Under the firelight, a lifelike giant dragon was carved into the stone wall in the center of the stone chamber.
The dragon was poised to strike, its two claws embedded with rubies hanging low, and a night-blooming pearl the size of a soccer ball held in its mouth.
By the light of the night-blooming pearl and the torches, everyone saw a floor covered in… empty boxes?!
???
Stunned by the sight, everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
“My lord, what is going on? Did we come to the wrong place?”
Yan Tinghao shouted loudly while rummaging through the empty boxes one by one.
“Theoretically, this should be the place.”
Lin Qingge tilted her chin up, and everyone followed her gaze to see four characters inscribed in a flowing script above the giant dragon:
“The Treasure Is Here”
…
Looking at the flamboyant and nonsensical four characters, everyone fell silent in unison.
The most unable to accept it was Lin Yan, who firmly believed in the treasure and was determined to restore the former royal family.
“This is impossible! This must be a trap to conceal the real treasure!”
Lin Yan searched everywhere, unwilling to give up, trying to prove his guess.
“These wooden boxes are very old, and there are no signs of damage or prying inside or out. Furthermore, as we came along, we found no traces of heavy objects being dragged. Therefore, there are only two possibilities: either, as Lin Yan suggests, this treasure chamber is merely a diversion, and the real treasure is stored elsewhere. Or, this so-called former royal treasure is itself a colossal hoax. Although the reason is not entirely clear, I am more inclined towards the second option. After all, the last princess of the former dynasty married the founding emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty as his empress. If the founding emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty learned of the treasure from the princess, do you think he would leave behind such a hidden danger that could threaten his lineage?”
Lin Qingge certainly wouldn’t.
“Alas, I had planned to give the treasure I found to Mo’er as a congratulatory gift for becoming crown prince. And to gain an advantage over Lin Moyuan, that cheap father of his. It’s a pity it’s all ruined now.”
Lin Qingge muttered softly, then couldn’t help but try to persuade Lin Yan, who was still searching frantically.
“That position carries too much, and it’s not easy to hold. Even if you succeed in taking it, can you guarantee that you will do better than the current emperor and won’t be overthrown by someone else? As the saying goes, ‘Put down the butcher’s knife and become a Buddha instantly.’ If you pull back from the brink now, there’s still room for negotiation.”
It wasn’t that Lin Qingge was being overly compassionate, but Lin Yan’s actions could easily implicate Dali Village. As for the so-called negotiation, it meant allowing him to choose how he wanted to die. After all, no matter how much the King of Wucheng caused trouble, he was still a Xia. But Lin Yan was a Lin, a Lin of the former dynasty.
Lin Yan, who understood the implications, finally stopped his actions and looked at her with a sorrowful expression.
“Qingge, have you also chosen to stand with the Great Xia Imperial family?”
“It’s not a choice. Under heaven, all lands belong to the king. I am a subject of Great Xia first, and Lin Qingge of Dali Village second.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Yan suddenly laughed.
“As expected of siblings, he said the same thing. He said he was Lin Jingxing of Great Xia, Lin Jingxing of Dali Village, but not Lin Jingxing of the former royal family. He also warned me not to target you, saying that if I insisted on my path, I would ultimately harm both myself and others. I suppose he foresaw today’s outcome.”
By the end, Lin Yan’s lips curled into a bitter arc.
The most crucial element in seizing power was military strength. As early as when he assisted the Fourth Prince and the King of Wucheng, he had deployed his two biggest trump cards. However, due to the interference of the person before him, the Xiao Family Army and the Zhennan Prince’s Mansion, who strongly supported the new emperor, not only remained unharmed but also grew stronger after incorporating the King of Wucheng’s Northeastern Great Camp. He had originally planned to make a final gamble with the former dynasty’s treasure, but who would have thought the boxes were empty! Is there no other way but mutual destruction…
At this moment, Lu Mingxuan suddenly exclaimed, “My lord, quickly come and see, I’ve found something!”
Lin Qingge hurried over and saw Wu Suowei and Lu Mingxuan squatting by the base of the giant dragon mural.
“My lord, I am definitely not trying to keep the rubies embedded in the dragon’s claws for myself. I just felt that this dragon might be peculiar, so I came to investigate!”
“My lord, the dragon’s claws are indeed peculiar. I originally intended to offer this ruby to you, my lord, but it turns out that the ruby itself is a mechanism.”
Unlike Wu Suowei’s almost self-deceptive explanation, Lu Mingxuan’s sincere words brought the art of language to life. However, Lin Qingge glared at these two utterly useless individuals with annoyance. She wasn’t blind; how could she not have noticed something strange about the dragon with the inscription “The Treasure Is Here” on its head? But to make Lin Yan give up completely, she had remained silent. Who knew these two with a history would covet the rubies on the dragon’s claws? If not for the peculiarity of the rubies, these two might have also pocketed the night-blooming pearl in the dragon’s mouth. That would be a serious offense!
“This treasure chamber is indeed fake!”
On the other side, Lin Yan rushed over with ecstatic joy, his previously gentle and refined demeanor completely gone.
“Master, be careful!”
Liu Chenfei quickly stepped forward to protect him. Given the circumstances, he had to be cautious, fearing any accident might befall his somewhat unstable master. He guided Lin Yan to the side and carefully pressed the ruby with his dagger. A ‘click’ of gears turning followed. However, this time, no arrows shot out, nor did a wall suddenly open. Instead, the ground tile directly below the giant dragon sank, and a box could be faintly seen lying within.
Lin Yan hurried over and opened the box, only to find a piece of fabric of unknown material inside, with what appeared to be writing on it. Lin Yan unfolded the cloth and quickly scanned it, then suddenly burst into mad laughter.
“Hahaha, hahaha, well said, ‘All things in the world flow like water since ancient times’!”
With that, Lin Yan ran out as if driven mad, laughing. As the saying goes, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Perhaps it was the immense gap and blow from a gamble fueled by decades, or even generations, of effort and ambition, which ultimately shattered the mindset of a superior. Out of curiosity, Lin Qingge picked up the piece of cloth Lin Yan dropped and glanced at it, a look of understanding flashing in her eyes.