qin Mubai’s heart skipped a beat. How could the Emperor know that I can play the pipa? Did he hear it from the people of Zhaoling, or did he hear it when he personally went to Zhaoling?

Thinking of the inexplicable transfer order, Qin Mubai concluded that it was very possible!

“Liang’er … do you know how to play the pipa?” Qin Shubao asked nervously. Although the emperor was generous and benevolent, the crime of deceiving the emperor was not so easy to bear.

“Father, don’t worry.” Qin Mubai stood up calmly and smiled as he cupped his hands. “Since His Majesty has a decree, then this lowly person can only make a fool of himself.”

Li Ke blinked suspiciously at Qin Mubai and thought to himself, “No way, is it the pipa that Father Emperor began to talk about learning by apprenticeship?” I can’t believe it! Qin Mubai and I have known each other for so many years, but we have never seen him play with any musical instruments. Not only that, he was simply an idiot layman in music! On the contrary, I have long heard that my father has learned how to play the pipa since he was young. Even some court musicians may not be able to defeat him in terms of musical attainments … What happened today is really strange!

Here comes the pipa.

Li Shimin was excited, Qin Shubao was hesitant, Li Ke was curious and surprised-under the gazes of the three of them, Qin Mubai smiled calmly and said, “May I know what tune Your Majesty wants to hear?”

“Of course it’s your best song.” Li Shimin did not know the name of the song he heard in Zhaoling that day.

“Follow the decree.” When Qin Mubai saw the Emperor’s gaze, he was even clearer. It seemed that the Emperor had indeed been to Zhaoling and had personally heard of it!

Qin Mubai held the pipa in his arms and twisted his fingers. Qin Mubai withdrew his expression and swiftly waved the fingers of his right hand on the string. The three people present couldn’t help but feel their hearts tremble.

These few notes were like magic that pierced through their souls, firmly attracting their attention. Adding on Qin Mubai’s unique skills and gestures in playing the pipa, Qin Shubao and Li Ke were even more shocked.

“There are still people in the world who play the pipa with their hands? I’ve never heard of them!”

Li Shimin held the wine cup in his hand with a calm expression. His dragon-eyed phoenix eyes were slightly closed, as if he was completely absorbed in admiring the music.

A song called “Overlord Destroys Armor” rushed out. Qin Mubai hugged the pipa vertically with his left hand holding his neck and stroking it according to the law. The fingers of his right hand nimbly swept across the four strings as if they were flying. The melody of “Overlord Destroying Armor” rose and fell, and its rhythm was unrestrained and heroic. When the music reached its climax, his left hand was also filled with pushing, belt, beating, closing, twisting and other skills. The tune was strong and honest, as if it was being played by a band.

Li Shimin completely forgot about it. He had already put down his wine glass and unknowingly copied Qin Mubai’s hand gesture to twist his neck and pull the string. His body swayed rhythmically from left to right, as if he was infatuated.

Qin Shubao, who had always been like an ancient god standing on the edge of Mount Tai, was dumbfounded. He opened his mouth slightly and his eyes widened. It was as if he had returned to the passionate years when the Golden Gothic Iron Horses were galloping on the battlefield. Currently, his horses were charging into the rain of swords, spears, and arrows. Everyone rejected him!

Li Ke brought a glass of wine to his mouth, but he forgot to drink it, his movements stagnant.

When Qu Le reached the end, it was the climax of Overlord Destroying Armor. Han soldiers surrounded Yu Jueyan and then commit suicide to say goodbye to Xiang Yu …

Generosity, excitement, mournfulness, tragedy! –Heartless beauty, late hero!

Li Shimin’s movements stopped, and he unconsciously thought of Empress Changsun, who had passed away not long ago. Qin Shubao was also slightly stunned. He remembered how heroic and heroic he had been in the first half of his life, but now he was lying on a sick bed like a cripple … Thousands of sighs filled with emotions, and thousands of sighs filled with sorrow.

The eyes of the two men, who were bleeding without tears, were somewhat wet.

Li Ke was so shocked that he didn’t dare to cast his gaze at the main seat, so he could only lower his head and pretend to be ignorant.

“Bang–bang–bang-bang!”

The four strings cracked and the song ended.

The room was silent.

With a bang, the glass in Li Ke’s hand fell onto the table, and the wine overflowed with the fragrance of the wine.

“Your son is being rude. I hope Imperial Father will forgive me!” Li Ke left the table in panic and bowed.

Li Shimin suddenly regained his senses and wiped his eyelids with a casual motion. He waved his hand and said, “Forgive your innocence, get up.”

Qin Mubai played the zither and smiled. He thought that Li Ke was a clever person with a meticulous mind, and he used his seemingly reckless actions to divert the attention of the crowd, so as to conceal the Emperor’s loss of manners.

Qin Shubao held up a glass of wine and looked at his son, who seemed a little unfamiliar to him. He did not say anything for a long time, as if he had not recovered from his shock.

“How is it, Uncle Treasure?” Li Shimin changed his mood and expression very quickly. He turned around and laughed.

“This … I don’t have a dark rhythm, it’s hard to say.” Qin Shubao could not brag, so he could only smile bitterly.

“Haha!” Li Shimin smiled and said, “If you want me to judge, Qin Sanlang’s pipa skills are unprecedentedly brilliant. Qu Le is as passionate as martial music and military music, and his heart is full of emotions. He is different from any popular pipa music nowadays. Therefore, Qin Sanlang can be said to be a grandmaster of the generation who pioneered pipa music!”

“This lowly person doesn’t dare.” Qin Mubai put down his pipa and bowed.

Qin Shubao and Li Ke were both shocked. ! The emperor rarely gave anyone such a high evaluation!

“Uncle Bao, do you believe that I am here to learn from you?” “Qin Sanlang, are you willing to accept me as a student and teach me how to play the pipa?” Li Shimin smiled lightly.

“Ah?” This time, even Qin Mubai exclaimed.

“Your Majesty, this is absolutely impossible!” Qin Shubao hurriedly said, “My son is naughty, how can he be an Emperor Master?”

“Sigh, Uncle Treasure–Learn from those who don’t have elders or children first, learn from those who don’t have high or low status!” Li Shimin casually waved his hand, “Who in the world is omnipotent? Even I have many areas where my skills are inferior, so I have to learn with an open mind!”

“No, no, in short, this is absolutely impossible!” Qin Shubao bowed down and refused.

“Then … I’ll let him present the score of this song, and I’ll go back to the palace to think about it myself. This should work, right?” Li Shimin helped Qin Shubao up and shook his head helplessly. He understood Qin Shubao’s character, so it seemed that he could only take a back seat.

Qin Mubai cupped his hands and bowed, “This lowly person should obey my orders. I can write the score now.”

“Someone, take the four treasures of the study!”

Qin Mubai sat down and wrote a score of “Overlord Shedding Armor” in the form of an ancient song called “Palace Shang Horn Emblem Feather”.

Li Shimin held the undried score in his hand as if he had obtained a precious treasure. He carefully examined it and sighed again, “Good word! It’s a unique good word with an iron hook and silver scratch!”

Qin Shubao had already seen Qin Mubai’s handwriting. There were too many amazing things that had happened today. He was already a little numb to it.

“Qin Sanlang, I have never heard of this font. Could it be that you created it yourself?” Li Shimin asked in surprise.

“Your Majesty, that’s right.” Qin Mubai could only shamelessly agree. He didn’t have to tell him that this skinny gold rune was created by a Song Dynasty unconscious monarch hundreds of years later, did he?