Chapter 283: A Golden-threaded Jade Suit Unearthed! The Identity of the Tomb Owner Revealed! (2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
But now, in a tomb of such grandeur?
With the discovery of such an item in such a location, Gu Santong could not help but suspect that it was genuine!
For instance, if you were at a friend’s house and saw that they had a collection of genuine Louis Vuitton bags, and then suddenly spotted one worth a million, you would not assume it was a fake, would you?
Ding!
[ Jade Seal! Dynasty: Qin Dynasty; Value: ??? ]
Incredible! Its value was impossible to estimate. Was the system malfunctioning today, or was every item discovered simply too precious to appraise?
“May I take a look at the jade seal?” Gu Santong had not dared to touch it since it had first appeared, but he truly wished to examine it closely.
“Of course! Just lay it on a soft cloth and observe it that way,” Luo Feng, aware of the seal’s value, advised against holding it casually.
“Alright!” As instructed, Gu Santong placed the jade seal on a soft cloth and began examining it carefully.
Meanwhile, Luo Feng examined the gold ingot, the golden box, and the golden lock, in an attempt to deduce the identity of the tomb’s owner.
“Shishi, pass me the stone box, please!” Luo Feng called out, Cai Guobin, who had unlocked the box, handed it to Li Shishi, who in turn passed it to Luo Feng with great care.
“Is this a bamboo scroll?” Luo Feng opened the stone box to find not a treasure but a bamboo scroll containing written text. Many people might have found this disappointing, but Luo Feng believed that the presence of text would make it easier to analyze the tomb owner’s identity.
“Little Su, can you read the Qin Dynasty’s small seal script?” Luo Feng asked the woman beside him. Although she was a year older than him, addressing her as Miss Su would be too formal, and calling her Mei Ji would be too intimate. This nickname seemed like a good compromise, plus, she did not seem to mind.
“Qin Dynasty small seal script?” Although Su Meiji was not an expert in artifacts, she had studied the writing styles of various dynasties, mainly to cultivate her appreciation of literature.
“It seems to say: ‘The great emperor decrees: Appoint the eldest son Fusu as emperor.”‘
Though the opened bamboo scroll bore numerous characters, Su Mei Ji read out the most important ones. The characters on the jade scroll were carved rather than written on cloth.
“Is that it? Just this bit?” Li Shishi glanced at the script, recognizing it as Chinese characters but unable to read them herself.
“Roughly. Many of the phrases are ornate and wouldn’t make sense if read aloud. I translated the general meaning,” Su Mei Ji replied. Luo Feng knew that she was merely trying to save face by not admitting she could not read the rest.
He found her concern for appearances amusing, but did not call her out on it. After all, no further translation was needed: the text was essentially a decree appointing Fusu as the heir.
“Fusu? Wasn’t he the eldest son of Emperor Qin Shi Huang?” someone asked.
“Is this an imperial edict?” another inquired.
“Didn’t Qin Shi Huang pass the throne to Emperor Qin Er Shi Huhai?” a third questioned.
“You fool, you don’t even know that the edict was tampered with?” a fourth retorted.
“Isn’t that just speculation? Who knows the real story?” a fifth argued.
“Fusu?” Gu Santong, who had been examining the jade seal, looked up upon hearing the name.
“Yes, Fusu. According to Sima Qian’s Records of the Grand Historian, Emperor Qin Shi Huang intended to pass the throne to Fusu, but the edict was tampered with, resulting in Huhai becoming the emperor instead. It seems that Sima Qian’s account was not unfounded after all,” Luo Feng said, glancing at the jade scroll. “The seal impression on the scroll has mostly faded due to its age, leaving only faint traces.”
“If this is genuine, then history books will have to be rewritten!” someone exclaimed.
“After all, there’s never been any concrete evidence proving Huhai’s ascension was illegitimate, despite the widespread belief that he usurped the throne,” another person pointed out.
“With this decree, we now have solid proof!” someone else chimed in.
Gu Santong, still puzzled, asked, “Luo Feng, how could Emperor Qin Shi
Huang’s edict end up here?”
Though he was an expert in archaeology, he was not adept at deciphering and deducing.
Luo Feng carefully placed the jade scroll back into the stone box and approached the bronze coffin. “The stone box was buried beneath the terracotta figurine’s golden feet, and the edict was sealed within the stone box. I believe the tomb owner did this to hide the edict, fearing that someone—or something—might discover it.”
“They’re already dead and they’re still afraid of being found out?” Li Shishi could not understand.
“He’s afraid of gods and ghosts finding out, not people,” Luo Feng explained with a wry smile. “As for why he went to such lengths, I believe that once we know the tomb owner’s identity, everything will become clear.”
“It seems you already have some suspects in mind?” Gu Santong inquired.
“I have a few ideas, but we still need more evidence,” Luo Feng replied, nodding. “Now, let’s open the coffin. Perhaps all our questions will be answered.’
“Open the coffin? Can’t we wait until daylight tomorrow?” someone asked.
“There’s no need to wait. We’re not tomb raiders who need to pick the right time; we’re an archaeological team with the support of the nation. We have nothing to fear from any ghosts or spirits !”
“Ha! No wonder archaeologists rarely experience strange incidents. It’s the tomb raiders who encounter all the bizarre stuff!”
“Isn’t it possible that the tomb raiders just make up those stories?”
“Hahaha! Maybe so….”
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