Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Miao Xiao Miao watched expectantly, gloating at Jun Mo Xie’s circumstances. The more Jun Mo Xie excelled, the more irritated she felt! She absolutely must see him embarrassed!
Miao Xiao Miao was Jun Mo Xie’s woman. She was unaware of it, but Young Master Jun was definitely ‘well-aware of this. Thus the way he looks at Miao Xiao Miao was different from others. But it was precisely this ‘indecent’ look that landed him in this state!
Had Young Master Jun known that this was the root of his ‘misfortune’ today, he would probably be in extremely regretful and feel extremely indignant. But she’s clearly my wife, and we’ve already done that, so why can’t I look, where is the justice in this, is there still justice around…
“Alright! I shall compose a song for you all then. Let you all know my prowess! Looks like you all won’t know how impressive and unrivalled your husband is if I don’t leave you in awe!”
The current circumstances were truly unfavourable after all, so composing a song was the best solution right now. Thus, Jun Mo Xie could only concede. But Jun Mo Xie brought up his condition: “I have to make it clear that there is only going to be one song. If you still wish for it, it’ll require a long time and accumulation of inspiration…”
“Fine!” All the women agreed simultaneously, no longer making it difficult for him.
Actually, the girls were all aware that it was a long process for a song to be composed. The reason why they were so unrelenting earlier was purely out of jealousy. It was already an unexpected joy to be able to force him to compose a song today…
Even if this song was not impressive, they’d just let him pass. How could they make him really recompose a song if it wasn’t well done?
Miao Xiao Miao was caught off guard seeing that he was really going to compose a song on the spot. Jun Ye took such a long time to do it. If Jun Mo Xie was able to compose a song and write its lyrics on the spot, even if it was slightly sloppy, it was still truly impressive!
But does this fellow really have this capability? I still harbor doubts on this. If he really skimp on his work, I’ll definitely point it out. And influence his wives to pressure him to redo it until everyone is satisfied… Hmph to even think of comparing himself to my Jun Ye…
“If it is composing just one song, it is possible. It is just that before I start it, I need to tell you guys a short story. Because this song was inspired by this story…” Jun Mo Xie naturally had to lay the context in place first. “A long time ago, there was a young scholar called Liang Shan Bo. In order to participate in the imperial exams, he entered the academy to study…”
The inspiration that struck him this time was Butterfly Lovers.
After all, that Song of the Burial of Flowers was beautifully desolate in its lyrics and meaning, and it was rare to find another tune that was comparable to Song of the Burial of Flowers asides from ‘Butterfly Lovers’.
Naturally, there were plenty of other classics from his previous life that were comparable, but Jun Mo Xie could no longer remember that many…
“… In his despair, Liang Shan Bo fell ill, vomited blood and died…”
“… In the end, when Zhu Ying Tai walked before Liang Shan Bo’s grave, suddenly, the grave opened with a clap of thunder and swallowed Zhu Ying Tai. Colorful mists emerged from inside. When it cleared, two butterflies fluttered out freely together… And inside the grave, both their corpses were gone. It turned out that the love of this couple who was so deeply in love had moved the Heavens that they transformed into butterflies to spend all eternity together…”
When Jun Mo Xie was done with the story, he could hear sobbing and sniffing around him. Turning around, he noticed that the eyes of all the women are red and teary, even Qiao Ying and Mei Xue Yan…
“This tune is composed according to this story. It shall be then named ‘Transformation into Butterflies’!” Jun Mo Xie slowly sat down before the zither and began to pluck at the strings.
This song was ideally performed using a violin, but the logic in music was universal, so it was not entirely impossible to play it using a Qin. It was just that the sound of the violin would automatically come out natural poignant, sad and beautiful cadence whereas playing with a Qin would come off somewhat too clear and melodious…
“The green grass and flowers bloom and flourish, colorful butterflies flutter about back and forth in pairs; a deep love that lasts for all eternity, Shan Bo loves Zhu Ying Tai forever…” Jun Mo Xie sang along with the sounds of the Qin. “Spending three years studying together, sitting side by side without the slightest suspicion; expressing their love to each other when they were eighteen, who knew that parting was at the tower…”
All the women felt as if they could see the images along with his singing. A man and a woman meet each other in an academy… that girl was dressed as a male, but the man was completely unaware… until when they had to bid farewell that he learnt of her identity…
Reluctantly bidding farewell, making the promise of eternity, a perpetual love… then parting ways without a choice. Not knowing that after this parting, their dream would never be fulfilled, this farewell was an eternal parting…
Shan Bo’s marriage proposal was rejected by the Zhu Family. He fell into despair after he returned home, and after hearing that the Zhu Family had set a marriage engagement with the Ma Family, in his distraught, he fell ill and died. After Ying Tai heard that Shan Bo died because of her, she was filled with anguish and swore never to marry.
