Chapter 305 The Sixteen Heavenly Demon Dance
"Brother Jing: Not all antiques are expensive, and older antiques are not necessarily more valuable. You have to look at the condition, the material, but even more important are the craftsmanship, the technology, and the cultural and historical value."
"It is indeed a Han Dynasty mirror, but to put it bluntly: it is a mass-produced item, and there are many of them in existence, so its value for collection is not very high."
Jing Zeyang glanced at himself in the mirror: "How tall is 'not tall'?"
"This one is a bit special: it has a beast-shaped handle with a dragon and tiger design, and a rhinoceros treading on a tiger's tail. It's worth a bit more, around ten or twenty thousand!"
Jing Zeyang was stunned for a moment: Ten or twenty thousand isn't high?
Cousin Lin, get this straight, we didn't pay a single penny?
He looked surprised: "That stingy boss actually dared to spend that much?"
Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "I guess they didn't study it in depth and just thought it was an ordinary Han mirror worth a thousand or eight hundred. But this kind belongs to a variant of the late Eastern Han Dynasty that incorporated steppe gold artifacts. It has more copper and less lead, and the decorations are more intricate. Whether in terms of culture, history, or craftsmanship, it is more representative..."
Ha, did the boss not do a thorough study?
He doesn't understand at all, so how can he study it?
That's settled.
Based on Jing Zeyang's understanding of Lin Sicheng, the actual price could be half again as much, or even double. That's about twenty or thirty thousand.
Tsk, that's equivalent to two years of his salary?
Having achieved his goal, Jing Zeyang now had something to brag about, and happily wrapped it up.
He was also thinking about how to repay this favor.
Tang Nanyan and Xu Qin looked at each other in bewilderment: First it was jade, then rhinoceros horn cups, then porcelain, and now it's bronze?
And during this time, he was also studying ancient books?
According to this calculation, there is almost no antique commonly found on the market that Lin Sicheng cannot authenticate?
It is often said that everyone has their own expertise and that different professions are like different worlds. So why does this saying not apply to Lin Sicheng?
The key point is, he's still so young?
Xu Qin glanced at Lin Sicheng's profile, noticing his handsome features, then turned to stare at Tang Nanyan.
Subconsciously, she recalled the joke she made with Tang Nanyan when she first met Lin Sicheng on the day of training:
The young man is quite handsome, and very capable too. He seems to have a good personality as well, quite composed.
How about I introduce it to you?
It was just a joke at the time, but now that I think about it, it doesn't seem impossible.
The two are three years apart in age and live quite far apart, but that's not a problem at all.
With Lin Sicheng's abilities, if he said, "I want to come to Beijing," all the departments in the municipal bureau would be vying for him. He wouldn't need to worry about things like residency or finding a job.
The two are only three years apart in age. What's that saying again: "A woman three years older than her husband is like holding a gold brick"?
As she thought about it, Xu Qin smiled like an aunt. Tang Nanyan, puzzled, touched her face and asked, "Sister Xu, is my makeup ruined?"
"No, I didn't wear any makeup today."
Xu Qin rolled her eyes at her: "You're such a blockhead."
Your parents are so worried, and you, on the other hand, don't seem to care about anything.
After a moment of reflection, the five of them strolled along slowly, and before they knew it, they had reached the west gate of the market.
I found that Xingyiquan manual here last time.
The stalls are still the same few stalls, the goods are still the same goods, and the owners are still the same few owners.
So as soon as they entered the passageway, someone recognized them.
The contrast is so strong, and he is so distinctive: Jing Zeyang has his hands in his pockets, looks nonchalant, and his face is full of "I'm awesome".
Lin Sicheng spoke calmly and gently, and his words and actions exuded a mature and unpretentious air.
Furthermore, it had only been a few days since Liu Dongzi and his gang were arrested, and these days were the most heated discussions. Lin Sicheng was also so strikingly handsome; it was hard not to think about him.
Suddenly, many pairs of eyes turned to look at them.
"Hey guys, look! Isn't Liu Dongzi the one those two got him locked up?"
"These are the two!"
"The people are there, but they were already gone when the police arrived that day?"
"Believe me, it's them. Otherwise, what a coincidence that the police arrived right after they left the stall?"
"That's true, just don't provoke them, whatever you do, don't do anything..."
Several vendors were pointing and whispering amongst themselves. Their voices were low, and they were far away, so it was impossible to hear them clearly. But Tang Nanyan was a police officer; she could read expressions.
