“Who is she?”
“The youngest daughter of the Jiang clan in Bailing, young miss of the General’s Residence, fiancee to the Crown Prince, precious daughter of Grand Marshal Jiang, betrothed to His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince…”
Murmured discussions arose from all seated around the festooned barge, yet no one could explain why this Jiang young miss who usually pled frail health seldom venturing out had stood up, drawn a sword, and abruptly strode towards the pavilion stage.
Beneath the piercing candle radiance, sword in hand she descended onto the lakeside platform. Poised at one side, rippling hair and scarlet dress brighter than maple leaves. That magnificent full-length gown blazed fiercely as fires, amidst the night breeze like a sea of vibrant camellias.
Raising the narrow blade, its chilling flash cascaded like spilt waters.
Though wielding a sword, her stance evoked the keen precision of one adept with spears – a general stationed before troops braced to charge forth. Many guests seated nearby were shaken by the martial spirit of that posture, furtively shrinking back as startled cries sounded.
She pointed her toes to sweep the long sword flat.
The opening movement for a sword dance.
Was the esteemed fiancee of the Crown Prince about to perform for them on this pavilion?
The music ceased abruptly as all musicians gaped bewilderedly. With the performance halfway through, they struggled to respond to a guest disembarking her craft to step onto their platform. The lead zither player at a loss rested his hand over the strings, when someone gently patted his back.
“Pardon me, might I borrow your instrument a moment?” the elegant youth asked, smiling.
“Y-Your Highness the Crown Prince!” the musician’s eyes flashed with alarm.
His Imperial Highness Xie Kang had likewise descended from the festooned barge and stood before the musicians’ seats at the stage side. His crimson robes fluttered lightly as he composed himself still and straight like a jade mountain. The flustered musician hastily ceded his position and withdrew with a bow. His Highness then neatened his attire and settled before the zither.
A piercing chord resounded through all four barges.
In quick succession, ten fingers danced fluidly into action!
The melodious strains plucked by the Crown Prince were like ten thousand elite steeds and soldiers drawing weapons as one!
Continuing from the earlier musical climax, his tempo surpassed the previous pace in both intensity and velocity.
With the Crown Prince playing solo, none of the musicians dared to accompany him. So alone he remained seated at the towering platform. Head lowered, sleeves billowing, despite only one zither with twenty-one strings seemingly at his command, it was as if he led a detachment of thousand chariots and hundred battalions of vividly displayed standards.
Or rather – his solitary notes equaled a thundering cavalry of thousands strong.
From that solitary boxwood zither, an unassuming refined gentleman somehow unleashed resonances of clashing blades and stamping chargers. Each shattering chord exploded forth like thunderstorm, causing discreet unease amongst observing guests and provoking private speculation whether rumors of the Crown Prince’s chronic frail health held any verity.
How could one who coaxed anthems from tens of thousands of valorous soldiers be a sickly youth?
Beneath the cascading torrent of music, Jiang Kui accordingly began her dance upon the pavilion.
Twirling on tiptoes, her extended sword refracted frigid rays that, following the increasingly frenetic tempo, manifested resplendent spills of shimmering silver. Candle flames appeared ablaze, dyeing flickering shadows of her blade movements incarnadine – joined by the fluttery sleeves spinning up and down.
Pirouetting gracefully yet with lethal intent at the platform’s heart, everywhere her sword passed, guests recoiled as if fearful of searing their eyes on piercingly bright radiance. The red-veiled dancer now struggled to match her pace, silently withdrawing to one area and stopping to watch instead.
A chord rang piercingly once more – Xie Wuyan’s music climbed new heights!
The notorious difficulty of mastering this notorious battle anthem was precisely due to its steep aggressively robust pace from the very start, impossible for any but exceptional talents to handle. Yet the Crown Prince had already commenced at such staggering momentum. Now ten digits maneuvered nearly exclusively on the instrument’s finest strings, practically invisible as illusory blurs. Though tones sounded lucid and lofty, they also resembled squalling gales and crashing thunderclaps.
Accordingly, Jiang Kui danced ever faster and faster!
Her whirling figure seemed a drifting fiery cloud. Icy sword intent spilled forth, refusing suppression by the music – on the contrary, subtly guiding the melody’s rhythm.
The zither resemble ten thousand stallions and soldiers, while she was the commanding general!
