Ancient tomb excavation traces

Sacrificial ceremonies inevitably involve wine. In front of the deer antlers and the four-eyed deity, a long table was placed, upon which sat a massive bronze jar (bù). This bronze jar, used by slave owners in the Western Zhou Dynasty to store wine, had a relatively large opening. Its belly was decorated with eye and thunder patterns, while the middle section featured a taotie (a mythical beast). A layer of thatch was laid over the rim of the bronze jar; our ancestors called this "bao mao" (苞茅).

Bao Cai muttered, "In our time, this grass would at most be used as firewood, but in ancient times it would be a spiritual herb. It's true that different times lead to different fates."

He was clearly saying this to me and Chen Yi, but our sharp-eared ancestor still heard it. He said, "Ha, Brother Liu, you're very knowledgeable. This thatch is actually a kind of grass used to communicate with the gods, mostly prepared for worship. There's a kind of 'thatch method' that I don't know if you've heard of, and it refers to this thatch."

I've read the story of "The Law of the Thatched Gate" in books. It says that when ministers paid homage to the King of Chu, if their horses' hooves trampled on the area outside the thatched gate and touched by water, it was considered disrespectful to the gods and would be considered a crime of disrespecting the state, punishable by death. This shows that the ancients' reverence for the gods had reached its extreme.

Where there is "bao mao" (a type of medicinal herb), there must be wine. In front of the bronze jar, three bronze goblets were placed. There was still a faint aroma of wine inside the goblets, but there was no wine inside. However, based on the lingering aroma of wine, it can be confirmed that someone had been worshipping the "Four-Eyed God" who could communicate with heaven and earth before this.

However, I'm not sure if it was the descendants of the Eight Witches or those women in witch robes who did this. But considering they can coexist in one place, there must be some connection. What exactly is the connection? I can't figure it out right now, but I have a feeling that if the answer is revealed, it will be an unexpected truth.

Old Jiao said, "The people of Chu have a particular fondness for wine. I think this sacrificial wine is a fine vintage. It's chilly here now, and we've run out of wine. Why don't we come and have a taste of something new?"

Unable to obtain the gold and the luminous pearl, Lao Tiao set his sights on the bronze you (wine vessel) lying on the ground. This bronze you was a vessel for holding wine, generally oval in shape. Among the bronze you unearthed in my country, there is one rather special one that Chen Tiao and I have seen. That bronze you has deity faces at both ends, with bulging eyes, upturned nostrils, and two rows of fangs. Its artistic brilliance lies in the fact that no matter what angle you look from, you feel those bulging eyes staring at you, inspiring awe from the bottom of your heart.

The bronze vessels scattered on the ground before us were not the kind Lao Tiao and I had seen before; they were far more exquisite, almost like miniature pavilions. On their lintels was a strange creature with a long nose, resembling something other than an elephant. The top level was a pavilion-like roof, its layers of tiles meticulously cast, almost every line and depth perfectly controlled. At its midpoint, the neck section resembled a Chu-style stilt house.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that each of the railings was adorned with depictions of the magnificent phoenix. I was amazed by the skill in casting and engraving; it was truly remarkable, as each railing was only about the thickness of a little finger. To cast such exquisite and intricate patterns on a bronze artifact the size of a little finger would likely have required the most skilled craftsmen of the time.

Inside the stilt house, a man and a woman are cast in openwork, appearing three-dimensional and vivid. They smile at each other, their fingers caressing a zither, creating a very warm scene.

Bronze wine vessels are mostly shaped with a drooping belly, adorned with auspicious clouds, cranes, and pools... Their bases are cylindrical, with artificial mountains and exotic flowers and plants cast below, giving the whole piece the appearance of a celestial palace. I couldn't help but admire the ancients' meticulous craftsmanship in casting such an intricately crafted wine vessel, making it seem like a high-end work of art. As I was admiring this, I noticed a number on the bottom of the bronze wine vessel, but I couldn't recognize the characters, so I didn't look at it further.

