Chapter 142 A Reminder

The tips of the leaves are covered with white frost, which reflects the streetlights and creates a colorful light.

It was barely dawn, the coldest time of day. Shan Wangshu wrapped the scarf around Wang Youjian's neck: "Drive carefully, watch out for cars at traffic lights!"

Wang Youjian pouted and said, "I know!"

It's right next to the Affiliated Primary School of Xida University, just around the corner, but it feels like a long, long journey.

Just as he was muttering to himself, he received a slap on the back of the head. Wang Youjian looked up and glared angrily.

Ye Anning pursed her lips: "Want to throw one more?"

Shan Wangshu laughed heartily, while Wang Youjian snorted and then greeted Wang Qizhi, "Goodbye, Dad!"

"Okay, go ahead!"

Wang Qizhi didn't even look up, fiddling with the lock on the studio door.

The key was given to him by Lin Sicheng, but it was probably a bit damp, and it took him a while to open it.

It was Shan Wangshu's first time here, and she found it very novel. She turned on the lights and looked around at each of the exhibits.

The control panel reflected a cold light, and several machines gleamed silver. Filing cabinets stood against the wall, with neatly arranged kraft paper file folders, and even all the labels were stuck at the same level.

A pothos plant sits by the window, its tendrils winding and cascading down to form a lush green curtain. The window is bright and clean, spotless, and a faint, elegant fragrance of incense wafts through the air.

A hint of surprise appeared on Shan Wangshu's face: "It's pretty good, but Lin Sicheng probably doesn't have time to do all this, right?"

Ye Anning pursed her lips: "He has a senior sister and a junior sister!"

His expression was calm and his tone was normal, but Shan Wangshu still sensed something different.

She chuckled: "What a brat!"

After laughing for a while, Shan Wangshu half-jokingly said, "Why don't you quit your job and come help Lin Sicheng?"

Ye Anning shook her head without even thinking: "Let's forget about it!"

Even if Lin Sicheng agreed, his uncle wouldn't. Otherwise, he wouldn't have specifically sent her with Lin Sicheng yesterday to experience the hardships of life.

Even if her uncle agreed, Ye Anning would not come.

The logic is simple: if I can't help, so be it; I can't add any more burden to Lin Sicheng...

After a quick look around, the two returned to the office. Wang Qizhi turned on the water dispenser, preparing to make tea.

Shan Wangshu glanced at her watch: "It's only a little past seven. Can Lin Sicheng really get here this early?"

"Ha!" Wang Qizhi sneered. "If he's past 7:30, I'll take his surname, Lin!"

The grave wasn't easy to find; you'd definitely need tools. But there's no doubt that Lin Sicheng wouldn't dare take it home for fear of being discovered by Professor Lin.

He had already vacated his previous rental apartment, so where else could he hide besides his studio?

"I believe that!" Shan Wangshu said with some doubt. "But Lin Sicheng definitely wouldn't go tomb raiding, so why are you so nervous?"

"Find the tomb, find the tomb, find the tomb!" Wang Qizhi tapped the table. "When did I say he was a tomb raider?"

"You said it yourself: deep in the mountains, in ancient graves and wild hills, in the dead of night. Is Lin Sicheng out of his mind?"

"Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand: If he didn't search for a Western Han Dynasty tomb in the middle of the night, when would he? I wasn't nervous; that's just your imagination!"

Wang Qizhi looked helpless. "You must be bored. Why don't you send your child to work or go to school? Why are you getting involved? And Ye Anning, are you really that free?"

Hehe~

Dan Wangshu gave a forced smile and then exchanged a glance with Ye Anning.

They both studied art appreciation and didn't really know much about archaeology or tombs, but they did know Wang Qizhi:

Last night, when I heard that Lin Sicheng was going to look for a grave in the middle of the night, I immediately got furious. Judging from my expression, I was about to curse Lin Sicheng's mother.

Then, with a dark expression, she waited for Lin Sicheng's call until she confirmed that Lin Sicheng was home, at which point her expression softened slightly.

Normally, someone who loves to sleep in and doesn't get up until 7:50 before starting work at 8:00, surprisingly got up at 6:00 today.

Even a fool would think that Lin Sicheng would never rob a tomb, so what was Wang Qizhi afraid of?

There must be something fishy going on, so when Wang Qizhi went out, they followed him out...

With a quick thought, the Santana screeched to a halt at the door.

Inside the car, Gu Ming looked completely bewildered.

Just last night, on the way home, Lin Sicheng specifically instructed: Try to get up early tomorrow morning, otherwise Professor Wang might come and wait for him.

Sure enough?

Lin Sicheng got out of the car: "Teacher!"

Wang Qizhi glared at him, then looked at the box in Gu Ming's hand: "Take it inside first!"

