Chapter One Hundred Twenty-One: Like Pearls Strung by a Melody, a Strategy is Set

Exiting the south gate of the Western Market, one travels east along the second street south of Chunming Avenue, passes through the area of the Five Wards, and crosses Qixiamen Avenue to reach Qinren Ward.

Following the advice of the Tenth Young Master Dou, Du Shiyi entered through the north gate and sought out the local ward patrol for directions. True to his word, the man led them directly to the Dou residence without a second thought. Before Du Shiyi could even announce himself, a servant hurried out to greet them. After bowing, he smiled and explained, "My master has not yet returned, but he specifically instructed us to wait for Master Du's arrival."

Du Shiyi nodded with a smile and followed the man inside. As they passed through the main gate, he noticed Tian Mo and Zhang Jian being stopped by guards. He paused and explained, "Master Zhang is my friend; he holds the musical scores I need. As for my Kunlun slave, he has always been discreet and well-mannered, and I am accustomed to having him by my side."

The servant leading the way immediately gestured to the guards, and as if the addition of two more people was of no consequence, he continued to lead them forward. Circling behind the main hall, which stood upon a high rammed-earth foundation, he explained without turning back, "The evening banquet will be held here. Consort Dou is celebrating her birthday in ten days at this Qinren Ward residence. Though it is not a milestone year, the Consort recently recovered from an illness, and the Emperor is so pleased that he has ordered a grand celebration. While it is uncertain if the Emperor himself will attend, all the princes and noble princesses will be present to offer their congratulations. My Tenth Young Master intends to perform the Huteng dance, so tonight's gathering of guests serves as a dress rehearsal. I hear that after the Emperor summoned the legendary Madame Gongsun to perform her sword dance, he was so impressed that he kept her at the Pear Garden to instruct his disciples. He has now ordered her to perform a sword dance for the Consort’s birthday, and all the musicians in the Pear Garden have been practicing non-stop."

The name Consort Dou was not unfamiliar to Du Shiyi. Back at the Cui residence in the Eastern Capital, Lady Cui the Fifth had mentioned her. Though titled a Consort of the late Emperor Ruizong, this title had been bestowed when Li Dan was merely a puppet emperor. During the Shenlong era of Emperor Zhongzong, her uncle, the then-Chancellor Dou Qinwang, petitioned to have her brought back, and she had resided in this private Qinren Ward mansion ever since. Throughout those years, her title was never stripped, nor were her provisions reduced; looking through history, this was perhaps the only instance of a concubine living in a private residence outside the palace. Furthermore, Consort Dou had no children of her own; she had helped raise the current Emperor, Li Longji, after he lost his mother, and later, with the permission of Empress Wu, she had raised the Prince of Qi for several years, forming a bond akin to mother and son.

For Zhang Jian, who had lived in the Western Market for years, the reclusive Consort Dou was not a familiar name. Upon hearing this, he racked his brain to recall any fragmented rumors he might have heard. He only regained his focus when their guide led them into a spacious, bright, two-story building that resembled a hall.

"Master Du, this is where my master keeps his collection of various musical scores," the servant said, bowing respectfully. He pointed to the scrolls lining the walls and added, "Many of these are ancient scores rarely passed down among the common people; you are free to examine them. For Consort Dou’s birthday, my master originally intended to invite the three Li brothers of the Pear Garden to compose a piece, but because Madame Gongsun arrived by imperial decree, the brothers are occupied with rehearsals and composing for her, so they could only send their apologies. My master went to the Qianbao Pavilion today hoping to find some ancient scores, and it was truly a stroke of heaven's luck to happen upon you!"

Clearly, the servant was a trusted confidant of the Tenth Young Master. After explaining the situation, he saw that Du Shiyi understood, bowed, and withdrew. Left in the spacious room filled with precious scrolls, Du Shiyi’s eyes lit up. He walked to a ceramic jar in the corner, pulled out a scroll, untied the cord, and as he unfurled it, he began to hum a melody. Tian Mo looked around, feeling bored, and eventually sat cross-legged on the floor. When he looked up and saw Zhang Jian standing there blankly, he propped his chin on his hand and wondered, *Why does the Master treat this Master Zhang with such regard?*

Before Zhang Jian could collect his thoughts, Du Shiyi turned to him and asked, "Master Zhang, are you well-versed in musical notation?"

The people of the Tang Dynasty loved music, especially the nobility. Had Du Shiyi not built a solid foundation in folk music in his past life and studied the pipa and notation under Pei Ning at the Grass Hut, he would have found himself in a difficult position now. Thus, while the question was casual, he hoped for a satisfying answer. Whether taking Zhang Jian to the Qianbao Pavilion or bringing him to the Dou residence, his original intent was merely to help a fellow scholar he had met by chance, out of sympathy for his situation. But now that they were at the mansion of the Duke of Bi, unless Zhang Jian possessed knowledge of instruments like the zither or flute, he would be of little help, and the Tenth Young Master would be less than pleased.

