Chapter 415: The Royal Seal of the Wei King! A Meteorite Sword! The Kongming Pearl! (2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Without hesitation, Luo Feng lifted another small box. Within it, another jade seal rested, yet this one bore the emblem of the King of Wei. A symbol of royalty, it held power equivalent to the emperor himself. Elation filled Luo Feng, and he carefully set the seal aside.
“Two jade seals from Boss Cao in a row!” he marveled.
“In my estimation, they pale in comparison to the Ming Dynasty jade seals!”
Luo Feng pressed on, discovering a few more boxes approximately ten meters away. On one, an inscription read: Qi Yi.
“What might this be?” A viewer asked.
“Where’s my royal translator when I need him? Come forth and decipher this for me!”
“You’ve misinterpreted it. It’s Qi, Yi. Separated like this, it likely denotes a chess set.” Luo Feng chuckled, amused by his oversight.
“Chess? What’s that?”
“Do you need a lesson? Chess is chess!”
“Ah, so it’s the game of chess?”
Truthfully, the meaning did not click immediately for the viewers.
Swiftly, Luo Feng unlatched the box to reveal a jade chessboard accompanied by two lidded bowls. He gently lifted one of the bowls, filled with chess pieces, and was struck by its unexpected weight. Upon opening it, he found an array of black pieces. Luo Feng scrutinized one piece, realizing these black chess pieces were expertly crafted from fine jade.
“This is Go, isn’t it?”
“Indeed, notice the black and white pieces.”
“Could Go have been played during the Three Kingdoms period?”
“Are you oblivious? In ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’, Zhuge Liang is always depicted playing chess. They indulged in chess both for recreation and during times of adversity. Guan Yu even managed to play chess while enduring a painful procedure. The audacity, questioning such a fact!” “Right, it has been around for some time, cease your chatter!”
“In my view, playing Mahjong is more entertaining! I rather enjoy the simplicity of a solo chicken hand!”
“Seven tiles with a self-drawn win!”
“Are these chess pieces and the board made of jade?”
“Considering the entire set, it must be worth a fortune, right?”
This could potentially be the oldest Go set ever discovered in the country. Its value could fluctuate tremendously. If Luo Feng were to put it on the market, there would undoubtedly be a multitude of interested buyers. Luo Feng returned the Go set to its box and shifted his attention to another box.
Upon opening this box, he was greeted by a different setup. There was another chessboard, this time accompanied by a single bowl. The board differed from the Go board, presenting 33 points arranged in a grid pattern, each point hosting a round hole.
“What kind of game is this? I don’t understand!”
“It bears some resemblance to ‘Faguo Chess’.”
“Friend, this hails from the Three Kingdoms period, what are you thinking?”
“I merely stated the similarity!”
Luo Feng studied the chessboard. His excitement exceeded even the thrill of discovering the Go set earlier. He immediately picked up the bowl, peering inside to find dozens of white jade beads. Luo Feng retrieved a bead, noticing it fit perfectly into the holes on the board.
“Hahaha, I’m certain you’re familiar with this game. It was rather popular during the Three Kingdoms period,” Luo Feng chuckled.
“Could it be…the ‘Kongming Pearl’ game from the Three Kingdoms era?”
“Does a genuine ‘Kongming Chess’ game exist?”
“It’s right before your eyes, so it must!”
“Good heavens! Have I really stumbled upon a chess game invented by Zhuge Liang?”
This artifact, when compared to the Go set found earlier, held significantly higher value. It was entirely composed of jade. The texture of the white jade beads offered a genuine sense of satisfaction. Luo Feng meticulously returned the pieces and continued exploring the other boxes, most of which contained ordinary items.
Yet, amidst the mundane, Luo Feng identified an oddity. It was a bronze artifact, exceeding ten centimeters in length. Its form seemed astoundingly modern to Luo Feng. “Goodness! A vernier caliper?” “What on earth is this?”
“It truly appears to be a vernier caliper!”
The sight of this artifact baffled everyone. Luo Feng surmised it to be an artifact from the Han dynasty. Could it have been pilfered from a tomb by Boss cao?
“This appears to be an artifact from the Han dynasty. We’ve previously uncovered similar items. It seems Boss Cao has been dabbling in tomb raiding again!” Luo Feng jested.