She glanced at him twice, then turned back: "Jing Zeyang, have you gotten into trouble again?"
"Why me?" Jing Zeyang asked, squinting. "Couldn't it be Cousin Lin? Couldn't it be Assistant Fang?"
Assistant Fang?
He's obviously a bookworm; he'd probably jump at the sight of a mouse.
As for Lin Sicheng... that's absolutely impossible.
Tang Nanyan would rather believe that Jing Zeyang was a pig than believe that Lin Sicheng would cause trouble.
The key issue is that having Jing Zeyang around every day makes me feel like it's bringing trouble to Lin Sicheng...
Tang Nanyan's eyes were like needles, making Jing Zeyang feel uneasy: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You'd better behave yourself from now on and cause less trouble for Teacher Lin."
"You don't eat much, but you're overly controlling..."
Tang Nanyan clenched her fist, and Jing Zeyang shrank back: "It really has nothing to do with me. If you don't believe me, ask Cousin Lin."
Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "It really was because of me. I found that Xingyi Quan manual here..."
After briefly recounting what had happened, Tang Nanyan's eyes flickered slightly, and her impression of Lin Sicheng deepened even further.
He is public-spirited, helps the weak and punishes the strong, and is both brave and resourceful.
Unlike the one surnamed Jing, who only knows how to cause trouble all day long.
Tang Nanyan's eyes darted around, looking at Lin Sicheng with nothing but admiration, while her gaze towards Jing Zeyang was filled with disdain.
Even a fool knows what she's thinking.
Jing Zeyang secretly curled his lip: This woman is out of her mind, comparing me to Lin Sicheng?
If you're so capable, bring together everyone you know and compare them one by one. Who can beat you?
In a flash, his heart skipped a beat: Could this tomboy be experiencing a sudden onset of lust?
But looking at his eyes, it doesn't seem quite right?
Just as I was making wild guesses, a voice came from the side: "Where are you guys going? Come and visit me."
Their accents were rather strange; I couldn't understand a single word Jing Zeyin said, but Tang Nanyan and Xu Qin's accents were almost identical.
Fang Jin only understood two words: "boss".
Hearing the familiar local accent, Lin Sicheng stopped in his tracks.
This is a dialect from southern Shanxi. To speak it so fluently, one must be from Yuncheng.
However, the pronunciation also includes a hint of the Beijing dialect's "er" sound, indicating that the person has been in Beijing for many years.
This is not surprising. What is surprising is that, along the way, after passing twenty or thirty stalls, the other vendors avoided him and Jing Zeyang as if they were street thugs, but this one took the initiative to greet them.
"Just wandering around aimlessly." Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "The shopkeeper's business is booming!"
The stall owner's eyes lit up: "Boss, are you also from Yuncheng? Last time you asked Liu Dongzi in our hometown dialect if he was from Yuncheng, I had a feeling we must be from the same hometown, and it turns out we are..."
As he spoke, he handed over a few stools: "Boss, sit down, sit down, let's sit down and talk!"
Lin Sicheng took it and looked at the nearby vendors: they all had strange, slightly frightened expressions.
It's as if it's saying: Others are trying to avoid it, but you're the one who deliberately provokes it?
Lin Sicheng sat down: "Boss, aren't you afraid I'll cause you trouble?"
"Setting up a stall to do business is a matter of mutual consent. Even if a deal doesn't go through, we can still be on good terms. I don't cheat, deceive, or cheat anyone, so why are you causing me trouble?"
The shopkeeper didn't seem to care. He took out a cigarette case and offered Lin Sicheng a cigarette, but when he saw that Lin Sicheng didn't smoke it, he put it back.
Then, glancing around, she lowered her voice and said, "The manual for Himegami Ken isn't bad, is it?"
Huh?
Lin Sicheng paused for a moment and glanced at it twice.
The boss appeared calm, but his eyes seemed a little unfocused.
I understand, this is a test...
Lin Sicheng remained noncommittal: "It's alright!"
The boss perked up: Sure enough.
"After you left last time, Liu Dongzi got arrested. A lot of people here say: you spent two thousand yuan to buy a tattered book to set up Liu Dongzi. But a bunch of blind fools, how could they recognize anything good? Only I know that you, boss, have discerning eyes and know the value of that boxing manual..."
The stall owner paused for a moment: "Actually, Liu Dongzi got that book from me..."
Lin Sicheng's heart skipped a beat: "Really?"
“It’s absolutely true… Liu Dongzi and I are both from Yuncheng. We were originally partners, collecting things from our hometown and reselling them here.”