After hesitating for a long time, Zhang Jian murmured, "I know nothing of the pipa, zither, or flute. However, by a stroke of fortune years ago, I learned to play the jiegu drum. It is just that, having traveled so far from Xuanzhou in Jiangnan to Chang'an, I found it inconvenient to bring it with me... I haven't played in many years, and I fear I may be quite rusty."

The jiegu drum, popular in regions like Kucha, Gaochang, and Kashgar, was the instrument best suited for the Huteng dance. Upon hearing that a scholar from Jiangnan was proficient in it, Du Shiyi was startled before laughing heartily. "With such a skill, Master Zhang, you have come at the right time!"

When the Tenth Young Master Dou returned, dusty from his travels, accompanied by the brothers Wang Wei and Wang Jin, they heard the sounds of a pipa and a jiegu drum emanating from the room, as if they were performing a duet. Though the coordination was slightly unpolished, the melody was novel and distinct from the piece played earlier at the Qianbao Pavilion. He paused to listen for a moment, delighted, but saw that Wang Wei had already left him behind and rushed inside.

"Master Du, your casual remark has caused me to be dragged here by the Tenth Young Master before I could even catch my breath!"

"Master Wang, you have come!" Seeing Wang Wei complaining while smiling, Du Shiyi quickly stood up, pulled him over to the seat he had just vacated, and thrust the newly copied score into his hands. "Master Wang, look at this first. We can talk about everything else later."

As Wang Wei focused on the score, Du Shiyi saw the Tenth Young Master and Wang Jin enter. He bowed and greeted them, then went straight to the point. "Tenth Young Master, even if the three Li brothers are currently unavailable, there are many experts in the Pear Garden. Why is there no one to compose a suitable new piece for you?"

"There are many experts, but you must understand that aside from those with extraordinary talent like the Li brothers, most are accustomed to the grand palace music. The pieces they compose are often magnificent and grand, incorporating Western and Jiangnan influences, but they are always too large in scale. You see, the Huteng dance I excel at is a folk dance. The reason I am the best at it in all of Chang'an is simple."

Facing those in the know, the Tenth Young Master spoke plainly. "The Huteng dance is different from the Huxuan dance; while Han people may occasionally accompany it, the main dancer must be a Hu. Others are not skilled at it, but I am, which is why no one in the capital can match me. For Consort Dou’s birthday, the Emperor may very well arrive incognito without informing others. The Pear Garden disciples will certainly present grand songs and dances, not to mention Madame Gongsun, who is here by imperial decree to perform her sword dance. Therefore, the most crucial task is to make my simple Huteng dance stand out."

The words were blunt. The Wang brothers, who had only heard a vague summary on the way, were enlightened, and Du Shiyi and Zhang Jian understood perfectly. As everyone sat down, Du Shiyi said thoughtfully, "Since the Consort's birthday is in several days, why perform the Huteng dance tonight? If it is seen now, won't the anticipation for the actual day be greatly diminished?"

"Because the Prince of Qi will be here tonight."

Seeing that this explanation made everyone fall silent, the Tenth Young Master coughed lightly and added, "It is merely a rehearsal. With your help, I am sure the Prince of Qi will be satisfied."

Wang Wei finished scanning the score and, feeling his own skills stirred, looked up and said, "The Prince of Qi has a deep love for music and is celebrating the birthday of his foster mother, Consort Dou. If you must have a rehearsal, you might as well tell the Prince that, in order to keep a surprise for the Consort, this piece must be kept secret until the very end, or the surprise will be ruined."

"Oh?"

"This is a brilliant idea! If the Prince doesn't believe you, ask him to come and watch it alone!"

Seeing Zhang Jian’s surprised realization and the Tenth Young Master’s immediate, enthusiastic agreement, Du Shiyi realized that the Tenth Young Master had initially invited the Prince of Qi only to show he was doing his best, with no hope of creating a real surprise. But now that he had found two lifelines, he had magnified his hopes a hundredfold.

However, compared to grand performances involving hundreds of musicians, it would not be easy for a simple Huteng dance to shine. A new piece alone would certainly not be enough.

Du Shiyi said thoughtfully, "The piece from the Qianbao Pavilion was a work I composed in the mountains, but the duet you heard when you walked in was composed by my Third Senior Brother, Pei Sanlang. The Pei family’s pipa skills are famous, and he is a master of music, though he dislikes showing off and is rarely known. But in terms of true talent, he is second to none."

"This piece is truly a masterpiece; it is hard to change even a single note," Wang Wei agreed with a nod.

Though he had only heard the latter half, the Tenth Young Master trusted them implicitly. "If both of you say so, then there is no problem with this piece."

"But this alone may not be enough," Du Shiyi said calmly, ignoring the Tenth Young Master’s sudden anxiety. "As you said, the palace will perform grand pieces, and with Madame Gongsun’s sword dance, you cannot stand out by following the ordinary path. Since the Huteng dance is a folk dance from the Western Regions, why not take a different approach and emphasize its lively and festive spirit?"