Qin Zhenxuan and Guangde left Daokou Town and headed towards Kaifeng, and at dusk, they came to Chenqiaoyi in Fengqiu County. This Chenqiao Station is located ten miles outside the city of Fengqiu, and it is an important post station from Kaifeng to Beijing. It was here that Zhao Kuangyin, Taizu of the Song Dynasty, launched the famous Chenqiao Mutiny, and the yellow robe ascended to the throne, replacing the Later Zhou and establishing the Great Song Dynasty. Chenqiaoyi is only 80 miles away from Kaifeng City, Bianliang, Tokyo, and is the northern town of Kaifeng City, known as the "North Gate Lock Key".

Guangde parked the carriage in front of an inn called "Longqing Inn", and a man had already picked up the horse, and the shopkeeper welcomed the two into the inn. The two asked for a guest room, soaked their feet in boiling water after dinner, and sat at the table to drink tea.

Guangde said: "Third uncle, do you think that the girl named Li Youlan will also live in this inn?" ”

Qin Yanxuan said: "Still thinking about other girls? Are you obsessed with her? Guangde said in dismay: "If only she lived here?" ”

Qin Yanxuan said: "What's so good about living here? Guangde said: "If she also lives here, let her go to Zhuxian Town with us tomorrow, and there will be a lot less boredom along the way." ”

"Don't dream, let's go to bed early, I'll have to get up early tomorrow morning and hurry." Qin Zhenxuan said. Saying that, the two took off their clothes, turned off the lights, and went to bed early and fell asleep, and soon Guangde snored like thunder.

In the middle of the night, Qin Yanxuan was suddenly awakened by the sound of a flute, which was far and near, high and low, as if it was far away in the sky, and as if it was close at hand. Qin Yanxuan quietly got up in his clothes, pushed open the door and walked out, only to see that the night was like water, there were no people around, there was an inch of eyebrows and moon in the sky, and the cold stars were counting. The sound of the flute seemed to come from the southeast, and Qin Yuxuan went downstairs and walked out of the inn, following the sound of the flute to find it.

A short distance south of the inn is a small river, which runs through the town and flows zigzags to the west of Fengqiu City. There are two rows of willow trees on the bank of the river, dancing and a stone bridge over the river, but I don't know where the sound of the flute comes from.

Qin Yuxuan walked forward quietly, only to see another little light in the small river under the bridge, and when he looked closely, he found that it was a small boat, and a man in white was playing a flute sitting on the boat. Since the person had his back to the lamp, Qin Yuxuan couldn't see her face clearly.

Qin Yanxuan loves music and rhythm, and is quite proficient in guqin and flute, so he can't help but lean forward and listen.

Qin Zhenxuan listened quietly, but what puzzled him was that the flute seemed to be a tune he hadn't heard, and no matter how he listened to it, he couldn't tell what the tune was playing. He is quite familiar with Xiaoqu, such as "Weaving Dreams and Clouds", "Autumn Thoughts on the Dressing Table", "Red Bean Song", "Twilight in Freshwater", "Bitter Snow Cooking Tea", "Partridge Flying", "Plum Blossom Introduction", "Vain Eyebrows", "Fisherman's Q&A" and so on. But he couldn't hear what the other party was playing.

He stood under a willow tree, listening and meditating, only listening to the mournful and poignant and angry songs, which seemed to tell infinite thoughts. Qin Zhenxuan couldn't help but let out a soft "pout".

The sound of the flute stopped abruptly, and the flute man on the boat asked, "Who?" It turned out to be a woman's voice.

Qin Yanxuan saw that the man had already noticed it, so he walked out from behind the tree. Walking to the stone bridge, he said deeply to the man: "Below is the traveler who stayed at the inn in front, sleepless in the middle of the night, attracted by the sound of the girl's flute. Looking for the voice, disturbing the girl's Qingxing, hoping to forgive her sins. ”

The waves flashed, and only two sand birds fluttered and flew up, screaming and flying westward. The woman also stood up, bowed slightly, and said, "I'm really sorry to wake up in the middle of the night when you wake up your guests from their dreams." ”

Qin Yuxuan said: "I inherited my family education since I was a child, and I have a rough rhythm, although I am not good at playing, but I am still familiar with the general tunes." But tonight, when I listened to the girl's song, sometimes sad and poignant, sometimes sad, sometimes passionate and generous, angry and tragic. Ling Zai was puzzled, but he couldn't figure out what kind of tune the girl was playing? If you don't give up, I hope that the girl will give you advice. ”

