Although there were many more people than before, the more than 20,000 Dunhuang documents still kept everyone busy all day, and they didn't finish cleaning them until it was completely dark.
After the scriptures were loaded into the helicopter, Professor Meng and his team thoroughly cleaned the inside of the Buddha statue, leaving not a single scrap of paper behind.
As it was getting late, and given the need for further research on the ancient temple, the group rested there that day.
Of course, there were heavily armed soldiers guarding the three helicopters. These precious Dunhuang documents are priceless, and losing even one copy would be a major loss.
The next day, Zhuang Rui and Dr. Ren accompanied Professor Meng and his group of experts to inspect the ancient temple. However, just as Zhuang Rui and his team had done in their previous survey, all the valuable items in the temple had been moved away, leaving only the ancient buildings, which still had some research value.
After confirming that there were no more Dunhuang documents in the ancient temple, the group boarded a helicopter and flew towards the town. Upon arrival, the helicopter simply dropped off Erdan and the others without stopping, and did not even return to Dunhuang. Instead, it went directly to the massive military camp at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
"Teacher, isn't this a bit too much? How did they end up living in the military base?"
Zhuang Rui had assumed that the helicopter would send a car to take him and his party to a hotel after landing at the military camp, but he was instead put up in the military guesthouse, which left him somewhat confused.
"A private plane will take us back to Beijing tomorrow, so let's stay here for the night..."
Seeing Zhuang Rui's puzzled expression, Professor Meng, though eager to examine the Dunhuang documents first, patiently explained, "Your archaeological expedition somehow got out of the loop. Now, the streets and alleys of Dunhuang are probably filled with tourists and antiquities smugglers. Staying here is probably the safest option..."
Since the beginning of 2000, the booming global investment market has also fueled a craze for Chinese antiques. Coupled with the speculation by some behind-the-scenes manipulators, the prices of these items, which could be bought for three or five yuan in the 1970s and 80s, have increased thousands of times.
However, the number of antiques circulating among the people is limited. As a result, many people have turned their attention to tombs. For a time, nine out of ten tombs in China were emptied. Some daring tomb raiders even dared to snatch treasures from the jaws of death and loitered in front of some national-level archaeological teams.
The recent discovery of Dunhuang manuscripts attracted a large number of domestic antiquities dealers and tomb raiders. After being alerted by relevant departments, Professor Meng chose a military camp as his temporary residence for the safety of these artifacts. ...
After a brief one-day stay, the day after Professor Meng returned to Beijing, news of a major breakthrough in Dunhuang archaeology spread worldwide through television, radio, newspapers, and the internet, causing a sensation in the global scientific community.
A hundred years ago, in an era of extremely underdeveloped communication, the discovery of the Dunhuang manuscripts caused a sensation throughout the world. The Dunhuang manuscripts unearthed today are no less impressive in terms of quantity and quality than those unearthed manuscripts, and the sensation they have caused is naturally even greater.
In a short time, Dunhuang cultural research institutions from various countries submitted applications to relevant domestic departments, requesting to participate in the scientific expedition in the form of cultural exchange, and proposed many cooperation and exchange plans.
In this context, the World Dunhuang Culture Symposium, which was convened in response to the situation, is scheduled to be held in Beijing next month. Institutions and scholars from Western countries, as well as Southeast Asia, including Japan, who study Dunhuang culture, have applied to participate in the conference.
Overnight, the names of Zhuang Rui and others became known to the world's scientific research community. A key leader in charge of culture, science and education in China also sent a congratulatory telegram, commending the archaeological team led by Zhuang Rui and Ren Chunqiang.
The discovery of the Dunhuang manuscripts coincided with the annual college entrance examination period. It is unknown how many students resolutely chose to apply for the relatively unpopular archaeology major because of this event. In previous years, the archaeology department could not even fill a single class, but now there was a shortage of students. It is undoubtedly related to this event.
CCTV even broadcast a large-scale science and education film, "Walking into Dunhuang," which had been lukewarm in popularity a few years ago, sparking an archaeological craze across China. Of course, in a way, it also expanded the ranks of tomb raiders.
Chapter 1124 Zhuang Rui's Persistence
"Zhuang Rui, have you thought it through? You don't want to participate in the later stages of sorting and researching the Dunhuang documents?"
The night before Professor Meng left the military camp in Jiuquan to return to Beijing, he called Zhuang Rui to his room. He originally wanted to discuss his research direction on Dunhuang documents with Zhuang Rui, but unexpectedly, he heard a decision from Zhuang Rui that surprised him greatly.
The first thing Zhuang Rui said after sitting down in the room was that he would not participate in the research group on the Dunhuang documents, but would continue his field research work, and he had even decided on the next destination.
