The third year after the death of the emperor

People in Heding County are somewhat xenophobic towards the archaeological team.

When Xie Wen took out energy-supplementing food from the car and handed it to Mo Hongwei who was disheartened while looking through the materials brought by the other party, a noisy conflict was happening at the archaeological site in the distance.

Mo Hongwei tore open the package with his teeth, held a heavy measuring instrument in the other hand, and slammed it down on the ground.He raised his head and looked at Xie Wen who was sitting in the co-pilot.I have to say that his good friend's appearance is too good. From the first year when Xie Wen's game was televised, he has attracted many "outsiders" with his face. Most of these people don't want to watch it. Go, I just want to see Xie Wen lowering his eyes and frowning slightly.

It is precisely because of this that in the early years, rumors of a "vase" often lingered on him, but these rumors quickly collapsed under the strength of his friends.Every time Mo Hongwei admired his handsomeness, he also sighed again that he was really a straight, straight, iron man, definitely a hard telegraph pole, so he could hold a pure appreciation.

Even at this time, Xie Wen was dusty under the loess wind and sand, but he looked too peaceful and gentle, like a beautiful jade with a little dust.

Mo Hongwei said: "Look, let's see, these are all recorded contents. I do odd jobs here every day, just for the first-hand information? You can watch, but you can't take pictures."

Xie Wen said: "I know."

But Mo Hongwei felt that he might not know, because the other party's fingers were shaking, and he witnessed it with his own eyes.The hand that has always been slender, white, and graceful in chess, when holding this report, the slender finger bones trembled nervously—maybe it was not nervousness, but a kind of confusion and bewilderment.

Mo Hongwei felt that he had to interrupt him, so he snatched the information over: "Xie Wen."

He called out the other person's full name, and then met a pair of dark, moist eyes.Mo Hongwei had never encountered such a bad thing before. He squinted his eyes and looked at the other person's face, irritated and inexplicable. He almost wanted to light a cigarette right now: "What's wrong with you? If you don't tell me the truth, I will not let you stay in Heding Village again..."

"I signed an employment contract with your team, you can't drive me away." Xie Wen's eyes fell on the documents in his hand, and his eyelashes drooped.

Mo Hongwei held onto the door and stepped into the car. He raised his hand and turned to the part that Xie Wen was looking at just now, which was about the excavation of the center of the tomb group.Because the work was progressing slowly, there were only a few short lines on it, but it was confirmed that it was a single tomb and that it had the emperor's specifications. They didn't even know the emperor's name.

He vented and ate the snacks to replenish his strength, and he had some doubts about Xie Wen's mental state, but he went to the hospital with Xie Wen not long ago... Mo Hongwei had no choice but to call his girlfriend , and then briefly said a few words, handed the phone to Xie Wen, and got out of the car with the information.

Mo Hongwei's girlfriend is Jing Gui. The three of them grew up in the same courtyard. They were classmates in elementary school, junior high school, and high school. They have lost friendship for more than ten years.Later, Mo Hongwei studied archeology directly, and Jing Gui studied anthropology. They belonged to the same academic field, but they were not in the same archaeological system.

Jing Gui's voice sounded from the other end: "Brother Xie, what's the matter? I heard from Awei that you are in a bad mood?"

The car door was closed, and there was only the sound of the two of them talking. In front of this kind and considerate boy, Xie Wen finally relieved a trace of tension and anxiety. Focusing his eyes, he said, "It's not that bad, just a little bit."

"Awei called me yesterday and said he brought you to the Dangnan Autonomous Region. Why are you digging soil, moving bricks and throwing sand with them? What's the matter, broken love?"

Xie Wen was hit by these words at the end, and it was difficult for him to understand his behavior. He tried to say: "Miss... no, ended a... ambiguous relationship? I don't know how to say it."

"If you look like this, there is still a younger sister who can dump you?" Jing Gui laughed exaggeratedly, and then said, "Which sister, Tang Seng, right? With your qualifications, personality, and face, isn't that a lifelike girl?" A sex-transformed version of the king of the daughter country?"

