182 Treasures

was puzzled. "So what’s going on now then"Ye Li interrupted, "Let's talk about it when we get back."Aner Two hurriedly agreed and walked forward to carefully activate the secret passage mechanism. A...182. Treasure

"Why don't you come up front and take a look, Your Excellency the Consort"

The tomb was quiet. Ye Li looked over the man's shoulder to see Doctor Lin standing opposite her with a clearly tense expression on his face. She thought for a moment before suddenly laughing lightly and releasing the dagger she had pressed against the black-clad man's neck, stepping back several paces.

Meeting Doctor Lin’s somewhat surprised gaze, Ye Li smiled and said, "Just a joke. Now that we're all in the same boat, if we start causing trouble, none of us will be able to get out."

The black-clad man straightened up slightly, lowering his head as he chuckled softly before speaking in a low voice, "They say that Consort of Prince Dì is incredibly smart. Originally I didn't believe it. But now it seems to be true. No wonder the prince was willing to do so much for your sake…"

Mentioning Mò Xiuyáo made Ye Li's heart tighten; she hadn’t heard any news about him in a long time, and thinking of his body as well as his environment caused her to worry involuntarily. But at this moment, she wouldn't reveal the slightest hint of her thoughts before this man who was completely unfamiliar to her. She merely looked calmly at the black-clad man standing with his back towards her, saying in a faint voice, "It seems that Your Excellency and I do know each other after all. If that's the case, why not show your true face"

The black-clad man didn't say much either; he turned around to face Ye Li.

Based on her understanding, Doctor Lin was in his mid-thirties, but this man looked no more than twenty-six or twenty-seven. His black clothes made him look slimmer and more upright, while also making the originally handsome face appear even colder and sinister. Just one glance gave people an unpleasant feeling. Ye Li frowned slightly.

The man didn't seem to mind looking at Ye Li's expression; he paused his gaze on her already large abdomen before smiling and saying, "I've met Consort of Prince Dì."

Ye Li stared at him for a while before calmly calling out his name, "Tán Ji zhī."

The black-clad man looked at Ye Li; the originally dark smile seemed to gain more pleasure. "Who would have thought that Your Excellency could remember someone insignificant as me I am truly fortunate in three lifetimes. My name is Tán Jizhī, and you can also call me Doctor Lin."

Ye Li snorted lightly and said coldly, "Mr. Tán, it doesn't seem to be the right time for reminiscing now. If we don’t come up with a solution… both of us will end up sleeping here forever."

Tán Jizhī didn't mind Ye Li's obvious sarcastic remark; he calmly said, "Your Excellency is correct." Afterward, he turned around to look at the growing black mist near the door. They could only be grateful that these things seemed to prefer gathering together rather than flying about randomly; otherwise their trouble would have been even greater.

Tán Jizhī turned back and looked at Ye Li, asking, "Since Your Excellency is familiar with this thing, do you know of any way to deal with it"

Ye Li knew that it wasn't the right time for bargaining; she said calmly, "This creature turns into a bug when heated and transforms back into jade when cold. Mr. Tán doesn’t need me to say more, does he"

Tán Jizhī stroked his chin, pondering, "Cold… I understand. Your Excellency please wait."

After saying that, Tán Jizhī leaped up again and flew across to the opposite side, clearly intending to find something; simultaneously, there was a continuous rain of dark weapons and arrows.

Luckily, it seemed that Tán Jizhī knew this tomb quite well. Although he looked somewhat disheveled, he wasn't injured, and after a few leaps, he disappeared into the maze-like palaces and treasures on the opposite side.

Ye Li pulled Doctor Lin further back, and Doctor Lin stopped her, looking around to lead the way. The tomb was not as safe as the passage they had walked through earlier; many traps and mechanisms were not easily noticeable by ordinary people.

