Chapter Thirty-Six: Late Ming, Hell and Heaven Intertwined

  Same world, two dimensions. Interfusing with each other, influencing one another. Heaven and hell descended upon the late Ming dynasty at the same time. This was the conclusion reached by Yang Reform and Li Zubai after their conversation.

  What did Li Zhubai and Yang discuss? Magellan's circumnavigation, globe, armillary sphere, world map, telescope, flintlock gun, latitude and longitude, mineral exploration, artillery, mechanics, chemistry.

  Yang's reform had been talking until midnight, and after arranging for Li Zubai to leave, Yang's reform was already in tears. Almost crying out loud. After a conversation with Li Zubai, Yang's reform felt that he was much closer to the 21st century, with a feeling of a wandering son returning home, warm and composed, with an unspoken emotional connection deep within his heart.

  Wang Chengen looked at the emperor and was shocked to see him tear up while talking, "Your Majesty, what's wrong?" Wang Chengen also couldn't understand why this was happening.

  Yang reform smiled with tears in his eyes: "Hehe, Da Ban doesn't have to panic, I'm fine, just encountered a happy event, so I'm excited."

  Wang Chengen saw the emperor speaking like this and didn't dare to ask again. It was really strange, he laughed and cried at the same time, saying that he was happy, wasn't he crazy? But looking at him, it didn't seem like it.

  Yang Reform finally learned about the progress of science and technology in this world from Li Zubai, and also understood that there was a progressive side to the Ming Dynasty, and a group of people who pursued progress. Yang Reform only then felt that he was not fighting alone. The knowledge he had received from nine years of compulsory education in the 21st century, in this time and space, was inherited by these people. It was like finding an organization, finding relatives, with a sense of dependence.

  Those elites of the Ming dynasty showed themselves a picture of hell at the end of the Ming, and pushed themselves into hell with their own hands; while these people showed themselves a picture of revival rising from the ashes at the end of the Ming. Yang Reform thought about this and smiled to himself.

  ……

  In this era on the verge of collapse, Yang Reform encountered a group of passionate, striving and upward people. He felt that he had truly received heavenly blessings. Not being alone in fighting against the elite at the end of the Ming dynasty, Yang Reform also felt that he had gained strength and support.

  Excitement! One night of excitement. Yang's reform was a sleepless night of tossing and turning. Thinking that he must gather these people around him.

  However, the traffic in this Ming dynasty is really terrible. Xu Guangqi estimated that even if he received the imperial edict, it would take at least a few months to return to Beijing. He's also getting old and can't withstand the bumpy ride. As for Tang Ruowang, he's still in Xi'an and needs some time to enter Beijing. Without a few months, it's estimated that it will be difficult to arrive in Beijing. Yang's heart is like dozens of mice running around, unable to rest.

  Finally, forced himself to dream back to Baidu, and then fell asleep. In the dream, he searched for other awesome figures of this era, such as Song Yingxing! Xu Xiake! Gu Yanwu... All were incredibly awesome people, and they all lived in his own era.

  Yang reform finally felt that heaven was indeed not stingy with himself, this late Ming dynasty, it was truly the simultaneous arrival of heaven and hell, and he faced a choice... When he woke up, Yang reform was smiling, drooling, and saliva flowed half the bed.

  "Striding forward with vigor, with an air of pride, crossing the Yalu River..." Yang Gaizhang got out of bed while humming a tune. His excited state made him want to sing this song full of grand ambition and passionate generosity.

  "Your Majesty, what are you singing? Such a strange tune!" Queen Zhou Wan'er was the first to be astonished by Yang Guifei's flowing hair, and didn't know what to say. Seeing the Emperor so delighted, humming an unknown little ditty, she asked this question.

  "Haha, Wanyu, I'm so happy, really happy today... Ah..." Yang Gaizhi couldn't help but sing again. He was truly overjoyed. Suddenly realizing this was the Ming dynasty and he wasn't just an ordinary citizen, he shut his mouth again.

  "Your Majesty, what's the matter? You seem so delighted. Can you tell me about it?" Empress Zhou Wan'er was also curious, as the Emperor seemed unusually pleased today, and she didn't know what could have made him so happy.

  "Hehe, Wannier, even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. It's actually quite simple..." Yang reform still didn't say what was going on. This matter can't be said, after all, I couldn't say that I found a bunch of awesome people on Baidu and plan to take them for myself."

  Yang's reform is full of energy and vitality. The whole person is full of spirit and morale.

  But although eager to chat with those awesome people, exchange ideas and views, unfortunately none are around now, can only wait another couple of months.

  Yang Gaizhi hummed a tune and said, "Big Companion, let's go take a look at how the singing is going today." Yang Gaizhi had nothing better to do, so he decided to go check out how the singing was going. During the War of Resistance against Japan, the Northeast Army was an existence that changed the course of Chinese history. Now this Ming dynasty version of the "Northeast Army" was also an existence that changed history. Yang Gaizhi felt that he couldn't be careless and must pay more attention.

  Think of it and do it.

  Arrived at Xiyuan.

  Yang reform saw from afar that Guo Huan was directing the people of the Teaching Department to practice singing, and the sound of the song flew everywhere. The quiet West Garden was particularly lively.

  "Your humble servant Guo Huan pays homage to Your Majesty, may you live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, and ten million years." Guo Huan saw Yang reform approaching and immediately ran over to kowtow to the emperor.

  Far away, the people of the Education Department also knelt down and shouted "Long live".

