The relics of eminent monks have always been extremely important treasures in Buddhism. Moreover, these stupas contain the names and life stories of the deceased monks written in Sanskrit. If there are relics inside the stupas, the discovery is enough to cause a sensation in the world of Buddhism.
Upon hearing Dr. Ren's words, Zhuang Rui released a slight burst of spiritual energy from his eyes. Sure enough, the tower was empty, with no relics in sight. It was likely that the monks had taken these relics of eminent monks with them when they moved.
Zhuang Rui glanced at the sky; the sun was almost setting below the horizon, and night had completely fallen. He then said, "Let's go back. This place is basically abandoned, but it could be developed into a tourist attraction. I just don't know if the local government is willing to invest..."
This place is too far from human habitation. It would take three days to walk through the desert alone, and there are also shifting sands blocking the way. Developing it would probably cost an astronomical sum of money, which is why Zhuang Rui said that.
After returning to the gate of the ancient temple, Mengzi, Erdan, and the others had already started a fire on the ground using dry poplar branches. These guys had been following Zhuang Rui for a while and realized that they couldn't dismantle the temple buildings to make fires for cooking.
"Zhuang Rui, there aren't even many ordinary tables and chairs left here. There's not much value in excavating it anymore. Let's go back tomorrow..."
Since Zhuang Rui and the others couldn't help with cooking, they simply sat around the campfire and discussed their next steps.
Zhuang Rui took out a pack of cigarettes, distributed them to everyone, and nodded, saying, "Alright, after we get out of here, we'll enter the Great Grassland. Right now, only the tombs from the Western Xia and Mongol periods are relatively well-preserved. Hopefully, we can find one..."
Zhuang Rui's main purpose for this trip was to lead an archaeological excavation in the field as a reference for his future doctoral dissertation. However, the ancient tombs he had discovered along the way had either been looted or, like the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, were impossible to excavate. Zhuang Rui was now getting a little anxious.
Zhuang Rui had originally hoped to find some items in this ancient temple, but after carefully surveying each hall with his spiritual energy, he discovered that nothing of value had been taken away.
Thinking of this, Zhuang Rui suddenly remembered something and called out to Mengzi, who was busy by the campfire, "Brother Mengzi, I need to ask you something..."
"Brother Zhuang, what's the matter?"
Mengzi turned around, puzzled.
"Brother Mengzi, didn't you say earlier that there were only three or five monks in this temple? That's unlikely. Such a big temple should be able to accommodate at least two or three hundred monks, right?"
Mengzi had previously told Zhuang Rui that this was just a small temple, but what they were seeing before them clearly did not fit the description of "small".
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Mengzi scratched his head in confusion. After thinking for a while, he said, "Well... I don't know either. But the old folks in town used to say that there really were only three or five monks here. They even passed through the town when they moved away..."
"Zhuang Rui, don't worry about it. I guess many of the monks left the temple a long time ago, leaving only a few behind. It's probably been so long that even the people in the town don't know about it..."
Dr. Ren gave a very reasonable explanation, and Zhuang Rui thought about it and nodded in agreement, but he still felt that something was not quite right.
"Brother Mengzi, make some meat soup tonight. We haven't had soup in ages, our mouths are practically blistered..."
Just as Zhuang Rui was pondering this, he suddenly heard Peng Fei's voice.
"Huh? By the way, where did they go just now?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned when he heard Peng Fei's words and realized that these people had actually come from inside the temple. They had been wandering around inside for at least an hour and hadn't seen Peng Fei and his friends.
Chapter 1114 A dog catching a mouse is meddling in other people's business.
"Peng Fei, where did you guys go just now? I didn't see any of you inside."
Although the temple was not small, it was in a state of disrepair. The only path that could be walked on was the one that Zhuang Rui and the others had just taken. If Peng Fei and the others had also entered the temple, they would have seen it.
"I didn't go anywhere, I just stayed in the main hall with that little Japanese guy..."
Peng Fei replied with a frustrated expression. In his opinion, this Japanese guy must have something wrong with his head. Not only did he kowtow three times and bow nine times to those big Buddha statues, but after bowing, he also walked around them several times.
