This group of people usually don't use their real names and call each other by nicknames. The one who came here is called Big Baldy. He is about thirty-five or six years old and has no shiny hair on his forehead. He is the old friend who has been following Kuanghu for the longest time.
Now, I am living a good life and my figure has gained some weight. If I continue to gain weight, I should lose weight.
In order to engage in gold fighting, you should not be too fat, because it is impossible for thieves to dig very spacious caves, and most tombs have very small underground activities. The big bald man has rarely entered the caves in person in recent years, usually like
Today, the mad fox was guarding the entrance of the cave, preparing to count the acquired goods.
Although the big bald man has a strong body, he is very flexible in his movements. He not only has brute strength but also has very skillful hands. He is also a native-born explosives expert. Before following the crazy fox to "do business", he set off cannons in a rural stone mine. Today's
The robbery hole was made by Big Baldhead who drugged and exploded it.
This large tomb is located more than seven meters deep underground. It is two feet and seven feet long according to the measurements of the Ming Dynasty. The tomb is not facing due south, but is facing Kunshan Dingwei, which is one hundred and twenty cents gold on the ground (the geomagnetic direction is south).
(between 41.5 degrees and 43.5 degrees west). The main tomb chamber is connected to a short tomb passage, shaped like a large ladle buckled in the ground. The "ladle handle" is the tomb passage connected to the tomb door. On the opposite end of the tomb door is the tomb house with sacrifices.
Where the case is located, the "bottom" with a dome is the main tomb chamber where the coffin is placed after the case was sacrificed.
There are also simple ear chambers on both sides of the connection between the short tomb passage and the main tomb chamber. Judging from the shape, there is no passage between the main tomb chamber and there are two small tomb chambers with a depth of one foot and two feet built sideways. They are usually used to place funerary objects or bury wives and concubines.
The coffin is located. This Ming Dynasty tomb is quite large, and it is rare among the people.
According to the burial system of the Ming Dynasty, the tomb door has a stone seal that is difficult to open. The top of the tomb is made of white ash mixed with glutinous rice slurry containing cinnabar and made of green bricks. Judging from the size of the tomb, the green bricks are at least seven vertical and seven horizontal. There are actually anti-theft measures outside the tomb.
A layer of walnut-sized fine pebbles more than a foot thick was laid on and around the tomb.
This layer of pebbles has a much better anti-theft effect than quicksand. If the sand layer is buried underground for a long time, it will absorb moisture and decay, become sticky, and gradually lose its fluidity, while small pebbles will not. Once someone digs a hole through this layer,
Not only is it difficult to dig, but it is also easy to cause collapse and be buried inside. Pebbles can be obtained locally, and can be found on the river beach not far away. This is an effective and simple method. The owner of the tomb is very smart.
Although these are buried deep underground, Yu Fang drew a very clear sketch based on the results of secret exploration in the past few days, instructing the big bald man how to enter the fastest and most convenient way, and what will be found in which direction after entering.
wait.
If it is a regular archaeological excavation, you usually have to dig deep to find the location of the tomb door, then try to open the stone seal to get in, and spend time slowly and carefully cleaning it. If it is a robbery with an open fire, then dig deep and use zha medicine to open the door.
It’s all okay, anyway, you’re not afraid of being exposed. But it’s not okay to excavate in the dark, otherwise the police will come to arrest the person first before the things in the tomb come out to pick up the guests.
The "construction drawing" drawn by You Fang starts from five meters away from the direct rear of the tomb chamber, and digs downward at a 60-degree angle. The length reaches about 8.6 meters, and the depth is about 7.5 meters. At this time, turning horizontally can just touch it.
Pebble layer. After the pebble layer is the back wall of the main tomb—the weakest part of the masonry tomb in the Ming Dynasty. You only need to cut through two or three layers of wall bricks to enter the tomb.
According to the direction determined by the tour guide, it is one meter to the left from the center line of the tomb, just enough to avoid the obstruction of the coffins parked against the wall, and to easily enter and exit the entire tomb space.
After nightfall today, he watched with his own eyes as the big bald man used a lifting shovel modified from the traditional Luoyang shovel to dig a deep, slender hole about fifteen centimeters in diameter from the position he designated, just reaching the edge of the pebble layer, and then placed* in the hole.
*zha medicine. As expected of an expert in explosives, he controlled it very well. When it was detonated, there was only a muffled sound of "pop". You Fang, who was ten meters away, only felt the ground tremble slightly.