Alas, fate loves to toy with men. The powerful and influential Ma Family came forth to take their bride. For her family’s sake, without a better choice, Ying Tai sat on the sedan chair with resentment.
When they passed by Shan Bo’s grave, Zhu Ying Tai stubbornly insisted on getting off the sedan chair to pay her respects. Due to Ying Tai’s deep grief, heavy rain poured and there was a loud clap of thunder and the grave mysteriously opened. Ying Tai leapt into and it closed back again. When the winds and rain stopped, the couple transformed into butterflies and flutter about freely in the world…
Jun Mo Xie had definitely underestimated the might of this song!
The helplessness of this song, ‘Transformation into Butterflies’ was difficult for anyone in Jun Mo Xie’s previous life to understand, even though they continued to pass the story of their devoted love on…
But it was very different now.
Guan Qing Han, Han Yan Meng, Miao Xiao Miao, Dugu Xiao Yi. Which one of these girls were not the daughters of some influential family? Which one of them didn’t know the helplessness and lack of options for a girl in such a family?
In this world, more than ninety percent of the daughters of influential families had to sacrifice for the sake of their family’s interests. Becoming a tool for drawing benefitting connections. Two families were celebrating for the benefit gained out of their alliance through marriage, but who cared about the kind of life the girl would have to lead after marrying over? How did they feel? You were the family’s daughter; the family had provided you with food and shelter, so naturally you had to do your part for the family!
Even if she was unhappy after her marriage… she could only let out a long sigh. But what this sigh did was to destroy the happiness that a girl had longed for her entire life…
In this era, interest dictated everything! This was the most common tragedy for those with such backgrounds in during this period!
Some people criticized that women always submitted themselves to such pressure, but they had never thought of why did the girl concede? Because her parents were in the family ah…
How can one forget their gratitude to their parents? There were such families in present day China, girls who were leading this sort of life… love, kinship… which was more important? It was a question that would never have an answer…
Guan Qing Han could be said to have the most personal experience of this. Even Miao Xiao Miao; if not for the Spiritual Herbal Gardens and her repute of a prodigy and meeting Mo Jun Ye, she was destined to not be able to escape from such a fate…
And Han Yan Meng. This lass had already became the sacrificial object of this political marriage. It was just that she was more fortunate that her partner was a person she liked… but it was very rare to be as lucky as her…
And even the carefree Dugu Xiao Yi. If she had never met Jun Mo Xie and only remained admiring him from afar, her future marriage was definitely not something she would be able to decide on her own.
Dugu Xiao Yi still used all sorts of methods and ways and put up all sorts of resistance before getting her family’s approval of the matter between her and Jun Mo Xie…
On this matter, everyone witnessed Dugu Xiao Yi’s willfulness and stubbornness; but who had ever thought if Dugu Xiao Yi had not been this willful and not made such a big fuss so recklessly, then how would it have ended for these two people?
With the impression and attitude the Dugu Family had of Jun Mo Xie and taking into consideration of the political state of Tian Xiang, they would definitely not allow this marriage alliance between the Jun Family and the Dugu Family! Then, with Jun Mo Xie’s temper, would he take the initiative to fight for it?
Had Dugu Xiao Yi not relinquished all the reservations of a female, not put in so much effort, only a tragedy awaited her!
So this ‘Transformation into Butterflies’ had struck the sorest spot of all the women of this era! In fact, the legend of the Butterfly Lovers was a stand the people of the past had against this sort of marriage where they had no way out! Or perhaps, even an extravagant hope!
Even if they could not be husband and wife when they were alive, they also wanted to transform into butterflies and dance together even after death; instead of calling it a beautiful devotion, it was more of a dream one had when they were helpless and in despair. But everyone who was unable to be with the one they loved all hoped for this dream to become a reality…
Lovers finally being together as they wished had always been the most beautiful legend throughout time! The greatest wish! But from ancient times until now, how many pairs of lovers were truly able to do this?
As Guan Qing Han listened, she suddenly remembered Murong Xiu Xiu and Ye Gu Han. Her eyes reddened and her tears began to fall uncontrollably!
Weren’t these two people just like the Butterfly Lovers? Or even, they were even less fortunate than the Butterfly Lovers?
If not for Jun Mo Xie, they were destined to not even have their dream of being buried together fulfilled…
That romantic legend, ‘I Shall Give Up On the Heavens, But Not On My Beloved’ Ah… it’s a pity that for that dream to be fulfilled, there was a condition—
That their affinity did not ended in the next life!
Because they know that it was destined that there would be no hope in this lifetime!
So they could only entrust their hopes into the next life… but how obscure was that?
Even Miao Xiao Miao was deeply affected. She was extremely well versed in music, so naturally she had a deeper experience of the entire song…
The song ended!
After a long long while, no one spoke, and only the sounds of repressed sobbing could be heard…
