Chapter 124: A Voice Like Shattered Clouds, the Golden Boy Dances

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That day, Choi, the little chubby boy, accompanied his cousin Wang Rongting to pay birthday respects to Imperial Noble Consort Dou Lu. Being a junior, and with Wang Qinglan holding only a modest official rank despite the prestige of the Taiyuan Wang family name, the brothers’ seating was not among the front rows amid the capital’s many distinguished ministers, nobles, and high officials. Choi felt somewhat dissatisfied with this treatment from the start. He soon grew bored of the endless singing and dancing, only showing some interest during Grand Lady Gongsun’s sword dance. Unfortunately, his view was partially blocked, and when Grand Lady Gongsun and Disciple Yue Wuniang entered the main hall, he was too far to see clearly. Frustrated, he abruptly stood up.

“Ershiwulang?”

“I’m going outside for some fresh air!”

Choi tossed this curt remark to Wang Rongting and ignored the covetous glances cast at the two performers by those nearby, leaving the main hall without looking back. Only when the cool breeze brushed against him outside did the stifling heat inside begin to fade. Bored out of his mind, he noticed another singer mounting the high stage, their voice soaring straight into the sky—a display of extraordinary skill. Yet when he glanced back at the guests, hardly anyone seemed to pay attention to the song. He sneered bitterly and shook his head.

“This is truly dull. I should have stayed home. What’s the point of coming here for this so-called entertainment!”

He hadn’t even bothered to put on his shoes properly when he left the hall, shuffling down the steps beside the main hall. But as he reached the spacious courtyard, he suddenly noticed five or six men approaching from the north. Leading them was a tall, strong man of about thirty, stepping steadily with a radiant expression. Beside him was a burly attendant, a bit behind but emanating an undeniable aura of authority. A few steps further back were three men who appeared to be followers. From Choi’s angle, he clearly saw one of them glaring fiercely at the burly middle-aged man ahead, his eyes sharp as knives.

Though the newcomers had obviously arrived late, Choi, coming from a prominent family, knew well that on a day when princes and nobles gathered, those who arrived late were never ordinary officials. Hastily, he stepped aside to make way. To his surprise, the radiant young man at the front halted beside him and asked, “The hall is in full feast and song, with lively dances outside. How is it that you have slipped away from the gathering?”

The tone was calm yet carried an inexplicable commanding presence. Choi, who prided himself on being fearless, felt his heart pound twice before bowing awkwardly and replying, “The hall was crowded and stifling. I came out to get some fresh air…”

“A young lad who dislikes merriment…” the young man teased with a slight smile and moved on. Choi exhaled in relief but then overheard the young man say to the burly companion, “Wang Da, your sons must come to the palace more often. Er Lang is growing up; he needs companions…”

“Your hospitality overwhelms me… they have prepared a joint gift for Imperial Noble Consort Dou Lu’s birthday, and will present it shortly…”

Choi was stunned. As he straightened up, he noticed among the followers behind the two men, one was an elderly man, nearly sixty, whose deeply etched wrinkles did not reveal frailty but rather a fierce intensity. Choi shivered slightly. Another follower smiled kindly at him. As the group walked away, Choi sensed these followers were no ordinary men. Pressing his hand to his chest, he breathed out and suddenly entertained an uncontrollable thought.

“Everyone… Wang Da… to the palace… Could that have been…?”

His mind in turmoil, Choi wanted to return to the main hall to see clearly, but feared encountering the fierce old attendant, caught between advancing and retreating. Suddenly, he spotted two familiar figures emerging from a side entrance to the south, mingled among a group of people. Without hesitation, he hurried over, but halfway there, one of his shoes fell off. He paid no mind and hopped along to their side.

“Du… Du Shijiu!”

“Huh?”

Du Shiyi paused in surprise, then smiled, “So Ershiwulang Choi is here as well. We’re about to take the stage. Let’s talk later.”

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Seeing Du Shiyi move forward, Wang Wei nodded slightly and followed. Choi grew anxious, grabbing Du Shiyi’s sleeve and lowering his voice to shout, “I just ran into… I think I ran into the Sovereign!”

The statement stopped Du Shiyi and Wang Wei in their tracks, as well as two unfamiliar young men nearby, all halting in astonishment. Choi took a deep breath and spoke deliberately, “I can’t be sure if it was the Sovereign in disguise, but he called the man beside him ‘Wang Da,’ and that man called him ‘Da Jia.’ Could that be the Sovereign and Duke of Huo, General Wang Da?”

Wang Wei was less shaken, but Du Shiyi recalled past events in Taolin County and, ignoring the impending performance, whispered, “Did you hear anything else?”