Xie Wen's Adam's apple twitched, he adjusted his emotions, and explained: "I dumped him." Jing Gui was stunned for a while, and said in his heart that he didn't feel any scumbag temperament in Brother Xie, so this guy who is deeply attached to love is trapped What does posture mean? She just wanted to say, "Why don't you try chasing him back", but immediately heard Xie Wen's voice.

"I can't get it back." Xie Wen said, "I seem to be doing something meaningless. You know, it's as if I am a tree, and a woodpecker pecked me out of a hole, and he made a nest in my heart. Dwelling in my wound, I drove the woodpecker away and the hole was left vacant."

Jing Gui was silent for a while, she continued to listen.

"I didn't feel the pain at first because it was a long-standing wound. I don't regret my choice, but what am I doing now?" He said, "I am too high-minded, self-righteous, hypocritical and arrogant. In fact, he can get more, but..."

"Brother Xie!" Jing Gui interrupted him, "You are not like this, you are gentle, personable, polite and gentle, and kind, don't question everything you do now, if you insist on everything If it is meaningful, then is your controlled and restrained life still meaningful?"

Her voice has the power to comfort others: "As long as you are willing to do it... You said that digging out a group of things that are hundreds of years old and thousands of years old, wiped them clean, and put them in a museum, what's the point? We write dozens of pages and hundreds of pages of academic reports, and argue about it. What's the point? Don't mention those higher things that are related to human beings. I just want to do it and I am willing to do it. That's enough. Yes. What’s the point of going from City B to Dangnan Autonomous Region to dig sand? I think it’s meaningful even if you lie in bed and sleep for a whole weekend.”

Jing Gui comforted him slowly for a long time, and finally asked insincerely, "Your... ex-girlfriend is an archaeologist?"

Xie Wen was quiet for a while, did not answer the last question, but said: "Ex-boyfriend."

Just as Jing Gui wanted to respond, she choked on the three words and almost bit her own tongue. She was dazed for a while, and murmured: "Bull..."

"He's not an archaeologist," Xie Wen said, "Your boyfriend is digging my ex-boyfriend's grave."

Jing Gui: "..."

"I have to supervise." Xie Wen stared at her fingers and whispered, "Although supervision is useless, I can't even enter the scene, let alone the bones, and I can't even see the coffin."

Jing Gui: "...Ah, here...then I'll pay the male sister-in-law on behalf of Awei, shall I?"

Xie Wen was amused by her: "Your boyfriend said I have a mental illness."

Jing Gui nodded madly in her heart, and didn't dare to say it directly, but said vaguely: "I'll go and see you when I'm done with the things at hand, why is our little brother Xie from Zhilan Yushu still trapped in love? It's still 1000 years old. The former male sister-in-law? But don't tell him that, or he will definitely call Uncle Xie to ask you to see a doctor. "

Xie Wen said: "Well, I understand."

"You can do whatever you want. I told Avi not to stop you. You can stay as long as you want. Take some time."

Jing Gui chatted with Xie Wen for half the night, and he was relieved when he was sure that Xie Wen was probably much better.She had just hung up the phone, and thought that Xie Wen was the best at hiding her emotions, so she sent a message to Mo Hongwei, scolding her head and face, and asked her boyfriend to take good care of their mutual friend, and he would hug him whatever the other party said With a conciliatory attitude... After such an exhortation, Mo Hongwei finally gave up the idea of ​​sending Xie Wen back directly.

The turning point occurred on the No.13 day when the excavation work was carried out.

Due to family reasons, the two members of the archaeological team needed to rush back, and the old experts who came to help with the work also took away the first batch of materials. This lack of manpower is still within the tolerable range, but then, several A short-term worker also ended his employment, and couldn't bear the desert climate and refused to renew his contract. The surrounding area suddenly became deserted.

Between the excavation equipment and the surveying instruments, the temperature difference between day and night reached minus 26 degrees at night, and there was a temperature difference of nearly [-] degrees throughout the day.Xie Wen put on the thickest clothes in the equipment and took sufficient precautions against the cold. When she appeared at the scene, she heard a young man calling.

