Chapter 638: Why Not Dig It Yourself?

Still a graduate student?

In other words, this Teacher Lin is only in his twenties?

A group of experts looked at each other, not knowing how to evaluate this.

In his twenties, it would be impressive enough to have mastered Chinese—

Director Liu stared at the photo on the screen: "Little Tang, who did he learn Khitan Script from?"

Museum Curator Tang was stunned for a moment: "I'm not too clear on that, but Teacher Lin interacts with Director Sheng and Director Tian quite a bit; they would know more."

Hearing this, the several old experts turned their heads in unison.

Now it was Sheng Guoan and Tian Rulong's turn to be dumbfounded.

Having known him for so long, they truly did not know Lin Sicheng knew Khitan Script, nor had they ever seen him appraise any Cultural Relics or antiques related to the Khitan.

Including when appraising this pot, Tian Rulong had heard Lin Sicheng say with his own ears: he had never studied Khitan Script and didn't recognize a single character.

Then where did the information on the screen come from?

After thinking for a good while, Director Sheng said with some uncertainty: "He might have taught himself!"

Director Liu was even more confused: "What, self-taught?"

"Yes, self-taught!" Tian Rulong nodded: "Xida doesn't teach this, and as far as I know, Lin Sicheng has never apprenticed under a teacher in this field!"

Hearing the word "teacher," Director Sheng couldn't help but think of Wang Qi Zhi's face. If compared to his peers, Wang Qi Zhi could be considered outstanding, a dragon among men. But if compared to Lin Sicheng, he was only slightly better than a fool—

In a flash of thought, he nodded along: "It must be self-taught!"

Because Wang Qi Zhi couldn't do it.

The several old experts looked at one another: self-taught Khitan Script?

They felt as if they had heard the funniest joke of their lives.

This isn't a foreign language where there are dictionaries, materials, and teachers or knowledgeable people to consult when encountering problems.

This is a dead language; no one can understand it, no one can read it, and there are no mutual translation materials whatsoever.

For example, imagine a brick fell from space, covered in alien symbols that had never appeared before. Go ahead, teach yourself that?

But to say Director Sheng and Director Tian were lying, that was impossible, and there was no need.

"Director Sheng, this Teacher Lin—oh no, this student Lin is in Beijing, right?" Director Liu looked curious, "If there's a chance, could you help us arrange an introduction?"

Director Sheng waved his hands quickly: "Professor Liu, you are too kind. Another day I will bring him to visit you teachers, and you can provide some guidance."

"A visit is fine, but guidance is unnecessary."

After replying, Director Liu sighed again: "To be honest, at twenty-something years old, even if I had taught him hand-in-hand since he started learning to speak, I couldn't have taught him this."

At first thought, it is indeed incredible. But Sheng Guoan and Tian Rulong felt, had they not long since become accustomed to it?

There were many things Lin Sicheng had mastered without a teacher; were there not things even harder than this?

The topic had drifted a bit far, and there was no point in discussing it now. Tian Rulong brought the conversation back: "Three teachers, then based on the existing corroborating evidence, can the authenticity and possibility of this map's existence be confirmed?"

Professor Liu paused and shook his head: "The possibility is not very high."

"Is Lin Sicheng's deduction incorrect?"

"No, quite the opposite, his deduction is very correct. Even if it isn't seamless, it is at least reasonable and well-founded."

Director Liu pointed at the screen, "Relying on these five documents, although it cannot directly prove this map is a Treasure Map, it can at least corroborate that during the reign of Emperor Tianzuo, the Liao Dynasty already possessed the technology and production capacity for high-temperature wet-pressing techniques to create handicrafts from leather and herbal materials."

"To put it simply, based on these documents, it can basically be confirmed that this pot originated from the Liao Dynasty's Directorate of Imperial Manufactories. But there is a prerequisite: these documents, or rather these five historical sources, must be authentic and valid."

Tian Rulong understood: it wasn't that Lin Sicheng's deduction was problematic, but that these five historical sources were problematic.

After all, they were unofficial histories, and they were sensational gossip based primarily on rumors; you wouldn't be wrong to call them novels. How much credibility could they have?

But to say they were completely useless, Tian Rulong didn't quite believe that.

