My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 14 Oracle

Empress Ma was also confused and didn't understand why Ma Yu suddenly started talking about the evolution of characters.

Just when I was wondering, I heard Song Lian's exclamation.

Although I still don't understand why it's so surprising that the font of a word is different.

But it didn't stop her from knowing that Ma Yu had successfully grasped Song Lian's emotions.

This surprised her very much.

Needless to say, Song Lian's cultivation was excellent. Even when he had a dispute with Li Shanchang over different ideas, he had never lost his composure like this.

Now he was controlled by a boy of thirteen or fourteen years old with just three questions.

Recalling the process of Ma Yu answering the three questions, she gradually figured it out.

He kept rambling, complicating simple questions and then giving an eye-opening answer.

This kid doesn't play by the rules.

This made her both happy and speechless.

The good news is that Ma Yu is indeed a talent, but the sad thing is that the plan to suppress him is probably going to fail.

Looking at the emotional Song Lian, Ma Yu gave himself a big thumbs up in his heart.

success.

Thanks to the archaeologists of the past and thanks to the Guodian Chu Bamboo Slips.

Some people may ask, isn’t it just a different way of writing a word? Is there anything surprising about it?

It has little impact on most people, but for a small group of people engaged in academic research, the impact is very huge.

Hieroglyphics have a characteristic that most of the characters in the earliest times represented specific meanings.

To put it simply, its font is its meaning.

It’s just that the earliest hieroglyphs were too complicated and very inconvenient to write.

In the subsequent dissemination, after being simplified by generations, it became what we are familiar with.

During the evolution process, many fonts have become completely different from their original appearance.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that simplification is bad.

The simplified characters have simple strokes and are easier to write, which lowers the threshold for knowledge dissemination.

This is generally a good thing and an inevitable result of historical development.

The problem is that many words have lost their original meanings during the evolution process.

Just like "chicken-stealing and dog-stealing", it was originally a commendatory word, but later evolved into a derogatory word.

The meaning of some words has changed, so the impact is not that big.

But the changes in some characters have a huge impact.

For example, the word "benevolence".

Confucius’ most core idea is benevolence, which appears a total of 109 times in the Analects.

So what is benevolence?

The problem is that Confucius did not give a clear explanation.

Moreover, when different people asked him what benevolence was, he gave different answers.

For example, Zi Zhang asked Confucius about benevolence.

Confucius’ answer was: If one can practice five virtues in the world, he will be benevolent: respectful, generous, trustworthy, quick-witted and benevolent.

Wait until Yan Yuan asked about benevolence.

Confucius’ answer was: To restrain oneself and return to propriety is benevolence.

As we all know, Confucius gave different answers to different people, which was the result of teaching according to their aptitude.

But this also creates a problem, as the Analects does not have a unified and definite explanation of "benevolence".

Later, Mencius concretized benevolence and interpreted it as "benevolence", requiring the monarch to love the people.

But the academic community knows that Mencius's benevolence is only a part of Confucius' "benevolence", not all of it.

So what exactly is Confucius' "benevolence"?

People in every dynasty have tried to explain it.

Looking back at the word "ren", it is composed of "ren" and "er".

The directionality of this font is very obvious.

The original meaning of "benevolence" is the way people get along with each other.

This has been the most mainstream explanation for thousands of years.

But now the character "仁" has become "upper body and lower heart".

Then its meaning is no longer the way people get along with each other, but a state from the inside out and from the outside in.

This is what we commonly call realm.

Benevolence is a person's inner cultivation and a spiritual state, which has nothing to do with others.

This also explains why Confucius gave different answers when answering questions from different people.

Everyone has a different personality and a different perception of the world.

The realm is naturally different.

Confucius gave answers based on each person's current situation.

It is both an answer and a targeted improvement direction for the questioner.

If this speculation is true, it means that there was a deviation in the previous Confucian interpretation of "benevolence".

For a great scholar like Song Lian, one can imagine how great the impact was.

This is also one of the killer weapons prepared by Ma Yu.

