Chapter 35: An Invitation from the Great Scholar Chu!

Xue Yuan shook his head and said, "I do not know. But I feel that within this melody, there are high mountains and flowing waters, and so... I feel it should be called 'High Mountains and Flowing Waters'."

Indeed, this piece was none other than the timeless masterpiece "High Mountains and Flowing Waters" from the Blue Star! Legend had it that it was composed by Bo Ya, and there was no need to elaborate on what a legendary figure Bo Ya was. If one were to ask why Xue Yuan was so familiar with this piece, one would have to ask why, on Blue Star, everyone from five-star hotels down to mahjong parlors, massage rooms, and teahouses loved to play this music.

Upon hearing the four words "High Mountains and Flowing Waters," Chu Yanshu suddenly threw his head back and laughed aloud.

"Hahaha, High Mountains and Flowing Waters—what a perfect name! There could be no title more fitting!"

When he arrived, he had contemplated many names—some profound in imagery, others grand and stirring—but he had always felt they were too ostentatious and failed to capture the essence of the melody. Only after Xue Yuan spoke did he realize that these seemingly simple words, "High Mountains and Flowing Waters," perfectly encapsulated the entire spirit of the piece. It was truly a case of the greatest truths being the simplest!

But could a fool truly possess such literary grace and insight? Still finding it hard to believe, Chu Yanshu asked, "Apart from this piece, have you dreamed of any other scores?"

"I have a few others, actually."

"Truly? Play them for me at once!"

The look in Chu Yanshu's eyes as he watched Xue Yuan grew fervent.

Without a second thought, Xue Yuan raised his hands and struck the strings for "Laughter of the Vast Sea"! This piece, composed by the great talent Huang Zhan, needs no introduction regarding its status in the realm of classic martial arts soundtracks on Blue Star. To put it simply, if music were divided into ancient and contemporary, "Laughter of the Vast Sea" would certainly be among the top-tier existences in contemporary music. Let no one utter the foolish notion that modern music is inferior to ancient pieces; ears belong to human beings, and whether or not human emotions resonate with the music is the only standard for judging its quality!

Xue Yuan now had two goals in mind. First, to secure the support of the great scholar Chu—this was indisputable. Second, to lure everyone onto this boat and then move to slaughter Li Yuanwang! He knew well that although he held the letters from Li Yuanwang, giving them to anyone else was not safe. Only by exposing them in the presence of the great scholar Chu and all the powerful figures of Ningzhou could he seal Li Yuanwang's fate so that no one would dare protect him. He had originally planned to reveal it at the sacrificial ceremony, but since such a perfect opportunity had presented itself, he would not let it slip away.

As expected, following Xue Yuan's performance, the Prefect Chen Zaidao, the County Magistrate Zhou Shen, the Military Commissioner Li Cheng, the Ningzhou Assistant Prefect Wang Huai, Li Yuanwang, Chu Qiu'er, Qian Zhongxian, and even Jin Shanye arrived on the scene.

Li Yuanwang looked at Jian Qi and whispered to Jin Shanye, "Master Catcher Jin, that is Jian Qi. Seize him in a moment! Rest assured, with the great scholar Chu present, nothing will happen to His Highness!"

Jin Shanye nodded. The reason he had not yet apprehended Jian Qi was the fear that he might take the foolish Prince hostage. Since the Prince was the Emperor's personally appointed puppet, he could not allow any harm to come to him. At this moment, Jian Qi also caught sight of Jin Shanye and set down the book in his hand.

The atmosphere in the cabin grew tense, as if ready to snap at any moment. But the oblivious crowd, hearing the lingering, melodic notes, felt as though they were witnessing vast deserts, setting suns, blades, rivers and lakes, and mountain forests within the music. They were all utterly stunned.

"Is... is this truly composed by that fool?" Chen Qishan looked on in shock. This piece was far better than anything his father had paid a fortune to acquire!

"This piece is completely different from traditional music; it is truly refreshing!" a musician from the North exclaimed with a sigh.

Meanwhile, Qian Zhongxian muttered to himself, "Impossible, this is absolutely impossible. How could this fool possess such skill on the zither?"