If Peng Fei hadn't dragged Nakagawa out because it was getting late, the old man probably would have slept there all night, claiming he wanted to listen to the Buddha's teachings. That's utter nonsense.
"Alright, let's eat. We'll head back first thing tomorrow morning. This trip wasn't a complete waste; at least we saw a mirage..."
Zhuang Rui walked to the iron pot where the broth was boiling, picked up a ladle and ladled himself a bowl of piping hot mutton soup. He then squatted down the steps and drank it, just like Mengzi. With his gray-yellow clothes and indistinguishable hair color, he really did look a bit like a farmer from Northwest China.
"We should have gotten out of here a long time ago. This desert is no place for humans to stay. I haven't washed my face in almost a week..."
Peng Fei also ladled out a bowl of mutton soup and squatted down next to Zhuang Rui. In the past few years, he had been following Zhuang Rui and staying in star-rated hotels, completely forgetting that when he was in the army, he had once spent three days and three nights wandering in a tropical jungle full of leeches and mosquitoes.
"Yes, yes, Brother Peng is right. Let's get out of here as soon as possible. Look... we're fine without washing our faces, but look at what Xiao Lei looks like..."
Xiao Jia, who was running a low fever, nodded repeatedly after hearing Peng Fei's words. He was too embarrassed to say that he wanted to go out, but he pulled out the only woman in the group.
Although these students don't come from wealthy families, they've never experienced this kind of hardship before. Riding on camels for the past few days, their buttocks must be calloused from all the chafing.
"You're such a slippery character. Do you think we archaeologists can be picky about the environment? Let me tell you, some archaeological sites have even worse conditions than this. Those undecomposed corpses can make you throw up your dinner from the night before. If you can't handle it, don't go into this line of work..."
Although Dr. Ren is not usually very talkative, his stern face immediately silenced the graduate students.
"We're not going to do this after graduation..."
Xiao Jia muttered something in a low voice, barely audible to himself, but what he said was true: they had already found jobs after graduation at Zhuang Rui's Dingguang Museum.
Little did Xiao Jia and the others know that their future big boss was currently squatting with them, drinking mutton soup. If Xiao Jia had known, he probably wouldn't have been complaining so much.
Of course, given Zhuang Rui's current status and experience, he wouldn't bother arguing with Xiao Jia. These people born in the 1980s are already quite capable of enduring this kind of hardship.
"Brother Ren, let's take some photos tomorrow. We'll hand these things over to the local cultural relics bureau, and what they do with them is their business..."
Zhuang Rui ignored Xiao Jia and the others, and instead discussed in hushed tones with Dr. Ren. Although the ancient temple had no further excavation value, its architecture itself was worth studying.
Moreover, some of the palaces are made of exquisite materials and are still very well preserved even after hundreds or thousands of years. In particular, the murals in some of the main halls have extremely high artistic value.
Of course, the fact that these palaces have been preserved so well is also related to the local climate. If they were placed in the Jiangnan region where it is drizzling all day long, even with steelmaking technology there, the objects would probably be almost completely rotten.
“Okay, let’s take pictures of all the murals and inscriptions. These are very valuable materials. We must come again next time, Zhuang Rui. These first-hand rubbings are very valuable in the antique market these days…”
Their preparations for coming to the desert this time were not very thorough; for example, they did not bring Xuan paper with them. There are quite a few inscriptions in this temple that are worth making rubbings of.
As for selling rubbings for money, that was a joke between Ren Chunqiang and Zhuang Rui. However, what he said was not wrong. Recently, rubbings of ancient inscriptions have become very popular in Panjiayuan, Beijing. If it is a first-hand rubbing in good condition, it can sell for thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan.
This led many antique dealers in Beijing to switch to selling stones. They would go to Shandong to order stone tablets, have scriptures carved on them, bury them in fertile soil to ferment for half a month, and then make rubbings. It was definitely a very profitable business.