Song Lian's reaction also proved that his preparation was effective.

Facing the excited Song Lian, Ma Yu said firmly: "This is a matter of great importance. How dare I joke about it?"

Song Lian pressed on, "Where is the bronze vessel? Where is your elder? Take me to see him."

Seeing the teacher losing his composure, Zhu Biao was startled and said quickly:

"Master Song, please calm down. This is the Yingtian Prefecture Prison."

"And Brother Ma's elders...are no longer alive."

Ma Yu showed a sad expression at the right moment and said:
"When the nest is overturned, all the eggs will be broken. Those bronze artifacts and the research results of our elders were lost in the flames of war."

Song Lian felt as if he had lost his parents, and murmured, "How could this happen... How could this happen..."

Ma Yu felt a little guilty, thinking that he should not drive the old man crazy, so he quickly said:
"Mr. Qianxi, there's no need to do this. There's still a chance to remedy the situation."

Song Lian's eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickly asked, "Do you know the whereabouts of the bronze artifact?"

Ma Yu shook his head and said, "I don't know the whereabouts of the bronze artifacts, but before the war broke out, my elders found clues that may be from the Shang Dynasty."

"What?" This time not only Song Lian, but even Zhu Biao exclaimed in surprise.

Queen Ma next door almost cried out.

Shang Dynasty script? Did I hear that correctly? How is that possible?

The oldest existing book is the Book of Changes, which is said to have been written by King Wen of Zhou.

Regardless of whether the legend is true or not, it proves one thing: the earliest books we can see were written in the Western Zhou Dynasty.

What were books like before the Western Zhou Dynasty? No one knows.

What was the text like before? I also don’t know.

People's understanding of history before the Western Zhou Dynasty all comes from books written by people after the Western Zhou Dynasty.

If what Ma Yu said was true, and his elders had discovered the characters of the Shang Dynasty, then it would be of great significance to the newly born Ming Dynasty.

Let’s put it this way, it’s no less than finding the imperial seal.

Just think about it and you will know that the Shang Dynasty characters have disappeared for thousands of years. Why did they appear after the founding of the Ming Dynasty, not earlier or later?
What is destiny? This is it.

What? You mean the elders of his family discovered the Yin and Shang characters during the Yuan Dynasty?
Come here, drag out the three clans and exterminate them.

Some people say it was discovered during the Yuan Dynasty?
In short, if the Shang Dynasty characters are real, they must and could only have been discovered after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty.

At this point, she couldn't sit still any longer. She stood up from her chair and paced back and forth, wishing she could rush to the cell to find out whether the matter was true or not.

Zhu Chong was confused. What was going on?
Isn't it just the Yin and Shang Dynasty characters? It's okay for old man Song Lian to be excited, but why are you so excited too, mother?

Could it be that your ancestors can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty?

On the other side, Zhu Biao, who had reacted, said excitedly:
"Brother Ma, are you serious?"

Ma Yu said solemnly: "Really, based on the clues left by my elders, we will most likely be able to find the trace."

Song Lian no longer cared about etiquette, and pushed Zhu Biao aside and asked:
"What clue?"

Seeing Li Wen stumbling and almost falling, Ma Yu almost laughed out loud. He coughed dryly to hide his emotion and said:

"My elders discovered through research that those bronze vessels were probably ritual vessels used in Shang Dynasty sacrifices."

"This reminded him of a sentence in the Book of Rites."

"When sacrificial garments are worn out, they should be burned. When sacrificial vessels are worn out, they should be buried. When tortoise shells are worn out, they should be buried. When animals die, they should be buried."

Zhu Biao had no intention of blaming Song Lian. He could fully understand why the other party was so excited.

Because he himself was also very excited and couldn't wait to get the answer. But when he heard Ma Yu quote the words from the Book of Rites, he couldn't help but feel puzzled again.

This sentence means that the sacrificial robes must be burned if they are torn, old, or used.

The ritual vessels were broken during processing, damaged during use, or buried together after use.

The animals used for sacrifice must also be buried.