At that time, a heavy truck was passing by a bumpy spot on the national highway in the distance. It made a roar, and the weak explosion completely covered it up and was difficult to detect. You were very surprised when you saw that the high temperature and compressed air exploded a large diameter horse gourd out of the ground.
It is a deep hole the size of a lid, just big enough for one person to crawl through.
No wonder many tomb robbery sites dig deep holes, but no bulldozing can be seen on the surface. It turns out that this is how it is done. It is really convenient and fast!
In advance, Xiezi had shoveled up the roots of the corn plants around the hole and moved them aside. When the smoke dissipated, he expanded the entrance to the hole into an inverted cone-shaped trumpet, and then led the guy down. This move
It was strange. The big bald man smiled and explained that he wanted to cover the entrance of the hole after he succeeded, so that the surface could be restored to its original state.
He is about twenty-seven or eight years old. His hair is sparse, his face is pale, and he doesn't speak much. He is short and thin, but his arms and legs are full of tendons. He also wears a jumpsuit commonly known as a "mouse suit".
There are various pockets and straps on it, which can carry various tools. He has a helmet-style miner's lamp on his head, and a simple gas mask used by painters when spraying paint.
Tonight, Da Baldou and Xie Zi were responsible for taking turns digging holes and transporting things from the tomb. Another member of the gang, Mao Er, was on a light truck in a hidden place next to the national highway, pretending to be broken down for the night to look out. Once the highway was discovered,
If something goes wrong over there, send a signal in time to remind you.
The blasted hole has hit the edge of the cobblestone layer. What to do next is a matter for the bald man and the loser. Everyone in this industry has their own unique skills. Since they are prepared, they should be able to pass through the cobblestone layer without causing collapse. Swimming
Fang's task was just to show the way. When the big bald man took over the resting body and entered the cave, passed through the pebble layer and reached the outside of the back wall of the main tomb, he unexpectedly found a corpse there, so he hurried up to report the news.
Finding bones outside a tomb coffin means one thing - tomb robbers once visited this place! Either the buried remains were dragged out by the tomb robbers and discarded so that they could search for the burial objects in the coffin; or the tomb robbers caused the cave to collapse.
, died below due to suffocation, injuries, being plotted by his accomplices and other reasons.
Hearing what the big bald man said, Kuanghu's face darkened and he asked: "What era are the traces from?"
If a colleague is the first to get to the tomb, valuable things may not be left in the tomb. Ancient tomb robbers usually only took gold, silver and jewelry, which are inconvenient to carry and difficult to exchange for cash. Large pieces of ceramics that can easily reveal their origins are often immovable, which was not the case in ancient times.
The Christie's auction house is speculating on Ming and Qing porcelain, and Ma Weidu is not fooling around at the central stage. If it is a modern tomb robber, it is hard to say, and Kuang Hu and others came here for the ancient porcelain in the tomb.
The bald man grinned: "Only the bones are left. At least it was before the Republic of China. It seems that he was buried under a layer of pebbles and the tomb was not penetrated... Almost all the belongings he carried were rotten, and only this was left.
The sword and this jade tablet." As he spoke, he handed over the two things.
Kuang Hu also laughed when he heard this, took the thing, lit up the small flashlight on the brim of his hat and said, "This brand looks like something from the Ming Dynasty, it's very well made! I believe it was made by Lu Zigang, the master of jade carving.
Let’s study it carefully during the day.”
You Fang also glanced at it. The jade plaque was about five centimeters long and three centimeters wide. The white texture was very smooth. Under the light, there was a faint layer of bright yellow light on the surface. The carved patterns were extremely smooth and exquisite. Due to the adhesion,
The sand and soil are not very clear, and there seems to be a faint misty soil on the surface.
The sword was more like a dagger. It was less than a foot long with the scabbard. The scabbard was decayed and it was vaguely visible. The original decoration was very luxurious, but the hilt was in good condition.
There were two Yangwen seal characters in talisman style, but You Fang didn't recognize them for a while.
The mad fox carefully pulled out the sword from the tattered scabbard. The sword was intact without a trace of rust, but it also had no luster. It seemed to be wrapped in a hazy gray mist. There was a strange feeling when it was taken out of the scabbard.
I had the illusion that I heard a rustling sound, like chanting or crying.
I don’t know if Mad Fox heard it, but his expression changed. He then sheathed his sword and said to the big bald head: "Go down to the hole and get a layer of soil from the original place. Quick!"