"Brother Zhuang, where are we going to sleep tonight? Are we going to squeeze in with the Buddha in the main hall, or are we going to sleep in a tent outside?"
There weren't many entertainment options in the desert. After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Peng Fei began to ask Team Leader Zhuang for instructions. Just like in sports, the leader of this archaeological team was responsible for the team members' eating, drinking, toileting, and sleeping.
Zhuang Rui thought for a moment and said, "Let's set up the tent in the main hall. I think the roof beam is sturdy enough that it won't crush us..."
Sleeping in an open-air tent amidst so many palaces is not Zhuang Rui's style. After all, Zhuang Rui has experience exploring ancient tombs. Although he wouldn't dare say he slept on a coffin, he certainly wouldn't have any psychological barriers to sleeping next to a few clay Buddha statues.
After extinguishing the bonfire in front of the temple gate, everyone picked up their tents and prepared to enter the temple. Staying overnight in the temple was a novel experience for them.
"Baka..."
To Zhuang Rui and the others' surprise, before they even stepped through the dilapidated temple gate, Nakagawa suddenly jumped up and blocked their way with an indignant expression.
"Xiao Yan, what did he say? Is he possessed by a ghost or something? What kind of crazy thing is he doing?"
Zhuang Rui was somewhat puzzled. This Japanese guy had been quite well-behaved the whole way, so what was wrong with him? Could it be that he had just prayed to Buddha and the deity possessed him?
“Brother Zhuang, he… he said this is a sacred Buddhist site, and you are not allowed to enter and desecrate the Buddha, especially this woman…”
When Xiao Yan translated Zhongchuan's words, he had a wry smile on his face. Modern Buddhism is also keeping up with the times. Where are there so many rules anymore?
In the past two years, with the rise of the internet, not only has a celebrity monk emerged, but even the abbot of a famous temple has opened his heart to women. Why is a Japanese person making such a fuss in this deserted ancient temple?
Moreover, Buddhism in the Sui and Tang dynasties was even more advanced than it is now. Monks had a very high status back then. Well-behaved temples could honestly be big landlords, while unruly ones often bullied men and women. Now that they have declined to this state, they should at least make some contributions for future generations.
"Xiao Yan, tell him what it means to 'eat and drink meat without eating, but keep Buddha in your heart.' Damn it, he ate every last bit of that mutton just now..."
Zhuang Rui was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this, but he knew that the Japanese were quite serious and could be very fervent when they were religious, so he wasn't really angry.
“Brother Zhuang, Zhong… Zhongchuan said it’s fine to go in, but you can only sleep in the courtyard, not in the main hall, otherwise Buddha will be displeased…”
After exchanging words with Nakagawa, Yan Xiaowei translated them with great displeasure. In his opinion, the Japanese were simply making a fuss over nothing... Why bother with all that?
“Tell him he likes to sleep in the courtyard, so let him stay there by himself. We’re going into the main hall…”
Zhuang Rui was too lazy to argue with Nakagawa. He wasn't going to relieve himself in front of Buddha, so there was no question of offending anyone. Wasn't Nakagawa's behavior just meddling in other people's business?
Seeing that he couldn't dissuade Zhuang Rui and the others, Nakagawa stomped his foot in anger and then followed them into the main hall with his tent and belongings. However, he kept muttering to himself. After entering the main hall, he knelt down and worshipped the three Buddha statues.
"Hmm? Something's not right with this Japanese guy?"
When Zhuang Rui saw how respectfully Nakagawa treated the three Buddha statues, he felt something was off. Although Buddhism was very popular in Japan, China was not the birthplace of Buddhism. There was no need for Nakagawa to travel all the way here to show his piety.
Moreover, Zhuang Rui had always suspected that Nakagawa's visit to Dunhuang was not for good intentions, and that he might be hiding some secrets.
Zhuang Rui had just used his spiritual energy to examine the many halls within this ancient temple and found nothing amiss, so he put aside his suspicions. However, Zhongchuan's current behavior made Zhuang Rui mutter to himself again.
"Buddha statue... Buddha statue... Oh dear!"
