sbdcsierra Chapter 786 The Imperial Seal and Tai'a
Chapter 786 The Imperial Seal and Tai'a
However, these two rows of terracotta warriors were merely cannon fodder for the subsequent human figures. The third row of infantry consisted of bronze figures, holding square shields. As if under command, they took a step forward in unison, placed the shields in front of them, and quickly knelt down to protect the archers holding bows and arrows behind them.
These are not ordinary terracotta warriors, but a well-organized army!
Now it was Ge Dawei and Wang Dakeng's turn to work together. They each quickly took out a small laser cannon and pulled the trigger without hesitation when firing at the terracotta warriors.
The next instant, a loud explosion erupted from the Terracotta Army, and the third and fourth rows of terracotta warriors were reduced to fragments in the blast.
One has to admire modern technology, which is far superior to that of ancient technology.
Within minutes, the square returned to silence, the ruins of bronze terracotta warriors scattered everywhere, resembling a battlefield ravaged by war.
The two easily dealt with the hundreds of terracotta warriors. Ge Dawei struck a cocky pose and said smugly, "How about that? You still need me when it matters!"
Chao Bufan gazed quietly at the bronze gate exit in the distance of the square. After a moment, he walked toward the bronze gate, and the crowd followed quietly behind him.
Passing through the Martial Arts Hall, another passageway leads ahead, different from the ones seen before. Its steps are paved with white jade, and handrails are carved from it. On either side of the passageway are elegantly dressed women in white jade, their skin as lifelike, holding enormous luminous pearls that illuminate the area as if it were daytime. The rock walls are not ordinary stones, but exquisite murals carved by skilled craftsmen, depicting the First Emperor's astonishing achievements—unifying the six kingdoms, establishing the empire, building the Great Wall, standardizing writing, weights and measures, and cart axles…
No more elaborate traps or mechanisms have been set up here, because this passageway leads to the most noble part of this mausoleum.
The final resting place of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of all dynasties in Chinese history.
The steps rose and fell, short and long, with exquisite carvings on both sides that dazzled the eye. However, no one had the mind to appreciate them, because a huge bronze gate finally appeared in front of them, decorated with dragon and phoenix patterns and inlaid with countless unidentifiable pearls and gems.
The six exchanged glances. Although they were all extremely excited, they dared not be careless. They held their breath and focused intently, even taking the lightest steps.
Upon entering the gate, the vast and deep palace was revealed, and everything before their eyes astonished Chao Bufan and his companions.
The magnificent and luxurious palace before us was dazzling, and in the center of the palace, the real coffin of Qin Shi Huang was placed high.
Above the First Emperor's coffin, a glittering object rested at the front—the Imperial Seal. At this moment, Chao Bufan could no longer suppress the excitement welling up within him, and his whole body trembled slightly.
That's it, the mysterious entity that permeated his strange dreams—the Imperial Seal.
Everyone else remained silent, deeply moved, a sense of reverence welling up within them in the presence of this great historical figure.
The crowd worshipped devoutly, bowing three times and kneeling three times...
With trembling hands, Chao Bufan took the jade seal. At that moment, he was unable to describe the excitement and joy in his heart.
After taking the imperial seal, he discovered a long sword lying across the First Emperor's coffin. Without a doubt, he knew that this was the precious sword that the First Emperor had worn during his lifetime—Tai'a.
There is a historical story about the sword of Qin Shi Huang:
After Qin conquered Han and Zhao in the late Warring States period, it advanced northwards, reaching the southern border of the Yan state. Located south of the Great Wall and north of the Yi River, Yan was a small and weak state, causing unease among its rulers and officials. Prince Dan of Yan, who had been a hostage in Qin but was treated unkindly by the Qin king, fled back to Yan. To prevent the Qin army's northward advance, he plotted to send the assassin Jing Ke to assassinate King Ying Zheng of Qin. Jing Ke parted ways with Prince Dan on the banks of the Yi River, carrying the head of the surrendered Qin general Fan Yuqi and a map proposing territorial concessions for peace, and fled westwards. In the Xianyang Palace of Qin, Jing Ke met with the king and showed him the map. When the map was fully unfurled, a sharp dagger was revealed. The king panicked, and his court officials cried out in alarm: "Your Majesty, draw your sword! Draw your sword!" However, the king's sword was too long, and in their haste, they could not draw it. At this critical moment, the imperial physician Xia Wuji, quick-witted, threw the medicine pot in his hand at Jing Ke. Taking advantage of this brief opportunity, the King of Qin, reminded by his ministers, pushed the scabbard behind his back, drew his sword, and with one stroke severed Jing Ke's left leg, thus averting disaster.
