Perhaps because Guo Shao still holds the values of modern society, he speaks directly about the exchange of interests. Because in his opinion, the behavior of mutual benefit and mutual use is at least acceptable, even if it is not a noble behavior.
But Madam Chen's words made him feel a little uncomfortable: "No need, General Guo. Even if I don't get any benefit, I am willing to help you."
Oh! Guo Shao was thinking about what to say when he inadvertently made a slightly puzzled sound.
Although, even if he didn't say it, he would still give her some convenience in officialdom when she needed it. After all, Guo Shao and the prime minister in the court were acquaintances, and it was easy for him to put pressure on some middle and low-level civil servants at the central and local levels; but that was not as good as making these benefits concrete so that they would have some binding force in the form of commitments.
He disregarded etiquette and could not help but observe Mrs. Chen's expression again, but he could not understand her.
Her bright eyes may not have been blinded by interests and reality, so they can remain clear. Or maybe she is playing the long game and making long-term investments. Guo Shao can't understand her at all. Her beautiful and clean face is extremely deceptive.
At this moment, Mrs. Chen's eyes revealed some grief and sadness, and she also gave Guo Shao the illusion of iron and blood; because her voice was crisp and pleasant, but very rhythmic and powerful, with a sharp force. The Khitans were reckless and reckless, thinking that we southerners were weak and could be bullied, and that merchants were not even human beings. They killed and humiliated innocent people without regard for morality. I despise them and hate them.
She looked up and said: Yes, the merchants can't do anything to the Khitan people who think they are nobles in Liao, and I, a woman, can't avenge my husband. But the elite cavalry of the Great Zhou can make them pay the price and make them regret it.
I am willing to spend money to support the Northern Expedition, even if it means losing everything. I am more willing to invest material and financial resources to do my best for the Northern Expedition. This is not only a matter for the Zhou army, but also a matter for the people of the world to punish. The general led the soldiers to fight bloody battles with our enemies. If we are stingy with a little money, then even I will look down on myself.
Madam Chen turned to look at Guo Shao and said, "General Guo wants to find out about the Liao situation. I don't want any reward and will do my best to help him. If General Guo is short of military funds, I will also try my best to get several families to donate, without any exchange. I just want us Jiangnan merchants to contribute to your achievements in conquering the Liao Kingdom, which can be regarded as revenge."
Guo Shao was moved after hearing this, and bowed and said: Madam Chen is truly a heroine, much more generous than that man.
He really admired this woman's insight and courage from the bottom of his heart. Merchants don't care about justice for the sake of profit. Think about the wealthy merchants in the late Ming Dynasty who sent a large number of scarce materials to the enemy country when the country was in danger. Compared with Madam Chen, they really have no face.
Madam Chen bowed and said: “My strength is limited, I will just wait for General Guo to return victorious from the Northern Expedition and live up to the expectations of the people.”
Guo Shao was very emotional for a moment, and he puffed out his chest and said: "How dare Guo not fight to kill the enemy and serve the country!"
The two of them were in a heated conversation again, because they had something in common, and they had a great time talking. Even if there was only tea and no wine, the wine might not make you drunk, but the wine alone could still intoxicate you.
However, Madam Chen did not ignore her old friend Yang, and chatted with her about music and dance from time to time. At this time, Madam Chen said: When Ehuang was in Yangzhou, I was inspired and changed a dance of the colorful clothes and feathers. I had prepared it a few days ago. If General Guo and Madam Yang are interested, I will show my ugliness today.
Yang looked at Guo Shao and said with a smile: I heard that Madam Chen dances very beautifully. Even I have never seen her. My dear, you will have a treat today.
Guo Shao also quickly agreed: It is a great honor for us to be able to watch it.
Originally, he didn't understand much about the singing and dancing of that era, but since Madam Chen wanted to dance, he could stop her and say he didn't want to watch. He had to pretend to be very interested, and Madam Chen had a good figure and posture, so he could just treat it as looking at a beautiful woman. In fact, Guo Shao watched singing and dancing just to see beautiful women, just like the programs at Prince Wei's Mansion and when he was received by local marshals. He couldn't see anything, he could only see whether those women were beautiful or not and whether they had good figures.
Chen Jiali stood up, clasped her hands in front of her stomach, bent her knees and said: "General Guo, Madam Yang, please wait a moment. I will go in to change my clothes."
Guo Shao nodded and said: Please.
She turned around and walked in through the small door where the tea was served. Guo Shao and others were sitting outside waiting. He turned to Jingniang and said, "Jingniang, come and sit too. It's not tiring to stand."
Jingniang answered stiffly: I just like standing, it’s comfortable.
Guo Shao was speechless and looked at Yang.
Without Mrs. Chen, the hall was really meaningless. The furnishings were simple and monotonous, the colors were very dull and a bit shabby, the only good thing was that it was very clean; it didn't seem like the residence of a wealthy woman. Yang was wearing a red and purple silk dress, which seemed a bit abrupt and not quite suitable for the environment in such a dull and monotonous house.