This had nothing to do with professionalism, but was based on his understanding of and trust in Lin Sicheng.

The key was that he wasn't the only one with this thought; Director Sheng felt the same.

But the two of them only exchanged a glance and didn't say anything more.

Perhaps feeling his judgment was too arbitrary, Professor Liu explained further: "Strictly speaking, the logic of these five documents is quite self-consistent. But precisely because of that, it lowers their authenticity and credibility."

"Let's assume for a moment: these five documents are a complete story, but they were split into five parts and recorded separately in five story novels."

"Then why were they separated? Because the subject matter of these five novels is different: 'Liaoye Shiyi' focuses on strange skills and ingenious crafts, so naturally, it only records the part where Shen Gong was skilled in gold and silver forging and his god-like Openwork Carving technique."

"'Fenjiao Lu' records palace secrets and romantic anecdotes, so naturally, it only records the affair between Shen Gong and Concubine Xiao Sese. The same applies to 'Tieweishan Congtan' by Cai Jing's youngest son, Cai Tao."

"'Chaoye Yishi Yulu' takes Emperor Tianzuo as the protagonist, writing entirely about rumors of Emperor Tianzuo being licentious and lawless, wasting his life on trivialities,"

"and ignoring state affairs. Therefore, it only records what exquisite objects Shen Gong made for him and what rewards he gave to Shen Gong."

"Including the final 'Songmo Jilue', the same logic applies: this book also takes Emperor Tianzuo as the protagonist, but"

"it leans towards military affairs, mainly recording the process of Emperor Tianzuo fleeing to the Southern Desert before the fall of the Liao Dynasty, fighting repeatedly and losing repeatedly, so naturally, it only records parts related to the military."

"To put it simply, the genres of the stories are different, and the narrative perspectives are different. When seeing stories related to it, one would naturally choose to cite them selectively, only citing the part that fits the theme of the story—"

"However, I am quite impressed by this student Lin's translation ability."

At the end, Director Liu changed the subject, pointing to the photo on the screen, "These four Khitan unofficial histories range from fifty or sixty thousand characters to over a hundred thousand characters. If he wanted to find these four documents, he had to read through these four books and then translate them."

"Let's calculate the time: he delivered these materials to Museum Curator Tang the day after that General Manager He donated them. That means he only used one day and one night to translate over three hundred thousand characters of Khitan Script?"

Professor Liu sighed: "If I were thirty years younger, I could barely manage it. But now, don't even think about it."

Museum Curator Tang was stunned: over three hundred thousand characters; if someone gave her a novel, she would probably need a day just to read it, let alone translate it.

She sighed inwardly and pondered again: "Professor Liu, if we deduce it this way, it means this map isn't necessarily a Treasure Map. But this person Shen Gong definitely existed. So, is there a high probability that Emperor Tianzuo's treasure exists?"

"Little Tang, you've understood it backward: the person Shen Gong definitely existed, because the four Khitan unofficial histories and Cai Tao's 'Tieweishan Congtan' can corroborate each other. However, Shen Gong's story isn't necessarily true—"

"Perhaps only a part is real, such as him being good at forging and skilled in carving, and he did indeed make imperial vessels for Emperor Tianzuo. He might have served as a logistics officer, and because the supplies were lost, he was executed by Emperor Tianzuo; these all have a certain degree of credibility."

"But the rest of it is very likely embellished and adapted. For example, his affair with Concubine Xiao Sese, and even more so, the words he shouted before he died: 'The Supreme Treasure is intact, buried at such-and-such place—'"

Professor Liu smiled: "When writing stories, aren't these the things readers love to see most: vendettas, treasure hunting, and romantic scandals?"

"But this is not to say that Student Lin's deduction lacks value; at the very least, he has provided us with a new and complete line of reasoning.

Previously, the three of us exchanged opinions and held a relatively consistent view on the purpose and craftsmanship of this pot: a combination of Song and Liao, a wine pot for a Liao Dynasty emperor. The points of disagreement were the time of production, the location of production, and the leading institution.

Now there is no need to argue, because Student Lin has helped us solve the most troublesome problem: why would an imperial vessel, exclusive to a Liao Dynasty emperor and containing a military map, be sent to the Song Dynasty to be made?

