Salle de classe 407

Chapitre 7

Coughing, the crowd swept the sand away, and slowly gathered together once the dust settled. Their pupils dilated instantly as they all looked at the crack in the stone slab.

Where the stone slab has lay for over two thousand years, a large circular hole, about three meters in diameter, has appeared. Inside the hole, there is a stone staircase leading downwards. It is not very high, and when the sunlight shines down, you can see the long, dark tunnel beneath the steps.

It's the entrance to the ancient tomb!

16. Princess Zhaoling

The crowd erupted in cheers, their faces a mixture of shock and elation. They hadn't expected that the ancient tomb they'd been searching for so long would be stumbled upon by a little girl. Was it a miracle, or irony?

A strange feeling welled up in Yin Li's heart. As she gazed at the deep tunnel, a chill ran up her spine like a snake, causing her to take a step back.

Why? Why did she feel this way? It was like a fear lurking deep in her memory; she couldn't go down, she couldn't go down. Down there, something terrifying awaited her and the entire archaeological team!

"Professor, shall we go down?" Guo Tong asked excitedly as he looked into the tomb passage.

Professor Li was also very excited, and even the wrinkled skin on his face was trembling: "It has been sealed inside for so many years, which would have generated a lot of toxic gases. Let the wind blow it out first to disperse the toxic gases before going in."

Qin Wen seemed to realize something, turned her head, and looked in the direction of the stone forest, where she could faintly see a white light flickering. Everyone suddenly realized what was happening, and their previously excited hearts suddenly turned cold, as if someone had poured cold water on them.

It was those tomb raiders!

The crowd fell silent again, their initial joy at finding the tomb entrance replaced by a gripping sense of fear and anxiety. A flicker of unease crossed the eyes of the young man Professor Li had called Xiao Tan, and he whispered, "Professor, it seems they've discovered it too. What do we do?"

"Don't panic, everyone," Qin Wen said calmly. "There's no other way now but to wait for Brother Chen to bring the police back. Let's pretend we don't know anything and go down into the tomb first. At least take some photos. If we leave it too long, the clothes and other antiques will decay quickly."

The group exchanged glances but remained silent. Even Zhang Yuanyuan, who was known for her sarcastic remarks, agreed.

An hour later, Professor Li lit a torch and slowly lowered it into the cave entrance using a rope. The blazing flame flickered slightly but did not go out. He nodded to the group, took back the torch, and was about to go down when Qin Wen grabbed his arm: "Professor, we don't know what traps or mechanisms are down there. I've practiced Taekwondo, so I'll go first."

Professor Li glanced at her, hesitated for a moment, but then agreed. Qin Wen took the torch from him and went inside.

"Xiao Wen!" Yin Li suddenly called out. Qin Wen turned around, looked at her in surprise, and said, "What's wrong?"

"Don't go down," Yin Li said, her face pale, filled with deep worry and unease. "It's dangerous down there."

"Don't worry," Qin Wen gave her a reassuring smile and said, "I'm agile, I'll be fine. If there are any traps, I'll come back immediately."

Yin Li couldn't refute her, and could only watch as she gradually disappeared into the tomb entrance, with everyone else following behind. She bit her lip, her unease growing stronger, her feet feeling like lead, unable to move an inch.

No, we can't let Xiaowen go on this adventure alone!

She gritted her teeth and followed them inside. The moment she stepped onto the long, dark tomb passage, she felt as if she had entered a giant ice cave. The biting cold seeped through her casual shoes to her toes, then spread throughout her body along her bloodstream, a chilling aura emanating from every pore.

The moment her toes touched the stone floor of the corridor, a series of muffled thuds suddenly rang out in the air, and several balls of flame burst into flame. One after another, from near to far, countless flames followed, illuminating the entire tunnel as if it were daytime.

Startled by the sudden turn of events, the crowd quickly retreated and huddled together. Upon closer inspection, they discovered that there was a large lamp, somewhat resembling a brazier, placed every ten paces along the wall. Made of bronze, it remained as new as ever after two thousand years.

That brazier, with some kind of mechanism installed inside, could still burn again after two thousand years. Such a design is truly a testament to the wisdom of our ancestors.

As the lanterns lit up, the crowd gasped in surprise, excitement and exhilaration replacing their fear and doubt. Their eyes were fixed on the wall, unwilling to look away.

A mural! It's a mural!

Someone exclaimed with delight. As far as the eye could see, the walls were covered with exquisite murals, even the ceiling was painted. Many depicted aristocratic life and Buddhist legends. The ceiling was adorned with paintings of dancing apsaras, their beautiful forms draped in colorful shawls, dancing gracefully. The flowing shawls created a sense of swift, lightning-like movement, making one feel as if they were truly in the Western Paradise, experiencing the profound truths of Buddhism.

