Chapter 580
Chapter 580
It was a shame this world lacked modern sound equipment like that on Earth. Otherwise, he could have created acoustics akin to a modern concert. The kind of sound effect from a famous maestro's concert, where no matter how remote your seat, the music would pierce your ears, enter your mind, and stir the very depths of your soul. Ning Zheng's recitation was already astonishing, but in Shen Lang's eyes, it was still lacking. It wasn't electrifying. So, what was to be done? In a square spanning a full square kilometer, with no sound systems or amplifiers, how could Ning Zheng's voice possibly penetrate everyone's ears and make their souls tremble? Shen Lang wracked his brain, and a word quickly surfaced in his mind.
*Lip-syncing!*
That's right! Singers who weren't skilled vocalists would record their albums in professional studios. Only after applying various effects and tuning the vocals would the perfect track, fit for an album, be produced. But at a live performance, since they couldn't sing well, they would just mouth the words while the recorded track played. Of course, in this world, there was no recording technology or sound equipment, but a different kind of lip-syncing was possible.
No, not lip-syncing. Prince Ning Zheng had no problem with the recitation itself; the moment he entered his state of heightened self-awareness, his emotional expression was top-notch. If his usual self was repressed, he became incredibly uninhibited when he reached that peak state. The only issue was that his internal energy wasn't yet profound enough, so his voice lacked that electrifying quality, that power to deliver a potent shock. Thus, he needed an amplifier.
This world had no loudspeakers, but a human amplifier could be found. Who in this world had the best, most resonant, and most electrifying voice? You would surely never guess. The answer was eunuchs. Specifically, the eunuchs who read imperial edicts—they were true professionals. The masters of ancient Chinese opera or Western male tenors all had first-class voices. And the voices of the eunuchs who read imperial edicts were undoubtedly first-class as well.
The eunuchs in modern dramas and films speak in high-pitched, strained voices. This could happen due to the lack of male hormones. A book from the Qing Dynasty, *Qian Shu* by Tang Zhen, describes eunuchs as follows:
*"To look upon them, they do not seem to have human bodies; to see their faces, they do not seem to have human faces; to hear their voices, they do not sound like human voices; to observe them, they are far removed from human nature."*
However, this described eunuchs castrated in childhood; those castrated as adults had voices no different from normal men. For another example, the *History of Song* describes the eunuch Tong Guan as follows:
*"Tong Guan was large and imposing in build, with a rugged appearance. He had a dozen strands of beard under his chin, and his flesh and bones were as hard as iron; he did not resemble a castrated man."*
The eunuchs who recited imperial edicts practiced their voices daily for decades, so their skill was bound to be profound. In the State of Yue, the person with the best voice, as well as the greatest martial arts and internal energy, was the Grand Eunuch. One of the Six Grandmasters, Eunuch Yeo Mok. His voice had such penetrating power that it was in no way inferior to a lion's roar. If he hid beneath the altar and acted as an amplifier for Ning Zheng's voice, the effect would surely be tremendous. Moreover, since the sound would emanate from the same direction, there would be no flaw to expose. A Grandmaster could infuse his voice with internal energy to powerfully vibrate the air, surely enough to make even the deaf hear.
At last, Shen Lang cautiously shared his idea: what if Grandmaster Yeo Mok hid beneath the altar and dubbed over for Prince Ning Zheng? Upon hearing this, Grand Eunuch Yeo Jun was utterly stunned.
"I, I, I... You, you, you..."
Eunuch Yeo choked up instantly, unable to speak, nearly becoming a stutterer himself.
*Young Master Shen, you are truly unpredictable. Are you not a genius at cheating, completely blinded by self-interest? How on earth do you come up with such schemes? How dare you even think it? That man is my adoptive father, revered by all as an ancestor. He is a great mountain standing firm within the palace. No one in the world would dare ask a favor of him, yet you want him to hide and mimic Prince Ning Zheng's recitation?*
Shen Lang asked in a surprised tone.
"What's wrong? Is it not possible? With Grandmaster Yeo Mok's martial skill, he could do it without anyone ever knowing, couldn't he?"
Of course, he could. Besides, the altar was quite a distance from where the officials would be. If Grandmaster Yeo Mok produced the sound from the same position as Ning Zheng, he would never be discovered.
*But this is a ceremony to worship the heavens, is it not? Young Master Shen, aren't you afraid of incurring the wrath of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors with such deceit? Do you have no reverence at all? Then again, if it were actually done, the effect would surely be magnificent.*
Grand Eunuch Yeo Jun said.
"This is not something I can decide on my own. How about I enter the palace and ask His Majesty?"
Shen Lang told him.
"Excellent. Then please hurry back!"
***
By the time Yeo Jun returned to the palace, it was already dawn. He met with the King of Yue, Ning Yuanxian, and reported everything that had happened the previous night. He also relayed Shen Lang's idea of having Grandmaster Yeo Mok provide Ning Zheng's voice.
"Ah..."
The King was so startled that he dropped the spoon in his hand.
*That rascal is truly audacious and brazen, his nerve knows no bounds.*
But the method was certainly extraordinary and brilliant. Hearing it, the King couldn't help but marvel at Shen Lang's ingenuity. Any other, more conventional monarch would have had Shen Lang beaten half to death and thrown in prison. But Ning Yuanxian was a king with a rebellious streak. One could see that from how he had inwardly rejoiced when the ancestral temple burned down. He never believed in the sages to begin with and lacked any inner reverence for them. In that respect, the King's personality was, in some ways, just like Shen Lang's—a lawless streak that seemed to wish for chaos in the world.
Yeo Jun's hair stood on end. He realized the King was extremely tempted by Shen Lang's proposal. He couldn't help but offer his counsel.
