Chapter 340

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Chapter 340: No Music Without a Mine at Home

Bai Wei accompanied little Michelle to read books all afternoon, continuing to study and improve their understanding of magical spells.

After that, nothing much happened in the afternoon. Most of the students spent their time reading, studying, and occasionally getting into fights.

When evening approached, Bai Wei returned to his own body and took a short nap. He slept soundly and woke up when the sun was high in the sky.

Bai Wei’s sister was not at home, and his well-established daily routine was disrupted, completely thrown off balance.

He didn’t have to worry about any issues with his body. Even if he stayed up all night, his current physical condition was strong enough to withstand thousands of years of mistreatment.

After Bai Wei got up, he had a meal that combined both breakfast and lunch. While he ate, he pondered about what he should do today.

On ordinary days, he was either very busy or not busy at all.

Because Bai Wei doesn’t have a proper job, unlike some poor souls who spend their whole day sitting in front of a computer typing overnight.

Or, rather, his idea of a proper job was to marry a fair-skinned, beautiful, wealthy, kind-hearted Ming Country girl who also happened to have eight different personalities.

After getting married, his proper job would change. He could become a professional stay-at-home husband and help with all kinds of big and small troubles. As an assistant, he could temporarily make up for any shortcomings. With his personal abilities, these little problems would be no challenge for him.

In the past, Bai Wei also used to read novels, all kinds of romance novels, online novels, and interesting comics. Some male protagonists were like the legendary sweeping monk – inconspicuous in everyday life but able to turn the tide with a single gesture in crucial moments.

He also planned to try his best to play this role. For those who have experienced countless reincarnations, for the former emperors, for the Judgment Knight judged by previous religions, the mentors, the rare animal protectors, the commanding officer of the Monster-slaying Bureau (Crouching Tiger), international friends, and enemies of evil gods, it could only be described as ‘very simple.’ So, the key question is…

Where can I collect my beautiful and wealthy wife with a great personality?

…

In his free time, Bai Wei could only continue working at Izumi Dojo to make up for what he had missed before.

After a few hours of training at the dojo, the disciples were exhausted and had no time to find someone to spar with.

Bai Wei, freshly warmed up and limbered up, hadn’t even broken a sweat.

At three o’clock in the afternoon, he finished his classes and made a trip to the hospital.

Unexpectedly, Sakurai Shiru noticed that she was self-studying music-related knowledge.

After being accidentally discovered by Bai Wei, the girl felt a bit embarrassed, stammering and blushing with her face turning red.

Entertainment-related matters are a blind spot for Bai Wei. When he was the emperor, he didn’t have time to develop any cultural and entertainment activities.

As a mentor, it is important to care about the soldiers’ mental health, so the most they taught within the resistance army were two songs: a march called "Steel Torrent" and a song called "Katyusha".

As for why it is songs from the "Mozi" (referring to the Russians), it’s because that’s very Soviet, you have to capture the essence of the Soviet atmosphere.

The cultural and artistic cells of the "Mozi" (referring to the Russians) are simply the pinnacle of human intellect. The group of barbarians like the Anglo-Saxons combined with a brain are far inferior in comparison.

Bai Wei remembered that Sakurai Shiru was a fan of Hatsurai Wagaizuma, his wife.

"You don’t need to hide it from me, learning music is a good thing too, the entertainment market is still very big."

At that time, when the semiconductor industry was just emerging, there were no telephones. If we calculate the time, it was indeed an era when items like cassette tapes and records were selling like hotcakes.

Music was highly regarded by capital, and a large number of singers would emerge like spring shoots after rain. Pop music could earn much more money compared to classical music.

Hatsurai Wagaizuma’s music didn’t sound very sophisticated to Bai Wei, as it was behind the times compared to the 21st century. However, it was still popular and perfectly suited to the era.

The times create heroes, and the wave of the era gave rise to a popular music era where immortals fought. It also created singing sensations with the surname Zhou, akin to celestial kings.