  "Everyone get up! Guo Huan, how's your singing?" Yang Gaizhi laughed.

  "I have already taught this song to the people of the Music Bureau, and they can all sing it. Would you like me to perform it for Your Majesty?" said Guo Huan.

  "Alright, go ahead and perform then. Let's see how it goes."

  ……

  Soon, Guo Huan organized the dozens of men and women into several rows, with the men in a few rows and the women in a few rows, standing separately. Then they started singing "On the Liao River" together. [Original version is "Songhua River"]

  My home is on the Liao River in Northeast China...

  There is a forest fish farm...

  There were also soybeans and sorghum all over the mountains and fields.

  ……

  Yang reform only casually mentioned the chorus to Guo Huan and didn't carefully copy down the steps for chorus training from Baidu. Now this chorus is also quite powerful, full of sorrow and melancholy, with a lingering sadness that makes people's souls tremble and feel like crying. Yang Reform thinks that Guo Huan still has some skills after all, and can actually make this chorus sound pretty good.

  ……

  A ancient version of "Songhua River" that brings tears to people's eyes, now called "Liaohe River". Finished singing. Yang Reform applauded with a "pa pa pa" sound, indeed not bad. The voices were neat and tidy, no off-key or forgotten lyrics. It was just men and women singing together from start to finish. There wasn't much sense of hierarchy. Yang Reform remembered when his elementary school teacher organized choral training, the boys sang in their own way, the girls sang in their own way, and there were slow two-beat rhythms. To say it, Guo Huan's was truly a complete "chorus", never separated from start to finish.

  ……

  Guo Huan ran over again with a few quick steps and stood in front of Yang Gao, bowing his head and smiling obsequiously.

  "Guo Huan, your chorus is not bad, the voices are neat and tidy, no one is out of tune or forgets their words. However, it seems like this chorus doesn't have any layers! You should separate the male and female parts, each singing a section, then coming together to sing another section, that way it will sound more layered. Also, you should separate the high and low pitches for both males and females. When the females are singing high notes, the males can accompany them with some low notes, and when the males are singing high notes, the females can provide some low notes on the side. That way, the sound will have a sense of layering." Yang Gaizhang is recalling his elementary school chorus competition and how they practiced back then.

  “……Yes, your humble servant obeys……” Guo Huan was relatively smart, but he was also stunned and couldn't digest the emperor's words for a while. He could only pretend to agree first and then study the emperor's words carefully afterwards. The emperor's words were imperial decrees after all! Imperial decrees must be thoroughly understood, otherwise, it would be difficult to survive in the palace with tens of thousands of eunuchs trying to get ahead. One careless mistake and you'd be trampled down.

  "Also, Guo Huan! Choral singing has another technique, which is slow two beats... This slow two beats, is... For example, the woman sings first, and when she has sung two lyrics, the man starts singing from the beginning. The man's singing is slower than the woman's by two beats, and there are also differences in high and low pitches... I can't explain it clearly for now, you go back and study it carefully, think about it slowly, practice hard, and I will have a great use for it in the future. Do you understand?" Yang Reform had already poured out all his knowledge of choral singing to Guo Huan, but whether Guo Huan could understand or not was beyond his control. That was someone else's problem, he was the emperor, responsible for speaking.

  ……

  Guo Huan was completely stunned. He gritted his teeth and agreed, saying that he couldn't let things fall through no matter what!

  ……

  Who knows Yang reform said: "I have another song here, called 'My Hometown', the lyrics and singing method I've written down, first hum a few times for you, after you're familiar with it, sing it according to the lyrics, understand?" After Yang reform finished speaking, he took out a classic old song "My Motherland" that he had organized from Baidu... sung by Guo Lanying, an insert song from the movie Up to the Mountain. Very very classic.

  "A wide river with big waves, the wind blows and the wheat flowers smell fragrant on both banks. My home is just on the shore..." [Hehe, isn't it very familiar? Very classic! I changed some words, but not much.]

  ……

  "This is a song that describes the beauty of our hometown, and also a song that inspires people to strive and fight for their hometown. You must sing it in a way that moves people's hearts, evokes memories of the good things about their hometown, and awakens their determination and will to defend their hometown. Do you understand?" Yang Gaofeng said at this time, completely disregarding Guo Huan's feelings.

  Guo Huan has become a fighting cock...

  Revised lyrics:

  The song title "My Motherland" changed to "My Hometown".

  Female voices sing in unison: A wide river with rolling waves, the wind blows the fragrance of wheat flowers on both banks. My home is just on the shore, I'm used to hearing the boatman's horn, and I'm used to seeing the white sails on the boats.

  Female lead vocal: A wide river with rolling waves, the wind blows the wheat fragrance on both banks, my home is just on the shore, I'm used to hearing the boatman's horn, and I'm used to seeing the white sail on the boat.

  Chorus: This is a beautiful hometown [motherland], where I grew up, on this vast land, everywhere there are bright scenery.

  2. Female lead vocal: The girl is like a flower, the young man's heart is broad and wide, to open up new horizons, awakened the sleeping high mountains, let the river change its appearance.

  Chorus: This is a heroic country [motherland], where I grew up, on this ancient land, everywhere there is the power of youth.

  3. Female lead vocal: Good mountains, good water, good place, all the roads are wide and smooth. When friends come, there is good wine. If those wolves come, they will be met with hunting guns.

  Chorus: This is a powerful nation, our motherland, where I grew up. On this warm land, everywhere there is peaceful sunshine.