To put it simply, the Sijing Bureau is an extra-large library that occupies half of the mountainside. It is divided into two areas, east and west, together with other departments and official residences of the Zhanshi Mansion, and is separated by a long staircase.
From the outside, it looks like an ancient version of a factory building, with only one floor and a height of several meters.
In the middle of the room is a main desk and two rows of secondary desks, surrounded by giant bookshelves.
Rituals, divination, laws, agriculture, poetry, astronomy, geography...
Apart from the records of natural disasters and martial arts that cannot be put down on paper, this place contains almost all the knowledge of this world.
Moreover, it is much more complete than the local county school.
For example, history books.
When the original body was studying in Canglang, the official history he could access was only about 1,800 years old, while the official history of the Sijing Bureau... was about 5,000 years old!
pity.
The origin of Daqing dates back five thousand years.
For example, at this time, what Xu Chong was holding in his hand was the earliest official history compiled by the Sijing Bureau, "Qingshi - Shunhe Chronicles".
The first sentence of the opening is 'In the 6259th year of the Xuanli calendar, the emperor succeeded to the throne and changed the reign title to Shunhe'.
A succession and a change of reign title both indicate that Shunhe was not the reign title of the founding emperor.
However, the year 6259 in the Xuan calendar did make Xu Chong pay secret attention.
Whether it was the original body's or his own memory, it was the first time they had seen this mysterious calendar.
“Is it eliminated or hidden ?”
"If it is eliminated, it means that Xuanli was not established by Emperor Qing Taizu, and the era of Emperor Qing Taizu should not be too far away from that of Emperor Shunhe."
"If it's hidden, there are many possibilities."
Xu Chong seemed to be thinking about something, and walked towards the main desk with the book.
Anyway, he is already in the cave, and the prompt on the panel also indicates that the spiritual source can be generated without hindrance, so he has plenty of time to look for secrets.
As he walked over, more than twenty people sitting in the two rows stood up at the same time.
Including Xue Fu, there were six proofreaders, six clerks, and a dozen miscellaneous officials who were not in the mainstream.
This is the staff of the entire Bureau of Economics.
"Sir, let the subordinates do the work of finding books."
Xue Fu spoke first, and his status was obviously higher than that of the other proofreaders.
“There aren’t so many rules.”
Xu Chong waved his hand and sat down. "Just do your own thing, don't worry about me."
After countless revisions, most of the books in the Sijing Bureau have reached the point where they can no longer be revised. The main daily work is to organize the local chronicles of the previous year, select the parts that can be included in the official history, and submit them to the Hanlin Academy.
If the Hanlin Academy has any objections, they will send someone to discuss it together.
This job was filled with a great deal of self-deception, fooling the people and fawning on superiors, and Xu Chong was disdainful of interfering with it.
"Haha, listen to the adults."
Xue Fu smiled and gestured to the others, who sat down one after another.
These people breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
In fact, thanks to the Crown Prince's temperament, there are no strict rules in the entire cave, and the officials get along very well.
But after all, Xu Chong had just taken office, and their rank, status and background were very different from Xu Chong's. They also had no idea of ​​Xu Chong's likes and dislikes, so they were inevitably a little restrained.
You hour.
Xue Fu led everyone to bow and say goodbye.
Xu Chong was the only one left in the Finance Bureau.
After twelve hours, a little spiritual source was generated.
"Jixiangtian is also a lower-grade cave heaven. Theoretically, it can generate 2 points per day at the highest rate. However, I'm afraid this can only be achieved in the prince's bedroom on the top of the mountain."
Xu Chong thought about it and shook his head, "Forget it. In the prince's bedroom, besides the prince's family, only eunuchs can live there permanently. It would be nice to have one day."
"At least it's safe here."
"The Imperial Prison also successfully descended to the seventh floor."
"From now on, my main focus should still be on the Fang family."
To be honest, the principle of this incarnation really exceeded his understanding of two lifetimes combined.
The three bodies share one brain, able to see three different scenes at the same time and make different responses without any lag or delay.
Just like at this moment, Xu Chong was chewing fire moss, flipping through history books, and observing the Spring and Autumn Tomb.