But as we entered the era of the internet, it was like the tide receding, leaving only a few small shrimps behind. Yet, the music world reliant on live performances continued to flourish like vibrant neon lights.

Bai Wei sat down and asked Sakurai Shiru about the kind of music she studied.

Sakurai Shiru answered without hesitation, "Piano."

Bai Wei was taken aback and exclaimed, "Isn’t it popular music?"

Sakurai Shiru said, "I want to start by learning the piano first."

It seems that her goal is not just to be a singer, but to be a musician who is skilled in composing, writing music, and singing. If she is also proficient in playing the piano, then she would be considered a musician.

In the 21st century, Bai Wei would advise her to give up her music dreams early, but in this era where technological advancement is slow and the wave of entertainment depends solely on television, he could only say… "You have great foresight!"

Bai Wei said to Sakurai Shiru, "If you want to learn the piano, I can teach you some basics."

The little girl blinked her eyes and said, "Uncle, aren’t you from the Ming Country? Shouldn’t you be playing the suona?"

"Cough… I know a little bit of the ‘Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix’ dance, just a little. I also understand the kind of joyful occasions with red and white celebrations, I can do that too."

Bai Wei thought to himself, "Can you believe that I used to be a mentor and even played the bugle charge before?!"

The suona is truly a notorious troublemaker among musical instruments, with its piercing sound that seems to ignore all reasoning.

There is no piano at Bai Wei’s home, so he is thinking about buying one. Considering his limited finances, he changes his question and asks, "How much does a piano cost?"

"I don’t know," Sakurai Shiru tilt her little head, looking cute and innocent.

"One grand piano, the market price is over ten million yen," came a voice from behind, it was Kurosawa Yaka.

"This…," Bai Wei pondered his daily wage of tens of thousands of yen, and asked, "If I don’t buy a grand piano, do you have an upright piano?"

Kurosawa Yaka shook her head and said, "I haven’t heard of it. I’ve only seen this grand piano at concerts. It’s not something people usually buy for personal use."

Bai Wei, "…"

I misunderstood and forgot about the cultural and entertainment advancements of this era.

And besides, there wouldn’t be a market for grand pianos in Yingzhou, right? The atmosphere here belongs to the late Taisho period, when even modernization isn’t complete, and electrification is not yet widespread.

The rich girls from a prominent family also studied Yingzhou traditional culture. Let’s take Hokusinn Kichyō as an example. She mentioned her all-girls school, where they taught cultural and art classes to everyone’s daughters. These classes were mostly about bride training and refining their character, but they also included calligraphy, flower arrangement, tea ceremony, and painting. They didn’t touch music or string instruments like the guitar but instead played the shakuhachi flute or other traditional Chinese instruments. There were a few pianos, but very few people knew how to play them.

Doctor Kurosawa said, "In general, there aren’t many pianists, and first-rate pianists are highly popular in Europe."

Curiously, Sakurai Shiru looked on, her eyes blinking without pause, while Bai Wei wore an expression of "I’m a bumpkin, please continue."

Kurosawa Yaka’s vanity was greatly satisfied and she continued to explain, "There is a city called Vienna that doesn’t belong to the Alliance or the Sacred Religion. It is tucked away in a corner of Europe, once a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. However, the Empire once destroyed the Austro-Hungarian Empire, even despising its barren lands. It only annexed two-thirds of the territory and destroyed the royal family of the Empire. Amidst the flames of war, the city of Vienna managed to survive. After the fall of the Empire, the Alliance helped rebuild the former Empire, leading to a rapid development of Vienna. It became a world-renowned capital of music."

"Seventy percent of the world’s pianists come from here, but the most popular ones are in Europa. Piano, as a foreign instrument, is not widely accepted by the general public, due to the vast sea separating us. Only recently, with the widespread use of Western instruments combined with traditional ones in popular music, there has been some improvement. However, it is still difficult to sell, and if you want to learn, you can only find a private tutor."

Bai Wei thought to himself, "This is cultural invasion! Who allowed Europa to be more modernized than us?"

