Anecdote of the Yellow River

Chapter 11 Cold Jade Toad (1)
Going back to my hometown this time was really scary and dangerous. In just one day, we experienced the two incidents of the ghost ship and the death bug, which made me tired and sleepy, and quite depressed.The next day I slept until sunset and then lazily got up from the bed, opened the window, it was getting dark outside, and the smoke from the picnic in the countryside was rising, which was like a farm scene.

I stretched myself, looking at the setting sun in the sky, and was about to recite a poem, when suddenly I saw Gu Meidi standing in the courtyard downstairs with his hands on his hips, and shouted to the window: "Tuobagu, you are sleeping to death!" Has it passed?"

I trembled all over, and waved at her awkwardly, "I...I'm here!"

"Come down quickly, dinner is ready!" Gu Meidi said.

When Gu Meidi yelled like this, I really felt hungry, so I answered "Come on" and ran downstairs happily.

A generous table was set up in the yard, and all kinds of dishes competed for beauty, and the fragrance filled the yard, which made my mouth water.

Gu Meidi was wearing an apron, busy in and out of the kitchen.

Grandpa was smacking the dry cigarette in his mouth, and said to me with a smile: "Usually, seeing that you are always stupid, grandpa is worried about when you will find me a granddaughter-in-law. I didn't expect you The boy really has two talents, and he brought back such an excellent granddaughter-in-law, who is beautiful and virtuous, you should seize the opportunity, this is really a blessing you cultivated in your previous life!"

While I gnawed on the duck leg, I responded vaguely. If Grandpa knew that Gu Meidi and I were just ordinary colleagues, he would be so anxious that he would lose his breath.

Gu Meidi sat down beside me, "Try it, these are all Northeast dishes that I am good at!"

"Beer is great!" I gave her a thumbs up and exclaimed, "I didn't expect you to be able to go up to the hall and down to the kitchen!"

Gu Meidi proudly said: "That's right! Whoever marries me as his wife in this life will be really lucky for three lifetimes!"

Grandpa put down his chopsticks, sipped liquor and asked Gu Meidi, "Xiaodi, how long have you been with Tuobagu?"

"Ah?" Gu Meidi thought for a while, and said casually, "Oh, we have known each other since college, maybe two or three years!"

Grandpa glared at me, "You brat, I asked you if you had a girlfriend when you came back from the Chinese New Year, and you still said no, so you have been hiding it from grandpa!"

"I..." I really wanted to say that I didn't hide from him, that I really don't have a girlfriend, but my words changed, "I didn't mean to hide from you, the main reason is that I want to wait until our relationship is stable. I'll tell you again."

Grandpa narrowed his eyes and said, "It seems that your relationship is stable now?"

Gu Meidi and I looked at each other, "It's okay!"

Grandpa got up and took out the household registration booklet from the house, put it in front of me and said, "Tuobagu, listen to what grandpa said, don't miss a good girl like Xiaodi. This is the household registration booklet. When you return to the city, choose a good one." Days, register for marriage first!"

I glanced at Gu Meidi in embarrassment, only to see that Gu Meidi's face turned red.

I hurriedly said: "Grandpa, there is no rush to get married. Xiaodi and I are still working hard for the past two years, and we don't want to get married yet..."

"Fart!" Grandpa slapped the table violently, "As the saying goes, if you match a man and a woman, you won't be tired from working! After you two get married, you can work harder and put your heart into it!"

I said: "Grandpa, we can't decide on marriage unilaterally. You still have to ask Xiaodi's parents for permission, right?" foot.

Gu Meidi immediately understood what I meant, and said with a smile on his face: "Yes! Grandpa, getting married is a big event, I still have to go back and tell my parents first!"

"Yes! Yes!" Grandpa patted his head and said, "Look at it, look at it, I'm so old-fashioned, I'm just happy for myself! Xiaodi, in fact, my grandson is quite good, although he is tall It’s a bit shabby, but he has a good heart, is smart, hard-working, and self-motivated, right! Anyway, he has a future, and you can’t go wrong choosing him for safekeeping! You can’t go wrong! Hahaha!”

