Chapter 440: The Lives of the Emperors of the Xia Dynasty! The Legend of the Sea Stabilizing Divine Needle!
(2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The contract warranted review by a lawyer – a point that neither party found unusual. It was, after all, a substantial business deal and deserved a thoughtful approach rather than a hastily made decision.
“Very well, Mr. Zhang,” Luo Feng said, preparing to depart, “I must attend to my duties. Feel free to explore the site at your leisure. Should you wish to depart, I will ensure transportation is arranged.”
While Luo Feng was courteous to the potential copyright buyers, he had limited time to entertain them. His attention was required elsewhere, particularly with the Nine Zhou Ding, an ancient Chinese cauldron that needed his supervision for cleaning.
His curiosity was shared by numerous domestic experts and global scholars who desired to uncover the hidden secrets of the bronze cauldron.
“Mr. Luo, hurry over here!” a scholar called out as Luo Feng neared the Bronze Ding once more.
“What seems to be the issue?” Luo Feng asked, approaching the scholar.
“See here, these are all inscriptions on the bronze ding!”
“Aren’t these Shang Dynasty inscriptions?” Luo Feng asked.
“Indeed, they are from the Shang Dynasty and are present on the other side of the Bronze Ding!”
Intrigued, Luo Feng inquired, “What do these inscriptions tell us?”
The scholar coughed, a hint of embarrassment in his demeanor, “We’re still in the process of decoding. The meaning is not yet clear.”
Observing the situation, Master Li strode over, laughter in his voice, “Well
Little Luo, since you’re here, why not delay the cleaning and give translation a
“Very well,” agreed Luo Feng, taking in the anticipation etched on the faces around him. He commenced translation without further ado.
The gathered individuals held a strong faith in Luo Feng’s ability to translate oracle bone inscriptions, Shang Dynasty inscriptions, and other ancient texts.
It was, after all, his prior translations that had led them to the Nine Zhou Ding.
Everyone present trusted Luo Feng implicitly.
“These inscriptions detail Tang of Shang witnessing Jie’s extreme cruelty, and his decision to overthrow Jie and establish the Shang Dynasty! His actions included setting Hao as the capital and amending the ‘Tang’s Punishments’ and ‘Ming Residence.’ These events were documented by those who lived post-Xia Dynasty, specifically after Tang of Shang, as ‘Tang’ was used posthumously. It wouldn’t have been possible to address him as ‘Tang’ during his lifetime!”
Luo Feng cast his eyes over other photographed inscriptions from the bronze ding, continuing, “The majority of these inscriptions chronicle the lives of over thirty Shang Dynasty kings, focusing primarily on significant events. Smaller incidents have been glossed over.”
Such overlooked events were likely deemed inconsequential to record, yet they seemed to hold some importance, hence the sparing use of ink.
This suggested that the Nine Zhou Ding held significant stature during the Shang Dynasty, as only kings were privileged to etch inscriptions on it. The elevated status of the Nine Zhou Ding could be inferred from these details.
Nevertheless, the inscriptions were scarce. The life of an emperor was succinctly encapsulated in a few sentences, the briefest comprising a mere dozen characters.
“In the well-documented lineage of the thirty-odd emperors of the Shang Dynasty, there was no Emperor Xin! I speculate that these inscriptions in ancient script, specifically chronicling the monarchs of the Shang Dynasty, were likely remnants of Emperor Xin’s reign,” Luo Feng surmised after a moment of contemplation.
“My dear Luo Feng, where do you stand on the number of the Nine Zhou Dings? Are there nine, or is there just one? What’s your take?” Master Li inquired, throwing out a key question.
After all, historical accounts affirmatively mention Nine Zhou Dings, each associated with different regions such as Jizhou, Yongzhou, Qingzhou, and more. Notably, during the Qin Dynasty, after defeating the Zhou Dynasty, they transported the Nine Zhou Dings back. Yet in this process, one cauldron, possibly from Yongzhou or elsewhere, was lost in the river. This is a well-established historical narrative.
Nonetheless, Luo Feng had suggested from the start that the Nine Zhou Dings might, in fact, be a single object rather than nine.
“I maintain that if the Xia Dynasty did indeed fabricate the Nine Zhou Dings, it could only have been one. Given the Xia Dynasty’s production capabilities, even the creation of a single, colossal Nine Zhou Ding would have represented a Herculean task. The construction of nine seems nearly implausible!”
