General of the Heavens

Chapter 99 Empress Dowager Xiao [Seeking Recommendations]

How did you know?

Hu Bayi's lips twitched. "How was I supposed to know? I was just guessing. Little did I know that my words would come true. It really was Ning Chen's archaeological research institute."

"Fatty, don't bother, we're late!" Hu Ba said to Fatty Wang with a mournful expression. Fatty Wang's body trembled and then he lost all his energy.

"Old Hu, why is this guy so persistent? He follows us wherever we go. Isn't he deliberately blocking our path to wealth?" Fatty Wang said angrily.

"It's no use saying anything now, Fatty. We need to speed things up. Do you remember, Director Ning said he wanted to discuss the situation of a Liao-Jin ancient tomb with Professor Chen?"

"I vaguely remember, what's up?"

Hu Bayi said worriedly, "Because the ancient tombs on Niuxin Mountain date back to the Liao and Jin dynasties. What do you think he's here for?"

"Archaeological excavation? Holy crap, this is too unlucky. Old Hu, let's get started tomorrow, to avoid any unforeseen complications..."

Wang Pangzi started to stutter as he spoke, and Hu Bayi was puzzled. However, when he followed Wang Pangzi's gaze, he was completely taken aback.

"Director Ning... what brings you here?"

A young man walked straight up to the two of them. He was dashing and imposing, and it was none other than Director Ning Chen.

There was another person on either side of Ning Chen, one with gray and sparse hair, and the other with a full head of black hair and wearing glasses.

"Hu Bayi, Wang Kaixuan? What are you doing here?" Ning Chen asked, pretending to know nothing.

"We...that..."

Hu Bayi retorted to the stammering Fatty Wang: "Chief, didn't we tell you we just came back to visit the old Party Secretary?"

"Ah, right! It's for the old Party Secretary."

Fatty Wang clenched his fists and tried to appear calm as he said, Ning Chen nodded, "I didn't expect your old Party Secretary to live here, what a coincidence."

"Hehe, what a coincidence," Fatty Wang said with a forced smile.

"Director, why did you suddenly travel all this way? Is there some big plan in mind?" Hu Bayi asked indirectly.

"Let's talk about this later, County Chief Li, why don't you explain it to me?" Ning Chen interrupted Hu Bayi and said.

To Ning Chen's right, a bespectacled man with jet-black hair stepped forward and said in a loud voice, "Fellow villagers, I am Li He, the county magistrate of our county."

The man next to me, as you've probably heard of, is Director Ning from the Archaeological Institute in Beijing. He has something important to tell you all today, and he hopes you'll cooperate.

After Li He finished speaking, he stepped forward and Ning Chen stepped forward. Ning Chen calmly walked up, looked around, and then said, "I am Ning Chen!"

I have some good news to share! The recent earthquake cracked Niuxin Mountain in Lama Valley, and inside there's a massive tomb that looks like a palace!

As soon as Ning Chen finished speaking, Fatty Wang and Hu Bayi felt their vision go black and almost fainted from anger. This was just too ridiculously coincidental...

"Old Hu, I don't want to live anymore, sob sob~"

Hu Bayi comforted Wang Pangzi, "Don't think about it. Ancient tombs aren't only found in Niuxin Mountain. We can always go somewhere else."

Ning Chen continued speaking on stage.

"Through the hard work of archaeological researchers, we have confirmed that this is the tomb of Empress Xiao of the Liao Dynasty, and our archaeological institute is now conducting the excavation."

However, because we don't have enough manpower, we need the help of our fellow villagers. We hope that the young and able-bodied people in the village can help with the work.

As soon as he finished speaking, the villagers were in an uproar. What business was it of theirs to build a tomb on Niuxin Mountain? Why should the laborers have to do the work?

Wang Pangzi and Hu Bayi both thought he was a ruthless man who wouldn't share the good stuff he dug up with everyone, and instead made them do the work.

That's wishful thinking!

"Here's the thing, the research institute can't let everyone down. Now I'm telling you, those who go to work will be provided with food and drink and will receive three yuan a day!"

Everyone, please sign up enthusiastically!

Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang: "..."

This is a really dirty trick. Ning Chen knows the villagers are poor, yet he still tries to fool them with such a small amount of money. Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang are both angry and anxious.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot about you two, Hu Bayi and Wang Kaixuan. Since you're here, get to work, but you won't get paid."

"You...you...are so good, Director Ning!"

Fatty Wang instinctively wanted to curse a couple of times to vent his anger, but he quickly changed his mind, joking that Ning Chen was not someone to be trifled with.

"Director Ning, so Fatty and Old Hu both work at your research institute?" Yanzi had never seen the audacious Fatty Wang and Hu Bayi so afraid of anyone before.

Ning Chen nodded: "That's right, they are both from our institute. They originally asked me for leave to go back and visit the old Party Secretary."

"Oh, I see. Director Ning, is your research institute short of staff? We have many fine young men in our village."

Ning Chen said, "We are short of people, but there are certain conditions for getting in. At the very least, you have to be a college student to get into the research institute."

"So they're college students too?"

Ning Chen shook his head: "They are different. They are exceptional talents, extremely rare. So, if any of you have children in the village, please make sure they receive a good education. They will definitely amount to something in the future..."

"Reading? What a load of rubbish..."

Seeing Ning Chen chatting and laughing with the villagers, Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang seemed to have the illusion that Ning Chen was actually a pretty good person...

Half a day later, Ning Chen, along with Fatty Wang and Hu Bayi, headed to the tomb of Empress Xiao of the Liao Dynasty at Niuxin Mountain. In fact, Niuxin Mountain had been opened up by an earthquake and had already been visited by many tomb raiders.

Ning Chen is in trouble again this time. There's basically no hope of getting any burial goods. Niu Xinshan was so shaken that it cracked open, and even the coffin was exposed.

It's practically handing over their heads to the tomb raiders.

"Well, you two have some experience now. With tomb raiding rampant these days, there's very little we can do. We still have to keep working hard."

As Ning Chen spoke, he patted the two men on the shoulders. Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang felt a heavy weight on their shoulders, but this time Ning Chen didn't use much force...

The archaeological excavation work was proceeding in an orderly manner. Ning Chen only went to the main tomb chamber to take a look and check in, thus increasing his task completion rate.

However, to Ning Chen's surprise, although the tomb had been robbed, he still found a good thing in it - the gold filigree inlaid four-phoenix patterned burial shroud worn by Empress Xiao!

Ning Chen remembered that the most expensive burial garment in the main world was the jade burial suit unearthed from the Han Dynasty, which was worth 24 billion.

Empress Xiao's burial garment surpassed this figure, estimated by experts in the main world to be around 34 billion. This burial garment, inlaid with gold filigree and featuring four phoenix patterns, consisted of a back panel measuring 60 cm long, 51 cm wide, and 39 cm wide at the shoulders; two front panels, each 27.5 cm long and 25.5 cm wide, with an upper neck 9 cm wide; and two short sleeves measuring 21 cm long and 15 cm wide, all sewn and welded together with gold thread.

The burial garment employed many techniques that have long been lost. For example, the two golden phoenixes flying and dancing on the front were woven using a lost technique similar to tapestry and embroidery.

The most distinctive feature of this long-lost weaving method is that it allows any loose threads that are invisible to the naked eye to be hidden using special techniques.

Moreover, although the material of this garment is gold thread, the gaps are even and the arrangement is extremely exquisite and tight, making its craftsmanship unparalleled in the world!

Interestingly, the reason the tomb raiders didn't take the burial shroud was because they considered it unlucky...

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(End of this chapter)