The more the grandfather talked, the happier he became. Seeing this, Gu Meidi quickly changed the subject, "By the way, Professor Ye called me in the afternoon!"

"Oh, what did he say?" I asked.

Gu Meidi said: "Professor Ye said that judging from the facial features and clothing of the dead body, it is preliminarily determined that it is a Xixia warrior."

Western Xia warrior?

Xixia is a dynasty established by the Dangxiang clan in Chinese history more than a thousand years ago. It is a multi-ethnic country with the Dangxiang clan as the main body, including the Han, Uyghur, and Tubo ethnic groups.Because it is located in the northwest of China, it is called Xixia in history.The Xixia Dynasty was once in its heyday and left a strong mark in Chinese history.

Gu Meidi said that the records about the worm of death can be traced back to 1000 years ago, and the worm of death was found in the head of the ancient corpse. This coincides with the time when the Xixia Dynasty existed. It seems that this ancient corpse It is indeed a warrior of the Xixia Dynasty.

"What about the eyeball tattoo?" I asked.

Gu Meidi said: "Professor Ye has no answer about the eyeball tattoo pattern, because there is no mention in historical materials that Xixia people have eyeball worship. Maybe the eyeball pattern is just the personal preference of that Xixia warrior!"

I nodded and said, "What about the ancient tomb of the Eastern Han Dynasty in Anyang? Has there been any new progress?"

Gu Meidi said: "It's only been two days. Why are you more anxious than the staff at the ancient tomb excavation site? Professor Ye said, anyway, these days are the excavation site, so we don't need to do anything, so this time Let’s take our vacation and let us have fun for three to five days before going back.”

I looked at my grandfather's aging face, and felt a little bitterness in my heart. That's fine, I can stay and play with my grandfather for a few more days.Over the years, I have been studying and working outside, running around all over the place, and life has made me forget a lot of things that I shouldn't have forgotten.

I quietly swallowed my tears back into my stomach, raised my wine glass and said, "Come on, grandpa, let my grandpa and grandson have a good drink today!"

We stayed in the country for a week, and during this short week, Gu Meidi and I were almost inseparable.Many neighbors secretly praised me, saying that I found a beautiful wife.Although this daughter-in-law is still pretending for the time being, I am still happy in my heart.A man is a face-saving animal. When others praise his wife, he feels very proud, like a proud big rooster.

Gu Meidi half-jokingly said: "Look at your complacency, if the next time you come back, the woman next to you is not as beautiful as me, just wait to be scolded!"

I said casually, "I'll bring you back next time, won't it be fine?"

Gu Meidi pursed his lips and smiled, "Good idea! Do you want me to continue acting with you? All right, let's see how you perform in the future!"

Looking at Gu Meidi's graceful back, I swore in my heart, "When I return to the village next time, I will make you my prospective wife!"

When I returned to Anfeng Township, Anyang City, most of the excavation of the ancient tomb had been carried out.Many people are still busy at the scene under the scorching sun. After people’s round-the-clock rescue excavation, the funerary objects in the ancient tomb have basically been cleared out, and the prototype of the entire ancient tomb has also appeared in front of our eyes. For the spectacular.

Professor Ye Sheng is in the temporary conference tent, exchanging opinions with many experts from all over the world.After nearly two hours of research and discussion by more than a dozen archaeological experts and historians, it is basically determined that this ancient tomb of the Eastern Han Dynasty is the legendary tomb of Cao Cao.

The authenticity of Cao Cao's tomb has always been a great mystery in the long history of China.Cao Cao was the most famous and outstanding writer, military strategist and statesman during the Three Kingdoms period, known as a hero in troubled times.For such a great figure, his burial place is naturally a topic of great interest to future generations.However, for thousands of years, the location of Cao Cao's tomb has not been determined. Later generations even spread the bizarre legend that Cao Cao set up 72 suspicious tombs during his lifetime, which also added a more mysterious color to Cao Cao's tomb.

Today, the tomb of Cao Cao has finally been seen again, and this historical mystery has finally been lifted.I believe that in a short period of time, the news of the appearance of Cao Cao's tomb in Anyang will fly to every corner of the motherland, shocking the land of China.