In the Spring and Autumn Tomb, Xu Chong was also arranged to stay halfway up the mountain, but his treatment was much worse.
At this time, he was in a pavilion halfway up the mountain.
Outside the pavilion is a pond, outside the pond is a large net woven by lightning, and outside the electric net, there are only graves all over the mountains...
Generally speaking, the main body inside the Chunqiu Tomb is the same as that of Jixiangtian, which is a mountain.
The difference is that this is a cemetery.
From the foot of the mountain, densely packed tombstones spread all the way to the top of the mountain, and no other buildings can be seen.
There was not a single clue to the so-called rules of the cave.
"You have lived here for so many years, won't there be any problems with your character?"
Xu Chong was a little curious.
Fang Lezhong's face turned dark, "Lin Kuang, you are no longer the Taoist master you were back then. Believe it or not, even if the Lin family knew you were here, they would never ask the Fang family for someone else."
"I know."
Xu Chong nodded directly, "Back then, whether I had the hope of breaking through to the Immortal God or not, I was already at the ninth level of Yang God Transformation. But now my Purple Palace is almost half-wasted, and I can only barely retain the strength of the first level. It's far less important."
"Now that you know, you should understand that telling the truth is your only way to survive."
Fang Lezhong narrowed his eyes.
"What do you want to tell me?"
Xu Chong had a blank expression on his face.
"First, the Imperial Prison."
Fang Lezhong stared at Lin Kuang, his eyes flickering. “It is said that no one who was imprisoned below the third floor could come out alive… Tell me, what is below the third floor like, and how did you get out?”
This information is needed by all three major families.
The three families only knew about the upper three levels of the imperial prison and knew nothing about the levels below the third level. And even these were learned from the officials of the imperial court.
If there really is a way to escape from the Imperial Prison, and only the Fang family knows about it...
"Don't you think I've surrendered to the imperial court?"
Xu Chong grinned, "This is true. I have the imperial court's arrangement on me. If you don't want to be found here by the imperial court, I advise you to release me quickly."
"Well, if I don't let you give up on this idea, I'm afraid you won't cooperate."
Fang Lezhong shook his head and sighed, saying, "Did you see the coffin when you came in?"
"So what if I saw it?"
Xu Chong's heart moved slightly.
"I'm not afraid to tell you that that's not the real body of the Spring and Autumn Tomb at all."
Fang Lezhong laughed, " The main body of the Spring and Autumn Tomb is placed in the coffin."
"And the material of that coffin is the forbidden stone from the Imperial Prison—99,000 kilograms of forbidden stone."
“It took hundreds of years just to collect the materials.”
"After several hundred years, it took six generations of direct bloodline to continuously temper it with pure physical strength, and finally the forbidden stone was forged into such a coffin."
"The purpose is to completely distinguish the real body of the Spring and Autumn Tomb from the outside world."
"So, no matter what you have arranged, it will only be effective within the cave and will not be able to leave the coffin at all."
Fang Lezhong laughed as he spoke, "I'm not afraid to tell you that even if Dou Tianyuan came here, he wouldn't be able to leave the Spring and Autumn Tomb through his methods."
Xu Chong's expression turned ugly.
I'm not pretending this time.
He always thought that as long as he had a hand that could break the sky, he could leave at any time even if he encountered any danger in the Spring and Autumn Tomb.
But now it seems that it is hanging.
It took nearly a thousand years just to make the clan's land more secure... As expected of one of the three ancient families, their generosity is truly astonishing.
"in addition."
After a pause, Fang Lezhong continued, "Unless you are elected into the elders' council or become the head of the Fang family, no matter who enters or leaves the Spring and Autumn Tomb, you must drink a drug that makes you lose consciousness in advance to protect the secret of the coffin... Do you understand what I mean?"
"What you mean is that you will never let me leave alive, right?"
Xu Chong narrowed his eyes.
"certainly."
Fang Lezhong stroked his beard and smiled, "Whether it's Lin Kuang from the Lin family or Lin Kuang from the Taiping Dao, they will definitely not be able to leave the Spring and Autumn Tomb alive, but... Lin Kuang from the Fang family is different."
Xu Chong's heart moved slightly, "What do you mean?"