When there was no place left to retreat, Doctor Lin finally stopped, turning back to look at Ye Li. "Are you the current Princess Consort of Duke Ding" Ye Li apologized with a smile. "Yes, I am sorry for keeping this from my master. My surname is Ye and my given name is Li." Doctor Lin hummed lightly, "What you call yourself has nothing to do with me. How did you meet Lin Yuan" Ye Li raised her eyebrows slightly, "I have met Minister Tan once before; he is the emperor's trusted aide in the Imperial Study Hall. In fact... I might be here thanks to Minister Tan." Doctor Lin frowned and thought deeply, "Has the Emperor of Da Chu fallen out with Duke Ding’s mansion"

Ye Li shrugged without answering. Even if they hadn't officially broken ties yet, it was likely only a matter of time. It was unknown how much effort Tan Jizhi had put in behind the scenes. With so many officials and nobles in court, this person had managed to deceive everyone. There were also skilled martial artists throughout the court, but no one seemed to view him as anything other than a weak scholar— even Mo Jingqi, who was extremely suspicious by nature, hadn't suspected him at all. Clearly, his methods were quite impressive. Doctor Lin looked at Ye Li and asked strangely, "Since that's the case, why do I not see any signs of you being worried about your own safety" Ye Li smiled behind her hand, "Master, forgive me for speaking out of turn. In this ancient tomb... Minister Tan would rather leave you than leave me behind even if he had to. If there is any chance at all, he will want to take me out alive." The value of a living Princess Consort of Duke Ding and the future heir could not be compared to a corpse. Or perhaps she and her child could use this leverage against Mo Xiuyao and the Mo Family Army, even negotiating with him. However, if it were just a corpse, Tan Jizhi mightn't dare present it to Mo Xiuyao, as that would only infuriate him completely.

Doctor Lin lowered his head, tacitly acknowledging Ye Li's words. Having raised Lin Yuan nearly until he was twenty, he naturally understood his thoughts. In Lin Yuan’s eyes, this adopted father might not be worth even the use-value of a Princess Consort like Ye Li to Duke Ding.

Just as they were talking, Tan Jizhi had already returned. His lightness skills seemed quite good; he managed to dodge several rounds of hidden weapons and arrows before arriving beside Ye Li and Doctor Lin, who stood at the corner by Water Milky Way. He then rushed toward the black fog that was about to take over.

"Eh What's that" Ye Li looked in the distance with some surprise; a thick layer of white ice crystals had enveloped the black fog. Although it still struggled somewhat, Tan Jizhi held a bag of water and continuously poured it onto the ice crystals, making the white layer thicker until it completely encased the black fog.

Doctor Lin's expression darkened as he coldly said, "Snow Jade Pearl."

Ye Li was puzzled; under Xu Shi’s guidance when she was young, she had a certain foundation in appraising treasures and antiques. But she had never heard of this Snow Jade Pearl. Doctor Lin coldly stated, "Another name for it is Corpse-Nurturing Pearl. Placed inside the mouth of a corpse, it soon wraps them in ice crystals, ensuring they do not decay for a hundred years. He has disturbed the remains of the buried concubines."

Ye Li uncomfortably rubbed her cheek and smiled apologetically at Doctor Lin, "Master, under urgent circumstances... " This tomb was at least five hundred years old; taking something from a corpse that had been dead for five hundred years… even Ye Li's smile stiffened. However, if this was the only solution to their current predicament, she could only apologize to the buried concubines. After all, no one knew what would become of those black things eventually, judging by how they kept swelling, it wasn't hard for Ye Li to suspect that in the end they might completely corrode half the tomb room including them.

Seeing that there seemed to be a solution on the other side, the two slowly walked back. Tan Jizhi smiled as he looked at both of them and said to Doctor Lin, "Father, all the mechanisms in this tomb have been activated. If we want to leave safely, we must completely solve the puzzles left by our ancestors and find their treasures." Doctor Lin's face was cold; "Young Master, I am not worthy to be called Father, nor do I know about any riddles or treasures. Since Young Master is the owner of this imperial tomb, please go ahead and do whatever you wish."

