Chapter 143: Haven't Learned to Walk, Yet Want to Fly? (Monthly Ticket Bonus 44)

It would have been fine if no one had reminded them, but once reminded, it was a disaster.

The tomb of Zhang Anshi being robbed and the tomb of Zhang Anshi's son being robbed are two concepts that are worlds apart.

The key is that Duling is right next door.

In the former case, the public security department would at most notify the district-level Cultural Relics Protection unit to keep a closer watch.

In the latter case, it must be reported to the provincial-level department and above. If things go poorly, a task force from above might arrive the very next day.

Just like that year, when Mayor Geng wanted to renovate the Yungang Grottoes, he was reported by someone before construction even began; the next day, Bureau Chief Shan arrived in Datong with his team...

Guan Xingmin could no longer sit still and immediately reported it to his superiors.

The leadership immediately issued instructions: mobilize all technical forces from Shijian and the Provincial Department to authenticate the bamboo slips and the Jade Wenming. At the same time, notify Chang'an District to organize police forces for screening and patrols.

With all the people from Shijian pulled away, how could they still authenticate the jade? Besides, Yang Zhigao had already been caught, so he couldn't run away, could he?

After seeing off Guan Xingmin, the teacher and student turned and headed to the Provincial Museum.

Lin Sicheng drove, with Wang Qi Zhi sitting in the passenger seat, looking emotional: "This time, it's not just one public security bureau that owes you a favor. Tsk, what luck!"

Because whether it is World Heritage Application, artifact research, or archaeology and scientific research projects, as long as it is related to "Cultural Relics" or "antiques," any activity falls under the jurisdiction of the cultural department.

Therefore, compared to the public security department, it is more direct and more convenient.

The key is that the favor for the Inverted Pot hadn't even been repaid yet, and now another one is owed: the Zhang Anshi Tomb?

Lin Sicheng nodded secretly: the luck is indeed quite good.

If it weren't for the bamboo slips and the Jade Wenming, he wouldn't have remembered: it was just at the beginning of this year that the State Council approved the establishment of a National Level economic and technological development zone in Xijing, featuring the aerospace industry.

Around July or August, the National Development and Reform Commission approved the establishment of an aerospace industry base in Weiqu Town, simultaneously mobilizing the requisition of construction land and carrying out demolition.

The following year, which is next spring, the requisition and demolition will be completed, and the base will begin foundation construction. When the foundation is half-dug, probably around next summer, the Zhang Anshi family tomb will be discovered.

Afterwards, with the approval of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Archaeology Team will conduct a systematic excavation of the tomb. Then it will be discovered that all fourteen tombs have been mostly robbed.

The point is: apart from the sporadic grave-robbing before, eighty percent of the robbing activities were concentrated within one year.

To put it simply: after knowing that Weiqu Town, where the tombs are located, was to be requisitioned, grave-robbers carried out retaliatory looting. They entered under the guise of a demolition team, ostensibly tearing down houses and leveling land for farmers, but secretly looting.

Have you ever seen an excavator digging a Tomb Tunnel? A Tomb Tunnel was dug straight from the demolition village to the foot of the mausoleum, a full kilometer long.

The stolen Cultural Relics include: two Gilded Bronze Chariot and Horses. You can refer to the Bronze Chariot and Horses of the First Emperor's Mausoleum: they are as large as the real chariots and horses.

Two Gold Thread Jade Suits: for Zhang Anshi and his wife.

Four Silver-Thread Jade Burial Suits: for his son, the Marquis of Fuping, Zhang Yanshou and his wife, and his son, the Marquis of Yangdu, Zhang Pengzu and his wife.

There are also two Marquis Gold Seals, seven Bronze Dings, four Bronze Guis, nine Bronze Niuzhong Bells, and four Yongzhong Bell Bell Bells.

There are also the Wild Goose Fish Bronze Lamp, Fu Shan Incense Burner, Bronze Goose Zun Vessel, Jade Dancing Figure, the *Analects*, the *Burial Code*, the *Guide Book* (Medical Book), and *Medical Prescription Slips*, and so on and so forth.

