“Da Niu, I’m not a policeman, I won’t arrest you, and I have no reason to lie to you. I wouldn’t dare buy these things from you either; if I did, I’d be guilty along with you…”
Explaining things to someone as illiterate as Da Niu is a real struggle. Zhuang Rui racked his brains to organize his thoughts before continuing, "Do you know what kind of tomb you've robbed?"
"have no idea……"
Da Niu shook his head.
"That's the tomb of an ancient emperor, something the state is protecting. If you dig it up, won't the government hold you accountable? They haven't caught you yet, but once they do, you'll probably get at least a life sentence..."
Zhuang Rui is right. If these things enter the antique market, it will definitely be a major cultural relics case, and it might even alarm the Ministry of Public Security. At that time, these two brothers will definitely be in trouble.
"Then... what should we do? We don't even know what kind of tomb this is..."
Da Niu was almost in tears after hearing Zhuang Rui's words. He didn't doubt that Zhuang Rui was lying to him, because from the moment they entered the store, Zhuang Rui had always been very sincere and hadn't discriminated against them because they were from the countryside. So Da Niu still trusted Zhuang Rui.
Zhuang Rui shook his head helplessly. Neither of the two brothers were bad people, but they were ignorant of the law. Even if they hadn't met him today, their aimless search for buyers would definitely have attracted the attention of the police.
Zhuang Rui had a good impression of the two brothers. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Da Niu, if you trust me, I'll teach you a way to get the police to drop the charges against you. They might even give you a reward of a few thousand yuan..."
"Brother, what's the plan? Just tell us, and we brothers will definitely do as you say..."
Da Niu was completely bewildered. He hadn't expected that tomb raiding, which was practically an open business in their village, would lead to executions after only six months. This left Da Niu at a loss.
When Da Niu heard Zhuang Rui say that if he did as he was told, not only would he not be arrested, but he would also get paid, he immediately began to see Zhuang Rui as his lifeline.
"By the way, where exactly did you dig these things?"
Zhuang Rui asked, "If he's going to make up a story, he should at least know the details."
"this……"
Da Niu glanced at Zhuang Rui, a suspicion rising in his heart. Could it be that the other party was trying to trick him into revealing the location of the tomb so that he could dig it up himself?
Zhuang Rui saw through Da Niu's intentions. It's really hard to be a good person these days. He said, half-laughing, half-crying, "Da Niu, I'm saving you guys, don't ruin yourself..."
"That...that tomb is in a cave on a cliff. I saw it when Erniu and I went to collect herbs when we were kids. Later we found out that it was probably an ancient tomb, and it was only dug up last month..."
After thinking for a long time, Zhang Daniu finally chose to trust Zhuang Rui. He had worked in the city before and knew that the other party had no reason to lie to him. It seemed that he had really gotten himself into big trouble this time.
"On a cliff? In a cave?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment. It seemed that this was an imperial cliff tomb, but it would be difficult to make up a lie to exonerate these two big brothers.
After thinking for a moment, Zhuang Rui said to Da Niu, "Da Niu, when the police come, just say this: you discovered this ancient tomb while collecting herbs, then took the items out and handed them over to the government in Beijing. Remember, stick to this story, and don't change your story no matter who asks..."
Although this reason is somewhat far-fetched, the Da Niu brothers haven't sold anything yet, so it doesn't constitute the crime of illegally excavating and selling cultural relics. As long as they stick to this claim, and since the cultural relics were voluntarily handed over, they probably won't be held criminally liable.
"B-Brother, is there still any chance of getting the bonus? We only have three hundred yuan left, not even enough for the fare back home..."
Da Niu's words immediately amused Zhuang Rui. What kind of time is this to be thinking about the bonus? Actually, the bonus Zhuang Rui mentioned earlier was meant to be some money he would give to the two brothers, since they had also found an imperial tomb.
"There's a bonus, five thousand yuan. Wait a moment, I'll call the police. Explain this matter clearly, and you can collect the bonus..."