Kurosawa asked, "Do you know where the piano came from?"

Sakurai Shiru shook her head.

Kurosawa Yaka said, "It is the creation of the Emperor who destroyed the Austro-Hungarian Empire."

Bai Wei said, "Indeed, it was him who did it."

In this world, the piano was also improved by Bai Wei. When he was still a prince, Bai Wei completed it. He did it to celebrate his ten-year-old sister’s birthday. He studied music and transformed the piano, taking inspiration from Beethoven’s "Für Elise".

The prince played by Bai Wei was a person of great achievement in the arts. He tried his best to show that he was not interested in the throne, in order to avoid the attention of other members of the royal family. He quietly concealed his true intentions and quietly developed his own power.

Kurosawa Yaka sadly said, "As the founder of the piano, he left behind very few piano compositions. Although each piece is a timeless classic, they are still too few. Perhaps, instead of being an emperor, he was more suited to be a musician."

Bai Wei thought to himself, "You overestimate me. I simply copied it. If I really put my mind to it, writing a hundred songs a day would not be a dream."

The reason why he didn’t write anymore was because after becoming an emperor, he no longer needed such disguises, and naturally wouldn’t touch the piano again.

There was another reason… The person worthy of his performance was no longer there, for they had been killed by his own hands.

Even as a child of the royal family, Bai Wei once trusted a relative dearly. This person was none other than his own elder sister, Princess San. Looking at Princess San from an adult’s perspective, she appeared both like a caring sister and a loving daughter. They would often discuss various forms of art together, from painting to music.

However, the old emperor fell critically ill, plunging the struggle for the royal power into a state of intense competition. At the age of fifteen, Bai Wei experienced a shocking month of bloodshed that shook the entire country. Nineteen consecutive assassinations took place, eliminating seventy percent of the royal family members. Bai Wei himself was targeted for assassination, but was saved by his only attendant, Charlotte. However, she was not strong enough to fend off the attackers, and Princess San ended up losing her life in that assassination attempt.

The month of bloodshed came to an end, and the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, one went missing and the other was on the brink of death. It was also during this time that the old emperor passed away.

The situation was getting out of control, and the power of the emperor was about to fall into the hands of Bai Wei, who was considered the least likely to succeed. However, the three princesses who were already dead came back to life.

She didn’t actually die, it was a decoy who died in her place. She is still alive and now has gained the upper hand in the battle for the throne.

Intentionally using Bai Wei as a bait, she lured out the assassin and hid herself, finally reaping the benefits of the situation.

Next, as long as she eliminates Bai Wei and a few other members of the royal family, she will become the ruler of the empire, the very first female emperor in the history of the empire.

Three princesses sought out Bai Wei in the painting studio and music room, the places where the two of them most frequently met.

She sat in the center of the painter’s room, surrounded by all the portraits that Bai Wei personally painted for her. However, she was dissatisfied with all of them and ordered them to be taken out and burned. Then, she demanded Bai Wei to paint a portrait for her, specifically instructing him to depict the coronation of the empress. She came dressed in red, but didn’t provide Bai Wei with any red paint. Her intentions were clear – she wanted him to cut open his own wrist, use his blood to create the painting for her, and then die right there.

Bai Wei finished her portrait. Instead of depicting the Empress in her coronation, he captured her in the purest and most beautiful moment of her life, gracefully dancing in a white dress and a flower crown.

Then, Bai Wei destroyed the painting with his own hands, using her blood to stain it… He personally took the life of this trusted loved one.

Afterward, a fire burned down the art studio, and he never touched the piano again.

Bai Wei activated his golden eyes, and with a sweeping motion, he cleared away all the royal bloodlines, crowning himself as the king.

It has been five hundred years now, and upon hearing the piano once more, those inner feelings of annoyance gradually faded away.

He suddenly felt the urge to play a tune, for the people who had passed away, and for his former self who had cared too much.

Bai Wei gently strokes Sakurai Shiru’s hair and says, "Let me teach you the piano score for ‘Dedicated to Elise’."