Chapter 56: The Great Tang Pianist

  After being busy for several months, Qin Mubai finally had a few days of rest and he enjoyed it very much. For the next few days, no one came to disturb him again. He spent his time at home with his family. He discussed military tactics and compared martial arts with his father, chatted with his mother and younger sister, and tasted the pastries made by Xue'er together.

  After several months, Song Er's culinary skills have greatly improved. She can even make Osmanthus cake as fragrant as durian cake, which is enough to show that her cooking skills have reached a high level of proficiency and are unmatched.

  After dinner, Qin Mubai went out for a stroll to the West Market and sat in the world's number one wine shop. Every evening, Wu Meiniang would come to the store to check the accounts. Accompanying her chatting and talking, occasionally helping her calculate the accounts, the two of them seemed like a couple somehow.

  Wu Meiniang said that there are already many shops in the western market that have opened up like hers, and the competition is fierce. The number one wine in the world must be innovative - so let Qin Mubai help out and write a few more pipa Wuqu songs. Those two songs "Ambush from Ten Sides" and "The Hegemon's Armor" are already familiar to everyone, aren't they?

  It wasn't difficult, Qin Mubai immediately wrote down a few tunes and let Yao'er and others learn them. But at this time, he thought that relying solely on creating new tunes was not the way to go, as these things would always be learned by others quickly. He had to think of a way to set up a flag, making it impossible for others to imitate.

  A lightbulb moment, Qin Muru had a plan.

  He entered the imperial city and rushed to the Arsenal, where he found Tuo Shi Ling, the Left Camp Commander. Tuo Shi Ling thought Qin Mu Bai had come to urge him to speed up the production of weapons and was flustered for a moment, saying that even if they worked overtime, it would be difficult to complete the production of weapons like the Tiger Headed Spear within ten days or half a month.

  "Not urgent. Good things take time, and this isn't wartime, so we're not in a rush to use it," Qin Mu Bai said, "I came to find the Magistrate today for another matter."

  Tu Shou Ling let out a sigh of relief and smiled, cupping his hands together: "General, what is it that you need? Just speak your mind."

  Qin Mubai took out a stack of paintings he had spent a lot of effort on and said, "I want to ask Lord Tu to help me create this thing."

  "What is this thing?" Commander Tu looked at the drawings on the paper, bewildered, and asked, "It looks like a table, but it's bigger than a table; it looks like a couch, but its shape is strange, and it uses so many unusual steel bars...... Ah, I don't understand what this thing is used for, please explain it to me, General?"

  Qin Mubai smiled and said, "This thing is called a 'piano', it's an extremely high-end and complex musical instrument. I suppose that under the great Tang Dynasty, except for master craftsmen like Tu Shu, no one else can make something like this."

  "What a musical instrument!" Commander Tu was stunned, "I have been serving in the Imperial Palace for over 20 years, and all the instruments, big or small, come from here. Such a complex instrument is truly unheard of!"

  "You haven't seen it, that's right." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "How is it? Are you confident to create it? It's very difficult! However, if you really create it, it will be a great achievement for the ages. In the history of Chinese music, your brilliant name will definitely be left behind, this has epoch-making significance!"

  "Good!" Tu Shu Ling gritted his teeth, "I will definitely go all out and pour my heart and soul into making this - piano!"

  "Every single spare part cannot be sloppy, otherwise the sound quality of the entire piano will fall," Qin Mubai said. "The materials and specifications of the parts to be used are all marked. If there is anything unclear, ask me at any time. In addition, even if it is made, multiple debugging and modifications are required."

  "In the future, if there's anything you don't understand, just come and ask General. When it's finished, please invite General to try it out personally, until you're satisfied before completing it." Tu Shu was also somewhat excited. Because he had long heard that Qin Mu Bai was a great master of the pipa. Now he wants to make this new musical instrument, if in the future he becomes famous and the piano becomes popular in the Tang Dynasty, wouldn't he, as the maker of the piano, become equally famous for a time, or even, as he said, be remembered for eternity?

  "This is your wages." Qin Mu Bai put down a gold ingot.

  General Qin, please don't do this. We are the Left Camp Guards, a government agency serving the palace. We have our orders and salaries, no need for extra money. If word gets out, I'll be accused of corruption.

  "Alright then, I'll trouble you." Qin Mubai smiled and put away the gold ingot, leaving the Left Chancellor's Office. Actually, everyone knew this little "unwritten rule". The Imperial Workshop was a place that had always served only the imperial family and the court, but often some high-ranking officials would ask the skilled craftsmen here to help with something. The emperor naturally also knew about this, but as long as it didn't violate the laws, regulations, and etiquette, he wouldn't mind. Especially for the people in the Left Chancellor's Office of the Imperial Workshop, they could be called courtiers if you put it nicely, or laborers, artisans, and servants if you put it crudely. After the emperor was done giving orders, it didn't matter if the officials gave a few orders as well.

  Just returned home and was about to rest, heard the faint sound of a pipa being played from next door. Qin Mubai couldn't help but smile, walked up and knocked on the door: "Fang'er, what are you messing with?"

  "Ah, Third Brother, did you hear that?" Shuang'er came forward to open the door, with a somewhat embarrassed giggle. "I also want to learn the pipa! But since I was young, I've been spoiled by you three brothers and only know how to play the bowstring. When will I ever learn to play the zither? Third Brother, you promised to teach me, but it's always been empty promises, humph!"