Zhuang Rui thought for a moment, then told Da Niu to wait inside. He took out his phone, went outside, and dialed a number.
"Hello, Officer Miao?"
"Zhuang Rui, what made you decide to call me?"
Miao Feifei on the other end of the phone was somewhat surprised.
"Ahem, well, here's the thing. Two farmers from Henan accidentally discovered an imperial tomb. They came to Beijing wanting to donate the artifacts to the country. Shouldn't this be under your jurisdiction, police?"
Zhuang Rui knew that Miao Feifei had been involved in some tomb raiding cases recently, so he reluctantly approached her. After all, the story he made up for the Da Niu brothers was a bit far-fetched.
"Farmers would donate cultural relics to the state? Zhuang Rui, are you kidding me?"
Officer Miao didn't believe it. These days, many farmers rob graves, but none of them voluntarily donate the graves to the state. Zhuang Rui's words sounded very unusual.
"I... how could I joke with you? I'm at the Panjiayuan store right now. Those two people and their stuff are here. You'll see when you get here..."
Zhuang Rui gave a wry smile. As expected, no one believed this, but he really couldn't bear to see Brother Da Niu go to jail for this, and wanted to help them.
"Okay, I'll contact the cultural relics department and head over right away..."
Although Miao Feifei didn't believe it, she knew Zhuang Rui wouldn't joke about something like this. After hanging up, she called the relevant authorities and got into a police car, heading towards Panjiayuan. ...
"Hello, teacher, this is Zhuang Rui. It's like this, today..."
After hanging up with Miao Feifei, Zhuang Rui called Professor Meng and explained the whole story. If this was an imperial tomb, his mentor would probably be involved in the future protective excavation.
"Xiao Zhuang, are you telling the truth? There was a jade figure among the burial objects? It was forty-eight centimeters tall?"
Professor Meng was greatly surprised when he heard Zhuang Rui's words. He had participated in the archaeological excavation of many Han tombs and unearthed many jade figures, but those jade figures were all very small, the largest being no bigger than the palm of his hand. He had never heard of anything like what Zhuang Rui described.
"Teacher, it's true. The items are still in the store. I've also notified the police. I was wondering if the subsequent protective excavation of this ancient tomb could be submitted to our school?"
The Institute of Archaeology at Peking University is one of the top archaeological research institutions in China, and Professor Meng is a leading figure in the field. If it really is an imperial tomb, he would probably have to personally take charge.
"Okay, I'll head over right away. Make sure the artifacts are well protected. As for the subsequent archaeological excavation, I'll discuss it with the relevant departments and try to take on that task..."
Professor Meng has dedicated his life to the study of Chinese burial archaeology, and of course he wouldn't miss an unknown tomb. After thinking for a moment, he continued, "Since you're about to start your internship, why don't you come with me? If those burial objects are really as you say, it's likely that another major archaeological discovery will be made..."
The Eastern and Western Han dynasties each had twelve emperors, and countless others were granted titles of kings and marquises. However, after more than two thousand years, many tombs have been looted by grave robbers. Now, another Han imperial tomb has been discovered, and Professor Meng can't help but feel excited. ...
Professor Meng and Officer Miao arrived at Xuanrui Zhai at almost the same time. Professor Meng was accompanied by Dr. Ren, while Miao Feifei was followed by several police officers and relevant staff from the cultural relics department.
When the people from the Cultural Relics Bureau saw Professor Meng, they all rushed forward to greet him. However, Professor Meng did not have time to be polite with them. As soon as he entered Xuanruizhai, he asked Zhuang Rui to take him to see the items, while Officer Miao went to find Brother Da Niu to take a statement.
"A national treasure, a national treasure!" Professor Meng's hands gently caressed the beautiful woman's body, the movements as tender as if he were caressing a lover's body, his face revealing an uncontrollable excitement.
Chapter 884 Applying Knowledge
Anyone who can achieve success in a certain industry must be a very focused person. Professor Meng is just like that now. At this moment, he can't see anything else except this jade figure.
