《Yan Hua Yi Leng》 has already been sung by Li Chenchan, but the lingering melody of the song still echoes.
Moreover, everyone had a regret, which was not knowing the meaning of the lyrics of "Yan Hua Yi Leng."
Songs like "The Classmate of Mine," "The Brother Who Sleeps Above Me," and "Friend" always made everyone understand what they were singing about at first glance, and the simple and easy-to-understand melodies made these songs widely sung...
But now, although "Yan Hua Yi Leng" is beautiful and carries an unbreakable sorrow, it feels somewhat obscure. If that's the case, isn't it no different from many other ancient-style songs?
Thinking about this, everyone became a bit uncertain.
At this moment, Old An, sitting on the judges' panel, suddenly asked excitedly, "Li Chenchan, I have a question for you."
"Go ahead," Li Chenchan replied.
Old An asked, "Is your song 'Yan Hua Yi Leng' based on Yang Xuan's 'Luoyang Jialan Ji' from the Northern Wei Dynasty?"
Li Chenchan's eyes lit up; it was better that someone knew the story rather than him explaining it himself.
"Yes, that's the story!" Li Chenchan answered through the microphone.
Everyone's attention was once again focused on the stage. They also wanted to hear the conversation between the two, as they felt that the dialogue might help them understand more about the song and Li Chenchan.
Old An smiled, suppressing his excitement, and said to the camera, "That's right! At first, I wasn't sure, but when I heard your last line, 'Listening to the rain at Jialan Temple, hoping for eternity,' everything fell into place."
"Don't keep us in suspense. Tell us the story," Cai Qing, who had completely changed her attitude towards Li Chenchan, asked impatiently, "Everyone wants to know!"
"Alright, I'll tell you," Old An said, worried that building up too much anticipation might anger the audience. "This is a love story from Yang Xuan's 'Luoyang Jialan Ji.' During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, in the Liu Song Dynasty under Emperor Wen, a general was ordered to defend Luoyang. On the way, he fell in love at first sight with a woman and promised to return to her. Unfortunately, under the attack of the Northern Wei army, the Liu Song forces suffered continuous defeats, and Luoyang fell. Emperor Wen fled back to the capital. Due to the defeat, the Liu Song Dynasty was in turmoil. The general, seeing the decline of the Liu Song Dynasty and being severely injured and stranded in a foreign land, knew that returning would mean certain death. So, he could only wait for the war to end in a foreign land... He was not afraid of death, but he was afraid that he would not be able to keep his promise to the woman..."
Everyone was captivated by Old An's story. Although love stories of life and death are common in the information age, whenever they thought of Li Chenchan's "Yan Hua Yi Leng" with its mournful melody, they felt that this story was incredibly tragic and wanted to hear more.
Old An continued, "The general always wanted to wait for the war to end and return to see his woman. The woman waited for the general at the city gate day after day, for ten years, and eventually became a nun... The general finally waited for the war to end. After decades, he returned to the city gate where the woman had been waiting for him. Everything had changed, and he could not find the woman. People told him that the woman had waited for him by the old tree at the city gate until she died, and she was always alone..."
When the story ended, there was a moment of silence.
Despite this being a live broadcast of "China's Good Music" to the nation and the world, no one criticized Old An for taking up time. Instead, they felt it was necessary.
Because the story and Li Chenchan's song fit perfectly, everyone instantly understood many of the meanings in "Yan Hua Yi Leng."
The lyrics "In the old hometown, the grass is deep, the shepherd's flute sounds in the suburbs, the old tree roots are entangled, and the echo on the stone slab is waiting..." fit the story perfectly! Everyone also realized that the seemingly ornate lyrics, when carefully considered, were all meaningful and based on real events. The lyrics, after artistic processing, made the song even more beautiful and touching!
At this moment, everyone felt the atmosphere of "Yan Hua Yi Leng" and understood the source of the melancholy...
"Li Chenchan is really amazing..." Among the top 20 of "China's Good Music," there were six female singers. One of them, Su Lan, who had studied ancient poetry and stories, sighed, "He can tell such a story in such a way that it still conveys a sense of desolation. I don't know how to describe him."
"Indeed... But the story itself is also very touching," a girl beside her added.
Su Lan shook her head, "There are many more touching stories. You find it touching only because you just heard Li Chenchan's 'Yan Hua Yi Leng'!"
The girl thought about it and realized she was right!
In that instant, her admiration for Li Chenchan grew.
After Old An finished the story, there was a long silence. As Su Lan said, without "Yan Hua Yi Leng," everyone would have found it a simple story. But with "Yan Hua Yi Leng," the story came to life, and the sorrowful emotions made it tangible, surpassing other tragic stories...
After hearing Old An's words, Li Chenchan smiled and said, "Thank you for your explanation. Indeed, 'Yan Hua Yi Leng' tells this story... from 'Luoyang Jialan Ji.'"
Old An nodded with a smile, his appreciation for Li Chenchan increasing significantly.
After that, Li Chenchan returned to his seat. Shen Chengyun stared at him intently, making Li Chenchan feel uncomfortable: "What are you doing... I don't like men."
Shen Chengyun shook his head and smiled, "No... I just feel... how to say... I underestimated you before. Your 'Yan Hua Yi Leng' truly breaks one's heart..."
Li Chenchan laughed and said, "You flatter me... But whether I can advance is still uncertain. After all, your song is more stable."
The judges were also discussing this issue. Although Li Chenchan was exceptionally talented, considering the widespread popularity and other factors, Shen Chengyun still had an advantage.
PS: I am extremely grateful to Jian Muyun for multiple 1888 RMB donations, making him the book's patron. Thank you!
Thank you to Beiwēi A, Xiang Dang Bing, Yi Yi, Feng Hao Huoyue Di, Tian Yang, Hunshe Xiaotian 111, and Super Chen for their continued donations.
Thank you again to Jian Muyun for the 8888 RMB donation, the largest amount this book has received. I am very grateful.
I continue to ask for recommendations, collections, member points, and everything else...