“Teacher, I don’t know much about Dunhuang culture. When I was in graduate school, this wasn’t my main focus. Even if I get involved now, I’ll just be reaping the benefits without doing anything. I still want to try to find tombs from the Yuan Dynasty or the Western Xia Dynasty…”
To be honest, Zhuang Rui already has more than enough fame and fortune. He is worth hundreds of millions and is an expert in several fields. His research on Dunhuang may be extremely important to others, but Zhuang Rui really doesn't care much about it.
"You... why won't you listen to advice, Zhuang Rui? Don't you know that as long as you get involved, your application for full researcher status and your doctoral dissertation will be much easier to get approved? Why are you so stubborn?"
Professor Meng was quite troubled by Zhuang Rui's stubbornness. As Zhuang Rui's mentor, he genuinely cared about Zhuang Rui's well-being, and this discovery was indeed made under Zhuang Rui's leadership. Zhuang Rui should enjoy the fruits of victory.
The discovery of these Dunhuang documents is arguably the most significant and influential national-level archaeological discovery since the excavation of the Ming Tombs. If Zhuang Rui can participate in and lead a research project, he will become an indispensable young expert in the domestic scientific research community, even after he retires.
Although Professor Meng has many students, they have not yet reached the peak of their careers. Their influence and status in the domestic archaeological community are still far behind his. Therefore, Professor Meng hopes to cultivate a successor before he retires.
After counting all his students, Professor Meng found that the youngest, Zhuang Rui, was the most suitable.
Zhuang Rui's discovery of a pirate island abroad a few years ago unveiled a long-forgotten historical mystery, and his subsequent discovery of Liu Xiu's tomb in China filled a gap in the history of the Eastern Han Dynasty for the Chinese scientific community.
Later, when Zhuang Rui was pursuing his postgraduate studies, he focused on underwater archaeology. He first successfully salvaged an ancient shipwreck from the Song Dynasty in the deep sea for the first time. Later, he made great contributions in the salvage of the "Awa Maru", bringing to light the "Peking Man skull fossil" that had been missing for more than half a century.
These archaeological excavations had a profound impact and caused a great sensation. In fact, any one of Zhuang Rui's archaeological discoveries could have established his position in the field of archaeology. However, Zhuang Rui was too young at that time, and although he made many achievements, his theoretical knowledge was not yet up to par.
In addition, Zhuang Rui himself is relatively low-key, rarely attends academic conferences, and has few opportunities to appear in related occasions, so Zhuang Rui's reputation in the archaeological community is not very well-known.
However, the discovery of the Dunhuang documents this time is an excellent opportunity. Firstly, it was discovered by the archaeological team led by Zhuang Rui, which gives it an advantage and makes it more convincing. Secondly, these documentary materials are the easiest to produce results from. As long as Zhuang Rui identifies a research direction, it is easy to achieve results.
In this way, Zhuang Rui's lack of theoretical knowledge will be compensated, allowing him to leap to become a top archaeological expert in China. This is also Professor Meng's greatest expectation for Zhuang Rui.
Professor Meng never expected that Zhuang Rui would give up this easy achievement and instead go on to search for that elusive Yuan Dynasty tomb. Wasn't that like throwing away a sesame seed to pick up a watermelon?
Professor Meng took a deep breath and softened his voice, saying, "Zhuang Rui, although some Yuan Dynasty tombs have been discovered since the Yuan Dynasty, they are all tombs of Han Chinese who served as officials in the Yuan Dynasty. None of the tombs of Mongol emperors and nobles have been found. Many people have searched for them over the centuries, but nothing has been found. I say, shouldn't you reconsider?"
Although Zhuang Rui was his student, Professor Meng knew that he had a wide range of knowledge and had even greater achievements than himself in many fields. Therefore, he did not dare to force Zhuang Rui to obey him as he would with other students who had just entered school.
"Hehe, teacher, things always have to be done by someone. The Yuan Dynasty lasted for 97 years and had 11 emperors. I don't believe they all had sky burials, do I?"
Zhuang Rui remained convinced of his belief that he would definitely make some discoveries once he arrived at that vast grassland.
Although ancient times also had burial forms such as water burial, sky burial, and cremation, Zhuang Rui believed that with the Yuan Dynasty's powerful military strength, it would never have allowed its emperors to be buried so meagerly after their deaths. They would have certainly been buried in the ground with abundant funerary objects.
"Sky burial is naturally impossible, but given the Mongolian burial practices, after thousands of years, you simply cannot find any imperial tombs..."
