I took a closer look, and her fingers slid over the spine of Mao Yuanyi's "Wubei Zhi". I know this book that Mao Yuanyi was a scholar in the late Ming Dynasty, who liked military affairs, and was saddened by the gradual abolition of military equipment in the Ming Dynasty, so he compiled the military materials of the past dynasties into a book, named "Wubei Zhi", hoping to be used by the imperial court and revitalize the military prestige.

Of course, I just know the title of the book, I haven't read it, so I don't know what is wrong with this book.

Kana Kido stared at the name of the spine, slightly confused: "The reputation of "Wubei Zhi" in Japan is not small. During the Kanbun period, it was translated into Japanese by a person named Suhara Yashigebei, and it was widely circulated. I've read relevant research papers before, so I have an impression. I remember that "Wubei Zhi" is a very thick book, with more than 200 volumes, more than 2 million Chinese characters, and more than 700 pictures, how can there be only such a thin one? ”

After her reminder, I reacted. "Wubei Zhi" is not an original book, but a compilation of materials, which widely includes many military materials in ancient times, from the art of war, war examples, marching and camping, war firearms and equipment, geographical situation, astronomical conditions, everything is available, it can almost be called a military encyclopedia.

The book in front of me is too thin.

"Maybe it's one of the fascicles." I replied nonchalantly, then looked back into the room. The library is still tossing, and it seems that there will be no results for a while.

Kana Kido was serious, she squatted down, put her hands on the knot that bound the book, and asked if she could untie it. If I say let's demolish it, Professor Zheng will definitely not pursue it. Kana Kido carefully untied the rope, removed the book on it, and took out the volume of "Martial Chronicles".

She looked at the cover first and couldn't help but let out an "oh". It was published by the Commercial Press in five or six years, and the cover was very plain, with only the title and author written on it, and there was a small line underneath: Occupy the Fascicle. She opened the preface and read it aloud to me. Originally, the occupation is astrology, and the degree is measurement, and the "Wubei Zhi" has specially compiled a volume of the division of the division, talking about the astronomical stars and the situation of mountains and rivers.

That's right. The stack of books ordered by Professor Zheng are all related to astronomy, so the Zhandu volume in the "Wubei Zhi" was also drawn out separately and put into a pile.

"In ancient times, astronomy and navigation were closely related. Professor Cheng's collection of this information may have a close connection with the Fu Gong Boat. Kana Kido said to me. Then she picked up the book and read it earnestly. I thought I was waiting anyway, and there was nothing to do, so I also picked up Kang Youwei's "Heavens Talk" and flipped through it.

The two of us buried our heads in the books, and the library continued to rummage around the room. For a moment, the whole courtyard was very quiet, except for the sound of the pages turning. As I sat in the flower bed with my back to the tree, my eyes narrowed, and it felt like I was back on the lawn in front of the middle school library. The breeze blows, the green leaves rustle, and the pages smell of ink.

"Huh? Xu Jun, come and see. Kana Kido's voice interrupted my reverie. I closed the book and hurried over. Her whole body was very excited, her voice was trembling slightly, and her finger pointed to the page spread out in "Wubei Zhi".

Here's a picture. In the center is a Ming Dynasty fortune boat, and the Big Dipper is painted directly above the boat. There were words written all around. On the right side of the boat is written "Northeast Vega Star Eleven Fingers Flat Water", below is "South Gate Double Star Flat Fifteen Fingers Flat Water" and "Lantern Bone Star is Fourteen Fingers Flat Water", on the left side is written "Northwest Busi Star Four Fingers Flat Water", and above is "North Star is Eight Fingers Flat Water", a total of five sentences. There is also a row of text on the far right, which is titled: "Ceylon Mountains Return to Sumatra Across the Ocean and Stars Map".

Listening to the title, it seems to be talking about the route from Mount Ceylon to Sumatra, but there is no route on the map. What really cares about me is the writing around here. Although they are different from the three sentences I have mastered, the format and style of writing are very close, especially the ending, which is ×× and refers to the flat water.

"Which part are you watching?" I couldn't help but breathe heavily.

Kido Kana flipped a few pages forward, and then said that it was a series of maps, collectively known as "Maps of the Ships from the Treasure Shipyard to the Waters of Longjiang Pass to Foreign Countries", which are said to be precious navigational materials left by Zheng He when he went to the West. I flipped back and forth, and there were several more pictures like this, and the style of the words was the same.

Finally found the root of those strange words! What "flat water", "a few fingers" and the like, probably some kind of nautical term. But there is a fundamental question that has not yet been resolved: what do those words mean if they are directional?

"Is there a roadmap or something?" I asked.

Kido Kana flipped through several pages, and there was a long folded one, which was unfolded to see a long scroll of maps, which should be a map of the waterway from Nanjing to Southeast Asia from the topography and place names, with dense marks on it, and more than a dozen routes and a hundred place names were marked along the way, and the direction of the waterway, water sinking, ocean currents, reefs, and astronomical directions were all clearly marked and extremely detailed, and I couldn't believe that the navigation technology of the ancients had reached such a sophisticated level.

The text on the map was as thin as a mosquito fly, and I didn't have any nautical foundation, so I was dizzy after reading it for a long time, and I quickly closed my eyes and gave up looking for clues.

You really have to rely on professionals to do this.

After a while, the library came out of the room, dusty, and panting: "I didn't find what you wanted, I won't do it today, you go back, I'll turn it through slowly tomorrow." ”

"No need, we've found it." I raised my head and handed him the "Wubei Zhi". The library was stunned for a moment, took the book and quickly flipped a few pages, and slapped his thigh fiercely: "Yes, I should have thought that this book was on it, why did I forget it?" ”

His eyes suddenly froze, and he said to me seriously: "Even if you find it yourself, you have to pay half of the money, and I have no credit and hard work." ”

I was amused, and the library was the only one I knew who had the audacity to say such a thing. I smiled and said, "Okay, okay, I'll pay you half of your hard work, but you'll have to help us find out where this came from." ”

The library didn't answer, rubbing his right thumb and forefinger rapidly. I heard the song and quickly handed over the money. He took the money, grinned, patted the book cover of "Wubei Zhi" and said: "You know about Zheng He's seven trips to the West. It was a nautical feat for Duo Niu. Later, in the Chenghua period, the emperor wanted to do another feat of going to the West, and Zheng He was not a eunuch, so this matter was handed over to the eunuchs to do. As you know, there were few good things for the eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty, and an official named Liu Daxia was worried that the eunuchs would be powerful and afraid of future troubles, so he actually burned the data files accumulated by Zheng He. Since then, the first-hand information of the seven oceans has only left these few pages of maps left in the "Wubei Zhi", and nothing else. After China hit it, there was no such brilliant sailing record, and the technology has been lost since. ”

"Then look at what this picture means." I turned to the page of "The Map of the Stars from the Mountains of Ceylon to Sumatra".