Tan Jizhi's expression darkened slightly as he said coolly, "Father, why are you deliberately provoking me Haven't I been fulfilling the wishes of my forefathers all this time Even if Father doesn’t support me, there’s no need to make things difficult for me everywhere." Dr. Lin twisted his face and turned around without saying anything more. Tan Jizhi was not bothered by it. He looked at Ye Li beside him with a smile and said, "Your Excellency the Queen Consort, this tomb is full of traps. Can I be assured that Your Excellency won’t cause trouble" Ye Li gently caressed her abdomen as she smiled softly and said, “Director Tan, please rest assured. Even if I don’t care about my own life, I will still be considerate of the child in my belly.” Satisfied with her reply, Tan Jizhi nodded his head and said, "Good. In any case, I do not wish to harm Your Excellency or Young Master Shizi, nor do I wish to clash with Prince Ding."

With Ye Li’s promise, Tan Jizhi no longer hesitated as he walked up to examine the door of that palace. The black insect mist had already caused significant damage to this white jade door. The originally snow-white door was now covered in black spots and holes. Looking at the spherical ice crystal ball rolling on one side, Ye Li could clearly see something dark like jade inside it. The jigsaw game that hung on the original door remained intact. Beneath those strange dark-green jade pieces lay a layer of emerald green jade. This time around, Tan Jizhi had obviously learned his lesson from Dr. Lin previously and did not use his fingers to touch the surface of the jade piece but instead took out a dagger and slowly moved the lettered blocks. The eight-character jigsaw was not difficult to solve, and Tan Jizhi managed it in no time. With two clicks, the green jade split into two halves and dropped onto the ground. A peculiar lock hole was revealed. There wasn’t any lock on this white jade door; there was merely a round-shaped lock hole. Turning back to look at Dr. Lin, Tan Jizhi said, "Father, please give me the key."

Dr. Lin looked at him calmly and indifferently, “No key.”

Tan Jizhi frowned as a displeased expression was clearly visible on his cruel face. Of course he did not believe Dr. Lin would be without a key. If one were to ask who in this world besides himself knew most about the tomb apart from him, it would undoubtedly be his adoptive father who had raised him since childhood. This was because all that Tan Jizhi knew came from listening to and accumulating knowledge from his adoptive father since he was little.

“Perhaps I can have a try” Looking at Tan Jizhi’s increasingly gloomy expression, Ye Li suddenly spoke up.

The two people who were in confrontation looked taken aback as they turned to look at Ye Li. Tan Jizhi’s gaze was filled with surprise and suspicion while Dr. Lin had an expression of puzzlement and concern. Ye Li walked forward, bent down to observe the lock hole on the door for a moment before sighing softly. Lock picking… was also one of her essential skills once upon a time. Even more so when it came to this… Suddenly, Ye Li became rather curious about the founding emperor from the former dynasty. She lifted her hand and took out a simple bronze hairpin from between her hair as she casually probed around in the lock hole. The two people behind looked strangely at the woman before them. If being well-versed in both martial arts and literature was nothing special for Prince Ding’s Queen Consort, then having the skill to pick locks would be rather strange indeed. Looking at how skilled she was in doing so, Tan Jizhi felt that even the most ingenious thieves might not match this woman. At least he had specially studied quite a few locking mechanisms just to enter this tomb, but this one clearly left him puzzled.

After around ten minutes of fiddling with the lock hole, Ye Li heard a click inside before she withdrew her bronze hairpin and stepped back.

The white jade doors creaked open. After some time under the gazes of the three people present, they slowly slid to either side and revealed the central area of this imperial mausoleum to them.

Inside was a grand hall that seemed to have been modeled after the main palace in the current capital. A long-burning lamp still burned quietly inside it. The magnificent hall was resplendent with gold and jade, making one feel as if they had truly entered an imperial palace instead of a desolate ancient tomb. Scanning around the hall, Ye Li did not see the casket she assumed would have been there for the founding emperor from the former dynasty. Only a black lacquer box was placed on the table in front while a portrait hung above it of an emperor donned in imperial robes. This clearly depicted the founding emperor from the previous era. Tan Jizhi paused, then knelt down before the portrait and paid his respects with several kowtows. Ye Li raised her eyebrows as she looked at Dr. Lin beside her, who had a deeply furrowed brow—clearly he did not have any intention of kneeling to the emperor from the former dynasty either.

