Volume 1, Chapter 164: Blue and White Porcelain

While Jiang Yu was conversing with Cameron, Wang Xianjun frowned.

It was obvious that this foreigner was setting a trap for Jiang Yu.

At the very beginning, asking Jiang Yu why he clearly knew English yet chose to speak in Chinese with him—that question alone made Wang feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Yet Jiang Yu's retort was truly magnificent.

The Weibo Night ceremony was being broadcast live.

The secretary beside him handed over a phone for him to glance at, and the live comment barrage was entirely filled with messages supporting Jiang Yu.

"That was spot on!"

"Jiang Yu is so handsome! I can speak English, but on Chinese soil, naturally I must speak Chinese."

Other celebrities would probably rush to show off the moment they knew even a sliver of a foreign language, seizing any chance to display everything they had ever learned!

The subsequent question placed Jiang Yu on the very edge of a cliff.

It was evident that before coming here, Cameron had done a considerable amount of research on this new-generation singer.

If Jiang Yu had answered yes, it would have proven that he was merely putting on a show previously, causing him to lose audience favor.

If he had struck back and criticized foreign songs, he would have offended a massive crowd; after all, among the singers present—aside from a few veterans—which one of them didn't have one or two English phrases in their songs?

To Wang Xianjun's surprise, Jiang Yu's response was nothing short of breathtaking.

He had truly matured.

Wang Xianjun's anticipation for the song Jiang Yu was about to bring was now immensely high.

The music began to play.

"Is that... a hollow bamboo clapper, along with the guzheng?" Wang Xianjun paused slightly upon hearing the opening accompaniment.

At this stage, no one would ever use traditional Chinese instruments for accompaniment. Before his shock could fade, the ethereal sound of a transverse bamboo flute drifted into his ears.

The mere combination of these instruments sketching out the melody was enough to give one goosebumps.

The melody was simply too beautiful.

Even Cameron's eyes lit up. He had always listened to Western instruments like the piano and knew very little about Chinese instruments with such ancient heritage.

He wondered with great curiosity what kind of instruments could produce such marvelous melodies.

Many veteran singers offstage nodded successively. Although they were not familiar with Jiang Yu as a person, they had to admit that his mastery of composition was exceptionally high.

When the background music swelled and the crisp sound of the guzheng rang out, some people even shivered involuntarily, completely captivated by the opening melody.

Before a single lyric was sung, they were already deeply immersed in it.

Finally, Jiang Yu's soft and magnetic voice drifted into everyone's ears.

"Raw pottery outlines the blue-and-white porcelain as the brushwork turns from thick to thin.
The peony painted on the body of the vase is just like your initial makeup.
The slowly rising sandalwood smoke drifts through the window; I understand your thoughts.
The brushwork on the rice paper stops halfway right here."

Simultaneously, on the large screen at the back of the entire stage, the most representative artifact of China appeared—blue-and-white porcelain.

Seeing this, Wang Xianjun became even more excited. Jiang Yu had actually written a song for blue-and-white porcelain!

This was something unprecedented before; blue-and-white porcelain could actually be sung about!

Traditional instruments, traditional culture.

What he was singing was a style that had never appeared on the market until now; he had created a brand-new musical genre.

A style belonging exclusively to China!

Mere moments into the opening, everyone present was made to feel the unique charm of this style of music!

"The glaze renders the court lady scroll, and its lingering charm is kept as a private secret.
While your radiant smile is like a flower bud about to bloom.
A wisp of your beauty drifts away,
To a place I cannot reach..."

Hearing this, everyone gazed at the big screen on the stage, Jiang Yu's vocals seeming to transport them directly to the scene.

It allowed them to witness with their own eyes those artisans completing world-renowned works of art stroke by stroke.

The audience was totally absorbed; the lyrics were so exquisite that one could not tear themselves away.

Wang Xianjun's eyes were filled with profound admiration.

"This little fellow is incredible!"

Throughout Jiang Yu's entire song, not a single mention of the words "blue-and-white porcelain" was uttered, yet every single line breathed blue-and-white porcelain, perfectly conveying the essence of artistic conception.

Furthermore, it seamlessly integrated traditional instruments into the mix.

However, the shock this song brought them extended far beyond this.

"The celestial blue waits for the misty rain, while I am waiting for you.
Cooking smoke curls upward, separating the river by thousands of miles.
At the base of the vase, clerical script mimics the elegance of a previous dynasty,
Consider it my foreshadowing for meeting you."

The pipa, this is the pipa!

Yet another traditional instrument!

Perhaps they had received too many shocks, for the expressions of astonishment on their faces had quietly vanished.

Gazing at the radiant figure upon the stage,

A complex emotion welled up in their eyes and across their faces.

Was this what a genius singer looked like?

Such lyricism and compositional prowess had surpassed the boundaries of their comprehension.

Prior to this, the music industry had never witnessed such miraculous compositional capability.

They genuinely had no idea how Jiang Yu had managed to accomplish this!

"The celestial blue waits for the misty rain, while I am waiting for you.
The moonlight is fished out, blurring the ending.
Like the world-renowned blue-and-white porcelain, beautiful of its own accord,
Your eyes carry a hint of a smile..."

This line must be about Ru kiln porcelain, right?

Everyone listened quietly to the song, bathing in this dreamlike melody.

No, not just the Ru kiln.

Along with the misty, ink-wash scenery of the Jiangnan water towns.

They felt as though an ancient beauty from a millennium ago was dancing gracefully on the Broken Bridge at West Lake, her white silk skirt fluttering in the wind.

It stirred an irresistible longing within the heart.

A profound serenity settled over everyone's minds, inspiring infinite reverie.

"The koi fish, white with blue patterns, leaps onto the bottom of the bowl.
When copying in the Song dynasty typeface for the inscription, I am thinking of you only.
The secret you have hidden within the kiln-firing for a thousand years,
Is as extremely delicate as an embroidery needle falling to the ground."

Jiang Yu poured his entire soul into the emotion, singing softly. His voice seemed to possess a magical spell.

It felt as though it were awakening something slumbering.

Chinese culture is the best.

Everyone suddenly recalled what Jiang Yu had said before singing.

Indeed, blue-and-white porcelain alone had inspired a song of this caliber.

And Chinese culture possessed far more than just a single piece of blue-and-white porcelain.

Now, not only did imagery materialize before their eyes, but they were also transported directly back to ancient times, experiencing the lifestyle of the ancients firsthand.

They strolled through the misty rain, absorbing that aesthetic masterpiece of a scene.

"Outside the bamboo curtain, banana leaves invite a sudden downpour; the door rings invite green patina.
Passing by that Jiangnan town, I happened to invite you.
Within the splash-ink landscape painting,
You fade away from the depths of the ink..."

Jiang Yu sang the chorus once more.

The singing came to an end.

The music slowly faded away as well.

As if reluctant to disturb this deeply relaxing ambiance, after Jiang Yu finished singing, only a few whispers echoed in the venue, which remained overwhelmingly quiet.

Time seemed to freeze within the lingering notes.

Having finished his song, Jiang Yu smiled gently, watching the audience's reaction from the stage.

This was our very own culture, our very own style!

At last, the first round of applause rang out.

Others seemed to be pulled back from that poetic realm by this single clap.

A second round of applause,

A third round of applause...

Expressions of praise, sighs of emotion, and gasps of wonder rose wave after wave.

The applause grew increasingly fervent,

And the excitement on their faces grew ever more intense...