Professor Meng shook his head. He had also spent some time studying the burial forms of the Yuan Dynasty. From the few remaining historical records, he concluded that the tombs of the Mongols were extremely deep, often tens or even hundreds of meters underground.
It's easy to imagine that on the vast grasslands where the wind blows and the grass bends low to reveal cattle and sheep, and after thousands of years of erosion, who could possibly find a tomb so deep underground? That would truly be a miracle.
Therefore, Professor Meng had to abandon his research on Yuan Dynasty tombs, because no matter how he studied them, without physical references, he couldn't achieve any results.
That's why Professor Meng is so earnestly advising Zhuang Rui now that he wants to repeat the mistakes she made in the past.
“Teacher, I still stand by my choice. I believe that if we can find the tombs of the Yuan Dynasty emperors, it will fill a gap in the archaeological record of Yuan Dynasty imperial tombs in my country. I think... that would be even more valuable than studying the Dunhuang documents…”
Zhuang Rui's unyielding attitude finally made Professor Meng lose his patience. His face tightened as he said, "Nonsense, who doesn't know the importance of the Yuan Dynasty imperial tombs? Every archaeologist wants to find them, but has anyone actually found them? Young people should be down-to-earth and not aim too high..."
At this point, Professor Meng realized that his words had been a bit harsh. He picked up his teacup, took a sip of water, and glanced at Zhuang Rui. He couldn't help but feel furious. That kid hadn't taken his words seriously at all.
"Forget it, you're just like me back in the day, you won't turn back until you hit a brick wall..."
Professor Meng thought of his youth and sighed deeply. He continued, "Well then, you've been on this field expedition for quite some time now. I'll give you another half month. If you haven't made any progress, you must return to Beijing immediately to prepare for the Dunhuang Culture World Exchange Academic Conference to be held in Beijing next month..."
Seeing that he couldn't persuade Zhuang Rui, Professor Meng had no choice but to settle for second best and let Zhuang Rui make an appearance at the Dunhuang academic symposium next month. After all, Zhuang Rui was the discoverer of this batch of Dunhuang documents, and he would certainly receive the honors he deserved.
Zhuang Rui, being an adult, could naturally sense his mentor's concern. He nodded and said, "Teacher, I'll do as you say. Thank you..."
"Xiao Ren is still with you, but sorting through those Dunhuang documents is a very tedious task. I'm taking these graduate students back with me. Remember, if you don't find anything within half a month, you must go back, otherwise your senior brother Ren won't get any benefit from this archaeological discovery..."
From Mr. Meng's words, it can be seen that he still values Zhuang Rui the most. He even made Ren Chunqiang give up the opportunity to join the Dunhuang research and let him follow Zhuang Rui. However, this also had the intention of forcing Zhuang Rui to return to Beijing as soon as possible.
"Teacher, this won't do. This opportunity is very important for my senior brother..."
Upon hearing Professor Meng's words, Zhuang Rui waved his hands repeatedly. What a joke! He, Zhuang Rui, might not care about titles and honors, but Dr. Ren relied on them for his livelihood. If this were the case, wouldn't his senior brother complain to death?
Professor Meng glared at him and said, "What's wrong with that? I'll get whatever Xiao Ren is entitled to, nothing will be missing. But the kid's a real worry; I can only feel at ease with him around..."
"Okay, teacher..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head helplessly, accepting his mentor's arrangement. He'd come to terms with it; if his senior brother suffered any consequences because of him, he could simply compensate him financially later.
"Brother Ren, you're not angry that I lured you to the grasslands, are you?"
Peng Fei drove his car across the vast grassland. It was the height of summer, and the grassland was filled with birdsong and the air was fresh. The sky reflected in the green grass looked exceptionally blue.
As the wind blows, the grass sways, and everywhere you see the scene of "the wind blowing the grass low to reveal cattle and sheep." Under the blue sky and white clouds, the boundless grassland, herds of cattle and sheep, galloping horses, and the heroic figures of herdsmen waving their saddles and riding their horses are all in sight.
Two days ago, Zhuang Rui, Peng Fei, and Dr. Ren returned to Dunhuang to retrieve their car. They then traveled through Ningxia, from Alxa League to Shizuishan City, and entered the vast grasslands.
Arriving on the grasslands from the wind-swept Northwest, my mindset completely changed. The greenery before my eyes contrasted sharply with the desolation of the Northwest.
Dr. Ren had no complaints about continuing to follow Zhuang Rui's lead, and said with a smile, "I never expected to see such scenery now. It's so beautiful, without a trace of modernity, it brings a sense of peace to the soul..."
Chapter 1125 Batel
"Brother Ren, now that you've come to the grasslands with me, you've missed out on participating in the work of sorting and excavating the Dunhuang documents. How can you still have the mind to look at the grasslands?"