The crowd immediately dispersed, some taking photos, others taking notes. The fact that the murals, dating back two thousand years, are still so well preserved is truly thanks to the enclosed space and the arid desert climate. Even so, if the tomb door were opened and outside air were allowed in, the colors of these murals would soon fade, and they might even be in danger of disappearing completely.

Professor Li led the team in some rescue work, and Qin Wen excitedly ran to help. Yin Li was a complete novice when it came to archaeology, so she could only admire the murals.

She looked at each painting one by one; they were all Buddhist stories. When she saw the fourth one, her expression suddenly froze, and she stopped in her tracks.

It was a wedding scene, with a large man and woman depicted in the center. The man wore the traditional clothing of the Western Regions, which looked similar to Hanfu, though with slight differences in details. The woman wore a red quju (a type of traditional Chinese robe) adorned with exquisite patterns. Her long black hair was styled in a bun on top of her head, adorned with several jade hairpins, giving her an ethereal and elegant appearance.

Yin Li quietly examined the painting, a strange emotion surging within her. Her gaze gradually moved downwards, and on the right side of the painting was a line of Chinese characters written in ink: "The Wedding of King Xiye Zihe and Princess Han Zhaoling."

Princess Zhaoling?

Yin Li was shocked. So this was Princess Zhaoling!

She leaned closer, scrutinizing the woman's face. Chinese painting, across all ethnic groups, has traditionally emphasized freehand brushwork; even portraits often don't accurately depict the subject's features, sometimes even exhibiting a crude, one-dimensional quality that clashes with modern aesthetics. Even so, the princess in this painting possesses exquisite features, elegant and refined. One can imagine how breathtakingly beautiful she must have been in her lifetime.

"Zhaoling." A soft call, as if from the netherworld, gentle and distant, filled with tenderness. Yin Li was startled and turned around abruptly. The tomb passage in front of her was empty; the archaeological team had vanished without a trace. She gasped. What had happened? Where had everyone gone? Could this tomb passage devour the living?

At that moment, she suddenly remembered a horror novel she had read long ago. It told the story of a group of tomb raiders who heard that in a faraway place lay a great mountain, where a famous ancient emperor was buried. This emperor had practically emptied the entire national treasury into his tomb, hoping to enjoy eternal wealth and glory even in death. The tomb raiders coveted this enormous fortune and, after countless hardships, finally found the mountain and the tomb. But as they entered the tomb passage, the members began to disappear one by one. The captain, trying to escape, discovered at the entrance that he was inside a giant monster, and the mountain was the monster's body!

She felt a strong sense of fear spreading through her body. Could it be that the horror stories fabricated by novelists were actually happening to her? If so, she was truly doomed and had no hope of survival.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps. She shuddered and took two steps back, trying to find a place to hide, but there were walls on all sides, and nowhere to hide. The person's steps were fast, and just as she hesitated whether she should run deeper into the tomb, a tall figure was already in front of her.

When she saw the man's appearance, she couldn't help but gasp in surprise. It was a young man dressed in a white robe, with a sword at his waist. Although his appearance was not particularly handsome, he possessed a commanding presence and an imposing aura that made people afraid to look him in the eye.

She had seen this man before. Just the night before last, when she went to the Stone Forest alone, she had a hallucination. In that hallucination, this young man was standing on one of the stone pillars in the Stone Forest, silently gazing at the lonely Princess Tomb standing between heaven and earth in the distance!

17. Memories of the Ancient Times

who is he?

Yin Li covered her mouth, staring at him with wide eyes. But he seemed not to see her, walking straight ahead with a cold expression.

Just as he reached Yin Li, a whooshing sound suddenly came, and several arrows landed in front of him. He paused slightly, looked up, and his eyes were chillingly cold.

In an instant, a group of armored warriors appeared out of nowhere and surrounded him. They were arranged in four rows. The warriors in the front row, well-trained, crouched down and drew their bows fully, aiming them at him. The three rows behind them held longswords or halberds, staring at him menacingly.

"Mr. Gongsun, we have been waiting for you for a long time." A woman's voice rang out, and the warriors automatically made way for her. In the firelight, a young woman dressed in gorgeous clothes slowly walked out.

She was a stranger. She was beautiful, with resolute eyes and a cold smile on her lips.

"Miss Yuan," the young man said quietly.

“Mr. Gongsun, you should address me as General’s wife,” the woman, referred to as Miss Yuan, said coldly.

Gongsun sneered, her tone full of contempt: "Well, well, what a general's wife."

“I know you look down on me,” said Yuan. “I am but a maidservant by the princess’s side. I only married the great general of Xiye Kingdom because of the princess. Of course you would look down on someone as lowly as me!”

