After offending capital, my songs became more and more popular.

Chapter 252 Wandering the world in search of dragon scales, the dragon's bloodline has grown into a forest!
As a treasure of my country's history and culture, the Forbidden City, a magnificent palace complex, has witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties and the establishment of new nations.

When this city is mentioned, many people will naturally think of certain stories, such as the burning of the Yuanmingyuan by the Eagle-French Allied Forces in 1860, the "entry ceremony" held by the emperor at the Meridian Gate in 1900, and the tragic story of "one box of cultural relics equals three lives" during the southward relocation of the Palace Museum's cultural relics in 1933.

These fragments of history, in the lyrics, seem to solidify into the line, "These dragon scales once fell to the ground with a clang, like shattered ice."

Using the physical texture of "shattered ice," the rupture of modern culture is vividly depicted!
The line "A single scale represents a heart, the story is so turbulent I cannot bear to hear it" further binds "dragon scales" with "human hearts," subtly echoing the "reverse scale" allusion in Han Feizi: touching the reverse scale under the dragon's throat will anger the dragon.

The "unbearable to hear" here refers not only to the damage to cultural relics, but also to the looting of the Dunhuang Mogao Caves and the sale of oracle bone inscriptions as medicine!

The two lines of lyrics tell the story of the "history" that this palace, which represents the "dragon," has experienced. Every historical event reminds us not to forget those days of backwardness and being bullied!

These two sentences are relatively easy to understand, but the last two sentences will test some Chinese people's "understanding" of the Forbidden City...

As the saying goes, "A person who observes propriety keeps their heart at peace; the melodious sound of the ancient zither reflects the heart of a gentleman."

The word "li" in the lyrics corresponds to the profound meaning of the names of the three main halls of the palace: "Taihe, Zhonghe, and Baohe". "Jing" refers to the plaque "Zhongzheng Renhe" in the West Warm Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The overtone technique of the guqin piece "Liushui" is also visualized here, which not only echoes the acoustic design of the Changyin Pavilion of the palace, but also metaphorically represents the cultural guardians' perseverance in "using the guqin to calm their minds" in a chaotic world.

And then there's that line, "I await the reply with clarity, lingering amidst the vast and magnificent Chinese civilization"...

"Echo" refers both to the physical echo of the Palace Museum's natural 8-second delay and to the world's amazement at the Palace Museum's artifacts during the 1935 international art exhibition abroad.

The word "winding" subtly alludes to the "dragon-shaped layout" of the palace complex, meaning that when viewed from above, the palace resembles a giant dragon coiled around the central axis.

on.

Different lyrics describe different details, and every detail is so meticulously crafted...

【oh……!!!】

In the online live stream, the more than 300 million viewers across all platforms watching the program simultaneously couldn't help but gasp in amazement, and the chat was flooded with comments:

[I never expected this, I really never expected this...]

[So these song lyrics contain such allusions...]

I've been to the Gu Palace, but I don't even know what palaces are inside or their names. Yet he recreated them all in the lyrics. That's incredibly meticulous... so detailed!

This is the profound heritage of our country's thousands of years of history and culture; this is true national pride!

It's easy to see that Shen Ming'en put his heart into this song!

[This song was created based on extensive research and reading of various classic texts, undoubtedly inspired by those magnificent architectural complexes.]

This song gives me the feeling that it's been meticulously crafted!

It's so fine! It's incredibly fine!

[Hakim: You're the one who's skinny, your whole family is skinny!!!]

……

As the barrage of comments scrolled by, cheers echoed throughout the venue. Although there weren't as many netizens or audience members analyzing Shen Ming'en's lyrics at the live performance, it didn't diminish the "power" of the song "Heaven and Earth Dragon Scales" or the majestic and spectacular imagery of the palace complex it conveyed!

That is a unique historical and cultural heritage belonging to our country and our nation, a world-class cultural treasure, and something we should be most proud of!
"Whoa!!!"

Amidst the continuous cheers, everyone's attention was focused on Shen Ming'en. It can be said that when the entire chorus of "Heaven and Earth Dragon Scales" came to a close, Shen Ming'en truly captivated the audience with his work and voice, giving people the feeling that "he truly lives up to his name, Shen Ming'en."

As a recognized "red song representative" in the Chinese entertainment industry, everyone's expectations for Shen Ming'en had already reached their "peak" after he sang "Descendants of the Dragon" in the first episode of "Spark Chapter".