Upon closer examination, we discovered that the man depicted by the craftsman had gentle features and a relaxed, serene appearance, like a gentle breeze or drifting clouds. Clearly, this man was not Sima Yan, but the musician Wu Xia. In other words, this bronze vessel was not made by the narrow-minded Sima Yan, but rather cast according to Mi Ling's wishes; otherwise, the person inside could not have been Wu Xia.

I asked my ancestor what the monster on the handle was. My ancestor told me that it was a tapir. Upon hearing this, Chen Yi said, "I know this thing. It is a bit ugly, but it is said to be a divine beast that wards off evil. It is kind and gentle and can eat people's nightmares and bring them bad luck." Chen Yi looked at the bronze vessel with great joy, as if he was estimating its value.

I pondered Chen Yi's words, and it seemed that Wu Xia's death was Mi Ling's nightmare. She placed the "Dream Eater" at the very top of all the patterns, perhaps hoping that the nightmare would end and she could return to the life of playing the zither and laughing with Wu Xia...

Thinking of this, I sighed, not because of Wu Xia and Mi Ling's relationship, but because of this Chu princess's unwavering devotion to a beautiful ideal. This devotion, combined with the historical context and social customs of the time, coupled with her inner distortion and loneliness, led to even more human tragedies. Now, in this tomb, besides unease, I felt an indescribable sense of oppression. The underworld is indeed not a place one can stay for long…

I was thinking that my head was throbbing slightly, probably from staying in this poorly ventilated place for too long; I was feeling a bit unwell. Lan Quexi noticed I wasn't feeling well and asked me what was wrong.

I snapped out of my daze and said, "It's nothing, I just feel a tightness in my chest."

Just as I was speaking, Chen Yu picked up a bronze wine vessel and shook it near his ear. Judging from the sound, there was clearly not much wine left. Even good wine, when stored away to become a fine brew, wouldn't be that little. I pondered this to myself, but then thought that it might have been used up during the human sacrifice in the ancient tomb, so I put the question out of my mind and stopped investigating.

Looking at Chen Yu, since the bronze you (a type of wine vessel) wasn't a wine jar, removing the sealing clay would be enough. So he placed it on the table to figure out how to open it. However, he was a bit impatient at this point. He tried several times to find a way to open it but couldn't, which made him very anxious. He even took the knife in his hand and tried to pry it open.

Seeing this, the old ancestor advised him to be careful. He scolded, "Eldest brother, last time at Wu Xia's tomb, you stopped me from drinking. In the end, all the wine was drunk by the third brother, and I didn't get a drop. Now my waist is empty, and I haven't filled up with any treasures. I'll drink some wine to relieve my worries."

Upon hearing this, the ancestor was not angry. He said, "The wine here is for sacrificial purposes. How can we mortals drink it? I'm afraid if I drink it, you'll have to stay here with that princess soon."

The ancestors' caution was not without reason. This wine wasn't ordinary aged wine; it was a kind of "reduced wine." "Reduced wine" was used for sacrificial rites in ancient times, and who knew if ordinary people could withstand it? Moreover, it was wine from the underworld, the stuff of the dead… Thinking this, I tried to dissuade Chen Yu, but he wouldn't listen, cursing wildly, "To hell with you! I'm going to drink today! I haven't eaten for so long, I even fed the 'corpse cocoon' and 'mountain spirit' the wine I brought. Now I want to drink to my heart's content, and you won't let me!"

Although Chen Yi often swears and curses, he is rarely so serious. Moreover, he has always respected his ancestors. Why would he say such things? I wondered: Could it be a side effect of looking at the luminous pearl? But why don't I have this manic feeling?

Even Bao Cai found this strange. He leaned closer to me and whispered, "Young Master, do you think Fatty Chen has lost his mind, or is some evil spirit possessing him and causing trouble?"

I said, "Old Mou may love wine, but he doesn't need to be a drunkard..."

"You two grew up together. Do you think Fatty Chen loves wine more or funerary objects more?" Bao Cai asked.

Without thinking, I said, "Of course, it's a funerary object..."