Now we have the answer; this pot was not made by the Song Dynasty, but by a Song Dynasty Craftsman who defected to the Liao Dynasty.

As for the map, that still needs to be verified. But I am inclined to believe it is a military map—"

The other two nodded in unison, indicating their agreement.

Only then did Museum Curator Tang let out a sigh of relief: if this really turned into a Treasure Map, and it was truly snatched away by that General Manager He, the museum leadership could tear her apart alive.

Because when Lin Sicheng sent these materials over, she truly hadn't taken it seriously, and she had dragged it out for a whole week.

Now it was fine; there was no need to be afraid.

Tian Rulong and Sheng Guoan exchanged a glance; the former gave a look, and the latter understood instantly: "Professor Liu, if I may ask, will you be giving General Manager He a reply based on this current conclusion?"

Professor Liu shook his head: "Director Sheng, I know what you are worried about. It is better to be safe than sorry. What if this is a Treasure Map, and what if there really is treasure?"

"Actually, I have this worry too, which is why I said earlier that the possibility is not high, rather than absolutely non-existent.

So Director Sheng, rest assured, we will provide a conclusion, which is the one I just mentioned: this map is in all likelihood a military map, not a Treasure Map.

But these documents, especially the Khitan Script documents that young Lin found, we will not reveal a single word of."

"Thank you, Professor Liu, I understand."

Professor Liu smiled: "Director Sheng is too polite, but don't forget your promise to help me introduce that Student Lin."

"Of course I won't forget, but I am afraid I might disappoint Professor Liu."

Sheng Guoan sighed: "Young people, you know, they are hot-headed, young and frivolous, and their speech lacks restraint."

Professor Liu laughed: "If they aren't hot-headed, what kind of young person are they?"

Listening to the conversation between the two, Museum Curator Tang was lost in thought.

She had only met Lin Sicheng once, but that one time had left a deeply profound impression on her. It was as if she were standing across from a peer, steady, mature, and calm.

In any case, she did not feel the slightest bit of the hot-headedness or impulsiveness that Director Sheng spoke of.

Although she thought this in her heart, Museum Curator Tang did not pay it any mind, assuming Director Sheng was just being modest.

Today, things have come to a successful conclusion. What needed to be appraised has been appraised, what needed to be analyzed has been analyzed, and the necessary conclusions have been reached. The happiest person was Museum Curator Tang; she thanked them one by one and said she had arranged a working meal, insisting that the teachers grace her with their presence.

But after all, they were all getting on in years and could not sit for long, so the three old Experts all declined.

Sheng Guoan and Tian Rulong were full of worries and truly had no mood to eat or drink, so they also politely declined.

Museum Curator Tang had originally wanted to communicate with these two alone, but seeing their attitude was very firm, she did not insist.

The group stood up, and Museum Curator Tang followed closely behind, seeing the group of Experts out of the conference room and down the stairs.

After seeing off the two old Experts, Sheng Guoan and Tian Rulong got into the car. Not long after driving out of Shoubo, Tian Rulong hit the brakes and pulled the car to the side of the road.

Sheng Guoan took out a cigarette case and handed him one.

Tian Rulong was stunned for a moment: "Didn't you quit?"

"I smoke one occasionally."

Sheng Guoan lit it and took a puff: "Do you know why Museum Curator Tang invited us here today?"

Tian Rulong didn't know before, but he knew now: especially when they were leaving, Museum Curator Tang had a look of wanting to say something but stopping.

She must have been afraid that Lin Sicheng's words would come true: that the map really turned into a Treasure Map, and if He Youhan got to it first, Museum Curator Tang would have to bear the consequences.

But she was embarrassed to contact Lin Sicheng, and even more embarrassed to say: when Lin Sicheng sent the items over and gave solemn instructions, she herself hadn't taken it seriously. That was why she invited Tian Rulong and Director Sheng over; in case any problem was identified, it would be easier for the two of them to mediate and ask Lin Sicheng to help cover for her.

But fortunately, the thing Museum Curator Tang worried about most did not happen; she didn't have to owe anyone a favor.

Director Sheng exhaled another puff of smoke: "Do you know why I said that at the end?"

