Chapter 203

The archaeological team immediately stepped forward to clear away the excess soil.

Fang Yang jumped down from the driver's seat and walked over to observe; he didn't know for sure if this was a cultural relic.

It really didn't look like one.

But the moment he stepped closer, the system panel popped up.

He knew this had to be a cultural relic.

【Zhuge Drum】

【A bronze drum invented by Zhuge Liang】

【Specifications: base diameter 47.9 cm, top diameter 46.5 cm, height 26.3 cm】

【During Zhuge Liang's southern campaign, this was a war drum used by the local army. After Zhuge Liang's modifications, it became a skill drum for the army, and also served as a cooking pot for making meals...】

Fang Yang read the system introduction, his face filled with a strange expression, yet he also felt that Zhuge Liang was indeed incredible.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he was praised as if he were a god.

But in official history, although he wasn't quite that powerful, his abilities were unquestionable.

Everyone says Zhuge Liang was best at handling internal affairs, but regardless, Zhuge Liang ultimately left a vivid mark on history.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be the modern Wuhou Shrine to commemorate Zhuge Liang.

Chen Feng watched as the soil above was cleared, then ran over curiously to ask, "How is it? Is this really a cultural relic, or just an iron bucket!"

Fang Yang smiled upon hearing this, wiped the dust off the bronze drum with his hand, and said, "Look at this spot; it has patterns. Where would an iron bucket have patterns!"

"What exactly is this thing? It looks like the shape of a drum!"

"Yes, that's right, it is indeed a drum!"

"What? A bronze drum? Isn't bronze very brittle? What if it breaks when struck!"

Fang Yang replied calmly, "This is a cultural relic from the Three Kingdoms period. It is called the Zhuge Drum, and it was invented by Zhuge Liang!"

"Zhuge Liang?"

Upon hearing this, the fans outside the circle were the first to cry out in shock.

It is well known that from ancient times to the present, Zhuge Liang has had no shortage of fans.

Now that they heard this item was invented by Zhuge Liang, everyone was extremely curious.

Chen Feng was also curious; he had truly never seen this object before.

Zhuge Liang invented many things in his lifetime; the most familiar to people are the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse, as well as the Zhuge Crossbow.

The Zhuge Drum was not only new to them; even Fang Yang had heard of it for the first time.

However, Fang Yang's next sentence made everyone's jaws drop.

"Actually, the mantou eaten today was also invented by Zhuge Liang! And it is directly related to this drum!"

115. The Origin of Mantou, Discovering a Tea Jar! (Please Subscribe!)

After Fang Yang said this, everyone stood stunned.

Mantou is simply too common; it is a staple food in our lives, yet few people know exactly where it comes from.

No one expected mantou to be linked with the famous Zhuge Liang.

It felt like their worldview had been refreshed.

Fang Yang smiled, "You must be very surprised. In fact, flour-based foods existed very early on, but back then they were not called mantou; they were eaten differently and called mo."

At this moment, people kept getting out of their cars by the roadside and rushing over here.

The foreman was completely numb; everything that happened today felt eerie.

The newly arrived fans saw Fang Yang explaining things and quickly took out their phones to record videos.

Most people knew what the mo Fang Yang mentioned was.

Especially in the Northeast, this is basically the staple food.

Rice is rarely eaten there; they just prepare some dishes, roll them in a mo, and that completes a meal.

"The bronze drum before us now was a war drum used by the local army during Zhuge Liang's southern campaign. After Zhuge Liang's modifications, it was used for cooking during the day and for sounding alarms at night. It can be considered a portable military supply. In later generations, people named it the Zhuge Drum!"

"But the mantou I just mentioned is also closely related to this southern campaign. Today, the mantou in our southwestern region is different from the mantou in other parts of our country."

"In the southwestern region, mantou refers to the heads of the Man barbarians!"

Upon hearing this, a commotion erupted around them.

Mantou was actually linked to the heads of the Man barbarians.

However, upon careful reading, one would find that the sounds of these two words are indeed the same.

Fang Yang continued smiling as he explained, "There is a story behind this. When Zhuge Liang launched his southern campaign in 225 AD, after a year of preparation, he personally led the troops south."

"According to an important custom during military expeditions at that time, before setting out, one had to capture an enemy, and after bringing him back, cut off his head to sacrifice to the army flag!"

"Once this custom was completed, it was considered a good omen for victory, allowing them to lead their troops into battle!"

"At that time, Zhuge Liang wanted to respect the custom, yet he also felt it was somewhat cruel. To complete this ritual, he had his chef make a huge ball of dough!"