The woman did not answer, looked up at the night sky, and whispered faintly: "In the middle of the night, where the guests moved the boat, two or two sand birds were startled. The red clothes are in the oars, the green lights are rocking, and the meaning is slightly cool. Put the wine in the wind, and don't think about returning, there is such water. The situation is tired of Maoling, and he has been working for a long time, and he is in the sound of the flute. ”

Qin Yuxuan heard it, the woman chanted the words "Water Dragon Yin" by Jiang Kui in the Southern Song Dynasty, so he chanted: "The return date has not yet been made, the magpie flies south, and some people should be happy." Draw the cinnamon, leave the fragrance and wait, and carry the shadow. The woman also whispered: "I have been in love for a lot, and I have dreamed for ten years, and I have been like this a little." Even Xie Lang, he also hates drifting, and explains that the moon is bright and bright. ”

After chanting, the woman said: "You can hear the artistic conception in the song, obviously quite accomplished in music." But can you hear the true meaning of the song? ”

Qin Yuxuan said: "Listening to the first half of the que, it seems to express a complex that is difficult to leave for the sweetheart, it seems to be a parting of life and death, containing infinite sorrow. and Liu Yong's in the Northern Song Dynasty, 'Where to wake up tonight, the willow shore is dawning and the wind and waning moon', it doesn't seem to be the same mood. ”

When the woman saw him suddenly say Liu Yong's words, she suddenly covered her mouth lightly and smiled: "Sir really imagined that he actually remembered Liu Yong's 'Willow Shore Dawn Wind and Waning Moon'. Is it tonight's scene that reminds you of his words? ”

Qin Yanxuan suddenly woke up, didn't he? Isn't the scene at this moment exactly "the willow shore dawning wind and waning moon"? It's just that there was no drinking, no parting.

Qin Yixuan was about to apologize, but the woman continued to smile and said: "Yes, tonight is indeed 'Yangliuan Xiaofeng Wanyue', but unfortunately it is not 'holding hands and looking at each other's tears, but I was speechless and choked'." With whom do you live and die? And you? ”

Qin Yanxuan turned red, and hurriedly said: "I lost my words, I lost my words, I hope the girl won't be surprised." It's late at night, and I'm going to hurry tomorrow to say goodbye. ”

But the woman said, "Huh? Why don't you like to joke? I'm also talking about playing. Besides, I was only halfway through saying this and was leaving, which was a bit disappointing. ”

Qin Yanxuan saw her say this, so he stopped and asked, "Okay, the girl hasn't told me the name of the song yet." ”

The woman said, "Don't worry, you only said the first half of the que, and the second half of the que has no comment." ”

Qin Yanxuan said: "In the second half of the que, there seems to be a kind of broken mountains and rivers, far away from the homeland, and there is a tragic feeling of not returning home. ”

The woman did not speak for a long time after hearing this, but she hung her head and was silent. After a long time, he raised his head and said as if to himself: "I just said that no one in this world can understand my thoughts, but who knew that he was right." Then he turned to Qin Yanxuan and said: "When you and I meet in Pingshui, you can actually hear the sound outside the strings in my flute, and you can be called a bosom friend." You're right, the first half of this song is the expression of sorrow and hatred, and the second half is the expression of grief and indignation. ”

Qin Zhenxuan said: "I don't know if the girl can tell me the repertoire of this song." ”

"Eighteen Beats of Hu Ji." The woman said lightly.

"What? "Eighteen Beats of Hu Ji"? How can it be? It's a thousand-year-old song that has been lost for hundreds of years. Qin Yuxuan was taken aback when he heard this.

"Yes, what the little woman played just now is indeed the long-lost "Eighteen Beats of Hu Ji". The woman still said calmly, "I wonder if you know who created this song?" ”

Qin Yixuan said: "This "Hu Ji Eighteen Beats" was created by Cai Yan, a talented woman in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cai Wenji was a native of Chen Liu, Kaifeng Qi County, and his father Cai Yong was also a great writer at that time. Cai Wenji specializes in calligraphy, literature, and music. Originally, Cai Wenji married Wei Zhongdao, and after Wei Zhongdao's death, Cai Wenji returned to her parents' house to live. Later, the Xiongnu invaded the Central Plains, and Cai Wenji was plundered by King Zuoxian and taken as his wife. Later, Cao Cao pacified the north, ransomed Cai Wenji, and married Dong Xi. During Cai Wenji's stay in Hubian, she was in love with her homeland, sad and resentful, and wrote this famous poem "Hu Ji Eighteen Beats". This song was changed to guqin music and flute music by later generations, but after the Tang Dynasty, this song has been lost, I don't know where the girl learned this song? ”

I saw that the woman didn't answer, and even recited "Hu Ji Eighteen Beats" faintly: "I didn't do anything at the beginning of my life, and after I was born, Han Zuo declined." The heavens are unkind, and the earth is unkind, so I am at this time. …… After a while, the piano was beaten, and no one knew how angry he was. ”

