Chapter 129 - 128: Imperial Commander, Marshal Gu
Chapter 129: Chapter 128: Imperial Commander, Marshal Gu
Qing, like the brilliant blue that surpasses its indigo source. Jin, like the peerless beauty found within jade.
Two characters with auspicious meanings came together to form his name: Qing Jin.
Gu Qingjin didn’t offer any other details about his identity, but just from the car he arrived in and his surname, Ming Chengli, Uncle Zheng, and the others quickly deduced he was a guest from the Mingjing Gu Family.
Night was falling, and a torrential rain was pouring down. Why would a pampered member of the Gu Family come to a small city like Meizhou Jin’an?
While Uncle Zheng was still dazed, Gu Qingjin had already strode forward. His tall boots stepped into the muddy ground and were quickly submerged, his overcoat soaked by the rain.
The driver was taken aback. "Mr. Lan!"
Gu Qingjin paid him no mind. He reached out and steadily caught an archaeologist who had just emerged from the site, stopping the tools the man was carrying from falling.
"Be careful," Gu Qingjin said lightly.
Only then did Uncle Zheng snap back to reality, startled as well. "Thank you, Mr. Lan."
The weather and conditions today were terrible, but the archaeological work couldn’t stop.
Gu Qingjin released his grip. Instead of replying, he asked, "Have any other artifacts been unearthed?"
"Just these for now," Uncle Zheng said, wiping the rain from his face. "Mr. Lan, we believe these ruins were the residence of a Third rank Female Official named Qingyuan. However, it’s much more modest than we anticipated. We also have no idea how her home sank underground and remained so hidden."
Gu Qingjin gave a slight nod. "Are there any royally bestowed items?"
"Yes," Ming Chengli answered this time, his expression animated. "The opera costumes are almost all imperial gifts, each one more exquisite than the last! I suggested to Uncle Zheng that we build a Meiqu Opera Museum right here on-site to display them all!"
Gu Qingjin let out a low laugh. "His Majesty always treated people exceptionally well."
His words were barely a whisper, unheard by anyone, and washed away by the downpour.
Uncle Zheng said morosely, "Ah, Little Ming, I’d also love to build a museum right here, but whether or not we can isn’t up to me. You know how it is in our line of work... sometimes, the funding just isn’t there."
Ming Chengli said with conviction, "Uncle Zheng, I have faith in your abilities. You can definitely secure the funding!"
Uncle Zheng: "..."
’Please retract your baseless confidence in me!’
Gu Qingjin suddenly spoke up. "Then let’s build a museum on-site. I will provide all the necessary funds. Consider it a personal donation."
Uncle Zheng was stunned by this declaration. "M-Mr. Lan, this is..."
Gu Qingjin added, "However, I have a condition."
Before Uncle Zheng could even respond, Ming Chengli cut in, "I accept on Uncle Zheng’s behalf! Whatever your condition is, he can meet it."
Uncle Zheng: "..."
’For the sake of the museum,’ he thought, ’I’ll endure this!’
Gu Qingjin said coolly, "These opera costumes are exceptionally well-preserved, yet the owner’s remains are nowhere to be found. Since this was during the late Xuan Dynasty, is it possible she died for her country?"
Ming Chengli’s expression brightened. "That’s highly likely! In that era, everyone—men and women, old and young—rose up to resist the invasions of Barbarians like the Hong Clan. A Third rank Female Official like Qingyuan would have been no exception."
"This is my condition: I want you to keep investigating," Gu Qingjin said, his voice quiet. "I also want you to look into other matters related to the Taichu Emperor’s Master... related to her. I need to know everything."
He had arrived suddenly, and he departed just as silently.
The understated, luxurious black car disappeared into the curtain of rain, leaving only tire tracks in its wake.
Uncle Zheng looked on in surprise. "Could it be that Mr. Lan is also a Xuan History enthusiast? His expression was placid, but I could tell his mind was anything but!"
