Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 57

Chapter 57 Great Tang Pianist
After being busy for several months, Qin Mubai finally had a few days of rest. Qin Mubai enjoyed it and cherished it. In the next few days, no one would disturb him again. He spent time at home with his family. He discussed martial arts with his father, chatted with his mother and sister, and tasted Shuang’er’s dessert.

After months of absence, Shuang’er’s culinary skills were very strong. She could even make osmanthus cake as fragrant as durian cake, enough to see that this culinary skill had already reached perfection and might.

After dinner, Qin Mubai went out for a walk in the West City and sat in the number one wine in the world. Every evening, Wu Meiniang would come to the shop to check the accounts. After chatting with her and occasionally settling accounts for her, the two of them finally seemed to be a couple of lovers.

Wu Meiniang said that there were already many shops in West City that were just like her, and the competition was very strong. Number One Wine Under Heaven had to be refreshed-so he asked Qin Mubai to help him write a few more pipa martial songs. I’m tired of listening to those two songs, Ten-sided Ambush and Overlord Destroying Armor!

This wasn’t difficult. Qin Mubai immediately wrote a few songs for Yao’er and the others to learn. However, at this moment, he thought that just renovating a tune like this was not the way to do it. This kind of thing was always learned very quickly. He had to think of a way to create a school that no one else could imitate.

Qin Mubai’s heart lit up.

Entering the Imperial City, he rushed straight to the General as the supervisor and found the Tu Sign of the Left Campus. Qin Mubai was the one who had come to demand the weapon. He panicked for a while and said that even if he hastened to work on a weapon like the Tiger Head Golden Spear for less than ten and a half days, it would still be difficult to complete it.

“Not busy. Slow work and careful work. This is not a time for war, so we are not in a hurry to use it.” Qin Mubai said, “I came here today to ask for another matter.”

Tu Su Ling heaved a sigh of relief and cupped his hands happily, “General, if you need anything, just say it.”

Qin Mubai took out a stack of pictures he had painstakingly painted and said, “I want the painting to help me create this thing.”

“This, what is this?” Tu Su Ling flipped through the picture on the paper and asked blankly, “What kind of table is it, but it’s taller than the table? What kind of beard is it, but its shape is peculiar? Why do you need so many strange steel bars? Hu, I don’t know what use this thing is. Please show me, General?”

Qin Mubai smiled and said, “This thing is called the ‘Piano’. It is an extremely high-grade and complicated instrument. Presumably, other than skilled craftsmen like Tu Su Ling, no one else in the world of the Great Tang can create it.”

“Musical instrument?!” Tu Shuling was dumbfounded. “I’ve been in charge of the Zuo Colleges Department for more than 20 years, and all the palace-sized instruments came from here. Such a complicated instrument is truly unheard of!”

“You haven’t seen it before. That’s right.” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “How is it? Are you confident that you can forge it? It’s very, very difficult! However, if you really forge it, it will be of great benefit to the present generation. In the history of Chinese music, you will definitely leave behind your glorious name. This is of great significance!”

“Alright!” “I will definitely do my best to build this piano!” Tu Shi ordered through gritted teeth.

“Every part of the piano should not be careless. Otherwise, the sound quality of the entire piano will be inferior.” Qin Mubai said, “I have already marked all the materials and sizes of the parts that need to be used. If you don’t understand anything, come and ask me at any time. Also, even if it is created, it will require several adjustments and modifications.”

“Alright. If I don’t understand anything, I’ll ask the general. When it’s finished, I’ll ask the general to try it out personally. It won’t be completed until you’re satisfied.” Tu Shi Ying was somewhat excited. Because he had long heard that Qin Mubai was a great master of the pipa. Now that he was working on this new instrument, if he became famous in the future and the piano became popular in the Great Tang, wouldn’t he be famous as a zither maker for a while, or even go down in history, as he said!

“This is the salary.” Qin Mubai put down a gold ingot.

Tu Shu Ling hurriedly picked up the gold and stuffed it back into Qin Mubai’s hand. “General, please don’t do this. Our Left Correctional Department is the Imperial Court’s yamen and serves the palace. However, we have orders to obey. There is no need to pay for the salary already received. If this is spread out, I will be corrupt and take bribes.”

“That’s good. Then I’ll have to trouble you.” Qin Mubai smiled and put away the gold ingot before leaving the Left Campus. Actually, everyone knew this little’hidden rule ‘. A place like this would only serve the royal family and the imperial court. However, there were often some court officials who would ask the skilled craftsmen here to do something for them. The Emperor naturally knew about this, but as long as he didn’t break the rules of the law and the rules of etiquette, he wouldn’t mind anything. Especially the people who will be the supervisor of the left school. To put it nicely, they are also officials of the court. To put it nicely, they are workers, handcraftsmen, servants and servants. After the Emperor finished ordering them, it wouldn’t matter if the officials gave them a few orders.

When he got home and was about to go back to his room to rest, he heard a few tinkling sounds coming from the next room, as if someone was playing the pipa. Qin Mubai couldn’t help but laugh. He walked up to the door and knocked, “Shuang’er, what are you doing?”