Tian Rulong nodded: Director Sheng was afraid that after Professor Liu and Lin Sicheng met, something unpleasant would happen.

For example, if Professor Liu said: "Young Lin, your foundation in Khitan Script is deep, but your research is still lacking. To conclude that the map is a Treasure Map based only on a few rumors from strange tales is a bit hasty."

In such a moment, would you have Lin Sicheng argue or not?

If he didn't argue, it would be equivalent to him agreeing with Professor Liu's conclusion, and even more equivalent to his current self opposing his former self.

If he did argue, the old man was nearly eighty years old; what if he got so angry he had a health crisis?

That was why Sheng Guoan had added a patch in advance: when the time comes, if the young man doesn't show respect and leaves you unable to step down, don't blame me.

Tian Rulong frowned: "So Director Sheng, you also think that map is a Treasure Map?"

Sheng Guoan didn't speak, just nodded.

"The reason?" Tian Rulong pressed on, "Just because of those five documents Lin Sicheng extracted from unofficial histories?"

Sheng Guoan answered with a question: "What about you? When you came, didn't you also say that this matter wasn't very reliable?"

"

Tian Rulong was choked up.

Times change; how could he have known that Lin Sicheng would actually find so many documents.

In the eyes of Professor Liu and the others, these were all unofficial histories, or even romanticized stories that had been altered beyond recognition.

But based on Tian Rulong's countless experiences and his understanding of Lin Sicheng, these five documents would, more than ninety percent of the time,

become the five fingers on the palm he would swing.

Perhaps one day, when he swings his hand, there will be five finger marks on the other person's face.

Turning these thoughts over, Tian Rulong sighed: "Director Sheng, don't ask me, you say it impartially."

Sheng Guoan paused: Impartially?

If impartially, one must analyze from the perspective of archaeology and historical research; naturally, Professor Liu's viewpoint was more defensible.

But the problem was that most of the time, Lin Sicheng didn't reason.

Any theory, experience, or even impartiality or fairness, were all useless against him.

Take the Zhang Anshi Tomb Robbery Case, for example; theoretically speaking, that case was completely unsolvable. The grave robbers could have turned the tomb upside down, shipped everything abroad, split the loot, and fled without a trace, and the Police wouldn't have even discovered it.

But what was the result? Lin Sicheng stuck his neck out between the grave robbers and the Police, and under the premise that everyone thought it was impossible, he managed to find a ridiculously large Western Han Dynasty Ancestral Tomb Cluster beneath the ruins of a demolished urban village.

Where can you even go to reason with that?

Take the five kilns in Shanxi, for another example.

From the 1950s until before Lin Sicheng went there, the Shanxi archaeological departments had searched for them, the National Cultural Heritage Administration had organized Experts to search for them, and even several predecessors from the Forbidden City—authoritative Experts in the field of ancient ceramics—had investigated them one after another, yet none of them found a single trace.

But Lin Sicheng relied solely on his two legs, trekking across the barren mountains and every nook and cranny of Yuncheng, turning the impossible into the possible.

Compared to that, Lin Sicheng didn't have any documents back then; he didn't even have a single useful piece of evidence, creating something entirely out of nothing.

Afterward, some even said that those five kilns were as if Lin Sicheng had drawn them by hand: wherever he said they were, they were there; whatever porcelain he said was fired there, that was exactly what was dug up.

How do you explain that?

At least now there is a map, and even more so, five pieces of literature to support it; the conditions are countless times better than when he was in Shanxi. Therefore, Sheng Guoan and Tian Rulong truly could not analyze this from an impartial standpoint.

The two were silent for a good while, then Tian Rulong took out his phone: "Rather than guessing here, it's better to ask in person."

As he spoke, he dialed immediately.

It rang quickly, and the other side answered just as quickly; the call connected after just one ring. Lin Sicheng's voice came through: "Director Tian."

"Are you busy?"

"Not busy."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead, Director Tian."

"Can you be one hundred percent certain that by following that map of He Youhan's, one can find the treasure, right?"

Lin Sicheng paused: one hundred percent was of course impossible, but he had at least eighty percent confidence.

Of course, he couldn't say it like that.