"Later, he thought this was too slow to make money, and somehow he got in touch with some landowners in the market and wanted to switch to extortion. I didn't want to do it, so we split the goods and broke up... That boxing manual was something I got from my hometown."
"Ji Jike, Ji Shenquan, how famous are they in our hometown? That's why I've always suspected that the book was copied by a descendant of the Ji family, but nobody believes me..."
Lin Sicheng suddenly realized: So that's why he dared to call out to him and was so attentive, there was such a reason behind it.
He is indeed very observant; he remembered the sentence I uttered in the southern Shanxi dialect.
"So you mean you still have some and want to sell them to me, right?" Lin Sicheng smiled. "A boxing manual too?"
"Boss, you're a straightforward person!" The stall owner gave a thumbs up. "To be honest, there's only one boxing manual, but there are others, all of them are old books. If you like them, just name your price..."
"Okay, take it out and let me see!"
The stall owner immediately stood up and pulled out a wicker trunk from behind him. Inside, it was divided into compartments and filled with old books.
The stall owner carried stacks of books out, arranging them one by one. Lin Sicheng glanced at them, his eyes brightening slightly.
Believe it or not, there are quite a few unusual and rare old books.
There are Qing Dynasty vernacular stories, late Qing Dynasty local histories, miscellaneous books about daily life, and historical notes. There are even guides written by ancient people about the pleasure quarters and gambling dens in the Qinhuai area of Jiangnan.
It has all sorts of things, a real hodgepodge.
While Lin Sicheng was still looking at the book titles, Jing Zeyang quickly copied one of them into his hand.
"Cousin Lin, is this a book specifically about setting traps and schemes in the old society?"
Lin Sicheng glanced at it; the cover had four large characters written on it: "Organization for Prostitution and Gambling."
He chuckled. "This was written by a Nanjing native during the Ming Dynasty, but the 'mechanism' here doesn't refer to a trap; rather, it means a place, a destination, a trick, or a method. It's perfectly acceptable to use it as a Ming Dynasty tourist guide for the Qinhuai River..."
"Tips for prostitution and gambling, the Qinhuai River... Huh?" Jing Zeyang's eyes darted around, quickly flipping open the book.
This book was written early, probably in the mid-Ming Dynasty. It specifically introduces the brothels in the Jiangnan region, and instructs tourists on how to visit brothels, choose prostitutes, and gamble. It also teaches prostitutes how to select customers and how to serve them, and even teaches pimps and madams how to train themselves.
But things have changed, and Jing Zeyang was just looking for novelty and entertainment.
Tang Nanyan scoffed, looking disgusted.
She glanced at it and picked up a book as well. The book was titled "Gu Wang Yan" (姑妄言), and judging from those three characters, she thought it was an ancient work reflecting social life and moral concepts.
It seemed normal at first, but the more I looked, the more something seemed off. When I turned to the third page, my hand involuntarily trembled, and the book fell onto the table.
"Did you prick your hand on a book?" Jing Zeyang said sarcastically, but then realized something was off. "It's just reading a book, why are you blushing?"
"Read your book!" Tang Nanyan squinted. "Are you itching for a beating?"
Jing Zeyang immediately backed down.
Having been beaten since childhood, he had long since learned his lesson: once this woman gave him that look, she was 200% about to attack. The reason she hadn't attacked today was almost certainly because Lin Sicheng was here.
He wisely kept his mouth shut, not even daring to look Tang Nanyan in the eye. He glanced at her furtively while looking down.
It doesn't seem like anything special.
He had previously thought that this woman was ignorant and had picked up an erotic picture book by chance, treating it as an ordinary old book.
But "Gu Wang Yan" (姑妄言), judging from the title, seems quite normal, doesn't it?
Lin Sicheng also glanced at it, a strange look appearing on his face: It's not a picture book, but this book is really quite erotic, even more so than "The Complete Plum in a Vase".
Jin Ping Mei depicts the lives of the lower classes in ancient times from an observer's perspective and with a detached, detached style.
But this book is full of vivid descriptions of all kinds of scenes, presenting the whole picture before your eyes with just a few strokes of the pen. It vividly portrays all kinds of bizarre skills and the ugliness of human nature. There is nothing the author will not write about, only things you cannot imagine.
What's even more remarkable is that, besides its themes of romance and passion, the book also features a strong critique of society, a realistic approach, and a strong emphasis on practicality.
