Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 173 The Pearl of Harmony and the Sword of Tai'a

Du Jian had truly forgotten about presenting the treasure.

The main reason is that the discussions at the Prime Minister's residence today were so shocking and earth-shattering that his original intention to take advantage of the situation and curry favor with the emperor to secure a future for the Du family was completely forgotten.

It wasn't until he arrived at the city gate of Chang'an and heard Fei Yi praise the heroic deeds of the Wei, Jin, Ji, and Geng clansmen in their uprising against Cao Cao in Xuchang that he felt ashamed once again. Compared to other clans, the Du clan ultimately lacked the same unwavering loyalty to the Han dynasty.

"May I ask, Lord Du, what kind of treasure do you wish to present to His Majesty?" Fei Yi asked.

Du Jian's expression was solemn. After hesitating for a moment, his hands trembling slightly, he bowed deeply to Fei Yi.
"Your Excellency, the treasure I wish to present is truly of great importance... I dare not treat it lightly."

"Therefore, it was not brought to Chang'an, but was properly enshrined on the banks of the Ba River. We trouble the Attendant-in-Ordinary and the Minister to personally inspect it."

Fei Yi and Chen Zhen looked at each other again.

Heavy treasure?

It's all so mysterious, what kind of precious treasure is it?
However, after exchanging glances, the two of them also had some guesses.

Guanzhong was the birthplace of the Han Dynasty, and it contained numerous imperial mausoleums and tombs of generals, ministers, and wealthy people. They had long heard that after Dong Zhuo seized power and moved the capital to Chang'an, most of the mausoleums and tombs in Chang'an were excavated by Dong Zhuo's rebel army.

Many of the treasures buried with kings, nobles, generals, and ministers were taken by Dong Zhuo, Li Zicheng, and Guo Si's rebel army in Liangzhou and exchanged for money, silk, and grain with the old clans of Guanzhong as military supplies.

This Du family... probably exchanged some funerary objects for them at the time, perhaps even important artifacts buried in the imperial tombs.

We didn't bring it directly to Chang'an... partly because we were afraid that the so-called "treasures" might be taboo, so we wanted the two of them to go and see first whether they could be presented to the emperor.

Duling is only about 20 li away from Chang'an, but it was already late.

Although Fei Yi and Chen Zhen were somewhat curious, they ultimately did not show any impatience.

Since it is a precious treasure, I should bathe and fast before visiting it. It is not proper for a guest to rush to visit it. I will visit Duling tomorrow.

Du Jian has no problem with it.

Fei Yi and Chen Zhen then dispatched twenty elite cavalry to escort Wei Dan, Du Jian, Jin Lian, and seven other elders from prominent clans residing in Duling to the southeast.

The next day.

Fei Yi and Chen Zhen indeed bathed and changed clothes, fasted for two meals, and Du Jian, along with more than a dozen young talents from his clan, came to the Qingming Gate in Chang'an early in the morning to welcome the two important officials, Fei Yi and Chen Zhen.

Fei Yi and Chen Zhen have informed the Prime Minister that their trip to Duling is not only for the so-called important artifacts, but also to personally investigate the lives and conditions of the various ethnic groups in Duling.

They boarded the vehicle.

In less than an hour, we arrived at the Du Family Manor, located on the banks of the Ba River.

Fei Yi and Chen Zhen got out of the car and looked around.

The paths crisscross, and the sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard from one another.

Hundreds and thousands of tenant farmers were weeding and cultivating the fields.

The vast fields of spring millet are growing well. As the saying goes, they sprout ears in May and fill with grain in June. The thunderstorm at the end of May made the spring millet in Guanzhong plump and full. It is foreseeable that there will be a bumper harvest this year.

Du Jian, leaning on his cane, led Fei Yi and Chen Zhen toward the manor.

The fortified village next to the manor has a ditch dug outside, diverting the Ba River to form a moat. The fortified village is surrounded by watchtowers and arrow towers, and thick smoke is billowing from the middle of the fortified village. The sound of blacksmithing can be clearly heard. It is obviously a small military fortress.

In fact, Fei Yi and Chen Zhen had passed by the Du family manor before, but at that time the Du family was still observing and the entire manor was closed off. They only sent a few elders to discuss with the Han army envoys. In the end, they offered several thousand shi of grain to the Han army, and the Han army did not disturb them much.