"What I despise is not your birth, but your integrity," Gongsun said coldly. "You were the princess's subordinate, yet you betrayed her, causing her to commit suicide. A disloyal person like you deserves to be killed by everyone!"

Suicide? This was a shocking revelation. Looking at the two locked in a fierce confrontation, Yin Li knew she had fallen into a hallucination again. But Princess Zhaoling had actually committed suicide? Why would she do that?

Yuan said in a deep voice, "If you hadn't come to Xiye, how could the princess have died? You're the one who killed the princess!"

Upon hearing this, Gongsun's face showed a pained expression: "Zhaoling and I were childhood sweethearts, and we were already engaged. It was that dog emperor who framed the King of Chu for treason, not only killing the King but also marrying Zhaoling off to this place! He is the real culprit!"

Yuan's expression suddenly changed, and she said sternly, "His Majesty married the princess to Xiye so that they could fight against the Xiongnu together! It was for the sake of the Han Dynasty and its countless people! But instead of serving the country, the princess had an affair with you, which was discovered by the King of Xiye. And you, you were so foolish as to kill King Zihe! Do you know the trouble you have caused? If it weren't for the General and me trying our best to cover up the cause of King Zihe's death, Xiye would have already surrendered to the Xiongnu. Then the grand ambitions of our Han Dynasty would have been destroyed! For the sake of personal feelings, you have disregarded the country and your family! Do you even deserve to be called a Han person?!"

Gongsun's eyes became complicated, as if he were struggling intensely deep inside. His facial muscles contorted in pain, and after a long while, he finally said, "What do you want?"

"I want your head." Yuan's face was cold. Yin Li couldn't imagine that a woman could have such an expression. Perhaps this woman named Yuan was born to be a politician.

"I need your head to explain to the nobles of the Western Night!" said Yuan. "Otherwise, our Han Dynasty's long-planned annihilation of the Xiongnu will be ruined!"

Hearing this, Gongsun calmed down. He slowly said, "Since I came here today, I never intended to leave alive. I have only one request: please let me see the princess one more time. I want to die in front of her."

“Alright!” Miss Yuan said decisively. “The little prince left behind by the princess, the general and I will do our best to assist him. The Western Night will be on good terms with our Great Han for generations to come. You can go in peace. Please!”

As she spoke, she turned to the side, raised her arm, and pointed towards the depths of the tomb passage.

"Xiao Li, Xiao Li! Wake up!" A familiar female voice called out, and Yin Li felt as if she had been suddenly pulled by something. She jolted awake.

She opened her eyes; everyone in the archaeological team was there. Zhang Yuanyuan muttered something under her breath, but didn't voice her dissatisfaction. Looking at everyone in confusion, she asked, "What's wrong with me?"

"That's a question for you to answer," Qin Wen said, looking at her with a puzzled expression. "She fainted twice in half a day, but didn't show any symptoms of heatstroke or illness. Could it be that she didn't sleep well last night?"

"Did I faint again?" Yin Li rubbed her aching temples. Looking up, she saw herself lying beneath the wedding painting. Only then did she notice another figure in the painting. It was a woman, slightly smaller than the two main characters, but much larger than the other maids and guards; she must be the third figure in the painting.

Looking at the woman, she couldn't help but think of Yuan, the girl from her dream. She stood up, took a few steps forward, and saw one of the paintings. Yuan, dressed in white mourning clothes, held a white swaddled baby in her arms. Guarded by a general in golden armor, she ascended the throne. Numerous nobles and ministers prostrated themselves at her feet, worshipping with utmost piety.

On the right side of the painting is a line of small characters: After the princess's death, General Geluo's wife, Feng Yuan, assisted the young emperor in ascending the throne and helped the Han Dynasty to destroy the Xiongnu. For her great merit, the Emperor of the Han Dynasty specially conferred upon her the title of Lady of the Western Night and bestowed upon her the surname Liu.

"What an amazing woman," Yin Li couldn't help but sigh. Her slender shoulders had actually supported the entire Western Night Kingdom!

"It seems that the tomb was not yet completed when Princess Zhaoling was buried." Professor Li also saw the line of small characters and said, "That's right. This mausoleum project was enormous and must have taken several years to complete. Otherwise, the murals would not have recorded the annihilation of the Xiongnu several years later."

“Moreover, this Xiongnu is not all of the Xiongnu,” Bai Yunning said. “Even by the Western Jin Dynasty, the Xiongnu had not been completely wiped out. The Xiongnu mentioned here should only refer to one tribe of the Xiongnu.”

"Professor, let's go find the main burial chamber first." Guo Tong seemed a little impatient. "It looks like it shouldn't be far."