Lin Sicheng glanced inside: "Master's wife, Sister Anning!"

The two nodded, looking at each other curiously.

The group entered the office, and Wang Qizhi pointed again: "Open it!"

Lin Sicheng sighed: I knew it would turn out like this?

He nodded and peeled off the peel piece by piece.

Dan Wangshu and Ye Anning looked on with curiosity and gathered around.

First, there was something that looked like a globe:

They recognized this: an armillary sphere, used for star observation in ancient times.

A star map is also included:

Shan Wangshu and Ye Anning finally understood why Wang Qizhi had said: "If we don't search for Western Han tombs at midnight, when will we?"

Lin Sicheng, did you go stargazing last night?

While pondering this, he opened the second opening, revealing first a modern imitation lacquerware tray. Below that, he found a compass.

The two were taken aback: Lin Sicheng, he can use this?

The problem is, this device was invented during the Southern Song Dynasty. Meanwhile, Feng Shui was only in its infancy during the Han Dynasty. Using a compass from the Song Dynasty onwards to locate Western Han tombs seems rather odd.

Thinking it over, Shan Wangshu glanced at it again: there was another aluminum box, rectangular, about a meter long and twenty centimeters wide, like the kind used to hold fishing rods.

But Lin Sicheng didn't open it, and then Wang Qizhi stared at him without blinking.

Shan Wangshu was startled: "What is this thing? A Luoyang shovel?"

Why would you need that kind of thing?

Lin Sicheng had no choice but to reveal it.

A telescopic pole with markings on it, but not in centimeters or decimeters, but in "fen" (centimeter), "cun" (inch), and "chi" (foot).

A copper awl, about the thickness of an egg, thicker at the top and tapering to a point at the bottom, with a buckle at the top and a silk thread attached.

There was another item, consisting of more than ten wooden planks stacked together, arranged in a staggered and orderly fashion, but neither Shan Wangshu nor Ye Anning recognized them.

In addition, there are two candles.

Wang Qizhi looked through them one by one: armillary sphere for determining stars, gnomon for determining the sun, suspended cone for determining direction, celestial divination for determining location, and candle flame for determining wind.

Lin Sicheng, you're amazing!

They silently exchanged thoughts, and neither master nor disciple spoke. They stared at each other, their eyelids fluttering.

After a long while, Wang Qizhi sighed and said, "Next time you go, take me with you."

Lin Sicheng paused for a moment, then remained silent.

It was just a sudden whim, a momentary urge to try it out. Next time I go, I'll definitely be with the archaeological team; there won't be a chance for him to demonstrate then.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Shan Wangshu smiled and said, "Lin Sicheng, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Anning hasn't eaten either..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Qizhi also stood up: "I didn't eat either!"

Shan Wangshu glanced at him indifferently: "It's alright, just bring us some when Sicheng and the others come back!"

Wang Qizhi had no choice but to sit back down.

Lin Sicheng paused for a moment, then nodded.

After the three of them left, Wang Qizhi sighed again, "You must have a lot of free time!"

Dan Wangshu rolled her eyes. "It's okay, take your time!"

"Although there was no formal concept of feng shui in Han Dynasty burial rites, there were practical aspects of it. Dong Zhongshu's 'Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals' states: '(Imperial tombs) combine the yin and yang of heaven and earth and follow the qi of the four seasons. What is heaven? The sun and moon, the Big Dipper, and the imperial star (Ziwei, the North Pole). What is earth? Mountains and rivers, and the flow of water.'"

The "Kanyu Jin Gui" (a classic of feng shui from the pre-Qin and Han dynasties) also states: "When the Big Dipper points to Yin, heaven and earth communicate..." Therefore, when selecting a burial site in the Han dynasty, one must first observe the stars and then consider the terrain.

Then came the saying of later geomancers: "Observe the handle of the Big Dipper at night, and the Han Xue (a point on the face) will surely follow the position of Chen (the sun)..." Therefore, Lin Sicheng went to observe the stars in the middle of the night!

Shan Wangshu poured him a cup of tea: "And then?"

Wang Qizhi took it, took a sip, and said, "Then, locate the acupoint, find the cave, and go down into the pit!"

Shan Wangshu was startled: "Huh?"

The hole Wang Qizhi referred to was definitely a robber's hole. The jade artifact Lin Sicheng brought back also indicates that the main burial chamber had certainly been robbed, therefore, there must have been a robber's hole in the tomb's roof.

But the problem is, with the mountains high and the forests dense, how easy is it to find?

"No need for 'ah'!"

Wang Qizhi pointed and said, "If he couldn't find it, why would he have brought so many things? That lacquer plate is a replica of the one unearthed from the Mawangdui Tomb, but few people know that it's not an everyday item at all, but a 'shipan' from the Han Dynasty."