Qin Yanxuan listened quietly, and couldn't help but reconcile: "Rong Xuan forced me to be a housekeeper and took me to the end of the world." The clouds and mountains are thousands of miles away, and the wind is thousands of miles away from dust. There are many people who are violent and fierce like snakes, and the control of the strings is arrogant. The two beats are desperate, and the heart is broken and sad. ”

When the woman heard this, she suddenly stopped chanting and began to weep. Qin Yanxuan didn't know what to do for a while, and was about to say something to comfort, when suddenly a woman's sneer came from not far away:

"The willow shore is dawning and the moon is waning, holding hands and looking at each other with tears in their eyes, the two of them meet in Pingshui, and their love is as deep as the sea, and it will be like glue in a moment." The words were full of mockery, and there was a faint hint of vinegar.

The woman woke up suddenly, suddenly stuck the jade flute behind her back, took out her sword, and stabbed at the sneering man with a "swallow piercing the clouds". I only heard the tinkling of gold in the distance, and in a moment the two of them disappeared into the bleak night.

Qin Yanxuan walked towards the inn in a daze, and before he reached the door of the inn, he heard the faint light of the fire in Fengqiu County, far to the west, and there was a faint burst of shouts and fights, noisy voices, and swords rang out.

Qin Yuxuan walked into the inn and found that the lights were on in the room, only to see Guangde's hands tied to the chair with his hands tied upside down, and stinky socks stuffed in his mouth. Qin Yanxuan was shocked, and hurriedly loosened the tie for Guangde, Guangde spit out the stinky socks in his mouth, and cried out with a "wow": "Third uncle, our luggage was snatched by thieves." ”

Qin Yixuan comforted him and said, "Guangde, don't cry, speak slowly." While wiping away tears, Guangde briefly recounted what had just happened. It turned out that not long after Qin Yanxuan heard the sound of the flute and went out, two thieves came to the guest room. They woke Guangde awake, put the knife on his neck, and searched him. In the end, nothing of value was found, so their luggage was snatched.

Qin Yanxuan was just about to speak, when he heard a big commotion outside the inn. "Don't let the thieves escape, surround the inn, where do I see you fleeing?" Outside, there was the voice of an old man, and the noise and shouts of others, and the torches in the courtyard illuminated the entire inn's compound as bright as day.

Qin Yuxuan hurriedly opened the door to see what was going on outside, but as soon as he opened the door, a person broke in and collided with him. When I looked up, it turned out to be a woman in white, the woman's red gauze covered half of her face, but her eyes were as bright as autumn water. Holding a sword shining with cold light in his hand, and a jade flute stuck in his back, it turned out to be the person who played the flute he met at the bridge.

The two collided, and the woman was ashamed and anxious, she didn't care about apologizing, and hurriedly said: "The old man in the back is Chen Nanshan from Chenjiagou, who is arresting me." ”

Qin Zhenxuan didn't have time to ask more, so he quickly motioned for the woman to hide behind the curtain, and then asked Guangdra to sit in her hidden place in order to cover her. Then he opened the back window and shouted outside: "Come on, the thief is here, come on, catch her." ”

The woman was shocked when she heard this, and was about to come out and stab Qin Yixuan with a sword, when she suddenly burst into a large group of people from outside. The leader is an old man, wearing a gray cardigan, wearing rolled crotch pants on the lower body, and a pair of mille-feuille cloth shoes. Obviously, it is Chen Nanshan, the Tai Chi master of Chenjiagou.

The people behind Chen Nanshan saw Qin Yuxuan standing by the back window and looking out, so they hurriedly ran to the back window and looked out, there was an inch of silver hook in the sky outside, and it was vaguely visible that the back window was facing a river.

"Where's the thief?" Everyone asked in unison.

"A man came in through the door, dressed in white, with his face covered, and a sword in his hand. After entering the door, he did not stop, and one jumped through the window. I hurriedly shouted, as if I were heading north. "Someone jumped out of the back window and looked around, but there was no one in sight, and there were no stars in the sky.

The woman hid behind the curtain and was slightly relieved after hearing this, and secretly complained in her heart that she was wrong to blame Qin Yuxuan. I secretly admired Qin Yanxuan's wit in my heart, and at the same time I was full of gratitude to him. "Master, the person has run away, what should I do?"

"Hmph, don't try to hide this little carving insect skill from the old man's eyes, the thief is in the house, search for me." Chen Nanshan sneered.

The woman's heart, who had been hiding behind the curtain, was suddenly lifted again, and she saw that everyone had searched the bed, under the bed, under the table, and on the beams of the room, but no one was found.