fake gentry

Xie Hong finally witnessed what true scholarly demeanor was like.

This is far more outrageous than the leaked video of XTV's top hosts having a private gathering.

It was an unbridled celebration.

Even Wang Bin and Lu Wan were both drunk and behaving inappropriately. Wang Bin, as expected, was intoxicated and bared his chest and back in public, completely disregarding his status and etiquette. Xie Hong was dumbfounded, but the others regarded it as elegance.

He swore he would never touch Wushisan (a type of Chinese herbal medicine) even if it meant his life.

Several of the shogunate's aides, drunk and disregarding their noble status, lay on the ground and tried to tear off the clothes of the dancing girls. Wang Dun watched with great interest, not only not stopping them but also taking pride in it.

In the end, Xie Hong was too tired to complain anymore, so he could only drink silently, and he would accept anyone who wanted to drink with him.

Halfway through the banquet, Xie Hong's drinking capacity, at the very least, impressed everyone.

The only downside was that he had bloating, which made him go to the toilet several times.

Seeing that Xie Hong was so good at drinking, even his elder brother Wang Han was impressed, Wang Dun became even happier.

The more capable Xie's son is, the better it proves his good judgment, doesn't it?

Killing him would only leave me with a bad reputation, while keeping him alive would show my magnanimity.

Moreover, he is now the prime minister, the most powerful person under the emperor. Even the emperor has to be mindful of his feelings, and everyone trembles in fear when they see him. Now that there is another young man who can oppose him, even if Wang Dun cannot be completely indifferent, he will not really kill him.

He knows his own affairs best; what is he trying to achieve now?

Instead!

But Wang Dun never made up his mind whether or not to do it.

King Ahei was neither a fool nor a short-sighted person; he understood that if he were to usurp the throne, he would face infamy from all over the world.

But how many people can resist the allure of becoming emperor?

Wang Dun knew his own faction very well. To put it nicely, Lu Wan, Wen Qiao, and other famous scholars were just there to make a show of things.

Those he truly controlled were his lower-ranking subordinates; they were the swords in his hands. Only Shen Chong, Qian Feng, Wang Han, and Wang Ying were his true confidants.

Shen Chong was loyal to him, and Qian Feng was his most trusted strategist, someone he listened to attentively.

Wang Han and Wang Ying were his elder brother and adopted son, completely bound together, needless to say.

However, none of the above individuals could earn Wang Dun a reputation among the gentry of the world as much as Xie Hong.

Xie Zi's background was naturally quite good; the Xie family of Chen Commandery was now a prominent clan. In addition, he had a cousin who was a famous scholar; even without that, his mere presence would attract countless eyes.

Xie's son's appearance alone makes him worthy of being given an important position.

Moreover, Xie's son is a truly capable person, so it was inevitable that he would become famous.

"Brother Xie, I've heard you're skilled at the zither, but I didn't know you were also good at the flute, and you can even play the pipa from the Western Regions. What other instruments do you play?"

Xie Hong also got drunk.

Don't think that fermented rice water won't make you drunk. This stuff is like a type of rice wine from Guangxi, and you'll definitely have a splitting headache the next day.

When Wang Dun asked him, Xie Hong shook the whisk in his hand; he himself didn't know whose whisk it was.

"I know a little."

Wang Dun was taken aback, then his interest was piqued. Wang Han, standing to the side, sneered, "Xie son, don't boast. Do you really understand everything?"

Xie Hong suddenly remembered a movie line, and gently shook the whisk in his hand: "Knowing a little about everything makes life more colorful."

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, creating a chaotic mess like a chicken coop.

Wang Dun picked up a new jade ruyi, banged it twice to stop the laughter, and shouted, "Guards, go and bring all the musical instruments from the storehouse."

Wang Bin had also heard that Xie Hong played the qin exceptionally well, and that he was also familiar with Western musical instruments and could play them with the skill of a master. He was also proficient in flute playing. Wang Bin had originally intended to ask Xie Hong to play the qin for him in private, but unexpectedly, Xie Hong said that he knew a little about everything, which immediately piqued Wang Bin's interest.

Before long, dozens of armored soldiers filed in, bringing in all sorts of strange and wonderful musical instruments.