The bald man turned around and went into the thief's hole. After a while, he took out a pile of soil, which was also mixed with pebbles the size of walnuts. It was the soil layer that originally wrapped the sword underground. The mad fox took out a wooden box from his side like a magic trick.
Wrap the sheathed dagger in a piece of yellow silk, bury it in soil and seal it in a box.
I just heard the mad fox say with a hint of pride: "This sword was once a weapon of killing. It is very spiritual, but it has been sealed by the Yin energy for too long. Even though it is so well preserved, if it is taken out like this and destroyed by the Yang energy,
It will decay in a short time. Fortunately, I met you and sealed it temporarily. Then I went back and spent some effort to recuperate the blade so that it can see the light of day. It is still a magic weapon to ward off evil."
You Fang was really shocked this time. He didn't expect Mad Fox to do this! He had long heard Mr. Wu say an archaeological term called "hourglass of time". Many antiquities were well preserved in an isolated and unchanging burial environment.
, it was the same as it was thousands of years ago when it was first unearthed, but it quickly oxidized and decayed. It was like the hourglass of time had been stagnant for thousands of years, and suddenly accelerated rapidly at the moment the antiquities were unearthed.
Some archaeologists have seen intact fruits on the altars of ancient underground palaces, but once exposed to modern environments, they immediately turn into scorched earth at a speed visible to the naked eye, which is shocking. The technological methods so far have not been able to completely solve the problem.
The hourglass problem of time in archaeological excavations can only be postponed as much as possible. Some ancient objects are well preserved due to various coincidences that are difficult to explain except for the reasons of material.
Kuang Hu obviously saw that this ancient sword might decay quickly after being unearthed, so he immediately sealed it up. Judging from his tone, there was a way to keep it as good as new. You Fang asked curiously: "Master Fox, the Yin Qi is sealed
What's going on? What's the point of raising the blade again and consecrating it?"
Kuanghu did not answer, but added in a showy tone: "My skills are not good for everything, only ancient weapons with spirituality."
The bald man took off his gloves and helmet-mounted miner's lamp, scratched the back of his head and smiled at You Fang: "This is our boss's secret. I have been hanging around with the boss for ten years, but I still haven't learned it."
The big bald man has a pig-kidney face, and crow's feet appear at the corners of his eyes when he smiles. He looks like an honest and honest farmer, and looks harmless to humans and animals. But You Fang knows very well that the big bald man is the most vicious one in the gang.
, there have been more than one "traitor" who wandered away and hooked up with outsiders, disappearing in his hands without leaving any trace.
This unique skill of the mad fox is very valuable. If Mr. Wu learns about it, he will definitely learn it at all costs, because this is a way to protect historical heritage.
Thinking of Mr. Wu, You Fang was speechless for a moment, and the atmosphere became somewhat silent. Kuanghu changed the subject and brought up the previous topic: "The owner of the tomb is buried underground here, as well as his ancient colleagues from unknown ages. Mr. Yi You
It can be seen that the terrain of mountains and rivers today is different from that in ancient times. Based on the current Feng Shui situation, what is the significance of being buried here?"
You Fang replied without raising his head: "Ignore your descendants."
The mad fox exclaimed: "Is it so dangerous? Then the Feng Shui master who divined the tomb owner's acupoints five hundred years ago didn't see the changes five hundred years later?"
You Fang shook his head and said: "Looking at the landscape of mountains and rivers five hundred years from now is much more difficult than looking at the Feng Shui situation five hundred years ago. After all, the past has happened and will not change, but there are many variables in the future. The Feng Shui fortune at the time of the burial was the best.
Importantly, after one hundred and eighty years of reincarnation, the influence of ancient tombs on future generations has been very weak... In fact, in the final analysis, these are all nonsense."
The bald man interjected from the side: "Even if it's nonsense, the owner of this tomb is quite depressed. Five hundred years later, Mr. You found out about such a Feng Shui situation."
You Fang: "Today's burial is the only one that fits the situation. It has little to do with the owner of the tomb five hundred years ago. Even if it does, I guess the owner of the tomb won't care. Don't forget who he is.
A eunuch!"
The bald man slapped his forehead: "Mr. You, if you didn't mention it, I almost forgot. What we are digging today is a eunuch's grave, and a big eunuch at that!"
Who is the owner of this large underground tomb? To be honest, Yu Fang doesn’t know. He just designed it to lure Crazy Fox and others into taking the bait, and happened to find an ancient tomb here. If the "historical data" he fabricated is true
, then this tomb can be said to be a major discovery in the history of Chinese porcelain, because the name given to the owner of the tomb by You Fang is-Zhu Yuanzuo!