The library pondered for a moment, and showed a rare modesty: "I don't know much about this matter, so I can only talk about it briefly." For example, if you want to go to Tiananmen Square to see the flag-raising now, and you don't know how to get there, come and ask me. Let me tell you, when you see a city gate building, opposite is a monument, the monument is flanked by the National Museum and the Great Hall of the People, you will arrive. The City Gate Tower, the Monument, the National Museum and the Great Hall are the four fixed coordinates, and as long as you see these four, you must be in Tiananmen Square. ”

He said spittle: "This map, he is not a route map, but a coordinate map." Do you see those five sentences on the side of the picture? That's five coordinates, representing the five stars. The ancients could not rely on satellite positioning as they do now, nor did they have the concept of latitude and longitude. The sea is vast, there are no mountains and trees to locate, and the only thing you can rely on is the starry sky overhead. The ancients first measured the angles of these five stars in the waters between Ceylon and Sumatra, and then took this route, as long as they measured the angles of these five stars at any time, and then compared them with the records, they could immediately judge how much the deviation between themselves and the coordinates was. Therefore, this "Crossing the Ocean and Stars Map" is not a route map, but a coordinate map. ”

"Then how many fingers does this mean, what is flat and what water, what does it mean?"

The library said: "This is an ancient Chinese navigation technology, called star pulling. ”

At this point, he suddenly fell silent. I waited for a long time, feeling puzzled, and urged him to speak quickly, and the library spread his hands: "It's over." ”

"You haven't explained yet."

"I don't know the rest." The library replied calmly.

I spurted out a mouthful of blood: "I don't know? I don't know why you say it's so lively? The library also got angry and said, "You really think I know everything, I'm a bookseller, it's not easy to learn from both China and the West." This thing is very unpopular, and the theory is very difficult, and people who don't specialize in this can't figure it out at all. ”

"Do you know who understands?"

"I don't know!" The library kicked us out of the door in a huff and slammed the iron door shut.

Kana Kido and I smiled bitterly at each other, so we had to leave here first.

But this trip was not in vain, and I got both good news and bad news. The good news is that I finally figured out the connection between the five cans and the Fu Gong boat, and those five sentences turned out to be the coordinates of the astrology, and since then the investigation has a direction; The bad news is that Professor Zheng came to borrow these books, which shows that Lao Chaofeng has long known that the five cans are the sinking coordinates of the Fugong ship. He had a head start over me.

"What can I do?" Kana Kido.

"I think of someone and she should be able to help me." The shadow of a man came to my mind.

As we got out of the chaotic area, I found a nearby public phone that could make long-distance calls, called the graduate dormitory building at Fudan University in Shanghai, and asked Dai Haiyan to answer the phone. She has a very regular life and rest, and usually reads books in the dormitory at this time.

Dai Haiyan is one of the women I admire the most, she has incomparably sharp insight and meticulous logical thinking, and is never swayed by emotions. All things in the world, she can analyze them like a cow, and she can sort them out clearly. That science student's brain can simply crush most liberal arts students.

I met her during the "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" incident. Thanks to her help in research, I was able to turn the tables in the end. After the incident, I didn't bother to call her to thank her.

I can't think of anyone better suited to a science as esoteric as astrology.

Dai Haiyan's cold voice soon came from the other side of the phone: "Hey." ”

"Haiyan, I am making a wish. I haven't taken care of the matter of "Qingming Riverside Picture" Xie ......"

"Get to the point." She unceremoniously cut off my pleasantries.

So I talked about Wucan and Fugong on the phone, and omitted many parts. It's not that I deliberately deceived her, I know that she is not interested in topics such as grievances and human feelings, and only talks about technical things.

"You mean, you want me to figure out the principle of the astrology, and convert it into modern latitude and longitude markers to determine the location of the shipwreck of the Fugong?"

I slapped it, and she summed it up too clearly, that's what it is.

"So what's in it for me?"

I groaned, and for a split second thought I had dialed the wrong number to the library. Dai Haiyan was arrogant and self-conscious, and she began to talk about copper smell.

"Haiyan, you're going to ...... Money? ”

"Make a wish, if you want to exchange the value of money for my brainpower, you can't afford it." Dai Haiyan said coldly, "My request is that if you want to go to sea, I must accompany you." ”

I didn't expect her to make such a request, and I was surprised: "Why do you want to go to sea in person, the university is fine?" ”

"This has nothing to do with you."

I thought it was a little strange, but I was pressed for time, so I casually agreed. Dai Haiyan said she needed to investigate, and asked me to call in 23 hours. I asked her why she didn't say 24 hours, and she replied, "No, 23 hours is enough." ”

Putting down the phone, I feel a lot more at ease. This technical problem was left to the professionals, and I was freed up to do something else.

Kana Kido has been waiting patiently by the side, and today, thanks to her acumen, she was able to pull out important clues from "Wubei Zhi". If she hadn't made a special trip from Japan to send such valuable information, I would have been kept in the dark, and I can't thank people enough. When I asked if I didn't want to sit in my shop for a while, she was so happy that she immediately agreed.

Speaking of which, my four confessions haven't been open for a long time, and it's time to go back and have a look. As soon as I entered the alley, Aunt Wang, a neighbor, came over, saw that it was me, and quickly waved me over. Before she could speak, she looked over my shoulder and saw Kana Kido following behind, and her eyes immediately changed. My aunt grabbed my arm, dragged me to the side and whispered, "Who is this girl?" I replied that this was a friend from Japan and had come and sat down.