Zhuang Rui was somewhat puzzled by Ren Chunqiang's performance. You see, archaeologists all over the country would probably be scrambling to get involved in the later stages of the Dunhuang artifacts sorting work, as this is a very rare opportunity to enhance one's qualifications.
"Hehe, it's better to follow you. We've made a trip to Dunhuang and found some Dunhuang documents. Maybe if we go to the grasslands together, we'll discover Genghis Khan's tomb..."
Dr. Ren burst into laughter upon hearing this. The reason he remained so calm was that Professor Meng had spoken with him before he left, assuring him that he would definitely be included in the researcher evaluation.
In universities, the highest professional title is usually professor, while those who do research are called researchers, and the highest level is professor.
Anyone who has worked in a school knows that there are many conditions required for the evaluation of professional titles. Many teachers who are in their fifties or sixties and are about to retire only have the title of associate professor. Dr. Ren was already very satisfied to be evaluated as a researcher in his early thirties.
"As long as Genghis Khan's tomb is on this vast grassland, maybe we can find it, Brother Ren... I've always had pretty good luck..."
Zhuang Rui also laughed. If a Yuan Dynasty emperor's tomb could be discovered on the grasslands, even if it wasn't Genghis Khan's, the sensation it would cause would probably be no less than the discovery of the Dunhuang documents.
It is important to know that the Yuan Dynasty's territory was unprecedentedly vast, encompassing not only the present-day China but also most of Siberia, extending east to the Bering Sea, Sikkim, Bhutan, the eastern half of Kashmir, northern Myanmar, northern Thailand, Laos, and northeastern North Korea.
During Genghis Khan's reign, the Mongol cavalry marched into the Volga River basin in Eastern Europe. Later, the Mongol Empire's cavalry even approached the heart of Europe. European royalty and nobles had to go to the Golden Tent every day to kowtow to the Mongol general before they could go about their business.
Therefore, European countries have a better understanding of and are more interested in the history of the Yuan Dynasty in China, which is one of the reasons why Yuan blue and white porcelain has been driven up to exorbitant prices.
If the imperial tombs of the Yuan Dynasty were discovered, their global impact would undoubtedly be no less than that of the discovery of the Dunhuang manuscripts.
"Let's hope so. With you around, miracles always happen..."
Ren Chunqiang thought about it for a moment and realized that Zhuang Rui's luck was really something else. Almost every time he went out, something would happen. Maybe Zhuang Rui could really fill the gap in the archaeological record of the Yuan Dynasty.
Surrounded by the vast grasslands, the people in the car felt particularly relaxed. Although the students had all returned to Beijing, Zhuang Rui and his two companions, who were around the same age, had more in common to talk about. ...
Looking at the herdsmen riding horses across the grassland, Zhuang Rui felt a little itchy inside. Anyone who was on this vast grassland would probably want to ride a horse and gallop across the plains.
Their destination was Ordos City in Inner Mongolia, but if Ordos City turned out to be just another steel city like those in other parts of China, Zhuang Rui thought they might as well just camp on the grassland, since they had brought tents anyway.
If all else fails, Zhuang Rui would rather find a Mongolian tent to stay in, as that would feel more authentic than staying in a hotel in Ordos.
When Erdos is mentioned, many people's first impression is probably the Erdos cashmere sweaters that are often seen in advertisements. However, for Zhuang Rui and Dr. Ren, it has a different meaning.
He established the Mongol Khanate and was hailed by the Mongols as "a leader as great as the sea," while many Western admirers called him "the emperor of all mankind!"
Genghis Khan, whom the founder of the People's Republic of China called "the pride of a generation," is said to have been buried in Ordos.
The famous Mausoleum of Genghis Khan is located on the grassland of Gandeli in Ejin Horo Banner, Ordos City.
It is called a legend because this above-ground tomb is only a cenotaph for Genghis Khan, and it was moved several times before finally being moved back to its original location in Ejin Horo Banner from Ta'er Monastery in Huangzhong County in 1954.
In a sense, people's attachment to this mausoleum is more of a spiritual sustenance.
Zhuang Rui has studied historical materials from the Yuan Dynasty onwards. Historically, there have been many different opinions about the location of Genghis Khan's tomb, but they mainly focus on four places.
The first possible burial site for Genghis Khan is located south of the Khentii Mountains and north of the Kerulen River in Mongolia, because Genghis Khan once said that he wanted to be buried there after his death.
The second location is the Altai Mountains in northern Xinjiang, based on the fact that Zhuang Rui's colleagues once discovered a man-made mountain there, which they speculated might be the burial tomb of Genghis Khan.