Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 182. Treasure?

182. Treasure?

"Why doesn’t the Princess Consort come over to take a look for herself?"

The burial chamber was silent. Ye Li glanced over the shoulder of the black-clothed man at Doctor Lin, who stood opposite her, looking visibly tense. After pondering for a moment, she suddenly chuckled, voluntarily lowered the dagger she held against the black-clothed man, and stepped back a few paces. Meeting Doctor Lin’s slightly surprised gaze, Ye Li said with a smile, "Just joking. We’re in the same boat now. If we keep arguing, it’s likely none of us will get out."

The black-clothed man straightened himself slightly, lowered his head, and chuckled, his voice low and resonant. "Everyone says Princess Consort Ding is exceptionally clever. I didn’t believe it at first, but now it seems the reputation is well-deserved. No wonder Prince Ding would... for the Princess Consort..."

Mentioning Mo Xiuyao, Ye Li’s heart tightened. She hadn’t heard news of him for far too long; thinking about his physical condition and the environment he was in, she couldn’t help but worry. But at this moment, she wouldn’t reveal a hint of her thoughts in front of this man, whose background was a complete mystery to her. She calmly watched the black-clothed man, who still had his back to her, and said indifferently, "It seems I do indeed know you. Since that’s the case, why not show your true face?"

The black-clothed man didn’t say much, simply turning around to face Ye Li.

According to Ye Li’s knowledge, Lin Yuan should be in his early thirties, but the man before her looked to be only twenty-six or twenty-seven. His black attire made him appear even thinner and more upright, while also lending his originally handsome face a colder, more sinister cast. A single glance from him was enough to make one feel uncomfortable, and Ye Li frowned slightly. Unconcerned by Ye Li’s expression, the man’s gaze traveled over her, lingering on her prominent belly before he chuckled. "I have met Princess Consort Ding."

Ye Li stared at him for a long while before slowly enunciating his name, "Tan. Ji. Zhi."

The black-clothed man looked at Ye Li, his initially sullen smile now touched with a hint of pleasure. "I didn’t expect the Princess Consort to remember such a minor figure as myself. It is indeed a great honor. My name is Tan Jizhi; you may also call me Lin Yuan."

Ye Li gave a light snort and said indifferently, "Lord Tan, this is hardly the time for reminiscing. If we don’t devise a plan soon... we might all be resting here permanently."

Unfazed by Ye Li’s obvious mockery, Tan Jizhi calmly replied, "The Princess Consort is right." With that, he turned to look at the increasingly dense black fog at the entrance. It was fortunate these things seemed to prefer clustering together rather than flying about individually; otherwise, their troubles would be even greater. Tan Jizhi turned back to Ye Li and asked, "Since the Princess Consort has some understanding of these things, do you know of a countermeasure?"

Ye Li, knowing this wasn’t the time to haggle, replied coolly, "These things turn into insects when heated and into jade when cooled. Lord Tan, surely I don’t need to say more?"

Tan Jizhi rubbed his chin and murmured, "Cold... I see. Please wait a moment, Princess Consort."

With that, Tan Jizhi once again leaped into the air, rushing towards the opposite side, clearly searching for something. His movement triggered a barrage of hidden weapons and arrows. Fortunately, Tan Jizhi seemed to know this burial chamber very well. Though somewhat flustered, he dodged with grace and wasn’t hurt. With a couple of leaps, he disappeared among the numerous chambers and piles of treasure.

Ye Li pulled Doctor Lin toward a more distant area. Doctor Lin glanced at her, then took the lead. The interior of the mausoleum wasn’t as safe as the passage they had just traversed; many traps and pitfalls weren’t apparent to the untrained eye.

Only when there was nowhere left to retreat did Doctor Lin stop and turn to Ye Li. "Are you the current Princess Consort Ding?"

Ye Li smiled apologetically. "Indeed. I hope you won’t blame me for the concealment. My surname is Ye, and my given name is Li."

Doctor Lin huffed. "I don’t care what your name is. How did you come to know Lin Yuan?"

Ye Li’s eyebrows rose slightly. "I’ve met Lord Tan before. He is an attendant in the Emperor of Great Chu’s imperial study, a true confidant. Speaking of which... the fact that I, his disciple, am here might also have something to do with Lord Tan."