“The most likely explanation is that the Zhou Dynasty reimagined the Nine Zhou Ding, thus transforming the one into nine! As this tale passed through generations, it became universally known as the Nine Zhou Dings!”
Upon hearing this, Master Li retorted, “This discussion lacks tangible relevance. The bronze cauldron here, considering its mammoth size and lack of alternatives other than the Nine Zhou Ding, along with inscriptions that bear the name of Yu the Great and other emperors, what else could it possibly be, if not the Nine Zhou Ding?”
Professor Li paused and turned to his colleagues, “Old Huang, have the age verification results for this bronze cauldron been disclosed yet?”
“The domestic results have been revealed, but the international ones are still pending. ”
“Oh, it was even dispatched abroad for testing?” Professor Li chuckled, acknowledging their implication, and then asked, “So what’s the analysis that came from the domestic results?” The man responded, “Roughly 4100 years.”
“Four thousand years?”
“It’s hard to believe!”
“This timeline corresponds approximately to the inception of our country’s Xia
Dynasty!”
“Haha, there’s likely no error now. If it dates back to this period, it assuredly originates from the early Xia Dynasty!”
“Excellent, it appears our Little Luo’s analysis was on point. This is indeed the Nine Zhou Ding, crafted by Yu the Great during the early Xia Dynasty!”
“Excuse me, Mr. Luo,” a scholar interjected, “Earlier at noon, I remember hearing you mention something about a ‘Sea-Calming Divine Needle’. Am I correct?”
At this, everyone’s interest was piqued as they turned to look at Luo Feng.
“I did mention it, but I referred to a divine needle for calming rivers, not the Sea-Calarming Divine Needle!” Luo Feng replied with a playful smile.
“Wait, does such a thing even exist?”
“I seriously doubt it!” Chen Gang threw a spanner in the works at this juncture.
“Hmm, the bronze cauldron clearly records it, so I’m inclined to believe in its existence. What discord are you sowing here?” Master Li immediately countered.
“Let’s stay on topic and approach this matter scientifically. Ancient texts state that the ‘Sea-Calming Divine Needle’ was used for river depth measurement, facilitating flood control. The water must have been several meters deep, so wouldn’t this divine needle need to be correspondingly long?”
“The needle would have to be durable, so it couldn’t be made of just any metal. It would have to be a bronze artifact!”
“However, a needle of that length, if too slender, would easily snap, and if too thick, would be unwieldy!”
“Don’t suggest that during the Xia Dynasty, they invented a type of telescopic rod!”
“Moreover, to measure river depth, even if our ancient forebears were less technologically advanced, they wouldn’t need to carry around a dedicated rod, would they? Just tie a stone to a rope and lower it down. That’s far simpler!
Why the need for an iron rod?”
“Even if they were stubborn enough to craft a rod for measuring river depth, it would weigh a ton, making it tremendously inconvenient to transport!”
After concluding his argument, Chen Gang turned towards the bronze cauldron, “Honestly, I already find it incredible that this bronze cauldron was transported to such a far-flung location. The idea of a giant rod over ten meters long is even more far-fetched!”
Despite the skepticism, Chen Gang’s analysis was remarkably insightful.
However, after listening to him, Luo Feng was even more inclined to believe in the existence of the ‘Sea-Calming Divine Needle’.
It would undoubtedly be something exceptional.
Chinese legends would not be entirely baseless.
Of course, some might argue that this concept was the brainchild of the ‘Journey to the West’ author, but they overlook that the author drew upon mythical narratives. It was not his original idea.
Master Li responded dismissively, “What’s so inconceivable about it? Even if this bronze cauldron is extraordinarily heavy, if a cart can’t bear it, people can still drag it about!”
“Did the Xia Dynasty possess carts?” Chen Xue asked, puzzled.
“Hmm, at the Erlitou Site, evidence of cart wheel marks was found. You’re suggesting the Xia Dynasty didn’t have carts? Moreover, if the Egyptians could construct pyramids, any complicated project is feasible with sufficient manpower. As for your suggestion about tying a stone to a rope for measuring river depth, indeed, it could work. But in some complex waterways, nothing outperforms an iron rod..”
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