When Aunt Wang heard that she was Japanese, she couldn't help but let out an "oh", saying that you kid can pay attention for a while, don't cause international disputes. I'm a little baffled that there is an international dispute here. Aunt Wang said vaguely, turned around and left.

Kana Kido and I turned the corner, and I saw a tall figure standing in front of the door of the Four Confessions.

"Smoke?" I was taken aback.

As soon as she heard my call, the shadow turned her face, and sure enough, it was yellow smoke. However, she looked much more haggard than before, her face was a little pale, her cheekbones were sunken, and there were even a few faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She has been taking care of Huang Kewu in Hong Kong some time ago, day and night, and it is really hard enough.

She actually went back to Beijing?

I was pleasantly surprised and took a few quick steps. Yanyan smiled when she saw that it was me, but her gaze swept to Kana Kido, and her body froze.

My cold sweat came down with a "swish", this situation is really embarrassing. If life is a novel, then the worst thing I, the author, is good at, is romance dramas, and I caught up with the most headache and classic scene. If it were possible, I'd rather face the joint fight between the Hosoyanagi Camp and Guiguzi.

Miss Kido was not alarmed, got up and bowed to her, and said, "It's been a long time, Miss Huang." Huang Yanyan looked at me suspiciously, then at Kana Kido, and nodded politely, which was considered a response.

"Yanyan, I'm ......" I stepped forward and grabbed her hand to explain. Before he finished speaking, Yanyan said in a deep voice: "Make a wish, are you free now?" ”

She didn't dwell on this matter, my heart was relieved at first, but when I looked at Yanyan's eyes, there was a little anxiety, indicating that she had something big in her heart, so big that she couldn't care about it. An ominous premonition emerged, it couldn't be something happened to Huang Kewu, right? The old man's heart has not been very good, maybe he heard that Liu Yiming died and was stimulated, so Yanyan suddenly returned to the northern ......

Huang Yanyan stretched out his slap and slapped me on the back of the head: "What are you thinking nonsense? I touched my head and asked what was going on, and Huang Yanyan said, "My grandfather is back and wants to see you." ”

I breathe a sigh of relief, it's not bad news after all. The old man of the five veins withered too much, and he couldn't withstand another blow.

"Where's the old man?"

"301 Hospital." Yanyan explained that although he recovered, he still had some hidden dangers, and after he came back, he was directly admitted to the hospital for observation for a period of time.

Kana Kido, who was standing aside, said, "Since Xu Jun has something to do, then I won't bother." I'll be in Beijing for a while, and if you need me to contact the Japanese side, you can always come to me. ”

I also bowed and thanked him, although Huang Yanyan wanted to ask what was going on, but he still held back after all.

We got in the car and headed for the hospital. I looked at Yanyan's tired silhouette and couldn't help but ruffle her forehead: "It's been really hard for you this time." She dodged a little frightened, as if she wasn't used to this kind of intimacy. I had to withdraw my hand.

"It's okay, it's comfortable compared to you." She replied, "It seems that she has heard a little about me."

I slowly told her about my recent experience, and she never commented, just listened in silence. When I talked about being in the kiln, she nervously grabbed my hand and quickly let go again.

For some reason, I always felt that she had changed a little bit, and there was a slight sense of resistance to me. It's not that disgust or disgust, it's more like avoidance. I don't know if it's a little rusty because we haven't seen each other for too long. I also talked about the fact that I went to the library with Kana Kido just now, and made a clear clarification without leaving a trace. Huang Yanyan was noncommittal, her mind didn't seem to be here at all, so I didn't dare to say it anymore, and if I said it again, it would seem like a thief.

"The medicine is not that guy, and it is not worthy of Sister Happy at all." Yanyan suddenly said without a word.

"So you know her too?"

Huang Yanyan said: "Of course I know, Sister Xing is my best friend." I told her a long time ago, Yao No's personality is too gloomy, and Yao is too frivolous, neither of them is suitable for Sister Xing. ”

I almost choked to death with saliva: "Otherwise, you still have a relationship with Happy?" ”

"Nope. The medicine didn't break up with her and go abroad, otherwise the medicine didn't know which string was wrong, and he had to chase happiness. Sister Gao said that the age difference between us was too big, and he said he didn't mind. Sister Xing was in a hurry, and said I mind, otherwise the medicine would be stupid. ”

Yanyan said that the medicine or announced the public pursuit of Sister Xing Xing for a period of time, as if he had been beaten with chicken blood, he ran to Sister Xing when he saw the sky, and he didn't go home all night, except for drinking and smoking, he was singing, and he fell asleep when he was tired, and his life was extremely decadent. Sister Xing was so stingy, in the end, she couldn't stand it anymore, and notified the medicine family to take him back, and he was severely reprimanded by Yaolai, and then relented.

I didn't expect that kid to have such a ridiculous romance, I was happy in my heart. Speaking of other people's gossip, the atmosphere in the car is much more relaxed.

We drove to Hospital 301 and entered the intensive care ward, which was guarded by armed police. The old man in the hospital gown was slowly boxing in the ward, he was originally practicing Xingyi, but now he has changed to Tai Chi.

As soon as he saw us coming, the old man immediately accepted us. Huang Kewu's spirit is much worse than what I saw before, his face is full of old age spots, folds and droops, and the tiger and tiger energy in his eyes is still there, but the whole person is obviously weak.

"Make a wish, you're here?" Huang Kewu spoke in a low voice, and he motioned for me to sit down, and then leaned back on the bed, gasping slightly.

"Hey, I'm really old, and I can't do it if I move my muscles and bones a little. In the past, my face did not change. Huang Kewu said self-deprecatingly, Huang Yanyan hurried over and gave him a light slap on the back.

I noticed that on the small cabinet next to the bed, there was a small water bowl. It was given to him by Sister Su, and it contained the ashes of the two of their children. In Hong Kong, Huang Kewu was stimulated by this gadget.

It's still there, at least it shows that Huang Kewu has come out of the shadows. Huang Kewu noticed my gaze, and tapped his finger on the edge of the spoon with a little embarrassment: "My days are short, take advantage of the time to spend more time with him." Otherwise, when you get to the bottom in the future, you don't know each other, and it's not good. ”

This statement was full of grief and despair. The old man's will to survive is fading, and this is really alarming. When Yanyan heard this, he pinched Huang Kewu angrily and said, "Grandpa, don't talk nonsense!" Huang Kewu patted her hand: "The old friends are gone one by one, and I am still living here alone, and I am lonely." If it weren't for some unfinished business, I would have gone down long ago. ”

I was thinking about how to persuade him, and when I heard the last sentence, I couldn't help but feel a pang in my heart. Huang Kewu motioned for Yanyan to go out, and then asked me to close the door.