“I heard General Wang Da say that his sons had jointly prepared a birthday gift.”

“Why does he have to meddle in everything!” Dou Shilang growled irritably. “When the moment comes, no one cares about others! Du Shijiulang, Wang Shisanlang, Zhang Liulang, let’s go!”

Du Shiyi immediately composed himself, signaling Choi not to worry, and followed Dou Shilang to the stage.

As these men headed toward the performance platform, though Choi did not fully understand the situation, he stamped his foot in frustration, ran back to put on his shoes, and then hurried back to the main hall. Upon entering, he noticed the group he suspected to be the current Emperor Li Longji and Duke Wang Maozhong had not yet appeared. Imperial Noble Consort Dou Lu seemed weary, leaning sideways on a table, while Princess Yuzhen was nowhere to be seen.

Before he could ponder further, a servant entered, loudly announcing, “Dou Shilang will offer a dance for the Noble Consort’s birthday!”

After Grand Lady Gongsun and her disciple’s sword dance, several families, including Prince Qi and Prince Song, had already presented congratulatory performances. Though the hall applauded and cheered, the enthusiasm was lukewarm. Hearing that the renowned Dou Shilang would perform, Prince Qi Li Fan smiled and said, “Dou Shilang is truly considerate. Since he injured his foot last year, he’s refused all invitations to perform. This time, he finally takes the stage again with genuine spirit!”

As his words finished, the sound of the Jie drum began, slow and measured at first but gradually quickening to a thunderous pace. Suddenly, two pipa melodies joined in, one after the other. At first, the discordant notes seemed chaotic and uncoordinated, but listening closely, the high and low tones blended into an indescribable harmony. Suddenly, the two pipa sounds converged, and from a corner of the hall, a dozen or so boys wearing golden hair crowns, red silk robes embroidered with gold, and black boots leapt onto the stage.

Swiftly, the boys rushed forward to assemble a three-tiered copper frame at the center of the platform. Each tier held a copper plate: the largest at the bottom, smaller above, and the topmost only about two feet square.

The guests instantly recognized the spectacle’s novelty. Even the usually indifferent Prince Qi Li Fan sat up straight, eyes fixed on the elevated stage. Boys jumped nimbly on the bottom and middle tiers, while Dou Shilang stood steadily atop the highest platform. His eyes gleamed, and he clapped with laughter, “This Dou Shilang, who invited me to appreciate music, has turned out such a performance—keeping even me in the dark! Noble Consort, Dou Shilang is truly thoughtful…”

Before he finished, Prince Song Li Xian’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that Zhang Jiulang from Madam Deng’s household? The last time I saw him, he said he admired Dou Shilang’s Huteng dance and was secretly learning it. How did he get up there?”

Prince Song recognized one; Princes Shen and Xue focused intently and identified two more—sons of Duke Dou Xixiang of Youguo. The hall erupted in whispers. Though it was common for host families to perform songs and dances during banquets, especially someone as renowned as Dou Shilang presenting a birthday dance, it was rare to see no professional musicians accompanying the performance—this was extraordinary!

Imperial Noble Consort Dou Lu, having witnessed countless musical and dance performances over the years, understood well how difficult it was to create something truly novel. Hearing that all the Dou sons were on stage, she nodded slightly, her gaze lingering on the earnest boys on the bottom and middle tiers, whose movements were somewhat uneven but sincere. These dozen or so children were no older than seven or eight. She had always been close to the Dou family and now revealed a tender, delighted smile. “The Dou sons are truly thoughtful! And Dou Shilang as well. He should have let these children come before me to show me before going on stage!”

“That would spoil the surprise!” Prince Qi laughed, a double meaning in his tone. “Besides, compared to the professional musicians, this is the truest expression of sincerity! The third son of the Duke of Ji is steady on his feet—it seems their archery and horsemanship are not lacking either!”

The Dou family elders, who had reservations when Dou Shilang first proposed the idea, agreed after his persistent urging and the eagerness of the younger generation. Seeing the performance praised so highly, their faces brightened, especially Dou Xiguan, who turned rosy and raised his voice.

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At that moment, Princess Yuzhen, who had briefly left upon a servant’s quiet message, returned. Hearing Prince Qi’s praise, she concurred, “Unlike other families who carefully select their musicians and dancers, the Dou family truly cares! Not counting the Dukes of You, Bi, and Ji, even Madam Deng’s youngest son is on stage. It’s rare they can all dance the Huteng!”

Seated beside Imperial Noble Consort Dou Lu, Princess Yuzhen watched the performance and suddenly smiled thoughtfully, clapping her hands. “Today’s performance resembles the Golden Child’s birthday celebration, doesn’t it?”