"Your Majesty, Prince Ning Zheng's recitation alone is already astonishing enough!"
"But it's not quite electrifying, is it?"
Ugh! Yeo Jun realized the King hadn't always been this unconventional; everything had changed since Shen Lang entered his circle. The two were partners in crime whenever they plotted mischief, influencing and corrupting each other. Ning Yuanxian picked up the spoon he had dropped on the table and said calmly.
"Eunuch Yeo, you are the one involved. What are your thoughts?"
As if he had been using stealth techniques, Grand Eunuch Yeo Mok appeared upon hearing these words and slowly replied.
"If it is Your Majesty's command, I will do it."
"Eunuch Yeo, did you not secretly train in the *Heavenly Demon's Vocal Arts* some time ago?"
The *Heavenly Demon's Vocal Arts* was a martial arts manual from ancient times. Mastering it allowed one to change their voice at will and mimic anyone else's. Moreover, it could imbue one's voice with the power to move hearts and electrify listeners, making it even more formidable than a lion's roar. It was the ultimate manual for martial arts that trained the voice. Unfortunately, even if Ning Zheng were to start training in it now, it would be too late. No, it wasn't too late. Because no one knew whether Ning Zheng had just learned it or had been studying it for years. For now, the claim that he had learned it would be a lie, but after the Heaven Worship Ceremony, it would become fact.
King Ning Yuanxian asked him.
"Then will you give it a try?"
Grandmaster Yeo Mok replied.
"Very well. I will give it a try!"
***
Since he said to give it a try, try they would!
In a desolate, uninhabited place dozens of miles from the capital, Ning Zheng, having entered his state of heightened self-awareness, was training with Grandmaster Yeo Mok. The result was a flawless recitation, and its effect was far better than Shen Lang had ever imagined. Grandmaster Yeo Mok's *Heavenly Demon's Vocal Arts* was so incredible that his voice blended perfectly into Ning Zheng's, without the slightest hint of incongruity. Ning Zheng's voice seemed to be amplified, its power to move the audience's hearts strengthened, and not a single flaw could be found.
It was no exaggeration to say the effect was better than a modern loudspeaker. Yeo Mok's voice didn't sound like it surpassed Prince Ning Zheng's internal energy, nor did it boom like thunder. However, its penetrating power was so strong that it could be heard clearly even from a great distance. The effect was truly like that of a male tenor, sending shivers down the audience's spines, electrifying them to the point of feeling a fantastical ecstasy. With the accompaniment of stone chimes, bell chimes, and bronze bells, the effect was truly sublime.
Yeo Jun was a man who had experienced many Heaven Worship Ceremonies. According to him, the effect of Prince Ning Zheng's recitation of the Heaven Worship Address this time would be so magnificent as to overshadow all previous ceremonies. Hearing this, Shen Lang was relieved.
*When I, Shen Lang, do something, it has to be spectacular. When I decide to show off, I must do it in a way that is etched into the very depths of everyone's souls. If I'm going to do something, I have to be the best in the field. In two days, I'll make all the court officials so utterly stunned they won't be able to close their mouths. I will absolutely make everyone tremble at Ning Zheng's recitation. I will deliver the most successful Heaven Worship Ceremony and not betray the King's favor. I will ensure Ning Zheng's fight for the throne takes a quantum leap forward!*
That was not the least bit of an exaggeration. Because in this Heaven Worship Ceremony, Ning Zheng was going to give the greatest performance under the heavens.
***
For three full days before the Heaven Worship Ceremony, the royal court and the common folk were still in an uproar, with public opinion surging like a furious tide. Besides the countless ministers who submitted similar memorials, for the next two or three days, nearly all other agendas during the morning assembly were cast aside. The officials focused their barrage entirely on the single topic of the Heaven Worship Ceremony, with hundreds of them kneeling before the grand hall, desperately kowtowing until their foreheads bled. They all shouted that the great affairs of the state depended on rituals and warfare.
"This Heaven Worship Ceremony precedes a great war that could decide the fate of our nation; the country's fortune hangs in the balance. If Prince Ning Zheng so much as stutters while reciting the Heaven Worship Address, it will be a great impiety to the heavenly gods and will invite great calamity. Should that happen, it will be an ominous sign for the coming war. Your Majesty, we implore you to reconsider!"
They did everything in their power to make the King retract his edict, even if it meant he would lose face. Faced with this unceasing tide of criticism from his officials, Ning Yuanxian would have been inwardly anxious in the past. But now, knowing that Shen Lang had enabled Ning Zheng to successfully recite the address, how could he possibly yield? The officials were opposing him once again? Then he would once again slap them, and the Crown Prince, right across the face, shaming them all.
***
Because the King insisted on proceeding with the Heaven Worship Ceremony and having Ning Zheng recite the address, countless people in the capital were abuzz with debate. They said the King was being too willful, drunk on victory and having lost his reason, and that he would surely suffer great humiliation and incur the wrath of heaven at this ceremony. The day before the ceremony, someone spread a rumor that Ning Zheng's chronic stutter had not been cured. The rumor claimed Ning Zheng was still at home practicing the recitation, but his stutter had grown so severe it was unbearable to listen to.
The news they spread was true. Without taking the drug, in a clear state of mind, Ning Zheng couldn't display any of his skill; he hadn't improved in the slightest and was stuttering more and more. So, Shen Lang had prepared a special drug for him, which he was to secretly drink before going on stage. It was guaranteed that Ning Zheng would swiftly enter his state of heightened self-awareness and perform as if possessed by the god of oratory.
***
The days of being unable to show off passed in a flash, and three days later, the Heaven Worship Ceremony officially began.