Chapter 43 - 42: The Person in Front is the Music Immortal Xie Qingshi Himself
Chapter 43: Chapter 42: The Person in Front is the Music Immortal Xie Qingshi Himself
His face was indeed striking. His skin was as white as snow, and his eyebrows were shaped like crescent moons.
His eyes seemed to hold a few wisps of a warm, gentle spring breeze, and even the middle-aged man found himself momentarily dazed.
A staff member hurried to make the introduction. "Director, Mr. Xie Lin is a brilliant young musician who has just returned from abroad."
"Ah, so you’re Mr. Xie Lin." The middle-aged man finally came to his senses and said respectfully, "I’ve long heard of your esteemed name. Just last week, during a meeting, a leader praised you as an outstanding youth representative of Jiuzhou, saying you’ve added another brilliant Chapter to our nation’s musical history!"
"You’re too kind." Xie Qingshi nodded and got straight to the point. "I made a special trip here today because I was hoping to see the Jiuyin Zither."
"Well..." The middle-aged man hesitated before shaking his head. "My sincerest apologies, Mr. Xie. We have strict regulations that prohibit viewing artifacts on demand. If you wish to see it, you can wait until it’s put on display at the museum."
"To be perfectly honest, my ancestors are from the Linsu Xie Family," Xie Qingshi said, his voice as clear as a mountain spring. "So when I heard the Jiuyin Zither had been discovered, I rushed over to see if I could be of any assistance."
The middle-aged man was taken aback. "The Linsu Xie Family... aren’t they... gone?"
The Pei Family still exists in Jianghuai today, but the great surname "Xie" has long since vanished from Linsu.
Xie Qingshi took out a Jade Pendant and placed it gently on the table. "Please, take a look."
The Jade Pendant was shaped like a lotus flower. Though covered in numerous cracks, its quality was superb, with a luster that had been mellowed by time. In the very center was the character for "Xie."
"The Green Lotus Jade Pendant?!" The middle-aged man gasped.
It was the symbol of the Xie family’s identity.
The Lin’an archaeological center had found two Green Lotus Jade Pendants, both of which were now stored in the museum.
It was the first time even the director had seen a Green Lotus Jade Pendant up close. He murmured, "Mr. Xie’s Green Lotus Jade Pendant seems even more exquisite than the others."
He was now largely convinced by what Xie Qingshi said.
The director’s expression turned serious. "Mr. Xie, this way, please."
Xie Qingshi put the Green Lotus Jade Pendant away and followed him.
The Jiuyin Zither had been placed under a glass protective case, and the dust had been carefully wiped from its strings.
Four hundred years later, he, its true owner, could finally see this zither again.
The director had someone remove the glass case. "I wonder, Mr. Xie, do you happen to know anything more about the Jiuyin Zither?"
Xie Qingshi stood before the seven-stringed ancient zither, and his hand trembled.
The strings, cold as blades, brushed against his fingertips.
In that instant, his memory was pulled back to the distant past, to the first time he had ever seen this seven-stringed ancient zither.
He had been summoned to the imperial court. He still remembered her instructing her trusted confidant, "Ming Yue, give him the zither."
"Lord Xie, this is a zither Her Majesty sought out especially for you. It is named Jiuyin, for when the sun and moon shine and the seven strings move, the zither’s music will reach all of Jiuzhou." The female sovereign, second to none and ruler of millions, placed the ancient zither in his hands. "The sound of your zither will be the sound of my Jiuzhou’s golden age."
’The sound of Jiuzhou’s golden age.’
Xie Qingshi stared silently at the zither before him.
The seconds ticked by, for so long that the director finally couldn’t help but speak up. "Mr. Xie, are you..."
His words died in his throat, for on that gentle, elegant face, tears were now streaming down.
The director was shocked, his expression filled with concern. "Are you alright?"
"The sight just stirred up some old feelings. Please excuse me." Xie Qingshi gave a faint smile. "When I think of this as an heirloom from my ancestors, I can’t help but become emotional."
Little did the director know that the man standing before him was the Music Immortal, Xie Qingshi, himself. He sighed wistfully. "Ah, history... it’s as captivating as it is heartbreaking. When I was studying it, I lost count of how many times I cried for the people in those books."
"This zither was of the utmost importance to my ancestor. Back when the Hong Clan invaded, the fires of war had not yet reached Linsu, but my ancestor, fearing the worst, secretly sent the Jiuyin Zither to Xuan’an," Xie Qingshi explained in a soft voice. "That is why this imperially bestowed zither was not found in Linsu. It seems his decision was the right one; at least the Jiuyin Zither has been perfectly preserved."
"Indeed. The strings on the other two zithers were broken. Such a pity." The director paused, then asked, "Mr. Xie, are there any historical records that mention this?"
After a moment of silence, Xie Qingshi said softly, "No."
"Thank you, Mr. Xie. What you’ve told me today has been incredibly enlightening." The director shook his hand. "However, when we research history, we always need various documents to corroborate the facts. I hope we can verify this matter soon."
"Actually, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask," Xie Qingshi said, his smile returning. "I was wondering who the archaeologists involved with the Jiuyin Zither are. I would like to meet them."
"There’s no need to ’ask’—that’s far too formal." The director laughed heartily as well. "This way, please."
He called for another car to take Xie Qingshi to the archaeology department.
Xie Qingshi listened quietly as the director described the archaeology team. When he heard that they were often too busy to even eat, he said gently, "That sounds very demanding."
"It’s nothing. My old classmate is the one who really works hard," the director said, waving his hand. "Because I couldn’t initially confirm if this was a relic of the Music Immortal Xie Qingshi, I asked him to come take a look. He didn’t even sleep, just hopped on a red-eye flight to get here."
Xie Qingshi mused for a moment. "Could I have his business card?"
"A business card? He doesn’t have anything like that. Just a phone number." The director sighed. "That man... honestly!"
He wrote Ming Chengli’s number on a piece of paper and handed it to Xie Qingshi.
Xie Qingshi folded the paper and put it away. "Thank you."
He put his hat and mask back on and left.
"To think the Linsu Xie Family actually has a descendant still living," the director murmured to himself. "No wonder he’s a musician, too. He must have inherited his ancestor’s superior genes."
After watching Xie Qingshi’s figure disappear completely from view, he took out his phone and dialed Ming Chengli’s number. "Sorry to bother you again, Chengli. Do you know of a musician named Xie Lin?"
Ming Chengli’s reply was blunt. "Never heard of him."
The director was at a loss for words. "You... you really are only interested in history, aren’t you? You don’t know anyone from the present day."
"Knowing people from the past is enough for me," Ming Chengli said irritably. "Just get to the point. I’m busy."
Taken aback by his friend’s curtness, the director continued, "This Mr. Xie Lin is supposedly a descendant of the Linsu Xie Family. No wonder he’s also named Xie."
"By that logic, I could say my daughter is a descendant of Ancestor Xuan," Ming Chengli retorted. "My daughter has the same surname as Ancestor Xuan. Does sharing a name automatically make you family?"
"But he has the Green Lotus Jade Pendant, the symbol of their identity! How can you compare the two?" the director said, exasperated. "Oh, by the way, I gave him your phone number."