Coming out of the conference tent, Professor Ye was very excited. Seeing us, he hurriedly said, "Huh? Are you back?"

Gu Meidi nodded, "We were worried that you needed help here, so we came back early."

I pulled Professor Ye and asked, "Is this ancient tomb of the Eastern Han Dynasty really the tomb of Cao Cao?"

"Of course!" Professor Ye said excitedly, pointing his fingers, "First of all, this tomb is huge, with a total length of nearly 50 meters. Cao Cao’s identity is commensurate with that of King Wei. The tomb was not found to be sealed, which is also consistent with the document record that Cao Cao’s Shouting Mausoleum is “based on height, and it is not sealed or treed.”

"Secondly, the utensils, stone reliefs and other relics unearthed from the tombs have the characteristics of the Han and Wei Dynasties, and the ages match."

"Third, the location of the tomb is exactly the same as that recorded in the literature. According to "Three Kingdoms · Wei Shu · Emperor Wu Ji" and other documents, Cao Cao died of illness in Luoyang in the first month of the 25th year of Jian'an (220 AD). In February, the coffin was transported back to Yecheng , was buried in Gaoling, and Gaoling was located on the 'Ximen Leopard Temple on the West Plain'. According to the survey data, the Ximen Leopard Temple at that time was located 1000 meters south of today's Zhanghe Bridge, and it belonged to Anfeng Township, Anyang County. It is just to the west of Ximen Leopard Temple. In addition, in 1998, the epitaph of Luqian, the son-in-law of the great servant and horse captain, unearthed in the west of Xigaoxue Village in the 11th year of Zhao Jianwu (345 AD), also clearly recorded the specific location of the Mausoleum of Emperor Wu of Wei. "

"Fourth, the literature also clearly records that Cao Cao advocated thin burials. Before his death, he left the "Last Order": "The burial should be worn at the time" and "no treasures of gold and jade are hidden", which is also confirmed in this tomb. Although the scale of the tomb is small The tomb is small, but the decoration inside the tomb is simple and unpretentious. There are texts to prove that the weapons and stone pillows are all the utensils used by Cao Cao in daily life, and some seemingly exquisite jade wares and other decorations should also be the things Cao Cao wears on a daily basis."

"Fifth, the most definite evidence is the stone tablet and stone pillow engraved with the inscription 'King of Wei Wu', which proves that the owner of the tomb is Cao Cao, the king of Wei Wu. According to literature records, Cao Cao was first granted the title of 'Duke of Wei' before his death, and later he was named 'King of Wei' ', posthumously titled 'King Wu' after his death, his son Cao Pi was honored as 'Emperor Wu' after he proclaimed himself emperor, and he was called 'Emperor Wu Wu' in history. The unearthed stone plaque and stone pillow inscription were called 'King Wu Wu', which was when Cao Cao was buried title."

"Sixth, the remains of a man found in the tomb were identified by experts as being around 60 years old, which coincided with Cao Cao's age of 66. They should be the remains of Cao Cao."

"Taking these factors into consideration, the experts unanimously determined that this tomb of the Eastern Han Dynasty is the Gaoling of Cao Cao, King Wu of Wei."

After listening to Professor Ye's analysis, I couldn't help getting excited. I never thought that I, an unknown person in the archaeological world, would be able to participate in the excavation of Cao Cao's tomb in my lifetime. This is really a great honor for me.

Gu Meidi bumped me with his elbow, "Junior brother, we will be famous forever!"

For the next few days, we spent all our time at the excavation site. There is still a lot of work to be done on the excavation of Cao Cao's tomb, such as the investigation of the construction of the cemetery and the layout of the cemetery.At the same time, the Henan Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics has also started planning for the protection and display of Cao Cao's tomb.

Gu Meidi and I stayed in the tent most of the time, sorting out the unearthed funerary objects by category.This is not an easy task. There are a large number of funeral objects in front of us every day. For these funeral objects, we must not be sloppy. Treat each funeral object as if it were an uncle, and we must take good care of it.Sometimes it may take several hours just to use a brush to remove soil from a funeral object.

Gu Meidi walked up to me with a list of unearthed utensils, "Hey, Tuoba Gu, isn't there a cold jade toad recorded on this list? Why didn't I find this toad? Did you see it?"