Prince Song Li Xian laughed immediately, “A pity there’s no Jade Maiden. If both were present, it would be another wonderful tale.”

Imperial Noble Consort Dou Lu smiled in agreement, and Duke Bi Dou Xiguan said warmly, “With the Sovereign’s grace, the Golden Child and Jade Maiden would indeed be a perfect match!”

The implication was a hope that the Dou sons might attend the palace in the future. Princess Yuzhen, knowing Emperor Li Longji’s deep affection for his maternal clan due to Empress Zhaocheng’s early passing, was casually confident that the Dou family’s diligent efforts tonight, and even without them, would ensure no objection to a future marriage alliance. Though she considered the Dou family lacking in talent, their longstanding wealth and status mattered. She lazily remarked, “With just one word from my brother, this matter is easy.”

Imperial Noble Consort Dou Lu was pleased and said, “That would be excellent.” Just then, a sudden shout drew all eyes upward. On the top tier copper plate, Dou Shilang seemed to lose his balance mid-leap, as if about to fall at any moment. If he were an ordinary performer, it might be no great matter. But since Empress Zhaocheng had been killed by Empress Wu and Imperial Noble Consort Dou Lu had raised Li Longji in the palace, and as the Empress’s sister—Madam Deng of the Dou family—had managed support from outside, she had a close relationship with the Dou family. If anything happened to Dou Shilang during her birthday celebration, how could she answer to them?

Perched on the highest tier, every leap and motion of Dou Shilang was watched by all. Yet his calm demeanor amidst danger drew gasps. At the critical moment, the pipa’s melody quickened once more, like galloping horses and clashing swords, while the Jie drums sounded like shattering clouds. Miraculously, Dou Shilang crouched and steadied himself, then executed several difficult leaps, eliciting a wave of applause.

As he continued dancing, the boys on the lower tiers jumped down around the stage’s edges as the drumbeat stopped briefly then resumed. Ten or so robust men in red quickly ascended the platform. At a moment when Dou Shilang was airborne, they shouted in unison, swiftly dismantling the highest tier’s copper plate and frame, but Dou Shilang landed firmly on the middle tier. After a few high-level moves, the men repeated the process, removing the second tier’s copper plate.

At this point, the boys gathered again around Dou Shilang on the bottom tier. The men lifted the large copper plate, roughly a yard square, along with Dou Shilang and the Dou sons, carrying them steadily down from the stage. Nearby, Du Shiyi and Wang Wei followed with their pipas. The once crystal-clear pipa melodies slowed, and Zhang Jian remained on the stage as the Jie drumbeats also slackened.

As the large copper plate was carried onto the main hall, the previously disinterested guests erupted in thunderous applause.

A dozen figures moved gracefully atop the plate. Moments later, the Dou boys leapt down, joyfully presenting birthday salutations to Imperial Noble Consort Dou Lu, whose face brightened so much her wrinkles seemed to smooth away. Yet as only Dou Shilang remained on the copper plate, the Jie drumbeat suddenly intensified again. The pipa melody grew fierce. The men carrying the plate shouted together, and the copper plate began to slowly rotate.

All eyes fixed on the plate, now supported beneath by an iron rod set into a groove in the hall floor. The men spun it by hand, starting slowly but soon reaching swift speeds. The roaring wind forced the closest guests at the edges to recoil and squint, yet Dou Shilang, occasionally tapping the plate’s surface with his toes, appeared intoxicated, swaying and dancing in the air. Even the Dou boys cried out in amazement. One clear child’s voice called out, “Tenth Brother, well done!”

Like Prince Qi, who loved music and dance, Prince Song Li Xian laughed heartily, “Dou Shilang’s Huteng is the best in Chang’an, and perhaps the world has few rivals! His dance is exquisite, the music superb. No wonder after Wang Shisanlang returned to the capital, he disappeared—I see now it was you who took him to compose for you!”

As the performance reached its climax, no one had the energy to respond. When the rapid music ceased, the copper plate gradually slowed and stopped. Sweating heavily, Dou Shilang exhaled deeply, lightly lifted his robe corner, knelt on one knee, and bowed, saying, “Your Majesty’s praise is undeserved. Today, to celebrate the Noble Consort’s birthday, I did not employ professional musicians. Naturally, I invited friends and family for support. Besides the Dou family sons assisting in the dance, the pipa players were Du Shijiu of Jingzhao and Wang Shisan of Taiyuan, and the Jie drum was played by Zhang Liulang of Xuanzhou. This is but a humble token of my sincerity!”