Chapter 287: How Much is the Imperial Jade Seal Worth? An Absolutely Astronomical Price! (2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The scale of protection had far surpassed that of when the original Yongle Encyclopedia had been discovered.
The military department, being hundreds of kilometers away, would take time to arrive. However, they were expected to be in position by noon. Initially, a few hundred soldiers were agreed upon, but later the number was increased to around 1,200. Upon their arrival, they would be joined by armed police and regular police to guard the area.
“Little Luo, I am delighted to see you again!” someone said.
“Lin Yide from Jiangnan? Director Lin?” Luo Feng responded.
“Little Luo, you must have made a fortune this time, judging by the glow on your face!”
“Haha, Deputy Director Sun Daozhen from the Shanghai Museum? You came as well?”
“Old Master Long?”
Upon seeing the familiar faces, Luo Feng greeted them warmly in return. There were also some unfamiliar faces, which Luo Feng guessed were new museum representatives. Generally, the Shanghai, Guangdi, Jiangnan, and Jingcheng Museums were the main players, while the others played secondary roles.
Of course, it did not stop there. Helicopters continued to arrive overhead, attracting countless people from all over the country, including wealthy individuals.
“Mr. Luo, would you like to take out the jade seal for us to take a look at?” someone suggested.
“Yeah, Mr. Luo, we came all this way just to catch a glimpse of it!”
“Please grant us this small wish, Mr. Luo!” someone else chimed in.
Suddenly, a clamor rose from the crowd. After all, these treasures were essentially national treasures in the realm of cultural relics, many of which the wealthy could not hope to ever purchase. In spite of this, many people had still arrived at the scene, why? The answer was simple: they came to see the treasures.
However, Luo Feng paid no heed to their requests.
With many experts now present, Luo Feng announced, “Now that there are many experts here, once the relics are brought out, we will need your help in authenticating them. As for the sale of these relics… It cannot be conducted at this time. If you wish to place a bid, you will have to wait until the relics are basically unearthed!”
The tomb was approximately ten meters below ground. Besides the ten-meter-long coffin, there was a massive alchemy cauldron and twelve golden statues, as well as bronze chariots and other items. Many of these could not be hoisted directly from the ancient well, which could only accommodate one person at a time. Thus, excavation was the only option. “So, many of the relics need to be completely excavated, right?”
“How long will that take? It seems too slow!”
Many people who had come were frustrated to find that they could not see the relics.
“Why don’t we go down to the ancient tomb?” a wealthy person suggested.
Since the relics could not be brought up, why not go down to see them instead?
“I am sorry, but only the national archaeological team is allowed to enter the ancient tomb! If you want to see the treasures, you can come back in a while!” Luo Feng shook his head and declined.
“No worries, our Jiangnan Museum team has already set up camp nearby. We will wait patiently!” Lin Yide said with a carefree tone.
Not only them, but other museum representatives had also found places to pitch tents. No matter when the relics were unearthed, they had to be on guard.
“Little Luo, how long do you think the excavation of the ancient tomb will take?” Wang Yousheng, the porcelain expert, asked.
“It’s hard to say. The area is vast and deep,” Luo Feng shrugged helplessly. Just thinking about the size of the area underneath, everyone knew that it would take a long time, and they were left speechless.
“Then I’ll go back and rest, and come back to see the relics when they’re unearthed!”
“I’m going back to rest too…”
After all, they could stay at the hotel at the foot of the mountain. As soon as they received any news, they could come over right away. Archaeology was, by nature, a meticulous process that could not be rushed.
“What? We can’t see the relics today?”
“I was planning to buy one or two pieces. Are they not for sale anymore?”
“Hehe, can you even afford it? Just one piece alone is already worth billions!”
“There must be some cheaper ones, right?”
“There really aren’t many cheap ones this time.”
“We’ve waited for hours, and they won’t even sell or let us see the goods? I even rented a helicopter for this, for Gods’ sake!”
“I think if we widen the well’s entrance, we could bring the items out, right?”
“That’s not possible. We’re afraid it might affect the structure of the entire ancient tomb, leading to its collapse!”
Many wealthy people who had arrived halfway were disappointed to learn that the treasures could not be brought out immediately. They left, deciding to wait until the relics were completely unearthed.
The next morning, Luo Feng thought about the situation and, after breakfast, drew a structural diagram of the tomb below. He handed it to the archaeological team members.
“Dig from here! Dig straight down! Ignore the first seven or eight meters, as there won’t be any relics there!”
“Once you reach the brick floor, you’ll have found the tomb passage!”
“Then open up a large entrance, and the items can be continuously transported up!”
Left with no choice, Luo Feng had to assume the role of chief engineer for this archaeological endeavor. He knew better than anyone how to excavate without damaging the tomb’s structure or causing it to collapse.
“Since there won’t be any relics in the first seven or eight meters, let’s dig boldly!”
“Everyone, put in the effort! Quickly, let us dig a deep pit!” Of course, large tools like excavators could not be used..
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