"Let's begin."
Gong Juren nodded.
"A Thousand Lights"
Sung by: Gong Juren
Lyrics: Ting Yu
Music: Ting Yu
The accompaniment began.
The mournful strings of the morin khuur laid the foundation, interspersed with an eerie bird cry.
The moment the prelude started.
Everyone on stage fell silent.
Just the prelude alone sent a chill down the audience's spines.
Especially the sudden sound of the xiao, accompanied by the calls of a flock of startled birds.
It made their scalps tingle!
On the judges' table, Qin Xu, at this moment, shot up from his seat.
This song was different from Ting Yu's previous ancient-style songs; the main melody leaned more towards melancholy!
However, within the sadness, there was a touch of brightness.
Even he, after listening just once, couldn't grasp its full charm.
"Outside the pass, a desolate inn, no smoke, how can travelers sleep?
Coldness creeps into my sleeves, who will add a layer for me?
Third and fourth watches of snow, the wind does not cease, blowing all night.
It's just a pity, the lean horse has not had a good rest..."
Such strong imagery!
Qin Xu raised his eyebrows. As expected, Ting Yu's lyrics were as good as ever!
With just a few lines of lyrics, the scene instantly came to life.
Gong Juren stood quietly on stage, singing.
But the lyrics seemed to transport them into that desolate environment.
A wilderness, a wild inn, a lean horse, alone, the cold wind blowing into his sleeves.
These few lines alone made people shiver involuntarily.
"Lost in dreams, dreaming for months, waking for years.
Past events are sorrowful and beautiful, affections are shallow, fate of two hands.
The sorrowful cry of the cuckoo, can be heard, it cannot fly back before the hall.
Who will reveal the faded red and worn ink on the old couplets?"
After this verse was sung.
Prop snow began to fall on the stage.
Whoosh!
On the other side of the stage.
A spotlight shone down.
A delicate silhouette appeared on the dimly lit stage.
She wore a light green gauze long gown, dancing with light steps, her water sleeves fluttering like the wind.
Gong Juren slowly turned, gazing at the silhouette.
On the stage, besides the flying stage snow, only the two of them remained.
The wind rose.
Blowing at Gong Juren's robes, his erect figure appeared particularly slender in the heavy snow.
His gaze slowly swept around, as if searching for something.
The person was right before his eyes, yet seemed a world away.
Accompanied by the music, it added a sense of desolation.
"I searched for you a thousand times, from sunrise to dusk.
In this world, I am tossed and turned.
I searched for you a thousand times, through another year of flourishing and decay.
But you were never at the place where the lights had dimmed."
On the judges' table.
Qin Xu gritted his teeth, his cheeks trembling slightly.
His eyes were filled with shock!
He was usually leisurely and enjoyed studying ancient poetry.
Therefore, upon hearing this song, the shock he felt was deeper than anyone else's.
He had experienced such a state before.
It was when Lin Yanyu sang "Blue and White Porcelain."
The shock this song brought him was no less than that of "Blue and White Porcelain."
"A true talent! This Ting Yu can definitely be called a talent!"
The lyrics of this song.
Made his eyes moist!
...
After the interlude.
The song entered the second verse.
"Lost in dreams, dreaming for months, waking for years.
Past events are sorrowful and beautiful, affections are shallow, fate of two hands..."
This time.
Gong Juren had fully entered the zone.
When he received this song, he had already understood the meaning of the lyrics.
For this, he had also spent a lot of money to find experts in classical literature online.
When he received the explanation of the lyrics, he was shocked for a full ten minutes before coming to his senses, and his admiration for Su Yu multiplied.
After fully understanding the meaning of the lyrics, he had been searching for that state of mind.
Now, on stage, with the falling snow and the fleeting silhouette in the snow, he finally understood the meaning of "search" in the song.
As for the audience below the stage.
Although they couldn't fully grasp sentences like ancient poetry for now, it didn't affect their enjoyment of the song.
Especially the line "I searched for you a thousand times, from sunrise to dusk."
Paired with the scene of the two looking at each other on stage.
It directly evoked a sense of desolation, and their eyes involuntarily welled up.
"I searched for you a thousand times, from sunrise to dusk.
In this world, I am tossed and turned.
I searched for you a thousand times, through another year of flourishing and decay...
You were never at the place where the lights had dimmed..."
As he sang the last line.
The light illuminating the silhouette flickered on and off.
Finally, it was completely extinguished.
On stage, apart from the falling snow, only Gong Juren's solitary figure remained, looking into the distance.
At the end of the accompaniment, faint sounds of bells and wooden fish could be heard.
These sounds further amplified the desolate atmosphere.
About ten seconds later.
Gong Juren took a deep breath and bowed to the audience.
"Thank you, everyone!"
Wow!
As soon as he finished speaking.
The audience below the stage rose to their feet, applauding wildly.
Some even had tears in their eyes.
The applause was like thunder, a resounding ovation that lingered.
"Hiss... These lyrics are amazing! Truly amazing!"
"Hiss... Ting Yu is amazing!"
"Hiss... Before 'Blue and White Porcelain,' now 'A Thousand Lights,' I declare Ting Yu has become a god in ancient style!"
"Uh... excuse me, where is it amazing?"
"The lyrics, are you deaf? The lyrics of this song are too damn amazing!"
"Then where are the lyrics amazing?"
"This... How the hell would I know? Everyone says it's amazing, so I just said it. Are you intentionally picking a fight?"
"No... Big brother, let's talk nicely. I'm just curious..."
"I'm a postgraduate student in Chinese Literature. I'll just say this: if Ting Yu had lived in ancient times, our textbooks would have another piece of ancient poetry!"
"Holy crap, that makes it instantly vivid!"
Some understood, while others did not.
Those who understood gasped in awe, while those who didn't, even disregarding the lyrics' meaning, found the melody equally brilliant.
Even those who didn't understand the lyrics, just listening to the sound, were thoroughly entertained.
"Thank you, Gong Juren, for bringing us such a wonderful performance. Next..."
"Wait!"
Just as the host was about to proceed with the voting, Qin Xu interrupted.
The host was taken aback and then asked, "What is it, Teacher Qin?"
"Many people might not have fully understood this song. Before voting, I'd like to humbly offer an interpretation for everyone!"
His voice trembled slightly.
His scalp tingled, and his back was already drenched in cold sweat.
Only by fully understanding the lyrics of this song would one truly appreciate Ting Yu's brilliance.
And he, having only grasped the surface, was already feeling his heart race.
"This..."
The host looked troubled.
Because the program had time constraints.
Adding something spontaneously might cause the program to extend, preventing other subsequent segments from airing on schedule.
"Let him analyze. The popularity of our show has exploded. This is a rare highlight moment for the TV station. The director's intention is to broadcast a bit longer!"
As he hesitated, a slightly excited voice came through his earpiece.
It was the voice of the program's chief director.
"Haha, indeed, I didn't quite understand it either. Since Teacher Qin has this intention, please explain it to everyone."
The host was first stunned, then burst into laughter.
Since the director had spoken, he naturally had to comply.
Moreover, he was also curious about how Qin Xu would interpret it.
He himself had felt utterly confused; he could barely grasp the surface meaning of the chorus, while other parts left him bewildered.