To give an example: Jin Ping Mei can only be considered a slightly erotic depiction of human nature. Although it also describes the coldness and warmth of human relationships, to be honest, its central theme is a hundred times gentler than Gu Wang Yan.
This book is more like a dark one, where everyone is lewd and despicable. But peel back this veneer of "lewdness and depravity" and you'll find a bloody social tragedy, each blow piercing the heart.
If the erotic parts are removed and the book is read with a critical eye, its literary value surpasses that of "Jin Ping Mei".
Therefore, it was listed as a banned book at the end of the Ming Dynasty and was lost during the Qing Dynasty, circulating only within the imperial court. Later, in 1966, a handwritten copy from the late Ming Dynasty was discovered in the Lenin Library in Moscow.
It wasn't until 1999 that it reached China.
Lin Sicheng took it and flipped through the back cover: published in Taiwan in 1997, complete edition.
It's actually the first-generation Chinese version, and the uncut version at that?
He casually placed it at his feet.
Tang Nanyan found it slightly odd: "This isn't an ancient book, is it?"
“Yes!” Lin Sicheng nodded. “But this book was lost in China during the Qing Dynasty. It was later brought back from Russia, and it was revised and reviewed before being published. Because the domestic version was cut too much, it is not as complete as this Taiwanese version!”
Tang Nanyan was taken aback: "Very valuable?"
"It may not be of great value, but it can serve as supporting material for the study of history and social phenomena in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty."
Hearing Lin Sicheng say this, Tang Nanyan became even more puzzled. She looked at the book at her feet, then at the one in Jing Zeyang's hand.
The same pornographic book can have vastly different values and effects depending on the person it's given to.
As she pondered this, she paused again: Lin Sicheng had opened another book, which was filled with strange drawings.
"Teacher Lin, what book is this?"
"The Jade Marrow True Scripture is a book that specifically discusses feng shui. It was compiled by Zhang Dongxuan, a feng shui master in the Song Dynasty, and annotated by Cai Yuanding. It is quite valuable for research."
Tang Nanyan was startled: "Song Shu?"
"Of course not. Although it was written in the Song Dynasty, this is a Republic of China edition. It's only valuable because of its annotations..."
Lin Sicheng explained, "Cai Yuanding was a disciple of Zhu Xi, a Neo-Confucian scholar of the Southern Song Dynasty. He himself was also a famous Neo-Confucian scholar and musicologist of the Southern Song Dynasty. He founded and laid the foundation for 'Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism,' and he is historically known as the 'leader of the Zhu school'..."
"At the same time, he was also a renowned geomancer, and the annotations in this book contain Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucian understanding and insights into ancient geomancy and feng shui. If this is the area of study, it is a very good reference..."
"This book wasn't lost, but many different schools of thought emerged afterward, and it was revised and modified in many ways. This one is quite complete and is considered one of the earliest surviving original editions..."
"So, you mean Professor Lin also studies geomancy and feng shui?"
Lin Sicheng nodded: "I'll flip through it occasionally."
Tang Nanyan blinked, looking at the book and then at Lin Sicheng.
How could you explain it so clearly if you only flip through it occasionally?
The same goes for the two books mentioned before, such as "Gu Wang Yan" at his feet, and "Piao Du Ji Guan" which Jing Zeyang held in his hands and couldn't take his eyes off. If one hadn't done in-depth research, it would be impossible to understand the origin, content, and source of the book just by looking at the title and without even turning the pages.
For a moment, Tang Nanyan couldn't understand: How studious and how good a memory must Lin Sicheng have to be to have so much "casual" time to learn so thoroughly all this miscellaneous knowledge that made her dizzy just by looking at it?
Xu Qin was even more shocked than she was.
Because her experience and knowledge are far richer than Tang Nanyan's when she first entered society: human strength has its limits. No matter how energetic or intelligent a person is, it is impossible to reach the level of being learned and knowledgeable in the twenties.
But looking at Lin Sicheng again, he knew more than just antiques and cultural relics; there was nothing he didn't know about anything related to antiquities.
Just as she was secretly wondering, Tang Nanyan gave her a wink.
Xu Qin took a closer look: Lin Sicheng was holding a book in his left hand, muttering to himself, and tapping his thigh repeatedly with his right index finger.
But it's not the kind of regular dots; it's more like one tap, two pauses, or two taps, one pause.
Listen carefully again, and it seems like he's saying "knife", "more", "send", and "rice".
Looking at the contents of the book, it looked like Chinese characters, but she didn't recognize nine out of ten of them.
