Chapter 304 National Treasure of Dali Kingdom!

Chapter 304 National Treasure of Dali Kingdom!

Chapter 304 National Treasure of Dali Kingdom!
The next day, hurried footsteps were heard at the front scout's central army tent.

Lu Yunyi, who was originally thinking about water warfare tactics with his head down, raised his head and looked over.

Soon, Liu Heiying's tall and burly figure appeared at the entrance of the military tent.
There was some surprise and some weirdness on his face.
The two looked at each other, Liu Heiying quickened his pace and came to the desk.
He poked his head over and said mysteriously:
"Brother Yun'er, the treasure hidden by the Baiyan Chamber of Commerce has been found. Do you want to come and see it?"

Lu Yunyi showed some suspicion and looked him up and down:

"What happened?"

“No, no, it’s too much.”

Liu Heiying shook his head like a rattle.

"Too many?" Lu Yunyi looked strange: "How many are there?"

"The silver and gold alone are estimated to be more than 200,000 taels.
There are also several boxes of gold and silver jewelry, some land deeds, and some antiques, calligraphy and paintings."

"so much?"

Lu Yunyi's eyes widened slightly, and he became interested.

"Go and have a look."

Soon, Lu Yunyi and Liu Heiying rode on their war horses.
We came to Dongxin Street, the busiest street in Yunlongzhou, where there are shops everywhere.
Baiyan Trading Company is located in the best location on Dongxin Street, at the street level.

At this time, the Baiyan Chamber of Commerce had been surrounded by more than a hundred soldiers in armor.

The surrounding people and merchants were not allowed to get close and could only watch from a distance.

Coming here, Lu Yunyi looked around and couldn't help but look strange.

His eyes lingered for a long time on the building of Baiyan Trading Company, which stood out from the crowd.

Most of the shops and buildings around here are two-story and antique.
However, Baiyan Commercial Bank has three floors, and the decoration of each floor is obviously divided.
The first floor is decorated with the characteristics of Yunnan Provincial Administration.
The second floor has some decorations similar to those in Jiangnan water towns.

The third layer is the decoration of the ancient Yuan Dynasty.
It looks like a giant patchwork cake, neither fish nor fowl.

Lu Yunyi followed Liu Heiying into the inner room, which was no different from an ordinary business.

Outside is a wooden cabinet where goods are placed, and inside is the accounting desk where the shopkeeper sits.

It passed the outer room, the small courtyard, and finally stopped in front of a dark cave entrance in the inner room.

"Brother Yun'er, Shi Wenguang is extremely timid.
The entrance is here, but the treasure is hidden in the adjacent house.
And that house was blocked by Baiyan Commercial Bank and the buildings on both sides, so it couldn't be seen at all."

Lu Yunyi sneered and shook his head slowly.

People who do such things are always cautious and go to great lengths to hide their money.

"Let's go in and have a look."

Liu Heiying nodded and walked in first, followed by Lu Yunyi.
After entering, Lu Yunyi had a preliminary understanding of Shi Wenguang's financial resources.
The underground secret passage is as beautifully built as a tomb corridor.
There are exquisite patterns carved on it, and the bases for placing candles on the stone wall have some historical background, and they look like Buddhist items.

In less than half a cup of tea, Lu Yunyi saw the light coming from the exit in front.
When he walked out, his face looked even weirder.
This is a small yard.

A house stood there alone.
The strange thing is that the walls on all four sides are extremely high, all black, and there is no gate.

Here, there are already trusted soldiers stationed,
Lu Yunyi was very familiar with their appearance.
They were all people who grew up together in Gyeongju, and there were also some local soldiers from the Gyeongju rear guard.

When they saw him coming, everyone present smiled and called him "Sir".

When Lu Yunyi saw them, he was in a very good mood and nodded continuously.

Entering the house, it is no different from an ordinary wealthy family's house.
Full of antique charm, wooden tables, chairs and benches are placed randomly.

The difference is that the walls are hung with densely packed ancient paintings, closely connected.

The space where the bed was placed had become a large box. Now, all of them had been opened.

The densely packed silver ingots were revealed, neatly arranged there.

The smell of money almost overwhelmed him.

Next to the bed, there were two golden boxes on the tea table.

Not only are there gold ingots inside, but the box is also coated with a layer of gold paint.

The original dressing table was also a large box.
The items displayed inside are gold, silver and jewelry, which are neatly and orderly classified.

Necklaces, earrings, bracelets, etc.
The glitter of jewels almost dimmed the sun outside.