"There is indeed some confidence, but this is only my personal opinion; there is no detailed and powerful evidence to support it."

Tian Rulong was half-doubting: "Then why were you so reckless, handing over the materials just like that?"

Lin Sicheng was stunned: Reckless?

"Director Tian, Museum Curator Tang is in charge of work at Shoubo, and she has always been responsible for the archaeological side of things. By handing it to her, she can at least organize Experts to conduct in-depth Artifact Research. But if you gave it to me, I'd be completely in the dark—where would I go to invite Experts?"

"Secondly, Museum Curator Tang has worked at the Inner Mongolia museum for over twenty years and has even held leadership positions in the autonomous region's archaeological institutions; she has both the connections and the ability. If she thinks it's feasible, she can fully coordinate with local departments for on-site investigation. Therefore, it is precisely because I take it seriously enough that I handed it to Museum Curator Tang!"

Tian Rulong was speechless; could he really tell Lin Sicheng that Museum Curator Tang hadn't taken it seriously at all?

But he wasn't that loose-lipped, so he took the initiative to change the subject: "Aren't you afraid that with so many people talking, the news will leak?

What if He Youhan finds out and gets there first?"

"Director Tian, you are actually wrong about that: what I fear is that too few people know. Even if they treat it as a joke, that's fine. The more people who laugh, doesn't that mean more people know?"

"Even if they don't take it seriously, even if they think I'm unreliable, what if one day they discover someone secretly hiring a lot of people to go into the mountains, secretly looking for something—"

"What's more, once they find it, won't they have to hire laborers and hire machinery? At that time, won't the local leaders wonder: could it be that someone took this seriously and really thinks there's treasure here?"

"As long as one leader takes it seriously, even if it's just a Xie head, a station chief, or even a village chief, He Youhan won't be able to dig up this treasure."

Tian Rulong's heart stirred: "So from the very beginning, you knew Museum Curator Tang wouldn't believe it?"

"Of course, it was just a hypothesis based on a few pieces of unofficial history. Even if I am certain and confident, it is still just a hypothesis—that's why I made it very clear at the time:"

"I only considered it asking Museum Curator Tang for a favor; if there's an opportunity, please have Experts verify it. If there's no opportunity, then notify the local departments to conduct an on-site investigation according to the survey area I marked. The place isn't big, only about a hundred kilometers in radius; flying two drones to take a few photos won't cost much money, nor will it take much time."

The more Tian Rulong listened, the stranger he felt: "You marked a survey area? How come I didn't know?"

"You haven't looked at the materials, so of course you don't know—"

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Tian Rulong: "I have looked at them, I just looked. Museum Curator Tang invited several old Experts to verify and analyze it, and Director Tang Sheng and I sat in as observers—"

Lin Sicheng let out an "Eh."

He hadn't expected Museum Curator Tang's reaction to be so fast, and secondly, he didn't understand why Museum Curator Tang had invited Director Tang Sheng and Director Tian over.

If there really were treasure, perhaps there would be a few pieces of ceramics, but things like Calligraphy and Painting were absolutely impossible.

One could imagine that after nearly a thousand years, whether buried in the dirt or hidden in a mountain cave, they would have long since turned to dust.

He was only suspicious for a moment; Lin Sicheng didn't dwell on it: "Director Tian, if you've seen the materials, then it's easy to explain."

"The last piece of unofficial history records that Shen Gong lost his baggage train and was executed in a rage by Emperor Tianzuo. The words he shouted before he died were: 'The Supreme treasure, not a fraction damaged, all hidden in Yekexime—'"

"In the Khitan language, 'Yeke' means big, and 'xime' is temple. Combined with the map, those two biggest dots, the treasure location must be in the valley. So the full name of this place should be: Damiao Valley, or Damiao Gorge."

"I checked the literature afterward; although I didn't find it, I made a rough estimation: the specific range should be in the area of Dayegou in the middle section of the Daqing Mountains in Neimenggu."

"Museum Curator Tang can entrust the local archaeological departments to conduct an on-site investigation to see if they can find any relics or traces of life from the Liao Dynasty. If there are, it could further confirm the possibility of the treasure's existence. If not, then naturally my deduction was wrong."

"Lin Sicheng, you're quite straightforward, aren't you?"