“Ya, Third Brother, did you hear that?” Shuang’er came forward to open the door and smiled embarrassedly. “I also want to learn the pipa! But since I was young, I was brought up by your three brothers. I only know how to pull bowstrings. When can I play the strings? Third brother, you promised to teach me, but you never fulfilled it. Hmph!”

“Haha, little sister, don’t be angry. Isn’t Third Brother busy all the time?” Qin Mubai patted her head. “Tell me, why do you suddenly want to learn the pipa?”

“Hehe … he likes music!” Shuang’er stuck out her tongue and snickered.

“It’s for him again” Qin Mubai shook his head and sighed, “Forget it, I really can’t do anything to you. I’ll teach you! However, I’ve learned too much about this pipa and it’s no longer popular. After a while, I’ll teach you a new musical instrument. I guarantee that only your third brother knows it.”

“Really? What kind of instrument is it?” Shuang’er said in surprise.

“You’ll know in the future. I’ll keep it a secret for now.” Qin Mubai laughed heartily and left.

“Scoundrel, you’re also trying to play tricks on me, hmph!”

The four-day vacation soon came to an end. Qin Mubai almost forgot about Pang Fei, who was nest in the world’s number one drunkard, when he left home and was about to return to the army. This brat had been drunk all day, as if he really didn’t want to miss Shu anymore. When Qin Mubai pulled him out of his room, he was still shouting in his dreams while drunk.

“Crash!” A bucket of cold well water poured down from Pang Fei’s head, and he jumped up in alarm. Seeing the angry Qin Mubai, his wine had already woken up. He hurriedly bowed and said, “Yes, Master! General, General!”

“It’s useless!” Qin Mubai snorted coldly and picked him up with his hair. “Are you sure you haven’t seen a woman in your life, or have you never drank wine?”

“Yes, yes … I have indeed never seen so many beautiful women, nor have I ever drank such good wine.” Pang Fei had always been honest in front of Qin Mubai and replied with a bitter face.

“Are you full now that you’ve seen enough?” Qin Mubai sneered, “Alright, now look at your bill-you’ve spent 1,500 yuan on the number one wine in the world for the past four days and nights. Tell me, how do you plan to repay it?”

‘”Ah–” Pang Fei was dumbfounded and muttered with a pale face, “Master, didn’t you tell me to stay here and … enjoy it to the fullest?”

“I told you to stay and enjoy yourself, but I didn’t say I would help you pay the bill.” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “Number one wine in the world is Chang’an’s most luxurious consumption place. The wine, women and music here are not something ordinary people can afford. You, a little squad leader, actually stayed here for four days and four nights. Tell me, should I sell you to pay the bill, or should I just expel you from the military and kick you out of the sect?”

“Wu … Master, don’t! This disciple knows his mistake! If this disciple is unambitious and indulges in wine, then he shouldn’t have done so!” Pang Fei knelt and kowtowed, pleading bitterly.

“You’re smart, and you know how to admit your mistake.” Qin Mubai threw the bill at him and said, “If you made a mistake, pay for it yourself. Don’t think that someone will protect you. This bill is a profound lesson for you. Find a way to solve it yourself!”

“Wuwu … this disciple has no choice but to sell his land and his hometown! Wuwu, this disciple no longer dares to indulge in wine!” Pang Fei wanted to cry without tears as he stared at the bill.

“You don’t need to sell a farmhouse. That’s the lifeline of your entire family!” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “The owner here is at least my daughter-in-law. Let me plead for your favor first. She owes it to you. In the future, if I find out that you’re obsessed with alcohol and don’t want to make progress, I’ll make sure you don’t lose all your wealth and blood. The whole family will go beg for it!”

“Yes!!! Disciple thanks Master! Disciple promises that I will not dare to slack off in the future. I will concentrate on serving Master and learn from Master!” Pang Fei kowtowed, as if he was granted an amnesty.

“That’s more like it.” Qin Mubai clapped his hands and said, “Change your clothes and follow me back to the barracks.”

The two returned to the barracks and resumed their normal work. Three shifts a day, attending various training in the barracks, nervous and a little busy.

Soon, a month passed. During that time, the Left Campus Department’s Tu Sign had visited Qin Mubai many times for advice on making pianos. In the past few days, he had finally finished making the piano, so he invited Qin Mubai to accept it a few times. After all, this was the first time he had made such a sophisticated and complicated instrument. Even though Tu Shuling was one of the best craftsmen in the world, he could not satisfy Qin Mubai in an instant. As a result, the piano was reworked several times.

On this day, Qin Mubai happened to be free, so he went to the Left Campus. After playing the newly modified piano, he was finally satisfied!

“Very good. The Tu Sign Token is indeed worthy of its reputation. It’s a skill like a ghost’s axe!” Qin Mubai praised him and said, “Now, go to the number one wine in the world and find a woman called ‘Yao’er. Tell her to put away the piano first. Tell her that this is a new instrument I want to teach her, but tell her not to make any noise.”

“Alright, I’ll do as you say.”

Qin Mubai secretly laughed, “Very good.” Soon, there will be a pianist in the Great Tang. Yao’er, Shuang’er, the two of you will definitely create a miracle and become the Beidou of Mount Tai in the history of Chinese music!