"That's right. He listened to your ancestor's advice and stopped taking the luminous pearl and gold. How could he become so fierce over a cup of wine? I think something's wrong. I need to find Zhang Banxian and have him whip this kid..." Bao Cai said as he went to find the little Taoist priest.

I felt uneasy and prepared to snatch the wine from Chen Yu's hand, but he swiftly opened the bronze vessel, impatiently saying, "Damn it, so many people are trying to persuade me to drink!" Then, with a "thud," the bronze vessel seemed to open. At the same time, a strange fragrance filled the entire main coffin chamber, making one feel intoxicated, as if in a dream.

Ancient winemaking techniques were not as advanced as our modern ones, so the alcohol content of wine was limited, and it was rare to find wine with such a rich and mellow aroma. The old winemaker in the corner said in a daze, "This wine should only exist in heaven; how often can one taste it on earth?"

His words and the aroma of the wine attracted Chu Ba, who also loved wine. The ancestor shook his head and said, "Forget it, I've drunk quite a bit of wine in the Yin Palace. Let's go together." After saying that, he took the bronze jue from the table and walked to Chen Tiao's side.

Looking at my ancestor's back, I thought to myself: My ancestor has no integrity at all. He lost all self-control when he smelled the aroma of wine... I shook my head helplessly and had no choice but to follow them to the side.

Chen Yu poured the wine into the ancestral bronze vessel, while he and Chu Ba took turns drinking. I noticed that the wine in the bronze vessel, under the firelight, had a pale green hue, looking like apple juice, and was quite clear. Just as the ancestral master was about to drink, I was surprised to find some impurities smaller than ants floating on the surface of the bronze vessel, like rust, so fine they were almost invisible. I told everyone about this discovery, but Chen Yu and Chu Ba, being straightforward people, didn't care about these bits of debris.

I watched them. Chen Yi took a sip, exclaimed "Ha!", wiped his mouth, and said, "Good taste. It's not as strong as the liquor we used to drink, but it's so pure. One sip and you feel like you're floating on air."

The three of them drank heartily, and before long, the wine in the bronze vessel was empty. Chen Cui, not having had his fill, said, "The wine hasn't even warmed our stomachs yet, and it's all gone. How about we open another cup?"

Just as he was about to bend down to take another sip, I reached out and stopped him, saying, "Old man, that's enough for now. If you drink any more, Princess Chu will get angry with you."

Old Chen flung my hand away and said, "You little rascal, you're always so hesitant. Drinking should be done in one go. Taking a sip doesn't count as drinking. I'm not a foreigner who can just sip from a tiny amount... Besides, it's only a small amount of alcohol, it won't hurt. And do you think I, Chen Chen, am a coward who's afraid of dying?"

Looking at Chen Tiao, I saw that although he had only drunk a little, his face had already turned a strange dark red. Even more terrifying, the veins on his skin were slowly emerging like cracking lightning bolts. As for the originally fragrant wine, it had turned into a foul, pungent smell on him.

As he spoke, his face grew increasingly red, the redness even spreading to his neck. I thought to myself: This shouldn't be happening. Old Jiao said this wine wasn't strong, and the ancestors only drank a little. But how come they're acting like they've drunk a whole liter of strong liquor?

I sensed something was wrong. Seeing Chen Yu staggering as he reached for more wine, I immediately kicked the bronze vessel open. It flipped over and rolled to the corner of the wall, shattering the quiet atmosphere of the main coffin chamber.

At the same time, Chen Yi stood beside me with his head down and a gloomy expression. I had just calmed down when I found him staring at me fiercely. His look startled me so much that I took a step back and said, "Old Yi..." Before I could explain, his severed hand rose up and slammed towards me...

Is a twenty-year friendship really going to crumble over a drink at the table?

I stared at him in disbelief until the slap left me dizzy and knocked to the ground. Only then did I realize that my childhood friend was completely in trouble.

My face was burning with pain, and my mind was fogged up from the blow. Through the haze, I saw several shadowy figures, each wearing a wooden sign. The names on the signs sent chills down my spine and made me tremble with fear.