This can be seen from the fact that before he appeared, the number of people watching the live stream at the same time had dropped to around 2 million, but now it has soared to nearly 4 million.

In such circumstances, if Shen Ming'en's work has even the slightest flaw, or if the good parts are not as outstanding, it will give everyone a feeling that "expectations have not been met".

But despite this...

Despite everyone's expectations for Shen Mingen having reached their peak!

But Shen Ming'en always manages to captivate the audience with his work and his voice.

Every single one of his works is so outstanding and so unique!
It's fair to say that Shen Ming'en's popularity at this moment is truly "well-deserved"!

On stage, he only needs to stand there to elicit cheers from the entire audience!

"Dong dong..."

Under those circumstances, accompanied by the music, Shen Ming'en sang again almost without pausing:

……

"Respecting the past, I put pen to paper, on the vast yellow earth of the East!"

"Amidst the mountains and rivers, the ink washes away the traces, revealing only the rugged spirit of China!"

"The Forbidden City, the Gate of Divine Might—how many vicissitudes have forged the spirit of China!"

"I will inherit and cultivate the culture, and break through the changing circumstances to turn the tide!"

……

The concept of "inheritance" has always been a traditional spirit passed down from generation to generation in my country. Inheriting the spirit of our ancestors and creating a better future, the era will belong to the new generation. These ideas are also interpreted to some extent in the lyrics of the chorus of "Heaven and Earth Dragon Scales".

The lyrics of section B are also very different from those of section A.

If the lyrics of section A tell the listener about the trauma of civilization, giving a sense of "the pain of broken dragon scales," then the lyrics of section B give a sense of "dragon scales being reborn" and "reconstructing a new era."

The last line of the chorus in section B of the song, "I inherit the culture and cultivate it deeply, breaking through the changes to turn the tide," breaks through the nostalgic framework of traditional Chinese style and can almost be said to directly respond to the issues of the times.

"Dragon scales" are not just architectural symbols, but also "stories taught by grandmothers" and "tools passed down through three generations of craftsmen"—cultural genes passed down through generations. This cultural interpretation of "inheritance" directly dissolves the sense of historical alienation, allowing people to feel the "contemporary continuation of cultural roots" in the song!
【Aaaaaah!!!】

Many "professionals" in online live streams are shouting wildly:

[This arrangement is absolutely amazing!]

[As expected of you, Hagiwara!]

As a professional music student, I can only say that Shen Ming'en's arrangement of this song is textbook-perfect!

Everyone's praising the lyrics, saying they're meticulously crafted, but let me tell you, the arrangement is the real gem! As a viewer, I scoff, even saying I could do it myself, but as a professional music student, all I can say is I had to transcribe the sheet music line by line!

……

The song "Heaven and Earth Dragon Scales" really gives people a very "magnificent" feeling, as if the majestic royal palace is displayed in front of everyone when listening to the song.

Above the palace, a giant dragon soars through the air, awe-inspiring all around.

Perhaps because everyone was focusing on the lyrics from the beginning of the performance, many people felt that this was due to the lyrics, indirectly causing the accompaniment and arrangement to be overlooked.

When those "professionals" pointed this out, everyone's attention finally returned to Shen Ming'en's arrangement!

The song "Heaven and Earth Dragon Scales" opens with a symphonic arrangement of pipe organ and timpani, directly simulating the grand spatial feel of the Forbidden City.

The accompaniment clearly contains some very interesting sounds, such as the 8-second natural delay acoustic characteristic of the Gu Palace used in the special ceremony, which creates a painful effect of "echoing in the corridor of history" between the human voice and the instruments.

This isomorphism between physical and musical space amplifies the vastness of "heaven and earth" and directly presents the magnificent palace complex to the audience.

besides……

The song also includes some "deconstruction and reconstruction of traditional musical instruments"...

Such as the pipa...

The song features many pipa "tremolo techniques," a playing style that simulates the sound of "dragon scales rustling," creating a sense of "dialogue between the past and present" with the low-frequency vibrations of the synthesizer.

The chorus clearly incorporates some sounds reminiscent of Peking Opera's old male roles, but it's not a simple transplant. Instead, it uses technology to digitize the timbre, reconciling the classical "melodious guqin playing the gentleman's heart" with the modern vision of "the vast yellow earth of the East".