Of course, the Du family had more than just this one manor, and their fortified villages were not limited to just the two spanning the east and west banks of the Ba River. After all, a family with only one or two manors and fortified villages could never be considered a great clan.

Upon arriving at the manor gate, about a hundred members of the Du clan lined the road to welcome them, a truly grand occasion. Du Jian gestured at the gate, inviting the two ministers, Fei Yi and Chen Zhen, to enter first.

The two were genuinely surprised that Madam Du would make such a grand spectacle, and they became curious again about the treasures Madam Du was about to present.

As soon as they stepped into the manor, they heard the sound of deer calling. Looking in the direction of the sound, the two of them were immediately taken aback.

But what they saw was a snow-white deer wandering around in the lush green manor.

While the two were still in a daze, Bai Lu walked to the winding stream where scholars used to drink wine, as if no one else was there, and leisurely began to drink the water.

Du Jian looked at the white deer and said:

"Attendant-in-Ordinary, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat."

"This old man has heard the words of the ancient sages:"

“The deer begins to turn blue after a thousand years, and turns white again after another five hundred years. From then on, its lifespan will be boundless.”

“Only when a virtuous and wise ruler extends his benevolence to his subjects will the white deer appear.”

"There must be a wise and sagacious ruler who preserves life and harmony, and who is in accord with the beginning. Only then can this auspiciousness be attained and the wise and sagacious ruler be brought into being."

"Now Your Majesty personally led the expedition, personally commanding the royal army, and reclaimed all the lands where the Han Dynasty rose to power, so that the dragon aura of the Han Dynasty would reappear in the wilderness of Guanzhong, and the white deer would emerge."

"A prophecy has been heard in Guandong: 'When the Luo River dries up, a sage will appear.'"

"On the day His Majesty returned to the old capital and offered sacrifices to Heaven and his ancestors, a great thunderstorm struck Guanzhong, nurturing all living things!"
"The next day, May 22, news came that the Luo River in Guandong had stopped flowing, and the whole world was shocked."

"The appearance of the white deer in the world and the drying up of the Luo River are prophetic. Is this not because Your Majesty is wise and sagacious, and Heaven's mandate has been bestowed upon Your Majesty?"
"This old man originally intended to present auspicious omens to the Emperor."

"However, I fear that this auspicious omen might be damaged by its spiritual radiance."

Therefore, we respectfully request that the Chamberlain and the Minister of State come to inspect the matter.

Fei Yi and Chen Zhen's eyes remained fixed on the white deer.

At that moment, they did not take Du Jian's words as flattery or attempts to curry favor.

To some extent, they also believed in prophecies and omens, and since the Han Dynasty's Northern Expedition, there had been far too many auspicious omens.

First came "Red crows and fiery sun, the Han dynasty will rise," then "The Luo River dries up, a sage will appear," and now a white deer has appeared in the world.

Just then, one of the Tiger Cavalrymen responsible for protecting Fei Yi suddenly spoke up, his expression trembling:

"Attendant-in-Ordinary, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, 21 years old, which is the day His Majesty offered sacrifices to Heaven and ancestors in Chang'an and returned to the old capital."

"On our way to Yaoguan Pass with Your Majesty and the generals of the Dragon Cavalry, Tiger Cavalry, and Tiger Riders, we ascended Bailu Plain and encountered a white deer there."

"The generals wish to capture this auspicious omen and present it to Your Majesty."

"But His Majesty seemed unwilling to harm this auspicious omen, and in the end allowed it to return to the mountains and forests on its own."

“After we returned to the capital, we dared not speak recklessly, which is why no one knew about this matter.”

As a Tiger Cavalry guard, he was not well-informed. Only when he heard the elder of the Du family say that the prophecy "When the Luo River dries up, a sage will appear" had come true did he think of what happened on Bailu Plain that day.

If this isn't destiny, then what is?!

Fei Yi and Chen Zhen were also taken aback when they heard this.

Since that day, His Majesty has been traveling around, visiting various counties and prefectures. Young generals such as Guan Xing, Zhao Tong, and Mi Wei have been accompanying and protecting him, so they were unaware of this matter.