Doctor Lin frowned, deep in thought, then asked, "Have the Emperor of Great Chu and Prince Ding’s Mansion had a falling out?"

Ye Li shrugged noncommittally. Even if they hadn’t officially fallen out, they were likely close to it. She wondered what role Tan Jizhi had played in all this. So many civil and military officials, nobles, and generals in the court had been fooled by him. There was no shortage of martial arts experts in the court, yet everyone seemed to regard him as a frail scholar. Even Mo Jing, a man of such deep suspicion, hadn’t doubted him in the slightest. It was clear this man’s methods were truly formidable.

Doctor Lin looked at Ye Li, somewhat puzzled. "If that’s the case, why don’t you seem worried about your own safety at all?"

Ye Li covered her lips with a smile. "Master, forgive my disrespectful words, but in this ancient tomb... Lord Tan might abandon you, but he won’t abandon me. If there’s even a sliver of hope, he’ll want to get me out of here alive." The value of a living Princess Consort Ding and the future heir was far greater than that of a corpse. A living her and child could be used by Tan Jizhi to threaten Mo Xiuyao and the Mo Family Army, or even to negotiate terms with Mo Xiuyao. But if they were merely corpses, Tan Jizhi probably wouldn’t dare present them to Mo Xiuyao, as that would only enrage him completely.

Doctor Lin lowered his head, tacitly agreeing. He had raised Lin Yuan for nearly twenty years and naturally understood his way of thinking. In Lin Yuan’s eyes, he, his foster father, was likely not as valuable as Ye Li, the exploitable Princess Consort Ding.

While the two were conversing, Tan Jizhi returned. His lightness skill was clearly exceptional; he remained unfazed despite dodging more than a dozen volleys of hidden weapons and arrows. Seeing Ye Li and Doctor Lin standing in the corner near the Shuiyin River, he no longer hesitated and rushed towards the black fog, which was rapidly engulfing the entrance.

"Huh? What’s that?" Ye Li looked towards the entrance, somewhat astonished. A thick layer of white ice crystals was encapsulating the black fog. The fog struggled fiercely, but Tan Jizhi continuously poured water from a pouch onto the ice. The white crystals grew thicker and thicker, gradually containing the black fog completely.

Doctor Lin’s expression turned grim. "Snow Jade Pearl," he said, his voice cold.

Ye Li looked confused. Thanks to the tutelage of Ms. Xu and the Xu Family in her youth, she had a decent foundation in appraising treasures and antiques, but she had never heard of a Snow Jade Pearl.

Doctor Lin stated coldly, "Its other name is Corpse-Preserving Pearl. Place it in a deceased person’s mouth, and their body will soon be encased in a layer of ice crystals, remaining uncorrupted for a hundred years. He disturbed the remains of the imperial consorts buried here."

Feeling somewhat uneasy, Ye Li rubbed her cheeks and offered Doctor Lin a placating smile. "Master, desperate times call for desperate measures..." This tomb was at least five hundred years old. Retrieving something from the mouth of a five-hundred-year-old corpse... Even Ye Li’s smile stiffened at the thought. Still, if it was the only way to resolve their current predicament, she could only silently apologize to the imperial consorts buried here. After all, no one knew what that dark, ominous mass would ultimately become. Judging by its continuous expansion, Ye Li had no doubt it could eventually corrode a large part of the burial chamber, including them, who couldn’t escape.

Seeing that the situation over there seemed mostly resolved, the two walked back. Tan Jizhi looked at them with a smile and said to Doctor Lin, "Father, all the mechanisms in this tomb have been activated. If we want to leave safely, we must completely solve the riddles and find the treasure left by our ancestors in this hall."

Doctor Lin retorted coldly, "Young Master, this old man is unworthy of being called ’father.’ I know nothing of riddles or treasures. Since the Young Master is the master of this imperial mausoleum, do as you please."

Tan Jizhi’s expression darkened slightly. "Father, why must you be difficult with me?" he said softly. "Haven’t I always acted according to the final wishes of our ancestors? It’s one thing if you don’t support me, but why must you obstruct me at every turn?"

Doctor Lin’s face contorted for a moment before he turned away, saying nothing more. Tan Jizhi didn’t seem to mind. He turned to Ye Li with a smile. "Princess Consort, this tomb is fraught with traps. Can I trust you not to cause any trouble?"

