There is a lot of information on this ancient map, and Qin Fan guessed that it should be related to the 36 kingdoms of the Western Regions during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. The pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info because he couldn't explain one or two sentences on the phone, Professor Tang Huaiyuan asked Qin Fan to come to the archaeological research laboratory of Yan University.

After the morning class was over, Qin Fan didn't even bother to eat lunch, and went straight to the archaeological research room under Yan Guoxue.

In 1922, the Department of Archaeology of Yan University was the first archaeological teaching and research institution established in the higher education institutions of the Republic, and in 1922, the Archaeological Research Office was established under the Department of Chinese Studies, and Mr. Ma Heng was the director of the research office. Later, Mr. Ma Heng was appointed as the director of the Palace Museum, and Mr. Hu Shi was concurrently appointed as the director.

Today, the archaeological research laboratory under the Yan National University has a history of more than 80 years, and the archaeological research work is presided over by President Tang Huaiyuan.

It was the first time for Qin Fan to come to the archaeological research laboratory, and when he was about to ask for directions, a tall woman wearing a white lab coat and no makeup walked towards him.

"You are Qin Fan?"

This tall woman has a magnetic voice, and her age looks like she should be around 25 or 6 years old, with the demeanor of a mature woman. Although it is without makeup, there are no flaws on a jade face, smooth as a shelled egg. It's just that the woman's attitude is a little cold, and she seems to be indifferent to anything other than archaeological research.

"Well, may I ask who you are, teacher?"

This woman didn't seem to like strange men looking at her, Qin Fan looked away after a few glances.

"I'm not a teacher, my name is Tang Xin, and I'm a graduate student in archaeology. I am currently working as an assistant by Dean Tang's side, and Dean Tang is already waiting for you in the research room, come with me. ”

Saying that, Tang Xin didn't look at Qin Fan more, stepped on his high heels and turned around and walked into the archaeological research room.

"Surname Tang? I don't know what the relationship between this Tang Xin and Dean Tang Huaiyuan is. ”

Tang Xin clearly wrote the four words on his face, and Qin Fan would not put a hot face on his cold ass, he did not talk to her along the way, and followed her into the archaeological research room in silence.

For Qin Fan's calmness, Tang Xin was a little surprised.

Ordinary men see her like a fly in honey and desperately come up, but they can't get rid of her, which makes her very annoyed.

A few minutes later, Tang Xin took Qin Fan to a research room, and Qin Fan saw Dean Tang Huaiyuan wearing a lab coat and flipping through an ancient book in his hand.

On the table in front of him lay the ancient map made of silk silk, along with a few messy drafts.

At this time, Dean Tang Huaiyuan was surrounded by several young men and women, and it seemed that they were all graduate students in archaeology like Tang Xin, that is, Qin Fan's senior brothers and sisters.

"Xiaofan, come here, the information on this ancient map has been translated."

To their surprise as archaeology graduate students, Tang Huaiyuan seemed to attach great importance to this young man, and couldn't help but make people doubt his identity.

"Dean Tang, is this map about the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty?" Qin Fan said the speculation in his heart.

"Your speculation is correct, this map depicts a section of the Silk Road during the Western Han Dynasty."

When it came to archaeological research, Dean Tang Huaiyuan immediately danced excitedly, not at all like an old man in his 60s, but like a playful child who found his favorite toy.

"Grandpa, your heart problem hasn't recovered yet, and the doctor told you not to get too excited." Tang Xin reminded on the side, for fear that Tang Huaiyuan would have a heart attack.

Tang Huaiyuan calmed down and said to Qin Fan, "Since you know the thirty-six countries of the Western Regions, you should also know the Silk Road." ”

Qin Fan nodded and said honestly, "I studied it in high school, but I wasn't very impressed. ”

The Silk Road originated in the Western Han Dynasty, during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Liu Che sent Zhang Qian to the Western Regions to open up Chang'an as the starting point, through Longxing, Xinxing, to Central Asia, West Asia and various countries to reach the Mediterranean, and finally to Rome as the end of the traffic road.

In 1877, the German geographer Richthofen called the "Silk Road" between China and Central Asia and China and India from 114 BC to 127 AD as the "Silk Road", which was quickly accepted by the academic community and the public.

"In fact, the exchange route between Chinese and Western cultures has been opened a long time ago, but at the beginning, it was not for the export of silk, but for the import of Hetian jade."

Tang Huaiyuan explained to Qin Fan that the Yumen Pass in Dunhuang is now named after the Hetian jade imported from the Western Regions at that time.

"Do you know which section of the Silk Road is recorded on this map?"

Qin Fan shook his head, he couldn't understand the symbols and routes on this ancient map at all, so only an archaeological authority like Tang Huaiyuan could interpret the information on the map.

Tang Huaiyuan pointed to an area on the map and said with a serious face, "This is the famous ancient country of Loulan in history. ”

Qin Fan has also heard a little about the legend of the ancient country of Loulan, which is a small country on the ancient Silk Road, located in the west of Lop Nur, at the hub of the Western Regions, and occupies an extremely important position on the ancient Silk Road.