I took the list and looked at it, and there was indeed a cold jade toad written on the list, which was unearthed inside the mouth of Cao Cao's skeleton.A photo taken during the excavation was also posted on the list. It was a jade-carved toad the size of a ping-pong ball.The whole body of the toad is white and transparent, and its shape is lifelike. You can tell it is the best jade at a glance.Strangely, the toad is covered with a layer of smoky white chill, full of mystery.

I said: "When Cao Cao was buried, he actually held this toad in his mouth. This toad must be something extraordinary!" After speaking, I remembered seeing a white jade toad in the tomb, so it should be it.

Gu Meidi was a little anxious, "Yes! I also know that this is a valuable funeral object, but I can't find it after looking for it. Could it be that someone lost it while carrying it?"

I said, "Look for it more carefully! If you can't find it, just tell Professor Ye, this is no small matter!"

Gu Meidi searched for a long time, but still did not find any trace of Hanyu Toad, so she had to call Professor Ye and tell him about it.

After hanging up the phone, I asked her what Professor Ye said, she shrugged her shoulders, "I didn't say anything, let's continue to do the work at hand first, and don't delay the work progress because of a cold jade toad."

After staying on the construction site for about ten days, the archaeological team began to withdraw one after another.

Professor Ye said: "I have worked hard for you these days. I wanted you to rest for two days, but I just received an invitation from the Shaanxi Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics, asking me to go to Xi'an to participate in a grand exhibition of ancient cultural relics. Bring it too, let you open your eyes!"

Antiquities Fair?There must be a lot of unseen and unheard of rare treasures on display at the meeting. It is very exciting to think about it, so we readily agreed to accompany Professor Ye to Xi'an.

Two days later, we arrived in Xi'an.

Xi'an is the hometown of Professor Ye, known as "Chang'an" and "Jingzhao" in ancient times. It is one of the four world-famous ancient capitals, the first of China's four ancient capitals, and the capital city with the most dynasties and the greatest influence in Chinese history. Sense of history.

Now that you are in Xi'an, you must try the most famous snack in Xi'an - mutton steamed buns.This snack is also Professor Ye's favorite. As long as he returns to his hometown, no matter how busy Professor Ye is, the first thing he will do is to eat a bowl of steaming hot and fragrant mutton buns.

After eating mutton steamed buns, the comrades from the Bureau of Cultural Relics who were in charge of receiving us also arrived. Seeing us eating mutton steamed buns on the roadside, we couldn’t help but feel very surprised, "Professor Ye, in order to welcome you, we have already given you a meal in a big hotel in this city." There is a dinner party, how can you be wronged to eat mutton steamed buns?"

Professor Ye waved his hand, "We don't do those nonsense, mutton steamed buns are my favorite, I am not used to those delicacies! We have already eaten mutton steamed buns, don't worry about us for dinner, just send us back to the hotel have a rest!"

Comrades from the Cultural Relics Bureau had no choice but to drive us back to the hotel.

For Professor Ye, I have always respected and admired him. He is not only knowledgeable, but also willing to help newcomers. The most important thing is that he has a good conduct, a low-key style, and a simple life. This is worth learning for us younger generations.

Comrades from the Bureau of Cultural Relics have already prepared a deluxe single room for Professor Ye in a big hotel in Xi’an, and then temporarily added a standard room for my two assistants, Gu Meidi and me.

Gu Meidi looked at me with an extremely helpless expression on his face, "Ah, the two of us live in the same room?"

I said, "Why? It's not like you haven't lived together before, so you're afraid that if I eat you, you won't succeed?"

"Looking for death!" Gu Meidi's fists rained down on my head, making my head covered in bumps.

Professor Ye told us to go to bed early, then turned around and walked into the luxurious single room.

I blinked at Gu Meidi, "Hey, Professor Ye told us to rest early, do you mean that we..."

"Get out!" Gu Meidi raised his fist, "Your head is full of yellow waste, you still want to be beaten?"

Gu Meidi pretended to be angry and looked like a doll, so cute.I pretended to be scared and put my hands on my head quickly.

(End of this chapter)