Ye Li gently caressed her abdomen, her smile warm. "Lord Tan, you can rest assured. Even if I don’t value my own life, I must consider the child within me."

Tan Jizhi nodded, satisfied. "Very good. I have no wish to harm the Princess Consort or the young heir, nor do I wish to become an enemy of His Highness Prince Ding."

Having received Ye Li’s assurance, Tan Jizhi no longer concerned himself with other matters and walked forward to examine the great doors before the hall. The earlier swarm of black insects had caused considerable damage to the white jade doors, which were now covered in black spots and pitted marks. Ye Li glanced at the spherical ice crystal that had rolled to one side; something black, like jade, was clearly visible within it. The puzzle on the door remained, and beneath the strange black jade layer was another layer of green jade. This time, Tan Jizhi had clearly learned from Doctor Lin’s earlier experience. He didn’t touch the surface of the green jade with his fingers but instead used a dagger to slowly move the character tiles. The eight-character puzzle wasn’t difficult and Tan Jizhi completed it in short order. With a CLICK, CLICK, the green jade split in half and fell to the ground, revealing a strange keyhole. The white jade door itself had no visible lock, only this round keyhole. Tan Jizhi turned back to Doctor Lin. "Father, please give me the key."

Doctor Lin, his expression calm and indifferent, replied, "There is no key."

Tan Jizhi frowned, displeasure evident on his sinister face. Of course, he didn’t believe Doctor Lin had no key. If one were to ask who, apart from himself, knew this mausoleum best, it was undoubtedly his foster father, who had raised him. After all, everything Tan Jizhi knew about it, he had learned bit by bit from Doctor Lin’s tales since childhood.

"Perhaps I can try?" Ye Li suddenly offered, seeing Tan Jizhi’s expression grow increasingly dark and sullen.

The two men, locked in their standoff, were both startled and turned to look at Ye Li. Tan Jizhi’s gaze held surprise and suspicion, while Doctor Lin’s showed confusion and concern. Ye Li walked forward, examined the keyhole on the door for a moment, and then chuckled softly to herself. Lock picking... another one of her former essential skills. And this particular one... Her curiosity about that Great Founding Emperor of the previous dynasty was suddenly piqued. Taking a plain copper hairpin from her hair, Ye Li began to pick the lock with a nonchalant air. The two men behind her watched the woman before them with rather peculiar expressions. It was one thing for Princess Consort Ding to be well-versed in literature and martial arts, but being skilled at lock picking was exceedingly strange. Watching her deft and practiced movements, Tan Jizhi felt that even the most notorious master thieves in the worldly society might not compare to the woman before him. He, at least, had meticulously studied numerous mechanisms and locks to enter this mausoleum, yet this particular one clearly perplexed him.

After about a quarter of an hour, a CLICK sounded from within. Ye Li withdrew the copper hairpin and stepped back.

The white jade doors ground and creaked then, after a moment, slowly slid apart under their combined gaze, revealing the very heart of the imperial mausoleum.

Inside was a magnificent hall, clearly built in imitation of the main audience hall of the palace of that era. Ever-burning lamps still flickered quietly within, and the grand, resplendent hall made one feel as if they were in a true imperial palace rather than a gloomy ancient tomb. Ye Li glanced around the hall but didn’t see the coffin of the Great Founding Emperor, which they had expected to find. Instead, on the imperial desk at the head of the hall, there was only a red sandalwood box. Directly in front of the desk hung a portrait of an emperor in dynastic robes—clearly the Great Founding Emperor of the previous dynasty. Tan Jizhi paused, then walked forward, knelt before the portrait, and kowtowed respectfully several times. Ye Li raised an eyebrow, glancing at Doctor Lin, who stood with a deeply furrowed brow, clearly having no intention of bowing to the emperor of a bygone dynasty.

After paying respects to his ancestor, Tan Jizhi stood up and said to Ye Li, "Princess Consort Ding, this is my ancestor, the Great Founding Emperor of the previous dynasty." His voice was filled with admiration and reverence for his forebear, along with a hint of boastfulness and pride as he addressed Ye Li.

She nodded obligingly and replied with a smile, "Congratulations. His reputation precedes him."