Lu Yunyi frowned slightly and looked at the small mahogany box on the table, which contained a lot of land deeds.

Looking around, you can see a thick stack.

After seeing all this,

He also understood why Liu Heiying looked strange. He was too rich.

When the Northern Yuan Dynasty broke through the Kharajhang camp,

Lu Yunyi had seen the treasures in Harazhang, which were probably ten times more than here.
But Ha La Zhang was the Grand Commandant, with a camp of more than 100,000 men and horses.

And this Baiyan Trading Company has only a few hundred people, how can it have such wealth?

"Where did he get all this money?" Lu Yunyi looked at Liu Heying and couldn't help asking.

Hearing this question, Liu Heiying kept scratching his head, moved closer, and whispered:

"This Shi Wenguang eats black and eats black, eating both ends."

"How do you eat both?"

Liu Heiying organized his words in his mind and said in a deep voice:

"Those children in the Fishing Department, although most people don't know they have a son,
But some people still know,

The expenses of the children in the fishing club were all paid by their fathers.

They are either rich or noble, and very generous.
The least is a hundred taels of silver per month, and the most is perhaps a thousand taels.

I also give it some money and other things from time to time, just like I am keeping it there."

Lu Yunyi frowned: "Did he withhold the money?"

Liu Heiying widened his eyes and nodded repeatedly, then shook his head:
"It's not just that they've been seized. Not only do the Yuyu Department have to raise those children,

Every once in a while, we would buy some good things from Dali Prefecture for the children.

Shi Wenguang's bids were more than ten times each time.
After deducting the money, he would find the fathers of those children and ask them to pay for the purchase of supplies.

In short, this Shi Wenguang has a clever name, a good way to make money, and he gets the best of both worlds.

This is how he accumulated such a fortune in just a few years.

This guy is a little weird.

When I interrogated him before, I asked him why he didn't run away, since with so much money he would be rich wherever he went.

Brother Yun'er, guess why he did that?"

Lu Yunyi rolled his eyes: "Stop talking nonsense and speak quickly."

"He has many women, but no children, except the one in the Fishing Department.
The Fishing Department would not let him take the child away;

That’s when he decided to cheat and take revenge on the Youyu tribe and the father of those children.”

When Liu Heiying said this, his facial features twisted together.
He even suspected that Shi Wenguang had hysteria and had some brain problems.

Lu Yunyi noticed something and frowned slightly:

“Are there many people like him on those lists?

What I mean is that when Shi Wenguang was selecting people for the Yuyu Department,
The Fishing Department is also selecting people through Shi Wenguang.

The main people chosen are the rich and powerful who have no offspring, so that they can be controlled more easily in the future."

Liu Heiying also looked thoughtful and realized this possibility.

"How about checking it out?"

Lu Yunyi burst into laughter and shook his head slowly.
There are so many people on the list that only the imperial court can check them all at the same time.

Besides, the document had already been handed over to Mu Ying, Marquis of Xiping, and he had no intention of interfering in its subsequent handling.

"Forget it, it's over. Don't cause trouble for yourself."

Lu Yunyi immediately looked at the treasures and ordered:

"Take everything back and divide it into two.
Half will be given to the Marquis of Xiping's mansion, and the other half will be used as military funds. Please remind me during the New Year and give rewards to my brothers."

When he heard about the reward, Liu Heiying smiled:
"I understand, Brother Yun'er."

"Oh, by the way, keep a few sets of valuable gold and silver jewelry.

There are so many women in the family, and you and I are away on a campaign, so we must always leave some gifts for them.

I also left some of my paintings and calligraphy to be given to my father and my uncle."

Liu Heiying lowered his voice:
"Brother Yun'er, Chen Jingyi and Wu Fuliu's wives are still in Qingzhou. Do you want to leave a set for them as well?"

"That's natural."

After speaking, Lu Yunyi thought for a moment and said decisively:
"Forget it, I won't divide the gold and silver jewelry. Leave them all to the quartermaster for distribution.
Everyone who marries has a share, and if there is not enough, they can use money to buy it."

"What about those who are not married?"

Lu Yunyi thought about it and curled his lips:
"You want to wear jewelry even before you get married? That's wishful thinking.

Of course not. I received a lot of bonuses this year, which was enough for me to marry and have children.
But these little kids always think about fighting more wars and saving more money so that they can have a grand celebration.

But war is a merciless affair, and you never know when you might be defeated and a large number of people would die. By then it would be too late.

Let them go back early to get married and have children, which can be regarded as an explanation to their parents and fellow villagers.
Otherwise, if the person came out with us safely, and we returned with only a small box of ashes, I would feel guilty.”