"He then shaped the dough to resemble the head of a southern Man barbarian, dressed it in clothes and armor, added chicken and dog blood, and then used a knife to chop the mantou, thereby completing the sacrificial ritual."

While Fang Yang was explaining, Chen Ju arrived with dozens of police officers.

Fortunately, there were only a few dozen people at the scene, so the situation was temporarily under control.

On the way here, his heart had been pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of his throat.

There were only about ten police officers here; if the situation were like yesterday, they certainly couldn't control it.

If something went wrong then, it would not be a minor incident.

And with Chen Ju's arrival,

the foreman became even more confused. More and more workers put down their tools and gathered around to watch the spectacle.

Unknowingly, a circle had formed around the scene.

Chen Ju pulled back the cordon and walked up to Fang Yang, his face full of helplessness: "If you don't close your museum soon, our Xihai City will descend into chaos!"

"Huh?" Fang Yang was stunned: "Why?"

"Don't you know what state your museum is in right now?"

Fang Yang thought for a moment; he seemed not to have visited since opening day, so how could he know what it looked like.

"What state? Packed?"

Director Chen gave a self-mocking smile: "Packed? Let me tell you, the queue stretches for several kilometers. Just watch; this place has already been exposed. Without any doubt, there will be more people here today than yesterday. Let's see how you run today!"

"No way!" Fang Yang's eyes widened, and looking at the fans around him, he suddenly felt his head spinning.

"Um... Director Chen, I've always thought you were a good director, a good policeman. You will surely protect me, a weak commoner, won't you?"

Seeing him like that, Director Chen laughed in anger: "You have the nerve to say that! Didn't you cause all of this?"

"Ahem... Director Chen, I leave my personal safety in your hands. I still need to continue the livestream. Let's talk later!!"

Having said that, he immediately continued his explanation, completely ignoring Director Chen's death-glare beside him.

"Just now we spoke of the sacrifice: chopping off steamed buns! At that time, his troops did not consist solely of Han people; there were also some barbarian tribesmen from the south."

"These southern barbarians learned of this news and understood the genuine compassion behind what Zhuge Liang was doing, so they felt deeply grateful to him."

"While the cooks prepared the food, they kneaded the dough into long strips, and when shaping the noodles, they cut with one heavy stroke and one light stroke, following this order. They wanted the southern barbarians to know the story of Zhuge Liang chopping off barbarian heads."

"In the end, a special kind of square or rectangular steamed bun remained! Such buns must bear a deep knife mark; after steaming, a large gap appears in the center."

【Popularity】 +1+1+1+1

—— 【Whoa, so that's where the steamed buns in my home come from! I always wondered why the buns here were different from others. People's buns are small and fist-sized, but ours are rectangular with a chop mark in the middle. I didn't understand why back then, but now I finally get it; it was to commemorate Zhuge Liang! Learned it, learned it. I can show off when I go back home!】

—— 【Wow, so happy. I actually grew a brain! Lately, I suddenly feel like I've learned so much. Every time an artifact is unearthed, I hear a story; it feels so interesting. My dog has been running over recently to watch the livestream too. Judging from its eyes, it's even going to university!】

—— 【It's been a while since I saw Fang Yang dig up other strange things; I'm getting a bit unaccustomed to it. But learning something new every time an artifact is unearthed is indeed nice. Thinking of this, I truly admire him. He can tell a story for every artifact. Did he start learning from the womb?】

—— 【Damn, the site today is way too far. Navigating from the county to that place takes two hours. I'm really done. Why pick such a remote spot? But I see not many people at the site today, so it looks like I can find a front-row seat.】

Many netizens were very familiar with the steamed buns Fang Yang was talking about.

Especially those netizens who liked Zhuge Liang; they never expected that the steamed buns they ate regularly in daily life had such an anecdote.

Meanwhile, at the site, Fang Yang looked at the crowd's lingering expressions and continued speaking.

"This knife mark was to commemorate the stroke where Zhuge Liang chopped the dough but not the person. Later, the soldiers in the army learned of this matter, and gradually, such stories spread to the ears of the southern minority tribes."

"Later, through the seven captures of Meng Huo, the southern barbarian tribes submitted. It can be said that Zhuge Liang's southern expedition achieved an absolute victory."

"In that era, during the Three Kingdoms conflicts, military supplies were needed by every nation. But after Zhuge Liang conquered the south, he made two bold decisions. Precisely because of these decisions, the Shu Kingdom at that time obtained vast amounts of supplies and grain, preparing for the Northern Expedition!"

"The first was not to station troops in the southern barbarian lands. The second was not to stockpile grain there. This policy gave all southern tribes a strong sense of submission to Shu Han, and they would offer large tributes every year."