The expression on the face of the Du clan elder was more exaggerated than that of anyone else present:
"Is this true? Did Your Majesty really travel to Bailu Plain? I wonder if the auspicious white deer that Your Majesty encountered was also in the vast bamboo forest of Jingyu Valley?"

Fei Yi and Chen Zhen didn't know why Du Jian asked that question, so they looked at the tiger rider.

The tiger-riding rider nodded heavily: "Your Majesty did indeed travel to Bailu Plain, and it was indeed in the bamboo forest of Jingyu Valley that you encountered the auspicious white deer."

Chen Zhen looked at the white deer and asked, "Master Du, were these auspicious omens also encountered in Jingyu Valley?"

"Indeed." Du Jian swallowed hard, his eyes trembling as he looked at Fei Yi and Chen Zhen.

"Fei Shizhong, Chen Shangshu."

"The precious treasure I wish to present to Your Majesty is not the auspicious white deer of this place, but something else entirely."

"The treasure is located on Bailu Plain, in Jingyu Valley. I would be grateful if you, Attendant and Minister, would accompany me to Bailu Plain for a visit."

Fei Yi and Chen Zhen exchanged bewildered glances, somewhat confused. Wasn't the white deer auspicious omen a treasure to be offered as a sacrifice?
With Du Jian's exaggerated manner, could there really be some great treasure on the White Deer Plain that has been revealed to the world?
The two asked no more questions and followed closely behind Du Jian.

After leaving the manor, we crossed the Ba River.

After walking less than a hundred steps, we arrived at the bottom of Bailu Plain.

A young man, over eight feet tall and with a somewhat heroic appearance, led the way up the hill. He was dressed in coarse cloth and did not speak a word the whole way, but the calm and composed demeanor he exuded quickly attracted the attention of Fei Yi and Chen Zhen.

The two then realized that this was probably one of the outstanding talents that Du wanted to recommend to the court. Although they did not know his talent, learning, ability, and character, he was at least not superficial and was indeed one of the standards for selecting officials in the Han Dynasty.

Led by the young man, Fei Yi and the others quickly ascended Bailu Plain. After walking along the shaded path for less than two miles, they could see a deep valley in the distance.

The Bailu Plain was split in two by this deep valley. Fei Yi and Chen Zhen were amazed when they first set foot on this plain, marveling at the scenery.

Descending the slope to the bottom of the valley, one sees a wide river with deep blue water that is impossible to see the bottom, surrounded by a sea of ​​bamboo that sways in the mountain breeze.

The bamboo rustles in the breeze, and the green waves stretch to the sky.

The tiger rider behind Fei Yi looked around and said:
"Your Excellency, it seems that His Majesty encountered the white deer here that day."

The young man in coarse cloth clothes continued to lead the way. After walking about a hundred steps, he stopped in front of a nine-foot-long blue stone completely covered with moss.

Fei Yi and Chen Zhen could see something on the top of the blue stone from afar.

Upon closer inspection, one could see a three-foot-long golden sword and a small white pearl placed on the stone.

Du Jian gazed at the sword and the pearl, and said:
"Minister Fei and Minister Chen, these two items are the precious treasures that I wish to present to Your Majesty."

"It was just two days before I was to attend the Prime Minister's banquet."

“I, Du, have a son whose mother was bedridden with illness. The doctor diagnosed him and said that he needed to take a pheasant as a guide, so he carried a bow and climbed the plain.”

Unexpectedly, I encountered an old man with white hair on this blue stone.

The old man said, "Please return these two treasures to the true dragon." After saying this, he suddenly disappeared without a trace.

"A short while later, a white deer, carrying a white jade bead in its mouth and a three-foot sword on its back, slowly emerged from the bamboo forest..."

Upon hearing this, both Fei Yi and Chen Zhen were speechless with astonishment.

However, though they remained silent, they all unanimously thought of the legend of Marquis Liu, Zhang Liang.

It is said that when Liu Hou was young, he met an old man on a bridge. As they passed each other, the old man deliberately threw his shoe off the bridge and ordered Liu Hou to go down the bridge to pick it up.

Marquis Liu almost beat him, but seeing that he was old, he suppressed his anger and went down the bridge to retrieve his shoes.

The old man then ordered Liu Hou to put on his shoes, and Liu Hou, having already taken the shoes, complied.