After all, the discovery of a vernier caliper in an ancient tomb had previously created quite a stir. Its likeness to the modern instrument was striking. This artifact was among the reasons why many online speculators proposed that Wang Mang was a time traveler. However, in actuality, it was merely a tool used for measurement. Nevertheless, from a contemporary standpoint, such a tool seemed surprisingly advanced for the Han dynasty.
Continuing his inspection, Luo Feng’s attention was drawn to a stack of bamboo slips.
Carefully, he retrieved one, unfolding it with the utmost delicacy. Given their age, one might expect the text inscribed on them to have faded or even become illegible over time.
However, on closer examination, he found these slips devoid of any characters. They were completely blank.
He picked up several more, only to be met with the same empty parchment.
Switching to another crate, he discovered a collection of papers.
The papers were coarse, a clay-like yellow, tattered and far from pristine.
During the epoch of the Three Kingdoms, bamboo slips and paper were both in use, with bamboo slips being the mainstream medium.
Despite this, no archaeological evidence of paper artifacts from this era has been unearthed thus far.
The paper-making techniques of the time were rudimentary and not widespread or refined.
Consequently, the paper produced was often quite coarse.
Moreover, its high cost made it inaccessible for most individuals.
Yet, here in Mr. Cao’s tomb, a crate full of this very paper was found.
Luo Feng gave the crate a fleeting glance before securing it.
“Is that really paper? Paper from the era of the Three Kingdoms is indeed a rare find!”
“But why aren’t there any characters on the papers? Even the bamboo slips are void of inscriptions. Could this be some sort of cryptograph?”
Luo Feng deliberated for a moment before presenting his hypothesis. “Considering that Mr. Cao was a renowned scholar who wrote poetry and often had others recite it, I believe these burial goods constitute the Four Treasures of the Study. It’s possible that Mr. Cao intended to continue his poetry writing in the afterlife.”
The blank bamboo slips and the void sheets of paper were undoubtedly meant for usage in the afterlife.
Mr. Cao’s trinity of passions – fine wine, youthful companions, and poetry writing – were renowned.
With a resonating ‘thud,’ Luo Feng proceeded to open another crate, revealing a sequence of slender, intricately crafted wooden boxes neatly placed inside.
Given their individual protective casing, it was clear these objects held significant importance.
The Four Treasures of the Study were accounted for. So, what remained were certainly related items.
“A paper knife!”
Luo Feng couldn’t help but chuckle, indeed it was a ‘pen’!
This tool, meant for inscribing on bamboo slips, could also function as a pen.
“This knife is exquisitely crafted, seemingly inlaid with gold. How about hosting a lottery for it after this excavation, host?” “Indeed, I would acquire this artifact for a neat three hundred!” Next, Luo Feng embarked on unveiling another crate.
Within it were more slender, meticulously crafted boxes.
He knew they were pens.
But upon opening the boxes, he discovered they housed brush pens.
This was the authentic embodiment of a pen.
After all, even though paper was not prevalent during the Three Kingdoms era, one could still employ a brush pen to inscribe on bamboo slips.
Brush pens could also be used to write on silk, cowhide, or sheepskin.
In those ancient times, literacy was a luxury, given the scarcity and costliness of writing instruments and mediums for recording characters.
The expense of education was considerable.
Subsequently, Luo Feng rose to his feet and directed his attention forward.
Venturing about ten meters, he spotted something intriguing at a corner of the wall.
Yes, it was a jar.
In fact, these objects were all jars.
Clustered together, they numbered in the hundreds.
Each jar had its opening sealed with clay, and two characters on the clay seals took Luo Feng by surprise.
“Holy! Is this authentic Du Kang wine?”
“Hahaha, brilliant!”
“Cao Cao: Du Kang wine, pay up!”
“I remain skeptical, why not bring out a Maotai!”
“Du Kang Company, this is a tremendous win! Tomorrow, your popularity will soar!”
“It would be improper not to bow to Mr. Cao!”
“Was Mr. Cao indeed a wine connoisseur?”
Given that one of Mr. Cao’s most celebrated short songs contained the verse, “What can dispel my sorrow, only Du Kang wine,” he enjoyed considerable fame.
This publicity was a windfall for the Du Kang Wine Company, reaping benefits without lifting a finger.
However, Luo Feng did not attempt to uncork these jars. Instead, he proceeded further, suddenly spotting a colossal object ahead.. Luo Feng’s eyes widened in awe, “The Nine Bestowments!”
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