It's too complicated to explain, so just think of it as a Han Dynasty compass. It came in sets with the armillary sphere and the gnomon: you first needed to determine the positions of the sun, moon, and Big Dipper, then use books like the *Rishu*, *Shifa*, *Shengui Zhan*, *Liujia Zhanyu*, and *Boju Zhan* to calculate the location of the tomb. And these are all star texts and divination books from the Han Dynasty and pre-Qin period—how many of them have you heard of?

Shan Wangshu was stunned.

"And another thing!" Wang Qizhi pointed again, "Using the suspended cone to determine the direction of the tomb passage, using stars to determine the location of the tomb chamber, and using candlelight to find the ventilation airflow—why would he bring these things if he wasn't going down into the pit?"

Dan Wangshu hesitated and remained silent: Even if there is a tomb robber's hole, even if it can be found, who knows how many years ago it was dug? What if it collapses?

Lin Sicheng is too bold. No wonder he kept it from Ye Anning.

No wonder Wang Qizhi's face was dark for half the night: what if he encountered real tomb raiders?

In Wang Qizhi's words: "Those who raid tombs are bound to have blood on their hands, and they are even more ruthless than drug dealers. What if something goes wrong?"

Wang Qizhi sighed inwardly but didn't say anything: his dark face wasn't because of that.

Given Lin Sicheng's personality, he wouldn't be unable to judge whether the tunnel would collapse or whether it was safe to go down.

With his intelligence, he couldn't possibly be unaware of what to do if he encountered tomb raiders. Therefore, the two locals he brought weren't there to guide him at all, but rather as a precaution, two local bullies.

Wang Qizhi's face darkened because Lin Sicheng really knew how to find graves.

In fact, when Lin Sicheng returned from Hangzhou, he had already suspected that the tomb raiders who had been based in Hangzhou were able to run to Jinhua and bring Lin Sicheng several large boxes of national treasures in just two days. How much power and how strong must their connections be?

In the end, he only asked Lin Sicheng for 100,000 yuan.

If it were just a matter of appraisal skills, such a person wouldn't be so eager to serve Lin Sicheng. Therefore, he suspected that Lin Sicheng might have used other methods.

Just like in Qishan, the slang he used with Old Lady Zhao, the gestures he made with Zhao Xiuneng, and the secret technique of swallowing gold from his sleeve.

Now it's all good, there's no need to doubt it at all.

Moreover, it's not just about the methods; every single item on the table is a masterpiece.

If you gather all the tomb raiders in the country together and give them a compass, how many of them can understand it?

One in a thousand. Let alone an armillary sphere, a gnomon, a star chart, or a celestial compass?

Throw all of these away, just keep that lacquer tray: anyone who knows how to use this would be a grandmaster in the world of tomb raiding.

Don't believe me?

Even the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences have very few experts who have studied the Shi Pan, let alone used it.

He can read stars, determine the date, understand divination, and make appraisals... To borrow a line from a Hong Kong movie: This is a talent who has passed all three tests. Which tomb raiding boss wouldn't be envious?

The saying goes, "Forced to join the Liangshan bandits, if the tomb raiding leader can't lie, he can't learn how."

Wu Yong cleverly outwits Lu Junyi, and Zhang Shun causes a ruckus at Jinsha Ferry at night...

Of course, even without him as a teacher, the possibility of this happening is extremely slim. But it's not the theft itself that's worrisome, it's the having someone eyeing the thief. Does Lin Sicheng still want peace and quiet after this?

Shan Wangshu was still somewhat suspicious: "Then why didn't Lin Sicheng notify the Cultural Relics Bureau, but instead went to find it himself?"

Wang Qizhi shook his head: "We're looking, but we can't find it!"

Actually, the search had already begun: around 2004, a bronze seal appeared on the Xi'an black market: the "Seal of the Marquis of Yangdu".

Marquis Yangdu was Zhang Pengzu, son of Zhang Anshi. He was given the title of Marquis Yangdu after Emperor Xuan of Han (Liu Bingyi) was enthroned by Emperor Xuan after he raised Emperor Xuan in the inner court.

However, the seal only lasted for one generation: during the reign of Emperor Xuan, Zhang Pengzu was poisoned by his concubine, and the state was abolished. The discovery of this seal naturally indicates that the Zhang Anshi family tomb was robbed.

The historical records clearly state that Emperor Xuan of Han granted Zhang Anshi the right to be buried near the mausoleum (Emperor Xuan's Du Mausoleum), and the Zhang Anshi family tombs are located around the Du Mausoleum.

