Chapter 380

Although he knew Fang Yang was very capable, hearing about him is not as good as meeting him; only after meeting him did he know how terrifying he was.

Fang Yang continued: "When Qianlong grew to ten years old, he saw his grandfather, Emperor Kangxi, for the first time at the Old Summer Palace. As soon as Kangxi saw this grandson, he saw that he was not only handsome but also full of learning, answering questions fluently, and reciting texts well."

"He looked at Qianlong's destiny, and the more he looked, the more he liked him. So he proposed wanting to see his biological mother. But when he saw Zhen Huan, he saw that she was strong and healthy, which was definitely different from the average concubine."

"Kangxi kept praising Zhen Huan as a blessed person. Later, after Yongzheng ascended the throne, he listened to his father Kangxi's words, so he titled Zhen Huan as Consort Xi, and later she became Noble Consort Xi."

"Having said so much, do you feel this is completely different from the scheming, poisonous woman in the TV series?"

"In fact, the historical Zhen Huan had ordinary looks, an ordinary family background, and mediocre talent. Her importance to Emperor Yongzheng was extremely weak. She completely relied on her outstanding son to achieve a gorgeous transformation, perfectly interpreting the phrase 'the mother is honored by her son'."

【Popularity】 +1+1+1+1.

——【TV series have misled me. In recent years, TV series have been filming dramas about female leads to cater to the female market. They feel quite good when watching them. But after hearing the relevant history, I suddenly feel I can't look at them straight anymore.】

——【Just from listening, I can imagine how robust this Zhen Huan must have looked. I guess she was the type who was a bit fat and had a particularly good physique. This was too hard on Emperor Yongzheng. He had a bunch of beauties in his own courtyard; if it were me, I wouldn't want to touch this type either.】

——【So, a person has many opportunities in life, but as long as you grasp one, you can ascend to the sky in one step. She couldn't rely on herself, but she relied on her son. If she hadn't taken care of Yongzheng without fear of death back then, she wouldn't have had her later glory. Regardless of the pros and cons of Qianlong to China, Zhen Huan's life was a success.】

——【Thinking about that era makes one feel sad. She became a concubine at 13. In today's terms, she would still be under the protection of minors. At her age, she had to face living alone in a strange environment, and for over a decade, she was ignored. It looked like she was living in luxury, but in reality, she was a true canary—not even a canary, actually.】

After listening to Fang Yang's explanation, Yang Tou and the others refreshed their impression of the historical Zhen Huan.

Although they rarely pay attention to these things, hearing interesting historical stories is still very fascinating.

Their inner curiosity had long been hooked.

Yang Tou looked at Fang Yang eagerly: "And then? You haven't talked about this golden pagoda yet!"

Fang Yang smiled: "Don't be anxious. A cultural relic is not just its own value; more importantly, it's the historical document hidden behind it. To understand this golden pagoda, we must first understand the person Zhen Huan."

"Later, after Qianlong ascended the throne, he was also very filial to his mother. During the old lady's lifetime, he took her on trips 42 times. When the Empress Dowager was over sixty, Qianlong also gave her a very big gift, which is today's Summer Palace. Its predecessor was called the Qingyi Garden!"

"The Summer Palace!"

This name was like thunder to the ears, even for Yang Tou and the others.

As a Chinese person, the famous Old Summer Palace is a darkness that everyone cannot erase.

As a royal garden of the same level, its great name is naturally known to everyone.

But what the heck is this Qingyi Garden!

Let alone seeing it, they hadn't even heard of it.

And it was actually the predecessor of the Summer Palace.

This is like an elementary school student taking a remedial class and learning some knowledge point.

Fang Yang ignored the crowd and continued to explain: "When the Empress Dowager was eighty, Qianlong was already a sixty-year-old man, yet he still wore colorful clothes and danced, just to make his mother smile. During her lifetime, he tried his best to make his mother the most blessed Empress Dowager of the Great Qing."

"Zhen Huan lived to be eighty-six, and after her death, she was buried in the Western Qing Tombs."

"Less than a month after the Empress Dowager passed away, Qianlong issued an edict to make a golden hair pagoda to worship the hair that fell out during his mother's lifetime. This is the golden pagoda in front of us."

"The golden hair pagoda used a total of over 3,000 taels of gold and is divided into six layers. Each layer is inlaid with turquoise, lapis lazuli, coral, etc..."

"Look here in the middle of the pagoda; an Amitayus Buddha is enshrined. If nothing goes wrong, there is a golden box behind the Buddha, and inside that is Zhen Huan's hair!"

"This..."

Someone at the scene was itching to reach in with their hand to see if they could find the golden box Fang Yang mentioned.

But they were immediately stopped by the Bureau Chief: "There's no need to open it. I believe Fang Yang. This golden pagoda has been buried in the dirt for too long. If you open it rashly, it's easy to have problems. It must be opened after we go back."

"That's right!" Fang Yang also nodded in agreement: "The dirt and water underground have seeped into the golden box bit by bit. If you open it and accidentally lose the hair inside, the soul of this golden pagoda will be missing."

After finishing, he spoke again: "The process of making this golden hair pagoda back then was also very bumpy."

"In just nine months, Qianlong issued more than twenty imperial edicts and personally participated in the design of this golden hair pagoda."

"When the officials of the Imperial Household Department brought the 1:1 sample to Qianlong, Qianlong applauded on the spot. 'Follow this model to make it!'"

"But the problem came: the Amitayus Buddha inside was made in advance, and the pagoda was designed too small at the beginning, so it couldn't be put in at all."

"Later, Qianlong issued another edict: 'Follow this Amitayus Buddha and make it bigger.'"