Now there are only two people left in the room, Huang Kewu and me. We looked at each other and didn't make a sound for a long time. In the end, it was Huang Kewu who raised his eyebrows first and said, "I've heard all the things you have been doing recently. ”

I didn't know whether the old man was praising or disparaging, so I didn't dare to respond, but cautiously said "um".

Huang Kewu scolded with a smile: "Stinky boy, what kind of tricks are you playing with me, your Xu family has always dared to act." I looked up and smiled, "I'm not afraid you'll hit me." I haven't learned kung fu, but I can't stand your old man's skill. ”

"Don't play tricks." Huang Kewu's face was pale, "Your child's temper is the same as Xu Yicheng, Tai Axis." If you go in the wrong direction, you will cause a big mess, and if you go in the right direction, you can also make great merits. You did a good job in Jingdezhen, I've heard about it. None of the young people in the five veins can be as serious as you. ”

I boldly asked, "Since this is a good thing, if you or Old Man Liu make a move, it will definitely be better than me." Why have you sat back for so long, waiting for me to solve it? ”

This question has been haunting me for a long time. I don't believe that if Liu, Huang, and Yao really took action, they wouldn't be able to take this tumor.

Hearing this question, Huang Kewu's eyes suddenly dimmed, and his eyebrows drooped. I thought I was angry with the old man, so I was so frightened that I hurried over to check. Huang Kewu raised his hand to signal that it was okay, and let out a long sigh.

"You asked well, for so many years, I have also asked myself, is this a rat trap, or is it appeasement?" Huang Kewu's voice was tired with a hint of sharpness, as well as a hint of guilt, "The antique industry is born to be yin and yang, and the true and the false are interconnected. As for the old court, it is a soul and a shadow floating above the five veins, and it is constantly slashed and cannot be shaken off. ”

"Then do you know who the old courtier is?" I went straight to the point, and then added, "I want to hear a definite answer today, don't be like Old Man Liu, who is shrouded in clouds." ”

"Don't worry, listen to me slowly. Do you know when I first heard the word "old court"? ”

"Jade Buddha head case?"

"Yes, not exactly. The first time we knew about the existence of the old pilgrimage was during the Jade Buddha Head case, but it was not because of the Buddha's head, but because of the five things. Huang Kewu stretched out five fingers and waved.

"Five blue and white figure jars?" My heart jumped.

"Not bad. Our break with Uncle Xu is also based on this. I heard that Lao Liu left you a letter and told you about Qingfeng Building back then? ”

"Yes, but it's not very clear, the draft is not finished yet."

"Hehe, with his temper, I'm afraid he won't be able to make it clear when the manuscript is finished. Back then, on the Qingfeng Tower, Uncle Xu forced Lou Yinfan to death - do you know this person? ”

I shook my head. I have seen this person's name in Liu Yiming's last letter, but I only know a name.

Huang Kewu narrowed his eyes: "That person, he is the number one person in the capital, a famous porcelain artist, and he has a high reputation." There has always been a legend that there are several blue and white character pots hidden in his house, and it is said that those jars originally belonged to the five veins, and there was an unscrupulous descendant in the previous generations who lost to him. The elders of the five veins went to negotiate, but it was over. Then Uncle Xu suddenly said one day that he had a way to get the porcelain jar back, and the three of us were very happy to hear it, and we were ready to do a big job. ”

At this point, he flicked the bowl again, looking rather confused: "That was a strange timing. At that time, the Jade Buddha head case had actually broken out, and the call for arresting him in the society was very high, and it was all up to Fu Gui to bear it. We wonder why he still bothered to bother with the five cans. But Uncle Xu looked like he was in his chest, and we thought he had a way to get rid of the crime, so we didn't ask too much.

"The medicine comes from the Xuanzi Gate, and he will lead the matter of deceiving Lou Yinfan, and the two of us will respond. After some investigation, we found that Lou Yinfan had come into contact with a person named Lao Chaofeng, which was the first time we heard this name. According to medicine, this old courtier is also a porcelain master, and Lou Yinfan used his connections to invite him to rectify the blue and white jars. ”

My heart moved, and the old pilgrimage mentioned in the "Quantian Report" was also at this time.

"With Lao Liu's planning, my execution, and the expertise of Yaolai, we finally succeeded in introducing Lou Yinfan into the game and forcing a situation of gambling with Uncle Xu in Qingfeng Building. Playing this, who can do it better than Uncle Xu, but Lou Yinfan failed miserably, and he was so angry that he jumped off the building directly. We were a little scared and stupid when we saw the deaths, but the more infuriating things were yet to come. A Japanese man in Qingfeng Building stood up, seemed to be very familiar with Uncle Xu, the two shook hands, and Uncle Xu directly handed over the jar to him. All of a sudden, we were all stupid. If he really did this, wouldn't that prove that the accusation in the Jade Buddha head case that he colluded with the Japanese was true? But Uncle Xu didn't pay attention to us at all, and he seemed very impatient. A few days later, the Jade Buddha Head incident happened, he was arrested and imprisoned, and I was finally completely disappointed in Uncle Xu......"

"What's that Japanese man's name?"

"Kunio Izumita." Huang Kewu still remembers the events at that time, which shows how much stimulation he was at that time.

I frowned, lost in thought. From Huang Kewu's description combined with Kido Kana's news, it is clear that this is a bureau. Kunio Izumida knew the secret in the five cans, so he teamed up with my grandfather to snatch it from Lou Yinfan. With the help of Liu, Huang, and Yao, my grandfather successfully captured five cans and handed them over to Quantian.

This story should not be so simple, there must be some secret in it.

This key point is in the old Chaofeng - he was originally the person invited by Lou Yinfan to open the can, but later became the guide of Kunio Izumida to find the sunken ship.

"And then?" I asked.

