Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 197: An Old Photograph
According to historical records, the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor was excavated beneath a spring, and then reinforced with molten bronze. Inside the tomb, palaces and pavilions were built, along with designated areas for officials to meet, filled with rare treasures. To prevent theft, the tomb chamber was equipped with hidden crossbows that would trigger upon entry.
The decorations on the arched ceiling included gemstones and pearls, symbolizing celestial bodies; below were representations of rivers, the Five Mountains, and the geographical layout of the Nine Provinces, infused with mercury to symbolize the continuous flow of rivers and seas. Floating above was a golden pheasant (in fact, gold dissolves in mercury); within the tomb burned "eternal lamps" made from whale oil.
Surrounding the mausoleum was a massive army of terracotta warriors. The design of the tomb reflected the supreme power and majesty of the Elixir of Immortality.
Among these points, the most puzzling aspect is that throughout ancient Chinese history, nearly every dynasty faced its most chaotic times at their end—warlords fought for dominance, bandits roamed freely, and society existed in a state of anarchy. This period was indeed a prime opportunity for grave robbers to plunder tombs; almost all royal tombs throughout history were looted during such times.
However, why was the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor not excavated?
This is truly astonishing. Despite so many Tomb Raiders throughout history, not a single person could decipher this tomb. This alone indicates the extraordinary nature of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor! In contrast, tombs like those of Qianlong and Cixi were left in ruins, while the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor remains intact!
Let’s take a look at historical records:
After four years of the Chu-Han War, Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu and established the Western Han Dynasty. To win over people's hearts, in 195 BC, Liu Bang ordered proper protection for the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and arranged for 20 households to live nearby as guardians.
Subsequently, rulers from various dynasties also ordered protection for the mausoleum. In the third year of Kaibao during Song Taizu's reign (970 AD), he commanded Lintong County to protect and maintain the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. Additionally, during the Qing Dynasty, Shanxi Governor Bi Yuan even erected a monument for it.
History proves one thing: nearly every emperor from each dynasty made efforts to protect the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor!
The saying goes that "wealth brings death to man and birds seek food," yet so many emperors managed to unify their opinions to protect an unrelated individual? There is something amiss here; this is the second major point of suspicion.
Speculation:
1. The body of Qin Shi Huang is not present in his mausoleum.
2. There exists a scroll within the mausoleum depicting an intuitive representation of the entire universe (historically replaced by "galaxy").
Three, the Mausoleum contains some things that transcend modern technology, left for future generations.
Four, one cannot enter the depths of the Mausoleum to fly to the Elixir of Immortality.
Five, entering the Mausoleum will result in death; the Mausoleum opens with blood!
In other words, only those with the bloodline of Qin Shi Huang can open the Mausoleum, or those chosen by Qin Shi Huang. This person will unlock the Mausoleum and unleash the power of ancient technology.
Do not underestimate the mechanisms within the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor; they may far exceed modern technological levels and could even destroy a city. The mechanisms inside the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor originated from the Mohism sect. To prevent people a thousand years later from deciphering these mechanisms, Qin Shi Huang staged the burning of books and burying of scholars! The goal was to destroy civilian knowledge of mechanism techniques!
The decline of Mohism in later periods is suspected to be artificial. Mohism was merely a small faction that split off from a mysterious organization at that time. When Mozi was eighty-five years old, he abandoned Mohism and entered deep mountains, where he was taught twenty-five volumes of Heavenly Script by a mysterious figure, becoming an "immortal." Later, Mozi rewrote a book called Mozi's Five Elements Record based on these twenty-five volumes of Heavenly Script, which detailed methods of supernatural transformations. This book once caused great turmoil in Daoist Sect but now only remnants remain.
Evidence of Qin Shi Huang's involvement in a mysterious organization is found in the Heirloom Jade Seal he obtained. It is rumored that this Heirloom Jade Seal carries a cursed power; possessing it is proof of membership in the mysterious organization. However, some unqualified individuals fought over it, ultimately leading to its disappearance. The Heirloom Jade Seal that Qin Shi Huang obtained was not only proof of joining the organization but also the key to opening the Mausoleum. Its current disappearance indicates that no one is qualified to enter.
According to historical records, the inscription on the jade seal is written in large seal script: "Mandated by Heaven, may you live long and prosper."
In 219 BC, during his southern tour to Dongting Lake, sudden winds and waves caused Qin Shi Huang to throw the Heirloom Jade Seal into the lake. Eight years later, when he traveled to Huayin Ping Shudao, someone holding the jade seal stood in the middle of the road and said to Qin Shi Huang's attendants: "Please return this seal to Ancestral Dragon." After speaking, they vanished without a trace.
The Heirloom Jade Seal returned to Qin.
During the chaos at the end of Qin, Liu Bang led his troops into Xianyang first. The last ruler of Qin, Ying Zheng, presented the Heavenly Sovereign Seal to Liu Bang. From this point on, Liu Bang established Han and ascended to the throne while wearing this Heirloom Jade Seal, claiming it as the Han Dynasty Imperial Seal.
After Yu Mang's defeat, the jade seal changed hands several times before finally falling into the hands of Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu.