  "Hehe, little sister don't be angry, isn't Third Brother always busy?" Qin Mu Bai patted her head, "Tell me, why did you suddenly want to learn the pipa?"

  "Heh heh...... He likes music!" Xue Er stuck out her tongue and smiled slyly.

  "It's all for him..." Qin Mu Bai shook his head and sighed, "Forget it, I really can't do anything about you, so I'll teach you! However, my pipa skills have been learned too much and are no longer valuable. After a while, I'll teach you a new instrument that is fresh and exciting. Guaranteed, only your third brother will be able to play it in the whole world."

  "Really? What instrument is it?" Xue Er asked in surprise.

  "You'll know later, it's a secret for now." Qin Mubai laughed loudly and left.

  "Bad egg, you're also playing tricks on me, humph!"

  The four-day holiday passed quickly. When Qin Mubai was about to leave home and return to the army, he almost forgot about Pang Fei, who was drunk in the house, known as the number one wine in the world. This kid was always drunk, as if he had really forgotten his worries. When Qin Mubai pulled him out of the room, he was still shouting drunkenly and talking nonsense.

  "A splash" of cold well water was poured over Pang Fei's head, and he jumped up with a shout. Seeing Qin Mu Bai's angry face, his drunkenness immediately dissipated, and he hastily bowed: "Honorable teacher! General!"

  "Useless!" Qin Mu Bai snorted, grabbing his hair and lifting him up, "Have you really never seen a woman in your life, or have you never had a drink?"

  "Yes, yes... indeed, I've never seen so many beautiful women, nor have I drunk such good wine." Pang Fei replied honestly in front of Qin Mu Bai, his face bitter.

  "Have you had enough to see and drink now?" Qin Mu Bai sneered, "Alright, now take a look at your bill - in the past four days and nights, your consumption of Tian Xia's number one wine has reached as much as 1,500 guan. Tell me, how do you plan on paying back this money?"

  "Ah——" Pang Fei was stunned, his face turned pale as he muttered, "Master, didn't you tell me to stay here... and enjoy myself to the fullest?"

  "I let you stay and enjoy, but I didn't say I'd pay the bill." Qin Mu Bai smiled and said, "The best wine in the world is also the most expensive place to consume in Chang'an. The wine, women, and music here are not something ordinary people can afford. You're just a small squad leader, yet you've been indulging here for four days and four nights. Tell me, should I sell you off to pay the debt or directly expel you from the military and kick you out of the sect?"

  "Woe... Master, please don't! Disciple knows his wrongs! Disciple has no great ambitions and is indulging in wine and lust, it's a million times not right!" Pang Fei knelt down and kowtowed, bitterly pleading.

  "You're still clever, you know how to admit your mistakes." Qin Mubai threw the bill at him, "You made the mistake yourself, you pay for it. Don't think anyone will cover for you. This bill is a profound lesson for you, figure out a way to deal with it yourself!"

  "Woe is me... I can only sell off our land and old house now! Woe is me, I'll never dare indulge in wine and women again!" Pang Fei was on the verge of tears, his eyes fixed dazedly on the bill.

  "Selling the fields and houses won't be enough, that's your whole family's fault!" Qin Mu Bai said with a smile, "The master of this house is my wife who hasn't crossed the threshold yet, I'll plead for you to spare you for now. From now on, if I find out again that you're indulging in wine and lust without striving for progress, watch me make your family go bankrupt and lose everything, and have all of you beggars!"

  "Yes!!! Disciple thanks Master! Disciple guarantees, from now on will never dare to slack off or be lazy again, will focus on serving Master and follow Master to learn skills!" Pang Fei kept kowtowing, as if he had been greatly pardoned.

  "That's about right." Qin Mu Bai clapped his hands, "Change your clothes, and follow me back to the military camp."

  The two returned to the military camp and resumed their normal work. Three shifts a day on sentry duty, participating in various training sessions at the military camp, tense and somewhat busy.

  Before long, a month had passed. During this time, Tu Shu Ling came to find Qin Mu Bai several times to discuss the production of pianos. In recent days, he finally finished making the piano and asked Qin Mu Bai to inspect it several times. After all, it was his first time producing such precise and complex instruments, and although Tu Shu Ling was a top-notch craftsman, he couldn't satisfy Qin Mu Bai in a short period of time. Therefore, the finished piano had been reworked and modified several times.

  It just so happened that Qin Mubai was free that day, so he went to the Left School Office himself and took a walk. After trying out the newly revised piano for a while, he was finally satisfied!

  "Great, the rumors about your skills are indeed true! Your craftsmanship is like that of a ghostly axe!" Qin Mu Bai lavished praise on him and then said, "Now, go to the number one wine house in the world and find a woman named 'Yao Er'. Tell her to take good care of the piano. Just say it's a new musical instrument I want to teach her, but don't let her make any noise about it."

  "Very well, I will carry out the order."

  Qin Mubai smiled secretly: Very good. It won't be long before the Tang Dynasty will have a pianist. You two, Yao'er and Shuang'er, will definitely create a miracle and become the Tai Shan Bei Dou of Chinese music history!