Chapter 2361: Chapter 2264: Three Great Tombs

The Oil Rat was initially indeed hesitating. After all, this item was passed down from his ancestors, and their teachings were still echoing in his ears. For many years, he had strictly adhered to these teachings, not daring to tread over the line, lest he face his ancestors with shame when he passes into the underworld.

But ultimately, people are afraid of death and cling to life. A bad life is better than a good death. Who would choose to spend even a year less in prison willingly sitting behind cold iron bars?

So when he heard Huang Zhenlong say "we can pardon the crime this time," he suddenly lifted his head, his eyes glowing with surprise and hope:

"Mr. Huang, are... are you serious?"

Huang Zhenlong was speaking off the cuff. Who would have thought that the Oil Rat would take it so seriously, prompting him to pursue with such earnestness, making Huang Zhenlong feel a bit embarrassed and guilty, awkwardly saying: "Uh... yes, it should be possible."

The Oil Rat was initially full of expectation, but seeing Huang Zhenlong’s reaction, he immediately realized that it might just be pie-in-the-sky from Huang Zhenlong. Seeing Huang’s perfunctory attitude, his initial excitement felt as if it had been drenched in cold water, causing his spirits to plummet, his complexion to turn dull, and his entire demeanor to droop, looking very dispirited.

But unexpectedly, at this moment, Zhou Shitao, who initially didn’t quite agree with Huang Zhenlong’s comments, suddenly spoke up:

"What he said is not impossible. As long as the booklet you bring forth carries enough weight, enough value for us to pardon your crime, then we can mediate once for you, making regaining your freedom not a difficult matter."

The Oil Rat, though a grave plunderer, was by no means ignorant of affairs in the antique world. Over the years, through buying and selling antiques, he had learned quite a bit, especially regarding influential figures like Zhou Shitao Huang Zhenlong, with whom he was quite familiar.

If anyone else were to mention pardoning a crime, he might laugh it off, not taking it to heart. But if Zhou Shitao says such a thing, then it is different.

Huang Zhenlong is just the director of the Forbidden City, without much real power. But Zhou Shitao differs. He is not only a leading figure in the antique world but also holds quite a high status in military, governmental, and police circles. His words carry enough weight seen in the fact that he can, with just a phone call, get someone pulled out of the police station, escorted personally by a criminal police officer.

When such a person speaks, it reassures him deeply. The Oil Rat naturally regards it seriously, no longer putting on airs, nods, and earnestly stares at Zhou Shitao, saying:

"There are only three left; one is the Yecheng tomb of Duke Cao, another is Emperor Qin’s mausoleum. The last one, I’m not sure; however, I speculate it might be from the Xia Dynasty—but I’m not certain."

The Oil Rat’s words, though spoken lightly, sounded like depth charges to the others’ ears, getting deeper and louder with each blast, bewildering those present.

Almost all the professors looked over at him, their eyes wide like bulls’ bells, exchanging confused glances with each other, as if wondering whether they had misheard, suffering from auditory hallucinations.

Su Qingqing even leapt up exaggeratedly from her seat, her mouth hanging wide open, staring at the Oil Rat in shock.

Even Huo Sining was greatly surprised, thinking the Oil Rat might be joking.

Could these three tombs really be in that booklet? Isn’t it nonsense?

Ordinary people might not understand the significance these three ancient tombs have in the archaeological world. However, Huo Sining and the others are well aware that identifying any of them as genuine and finding their locations would undoubtedly cause a seismic upheaval in archaeology no less than a magnitude ten earthquake.

Who is Duke Cao? It’s Cao Cao, the patriarch of the tomb robbing faction.

Since ancient times in Huaxia Country, there has been a tradition of rest in peace for the dead. Hence, almost every emperor would have countless treasures buried with them upon interment, which fueled the tomb robbing industry.

In the tomb-robbing trade, there’s a saying: Chinese emperors’ ancient tombs, nine out of ten are plundered, showcasing the rampant robbers.

And the founding figure of this scenario is none other than Cao Cao.

Historical records note that when Cao Cao led the Wei Army back in the day, due to insufficient military funding, he specifically set up ranks like Colonel of Touching Gold, focusing purely on tomb robbing to finance military needs.

Among them, Colonel of Touching Gold typically relied on geomancy and meteorology, using "The Book of Changes" as a foundation to pinpoint tomb locations.

In simpler terms, both these ranks were like heads of a national tomb-robbing office, legal certified organizations.

Of course, this isn’t the point. The point is, after robbing countless tombs, Cao Cao summarized from blood-soaked experiences and lessons that excavating others’ burial sites was possible, but upon death, his own grave must never be disturbed.

Thus, he cleverly employed the "Seventy-Two Suspicious Tombs" as a posthumous burial strategy—his peculiar practice—and instructed his son to dress him in casual clothing, bury him on a plateau without closing the grave, planting trees, or building a mound. The funeral ceremony was simple, and additionally, seventy-two fake tombs were created to confuse people, leaving later generations clueless and unable to locate Cao Cao’s grave, rendering it a global mystery.

Certainly, if Cao Cao’s tomb isn’t considered, the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is absolutely an epic burial indeed.

How many treasures lie sealed within the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang? What is the layout of the underground palace? Are there anti-theft mechanisms inside? How deep is the subterranean palace? Did the emperor use a bronze coffin or a stone coffin? Are Qin Shi Huang’s remains intact? These questions have long puzzled countless scholars and experts.

The mysterious Qin’s Underground Palace, in Sima Qian’s writings, is left with extremely brief yet exceedingly thought-provoking accounts:

Crossed three springs, laid copper to construct the coffin. Full of palatial views, officials, and rare artifacts stored in abundance. Ordered craftsmen to make mechanical crossbow arrows to shoot any intruder. Used mercury as rivers, seas, and oceans, driving them with mechanisms, adorned above with celestial bodies, below with geographical features. Lit with eternal mermaid cream candles.

Though merely tens of words, it depicts a world below full of wondrous mystery—a deep labyrinth teeming with enigmas that, through the ages, has fueled the imagination and speculation of countless men of letters.

Just because of this short depiction by Sima Qian, archaeological experts used it as a clue, striving to find traces to unravel the mystery of the Qin’s Underground Palace.

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