Some people say that you can tell if two people are compatible by going on a trip together.
This is a widely circulated saying, and Zhang Yang, as a modern person, naturally knows it.
Gu Yanyan was unaware that during her three years at school, she devoted all her energy to studying and researching the history of Empress Zhenrui.
Though a thousand years have passed, the memory remains as vivid as yesterday.
There are some things she will never forget.
On the plane.
Zhang Yang stared silently at Gu Yanyan, somewhat shocked. Gu Yanyan had brought quite a lot of things.
Gu Yanyan was embarrassed. "Sorry, I've never traveled far from here before, I'm used to it!"
She said that her habit was that when she traveled in the Great Jing Kingdom, she always had to bring a lot of things with her when she went out, such as dry food, seasonings, pots, and medicinal herbs. After all, she was not always lucky enough to reach a populated area before dark.
As for this place, it was her first time going out. She had reminded herself not to bring too much stuff before leaving, but when the time came, she still couldn't help bringing a lot.
When checking in my luggage, it was overweight...
At that time, hers also became heavier.
Gu Yanyan carefully observed Zhang Yang's expression, and only when she saw that he was not impatient did she feel a little relieved.
She looked around uneasily. She was used to this kind of close-packed seating; there were plenty of such seats at school and on buses. However, airplane seats were noticeably more crowded.
It was her first time flying, and she was a little nervous about it.
She forced herself to calm down and picked up the magazine in front of her to read.
Zhang Yang was also flipping through a magazine, his eyes glancing at Gu Yanyan out of the corner of his eye, and he couldn't help but smile slightly.
The plane has officially taken off.
Gu Yanyan looked up at the window. Outside was a large lawn, and the plane was traveling on the runway for a long time without showing any signs of taking off.
Gu Yanyan waited anxiously. Finally, the plane sprinted into the sky, its nose suddenly lifting up and leaving the solid ground behind.
Gu Yanyan felt her heart tremble, as if she were being pulled into the sky by the plane. A sense of oppression rippled through her chest. She panicked and tightly closed her eyes, desperately trying to grasp something.
Zhang Yang moved his hand over at just the right moment, and Gu Yanyan instinctively grabbed it, then quickly let go as if she had been burned. The plane continued to fly upwards, constantly gaining altitude in the air.
Overwhelmed by an indescribable bitterness, Gu Yanyan didn't care about anything else and tightly gripped Zhang Yang's hand. Only when the plane had completely stabilized in the air and the pressure difference had decreased did she open her eyes.
Look out the window.
The figures on the ground were already very small.
From the sky, the fields appear as neat squares, a mix of red, yellow, and green, orderly and possessing a rigorous beauty. The houses, viewed from above, look as small as toys, and the cars resemble moving ants.
This world is amazing.
She was very fortunate to come into this world.
The plane continued to fly upwards, but the feeling was no longer uncomfortable until it reached the clouds. The sunlight shone down at an angle, and the brightness was much stronger than on the ground. Many people pulled down their sunshades.
Gu Yanyan didn't. She looked at the white clouds outside, one after another, like big ones, or like a flock of white sheep. She suddenly understood the adjectives in those poems.
This feeling is wonderful.
When she came back to her senses from the beautiful scenery, she realized that she was still holding Zhang Yang's hand tightly.
Zhang Yang let her hold his hand, silently flipping through the book on his lap with his other hand.
Gu Yanyan blushed and silently let go.
Zhang Yang remained expressionless and calmly reached out to grasp Gu Yanyan's hand.
Gu Yanyan: "..."
She wanted to struggle a bit, but when she held Zhang Yang's hand just now, he was very quiet. Should she be more obedient too?
I thought that to myself, but I still blushed.
Zhang Yang said calmly, "I still feel unwell when the plane lands."
Gu Yanyan: "..." Okay!
The two of them were quiet.
The atmosphere was silent yet unsettling, as if something strange was passing through the air.
As the plane landed and the air pressure difference increased, that feeling of panic returned. Gu Yanyan subconsciously gripped Zhang Yang's hand tightly again and closed her eyes. This time, she was more experienced and not as flustered as before, and the panic lasted much less.
When she opened her eyes, she met Zhang Yang's smiling gaze.
Gu Yanyan blushed again and looked out the window.
Many people at school pursued her, but none of them lasted long.
Because everyone assumed Zhang Yang was her boyfriend, every time Zhang Yang came to visit her, her roommates would say, "Your boyfriend has come to see you."