"Uncle Xu's death made Wumai particularly passive. Several of us were quite nervous, especially during the time when the medicine came, and we were always unsettled. Kunio Izumida soon disappeared and was never seen again. However, the five blue and white jars were not taken away, but fell into the hands of one person. ”

"Who?"

"Ji Tianjun." Huang Kewu coldly spit out three words.

I've never heard the name, but when I hear it, I feel a chill that soaks my body.

"Who is he?"

"He, he was originally a young man in Wumai's shop in Xi'an, not among the five surnames. However, he is clever and capable, and in a few years he is qualified to take dry shares on the counter. After the Tanglin Incident, Uncle Xu went to Qianling to clean up the Japanese, and the local person in charge of receiving it was this Ji Tianjun. Uncle Xu felt that this person was well-behaved and capable, so he asked the shopkeeper to bring it with him. However, he was lower than the three of us, and he was very low-key, and we didn't pay much attention to it. In the matter of Qingfeng Building, he has always been by Uncle Xu's side. ”

"That is to say, later Lou Yinfan and my grandfather died, Quantian disappeared, and there was only one Ji Tianjun left who understood the whole incident?" I immediately got to the point.

"That's right, those three people are either dead or missing, but this Ji Tianjun took the opportunity to sweep away the five jars. The three of us fought with him fiercely, but the five jars were not saved, and four were scattered, and only one 'Sangu Thatched House' was snatched back by the medicine - of course, Ji Tianjun didn't catch a few himself, and there was one at most. ”

I was silent.

I happen to know most of the whereabouts of those five jars. "The Legend of the West Chamber" went to the Zheng family in Changchun, the "Xiliu Camp" followed Mo Wenzhai south to Fujian, the "Guiguzi Descending the Mountain" fell into the hands of the Ouyang family, and there was also a "Wei Chi Gong riding a single savior", I don't know what happened - it is very likely to fall into the hands of Ji Tianjun.

It is no wonder that Yao Lai went to Changchun to search, it turned out that the real purpose of his search was not for the azure glazed horseshoe-shaped water bowl, but to find the blue and white jar of the Zheng family's "Legend of the West Chamber".

If what Huang Kewu said was not concealed, the identity of the old courtier was almost ready to be revealed. But...... Lao Chaofeng obviously has a close relationship with Lou Yinfan and Quantian Kunio, and seems to have mastered the location of the shipwreck, which is not consistent with Ji Tianjun's whereabouts.

This old courtier did not know the location of the wreck, so he showed a strong interest in the five jars, which continues to this day, not only deliberately collecting these blue and white jars, but also naming his own power after the five jars.

When I think of this, I can't help but feel a shock in my heart. Looking back on the four stories of Yaolai now, they all have deep meanings. The azure glazed horseshoe-shaped water bowl points to the Zheng family with the "Legend of the West Chamber"; The peacock double lion embroidered pier hints at the Mowen Zhailiu family who has a "fine willow camp"; The story of the blue and white goblet, although it happened during the fall, but the protagonist of this story is surnamed Lou, and the plot is strikingly similar to Lou Yinfan's experience, they were all betrayed by the Chinese to the Japanese, and the characters were empty in the end.

So what does the last sub-jade cricket jar allude to? The story happened in Xi'an, and Ji Tianjun happened to be born in Xi'an......

Huang Kewu looked at me dumbfounded, knowing what was going on in my mind: "Are you guessing that the old courteer is Ji Tianjun?" ”

"That's right!" The more I think about it, the more I look like it. No matter the age, behavior, or the timing of Ji Tianjun's appearance in front of my grandfather Xu Yicheng, it is all tightly matched. Except for the time of appearance, there are few flaws.

Huang Kewu sighed: "Later, this kid did become a thief of cultural relics in Shaanxi, and he did a lot of harm. We also once suspected that Ji Tianjun was the old courtier. But he was dead in 1948. ”

"Huh? He's dead? "I was shocked.

"Of course, I haven't seen a corpse, I've only heard about it. He seems to have died in an accident of robbing a tomb, and some people say that the People's Liberation Army killed the bandits. ”

Wait a minute, if Ji Tianjun died before liberation, then who killed my father during the "**" period? Who is the old pilgrim who is now fighting against me? Is it still a ghost?

I began to feel that my brain was a little insufficient, so I had to look at Huang Kewu. Huang Kewu replied calmly: "I really don't know who Lao Chaofeng is, Lao Liu knows or not, I don't know, but Yaolai must know something." ”

This answer is tantamount to not saying anything.

Huang Kewu continued: "In the early days of liberation, there was a large-scale crackdown on tomb robbery. We, the Five Pulses, have also been involved in destroying many counterfeiting and tomb robbing gangs. Those battles were really heart-wrenching and painful. He shook his fist, a smile on the corner of his mouth, reminiscing about the eventful years of the year. This kind of thing is the most appetizing to him.

"Later, the antique market disappeared completely, related commercial activities came to a standstill, and even Wumai became an academic institution. In addition, communication with the outside world was also restricted back then, and those secret deeds were unprofitable and completely disappeared. It was not until the reform and opening up that the market began to be active again, and we found that the original dregs of counterfeiting and tomb robbery have resurfaced, and there seems to be a trend of integration, and even the five veins have been faintly eroded. ”

Speaking of this, Huang Kewu's face was faintly worried—there were not many things that could make him feel worried.

"You should know that greed always develops faster than reason. Those sediments that were once suppressed to the point of near extinction are recovering faster than the five veins. In just a few years, wildfires have spread across the country, and the speed of development is completely beyond the expectations of a few of us. By the time we tried to suppress it, the other side was already intertwined and flourishing. We all feel that there should be a black hand behind all this, organizing these things, otherwise the development of the black forces will never be so rapid. Tomb robbing, counterfeiting, smuggling, fraud and whitewashing, each aspect is well planned to form a huge industrial chain. This black hand must be very familiar with the antique business, and knows the five veins well. ”

I was in good spirits, this was the first time that Huang Kewu clearly admitted that there were old pilgrims in the five veins.

"I once suggested a cleansing in the five veins, at least to purify our interior. But the medicine came to oppose it, and Liu Yiming's attitude was also very ambiguous. Their opinion was that if it was forcibly cleansed, they would probably sacrifice the entire five veins. This pot of rice is equivalent to being sandwiched, and you can't put it in your mouth, but you can't pour it all. If you really want to arrest all the people related to the old court, I'm afraid that half of the people in the five veins will have to go in. ”

"So much?" Although I was mentally prepared, I was still intimidated by this ratio.