The history of eunuchs in China has been around for thousands of years, but the power and influence of eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty reached its peak. Unlike the Qing Dynasty, eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty were famous for intervening in government affairs, and their scope of activities was not limited to the palace and the capital. They were also sent to
They serve as town envoys, supervisors and other positions in various places, control the military and political power of one party, and supervise local officials.
Starting from the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the royal family opened official kilns in Jingdezhen, specializing in firing imperial porcelain. Starting from the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, the pottery supervisors responsible for the firing of official kilns in Jingdezhen were served by eunuchs. Eunuchs' power was a major cancer in the politics of the Ming Dynasty.
, many of the eunuchs who served as governors were corrupt and cruel, but there were also some who made great achievements during their tenure.
During the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, Jingdezhen official kiln porcelain reached a historical peak in terms of both craftsmanship and artistic level. A large number of high-quality products emerged and became famous all over the world. The pottery supervisor at that time was named Zhu Yuanzuo. Not only are there historical records, but there are also special works written by people from the Qing Dynasty.
"Tao Ya", which talks about porcelain science, also has a special description, and it has a very high evaluation of Zhu Yuanzuo.
All of the above can be clearly verified, but there are also "legends" that are not recorded in official historical materials. For example, where was Zhu Yuanzuo from? Where was he buried after his death? In what specifications was he buried? "It is said" that Zhu Yuanzuo was from Wangwei Village in Hebei Province.
The nearest village to this place was called Wangwei Village in the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Yuanzuo became famous throughout the country for his achievements in making porcelain, and received awards from the emperors of two dynasties. In his later years, he died of illness on his way back to Beijing to report on his duties, which happened to be near his hometown. Emperor Hongzhi favored him to return to his hometown and be buried nearby. These so-called "historical materials" are all
It was compiled by You Fang, but it is not entirely a lie to say that he has a nose and eyes. There is indeed Zhu Yuanzuo in history, and the nearest village is indeed famous in ancient times.
The most troublesome thing for modern people when doing research is facing the vast amount of information. But now there is a very convenient technological means, which is to search online. You may find inconspicuous clues in any corner of the Internet. Crazy foxes also go online.
After searching, I found that many historical materials and folklore introducing ancient ceramics, officialdom, and folklore contained a few clues. When put together, they were completely consistent with what You Fang said.
Some of the information is readily available on the Internet, and some information was posted on the Internet in pieces by Yu Fang under various pseudonyms after two months of hard work, just in case Kuang Hu didn’t search for it. In fact, Kuang Hu and You Fang are also in the same place.
They met on a forum where Feng Shui and local legends were discussed. It seemed like they met by chance, but I didn't know that the traveler had planned it in advance.
Times have changed, and even tomb robbers have gone online to find places!
When they arrived near Wangwei Village, after half a month of on-site investigation, You Fang and others found a large tomb hidden deep in the cornfield. Looking at the specifications and depth of the tomb, what was inside
Definitely worth a lot of money.
The bald man muttered: "Why are the eunuchs buried here? This place is more than two hundred miles away from the capital."
Kuanghu lectured: "What's the point? In 2003, nine tombs of eunuchs from the Ming Dynasty were discovered in Chengdu. The scales were not small, and no one had ever entered Tomb No. 3. It is said that there were more than a dozen items inside.
The ancient porcelain is in very good condition. The most beautiful one is a 47-centimeter-high Jiajing blue and white porcelain vat, and three authentic Xuande copper furnaces... Alas, I just got the news too late!... There are many eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty
There are many rich and powerful people in the land. Isn’t Zheng He just a eunuch? He also went to the West!"
The big bald man said flatteringly: "Boss, there's no need to sigh. We haven't caught up with the business in Chengdu, so can't we make up for the work here? That eunuch Zhu was a porcelain maker during his lifetime, and he built such a big tomb. What else is there in it?
Do you want to!"
You Fang nodded and said: "Of course. Zhu Yuanzuo was most proud of making porcelain in his life. You can imagine that he was buried with him in the tomb. Many eunuchs in ancient times were illiterate, but this eunuch Zhu was very educated. He also had a poem
Poems about firing porcelain are handed down from generation to generation——
The potter Jian Mingming came to Dian, and Dalin looked around at the column.
Zhumen is close to Qianfeng, and Danque is far away from Wanli.