"The pressure suddenly fell on the Imperial Household Department. The gold available in the palace at the time wasn't enough. In the end, there was no other way, so they took all the gold basins, gold bowls, and gold spoons from the Kangshou Palace where Zhen Huan lived during her lifetime, melted them down, and made them into the golden hair pagoda."

"But even so, it still wasn't enough! So they added over 700 taels of silver to purchase gold before they could finish the golden hair pagoda."

"Of all virtues, filial piety comes first. Qianlong making such a golden hair pagoda to worship his mother's hair was also to express his grief for his mother. From this perspective, he was indeed a filial son."

【Popularity】 +1+1+1+1...

——【Tsk tsk... From this, you can see that Qianlong's spendthrift nature is truly well-known. He even used up all the gold existing in the palace and still wanted to continue making it, just for such a thing to express his feelings. Is it worth it? Could it be that a golden pagoda made of wood couldn't be used for worship!】

——【There is a reason for the decline of the Qing Dynasty. An expert once said that the Han people went through 2,000 years of cultural evolution, only to be unified by a nomadic tribe. In other words, savages ruled modern society, so how could it not decline? In the Qing Dynasty, the only emperor I admire is Yongzheng!】

——【Personally, I think Qianlong's mother must have been an honest and kind person. It was precisely because of this good character that she had the later blessings. I've seen her portrait: long face, wide mouth, big ears, broad and full forehead. Although this physiognomy can't be called good-looking, it is definitely a blessed face.】

——【A blessed person doesn't need many opportunities; one is enough. But what's the use of making it so luxurious? It all turned to dust and emptiness in the end. If it weren't for Fang Yang, the thing used for commemoration might have been buried underground for a lifetime. How many lives could these things have saved back then!】

As Fang Yang's explanation ended, the scene fell into deep thought.

Everyone had their own thoughts and answers in their hearts.

Such a thing undoubtedly possesses very high historical and cultural relic value; calling it a national treasure is not an exaggeration at all.

As people who witnessed the birth of a national treasure with their own eyes, joy couldn't help but appear on everyone's faces.

Especially the relevant personnel of the Cultural Relics Bureau, they could finally understand how cool their counterparts in Xihai City are every day!

If one could live days like this every day, one could wake up laughing in their dreams.

Thinking of this, the Bureau Chief immediately turned his head and looked at Fang Yang with a smile: "By the way, Fang Yang, are you here for a long-term stay or temporarily?"

Before Fang Yang could answer, the cameraman next to him spoke up: "One city a day, we'll be going to the next one tonight or tomorrow morning!"

Hearing this, the Bureau Chief's expression changed, feeling a bit lonely. After two seconds, he smiled again and said: "You've only been here for one day, why are you in such a hurry to leave? I'll host a big meal for you tonight, I guarantee you'll eat your fill! If you're willing, the Cultural Relics Bureau can vacate a position for you at any time; you're always welcome here!"

Fang Yang looked at the enthusiastic Bureau Chief and could only smile awkwardly: "Well... I checked this morning, there are over 600 cities in the country. I have to run around for two years before I can return to Xihai City. I can't afford to be delayed."

"Besides, I decided to do this under the strong request of my fans. If, and I mean if, ha... if I were kept in Yanjiang City, netizens might rush here... the consequences would be..."

The Bureau Chief's butt suddenly tightened, his expression shocked: "Don't, don't, don't! Stop talking, I'm really afraid they'll tear the roof off my Cultural Relics Bureau!"

230. Saltwater emerges from the dirt wall, the sequelae brought by oil drilling

The Bureau Chief knew clearly that Fang Yang was a hot commodity. Other people drive excavators to work, but he drives an excavator to dig for treasure!

Although he couldn't explain the reason, it didn't matter.

Just like today, with a casual move, it was a top-tier national treasure.

He even doubted if he could keep this golden hair pagoda.

If the provincial museum found out, it would be very likely to ask for it.

After all, municipal museums are rarely qualified to keep national treasures of this level, except for the Fang Yang Museum.

If he could let Fang Yang continue to dig in Yanjiang City, let alone a month, even digging for a few more days would be enough.

However, reality is always unsatisfactory.

He couldn't even get past the netizens.

If he dared to keep Fang Yang in Yanjiang City to create unfairness.

Then no matter where Fang Yang went in the future, he would be kept there.

At best, it would cause chaos; at worst, it would incite public anger.

It's no exaggeration to say that if the netizens were pushed too far, they would really run to his Cultural Relics Bureau and splash paint.

But his behavior appeared very intriguing in the eyes of Yang Tou, Team Leader Li, and the others nearby.

A Bureau Chief personally invited a young man driving an excavator to stay for a few more days, serving him with good food and drink.

As a result, not only did he not appreciate it, but he made the Bureau Chief retreat in the face of difficulties.

As bystanders, they could only stand by silently, unable to speak.

A moment later, the Bureau Chief ordered the members of the archaeological team to transport the golden hair pagoda out.

The moment it was lifted out of the tunnel entrance, the scene was sensational.

Thousands of people surrounded it, taking pictures with their phones non-stop.

Although they came to the scene, they couldn't go in to watch the live broadcast.

They were clearly very close but couldn't witness it with their own eyes.

Now that the actual object was lifted in front of them, under the sunlight, the gold and jewelry on it were shining, making everyone marvel.

Although it was already afternoon, the hottest stage of the sun, no matter how hot the weather was, it couldn't stop their enthusiasm.

"Wow, it didn't feel like much watching it on video, but it's so beautiful when lifted out. This thing is really domineering!"

"Look at its patterns, this carving skill—it's hard to imagine how they carved such a beautiful work of art bit by bit in an era without technology."