Huang Kewu sighed guiltily: "I'm still talking about it less." It is said that people's hearts are good, but it is better to say that people's hearts are profitable, everyone is rushing for money, no matter how strict the family rules are, they can't stop it. Don't talk about other families, it's our Huang family, there are a lot of people who do this openly and secretly. ”

"This attitude of yours is to tolerate adultery." I bluntly criticized. Huang Kewu was not angry: "If it was a few decades earlier, I would have the same attitude as you, I would rather be broken than broken." But the location is different, and the things to scruple are different. The following is such a large family to feed, a rat bogey, a rat bogey. ”

Huang Kewu said: "So I am very happy that you can do these things." We are old, so old that we have lost our courage, we are afraid of change, we still have a sense of justice and conscience, but we are already in the last years. But you won't, you have the same eyes as your grandfather Xu Yicheng, revealing a sense of axial strength. Do you know? At the beginning in front of Tanglin, everyone thought that they would fail, and your grandfather rushed towards Sun Dianying's army with such eyes, it was a regiment of soldiers - it was really a happy era, following Uncle Xu, it was the happiest moment in my life. ”

Huang Kewu's eyes became gentle, and he was extremely nostalgic. His face instantly became younger, shiny, and his expression was like that of a teenager. I didn't make a sound, silently immersed the old man in the past years.

After a full five minutes, Huang Kewu continued: "After the incident in Qingfeng Building passed, I hated Uncle Xu very much. Because I was the one who admired him the most, and I was the most painful one after the idol was shattered. The first time we met, I didn't have a good face, how much do you understand, I can't figure it out Wow, I can't figure out how such a good person can become so fast. ”

"Now you've figured it out."

"The moment you knocked the jade Buddha's head open, I was relieved. Therefore, I believe that there must be something else hidden in the matter of Qingfeng Building. It's a pity that my body is no longer good, so I called you here today in the hope that you can solve the matter of five cans smoothly. I will try to live until the truth about what Uncle Xu did is revealed, but don't let me enter the coffin with regrets. ”

"Okay, I'm done, let's talk about you. What the hell are five jars for? Huang Kewu asked curiously. Counting from Qingfeng Building, he has been curious for decades.

So I told Huang Kewu about the five cans of secrets, the Fugong number and the entanglement of the old court, Huang Kewu was silent for a long time, and then finally said: "It turns out that what Quantian Kunio coveted back then was actually this, no wonder Uncle Xu was involved." It's no wonder that Ji Tianjun would grab the jar afterwards. ”

Ten pieces of firewood porcelain are more than 100 times more valuable than five blue and white jars of the Ming Dynasty. Huang Kewu understands this value much more deeply than me.

"Do you think my grandfather will take the Japanese on a treasure hunt?" I asked questions.

"Impossible." Huang Kewu categorically vetoed, "After Qingfeng Building, Uncle Xu never left Beijing, and it didn't take long for him to be arrested and imprisoned, and he never came out again." During this period, he had no possibility of going to sea. ”

Then I can't figure it out. Why did Ji Tianjun grab the jar afterwards? It shows that it still has value. Why is it valuable? Because Kunio Izumida did not succeed in fishing out the Fugong number. Why didn't you fish out the Fu Gong number? Because Xu Yicheng made a hindrance from it. Following the logic backwards, I can only speculate that this step was reached, and then my grandfather was shot in prison, completely disconnected from this chain, and the story was completely unreasonable.

Could it be that my grandfather Xu Yicheng has the ability to penetrate the heavens and the earth, and after his death, he can still lay out to stop Quantian? I'd love to see that, but it's too unlikely.

When Huang Kewu heard this, he pondered for a moment, and raised his eyebrows: "You mean that the coordinates of those five jars have been opened once?" ”

"Yes. Those five jars were opened once in the twentieth year of the Republic of China, and the coordinates were taken away by Quantian. They are then re-glazed and restored to new condition. Old Pilgrimage ...... Well, Ji Tianjun is so desperate to grab the jar, he must want to get the coordinates again and do another salvage. ”

Huang Kewuqi said: "The medicine is also very active, and I almost met Ji Tianjun." Could it be that he already knew the mystery in this jar? He reminded me, "Quite possibly." Otherwise, he would not have deliberately made an oil painting, and the painstaking administration of the drug did not imply the importance of 'three visits to the thatched house'. ”

Huang Kewu narrowed his eyes: "I always feel that since the incident in Qingfeng Building, Yaolai must know something, but he never said it." I could see that over the years, his heart was in pain, and it seemed that he was hiding a secret that could never be told. His ambiguous attitude towards the old court, the sudden rebellion of the medicine, including his final suicide, must also have something to do with this. ”

"Could it be that the medicine will be taken by the old court?"

"That guy is so cunning that I can't think of anything that can hold him hostage." When Huang Kewu said this, he shook his head sadly, "But now that everyone is dead, it's useless to have any secrets." ”

I thought to myself, the relationship between the medicine family and these five jars is deeper than you think. I should be able to guess the source of the secret of the pain of the medicine.

Lou Yinfan invited a master to rectify the five cans, and the only place that the five cans need to be rectified is the coordinates hidden inside. And the only way to open it is to "flybridge to ascend to immortals". At that time, there were only two people who could perform the "Flying Bridge Dengxian", one was Yin Nianjiu, who lived in Shaoxing, and the other was Yao Shenxing, who went north bizarrely.

From Huang Kewu's description, I always felt that Yaolai seemed to have discovered something, but he didn't mention it. Could it be that it was because he found out that his father had played an inglorious role in it, so he was ashamed of His Holiness?

I have been able to barely grasp the mysterious trajectory surrounding Qingfeng Building, and now I only lack a main thread to bring the whole incident together. What did Yao Shenxing do? Is Ji Tianjun an old courtier? Where exactly did Izumita go? What the hell is my grandfather going to do? What is the medicine trying to hide? In fact, as long as there is an answer to all kinds of questions, they can suddenly be clarified.