"What a treasure! Such a large piece of jade, and the carving is so exquisite. It can be described as the finest of Han jade, representing the highest level of jade carving craftsmanship at that time..."
More than ten minutes passed before Professor Meng finally looked away from the jade figure, his face still showing amazement. Clearly, the jade figure had deeply impressed him.
Professor Meng has personally overseen the excavation of countless ancient tombs, but he has never seen such a large jade figure before. After looking at the jade figure, he then looked at the bronze candlesticks and terracotta figurines, and a look of regret appeared on his face.
Every artifact unearthed from a tomb is a treasure left by our ancestors. Looking at the broken bronze candlestick, Professor Meng's face did not look good.
"Xiao Zhuang, what era are these things from?"
After examining the object, Professor Meng asked Zhuang Rui a question, his words implying a thorough investigation.
"Teacher, these things are undoubtedly from the Han Dynasty, but I can't figure out whether they are from the Eastern Han or Western Han Dynasty..."
Zhuang Rui answered honestly that he had no problem distinguishing between genuine and fake, but he was not capable of explaining the dating process in detail.
Dr. Ren, who had been following behind Professor Meng, suddenly spoke up: "This should be an imperial tomb from the Eastern Han Dynasty..."
"Senior Brother Ren, how do you know?"
Zhuang Rui was completely convinced that his senior brother's knowledge was inferior to his mentor's, but he was a little unconvinced that his senior brother had determined it to be an imperial tomb of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He had looked at it for a long time but still couldn't figure out whether it was from the Eastern Han or Western Han Dynasty.
Dr. Ren laughed upon hearing this, pointing to the jade figure and saying to Zhuang Rui, "Zhuang Rui, look at the clothing of this jade figure. It's a straight-hemmed robe, with long and wide sleeves and a vertical hem, which is a characteristic of Eastern Han Dynasty clothing... Also, the female figure on this bronze artifact has a hem that opens to the right, while Western Han Dynasty clothing has hems that open to the left. In addition, the tombs that could afford to bury jade figures at that time must have been imperial tombs. Even nobles and kings wouldn't have dared to be buried so lavishly..."
When the Western Han Dynasty was established, it basically followed the clothing system of the Qin Dynasty, which was called "Quju Chanyi", that is, the opening was curved from the collar to the armpit. However, in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the clothing changed to "Zhiju Chanyi", which was opened vertically from the collar downward.
This view has been confirmed in the academic community through the excavation and verification of many burial objects. Therefore, when excavating Han tombs, one can usually determine whether the objects are from the Eastern Han or Western Han dynasties based on the clothing of the pottery figurines or human figures.
Of course, these things sound simple, but if you are not an archaeologist with extensive experience, it is difficult to make judgments from those pottery figurines with mottled glazes.
"Xiao Ren is right, Zhuang Rui. You've learned this knowledge before. Don't just memorize it; you need to learn it and apply it in practice..."
After Dr. Ren finished speaking, Professor Meng nodded approvingly and then gave Zhuang Rui a lecture, saying that as a teacher, one should always remind students which knowledge points need to be learned.
"I understand, teacher. Now that you mention it, it makes perfect sense. Senior, you can't keep things to yourself anymore; you have to remind me more often..."
After listening to Dr. Ren's words, Zhuang Rui also realized his own shortcomings. He had learned all the things that Ren Chunqiang mentioned, but in practical application, he was still far inferior to his senior.
Dr. Ren was a little embarrassed by Professor Meng and Zhuang Rui's praise, and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Hehe, Professor, Zhuang Rui, please don't flatter me. If I hadn't presided over several on-site excavations of Han Dynasty tombs, I might not be as good as Zhuang Rui..."
"Well, Xiao Ren has a solid foundation in basic knowledge, while Zhuang Rui, you have rich experience in appreciating antiques. As long as you visit more excavation sites in the future, you will gradually be able to apply it to practice..."