The Jade Wenming that Lin Sicheng bought doesn't even count as a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the total.

Knowing that it would be exposed in at most a year, the gang urgently fenced the stolen goods while looting. Later, the main ringleaders fled abroad, and most of the Cultural Relics flowed into the black market.

How many were recovered later is unknown; Lin Sicheng suspects it might be less than one-tenth.

How many people were held accountable, Lin Sicheng doesn't know much either, but it was definitely not a small number. Anyway, his grandfather was invited to meetings, and after returning, he sighed for a long time.

That definitely won't happen now: the demolition work only started in August, and it's only been two months or so; the Tomb Tunnel is probably only half-dug, at most just broken through.

It's not far, just seven or eight kilometers west of Duling. But the first phase of the aerospace base alone covers more than twenty square kilometers. Lin Sicheng really doesn't know which specific plot it is.

He knows even less about which demolition team did it. So he can only use a clumsy method: find the tomb first.

It's not hard to find, even easier than Wang Qi Zhi guessed. As long as the tomb is found, one can follow the clues to catch the people. It's hard to say how many favors he can earn in the end, but it certainly won't be less than the time with the Inverted Pot.

Secondly, Guan Xingmin is going to perform a meritorious service again, and a great one at that...

With a secret sigh, he drove the Jeep Grand Cherokee into the Provincial Museum.

Just as the car came to a stop, a man in his early thirties walked down the steps. While still ten steps away, he smiled and greeted: "Student Lin, my surname is Zhang, called Zhang Ping, and I am Professor Yao's student. The teacher asked me to come and pick you up..."

Lin Sicheng was stunned for a moment and hurriedly went up to meet him, while Wang Qi Zhi followed silently behind.

Lin Sicheng had initiated this visit, saying only that he was coming to check some data and ask a few questions. But Yao Hansong still sent a student to wait downstairs; one can see the weight Lin Sicheng holds in his heart.

Thinking secretly, Lin Sicheng introduced: "Researcher Zhang, this is my teacher, Professor Wang from the Xida Cultural Heritage Protection College!"

"Oh, Professor Wang, hello!"

He smiled even more enthusiastically than before, but could Wang Qi Zhi not tell which was a genuine smile and which was formulaic?

Zhang Ping came to take the box again, but Lin Sicheng hurriedly declined, and the three of them went up the steps.

He must have been watching from the window the whole time; as soon as they reached the third floor, Yao Hansong happened to come out of his office.

He first smiled at Wang Qi Zhi: "Professor Wang."

Then he looked at Lin Sicheng and sighed: "I thought you would come the next day, but it took two weeks?"

Lin Sicheng hurriedly apologized with a smile: "Professor Yao, I'm sorry, I went out to find some research specimens during this time. After I came back, I did some more research, so I couldn't get away!"

"Specimens and materials of gold are indeed rare. Although there aren't many genuine items in the museum, there are still a few replicas. You don't need to go out of your way to find them; if you want to practice, just come over directly."

Yao Hansong smiled: "Don't feel embarrassed either. As the saying goes, true gold fears no fire; no matter how much you study it, the gold won't diminish!"

"Yes, you are right!"

As they talked, they entered the office. Lin Sicheng nodded continuously, while Wang Qi Zhi sighed secretly.

Even if it is a replica, it is still gold.

After they were seated, Zhang Ping made tea, and Lin Sicheng opened the box: "I came today to ask Professor Yao to see if these two items can be of any use!"

Yao Hansong nodded: "Good!"

At first, he didn't pay much attention, thinking whether Lin Sicheng had gone to that shop again and bought two of He Jintang's replicas?

Of course, He Jintang's craftsmanship is indeed beyond reproach, higher than his, and even higher than the gold art teachers in the museum.