Tan Jizhi, seemingly unfazed by her perfunctory response, quickly ascended the steps to the raised platform of the hall. He stared intently at the red sandalwood box on the imperial desk, holding his breath in anticipation. Clearly, that was the treasure he had been so desperately seeking. Ye Li, too, regarded the red sandalwood box with interest. She was genuinely curious as to what kind of treasure could possibly be more valuable than the mountains of gold, silver, jewels, and ancient jade artifacts outside.

Tan Jizhi looked at her and chuckled. "Is the Princess Consort also interested? Perhaps you’d like to join me in unveiling the secret of this treasure together?"

Meeting Tan Jizhi’s seemingly magnanimous gaze, Ye Li curved her lips into a smile. "There’s no need, Lord Tan. Please, go ahead."

Her refusal caused him a flicker of disappointment, but the allure of the treasure before him made him decide to ignore this minor displeasure. He walked to the dragon throne behind the imperial desk and sat down, gazing down proprietorially at Ye Li and Doctor Lin below. Only then did he slowly reach out to open the box. Fortunately, this time, there were no troublesome mechanisms on the box, and Tan Jizhi opened it easily. Carefully, he lifted out an imperial jade seal. Ye Li’s eyebrows rose subtly. This should be the Imperial Heirloom Seal, said to have been made by the first emperor a thousand years ago. Inscribed upon it were the eight characters: "Having received the Mandate from Heaven, may he enjoy longevity and eternal prosperity." It was rumored that the Great Founding Emperor of the former dynasty had indeed obtained this seal, but no succeeding emperor had ever produced it. After the Great Ancestor Emperor of Great Chu ascended the throne, he had the old imperial palace turned upside down but still couldn’t find it. Consequently, historical records generally regarded the story of the Great Founding Emperor obtaining the Imperial Heirloom Seal as mere rumor, existing only in unofficial histories.

Tan Jizhi joyfully cradled the Imperial Heirloom Seal, his expression becoming almost trancelike, as if he could already command the world and unify the lands.

When he finally had his fill of reveling, he began to examine the jade seal in his hands more closely. Gradually... his expression started to stiffen, then slowly morphed into one of horror. "How... how can this be?!"

Ye Li, puzzled, watched him turn the seal over and over for a long moment. Finally, he leaped to his feet and, with a sweep of his arm, sent everything on the imperial desk crashing to the floor. Then, with no regard for its value, he threw the jade seal down as well. "How can this be?!"

Ye Li blinked, dodging the falling objects. She looked at the jade seal that had rolled to her feet. It was indeed a rare and fine piece of jade, carved with a coiling dragon and bearing the legendary eight characters. Its size and appearance matched the historical descriptions perfectly. But... why was there a large character for ’Imitation’ on its lower right corner?

Nearby, Doctor Lin picked up the red sandalwood box that Tan Jizhi had swept to the floor. Inside, there was a piece of silk. Ye Li glanced over and saw two lines of incredibly arrogant script: ’To any unfilial descendants who dare desecrate Our tomb: did you really think We would tell you where the true Imperial Heirloom Seal and treasure are?’ Below that were three even more outrageously arrogant characters: ’HA! HA! HA!’

Ye Li couldn’t stop her lips from twitching. If she still didn’t understand the kind of person this Great Founding Emperor was after seeing this, she’d have to quit the business of deduction. But... while others might screw over their fathers, this Great Founding Emperor certainly enjoyed screwing over his descendants.

Tan Jizhi, on the platform above, naturally saw the silk in Doctor Lin’s hand. He leaped down the steps and snatched it away. His subsequent expression, however, was one Ye Li found almost painful to watch. This hopeful descendant of the former imperial family had truly been royally duped by his ancestor.

The silk drifted from Tan Jizhi’s slackened grasp to the floor. Ye Li watched with a measure of helplessness as he staggered out, utterly dejected. She turned to Doctor Lin. "Master, will he be alright going out like this? His mental fortitude seems a bit lacking."

Doctor Lin heaved a long sigh and hurried after him. Ye Li bit her lip, then, with some effort, bent down to pick up the piece of silk. A faint smile touched her lips as she tucked it into her sleeve. Glancing back one last time at the portrait of the emperor in his dynastic robes on the hall wall, she turned and followed them out. If those two left without her, she wouldn’t be able to get out alone. However... if Tan Jizhi hadn’t been completely driven mad by his unreliable ancestor, he probably wouldn’t abandon her.