The reason why the ancient country of Loulan is famous is because it has many unsolved mysteries, such as the mystery of the ancient city of Loulan, the mystery of disappearance, the mystery of the female corpse of Loulan and the mystery of the Sun Tomb.

In short, the ancient kingdom of Loulan is an ancient civilization full of mysteries, which has not yet been fully revealed.

"However, the focus of this map is not on the ancient kingdom of Loulan, but on a very important city on the ancient Silk Road, the ancient city of Milan."

The ancient city of Milan is an ancient oasis city in the southern part of the Taklamakan Desert, located at the intersection of Lop Nur and the Altyn Mountains on the Silk Road. It was once a busy trading center on the Southern Silk Road and an important passage in and out of Central Asia.

Today, only a fragment of the once prosperous old city of Milan remains, with fragments of earthen walls and a few dilapidated pagodas.

"The ancient city of Milan was the Yixun city of the ancient kingdom of Loulan in the Western Han Dynasty, and because it was an important pass and trade center on the Silk Road, it once left a glorious civilization. Only now, the ancient city of Milan has disappeared into the yellow sands of the west. Dean Tang Huaiyuan said with a sigh.

At this time, Tang Xin walked over with a thick archaeological book and said to Qin Fan, "In the 19th century, the Englishman Stein excavated in the ruins of the ancient city of Milan and stole a large number of precious cultural relics such as statues and murals. In 1973, archaeologists excavated the ruins of the ancient fort of Tubo in the Tang Dynasty by the ancient river of Milan. ”

"But judging from the scale of the ancient city of Milan at that time, this ancient city was much more than what had been excavated."

Qin Fan showed a thoughtful expression, "Sister Tang Xin, what do you mean?" ”

"This map shows the exact location of Yixun City during the Western Han Dynasty, and Dean Tang deduced that a large part of this former oasis city was buried under the desert due to the changes in the earth's crust."

Tang Huaiyuan added, "Although we have this map to roughly know the location of Yixun City, time has passed, and the landscape there has changed greatly, and it is very difficult to find this disappeared ancient city. ”

"I'm going to open a project to explore the mystery of the disappearance of the ancient city, Qin Fan, you will follow me to carry out archaeological research and study in the future."

Hearing Tang Huaiyuan's words, everyone in the research room except Tang Xin had a look of shock and envy on their faces.

Tang Huaiyuan is deliberately cultivating the rhythm of accepting Qin Fan as a closed disciple.

You must know that the Department of Archaeology of Yan University is among the top in the country in terms of faculty and research level in the Republic. Tang Huaiyuan is not only a professor of archaeology, but also the dean of the School of Archaeology, Culture and Museums, and his influence and connections in the academic community are extremely deep.

Qin Fan studied by Tang Huaiyuan's side, which can be described as a promising future and will be of great help to future development.

If the freshmen of the same archaeology department knew that Qin Fan had become Dean Tang Huaiyuan's closed disciple by mistake, he was afraid that he would die of envy and jealousy.

Happiness came too suddenly, Qin Fan seemed to have been hit on the head by a pie falling from the sky, and he was a little dizzy.

"Professor Tang, I'm afraid there's something wrong with this. Qin Fan is still just a freshman, so will letting him follow us to conduct archaeological research will delay his course? ”

At this time, a rather old-looking graduate student stood up and suddenly spoke.

On the surface, he was concerned about Qin Fan, but in fact, he was extremely jealous at this time. Why could this freshman be accepted as a closed disciple by Tang Huaiyuan just after he came, and he couldn't get Tang Huaiyuan's approval after working hard for so long.

"During this time, my studies were not too intense, and I could learn more about archaeology with Professor Tang, which was beneficial and harmless. Seniors don't have to worry about me. ”

Qin Fan suddenly figured out the mind of this graduate student, and unceremoniously went back. The choked Zhang Chao couldn't speak, his face was red, he couldn't breathe out with a breath in his heart, and he was depressed and uncomfortable.

"I have already decided, and Qin Fan will follow me to study and study in the future." Tang Huaiyuan decided on this matter and devoted himself to archaeological research again.

"Tang Xin, you haven't eaten lunch yet, let's go to the cafeteria to eat together."

Outside the research room, Zhang Chao changed into a brand-name casual outfit and came to Tang Xin to invite him to lunch.

As one of the few beauties in the Department of Archaeology, Tang Xin naturally has many admirers, and this Zhang Chao is one of them. It's just that with Tang Xin's cold personality, he has never given him a good look.

"No need."

Tang Xin unceremoniously rejected Zhang Chao and walked over to Qin Fan, who had just come out of the research room.

"From now on, you will be Professor Tang's student and our junior brother. I'll invite you to dinner at noon, which is a celebration. Tang Xin deliberately didn't give Qin Fan any chance to refuse in front of Zhang Chao, and dragged him away.

Qin Fan looked confused, not knowing what this woman wanted to do. It wasn't until Qin Fan turned around and saw Zhang Chao's face that was more ugly than eating a fly that he realized that he was being used as a shield by Tang Xin.