The man was fiddling with the equipment. He was tightly wrapped and only his eyes were exposed. Because of the extreme shortage of manpower, he glanced at Xie Wen's work card and asked him to hold an instrument similar to a vernier caliper, but it was meticulous. The instrument was buried in the soil, but it kept vibrating.

Xie Wen grew up in the north. He knows that the temperature can freeze to death. At most half an hour, these workers have to go back to their cars and houses to keep warm.He watched the work in front of him in silence—this was the most recent scene he had seen since he came to Heding Village.

They are clearing the funeral objects.

The instrument under his palm stopped moving, but his hand remained there.Xie Wen looked at the staff who were almost prostrate on the ground, and felt sincere gratitude in her heart... The young man beside him adjusted the electronic equipment, and the cold-resistant equipment could tolerate the invasion of minus [-] degrees at least.

The equipment faithfully recorded every moment of excavation. The man took a deep breath and said to himself: "A sword..."

Xie Wen whispered: "The world is peaceful."

The man turned his head and glanced at him, thinking that the other party was talking nonsense.

Then there are some valuable carvings and seals.

"Qingyan of Jiuzhou, the emperor's imperial seal." This is the word on the seal.

The man couldn't help but glance at him again.

Later, with every piece of jade and every vase, the young man found that the "worker" next to him seemed to know each other. He was obviously just talking to himself, but he was extremely determined.Fortunately, he encountered an ancient book that was difficult to unearth later, and the work of racing against time was blocked by the weather. He put away his equipment and rushed to join other team members.

In the middle of the night, when Mo Hongwei found that Xie Wen was not in the house or in the car, he thought of the temperature outside and immediately became anxious—the other party was likely to touch those funerary objects and cultural relics. The waiting at this level is almost fatal.

But when Mo Hongwei arrived, Xie Wen didn't touch the things he was so eager for.This friend who has always been gentle and courteous sat outside the yellow line, as if that line was an invisible moat, weakly and cruelly separating the two worlds.

Mo Hongwei stepped forward, grabbed Xie Wen's clothes, and pulled him back without saying a word.Fortunately, he remembered his girlfriend's instructions. While pressing the other's hand into warm water to restore body temperature and dissolve frostbite, he scolded squarely: "You are a fucking lunatic."

Xie Wen said, "I'm sorry."

"Sick, right?" He was about to go crazy, "Eldest Young Master, what are you doing? You've lost your love or lost your mind!"

Xie Wen glanced at him, and still said: "I'm sorry, I didn't pay attention to the time, I'm too... out of proportion."

He was not like this before. During the Daqi, Xie Dishi was the most measured person, but these memories, these restraints, and these self-sufficiency on thin ice all seemed to be from another world, or from the previous life.

Here, his relatives and friends will tolerate him and forgive his mistakes. Xie Wen feels that because of these forgivenesses, she has become slack and pampered.

"You can really do it," Mo Hongwei was helpless with such an attitude, "What's so interesting about that empty coffin? There are a lot of funerary objects in it. If you are interested, when I sort out the objects, there must be first-hand coffins." Looking at the information and photos, what is the rush?"

Xie Wen raised her head and stared at his face, suddenly said: "Empty coffin?"

"The ruler," Mo Hongwei said, "it's normal for anything to happen. Why, do you think we've already put together the bones? Bah, if we could get the skull of the owner of the tomb, we wouldn't do it just to confirm the tomb." Whether the owner is Emperor Qiwu or Emperor Qixuan, I have exhausted my energy..."

Empty...coffin?

----

On the twelfth day of May in the sixth year of Qiming, the army returned to court.

Qi and Zhihan signed a century-old peace agreement, and Zhihan became a vassal to Daqi and became a subsidiary country paying annual tribute.

Xie Dishi did not return with him.