Chao Bufan stared at the Tai'a sword, and after hesitating for a long time, he finally took it down.
After removing the jade seal and the Tai'a sword, the six exchanged glances and then left the Qin Mausoleum via the same route.
……
In a secluded valley, as soon as they got out of the car, Wang Dakeng and the others rushed forward and surrounded Chao Bufan.
"Extraordinary! Quick, quick, bring the item out so we can see it."
Chao Bufan laughed and said, "Do you want to see the Imperial Seal or the Tai'a Sword?"
"Of course, we should look at them all."
"Alright, let's do it one by one. I'll show you the imperial seal first."
Chao Bufan took out the jade seal, and everyone passed it around, holding it in their hands. Although it was a bit heavy, no matter how they looked at it, they couldn't see anything special about it.
“Extraordinary! This jade seal isn’t anything special! Are you really sure it has the ability to travel through time?” Wang Dakeng asked curiously. Of course, this was also what everyone else was thinking.
Chao Bufan said with a smile, "You can't see anything wrong, but I can."
"Then why don't you travel through time and show us?" Ge Dawei joked.
Chao Bufan immediately rolled his eyes at Ge Dawei and said, "You think you can just travel through time like that? This jade seal does have some time-travel capabilities, but it's limited. It can only be used at night."
"Why?" everyone asked in unison.
"How can I explain this? Anyway, it has to be at night." It wasn't that he didn't want to explain, but he simply couldn't explain it clearly in a short time.
After putting away the imperial seal, Chao Bufan took out the Tai'a sword again and said solemnly, "This Tai'a sword is the precious sword that Qin Shi Huang wore during his lifetime. It is one of the ten famous swords. Some say that it was jointly forged by the two great swordsmiths, Ou Zhizi and Gan Jiang. Others say that the Tai'a sword is a sword of the power of the feudal lords that has existed for a long time, but it is invisible and traceless. However, the sword energy has long existed between heaven and earth, just waiting for the right time to condense. When the three elements of heaven, earth, and man are in harmony, this sword will be completed."
Wang Zi took the Tai'a sword from Chao Bufan's hand, examined it carefully, and said, "I learned some information about the Tai'a sword from the *Yue Jue Shu*. According to the book, before the unification of the six states, the Jin state was the most powerful. The King of Jin believed he was most qualified to possess this precious sword, but contrary to his wishes, the sword was forged in the weak Chu state. When it was drawn, the two characters 'Tai'a' were indeed naturally engraved on the blade in seal script. The King of Jin, of course, could not swallow this insult, so he demanded the sword from the King of Chu. The King of Chu refused, so the King of Jin..." The Jin state launched a military campaign against Chu, intending to use the pretext of demanding the sword to seize control of the state. Due to the overwhelming disparity in strength, most of Chu's cities quickly fell, and the capital was besieged for three years. The city's food supplies were exhausted, and its weapons were depleted; it was on the verge of collapse. On this day, an envoy from Jin delivered an ultimatum: if the sword was not handed over, the city would be captured the next day, and all would be destroyed! The King of Chu refused to yield, ordering his men that he would personally go to the city walls to fight the enemy the next day. If the city fell, he would use the sword to commit suicide, and his men were to retrieve the sword and ride swiftly to Lake Tai. He sank the sword to the bottom of the lake, ensuring its eternal presence in the Kingdom of Chu. At dawn the next day, the King of Chu ascended the city wall. He saw the Jin army outside, their numbers blotting out the sun. His capital was like a small boat adrift on a vast ocean, in imminent danger of capsizing. The Jin army began their assault, their shouts like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down; the city was on the verge of falling. The King of Chu held the sword in both hands and sighed, "Tai'a sword, Tai'a sword, today I will offer you my own blood!" He then drew the sword, pointing it directly at the enemy. An unbelievable miracle occurred: a surge of powerful sword energy appeared. The sword shot out, instantly unleashing a sandstorm outside the city, blotting out the sun and seeming to roar like a ferocious beast. The Jin army was thrown into chaos; moments later, banners fell to the ground, blood flowed for miles, and the entire army was annihilated. After this incident, the King of Chu summoned the wise man Feng Hu Zi and asked: "Why does the Tai'a sword possess such power?" Feng Hu Zi replied: "The Tai'a sword is a sword of might, but true power lies within. Your Majesty's unwavering courage in adversity is a remarkable manifestation of inner power. It is Your Majesty's inner power that unleashed the power of the Tai'a sword."