The old man smiled and said: "This child is teachable."

He then arranged to meet the old man again on the bridge five days later, and the old man visited him three times on the bridge.

Finally, the old man produced a book and said, "Read this and you will become a teacher of kings."

He disappeared after saying that.

When Marquis Liu looked at the book, it was the "Art of War by Taigong".

It is said that the one who gave the book to Marquis Liu was Huang Shigong.

Could it be that... Du Zi really encountered an immortal?
Fei Yi was genuinely confused for a moment.

After all… there have been quite a few auspicious omens lately.

After all… he really did see the auspicious white deer.

Before them stood the golden sword, the white pearl, and Du Jian's words, "Return these two treasures to the true dragon."

It's hard for him not to think of the First Emperor, whom Sima Qian called "the First Dragon".

It's hard not to think of the First Emperor's "Pearl of Harmony" and "Sword of Tai'a".

In addition, as Tiger Rider just mentioned, the Emperor saw the auspicious white deer here, but was unable to catch it.

Furthermore, Du Jian also said that a white deer, carrying a white jade bead in its mouth and a golden sword on its back, slowly walked out of this place.

It's all too coincidental.

The most crucial point of the problem is:

Apart from His Majesty, General Guan Xing and others, and a small number of Tiger Cavalry who returned to the capital for their duty, no one else knew that His Majesty had seen the white deer here!
These Tiger Cavalrymen who returned to the capital for their shifts were the heart and soul of the Han Dynasty, and it was impossible for them to have any collusion with the Du family!

Fei Yi intended to order someone to go up and retrieve the golden sword and white pearl, but then stopped. He ordered someone to bring a few stepping stones before carefully stepping onto them himself, looking down at the golden sword and white pearl from a high vantage point.

However, he noticed that there were indeed bird and insect seal script reliefs on the golden sword that he couldn't understand.

This type of script is an inscription specifically carved on important artifacts during the Spring and Autumn Period.

The inscription "Received the mandate from Heaven, may your reign be long and prosperous" on the Imperial Seal of the State is written in this bird-and-insect seal script.

Then look at that pure white jade bead, which is about an inch in diameter.

It is exactly the same as the legendary Suihou Pearl.

The Suihou Pearl is pure white and shines brightly at night, like the moon. It can illuminate a room and is also called the Spirit Serpent Pearl or the Bright Moon Pearl.

A moment later, Fei Yi stepped down from the stepping stone.

"Xiaoqi, go and take a look."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhen also stepped onto it, staring at the bird-and-insect seal script on the golden sword. After a moment, his expression turned to shock: "Tai'a?!"

He first looked at the tiger rider with disbelief, then at Fei Yi, and finally at Du Jian, who was presenting the treasure, and said with a puzzled expression:
"Could it be that... Your Majesty did not receive the favor of the white deer that day, which moved the gods and men, who then offered these two treasures?"

Fei Yi followed Chen Zhen's gaze and looked at Du Jian.

Du Jian was also dumbfounded.

He was truly shocked when he heard the tiger rider say that the Emperor of the Han Dynasty had actually come to Bailu Plain, had actually seen the white deer, and had even tried to release the white deer but failed.

At least half of what he said to Fei Yi and Chen Zhen was true.

For example, Du Ji's stepmother fell seriously ill, and then Du Ji followed the doctor's advice and went up the mountain to hunt pheasants. Then Du Ji encountered a white deer there. These things are all too real to be true.

As for the vanished old man, he was obviously a fake.

The white deer carrying a jade bead and a golden sword is obviously fake.

This golden sword and white pearl were both obtained by the Du family decades ago in exchange for grain, horses, and supplies from the officers and soldiers under Li and Guo.

but…

but……

The white deer is real.

It is true that the emperor once visited Bailuyuan.

It is true that the emperor once released deer here.

All these coincidences come together.

This golden sword, if not the Tai'a sword, must be the Tai'a sword; this white pearl, if not the Suihou Pearl, must be the Suihou Pearl, right?

No... could it be that what the Du family received in exchange was actually the Tai'a Sword and the Suihou Pearl?!

The pearl of the Marquis of Sui, and the sword of Tai'a?!

A real dragon?!
(End of this chapter)