In the rumors and clamorous discussions in the imperial capital, Xiao Xuanqian seemed to turn a blind eye to these speculations and rumors, and he became more ruthless and severe, almost returning to his original appearance, but his style of means gradually changed. teacher's shadow.

He became more and more silent, more and more difficult to get close to, and he piled more and more high-ranking papers on the side of the desk. He still only had his only son, Princess Xiaotong of Zhenguo. According to the standard teaching and feeding, and with the whereabouts of Master Xie disappeared, Princess Zhen Guo's appearance will no longer be the source of discussion.

Because in the first year, all the courtiers who dared to question the princess' blood were secretly executed.

It looks like everything is thriving.At least on the surface.

August [-]th of the same year, the Mid-Autumn Festival.When the sweet-scented osmanthus in Rongyuan was in bloom, His Majesty the Emperor visited the eldest princess's mansion in person, and the two brothers and sisters who were diametrically opposed to each other had a very peaceful and long talk.The aroma of white osmanthus floats all over the streets and alleys, and they fly and blow to farther places.

Sitting in front of the window, Xiao Tianrou looked at the person in front of her - her ninth younger brother was still so indifferent, but he looked better than she imagined. In Xiao Tianrou's original expectation, the emperor could not survive independently.

He was held by Xie Wen, protected and caressed all the way, taking care of him tenderly.His soul is extremely dependent on the other party, Xie Wen's existence occupies almost half of his life, his whole heart beats for this person, so even if he dies on the battlefield, Xiao Tianrou will not be surprised.

The eldest princess said: "So, did you survive?"

Xiao Xuanqian only looked at the chess game in front of him, he was indirectly finding traces of another person in Xiao Tianrou's chess style through the game.

Unfortunately, nothing was found.

"Perhaps." Xiao Xuanqian said, "Very disappointed?"

He felt that he should have survived, but he might wait for the next death, how long will it be? 30 years from now?He couldn't fully believe Tongtong's illusory promise, he had to be mentally prepared for it to be a scam, the long years were just torture, and the result of dying without a disease was the trial.

"Not disappointed, just very surprised." The eldest princess said, "I even sympathize with you. Xie Huaiyu is my confidant and friend. I hope he can get everything he wants. If you are one of these 'everything', then you also belong to the He's fine."

Xiao Xuanqian glanced at her.

The eldest princess smiled and said: "But what are you insisting on? They don't understand you, don't I understand? Are you really intoxicated by the pinnacle of power? Can you really give up everything for the sake of profit and desire for power? ? No, Xiao Jingzhi, you are not a qualified, ruthless ruler at all. I am really surprised that you choose to live alone with memories.”

The white sweet-scented osmanthus flew down onto the chessboard.

Xiao Xuanqian pushed aside the petals and said, "Elder Sister, you made a mistake in one sentence back then."

Xiao Tianrou listened attentively.

"I am indeed unworthy, and the least qualified." Xiao Xuanqian said calmly, "But I am sincere."

The eldest princess stared at him through the candlelight. The siblings, who had known each other for many years and had a bad relationship, had unexpectedly achieved a subtle and unexpected reconciliation at this moment.Xiao Tianrou saw something other than possessiveness and intrusion from this cruel beast. She actually saw the meaning of willingness to give and dedication in this man-obedience and obedience, without desires and demands.

Xie Huaiyu.The eldest princess almost sighed secretly, only you can punish him best.

After this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, the relationship between Xiao Tianrou and the emperor, who stayed behind closed doors and recuperated with peace of mind, completely thawed out. She left Rongyuan for the first time to participate in this year's palace banquet. .But it was also in the Mid-Autumn Festival of this year that the emperor never played a game of chess with others.

Because of those chess games, he couldn't help but taste the loneliness, but got nothing.

The author has something to say: There are many fictions about the archaeological excavation, and the level is limited, please don't take it seriously.But I thought of a question today. At first, Xie Wen was 32, Xiao Jiu was 26, and when we meet again, Xie Wen was 22, and Xiao Jiu was more than 1600 years old.

Do I still deserve to have this next-year label? (Suddenly sluggish)