Chapter 268: Taotie Beast Statues! Half a Tael of the (Mn Dynasty! Whose tomb is this? (3)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Luo Feng explained, “Each dynasty had different burial systems and forms. The
Han and Tang Dynasties mainly used mountains for tombs, while the Song Dynasty practiced a minimalist burial system. The Yuan Dynasty had a hidden burial system with no seals or trees, and the Ming and Qing Dynasties used green bricks for construction. However, all tombs definitely had an entrance, mainly for placing the deceased’s body inside. After the burial, the entrance was sealed. The fate of the craftsmen involved was of little consequence.”
“For instance, the entrance to Qin Shi Huang’s tomb had two heavy doors. After the emperor’s coffin was placed inside, the first door was closed. The craftsmen were still inside when the second door was immediately closed, sealing them in the tomb alive.”
“Now here comes the million yuan question, why was there a life entrance left behind? Ancient people were superstitious, believing that if the tomb’s location had excellent fengshui, they might achieve immortality and possibly resurrect.
Thus, the life entrance served as a possible exit for their future resurrection. Additionally, it allowed their descendants to pay their respects, as the tomb entrance, though sealed, allowed the souls of the deceased to freely pass through the life entrance and enjoy offerings.”
Hearing this explanation, everyone understood. The live-streaming audience burst into laughter.
“Darn, that’s crazy! Even while dead, they still think about becoming immortal and leaving through the life entrance?”
“How bizarre!”
“The thinking of ancient people is really amusing!”
“What’s so funny? Weren’t all ancient people like this? That was the thinking of their time. Just like how you don’t believe in gods now, but if one day, an advanced extraterrestrial civilization arrives, they would laugh at you for not believing in gods. Gods exist; advanced civilizations are gods!”
“True, we shouldn’t use our current thinking to judge ancient people. Maybe thousands of years from now, our way of thinking will become a joke!”
Luo Feng continued to lead everyone down into the tomb, with Su Meiji and Li Shishi following, albeit fearfully. Since Luofeng had said the life entrance was safe, they decided to trust him.
Upon reaching the tomb passage at the bottom of the well, Luo Feng scattered insect repellent around the area as a precaution. They descended a set of stairs and noticed that the surrounding area had been artificially constructed as a safe passageway. After walking about thirty meters, they reached the end of the living entrance’s passageway.
Using a flashlight, Luo Feng discovered that the passage had transitioned from brick to a dirt wall. The passage was approximately 2.3 meters wide and more than 20 meters long. There were no murals on the walls. The tomb passage was constructed with a mix of good and poor materials, which Luo Feng found perplexing.
It was as if they were wearing a Louis Vuitton coat on the surface, but underneath it was all miscellaneous brands.
Of course, this was quite normal. Before the Qin and Han dynasties, the productivity and population of their predecessors were not as abundant.
It could not compare to the later Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, which boasted robust national strength and large populations. In the tombs of notable figures from those times, bricks were used everywhere.
As they walked down the tomb passage, they encountered no obstacles or dangers.
It was indeed the life entrance.
There were no traps in this path, and before long, they had reached the main chamber.
Upon arrival, Luo Feng simply shone a flashlight around.
Regardless of whether it was Su Meiji or Li Shishi, or the other wealthy heirs, all their expressions changed in an instant. “Wow! We’ve hit the jackpot! The host has struck it rich this time!”
“Terracotta warriors! These are terracotta warriors!”
“Weren’t terracotta warriors only used in the Qin Dynasty? The host really struck it rich!”
“How much is a terracotta warrior worth on the market now?”
“Who knows? Anyway, terracotta warriors like these have never circulated in the market! ”
“If they were to be sold, I think a terracotta warrior would be worth at least 100 million!”
“Using terracotta warriors as burial objects, the rank of the tomb’s owner must have been quite high, right?”
The livestream audience, seeing everything before them, was genuinely excited beyond measure.
Terracotta warriors were something they had only seen at the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor in the past.
Up to now, the excavated terracotta warriors belonged to either the Qin or Han dynasties.