Liu Heiying was shocked by this and quickly tried to make amends:

"Bah, bah, bah, brother Yun'er, please stop talking nonsense. The brothers don't believe that we will lose."

"Whether we lose or not is a matter for the future. When the war is over, I will happily marry and have children.
At that time, they can fight however they want and no one will care about them.

By the way, when they got married, they took out some money from the army.
Buying them some items and jewelry can be considered as a gift from the front-line scouts."

As Lu Yunyi looked around the room, he spoke, and the soldiers standing around him all smiled.

"Ok?"

Lu Yunyi paused and looked at the huge painting in the center, his face thoughtful.
The huge painting in front of me slowly spreads from the center of the room to the left and right sides.

Until it disappeared behind the layers of stacked and staggered ancient paintings, as if gently covered by a carefully arranged curtain.

When Lu Yunyi slowly turned his head, trying to find the end of the giant painting,
But soon, an expression of shock that was difficult to conceal appeared on his face.

As his eyes moved, the huge painting had enveloped the entire room, making him feel like he was inside the painting.

Lu Yunyi looked at the exposed part and couldn't help but frown.

“This is this, this is this?”

Lu Yunyi's eyes widened little by little, with a look of disbelief in his eyes.

Liu Heiying, who was standing by, also noticed something on the wall and looked surprised. Such a big painting?

But then, he heard Brother Yun'er's hurried voice.
"Someone, take down these paintings. Be careful not to damage the wall behind!"

As soon as these words came out, ten soldiers who had been waiting on the side came forward.
He stepped on boxes, tables, chairs and benches to take down the famous paintings.

When you see what is hidden behind these famous paintings,
Almost everyone gasped and their breathing became rapid.

I saw a huge scroll tightly surrounding the house.
The characters are vivid, the lines are smooth, and the architecture is extremely exquisite.
What is important is that what is painted on it is Buddhist.

In the painting, Lizhen Emperor Duan Zhixing is worshipping Buddha devoutly.

Surrounded by hundreds of Buddhist figures including Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Buddha Mothers, Heavenly Kings, and Dharma Protectors,
They are in various shapes and lifelike, as if they are performing a solemn and sacred ceremony.

The Sanskrit multi-heart and national treasure banner in the painting shine brightly, revealing a sacred atmosphere.

Lu Yunyi's gaze shuttled through the painting, and ecstasy flashed in his eyes.

He saw the pictures of the Sixteen Kings and the Sixteen Arhats, and these images instantly awakened his memory.

The Sixteen Arhats come from the "Record of the Dharma Teachings of the Great Arhat Nandimitra" translated by Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty.

After the text was translated, the Sixteen Arhats became popular in the middle and late Tang Dynasty, and in the Five Dynasties and Song Dynasty it developed into the worship of the Eighteen Arhats.

However, because Dali is located in a border area and is very close to the birthplace of Buddhism, the saying of the Sixteen Arhats has been maintained.

This was still the case even during the Ming Dynasty.

At this moment, Lu Yunyi can already be sure that
This painting is the "Dali Kingdom Buddhist Image Scroll", which is as famous as "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" and is praised as one of the two best in the north and south.

It was painted by Zhang Shengwen, a painter from Dali Kingdom in the Southern Song Dynasty, under the order of Duan Zhixing, the emperor of Dali Kingdom, and was completed before the fifth year of Shengde!
"Why is it here?"

Lu Yunyi couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise, causing the people around him to look at each other in confusion, not knowing what had happened.

Lu Yunyi looked at the treasures in the room. Even if all the treasures were added together, they would not be as much as the "Sanskrit Image Scroll of the Dali Kingdom".

"Brother Yun'er, what is this?"

Liu Heiying looked at Lu Yunyi with a puzzled look on his face. In his impression,
Even during the Northern Yuan Dynasty, when he annihilated 20,000 enemies, he did not behave in such a way.

"This is the most important treasure of the Dali Kingdom. It's actually here."

Liu Heiying had a strange look on his face, and many soldiers present were confused.

Lu Yunyi stepped forward and pulled out a dagger from his right leg.

Carefully pry open the corners and take a closer look.
When this process is very easy and there is no feeling of hindrance,

It was not until this moment that Lu Yunyi breathed a sigh of relief.

He was really afraid that Shi Wenguang would not recognize the value of the painting and would glue it to the wall.

If that was the case, he would really cut Shi Wenguang into pieces.

"Quick, quick, go to the camp and gather a hundred crossbowmen!"