Looking at his two students, Professor Meng felt extremely proud. Dr. Ren was a very proper person and had now stayed on to teach at the university. He would definitely follow the same path as him in the future.
Zhuang Rui's actions are somewhat unconventional, often surprising people with his unexpected and delightful deeds. For example, the discovery of the Krause pirate treasure brought great recognition to the Chinese scientific community on the world stage.
As for the "ancient porcelain" incident that caused a great stir some time ago, Professor Meng had also heard about it. If he was not mistaken, it was most likely the work of his prized student.
Although Zhuang Rui's methods were not entirely aboveboard, and Professor Meng had some reservations, the results were excellent, at least keeping the neighboring countries quiet about the so-called "cultural disputes."
Of course, Zhuang Rui himself would not admit that he used underhanded methods. The antique business is inherently full of deceit and it is difficult to distinguish between real and fake. If you are not good at identifying fake items, you have to swallow your pride and bear the consequences. Who told you to be incompetent and try to take advantage of others?
Although it may sound harsh, it's the truth of the antique business. If you don't believe me, try buying a fake item and complaining about it all over the world. People will surely comfort you by saying it's just tuition, and no one will condemn the person who sold the fake.
Even those selling fakes might not be able to tell the difference between real and fake items. The antique trade is all about a discerning eye, and that's part of the fun of treasure hunting.
"Xiao Zhuang, where are those two farmer brothers you mentioned? Let's go, we need to get to Henan right now. We can't let this tomb be damaged again..."
After examining all the items brought by the Zhang brothers, Professor Meng's solemn face showed a hint of excitement. Although the tomb had been opened, there were still many things inside worth studying.
In fact, from the perspective of cultural relic preservation, it is far more effective to keep antiques in sealed ancient tombs than to excavate them, because once the tomb is opened, the air circulation will cause these burial objects that are thousands of years old to suffer devastating damage.
At least for now, there is no good way to excavate ancient tombs without damaging the burial objects.
Therefore, from an archaeological perspective, it is not advisable to open tombs extensively. In many cases, archaeological excavations are only carried out as a last resort, usually as a remedial excavation after the tomb has already been looted by grave robbers.
Just like the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, although its exact location has been explored, the country has not yet made up its mind to excavate it. Firstly, due to technical factors, there is still no way to properly deal with the mercury that fills the surface of the mausoleum. Secondly, there is a fear of damaging the burial objects inside the mausoleum.
Opening the sealed imperial tomb will inevitably lead to weathering, and those precious cultural relics that have been preserved for more than two thousand years will likely turn to ashes. This is the main reason why relevant departments have been unable to make a decision despite repeated investigations.
"Teacher, only these two brothers know about the tomb, so it's fine for now..."
Zhuang Rui hadn't expected Professor Meng to be so impatient, wanting to head to Henan so soon. He wasn't prepared at all. Zhuang Rui was a little reluctant to leave his children who had just learned to call him "Dad."
Professor Meng shook his head and said, "Sigh, the tomb passage has already been opened. The burial objects inside won't be properly preserved and will decay quickly. Let's hurry over there..."
"Okay, teacher, I'll go see if the police have finished questioning us."
Zhuang Rui had no choice but to nod in agreement. Anyway, he was going to do an internship at an archaeological excavation site this year, so he might as well use this tomb as practice.
Although the two brothers had almost emptied the burial goods, they hadn't touched the stone coffin, and the most valuable item was likely inside.
"Officer Miao... Officer Miao, how's the inquiry going on your end?"
Zhuang Rui went to the backyard and found that the statements of the Zhang brothers, Daniu and Zhang Erniu, had been taken. Judging from Miao Feifei's furrowed brows, she must have been quite angry with Zhang Erniu.
Miao Feifei glanced at Zhuang Rui and said, "Zhuang Rui, come with me..."
Zhuang Rui didn't know why Miao Feifei had called him, so he followed behind her, saying, "Officer Miao, what's wrong? If there's nothing else, I'd like to take them both to Henan. That ancient tomb needs to be excavated..."