What does this have to do with the Shang Dynasty characters?
Song Lian was knowledgeable after all, and he guessed the truth immediately, and said excitedly:

"Did your elders find the place where the Shang Dynasty buried its ritual vessels?"

Ma Yu couldn't help but secretly praise his cleverness and nodded.
"If the records in the Book of Rites are correct, it means that the ancients buried a large number of ritual vessels used for sacrifices underground."

"And things like tortoise shells and bronze vessels can be buried for thousands of years without decaying."

"Even if the world changes and most of the buried ritual objects disappear, there will definitely be a small part left."

"With this discovery, all that remains is to find where the ancients buried the ritual vessels."

A shocking discovery was about to be revealed, and Song Lian's breathing became heavy with excitement:

"How do I find it?"

Zhu Biao also stared at Ma Yu closely, fearing that he would say he didn't know these three words.

Queen Ma next door also pricked up her ears so as not to miss a single word.

Only Zhu Chong was very unhappy. This kid was dithering and deliberately keeping people in suspense. He really wanted to rush over and beat him up.

Ma Yu was very satisfied with the result. He paused for a moment to whet their appetite before saying:

"The most important affairs of state are sacrifices and military affairs. Offering sacrifices to heaven is a very important activity and is usually only held near the capital."

"My elders looked through history books to determine the location of the capital of the Xia and Shang dynasties."

Zhu Biao couldn't help but interject, "But the history books only record the general location of the capital of the Xia and Shang dynasties."

"In such a large place, how could your elders find the location where the ritual vessels were buried? They can't dig three feet underground, right?"

Song Lian also nodded in confusion. How could he search in such a large area?
If a large number of people were really hired to dig deep into the ground, such a big movement would not be possible without making a sound.

Ma Yu secretly gave Zhu Biao a thumbs up in his heart. This was a very good response, full marks.

"So the elders in my family took a different approach and started from another place."

Zhu Biao successfully transformed himself into a supporting actor and asked at the right moment:
"Oh, where?"

Ma Yu said, "Dragon bone."

Zhu Biao was puzzled: "Dragon bone?"

Ma Yu explained: "Dragon bone is a medicinal ingredient made from the bones of large animals buried underground. The longer it is buried, the better the medicinal effect."

At this point, Song Lian still didn't understand what was going on.

When offering sacrifices to heaven, divination inscriptions would be carved on animal bones and buried after use.

Isn’t that the most effective dragon bone?

Herbal medicine shops would purchase dragon bones in large quantities, and if ordinary people accidentally dug up ancient animal bones, there was a high probability that they would sell them to herbal medicine shops.

Ma Yu continued, "My elders first determined the location of the capital of the Xia and Shang dynasties, and then visited all the pharmacies within that area."

"After examining the dragon bones from these medicinal herbs, we finally discovered oracle bone ritual vessels inscribed with Shang Dynasty characters."

"Bang." Song Lian slapped the table excitedly, not caring about his trembling hands in pain, and shouted:

"Brilliant! You actually thought of this method. Your elder is truly the smartest person in the world. I am ashamed of myself."

Empress Ma was also amazed that Ma Yu's elder was so smart.

Relying entirely on his imagination, he found clues without any clues and finally successfully found the ritual vessels of the Shang Dynasty.

It is a pity that such a talented person could not escape the war, and the Ming Dynasty lost a great talent.

What a pity, what a pity, what a pity.

Then she became excited. Even if the ritual vessel found by Elder Ma Yu was missing, as long as the method was there.

The Ming Dynasty can completely follow the same clues to find a new batch of Shang Dynasty ritual vessels.

When she thought of this, she wanted to end the conversation immediately and send someone to search according to the clues.

The Ming Dynasty really needs this thing.

Compared with this, pretending to be a royal relative, Confucius, Mencius, Guan Yu and Xun Zi are totally insignificant.

Next door, Song Lian pressed the issue, "Can your elders find the place where the ritual vessels are buried?"

Ma Yu shook his head and said, "No, my elders had just determined the source of the dragon bones and were about to go look for them when the chaos started."