If scholars today want to become famous, playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting are essential skills, while being able to sing and dance is a bonus.

Wuchang was originally the capital of the Eastern Wu Kingdom. A hundred years ago, Sun Quan received Cao Pi's investiture here, and Wang Dun established his government here. Naturally, the Wu royal palace was not lacking in various musical instruments.

Wang Dun was a typical aristocrat, and his staff often held refined discussions and gatherings, which naturally included fine wine, beautiful women, music, and dance.

To do a good job, one must first have the right tools, so he never lacked various well-made musical instruments. He also kept as many as a hundred singers and dancers, and when he was drunk, he would give one to his subordinates.

Of course, he wasn't as generous to his subordinates as he was to Xie Hong. Training singers and dancers wasn't easy; at most, they'd have to be returned the next day after a night's sleep.

Giving Song Yi to Xie Hong was a huge investment.

Xie Hong's eyes lit up as he looked at the musical instruments.

He thought that if he could take any of these instruments to the modern era, they would be priceless.

It might even change the history of ancient Chinese music.

The Eastern Jin Dynasty had already formed a complete system of Qing Shang music, as well as Western Region instruments such as the pipa, qin, zhu, se, sheng, yu, and zheng. These were all standard instruments for banquets and elegant music.

Xie Hong even saw the Jie drum, the Konghou, and even something that resembled a whistle.

He picked up a whistle, turned around, and asked, "My lord, what is this?"

Wang Dun and his men were taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"There's something that Young Master Xie doesn't recognize? Hahahaha."

Wen Qiao laughed and said, "This is a whistle, a pleasant conversation that can be boasted about."

Xie Hong immediately understood.

Historically, famous figures such as Ruan Ji and Xie An were skilled at whistling, and he originally thought it meant shouting like a gorilla.

So that's what they were blowing up.

That's just a damn thuggish whistle!

I've learned something new.

He put down his whistle, picked up a zither and examined it carefully for a long time. Modern zithers have 21 strings, but the current ones only have 13.

"My lord, do these musical instruments please you?"

Wang Dun asked with a hint of smugness.

Xie Hong didn't bother to answer him at all. He simply sat cross-legged in front of everyone, resting his head on his lap, adjusted the zither, and then glanced at Wang Dun: "Barely usable."

Wang Dun burst into laughter: "You brat!"

For a moment, everyone stared at Xie Hong, and no one spoke.

Wang Han had drunk a bit too much. He sat with Wang Ying, who hadn't dared to say much all night. It was obvious that he had lost face by being driven out of the main hall that afternoon, and who knows what evil thoughts he was harboring.

On the surface, the father and son remained calm, but in their hearts, they already hated Xie Hong to the core.

In their eyes, what is Xie Hong?

The Xie family of Chenjun was a newly established family, and it only gained some fame through Xie Kun's favor. The Xie family's reputation was all given to them by the Wang family.

Xie Hong, a pretty boy, dared to be above them; he deserved to die!

I don't know what Ahei (father) saw in Xie's son that made him so tolerant of his insolence.

Xie Hong wiggled his fingers a few times, and then his hands danced across the zither like an elf.

Everyone immediately turned their attention to him.

Even Wang Dun couldn't have imagined that Xie Hong could actually pick up any musical instrument and play it, and even produce such a beautiful melody.

Behind the curtain, the waiting songstresses all stood frozen in place.

After a long while, someone couldn't help but whisper, "I really envy Sister Song."

"Don't say anything more, understand?"

"I can't remember, Master Xie played too fast."

It would be a miracle if the songstress could remember it; Xie Hong was playing the Six-Fingered Demon's Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds.

Suddenly, Xie Hong's almost manic voice rang out in the hall:

"Heroes rise and fall with the times; once you enter the world of martial arts, time flies by."

"Imperial ambitions and conquests are discussed in jest; nothing beats a life of carefree revelry."

A strange feeling arose in everyone's heart, but they soon looked at Wang Dun.

Even though Xie's son was drunk, he was still offering advice?

No, it's irony.

Wang Dun's expression also became dazed.

Only Qian Feng and Wang Han, Wang Ying's face darkened instantly.

Bang!

Xie Hong suddenly swayed and fell to the ground, unable to get up.