When Xue Yuan finished playing, the cabin fell into a silence so profound that a pin dropping could be heard. Chu Yanshu broke the silence.

"This piece may not be world-shaking, but to create such a score simply by arranging the five notes—Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zhi, and Yu—is truly novel and unheard of!"

As expected of a great scholar, he hit the nail on the head with his praise of the piece's ingenuity. Xue Yuan could not help but admire him.

Chu Yanshu paused and asked, "What is the name of this piece?"

Xue Yuan replied meekly, "I did not come up with the name myself. A master in my dream told me it is called 'Laughter of the Vast Sea'."

"Hahaha! Reflecting on the vastness of the ocean, sighing at the magnificence of a single laugh—what a marvelous 'Laughter of the Vast Sea'!"

Chu Yanshu laughed three times, then suddenly fixed his burning gaze upon Xue Yuan. Although this child was a fool, his spirit had not been extinguished and far exceeded that of ordinary men, which was why he could compose music in his dreams. This was talent! Such talent was not an isolated case; after all, among the ten great masters of the Great Qian Dynasty, there was a martial arts madman who was also mentally undeveloped yet possessed martial talent beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Thinking this, Chu Yanshu asked, "I will be holding a lecture at Egret Academy in three days. Would you be willing to come and listen?"

The moment these words were spoken, the entire room erupted! Chu Yanshu lecturing on Confucian classics was a grand event in the literary world; many would break their heads just to get a single spot! If he remembered correctly, this must have been the first time he had personally issued an invitation. Could it be that he truly intended to take this fool as his personal disciple?

In an instant, countless gazes filled with shock, envy, jealousy, and resentment converged upon Xue Yuan.

Su Ruowei also watched Xue Yuan in a daze, thinking to herself: *As expected, even the great scholar Chu thinks so highly of him. It is I who have always underestimated him! I should have known—though he is a fool, he hides a vast and wonderful world within his heart!*

Chen Qiluo frowned, thinking to herself: *This guy actually looks kind of good when he plays the zither...*

Li Yuanwang was filled with disbelief and unspeakable resentment. *What is happening? First it was the divine physician Zhao, and now the great scholar Chu has appeared. Everyone loves this fool; how am I supposed to take my revenge now?*

Even in the eyes of Chu Qiu'er, a ripple of emotion stirred. She thought: *When he was playing just now, why did I faintly feel that his talent surpassed that of Brother Xian? Why, why would I have such an ungrounded thought...*

Qian Zhongxian noticed by chance that Chu Qiu'er was looking at Xue Yuan with a dazed expression and suddenly felt a chill run through his body, as if snowflakes were drifting through the air.

"No, no..."

He was not resigned, so he quickly cast a pitiful, pleading look at Chu Qiu'er. Seeing this, Chu Qiu'er’s heart overflowed with compassion once more! *No, how could this fool compare to Brother Xian? It should be him who becomes the disciple of the great scholar Chu!*

With this thought, she stepped forward and said, "Master Chu, you must not! His Highness is immature in temperament. If he attends the lecture, it will inevitably disrupt the order, and I fear it would tarnish your reputation!"

Chu Yanshu narrowed his aged eyes slightly and asked, "And who might you be?"

Chu Qiu'er smiled slightly and said, "I am his Princess Consort! We appreciate your kindness, Master Chu, but my husband is truly ignorant of worldly affairs and acts like a young child. I fear it would be a disservice to your esteemed reputation. Therefore, let us leave it at that."

Chu Qiu'er felt she had the authority to make decisions for this fool. Hearing this, Xue Yuan smiled faintly. *My good Princess, you are truly virtuous, aren't you? You even know how to add fuel to the fire?*

He immediately looked at Su Ruowei and asked, "Sister Su, the Princess says I am a fool. Am I a fool?"

With this question, he finally pushed Su Ruowei to the forefront. The good show could finally begin!

"Your Highness, you are not a fool!"

Su Ruowei shook her head without hesitation and then stepped forward, saying, "Princess, this is a rare opportunity for His Highness. I urge you to think twice!"