Lu Yunyi's somewhat hurried voice sounded,
Even though Liu Hei Ying didn't quite understand, he quickly gave the order.
After the soldiers ran out, he asked in confusion:
"Brother Yun'er, why are you sending in the archers?"

“They have a steady hand.”

Liu Heiying's body trembled and there was a bit of unnatural expression on his face.

Lu Yunyi almost put his face against the painting and read it bit by bit.

It is worthy of being as famous as the Qingming Shanghe Tu.
There are many figures on it, especially some Buddhist rituals and the clothes they wear, as well as the decorations of various halls.
These items, placed in Tianjie Temple, are the treasures of the temple.

"Brother Yun'er, what should we do with this thing?"

Liu Heiying felt a little worried for no reason.
Since this item is so valuable, keeping it in your hands will sooner or later cause trouble and make people covet it for no reason.

If someone were to investigate secretly, wouldn't the secrets of the Youyu Tribe be revealed?
Lu Yunyi turned his head and looked at Liu Heiying:
"What do you think should be done?"

Liu Heiying's eyes rolled around and he asked tentatively:

"How about not using it as a betrothal gift? I just don't know if Brother Yun'er is willing to give it up."

"We both thought alike. The Dali Kingdom is now the Yunnan Provincial Administration Office.
Things from Dali are things from Yunnan.
The Dali Kingdom Buddhist Image Scroll remains in Yunnan, which is its original destination.
If we take it away, there’s no telling where it will end up.”

Lu Yunyi laughed as he spoke.
He looked at Liu Heiying and patted him on the shoulder:

"This treasure is a unique gift, and it can be regarded as a way to repay Lord Mu for his protection."

"How much is this worth?" Liu Heiying asked secretly.

"It's a priceless treasure. Even a million taels of silver cannot buy it."

Liu Heiying's breathing suddenly became rapid, and his small eyes became round!

Soon, more than a hundred soldiers wearing armor and holding bows and crossbows came rushing in with murderous intent.

Suddenly, the originally small courtyard became crowded.

Lu Yunyi waved towards them:

"Come, come, be steady, and take this painting down intact without any damage.
Remember, even if it is the slightest damage, you should put your utmost energy into this matter!"

As evening approached, Lu Yunyi led his soldiers back to the front scout camp.

He looked very satisfied at the moment, holding a heavy scroll in his hand.
Even through the bamboo tube, one can still feel the fragrance of calligraphy and the Buddhist connotations.

Liu Heiying followed him to the military tent and asked as he walked:

"Brother Yun'er, now that you have the painting, are you still going to give me the money?"

"Of course I will. I've already given you such a valuable painting, so what else do I need?

Be generous in doing things, and don't lose the big picture for the small.

Each soldier who followed me today was given ten taels of silver. Since they have ruined our brothers' rest, we must give them some compensation."

Liu Heiying looked at Brother Yun'er who was somewhat excited, and couldn't help curling his lips and muttering:

"Ten taels of silver a day, and you can work all year without a break."

"what?"

Lu Yunyi carefully placed the scroll flat on the table.
Use some books to block it and prevent it from rolling.

"Nothing, Brother Yun'er, we can leave anytime. The food and military supplies are ready, and we can set off right away."

"I will leave early tomorrow morning and get to Kunming Prefecture earlier so that I can send the letter home earlier.

This should also be communicated to the soldiers. If there are any letters from home, please send them along as well to save trouble."

"Don't worry, Brother Yun'er, everything has been arranged."

"Ah."

After saying this, Lu Yunyi nodded, with excitement still on his face, and looked at the bamboo tube back and forth.

After a while, he raised his head.
Seeing Liu Heiying standing there hesitantly, he couldn't help but look puzzled:
"Why don't you leave?"

Liu Heiying suddenly felt a little embarrassed, trotted closer, and whispered:
"Brother Yun'er, now that we have such a treasure, how about we go out and have some fun tonight?
I heard that the Qingyou Tower in Yunlongzhou is full of beautiful girls."

"You go if you want to. I don't have the time."

"Got it!"

Liu Heiying was overjoyed.
Without waiting for Lu Yunyi to speak, he ran out like the wind and disappeared without a trace.

Leaving Lu Yunyi stunned in the spot, thinking that Liu Heiying was at the age of strong blood,
He shook his head, smiled, and let him go.

Then he sat down at the table and carefully opened the bamboo tube.

He took out the "Sanskrit Image Scroll of the Dali Kingdom" and opened it up bit by bit to examine it, and exclamations were heard from time to time.

(End of this chapter)