"Whether he is or not is beside the point. What he said made perfect sense," Ming Chengli said with a serious expression. "This was clearly a home, but the owner is gone, leaving only their clothes behind. You can tell from her belongings that she cherished them. Her absence can only mean that something unexpected happened."
Uncle Zheng nodded. "We’ll keep looking. This female official, Qingyuan, is clearly very important. I just hope this discovery isn’t another flash in the pan."
"Yes, very important," Ming Chengli murmured. "If I can learn the true history of the late Xuan Dynasty in my lifetime, I’ll be able to die without any regrets."
"Stop talking such nonsense!" Uncle Zheng said, annoyed. "And I hate to burst your bubble, but a single Third rank Female Official doesn’t necessarily mean anything."
"What do you mean, ’doesn’t mean anything’? Third Rank is a high-ranking official!" Ming Chengli said coldly. "Emperor Taichu gifted her so many opera costumes, which shows he supported the development of Meiqu Opera. A woman whose only skill was Meiqu Opera held the Third Rank—you need to think about the logic of that!"
Uncle Zheng’s heart jolted.
"During the Taichu Period, there must have been numerous female officials," Ming Chengli said. "Pei Jiang wasn’t a special case, and neither was Qingyuan. But they were all erased from the records."
If this conversation had happened before the ruins were discovered, Uncle Zheng would have sternly refuted him, insisting that historical archaeologists must maintain a rigorous approach and not engage in baseless speculation.
But now...
"Little Ming, perhaps you’re right. But you must understand, this path is far more difficult than you imagine." Uncle Zheng’s throat felt tight, and his voice was strained. "If this history was truly erased, have you ever considered just how powerful the faction that did the erasing must have been? It’s not something you can handle!"
"I know," Ming Chengli said with a small smile. "Uncle Zheng, I should get going as well. Please, be sure to contact me if you find anything new."
Uncle Zheng shouted at his retreating back, "Little Ming, at least rest for a bit before you leave! Don’t be in such a rush!"
Ming Chengli just waved his hand. "Can’t! My little girl is waiting for me to bring her some plum blossom cakes!"
"That kid!" Uncle Zheng was exasperated but helpless. He directed the archaeological team to secure their findings and take a short break.
The car carried Gu Qingjin into downtown Jin’an City. The rain was still falling, lending the small city a hazy, tranquil beauty.
At nine o’clock, the rain stopped, the clouds parted, and the moon rose.
The saying goes that the moon is fullest not on the fifteenth day of the lunar month, but the sixteenth. Today happened to be the sixteenth.
Gu Qingjin tilted his head back slightly, gazing at the full moon in the sky.
’So much time had passed. Four hundred years gone in the blink of an eye. Skyscrapers now pierced the clouds, and iron dragons in the form of high-speed trains crisscrossed the cities.’
’Everything had changed, transformed into something he no longer recognized. Only the moon above remained the same.’
’History was such a bewildering thing. Of the Twelve Master of Mingjing, only Pei Jiang’s name survived; the rest had been erased.’
’Now that the ruins left by Qu Xian Qing Yuan had been unearthed, did it mean that all the history that had been erased was about to resurface?’
’Including... His Majesty.’
’Shi Yaoguang, the Emperor’s Master of Xuanwu.’
’She didn’t deserve to be burdened by so much baseless slander.’
’He had rushed here with the sole thought of brushing this dust from her name.’
The driver knocked softly on the door. "Sir," he said respectfully, "the main family is asking when you plan to return."
Gu Qingjin returned to the present, his tone as calm as ever. "Tell them I’ll be staying in Jin’an City for a few days. There’s no need for them to be concerned."
The driver understood. "The main family also passed on a message," he added. "They say Young Master Ling Yuan has been acting quite wild lately, getting tangled up with two female celebrities."
Gu Qingjin’s brow twitched slightly. "Two?"