Tian Rulong deliberately tried to scare him, "Do you know which Experts Museum Curator Tang invited today? The Director of the Neimenggu Chinese Academy of Social Sciences,"

"Professor Liu from the national Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Editor-in-Chief Jing of the Liao, Jin, and Western Xia Research Yearbook—they unanimously believe that your deduction lacks sufficient evidence."

"Director Tian, it's normal for them not to agree. They are archaeological experts; every argument and every word they say must have evidence, and they must be responsible for it. And what am I doing?"

"I am enticing Museum Curator Tang to hunt for treasure. If you want to say I'm taking a chance with my own intuition, that wouldn't be wrong. So Director Tian, how can you expect them to support me or agree with me?"

Tian Rulong was stunned, staring blankly for a long while.

No wonder he felt everything was strange before; it turned out the two sides' lines of thinking weren't on the same channel at all?

"Lin Sicheng, since it's treasure hunting, why don't you go? Do you think the odds aren't high, so you want to let Museum Curator Tang help you scout the path?"

Lin Sicheng was not polite at all: "Director Tian, let me interview you: if Museum Curator Tang really finds the path, would it still be my turn to dig?"

"And taking a step back, if I didn't tell Museum Curator Tang and went to find it and dig it up secretly myself, even if I could find it,"

"and dig it out, could I even take it for myself?"

"Director Tian, don't think of me so poorly: is it wrong for me to hand the treasure over to the state?"

Tian Rulong was choked into silence.

With Lin Sicheng's current financial resources, what need does he have for such a treasure? What kind of treasure could sell for over three billion?

Then again, with so many leaders paying attention to him now and placing such high hopes on him, he would have to be out of his mind to go looking for some treasure.

"But it's still not right: even if you dig it up and can't take it away, this is still a massive archaeological discovery. How many historical gaps could it fill, how many historical discontinuities could it bridge? With so many academic achievements, aren't you tempted at all?"

Lin Sicheng smiled: "Director Tian, let me use an analogy: it's like a banquet; thinking you can eat the whole thing without leaving even a drop of soup for others is impossible. If you really try to force it down, the only result will be to be stuffed to death."

Tian Rulong was stunned for a moment; at first, he was thinking: what have you eaten that you've reached the point of being afraid of being stuffed to death?

But then, he suddenly realized: does the Zhang Anshi Tomb count as filling a historical gap?

Those five kilns in Shanxi, who knows how many historical discontinuities they have bridged?

And then there is the Palace Porcelain and Hejin Porcelain—especially the Hejin Kiln and Huo Prefecture Kiln; Tian Rulong has already heard Wind that these two kilns are very likely to be named one of the top ten archaeological discoveries of the coming year.

What kind of archaeological achievement or academic result could compare to this?

Taking a step back, Lin Sicheng holds nineteen technologies in his hands; if he were to set aside National Level projects that benefit the country and the people—projects the state stands behind with full support—to go do archaeology, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse, throwing away a golden mountain to pick up sesame seeds?

Even if his brain were kicked by a donkey and he insisted on going, the higher-ups wouldn't let him.

Thinking of this, Tian Rulong suddenly understood many things he hadn't been able to figure out before.

He Youhan's background is good enough and he is rich enough, right? Even he is so proactive and attaches so much importance to it, yet Lin Sicheng isn't tempted in the slightest?

Because the height he is at now, He Youhan couldn't catch up to in his next life.

This isn't referring to awareness, and certainly not to some grand vision, but merely to wealth and status.

So, has Lin Sicheng become this rich without anyone noticing?

While lost in thought, a sound came from the phone, like someone closing an iron gate.

Then someone shouted "Teacher Lin." Lin Sicheng covered the microphone: "Director Tian, I won't talk to you anymore, I have to go meet a friend."

What kind of friend is so urgent to meet?

While he was still suspicious, a voice could be heard vaguely on the phone: "Greetings to the government!"

"Cut the crap, sit down—"

Tian Rulong was stunned: "Lin Sicheng, are you in prison?"

No, what kind of ears do you have?

Lin Sicheng flatly denied it: "Why would I be running around in a prison for no reason?"

"Director Tian, I really have something to do, I'm hanging up now—"