Regardless of whether they were from the Qin or Han dynasties, the terracotta warriors were very valuable.
But the Qin Dynasty terracotta warriors were the most remarkable and valuable, far exceeding those of the Han Dynasty.
“Amazing! ”
Luo Feng was not stingy in his praise this time, as these were actual terracotta warriors.
It seemed that the fengshui here was indeed excellent.
However, given the burial objects’ specifications, it was still somewhat modest.
Regardless, this place was of considerable value.
The top of the tomb chamber was made of rammed earth, and the ground was also rammed earth.
The main chamber did not contain many items. At a glance, there were some terracotta warriors, some pottery, and two decayed wooden boxes.
There were about four terracotta warriors.
As for the pottery, it was neatly arranged on both sides of the main tomb chamber, with about a dozen pieces.
There were also four animal statues.
Regrettably, Luo Feng did not find any bronze artifacts.
The two decayed wooden boxes were about one meter long and half a meter wide.
That was all there was for burial objects!
“Is this a Qin Banliang?
Luo Feng opened one of the wooden boxes and picked up a coin-like object for examination.
“Wow! It’s actually a Qin Banliang?” “Goodness, is it really a Qin Banliang? Is there a whole box of them here?” “Wouldn’t that be worth over a billion?
“Host, are you not doing a giveaway for this round? Such circumstances demands celebration, does it not?”
“Is this very valuable? Why are you all so excited?”
Luo Feng casually tossed the Qin Banliang coin back into the box. “Whether this is valuable depends on the font, quality, and diameter of the piece! Generally speaking, a Qin Banliang coin can be worth a few hundred dollars on the cheap side, tens of thousands on the expensive side, and even millions for rare pieces. However, the million-dollar ones are extremely rare, and there are only a few of them on the market.”
After looking at the coin, Luo Feng immediately felt that something was missing.
Why was there no coffin in the tomb chamber?
Where was the tomb owner?
The center of the tomb chamber should have been the most suitable place for the coffin, but there was none…
However…
Directly below that central spot, Luo Feng discovered a treasure marker. “Could this be it? Is it buried underneath?”
“A coffin buried inside the tomb chamber? And buried in the earth?”
“What kind of custom is this?”
Normally, regardless of the circumstances, a tomb chamber would be considered the deceased’s final resting place. It should not have been buried in the earth after being laid to rest.
Luo Feng did not rush to dig it out; instead, he examined the burial objects. “Something is not right! This tomb chamber is very strange!”
Luo Feng furrowed his brow, his eyes fixed on the burial objects with an air of mystery.
“You’ve already dug up the terracotta warriors; what more do you want?” “Although there are only four of them, they are still worth a lot!” “I think those animal statues might be even more valuable!”
Of course, the news of Luo Feng uncovering the terracotta warriors had undoubtedly caused an uproar on Weibo’s trending list.
This was, after all, about the terracotta warriors.
What was that?
Those who knew about them understood their popularity.
Numerous museum professionals flocked to watch Luo Feng’s livestream.
“Using terracotta warriors as burial objects, and creating such a deep ancient well as an entrance?”
“But there are not many burial objects? And no coffins?” Luo Feng, still in the main tomb chamber, pondered.
Something was not right.
Looking at the terracotta warriors and animal statues, he found their placement quite strange.
Usually, the terracotta warriors would be positioned facing away from the center of the tomb chamber, as they needed to be consistent in facing outward.
However, these terracotta warriors were facing inward, towards the center of the tomb chamber where the coffins would be placed.
As for the four animal statues, they were each facing one of the other three different directions.
Luo Feng crouched down.
He examined the animal statues and found their appearance somewhat peculiar. Staring at them, he realized they were neither dogs nor tigers.
They seemed to be… Taotie, right?
My goodness!
Taotie were ferocious beasts.
Using a Qilin would be understandable, but what was the purpose of using a Taotie?
On the bronze artifacts of the Qin dynasty, Taotie were also carved as symbols of suppression.. But creating a separate Taotie animal statue — what was the meaning of that? Did they find the fengshui too auspicious here, so they used a Taotie to undermine it?
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