After being beheaded, I became a high school senior preparing for the arts entrance exam.
Pei Zhile, the greatest musician of the Great Yan dynasty, was sentenced to death at the Meridian Gate by imperial decree for altering “The King of Qin Breaks the Enemy’s Formation.”
As the blade fell, he heard a boy’s voice: “I’m so tired. I really can’t keep going.”
When he opened his eyes again, he had become Shen Tingxi, a high school senior at Jiangzhou Arts High School, preparing for the national arts entrance exam. He ranked last in piano, scored 47 in music theory, and had the lowest overall grades in his class.
He couldn’t read sheet music, didn’t know how to use a phone, and could barely recognize the characters of this era.
But when he sat before the guzheng and placed his fingers on the strings, his teacher froze.
“Your ‘High Mountains’ is different from the version performed today. The way you ornament the notes has a Tang dynasty quality.”
“It’s been passed down in my family,” he said.