Sun Jian's subordinates salvaged a palace maid's corpse from a well in Luoyang City South Zeng Palace and discovered the Heirloom Jade Seal in a pouch around her neck! Sun Jian regarded this as an auspicious sign and began dreaming of becoming emperor.
During the unification of the Three Kingdoms, the jade seal returned to Jin.
Later Zhao Shile destroyed the previous dynasty and obtained the jade seal.
Later Zhao General Ran Min killed Shi Jian and declared independence, reclaiming the Heirloom Jade Seal.
During the time of Southern Dynasties Liang and Martial Emperor, the Heirloom Jade Seal was seized. However, shortly after, the seal was thrown into a well at Qixia Temple. After being retrieved by the temple monks, it was kept and later presented to Emperor Wu of Chen.
During the Sui-Tang period, the Heirloom Jade Seal remained a treasured possession of the rulers.
After Zhu Wen usurped the Tang dynasty during the Five Dynasties, the jade seal faced misfortune again. The Later Tang deposed Emperor Li Congke was defeated by the Khitan, and while holding the jade seal, he ascended a tower; from that point on, the seal's whereabouts became unknown.
"So if someone could find that Heirloom Jade Seal, would they be able to open the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor?" Xianxian asked with shining eyes.
"You should give up on that thought," I said lightly, glancing at him. I could tell he wanted to sneak into the Mausoleum to take a look. "Aren't you afraid your Special Police Brother and Dr. Zhang will spit on you until you die?"
Xianxian immediately looked at me with disdain and sincerely said, "Big brother, can you not say such disgusting things?"
"Hehe, sure," I couldn't help but laugh.
Wolf Elder stroked his graying mustache and said with a smile, "Actually, if you want to reach your final destination, I think finding that Heirloom Jade Seal is also very important." Seeing us look at him, he teased, "Do you really think we're telling you an unrelated story?"
"No, no, it's just that the jade seal has been passed around so much; where can we find it? Can you give us a specific direction?" Xianxian frowned and asked.
Wolf Elder did not answer but instead smiled mysteriously as Qu Elder said, "Fate will lead you to it!"
Alright then, fate will lead us to it! Since they said so, it seems we have to see if we truly have that fate.
The time spent chatting with the elders was undoubtedly our greatest gain this time! What is Qin Shi Huang's revenge plan? Is that heir he has been waiting for real or not? Who is behind the mysterious organization? Where exactly is the Heirloom Jade Seal? What other shocking secrets are there?
Everything remains a mystery. As we continue to delve deeper and move forward, thinking we have uncovered many secrets only leads us to realize that the path ahead seems like a vast bottomless pit. The closest secrets to the truth lie at the very end of this pit; what we have explored so far is merely the tip of the iceberg.
The elders came quickly and left just as swiftly because many matters did not require their active involvement. Their visit this time was indeed a significant risk; aside from genuinely meeting us unexpectedly, their sincerity was evident!
From now on, no matter what secrets we want to uncover, we just need to ask the people within the Azure Dragon Organization. This is quite simple; it means that our intelligence agency, The League of Shadows, will "integrate" with part of the Azure Dragon's intelligence network. Therefore, whatever each of us wants to know can be easily obtained.
Of course, this task should be handed over to Gao Liang, as his job is to handle intelligence gathering.
Speaking of this, I suddenly remembered what Cold Snow had mentioned before. Otherwise, I should have a detailed conversation with her tonight about my "real hometown" and the expedition team from over twenty years ago. I believe that the intelligence within Azure Dragon might be closer to the truth since the organization was operating normally at that time. Unlike us, whose intelligence agency has only just begun operations this year—what useful clues could we possibly find?
During the following time, we did not go outside for a walk. Firstly, it was simply too cold outside, which I wasn't used to. Secondly, I really didn't have the mood for it; my mind felt like a muddle with various clues intertwined in a complex manner. Since each of us was assigned to a separate room, we still had the freedom to move around.
In the evening, we had a casual meal. During this time, Lime did not show up. The people here said he went out for some fresh air. Although I had an ominous premonition in my heart, I didn't think too much about it; after all, where could he run off to in this place? To Kawagebo Mountain? I thought the chances of that were very slim.
We were still on the third floor where we had previously held discussions. Apart from me, Xianxian, and Snow Princess, there were only Pei Zi and Cold Snow—five of us in total.
As soon as Cold Snow entered, she hurriedly asked us, "Where's Lime?"
"He? He probably went out for some fresh air," Xianxian replied while casting a knowing glance at me. The implication was clear: look at you not taking action; someone has been captivated by Lime's charm.
I ignored her and sipped my steaming tea.
"Xue Er, what have you found out?" Pei Zi remained calm; his instincts had already sensed something unusual. After all, he was the one who understood Cold Snow best here, so he asked her directly.
Cold Snow nodded with a somewhat strange expression. "I did find something out, but before that, I have something to show you." Saying this, she placed a notebook on the table and opened it to reveal a photo. I glanced at it and saw that it was taken in front of an old house; there was no need to mention the scenery—the key detail was the group of people under the eaves.
However, those people appeared small in the photo and at an angle that made them hard to see clearly. Judging by its appearance, this photo was **!
Comment 0 Comment Count