Soon, some women in white came in with props. They first spread a carpet on the floor, and then placed some drum-like objects of varying sizes on the carpet, and also placed some gongs and other musical instruments on both sides of the hall. Then they moved the musical instruments and knelt down beside them. There were horizontal harps, harps, pipa, flutes, and wind instruments with many pipes. Guo Shao had no idea what they were.
An elderly woman in front of him glanced sideways and nodded slightly. The sound of stringed instruments and orchestras began to emanate from the hall, then gradually faded away. Guo Shao was enjoying the music when he saw Mrs. Chen, dressed in a long white silk dress, come out of the door. She was dressed like Chang'e. Her waist was tied with a belt, which made her look very graceful and flexible. The belt on her body was very long, especially the sleeves.
The outer part was a flowing scarf and skirt, but the inner dance costume was very tight, showing her figure roughly. That figure was amazing, tight and flexible, without even a trace of excess fat, but just enough to show the curve of a woman's curves. The whole person was slender and graceful.
She was not wearing shoes, only white socks on her feet. She walked slowly into the hall and bowed: "I am sorry to have embarrassed you, General Guo."
Guo Shao sat up straight with great interest, ready to appreciate her appearance and figure while watching the dance. Women of some status usually don't show their faces when dancing, and if you're not that person, you have no chance to see it.
But soon Guo Shao couldn't help but give up his original intention of just appreciating her beauty.
In an instant, she jumped onto the drum in the middle as lightly as a fairy, and the melody of the orchestra next to her changed and began to follow her footsteps.
The long sleeves of Dang swung in the air, and flew to the small golden gong beside her like a flash of lightning, which immediately made a crisp sound; then the sleeves and skirts immediately turned into white clouds in the air, transforming into the image of a fairyland, and from time to time the soft long sleeves flew over to hit the instrument very powerfully. Her body immediately became graceful in the rotation, and her steps were very rhythmic. Her white feet stepped on the drums to make a dongdongdong drum music; and she wore a golden bell on her ankle, which was an accompaniment when she shook it.
Sometimes it was gentle, and the hall, which was almost entirely gray and black, seemed to be filled with hundreds of flowers in an instant, colorful and gorgeous, as if the whole world was filled with the sound of stringed instruments and orchestras of singing and dancing. There was no smoke, but clouds and mist filled the senses out of thin air, as if in the moon palace or in a jade tower in the clouds.
Sometimes hurried, her flexible waist and movements imply strength, without any sense of softness, but full of thriving rhythm. The sound of drums, gongs and bells blend into the rapid rhythm, like a symphony. She combined several sounds into music by herself, and it also complemented the beautiful visual of the movements. Even Guo Shao, an outsider, could understand the difficulty, especially the bells on the ankles, which would ring randomly if the steps were slightly disordered.
Her soft long sleeves are sometimes like a sword; her graceful dancing posture is sometimes like a powerful killing move. A soul-stirring spirit and power flow in the music and dance, rising and falling without interruption.
The sound of drums and gongs reminded Guo Shao of the fierce fighting on the battlefield. It was magnificent and the shouts resounded through the sky. But when he looked closely, there was only one person in front of him, dancing alone instead of thousands of troops.
The tenderness is so gentle, affectionate and elegant, while the passion is so full of the roar of war and iron horses.
Guo Shao's eyes widened. It turned out that dance was not just for the experts. In the past, even when he watched singing and dancing in the rich and prestigious Prince Wei's Palace, he always felt that something was missing and made him sleepy. He thought that the singing and dancing of this era was just so-so. Now he realized that some wonderful things might not even be seen by the emperor. Such skills made him only use one word to describe:
In this hall, there seemed to be thousands of troops ambushed within a hundred miles, just like the thousands of flowers of spring gathered together for a thousand years, or like thousands of beauties gathered together, a culmination of ancient and modern times, intoxicated, excited and wonderful only in her changing rhythm, posture and eyes. Countless fireworks were exploding and blooming, and countless colors were so rich that people felt like they were in a dream.
After an unknown amount of time, her figure and the music gradually slowed down and stopped. Guo Shao came to his senses and saw that there was almost no color here, even the clothes Mrs. Chen was wearing were plain white.
He felt a little lost as to where he was and suspected that he had sleepwalked to many places.
Guo Shao sat there like a fool, unable to utter a word for a long time, his eyes fixed on Madam Chen in worship.
Mrs. Chen came up, her forehead was covered with sweat, her face was exhausted, her mouth slightly opened as she panted, and she smiled at Guo Shao. Seeing how tired she was, Guo Shao finally realized that the dance just now was an intense physical exercise, and this woman had great physical strength; he thought that he would feel sore all over after pulling the bow ten times in a row on the battlefield, and she, a woman, could actually dance so fast for so long.
Guo Shao wanted to say something in praise of this, but what should he say
The hall returned to its tranquility, and the colorful colors returned to their cold, quiet, monotonous and dim state, as if nothing had happened. Guo Shao almost forgot what he had seen, because he didn't see it clearly, but his heart was still throbbing, as if he had also run a long circle, and the blood was eager to supply oxygen to the cells in his body.