When the clouds rise, spring brocades appear in Chicheng, and the purple sea rises with aura of aura every day.
The four riches are in flames day and night, but who knows that the courtiers are independent..."
You Fang recited poetry softly in the night wind. The bald man shuddered inexplicably and said, "Mr. You, please stop reading. Why do I feel so upset?"
You Fang asked back: "You've already been in this business, but you're still so timid?"
The bald man smiled sheepishly: "I have heard all kinds of sounds when robbing tombs for more than ten years. I am not afraid of anything except sirens now, but I have never heard anyone reading poetry outside the entrance of the cave. It feels weird."
"
At this moment, Xianzi came out from two meters away, turned off the miner's lamp and said in a low voice: "It's penetrated, Mr. You pointed at the right spot, I took a look, there are a lot of things inside, I can find it this time!"
"
Kuanghu's face was solemn, his eyes were very excited, and he waved his hand and said: "Quickly release the yin energy, go down and touch things in fifteen minutes, and be more agile!"
After the tomb chamber, which has been isolated from the outside world for thousands of years, is opened, tomb robbers generally will not go in immediately. It may be lack of oxygen or filled with toxic gases, allowing the internal and external air to circulate, which is commonly known as venting yin gas. Crazy Fox and others brought a simple
The blowing equipment is a foldable large air bag connected to a long tube that goes into the tomb chamber. The air bag in the tomb chamber is discharged from the robbery hole without opening the air bag, which can save time.
Fifteen minutes later, Baldhead and Xianzi went down one after another. Kuanghu was in high spirits, just like a general inspecting the battlefield after a victory. He looked around and said: "Since ancient times, Feng Shui has talked about earth's energy. This thing of earth's energy is really wonderful.
, the tomb is buried so deep, it can actually affect the growth of corn on the surface."
This cornfield looks lush and green, but the corn within about three meters directly above the tomb is not as good as other places. The headings are shorter and the fruits are not full enough. The distribution of the differences is very regular, and it is limited to this circle.
The more obvious it is towards the center.
This subtle difference cannot be seen standing still. Even the farmers who cultivate this land can hardly notice it. There are some ears of corn, straw and corn leaves at the feet of Kuanghu and Youfang. They are standing on the high ground in the distance.
After observing abnormalities, we picked them from nearby fields for comparison.
You Fang explained: "There is an archaeological term called 'rice remains', which refers to this phenomenon. It was discovered by a foreign devil hundreds of years ago. At that time, he used it to explore the distribution of ruins in ancient Roman ports. It is said that he used long
The observation effect is most obvious when the corn is mature." These are the knowledge that Mr. Wu once introduced to You Fang, and they are put to use now.
Mad Fox said in a mocking tone: "What the foreign devils discovered, our ancestors in this industry knew it a thousand years ago. Mr. You, although you are proficient in Feng Shui, you still need to learn a little bit of vision in this area. Since ancient times,
When looking for the ruins of the Yin Mansion, pay attention to "watch the green seedlings in spring and listen to the thunder in summer, and watch the dry water in autumn and enjoy the snow in winter"... If you are looking at vegetation, it does not need to be after the corn has grown. No matter what kind of field it is, the best time is when the green seedlings sprout in spring.
You haven’t heard about the timing of ground inspection, have you?”
You Fang had to admire him and said: "Master Fox is a great expert. I will have to learn more from you in the future."
Kuang Hu is a very calm person in doing things, but sometimes he likes to show off and likes to hear praises from others. He immediately nodded and said: "Let's learn from each other. Don't hide your Feng Shui secrets all the time. There are benefits in hanging out with me... Although I'm a master of Feng Shui."
Mr. Yan usually doesn’t need to dig holes, so he’d better practice his courage and see something. How about going down and taking a look today?...It’s okay, it’s just a dead person, there’s nothing to be afraid of!”
The entrance to the Thief's Cave was only two meters away from their foothold. It was almost invisible at night without careful observation. As the mad fox spoke, he had already walked to the entrance of the cave, with his back to You Fang. This was a God-given opportunity. If
If you don’t take action now, I’m afraid you won’t be able to wait for such a good opportunity again!
Mad Fox has not only practiced martial arts but also killed people with his own hands. He is not an ordinary little thief. This kind of person not only reacts quickly but also has very keen intuition. When he spoke, his heart tightened inexplicably. He felt that You Fang behind him was a little too quiet, and the wind seemed to
If there is a dangerous aura, immediately spin around.