When Xu Qin saw the words "musical score" at the top of the page, she suddenly realized: this was an ancient musical score.
Lin Sicheng wasn't reciting anything about knives and rice, but rather musical notation syllables. The finger he kept tapping on his thigh was keeping time.
But the problem is, this is ancient musical score, and he actually knows how to read it?
And it looks pretty smooth?
The two women looked at each other, unsure of what to say.
Lin Sicheng was very focused. After working through a few sections, he turned to the next one.
Half a book, entirely composed of dance scores:
Lin Sicheng was increasingly surprised as he looked at it: if he was not mistaken, this should be the "Illustrated Manual of Yuan Dynasty Palace Dance".
It's not complete, but even a fragment of the score is quite remarkable.
Because the original score had long been lost in China, it was lost once before in the early Ming Dynasty: Zhu Yuanzhang personally ordered its collection and burning, and strictly ordered officials and common people to keep it privately.
The reason is simple: it contains the famous "Sixteen Days of Demonic Dance".
Although the palace maids in the illustrations wear a lot of clothes, in reality, they wear very little.
The History of Yuan Dynasty, Annals of Emperor Shun: The emperor ordered the Heavenly Demon Dance, in which sixteen palace women wore ivory Buddha crowns, necklaces, and red silk short skirts, and danced in praise of Buddha... Palace officials who had received ordination were allowed to enter (eunuchs), while others were not allowed to participate.
The necklace is a beaded necklace, the red silk skirt is a gauze skirt, and other than that, she wears an ivory Buddha crown on her head, and nothing else.
The key point is that wearing this is more alluring than not wearing anything at all...
Miscellaneous historical records also state: The dancers San Sheng Nu, Miao Le Nu, and Wen Shu Nu were all exceptionally beautiful, wearing red shoes. After their dance, they would remove their shoes and put on their dance props, which were made of sacred sandalwood... Their dances took place at night, and all the lamps and candles in the tent were extinguished, with only the sounds of lewd moans and whimpers heard.
All Lin Sicheng can say is, he's quite the player.
Therefore, one of the proclamations in Zhu Yuanzhang's "Northern Expedition" against the Yuan Dynasty was: "They created the Heavenly Demon Dance, abducted virgins for offerings, and Heaven detested their licentiousness!"
After ascending the throne, Zhu Yuanzhang issued another decree: "Yuan used the Heavenly Demon Dance to bewitch the world. Now, those who have obtained the artifacts and records of it shall be thrown into the fire."
After that, the Yuan court music and dance were lost in China. However, they were preserved in the Timurid Empire in Central Asia (one of the four Khanates of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, founded by Timur, a nobleman of the Chagatai Khanate) and the Mughal Empire in India (founded by Timur's descendants).
It was not until the late Qing Dynasty that it was brought to China by Mongolian princes and presented to the palace as tribute.
Not long after, the Tongzhi Emperor died of smallpox. Empress Dowager Cixi issued an edict: the genealogy and artifacts were banned, and anyone who possessed them would be punished for treason.
However, this does not apply to Qinghai-Tibet and Mongolia, where the "Buddha Praise Dance" of the Tantric Tibetan Buddhist dual cultivation sect originated from this.
This particular copy is likely one that slipped through the net during the reign of Empress Dowager Cixi. It could also have been a Han Chinese copy treasured by Mongolian princes, which then ended up in Shanxi.
After all, it's close by.
As for its research value, it certainly has it: Firstly, it is, after all, a lost ancient genealogy. Although it exists abroad, it is troublesome to find.
Secondly, in 2016, the Dunhuang Academy studied the fragments of the dance score P.3501 and the music and dance murals in Cave 220, and discovered that the so-called Heavenly Demon Dance actually originated from the Tang Dynasty's "Court Zhezhi Dance".
Therefore, this thing is not as fantastical or evil as legend suggests; the key lies in the person.
Moreover, it is much easier to study than the "Wei Family Music Score", "Yue Palace Music", and even the Tang Dynasty "Dance of Startling Souls" that I found at the Guandi Temple in Yuncheng.
Firstly, it is closer to the present day, and secondly, it uses the lülü notation, which is much easier to translate than the gongche notation.
Secondly, in his previous life, Lin Sicheng had participated in the research of the "Court Zhezhi Dance" with his senior brother Shan Guoqiang. Although he was just a bystander, out of curiosity, he learned quite a bit about it.
With a little effort, it's not impossible to restore a few ancient melodies and a few Yuan Dynasty court dances...
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