Complete stunned shock enthralled every soul. All pulses were captive to those resonances and graceful maneuvers. Amongst the younger guests, many clutched their chests as flushed complexions and damp hair attested to profound arousal by the martial composition. Elders managed better composure yet were similarly engrossed in deducing implications behind this astonishing exhibition.
Prince Qi’s musical selection for his banquet was a battle anthem. The Crown Prince played the melody himself while his betrothed danced to the sword.
Profound significations were blatantly obvious.
Once more, a deep profound chord sounded for the third time.
Xie Wuyan muted the strings with his palm, concluding the piece.
Silence enveloped the scene.
Jiang Kui brandished her sword aloft, still upright upon the stage.
“Thud!”
A muffled pounding sounded as Xie Wuyan fiercely hammered the zither’s side with his palm.
“Thud!”
Repeated the strike.
“Thud! Thud! Thud!”
Mimicking blades hacking pillars!
Genuine blade-striking-pillar, the ultimate essence of battle anthems! Legend held that post-victory, the legendary general seated amidst the carpets of corpses from his five hundred cavalry routing hundred thousand foes had calmly drummed out this rhythm while still battle-splattered. For it was originally a composition devoid of strings – only resonances of slamming steel.
With each blow, Jiang Kui resumed her sword dance.
This time, graceful and unhurried – each step timed slow and weighted, every swing temperate yet mighty.
This time, all were roused to their very souls. Beneath the ongoing sledgehammering pounds, racing pulses kept tempo. Compelled by those commanding yet suspenseful maneuvers, tautness constricted each breath.
Music ceased, gales stilled. The player arose and remotely saluted the dancer with a bow. Bearing the sword, the dancer reciprocated. Beneath mingled starshine and candle radiance illuminating both figures, one embodied still waters’ tranquility and the other fiery blossoms’ splendor.
Peerless gentleman, unparalleled beauty.
As echoes faded along the winding river, only rippling streams sounded in the vastness.
“Clap.” Prince Qi Xie Ming commenced applause, crisp and resonant over motionless waters.
“Clap clap clap…” Thunderous ovation swelled tidal, guests inspired by their host’s initiative to unleash pent-up surges within through acclaim.
All now grasped that this marked the inauguration banquet for an unfolding saga.
Initially, Prince Qi’s battle anthem overture heralded his professed ambitions to contended for sovereignty. Next, the Crown Princess of the prominent Jiang clan’s military family symbolized aligned support for the Crown Prince’s faction through her sword dance. Meanwhile, the supposedly frequently bedridden recluse Crown Prince personally contributed a musical performance – pledging his own participation to confront Prince Qi’s outright provocation. Finally, Prince Qi’s applause acknowledged his principal opponent before all guests present.
One battlefield composition encapsulated seismic conflicts and melee about to erupt.
Henceforth, the factions helmed by the Crown Prince and Prince Qi would lock open rivalry for all the land to witness.
Through a lone battle hymn, most exalted adversaries within spheres of power had unveiled designs and mutually declared war.
Thus everyone present had been coopted as chess pieces upon this gameboard of contending ambitions.
Exchanging telling looks between tables, guests discreetly sized up allegiances through glimpses belying with profundity.
Many pondered privately – the capital city itself may be due for upheaval…
As celestial river soared overhead amidst spangling stars embroidering endless silken skeins across the firmament reflecting below upon vast shimmering waters, guests gradually regained their composure.
Xie Wuyan had already returned to his seat. Having sheathed her sword, Jiang Kui also turned back. At Prince Qi’s cue, musicians resumed more peaceful strains as mellow notes complemented the scenic night vistas.
Graceful Central Asian dancers with decorative sashes at waists glided onstage while the red-veiled swordswoman who started all this silently withdrew into shadows.
Soon lively conversations blended with pipes and strings as wine cups clinked. Equanimity restored after prolonged tensions, merry laughter and chatter portrayedconvivial optimism.
Encircled by court ministers, the Crown Prince and Prince Qi amiably toasted, previous strain between them also seemingly dissolved.
Upon Jiang Kui’s return, admiring praises immediately flocked to acclaim her earlier dancing brilliance. Passing the borrowed sword back to the scholar graduate, she took her own seat.
A pat behind her as an indistinct whisper urged: “Flee quickly, little sister!”
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