"He believed that it was difficult to preserve himself in troubled times, let alone a batch of ritual vessels."

"If he were to damage the treasures left by our ancestors, how would he face our ancestors in the afterlife?"

"Let them remain hidden beneath the earth, waiting for the arrival of the great kingly era before bringing them out into the world."

Song Lian stood in awe and said, "Your Excellency is a man of high righteousness."

If it were him, would he be able to resist digging? He didn't know.

The Yin and Shang Dynasty characters were so tempting to them that it was hard not to be tempted.

What's more, the first person to discover the ritual vessels of the Shang Dynasty will definitely be recorded in history.

If we don’t dig up the ritual vessels, we will give up the opportunity to be recorded in history.

Ma Yu was very impressed that his elders could hold back like this.

The Queen Ma next door also felt respect for Ma Yu's elder, who was truly a man of virtue.

It was at this time that she made her final decision.

Ma Yu must be pardoned. If Chongba disagrees, I will take the children to Fengyang to guard the tombs of our ancestors.

Zhu Biao asked excitedly, "Did that senior tell you where the dragon bone ritual vessel was buried?"

Ma Yu shook his head and said, "No, he was afraid that his unworthy descendants would use this secret to make money, so he didn't leave any last clues behind."

"I have only left behind the method for finding the oracle bones. When the great kingly era arrives, if my bloodline has not yet been cut off, you can follow the clues and search again."

"If my entire family were to perish, I would have to wait for opportunities for future generations."

Song Lian and Empress Ma both felt heavy-hearted. In these troubled times, so many innocent lives had been lost.

Zhu Biao did not have so many emotions, and said happily:

"My Great Ming will unify the world in no time. Brother Ma, you're still alive... It shows that there is always a way out."

Ma Yu smiled and said, "Why do you think I told this secret?"

"Although I don't like Zhu...Ming and the current emperor, he is a Han Chinese after all."

"As a Han Chinese emperor, I think he would not dare to destroy the treasures left by his ancestors."

"And I am also a dying man, I can't really take these secrets with me."

"Although ancient ritual vessels will eventually be rediscovered, it's unknown how many will be accidentally destroyed."

This is also the reason why he chose to reveal the secret of oracle bone inscriptions.

In the past, it was not until the late Qing Dynasty that people discovered oracle bone inscriptions on dragon bones.

It is unknown how many of these were accidentally destroyed, which can be regarded as one of the greatest cultural losses in Chinese history.

If Li Wen, Song Lian and others had known the secret of oracle bone inscriptions in advance, they could have carried out excavation and research one day earlier, which would have resulted in less losses.

This trip was not in vain.

Ma Yu continued, "Telling you this secret before I die can be considered our family's final contribution to China."

"Even after death, I can still face the ancestors of China with my head held high."

In his excitement, Zhu Biao almost shouted out, "I am the prince, and my mother has decided to pardon you."

Fortunately, reason came to him in time and told him that now was not the time to reveal his identity.

The words on the tip of his tongue changed to: "Don't worry, I will definitely find a way to get you out, please trust me."

Song Lian also said solemnly: "If Your Majesty is determined to kill you, I will stop you even if it costs me my life."

Ma Yu was very touched. It was worth the journey to meet two such friends.

But the more this happened, the more he couldn't let the other party take risks:

"I appreciate your kindness, but the emperor is too murderous. Pleading for me will only bring trouble to you."

"Why sacrifice a few more innocent lives?"

"Besides, I miss my relatives in the other world. Maybe I can see them after I die."

When he said this, his expression showed emotions such as loss and nostalgia, but there was no fear.

This is not an act, but I haven't seen my family from my previous life for several months and I really miss them very much.

I don’t know how they are doing now.

I inexplicably traveled to the Ming Dynasty, and I hope I will have the chance to travel back after being killed.

As expected, his words successfully misled Empress Ma, Song Lian, Zhu Biao and others.

He is indifferent to life and death at such a young age. What has he been through?

It makes people feel sympathy and compassion.

(End of this chapter)