She initially offered some explanations, but later stopped doing so.
In fact, all the boys in the school combined are not as good as Zhang Yang.
Zhang Yang is erudite, with a peaceful personality, yet he is steadfast and resolute, as quiet as a pine tree and as steady as a mountain. He is humorous and kind, considerate and witty; the longer you spend with him, the higher your standards become for a partner.
This is quite similar to the girl; having witnessed her character and conduct, others seem rather dull to me.
Gu Yanyan was lost in thought, letting Zhang Yang hold her hand as they followed the flow of people to the luggage area.
After collecting their luggage, they took a taxi to a hotel to settle in. The two of them had dinner and rested for the night.
The next morning, they headed to Yangling.
Yangling is the tomb of Emperor Wuzong and Empress Zhenrui, and it is also the place where Gu Yanyan was exhumed.
A museum has now been built there, which contains many artifacts excavated from Yangling.
Gu Yanyan felt that since they were looking for the girl, it would be better to start by looking at the things that were most related to her.
Yangling.
It has been built for more than a year and has become a famous tourist attraction with many visitors. Therefore, it was easy for the two of them to come here. They took a tour bus and arrived an hour later.
The closer Gu Yanyan got to Yangling, the more panicked she became.
Zhang Yang patted her on the shoulder. "It's okay! Just think of it as coming home."
Gu Yanyan: "..." It really is time to go home.
The car stopped at the main gate of Yangling. Clumps of tall trees stood neatly in rows on both sides, like upright soldiers.
Upon entering, you'll find a museum with an antique charm and a grand, imposing design.
Gu Yanyan looked at the familiar things through the glass and layers of protective gear, and memories came flooding back. Today was not a rest day, and there were people in the venue, but not many, so she and Zhang Yang could visit in peace and quiet.
Gu Yanyan could name everything in there; those things underground were actually the ones he was closest to.
Gu Yanyan had a lot to say, but it was so quiet here that she could hear footsteps. She had no choice but to swallow her words, tears welling up in her eyes.
Zhang Yang held her cold little hand and gently pulled her into his arms. He whispered in her ear, "If you want to cry, then cry!"
Gu Yanyan held back her tears for a long time, and they flowed silently down her face.
Outsiders looked on with curiosity at the two embracing and hugging, wondering why the girl was crying so sadly, but they felt it was none of their business and there was no need to think so much, so they hurriedly continued their cursory observation.
Gu Yanyan's tears soaked Zhang Yang's shoulder, and they also dampened Zhang Yang's heart.
He gently patted Gu Yanyan's back, completely ignoring the way everyone was looking at him like he was a scumbag.
Love is always a very private matter.
Those watching thought you were crying, but they didn't know you were crying tears of joy. Those watching thought you were laughing, but they didn't know you were forcing a smile.
Facial expressions are always the most deceptive.
Modern people, in particular, have countless masks that they can replace at any time.
Therefore, Zhang Yang likes Gu Yanyan because she is pure.
The sadness and joy were so obvious that there was no need to rack one's brains to guess what special meaning lay behind them.
After Gu Yanyan finished crying, she wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and then became more interested in conversation. While looking at the exhibits, she talked with Zhang Yang about what the artifacts in the exhibition hall were for and whispered about the customs of the Great Jing Dynasty at that time.
The two people stopped when they saw a painting.
When Gu Yanyan saw the painting with a gold sign below it that read "Portrait of Empress Zhenrui," her eyebrows immediately furrowed.
"This is not the Empress!"
Her voice was very soft, almost a murmur, and Zhang Yang had to strain to understand it. "What did you say?"
“This is not Empress Zhenrui,” Gu Yanyan said with certainty.
She's been by the girl's side for so many years, how could she possibly have misjudged her?
Zhang Yang always took Gu Yanyan's words very seriously, and immediately asked, "Then who is she?"
"She is Princess Mija, not the Empress."
Princess Mika?
Zhang Yang knew.
The Great Jing Dynasty and the Xianyu Kingdom had a history of marriage alliance. The woman who married into the Great Jing Dynasty was Princess Mijia. At that time, the Xianyu Kingdom sent tens of thousands of envoys to welcome the bride. The Great Jing Dynasty was not to be outdone, sending tens of thousands of people as part of the dowry, including various tools, utensils, craftsmen, silk, porcelain, and more.
This was a marriage alliance of great historical significance.
Most importantly, the man who married Princess Mijia was Empress Yan Qing of the Xianyu Kingdom.
