"The reason is simple, Mr. Mo explained it just now, because your music lacks emotion, lacks soul! Naturally, it lacks that kind of artistic conception."

Ye Xuan said calmly, "And there's one more thing, I've experienced things you haven't, so I just have more understanding than you!"

"What have you experienced?"

Wu Shihao frowned and asked, "I'm talking to you about music right now, not other things."

"Ha ha, you call that discussing music with me! I think you haven't even figured out what the content of this 'Beethoven's Ninth Symphony' is about?"

Ye Xuan glanced at him sideways, speaking with a tone laced with sarcasm.

"It's just a piece of music, what content could it have?" Wu Shihao asked.

Hearing this, Mo Tao sighed quietly and shook his head, saying nothing more.

Ye Xuan said lightly, "This 'Beethoven's Ninth Symphony' tells the story of the struggle and determination of oppressed people seeking freedom, believing that the war will end in victory, and the people will achieve joy and unity!"

"And as for Mr. Beethoven, the composer, he happened to experience this civilian uprising during his lectures in Croatia, which left him with a profound personal experience. Thus, when he composed this piece in his later years, he was able to truly imbue it with emotion, expressing the conception of the battlefield!"

"However, someone like you, raised in a greenhouse, has never experienced such a war. You can't imagine what it's like on the battlefield — when bullets whiz past you, when countless shells and grenades explode around you, when you watch innocent people fall bleeding, the sense of hardship, helplessness, sorrow, and yet the hope for future peace — you simply can't understand it!"

"And since you don't know the pain brought by war, let alone how to express your feelings about it. Because you don't have the feelings at all! You just mechanically mimic, but don't realize that the essence of this emotion can't be conveyed through imitation. So, your performance is just a facade, without true meaning."

Ye Xuan shrugged, "To put it plainly, you're too idealistic! Your rendition of 'Beethoven's Ninth Symphony' is merely a product of a peaceful era, having already lost its original soul, and naturally unable to imbue it with true emotion and conception!"

At these words, Wu Shihao trembled all over, suddenly lifted his head to look at Ye Xuan, and blurted out, "Indeed, I haven't experienced such a war! But could it be... you have?"

Ye Xuan shrugged, "How could I have? This war happened over a hundred years ago, but I've experienced other wars. But as long as it's war, its nature is the same! That is destruction and devastation!"

"I deeply and clearly felt the fragility of life amidst the rain of bullets and flying shells, always on the verge of sacrificing oneself on the battlefield!"

Speaking to this point, Ye Xuan's voice was slightly low: "All these bring great trauma to people, sometimes hard to heal in a lifetime! That's why, having genuinely experienced these things, I can imbue the piece with emotion and conception. But you can't do that!"

Wu Shihao stared blankly at Ye Xuan.

He didn't expect that Ye Xuan had really experienced war! At this moment, he no longer doubted Ye Xuan, because from the other's narrative, he sensed that real emotion, not something made up to deceive!

No wonder he could play with such conception, so that's it!

"I understand now."

After a moment of silence, Wu Shihao took a deep breath and nodded with understanding.

Immediately, he looked seriously at Ye Xuan, and said, "I lost this competition! Whether it's the level of piano skills or the expression of emotional conception, you far exceed me. Your strength in this aspect is truly impressive, and losing to a master like you, I don't feel unjust!"

"Oh, so now you acknowledge I'm a master? Didn't you previously call me a piano newbie?" Ye Xuan asked with an amused smile.

"I did indeed have a blind eye earlier, but now that you've fully demonstrated your skills, I naturally have to change my view! However, that's only in public matters! Privately, I still don't want to give up Xingtong's new song accompaniment position to you." Wu Shihao said.

Ye Xuan frowned, "Hmm? From the looks of you, you still want to go back on your word? That's not the quality expected from a national champion."

"No, you've misunderstood my meaning, I'm not intending to go back on my word!"

Wu Shihao's gaze fixed on Ye Xuan, speaking slowly, "Since we agreed earlier that you winning this piano competition means I give the position to you! I, Wu Shihao, may not be a gentleman, but I keep my word."

"Then what do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is, although I agreed to give you the position, I'm not willing in my heart, because it's human nature! Who would want something that originally belonged to them to be taken by someone else?"

Wu Shihao said with a serious face, "Moreover, this new song is very important to Xingtong, and the identity of the Half-Player directly determines the quality of this new song. Despite Xingtong repeatedly emphasizing that your playing style is very suitable for her new song, which could elevate its conception to a new level!"

"But after all, this hasn't been practiced, what if it's not suitable? Or if it doesn't express perfectly, wouldn't it ruin her song?"

"Oh, and what do you mean by that? What do you want me to do?"

Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow, looking at Wu Shihao in front of him with interest, curious about what new trick this guy was playing.

Wu Shihao's eyes flickered slightly, "That's simple, if you want all of us and Xingtong to recognize you as this time's accompanist, you should infuse your own style into the accompaniment, fully demonstrate the song's conception, then let everyone hear it, and if we acknowledge it, believing you're suitable as the accompanist, then I'll willingly let the position go to you! If unsuitable, even if you seize it, it's useless and could ruin the song, then I hope you'll voluntarily withdraw, and we'll find someone more suitable."

Ye Xuan chuckled coldly inside, this Wu Shihao really is unwilling to give up, actually thinking of such a method to test him. Such painstaking efforts!

"Ye Xuan, I think Shihao's proposal is feasible, we might as well try it!"

However, before Ye Xuan could agree, Mo Tao thought for a while, then said, "Although your piano expertise is high, your style might not suit this new song. I can let you play this piece first, and if you can earn my approval, you can be the accompanist for this new song! And if, as Shihao said, the style isn't suitable, then I can only apologize, and seek another accompanist for Xingtong."

This isn't a problem of a performer, but a responsibility for this upcoming new song, as well as a responsibility for one's own creation!

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