The cultural relics department also knows that it must be within a radius of 20 to 30 square kilometers of Duyi Park. The problem is, 20 to 30 square kilometers is really not a small area.

And it was surrounded by mountains, trees, grass, and villages. Furthermore, tomb raiders would never leave the entrance unsealed after digging, to facilitate future raids. So it was truly difficult to find; one could only explore inch by inch.

However, with current technology, any tomb deeper than five meters renders the instruments useless. So, three years have passed without a single piece of news.

"Does that mean Lin Sicheng can find it?"

"It's hard to say!"

While giving a perfunctory reply, Wang Qizhi sighed inwardly: most likely.

The selection of sites for Han tombs was not complicated: they relied on the celestial phenomena above and the terrain below.

Lin Sicheng could have deduced the Five Elements based on Zhang Anshi's legacy, then found the Four Symbols based on the Five Elements, and then reversed the star chart to determine the "Chen position" based on the terrain, which is the exact location of the main tomb chamber.

The difficulty lies in the fact that one must be able to read star charts, and even more importantly, understand the "Star Classic" and "Divination Classic" in order to use the divination chart for calculations.

Wang Qizhi had no doubt that Lin Sicheng could do it, or even understand it. If he didn't understand, what use would that lacquer tray be?

It can't just be for aesthetic purposes, right?

In a flash, voices came from outside the door, and so the three of them went inside.

It was served in an insulated container, still steaming hot: steamed buns, fried dough sticks, porridge, and side dishes.

Wang Qizhi didn't stand on ceremony and started eating.

Shan Wangshu held the porridge box, a smile on her face, but her tone was very serious: "Lin Sicheng, this is too dangerous. What if something unexpected happens?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Master's wife, I understand!"

Shan Wangshu added, "You mustn't go there again!"

Lin Sicheng nodded again: "Okay!"

Wang Qizhi scoffed: He's just trying to fool you.

You ask Ye Anning if she believes it or not.

After finishing their meal, Shan Wangshu and Ye Anning went to work, and Gu Ming also slipped away, leaving only the teacher and student in the office.

Wang Qizhi lit a cigarette and leaned back: "Those guys in Hangzhou, did they know you could find graves?"

Lin Sicheng was stunned for a moment: How is that possible?

"The leader of that group is in the archaeological team. He doesn't use this at all, nor does he believe in it. When they search for tombs, they consult internal records. When they go down into the pit, they always use explosives!"

Lin Sicheng patiently explained, "The reason they helped is because Zhao Xiuneng boasted so much about how amazing my appraisal skills were. Secondly, they might also want me to help them repair their items..."

"An archaeological team using explosives? How arrogant!"

Wang Qizhi was amazed, but relieved: it was good that Lin Sicheng knew how to find the grave.

He's always been calm and collected; it's impossible that he wouldn't know the risks and consequences.

After pondering for a moment, Wang Qizhi thought again: "What are the chances that I've found Zhang Anshi's tomb?"

Lin Sicheng paused for a moment: "About 50% or 60%!"

Wang Qizhi looked at him with disdain: "Only 50% or 60%?"

If I didn't stop you, you could determine the star positions at midnight and the sun direction at dawn. At most, you could determine the four symbols by the time it gets dark.

Then, based on the calculations, it is estimated that it will take three to five days, or at least no more than a week, to find the tomb chamber and thus the tomb robber's tunnel.

Is this what you call 50-60%?

Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Maybe a little more."

Wang Qizhi curled his lip: "Then let's find it!"

Lin Sicheng was stunned: "Huh?"

"What do you mean, 'huh'? I'm just worried you might get carried away and get mixed up with tomb raiders. If it's just a rescue excavation, of course we need to find the tomb!"

Wang Qizhi said slowly and deliberately, "The cultural department and the public security department also have performance evaluations!"

Lin Sicheng was taken aback: An assessment?

Shouldn't it be accountability?

In provinces like Shaanxi, which are major centers for cultural heritage protection, the division of responsibilities is particularly clear.

Inadequate protection leading to theft and even damage will certainly result in someone being held accountable...

Seeing that Lin Sicheng remained silent, Wang Qizhi assumed he didn't understand and tapped the table: "These are all plus points. In the future, you'll definitely have many more dealings with the cultural department..."

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Teacher, I understand!"

"That's good, but no rush!" Wang Qizhi nodded with relief. "There are too many things to do lately, and they're all mixed up and chaotic. Let's sort out the important things first!"

really.

Just applying for World Heritage status is a complex and multifaceted task, requiring the teacher and student to be extremely attentive.

Just as he was pondering this, an SUV pulled up at the door. Wang Qizhi glanced at it and said, "Director Guan must be here!"

Lin Sicheng nodded: Perfect, let's give him a heads-up first.