Chapter Fifty-Two: A Stunning Performance
“What’s going on?”
“You can’t be serious. What now?”
“Exactly, wasn’t the theme song already decided?”
“Good thing I walk slowly. With Cao Zhi’s speed, he’d have already run out of the city.”
“Hurry, call Old Li, tell him to come back right away. Don’t let him go off on some date!”
…
As soon as Wu Yong shouted, everyone jolted upright.
Their faces were full of surprise and uncertainty as they looked at Wu Yong, anxiety knotting in their hearts. After all, everyone had been tormented by the theme song issue for days, their tempers exhausted. Just as they thought the matter was finally settled, Wu Yong’s cry rang out again.
Roughly ten minutes later, the group gathered in the conference room once more.
Wu Yong began, “I’ve called you back because it’s still about the theme song.”
Everyone paused, momentarily stunned.
Luo Yun stood up. “Director Wu, didn’t we just finalize the theme song?”
Wu Yong replied, “Let’s set that aside for now. I’ve just sent an email to everyone’s inbox with the sheet music for a song. Please open it and listen to the electronic demo as you follow along.”
As he spoke, Wu Yong had already connected to the conference room’s sound system.
Everyone exchanged glances.
Still, they obeyed and opened their emails.
Someone quick on the draw let out a startled cry, “Scales of Heaven and Earth?”
Just those four words summoned a vision of national pride and great power glory. The profound meaning far surpassed anything “Soul of the Forbidden City” could convey.
Where did this song title come from?
As everyone wore looks of surprise, the music began to play.
The introduction was a combination of percussion and bamboo flute, an overwhelming momentum crashing over them.
Amid the majestic prelude—
“Oh oh oh oh oh… oh oh oh oh… oh oh oh…”
The once noisy conference room instantly fell silent.
All heads turned toward the speakers in unison.
Then, the singing began:
“This land I begin with the bloodline of my people stretching for thousands of miles,
Centuries and six hundred years, the Dragon’s descendants weathering the storm,
In this capital’s central axis stands the virtue of gentlemen, unyielding,
On the glazed tiles of the Nine-Dragon Wall, history rises and falls, then rises again.”
This song?
These lyrics?
They seemed tied to the Forbidden City.
Some stared at the speakers, lost in thought.
Some glanced between the lyrics and the sound, their expressions deeply moved.
Suddenly, the song’s voice soared.
The grandeur of a great nation.
The soul of the imperial clan.
A surge of indescribable passion flooded their hearts, stirring a wave that left no one untouched.
“These dragon scales once fell with a resounding crash, shattering like ice,
A single scale, an inch of heart—the stories sway, and I can hardly bear to hear,
Men hold to propriety, hearts to calm, the ancient zither plays the gentleman’s spirit,
I stay clear-headed, awaiting the echo as the grand civilization of China circles.”
The nearly breathless high notes left everyone’s blood racing.
Music director Luo Yun, who had been grumbling about Wu Yong’s “antics,”
At this moment,
Was utterly frozen.
His body tingled and his soul trembled.
Especially when the final line rang out—“as the grand civilization of China circles”—he was covered in goosebumps.
And it wasn’t just him.
Everyone in the conference room wore dazed expressions.
As they listened, grand visions unfolded of a civilization, five thousand years old, a history steeped in millennia, an imperial city weathered by centuries.
Until the very end.
“Let the destiny of our nation rise proud and be renewed once more,
Travel the world in search of dragon scales, the Dragon’s bloodline flourishing like a forest.”
As these lines were sung, Luo Yun felt his blood surge.
At his age, few songs could move him so deeply.
Yet, hearing “the Dragon’s bloodline flourishing like a forest,” accompanied by such stirring music, he could barely contain himself.
Even the elders who usually remained composed during meetings found themselves unsettled.
Because!
This was the pride etched into every Chinese soul.
This was the pride of their people.
This was their bloodline.
Who could have guessed that a single song would awaken the nation’s very soul within them?
When the song ended, no one moved. Each person sat in their chair, lost in thought.
No one knew how long had passed
Before someone finally rubbed their dry eyes and said, “Unbelievable, truly unbelievable. This song encompasses the vast history of China, the grandeur of a great power, the authority of the Forbidden City, and the soul of the nation. ‘Scales of Heaven and Earth’—what a song it is!”
His words brought everyone back to their senses.
“These lyrics are simply incredible.”
“The melody is so stirring.”
“The arrangement—the arrangement is truly masterful.”
“A song like this, surely both lyrics and music are peerless?”
Luo Yun swallowed, his throat dry. “Director Wu, is this why you called us back?”
Wu Yong nodded. “Yes.”
Luo Yun took a deep breath. “This song… where did it come from?”
Wu Yong replied gravely, “It was submitted by Yunhai Media.”
Luo Yun was surprised. “I remember Yunhai Media submitted several songs before. I was the one who reviewed them, but they weren’t up to standard, so I rejected them. Did a composer feel unconvinced and write a second song?”
“No,” Wu Yong said. “The lyricist and composer of this song is ‘Wuyan.’”
At his words, some looked confused, others intrigued.
But Luo Yun suddenly exclaimed, “Wuyan? The one who wrote ‘Doesn’t Matter’ and ‘Invisible Wings’?”
Wu Yong replied, “That’s him.”
Luo Yun paused for a moment, then sighed. “No wonder. It’s him.”
Wu Yong smiled. “You seem to know him well.”
Luo Yun nodded. “Anyone in music knows this rising star. Wuyan is a true genius in composition. He was unknown for a long time, but when he emerged, it was miraculous. With two songs, he turned a universally written-off singer and an unknown newcomer into new stars, setting the music world ablaze. Who would have thought his third song would be even more astounding? He truly lives up to his name…”
Wu Yong asked, smiling, “How do you think this song compares to his previous work?”
Luo Yun didn’t hesitate. “There’s no comparison.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
The gap was simply too wide.
Even though this was only a demo, after listening to it, all other songs suddenly felt bland.
Wu Yong glanced around at everyone’s reactions. “See? Did I not say so before? It’s not that I’m overly demanding. Those previous songs just weren’t good enough. Fortunately, I held out until the very last moment and waited for this ‘Scales of Heaven and Earth.’ If we’d settled on a theme song a few days ago, we would have missed this one.”
Everyone agreed, especially those who had previously harbored complaints about Wu Yong. Now they looked ashamed.
Director Wu was, after all, Director Wu.
They simply couldn’t compare.
Wu Yong’s expression grew serious. “Shall we settle it, then? Cancel ‘Soul of the Forbidden City’ and select ‘Scales of Heaven and Earth’ as the theme song. Any objections?”
“None.”
“None.”
…
Luo Yun joked, “If anyone has a problem with this song, I’ll knock their eyes out.”
Wu Yong chuckled. “Let’s make it official. Raise your hand if you agree to use ‘Scales of Heaven and Earth’ as the theme song for ‘Forbidden City.’”
Swish!
Every hand in the conference room shot up.
A unanimous vote.
This was the first time since filming began on ‘Forbidden City’ that everyone’s opinion was so unified.
Wu Yong’s smile blossomed.
To him, he had finally found a theme song to his satisfaction.
This was the best possible theme for ‘Forbidden City.’
This was the song he had been searching for.
He turned and saw Luo Yun sighing quietly.
Wu Yong patted him on the shoulder. “Old Luo, what are you thinking? Feeling moved that we finally have a song we’re satisfied with?”
Luo Yun shook his head. “That’s not it. What strikes me is just how remarkable Wuyan is. When this theme song is released, I’m afraid he’ll single-handedly shake the very foundations of the composition world.”