"No need to rush." Professor Li was busy taking pictures. "These murals don't last very long in flowing air, so it's better to preserve the data first."

Guo Tong wasn't very interested in the murals, so he walked alone into the depths of the tomb passage. Yin Li silently looked at the paintings; none of the murals depicting Princess Zhaoling's life mentioned the man surnamed Gongsun. A sense of melancholy filled her; perhaps it was all just a dream.

Suddenly, a cry of surprise came from the depths of the tomb passage. The cry was filled with joy: "Professor! Quick! Come quick!"

It was Guo Tong's voice.

Everyone was shocked. Could it be that he had discovered the main burial chamber? How could the main burial chamber of an ancient queen's tomb be found so easily?

The group followed the sound, and after walking about fifty meters, they suddenly made a sharp turn, and the tomb passage stretched in another direction. Guo Tong stood at the corner of that sharp turn, gazing happily at the wall, and couldn't help but stroke it.

"Professor! Look what I've found!" he exclaimed excitedly, turning to reveal a large door about two meters high behind him. Everyone gasped in astonishment at first glance, their mouths agape, wide enough to fit a whole chicken. Their expressions were like those of people who had been starving for days and were about to die, suddenly seeing a delicious feast.

It was gold! It was a door made of gold, adorned with beautiful patterns in a Western Region style, and amidst dense flowers and plants, many colorful fruits. In the firelight, it shimmered with dazzling light.

"This, this is..." Professor Li was so excited that his tongue was trembling. He walked to the door and examined the fruits one by one, exclaiming with delight, "They're gems! Sapphires, emeralds, rubies, lapis lazuli, Hetian jade, and even pink diamonds from the West!"

"Pink? A pink diamond?" The crowd exchanged glances, finding it hard to believe that a pink diamond could be found in such a tomb! Not long ago, a pink diamond was discovered in Africa, and several warlords fought over it, resulting in a bloodbath. Countless civilians were displaced—it truly was a blood diamond! Yin Li had seen that diamond on television before, and the diamond set in this door was no less impressive in terms of quality or size.

"A miracle! It's truly a miracle!" Professor Li exclaimed. "Our ancestors were truly great."

Qin Wen's gaze fell on the left side of the door, and she said in surprise, "Professor, there are words on the side of the door."

Professor Li turned his head and, sure enough, saw a line of small characters on the side of the door, written in Khotanese. He read it softly: "Gate of Lagmoro".

18. The Gates of Lagmoro

"Lagamoro!" Qin Wen's expression changed drastically, and she cried out in disbelief. No one had ever heard of this name before, and they all turned to look at her, even Professor Li looked on with confusion. He had studied the history of the Western Regions for over thirty years and had never heard of any famous figure with that name.

"Who is Lagmoro?" Yin Li asked.

“Lagmoro is…” A hint of fear flashed in Qin Wen’s eyes. Before she could finish speaking, a deep male voice coldly said, “Everyone, your archaeological work ends here.”

These words exploded like a bomb in the hearts of all the archaeologists. Fear spread through the crowd, and the joy of finding important artifacts plummeted in an instant. They slowly turned around and saw five tall men standing in the tomb passage. One of them, a man as burly as a bear, was carrying a person in his hand. With a flick of his muscular arm, the figure fell towards them.

"Chen Qiang!" Zhang Yuanyuan cried out, taking a few steps back in fright, her whole body trembling. Qin Wen and Guo Tong quickly helped Chen Qiang up and pulled the dirty cloth out of his mouth. He was panting heavily, his face covered with bruises.

"What did you do to him?" Qin Wen shouted angrily at the five tomb raiders. The fourth one grinned maliciously and said, "Trying to call the police? Do you think we're fools?"

"You!" Qin Wen felt all the blood rush to her head, and she wanted nothing more than to rush up and punch him hard in the face. Seeing the murderous intent on her face, Yin Li quickly pulled her back and whispered, "Xiao Wen, don't be impulsive!"

"Don't worry, Xiao Chen is fine." Bai Yun Ning calmly checked Chen Qiang's injuries. This beautiful woman always had an unperturbed demeanor, as if even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of her, she wouldn't even flinch.

"It's just some minor flesh wounds, nothing serious. I'll be fine after some rest."

Qin Wen's anger subsided slightly. Yin Li looked up and saw Situ Xiang's eyes, those terrifying icy green eyes filled with a cold smile.

At that moment, it was as if they were telepathically connected. Although his lips didn't move, she seemed to hear him say in his heart, "We meet again, little girl. I told you to run as far away as possible. I never thought that you would choose the path to hell when there was one. You can't blame me for that."

Yin Li trembled slightly, gritted her teeth, and suppressed the fear in her heart. She met his gaze directly and said, "What exactly do you want?"