We both frowned and racked our brains for a long time. Huang Kewu waved his hand: "I don't want to, I don't want to." Those old rotten grains, there is no need to think so much for the time being. Let's take a look at the present. ”

Huang Lao was right. Entangled in Qingfeng Building, it is just to clarify a piece of historical facts, and the loss of the national treasure of Fugong is a major event that burns the eyelashes, and it is a priority.

"What do you want to do?" I asked.

"I talked to Lao Liu about this, and we both have a tacit understanding. If one of them goes first, then the remaining one will come as he pleases. Anyway, my life is not a few years away, so I will simply be presumptuous, and when the time comes, I will go to see Uncle Xu, so that I can have an atonement for my sins. Speaking of this, Huang Kewu's eyes were full of might, the whole person straightened up, and the fierce spirit returned: "The counterattack of the five veins, I will personally supervise the army and preside over the situation." Taking advantage of the old court's illness, I want his life! ”

"If you can take charge of the big picture, it's great." I was overjoyed. Although I led the people of the Five Pulses to wage war against the old court, I was really not suitable to be a leader, and I didn't have the time and energy. Old Man Huang gave up his ambiguous position and led it personally, both in terms of ability and qualifications, he was far above me. He plus Shen Yunchen personally played, and no one dared to oppose anything.

After this major event is removed, I can concentrate on the affairs of the Fu Gong Account. Miss Kido said that the Japanese side was already planning this matter, and that the old court was cooperating with the center, and if he cooperated with the Japanese again, the matter would be irreparable.

These ten firewood kiln national treasures, no matter who they fall into, will have a huge impact on the antiques market. What's more, it is related to the fate of my ancestors, my grandfather. I have to get them back, both publicly and privately.

Huang Kewu waved his hand happily: "You don't have to worry about this matter, I will report to the competent department of cultural relics, let them go out on the boat, pay for the money, and organize the sea." The state allocates so much money every year, and it has to be spent in the right place! ”

"That's for the best. I have entrusted an expert to analyze it, and I will soon know those three coordinates, and I will figure out the rest. We still have a chance. I replied quickly. Lao Chaofeng definitely didn't get all the coordinates, and he had three at most in his hand, so this was a competition to see who could collect all the coordinates first.

After these major events were settled, calm returned to the house for the time being. I was in a state of limp and felt like there was a lot going on. But Huang Kewu didn't say that the conversation was over, so I couldn't leave.

Huang Kewu looked at me for a long time, and suddenly showed an unfathomable smile: "When we were talking just now, you should have sensed that something was wrong, right?" ”

I also laughed: "You deliberately let Yanyan out, also to make it easier for me to ask questions, right?" ”

Huang Kewu didn't make a sound, just looked at me. I took a deep breath and asked what I had been wondering all along: "Why do you all call me Grandpa Uncle Xu, what is my seniority?" ”

Huang Kewu seemed to have been waiting for this question for a long time, as if he was unloading a huge burden from his shoulders: "I didn't want to talk about this matter. But I can't hide it now, for the good of the two of you, it's better to explain it. ”

My eyes narrowed, waiting for him to come next.

"This matter is also related to Ji Tianjun."

I was stunned: "Does this have anything to do with him?" ”

Huang Kewu said: "Although the five veins are collectively known as Mingyan Plum Blossoms, the five surnames are passed down by Xu Heng's four disciples plus his son, and although there are mutual in-laws in the middle, there is no blood relationship. Passed down for thousands of years, there are always differences between generations and ages. Uncle Xu is a generation older than me, Liu Yiming and Yaolai, but the next generation is nearly 20 years old. After we followed Xu Yicheng to solve the Tanglin case, his child Xu Heping was born. ”

This is a common thing, a friend of mine has to call a four-year-old doll uncle, and there is often a mismatch between generation and age.

Huang Kewu continued: "After Uncle Xu's death, the entire five veins thought that he was a sinner, and even his attitude towards Aunt Xu changed, and some radical people even demanded that she also go to prison. Although the three of us felt that it was inappropriate, we were too young at the time to speak lightly. In addition, he also had doubts about Uncle Xu in his heart, so he didn't pay much attention to it. Aunt Xu is a strong person, in the face of great pressure, she did not beg for Wumai, resolutely resigned from Union Hospital, and went to Xi'an with her child in her arms......"

Speaking of which, Huang Kewu's voice turned smaller, and his eyes were full of guilt. I didn't know much about family history, and when I heard that my grandmother had such an experience, I was both relieved and resentful, and I couldn't help but clench my fists.

"Why did you go to Xi'an?"

"Because Ji Tianjun is there." When Huang Kewu said this, his face was gloomy, "The five veins are hostile to Aunt Xu, but Ji Tianjun pretended to be Uncle Xu's close comrade-in-arms at that time, and he still played a good role in the face. Under such a harsh environment, Aunt Xu had no choice but to rely on him. In order to avoid having anything to do with the five veins and provoke the enemy to come to the door, she deliberately demoted Xu Heping to a generation and called Ji Tianjun uncle. Anyway, the age gap is just right, so it's not easy to be noticed. ”

I snorted, I didn't expect such a thing.

Huang Kewu said: "This is what we learned later. At that time, I only knew that Aunt Xu went to Xi'an, and then disappeared. Wumai once sent someone to Xi'an to look for it, but because of the subtle difference in generation, he never found it. ”

My heart moved: "The time is 1937, and the person who went was Yaolai?" ”

Huang Kewu was surprised: "How do you know?" It was indeed him. At that time, he went out alone for the first time and went to Xi'an to sweep goods. Lao Liu and I secretly asked him to visit, but he returned in vain. ”

That's exactly right, I said to myself. The four stories of Yaolai and the five cans are too deep, the story of the embroidered pier corresponds to the "fine willow camp", the story of the water bowl corresponds to the "Legend of the West Chamber", the story of the goblet corresponds to Lou Yinfan, and now the fourth story also closes the tenon. Medicine came and went to Xi'an, in addition to finding Ziyu to make cricket jars, it turned out that he was also tasked with finding my family.

These four stories are all quite profound. Yaolai deliberately pointed out this story, what is it trying to imply? Could it be that the Kaiyuan Tongbao scam was done by Ji Tianjun?