These……

They're all details from the song's arrangement!

Truly observant people, upon hearing these details, will genuinely get goosebumps!
What makes a good work?

Can a work be considered good simply because its lyrics are well-crafted and contain various "metaphors"?

How can it be!

A song or piece of music must have a superb melody to achieve a harmonious balance with the lyrics!

And on this point!

Shen Ming'en's works are simply textbook examples!

In the live stream, everyone praised Shen Ming'en's lyrics one minute and his arrangement the next. All the praise they could imagine seemed to converge on one person at that moment!
Right now, everyone is really excited and eager to praise the creators when they hear good works!

But at this moment, is it only this piece of music that truly makes them cheer and feel so excited?

No, that's not true...

And the singers' performances too!

Shen Ming'en has always possessed a unique personal charm. Back on the stage of "Peak Singer Challenge," he sang a cappella, without any accompaniment, lighting, or stage design. He was just himself, with a microphone, singing a completely new song that no one had ever heard before, "Chasing Dreams with a Pure Heart." Yet, he still managed to completely overshadow Furongyuan...

Today, this unique charm is best embodied in the song "Heaven and Earth Dragon Scales".

In this piece, Shen Ming'en's singing presents a "triple repetition" characteristic. In the low register, he uses "breathy voice" to simulate the breathing of cultural relics, such as the line "I am awake and waiting for the echo". In the middle register, he uses "mixed voice" to convey the determination of cultural guardians, such as the line "People uphold etiquette and keep the heart calm". In the high register, the "tearing sound" vents the cry for national rejuvenation.

Such dynamic changes in voice subtly reflect the life trajectory of the dragon from dormancy to soaring, and also interpret the ups and downs of my country's historical destiny through sound!
For this song, both the quality of the work and the singer's performance are absolutely indispensable!
In Shen Ming'en, it seems that all of these have "gathered together"!
It's so exciting to listen to, and you can't help but admire the creator's "talent"!
"Clap clap clap..."

"it is good!"

At the scene, cheers and applause were deafening. Since the performance was held in a small village, there were some trees and birds nearby. However, due to the loud cheers, the birds dared not approach, as they would be "scared" away by the loud noise.

Amidst those cheers, Shen Ming'en's singing remained high-pitched and energetic. He took the microphone off its stand, held it in his right hand, raised his left hand high, and sang loudly while waving it:

……

"These dragon scales once fell to the ground with a clang like shattered ice!"

"A single scale reflects a single heart; I firmly believe that great things can be achieved from small beginnings!"

"Let us raise our heads high and revitalize our nation!"

"Wandering the heavens and earth in search of dragon scales, the dragon's bloodline has grown into a vast forest!"

……

The song naturally evokes memories of the era when our country was backward and vulnerable to attack, and it also brings to mind the scenes of our cultural relics and treasures being looted during the invasion.

Shen Ming'en's lyrics almost compare "dragon scales" to those cultural relics that have been lost abroad. Each "dragon scale" is not only the pattern on the cultural relic, but also the scar in the heart of every Chinese person!

So the song says: "Wandering the world, searching for dragon scales, the dragon's bloodline forms a lush forest!"
【Aaaaaah!!!】

Just as the call to action reached this point, many viewers in the online live stream got excited, eager to immediately settle accounts with those who had once joined forces to invade our country!
At this moment, Shen Ming'en's singing was still high-energy, and the veins on his neck could be seen bulging in the shot as he loudly sang the final verse:

……

"These dragon scales once fell to the ground with a clang like shattered ice!"

"A single scale reflects a heart, the story is so poignant I can't bear to hear it!"

"Let us raise our heads high and revitalize our nation!"

"Wandering the heavens and earth in search of dragon scales, the dragon's bloodline has grown into a vast forest!"

……

The song "Heaven and Earth Dragon Scales" reveals the deep logic of the inheritance of traditional culture: true cultural confidence is not a simple replication of historical symbols, but the creative transformation ability of "making cultural relics live for hundreds of years again" like the restorers of the Gu Palace.

When Shen Ming'en sang those lyrics in the chorus, he was not only prolonging the slumbering memories of civilization, but also declaring that every contemporary person can become a guardian and continuer of the "Dragon Scales"!
This narrative strategy of transforming historical mission into individual responsibility may be the underlying motivation for this work to transcend time and space and resonate with the audience!

……

(End of this chapter)