The love story of the two is a significant part of history. Even now, historians are still unsure whether this is true or a later misrepresentation. Some even believe that Empress Yan Qing was actually a man, raised as a daughter by the concubine of the King of Xianyu to protect herself. By chance, she eventually became the emperor of Xianyu.
History offers many conflicting accounts, and the truth is no longer known.
However, he already knew from Gu Yanyan that Empress Yan Qing was indeed a woman, and that she had devoted the entire nation's resources to marrying Princess Mi Jia.
This period of history was so incredible that even after he learned about it, it took him a long time to process it.
He silently watched Gu Yanyan. If Gu Yanyan was wrong, then she must be wrong.
Are you sure?
"Yes! I'm sure!"
"Alright, come with me!"
...
In the office of Yangling Museum.
The group of old scholars looked at Zhang Yang and Gu Yanyan and felt for a moment that it was somewhat surreal.
"You're saying that the portrait of Empress Zhenrui in our exhibition hall is wrong?" The person who spoke wore thick glasses and was dressed like a typical intellectual. His tone was somewhat loud, and it was clear that he was very unhappy that someone had pointed out the mistake.
Gu Yanyan blushed slightly. "That's right, it's not Empress Zhenrui, it's Princess Mijia. The princess used to be good friends with the empress..." She subconsciously stopped speaking here.
The old professor laughed heartily. "Young lady, have you been watching too many time-travel dramas? Are you dreaming of going back to the Great Jing Dynasty and meeting Empress Zhenrui and Princess Mijia? You should watch less TV dramas in the future, especially time-travel dramas. They're all completely unrealistic. Some students are treating time-travel dramas like historical dramas. The government should really do something about this. Sigh!"
Zhang Yang calmly said, "Hello Professor Zou, my name is Zhang Yang, and I am a student of Professor Zhang Mingxian. Gu Yanyan is also a student of Professor Zhang Mingxian. She is very knowledgeable about the history of the Great Jing Dynasty. If she says that the portrait was hung incorrectly, it is most likely true."
Zhang Mingxian is Zhang Yang's father and the one who dug Gu Yanyan out of her grave. As the excavator of Yangling, he has absolute authority in this regard.
Professor Zou indeed took it seriously. Although scholars of historical research engage in self-examination and competition, they place greater emphasis on historical materials and evidence.
If this student-like girl really was Professor Zhang's student, then he might listen to what she had to say. However, deep down, he also felt some resentment, wondering if Zhang Mingxian had deliberately sent his student to cause trouble or create problems.
His voice was cold and stern as he said, "Wow! So young, yet you've got quite a background. Since you're Professor Zhang's student, tell me, why is that portrait of Princess Mijia instead of Empress Zhenrui?"
While Zhang Yang was speaking, Gu Yanyan was already trying to think of the right words. Now that she had thought of something, she said, "You can tell from their clothes and headdress."
Professor Zou interrupted, "We deduced from the headdress, clothing, and painting techniques that the painting depicts Empress Zhenrui. The clothing features the Nine Heavens Phoenix, the headdress has a phoenix 'singing' sound, and there are nine beads on each side. The painter was Gu Jun, a court painter at the time. Do you have any different opinions?"
Professor Zou was very imposing, and Gu Yanyan was taken aback by his imposing manner. However, since it concerned the young lady, she calmed herself down and said, "Professor Zou, you are right. If it were another dynasty, it would be correct to identify the person based on their clothing and headdress."
"However, that was Empress Zhenrui. She and Emperor Wuzong jointly ruled the government, making her essentially another emperor of the Great Jing Dynasty. Emperor Wuzong had a deep affection for Empress Zhenrui, so the Empress was also wearing a dragon robe. Her robe was adorned with a nine-clawed golden dragon, and her headdress featured a dragon and phoenix in harmony."
"As for Gu Yun, he was indeed a painter in the harem. However, during Emperor Wuzong's reign, there was only the Empress in the harem. She preferred to have philosophical discussions with the Grand Secretaries of the court and liked to leave them speechless. She completely ignored the painters. That painter never painted a picture for the Empress."
"As for why the portrait is of Princess Mijia, it's because Princess Mijia was to be married off to a distant land. She was sent as a marriage alliance for the sake of the country, so His Majesty Emperor Wuzong made her wear the phoenix as her honor and married the King of Xianyu. That's why there is a portrait of Princess Mijia wearing a phoenix robe!"
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