After paying homage to their forefathers, Tan Jizhi stood up and said to Ye Li, "Queen Consort Ding, this is my ancestor—the founding emperor from the previous era." His words were filled with admiration for his forefather as well as a sense of pride. He even added an air of boasting towards Ye Li when he spoke to her. Ye Li nodded politely in response before smiling and saying, “Congratulations, I’ve long admired him.” Tan Jizhi was not bothered by her perfunctory mannerism either as he walked up to the grand hall quickly and stood there staring at that purple-black lacquer box on the table with his breath held. Clearly, it was the treasure he had been seeking for so long. Ye Li stared interestedly at that black lacquer box; she did wonder what kind of precious item could be more valuable than all those piles of gold, silver, and ancient treasures outside.

Tan Jizhi looked at her and smiled, saying, "Do you also have interest Why don't you come up to reveal the secret of this treasure with me"

Facing Tan Jizhi's condescending expression, Ye Li pulled at the corners of her lips and said, "No need, Minister Tan, please do as you wish."

Ye Li’s rejection made him feel slightly disappointed. However, the feeling of treasures being in front of him made him decide to ignore this small dissatisfaction. He walked behind the imperial desk and sat on the dragon throne, then looked down at Ye Li and Dr. Lin downstairs with a satisfied expression before slowly reaching out his hand to open the box. Thankfully, there was nothing troublesome on this box. Tan Jizhi easily opened it and carefully took out an imperial jade seal from inside.

Ye Li raised her finely arched eyebrows; this should be the Imperial Jade Seal made by that First Emperor a thousand years ago. It had eight large characters inscribed on it: "Receiving mandate of heaven, everlasting prosperity." It was said that the emperor in the previous dynasty did indeed receive this jade seal at that time, but none of the subsequent emperors ever produced this jade seal. After the Grand Ancestor Emperor of the Chu Dynasty took control over the country and turned the former palace upside down, he still could not find it. Therefore, later historical books generally believed that receiving the Imperial Jade Seal was only a rumor in the previous dynasty and existed only in popular history.

Tan Jizhi happily held the Imperial Jade Seal and his expression became more than a little bewildered as if he had already acquired the power to dominate the world.

After he finally indulged himself enough, he began carefully exploring the jade seal in his hand. Gradually… his expression started becoming stiff, then slowly turning horrified, "How… How can this be!"

Ye Li didn't understand as she saw him flipping and examining it for a long time before suddenly standing up and sweeping everything on the imperial desk to the ground with one sweep of his hand. Then, he threw down the jade seal in great pity: "How could it be like this!" Ye Li blinked and dodged what fell from above her. She looked at the rolling jade seal at her feet and carefully bent down to pick it up for a look. It was indeed rare high-quality jade with coiled dragons carved on its surface, along with those legendary eight characters. Its size and appearance were not different in any way compared to the records in historical books. But… why would there be such large fake words at the bottom-right corner of this jade seal

Dr. Lin also picked up the purple sandalwood box swept off by Tan Jizhi, which still contained a piece of silk cloth inside it. Ye Li tilted her head and took a glance; she saw two rows of arrogant characters on it: "Dare to dig up my tomb I won't tell you where the true Imperial Jade Seal and treasure are." There were even more arrogant three large characters below that – Ha! Ha! Ha!

Ye Li couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of her mouth. If he hadn’t understood who this founding emperor was by now, she wouldn't have bothered to mix in this world. However… while others were cursing their fathers, this founding emperor seemed to be cursing his descendants.

The Tan Jizhi upstairs naturally also saw the silk cloth Dr. Lin had picked up and immediately leaped down from the palace steps to snatch the cloth out of Dr. Lin's hands. However, Ye Li didn't want to look at him any longer after seeing his expression afterwards. This descendant of a previous dynasty who was full of hope had truly been tormented by his ancestors.

The silk cloth fell limply from Tan Jizhi’s hand. Ye Li helplessly watched as he walked out in a daze and leaned her head to the side towards Dr. Lin, saying, "Master, will it be okay for him to go out like this His mental resilience is too weak."n his courtyard.Feng Zhiriao stubbornly stared at her face, as if he wouldn’t close his eyes unless she agreed to stay.Seeing her worried frown, Feng Zhiriao softly said, "I’m fine... The injury isn’t...