Huang Kewu continued: "Ji Tianjun turned out to be quite regular. Since the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war in 1937, he has the Japanese as his backer, and his actions have become unscrupulous. Stealing and digging ancient tombs, stealing and looting, counterfeiting and selling. Aunt Xu is a person with a strong sense of right and wrong, and she probably also noticed Ji Tianjun's true face, so she angrily broke off contact and returned to Beijing with Xu Heping. However, after returning to Beijing, she never took the initiative to contact us, although we heard about it a little, but we felt embarrassed to meet, and we did not take the initiative to contact, and we did not go to see Aunt Xu's death. And so the two sides went their separate ways, until the '**'......"

Huang Kewu didn't continue, for fear of breaking my heart. My father Xu Heping was framed by Lao Chaofeng during the "**" period, and both husband and wife committed suicide, leaving me an orphan.

"Originally, it doesn't matter if you don't interact with each other. I didn't expect Miss Kido to unexpectedly return the Buddha's head and lure you out. A few of our old ones have had a headache for a long time. In terms of seniority, you are taller than Yanyan. But if we want to explain this matter clearly, we must involve Ji Tianjun and a few of us who were not authentic back then...... Let's sum it up, anyway, your age is the same as Yanyan and medicine, otherwise they are about the same age, so vague and not specific. ”

Huang Kewu said a little weakly, and looked at me directly. I'm not angry, this is too child's play, how can there be such a choreographer!

Although I am very unhappy with the attitude of Liu, Huang, and Yao towards the Xu family, especially towards my grandmother, I can understand it. After all, at that time, my grandfather had not yet cleared his grievances. But since you know that there is a difference in generation, you deliberately don't say it for the sake of face, isn't this a cheat?

"Then you can rest assured that I will fall in love with my niece?" I raised my voice, glaring at me.

Huang Kewu's eyes dodged, and he didn't have the momentum to urge the five veins to counterattack just now: "Hmm...... The Xu family has been passed down for several generations, and there is no blood relationship with the other four veins, you are the same age, it doesn't matter what the generation is. ”

I couldn't help but touch my forehead: "Okay, okay, I count you right, it doesn't matter if you're senior, let's continue to talk - but don't you just don't tell me the truth?" Now why do you think about it again? ”

Huang Kewu sighed: "Hasn't Yanyan been with me all this time?" There was nothing else to do in the ward, just small talk, talking about the past. She pestered me to listen to the Xu family, I told her how Xu Yicheng was back then, and I didn't pay attention to it and said that I was gone, and called Uncle Xu. That girl is so clever, she grabbed this loophole and asked hard. I really couldn't grind her, so I had to tell the truth. ”

No wonder Yanyan has such a strange attitude towards me, it turns out that this is the case. My boyfriend suddenly became an uncle, and I had to break down if I changed. Huang Kewu asked her to go out just now to avoid embarrassment.

I rubbed my temples, and after that, what could I do?

Huang Kewu suddenly said seriously: "Actually, even if you don't ask, I will tell you." Because you have to check five cans, Ji Tianjun is an unavoidable threshold. The difference in generations of the Xu family is likely to dig up very important clues. ”

"Wait a minute, does Ji Tianjun have any descendants?" An important question occurred to me.

"I don't know, at least I haven't heard of it."

I frowned, thinking to myself that his descendant, could it be Ji Yunfu? Otherwise, when my father Xu Heping went to Xi'an, how could he be so coincidental and find someone from the Ji family? But Ji Yunfu's interest in the Jade Buddha head case was purely spontaneous, and I witnessed the whole process of his search. If he is Ji Tianjun's descendant, these materials are simply at his fingertips, so why bother so much?

Unfortunately, he is dead, and the truth is unknown. When I think of his passing, I feel especially sorry for what a wonderful man he was. And the one who killed him was not medicine.

Wait a minute! My mind flickered.

Ay? Doesn't Ji Yunfu have a younger sister? What's it called? By the way, Ji Yunfang, we were in contact with Ji Yunfu when we were dealing with the aftermath. I still have her phone number on hand, so I can ask for it.

We talked for almost three hours, and Huang Kewu was very tired. So we decisively ended the conversation, and the information I heard today was enough for me to digest for a long time.

There is a special nurse to serve Huang Kewu to take medicine and go to bed. I pushed the door open and went out to see Yanyan sitting on a bench in the hallway, absentmindedly playing with the bronze ring around his neck. It's been to a lot of places with us.

"Smoke." I screamed. She hurriedly stood up: "Are you done talking?" ”

"It's over, hard old man."

"How's the talk?" She asked.

I put my hands in my trouser pockets and sighed softly: "There are enough pieces of the puzzle, but they are all scattered everywhere, a hammer in the east and a stick in the west, and there are so many things to do." ”

"Don't be too tired, don't carry it alone."

I shook my head: "The Xu family's affairs can only be carried by the Xu family themselves - but you don't have to worry, if it goes well, it will be solved soon." ”

Huang Yanyan smiled reluctantly and said that you should pay attention to safety. I grabbed her by the shoulders and leaned my face in. Yanyan panicked, thinking that I was going to do something, and wanted to break free, but I held it down and said solemnly: "Yanyan, you can take care of your grandfather with peace of mind, and after I catch the old courtier, let's talk about the future." ”

I deliberately avoided that sensitive word and used a euphemism. The fact that there is a generational difference is too embarrassing to talk about now. Huang Yanyan was stunned for a moment, and then his shoulders relaxed. She originally thought that I was going to have a showdown with her, but when she heard that she would talk about it after catching the old court, she was relieved.

Both of us are ordinary minds, and we don't know what to do about this at all, so we can drag it out for a while.

Yanyan wanted to stay with the bed, so I left the 301 hospital alone.

As soon as I stepped out of the hospital gate, I looked up and saw the stars shining above me. I looked at it for a long time, and noticed that thousands of starlights outlined a few familiar outlines. In the night, I saw my grandfather, my grandmother, my mom and dad. They have always looked at me kindly from heaven and guarded me, and I have never fought alone.

The Xu family has endured too much suffering, but they have never given up their responsibilities. Xu Heng didn't, Xu Xin didn't, Xu Yicheng and Xu Heping didn't, I made a wish, and I will never back down.

And I must do better than them, because this time, I will put an end to this long grudge once and for all.