But to be honest, after all, they are modern folk craft replicas, with more copper and less gold, or even just gilded Bronze. If one wants to study real Tang Dynasty palace gold craftsmanship, it is better not to touch them when just starting to learn.

It is easy to go astray and be led off the path.

But when Lin Sicheng opened the box and took out the items, Yao Hansong was first stunned, and then his pupils suddenly constricted.

A Ming Dynasty Five-Beam Gold Thread Crown?

A Song Dynasty Vermilion Lacquer Engraved Gold Lotus-Petal Shaped Casket?

The key is, it doesn't look like a replica?

He stood up subconsciously and took the gold crown from Lin Sicheng's hands:

Gold Foil chasing patterns, Agate burnishing, and the gold thread mesh uses the "lantern-weaving" technique.

The crown beams are braided strands, using the ash-stacking method.

The inner lining is red gold beams, with Gold Bead Accumulation on the exterior.

Especially this last "Gold Bead Accumulation": inherited from the Tang Dynasty, yet surpassing the Tang. It has the most direct connection to the Tang Dynasty's Granulation technique.

The key is, it is actually an authentic piece: it is equivalent to drawing a tiger based on a model, following the ancient Granulation methods in the literature; as long as one can granulate to the level of the gold crown beam beads, it proves that the restoration of the technique is completely qualified.

There is even a bead flower stuck on it... Huh, Jade-Pressing method, Impression method?

Haha, a Three Preceptors Official Crown Bead Flower from the Song Dynasty?

Looking at the other piece, the Song Dynasty Vermilion Lacquer Engraved Gold Lotus-Petal Shaped Casket, this one is even more authentic!

Moreover, it has a direct connection to the "Tang Dynasty Gold and Silver Flat-removal technique," which is nearly lost and which Lin Sicheng and Wang Qi Zhi are preparing to conduct Artifact Research on.

It is not a direct inheritance, but rather a reverse innovation; however, the technical logic of the Song Dynasty Engraved Gold Technique indeed originates from the Tang Dynasty's Flat-removal technique.

First, the carrier is the same: both are lacquerware.

Second, the materials are related: both use gold and silver as decorative materials to display a luxurious texture.

The difference is: Engraved Gold involves carving grooves into the lacquerware and inlaying gold materials. Flat-removal involves placing the gold materials first, then polishing.

At the very least, it is more than enough to verify that "during the Song Dynasty, the Flat-removal technique had not yet been severed"...

Yao Hansong looked at them for a long while, then raised his head: "Where did you find these?"

"The Gold Thread Crown was bought from the same shop that sold the Agate Cup, and the Lacquer Box was found in Hangzhou!"

"How much did you spend?"

"The Lacquer Box was 850,000, and the Gold Thread Crown was 350,000!"

Yao Hansong was stunned, staring blankly at Lin Sicheng.

That means, it only cost 1.2 million in total?

But in terms of economic value alone, these three pieces are worth more than five times 1.2 million. And that is not even counting the technical embodiment and historical attributes...

Yao Hansong looked at Wang Qi Zhi, then turned his head back, his eyes gradually brightening: "Have you studied Appraisal before?"

"Professor Yao, my grandfather is also a professor at Xida!"

"Oh, oh... I'm sorry, you mentioned that before, I forgot!"

Yao Hansong smiled and looked at Wang Qi Zhi again.

Wang Qi Zhi wanted to curse: If you forgot, you forgot, what is the meaning of looking at me?

Does it mean it definitely wasn't taught by me, right?

Secretly grumbling, Yao Hansong put down the Lacquer Box: "These are all rare treasures that are hard to come by, and they have great reference value. How do you plan to conduct your Artifact Research?"

"Professor Yao, I want to try and see if I can experiment step by step to deduce the key techniques!"

Yao Hansong was taken aback: "Try it directly?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Yes, Professor Yao, try it directly. I have even brought the materials for the experiment!"

Yao Hansong's brows furrowed slightly: This is not a question of whether there are materials or not.

To use an analogy: you haven't even learned to walk, yet you want to fly...