"Have you noticed that this building is surrounded by such houses? It seems like there is no entrance gate." Xiangyu stepped back from the eaves at the door of the room and stood beside me and said.
"We just fell from above. Could it be that the entrance to this enclosure is the white mist above?" Zhang Jisheng said.
"If this is really the case, then we are trapped in here now." Lao Li, who was sitting on the ground, said feebly.
"Don't be discouraged, everyone. Look at the structure of this enclosure and the exquisite carvings on the beams under its eaves. It definitely doesn't just exist as a mechanism. It must have a special function. As Andrew just said,
Judging from the basic external light, its design principle is in line with the ancient theory of a round sky and a square place, and it and the altar are at both ends of the tunnel. It is probably the ancient city mentioned by the old Miao Zhu. We carefully looked around
If you observe it, you will definitely find something.”
Grandpa has always said that the human mind is like a muscle, and its toughness can be shaped through exercise. So the experience during this period really changed my entire mentality. So when faced with such a situation, I no longer raise my hands.
Being at a loss is more about calmness and analysis.
"Zhou Cang, when you say so, this enclosed building seems to be a bit special. Look at the houses around it. Count them. There are exactly sixty rooms. I wonder if there is any mystery here."
Xiangyu circled around and then said to me a little excitedly.
Sixty rooms.
sixty…
Ah, sixty years, will every room here represent this year?
Thinking of this, I hurriedly walked out of the pile of water tanks, then stood on the edge and started counting. I thought to myself, if the number of water tanks is exactly sixty, then the water tanks in this yard must be
It has something to do with these rooms. After all, after coming out of the Wawushan Ancient Temple, I have long been convinced of the secrets of ancient Chinese mechanisms.
However, after counting around, I found that there were sixty-four water tanks inside, which did not correspond to the number of rooms. What was going on?
I frowned and sat down on the edge of the water tank next to me.
"Zhou, did you find something? Is there anything wrong with the number of bronze tripods?" Andrew had already walked towards me when I was counting the water tanks, and was standing next to me asking me
road.
When the words "bronze tripod" came out, I was still stunned. Although my family has always been in the antique business, real bronzes are still relatively rare on the market, so in the past few years when I dropped out of school and started running my grandfather's antique shop
, in fact, I have never seen a bronze vessel before. All the knowledge in this area is basically obtained from books and general knowledge. Therefore, facing this large number of bronze tripods that are huge in size and look like water tanks in appearance,
, I really regard it as a water tank.
"Andrew, can you tell the age of this bronze tripod?" I asked Andrew next to me.
"At least before the Warring States Period, there is no way to tell the details. Bronze vessels of this shape have never been seen among the unearthed bronze vessels. All these bronze tripods have Lei Wen as the base, and are decorated with animal face patterns, Kui dragon patterns,
Phoenix bird pattern, double ear rings are decorated on both sides of the shoulders, and a rock is placed under the front and abdomen. This type of decoration was particularly common during the Warring States Period. If I guessed correctly, these tripods also have three bronze legs, but
It’s gone inside the bricks and stones in the yard.”
Andrew said, squatting down, lying on the bluestone floor and listening, and then motioned for me to lie down too.
Although I was puzzled, I leaned down and lay on the ground.
"Listen, have you heard a series of 'Ling Ling' sounds?" Andrew looked at my face and asked.
I didn't hear anything at first, but after I calmed down and listened for a while, I heard a faint sound coming from the ground.
This sound is the same as the sound made by the soul-calling flags in the willow forest of Wawu Mountain.
"Andrew, how did you know there was a sound underground?" I stood up and stared at Andrew and said.
"These bronze tripods should be in the shape of a round belly and pointed feet. There is an animal head placed under the belly. The beast head holds a copper bell in its mouth. The sound we heard came from here. Its three legs
And the bells are hidden under these floors," Andrew said.
At this time, Zhang Jisheng and Xiang Yu also gathered around.
"I have seen this enclosure in an ancient book. According to the picture described in the book, these bronze tripods have this shape." Andrew continued.
When I heard about ancient books, I immediately thought of the ancient book I saw in my grandfather's study. I wondered if the ancient book Andrew mentioned was the same as the one my grandfather collected.
"Professor, does that ancient book say where the exit of the enclosed building is?" Xiangyu asked.
"This enclosed building is three stories high. The ancient books are too old, so many details cannot be seen clearly. I only know that the enclosed building is three stories high, and there is an eight-treasure box with a plum pattern of auspicious animals on the top floor." Andrew replied.
.
I was thinking to myself: I wonder if the sapphire astrolabe in the arms of the fish-faced man I saw during the sacrifice was placed in this eight-treasure box.
"According to this, there should be another layer below the bluestone slab, so the copper bell can make a sound." Lao Li stood up after hearing this and said with a solemn expression.
"But our goal should be to go up, not down." I glanced at everyone, and then said with a smile.
Everyone smiled tacitly. In fact, when we got here, we all knew each other's purpose, but we just didn't say it out loud.
"I don't know what function these bronze tripods have in this courtyard. Are they really just to catch people who fall from the tunnel entrance? Moreover, the bronze is filled with water. After so many years, it has not rusted at all.
There are no traces, it’s really hard to understand.” Xiangyu said, staring straight at the batch of bronze tripods in front of us.
"Zhou, I always feel that these sixty-four bronze tripods are somewhat related to the sixty-four hexagrams of Zhouyi in China, although I can't tell the specific relationship for the time being." Andrew said.
Hearing what he said, my mind was really excited. The sixty years and the sixty-four hexagrams are really somewhat connected. "Jisheng, what year is this year? It's expressed in terms of heavenly stems and earthly branches."
Zhang Jisheng stood there in a daze, listening to the conversation between me and Andrew. When he heard my question, he seemed to have suddenly realized something. Anyway, it was just a bright feeling in his eyes. He thought for a while and then said: "It's the last year of Yi."
"There is a hidden treasure in the well of water and wind," I blurted out almost as soon as Zhang Jisheng finished his words without any thought.
However, my mental journey is as follows - if the structure here is designed based on the principles of the Sixty Jiazi and the Sixty-Four Hexagrams of Zhouyi, then this year is the last year of Yi, which represents the Jing hexagram.
This knowledge of traditional Chinese culture has been firmly engraved in my mind through my grandfather’s constant nagging when I was young, so now no matter which part I need to use, I can pull it out and use it anytime and anywhere.
At this time, I really have to thank my grandfather who stood behind me with a whip and forced me to endorse.
"Zhou Cang, did you see something?" Zhang Jisheng looked at me and said.
"It's hard to say for the time being. You'll have to give it a try before you know." I said, my eyes shifting from Zhang Jisheng's face to the bronze tripods.
"Do you think there is a trap here?" Lao Li asked, standing next to me.
"Yes, but I'm not sure if my idea is correct," I said, walking towards the center of the bronze tripod.
I walked to the center of the bronze tripod, closed my eyes, and the square and circle diagrams of the sixty-four hexagrams of Zhouyi were swirling in my mind. Then, the large bronze tripod slowly shifted into a square, and each bronze tripod changed its shape.
It became one of the sixty-four hexagrams in the Book of Changes, and each hexagram painting emerged from the bronze tripod, and then rotated above my head.
The location of the Jing Gua was found. I walked to the edge of the bronze tripod and lay on the wall of the tripod to listen. Sure enough, the "Ling Ling" sounds we just heard on the floor came from the bottom of this bronze tripod.
It came from the copper bell.
"It's you," a smile appeared on the corner of my mouth.