Zhuang Rui stared intently at the three Buddha statues, whose surface paint had almost completely peeled off, when suddenly he slapped his forehead and shouted loudly.
"Zhuang Rui, what's wrong?"
Dr. Ren, who was standing next to Zhuang Rui, was startled by Zhuang Rui's actions. Why was he hitting his own head for no reason?
"Brother Ren, where did those temples during the Sui and Tang dynasties usually hide their loot?"
Zhuang Rui's eyes lit up. He casually threw down the tent he was holding, walked to the Buddha statue in the center, and reached out to stroke the Buddha's feet. He looked even more devout than Nakagawa, who was kneeling on the ground.
"A cellar, or maybe a dark room..."
Dr. Ren didn't immediately grasp the meaning of Zhuang Rui's words, but after seeing Zhuang Rui's expression, he couldn't help but laugh and said, "Zhuang Rui, are you saying... there's an ancient treasure hidden inside these three large Buddha statues?"
According to historical records, this practice did exist during the flourishing of Buddhism in the Sui and Tang dynasties. Some wealthy temples even melted down copper to make Buddha statues, which were then covered with painted sculptures.
Chapter 1115 Something in the Belly (Part 1)
The color of copper is almost identical to that of gold, so during the Sui and Tang dynasties, and even the Ming and Qing dynasties, many people called copper Buddhas "golden Buddhas," or they would gild the surface of copper Buddhas and claim that they were golden Buddhas.
In ancient times, copper was money, especially during periods of social instability and war. Local warlords would often melt down copper to mint coins, which led to the looting of many famous temples because they were believed to contain gold Buddha statues (which were actually copper Buddha statues). "Brother Ren, do you think these Buddha statues might be made of copper? If they were in ancient times, they would be considered a huge treasure..."
Zhuang Rui tapped on a large Buddha statue, but it only produced a "poof" sound. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "They're just a few clay Buddhas. It seems this ancient temple isn't doing too well..."
Zhuang Rui had studied the history of Buddhism during the Five Dynasties, Sui, and Tang periods for a period of time and was deeply impressed by the wealth of the temples at that time. In that era when the emperor believed in Buddhism, many large Buddhist temples of this scale were incredibly wealthy.
Upon hearing this, Dr. Ren laughed and scolded, "You're just talking without understanding the situation. In the early 20th century, copper coins were still in use. If this were a copper Buddha, it would probably have been melted down and used to make coins long ago. Besides, how much copper would it take to make a seven or eight-meter-tall Buddha?"
"Such a large Buddha statue, it must be hollow inside, right? Hey, Mr. Nakagawa, why do you look so pale..."
Zhuang Rui patted the Buddha statue in front of him, but his eyes were always on Nakagawa. Since Zhuang Rui and Dr. Ren started chatting, Nakagawa had stopped worshipping the Buddha and instead pulled the translator Yan aside to inquire about their conversation.
"Looks unwell? No way, you're probably just tired from traveling all day. I'm not as young as you guys. It's getting late, don't you want to sleep?" Zhongchuan, having Yan Xiaowei translate his words, vehemently denied Zhuang Rui's statement, and even yawned before standing up to prepare to set up the tent.
"Hehe, since Mr. Nakagawa is tired, you should rest first..."
Zhuang Rui smiled upon hearing this, and after Yan Xiaowei translated what he said, he continued, "Brother Ren, have you read Jin Yong's martial arts novel 'A Deadly Secret'?"
"I think I read 'A Deadly Secret' a long time ago, but I've forgotten most of the plot. I think it's about a protagonist named Di something-or-other who was framed and imprisoned, and eventually learned a divine skill to avenge himself?"
Dr. Ren was completely bewildered by Zhuang Rui's question, but most people his age had read Jin Yong's martial arts novels and had some recollection of the book. He immediately retorted, "Why are you asking this? There's nothing related to archaeology in that book..."
Nakagawa, who was standing to the side, seemed a little nervous about the conversation between Zhuang Rui and Yan Xiaowei. Even though they were setting up a tent, he still pulled Yan Xiaowei aside and asked him to tell him about their conversation.