"Cooperate with the Fang family."
Fang Lezhong's eyes were burning. "As long as you can prove your worth, the Fang family will not hesitate to help you restore your Purple Palace, and give you the same treatment as the direct descendants... Of course, certain restrictions are necessary."
"...I advise you to give up this idea as soon as possible."
Xu Chong said coldly.
"Haha, no hurry, you can think about it carefully."
Fang Lezhong stood up and said meaningfully: "I believe you will agree in the end."
After saying this, Fang Lezhong's body flashed with lightning, wrapping him up and flying out of the lightning net.
"Now!"
Xu Chong's eyes narrowed.
Spectral Shadow and One-Hand Sky Breaking were activated at the same time.
With one step forward, Xu Chong, who was completely invisible, appeared behind Fang Lezhong.
As for the person who was still sitting in the pavilion, he was naturally an illusion.
In this way, Xu Chong followed Fang Lezhong step by step and came to a position close to the top of the mountain.
There are far , and they are much larger.
One of the tombs sensed Fang Lezhong's arrival and automatically split apart from the center, revealing a staircase extending downwards.
Xu Chong followed and walked down.
Just one step, the scene around him made him discover the clue.
Outside the cemetery, both the flowing clouds and the flying birds slowed down instantly.
Compared with before, the difference is almost ten times!
"So, the rules of the transformation of the stars only exist within the cemetery?"
Xu Chong seemed to be thinking about something.
According to the information Lin Kuang obtained, one hundred years in the Spring and Autumn Tomb corresponds to one year in the outside world.
Obviously, this news is crude.
This should be the strongest point of the rule to achieve a hundred to one effect.
“We need to find out what conditions are required to enter and exit this cemetery.”
Xu Chong thought as he continued to follow Fang Lezhong.
Soon, a spacious hall appeared before their eyes.
Although there was no light on, it was bright and clear, just like daylight.
On the inner wall, there is a plaque with three large characters "Council Hall" inscribed on it.
There were twelve chairs arranged in a circle in the hall, eleven of which were already occupied.
Fang Lezhong walked straight towards the empty chair.
As soon as we sat down, someone started to speak quickly.
"How about it? Is Lin Kuang willing to cooperate?"
"How can it be that easy?"
Fang Lezhong shook his head. "After all, he was once a Taoist master. Even if he was imprisoned for twenty years, he still has a bit of pride."
"Humph, you've gone to so much trouble, not hesitating to expose the location of the cave. If you can't get anything out of it, it will be a big joke."
"Yes, opening and closing the forbidden coffin is not an easy task, so don't waste your efforts."
"In my opinion, this Lin Kuang has no value at all. Just kill him and be done with it."
“…”
Everyone started to speak up, openly or covertly mocking Fang Lezhong.
Only one old woman supported him.
"You can't say that. No matter what, Le Zhong is working for the family. Moreover, whether it's opening and closing the coffin or maintaining the cage, Le Zhong does it all by himself. Even if he gets nothing in the end, it won't be a waste of your time."
As soon as the old woman spoke, everyone calmed down a little.
It can be seen that he is older than everyone present.
"Don't be depressed, share your thoughts."
The old woman looked at Fang Lezhong and said, "We are all brothers and sisters. Even if there is any unhappiness, don't let it get involved in the serious business."
"My aunt taught me that."
Fang Lezhong nodded respectfully, then glanced around before speaking calmly, "Whether Lin Kuang surrendered to the imperial court or not, I think he should have mastered a magical power."
Everyone was shocked.
Xu Chong hid in the dark and couldn't help but feel shocked.
The others became even more noisy.
"Magic power?!"
"impossible!"
"The magical power has long been extinct..."
“…”
Everyone was talking at once.
"Quiet!"
The old woman uttered two words coldly, "Listen to the music and finish it."
Fang Lezhong nodded to the old woman, took out something from his arms and threw it over, "I wonder if Aunt recognizes this thing?"
The old woman reached out and caught it.
This is an irregular stone with sharp edges and golden-black color. It looks ordinary at first glance, but if you look closely, you will find that each surface has twisted lines.
The old woman recalled the records of her clan and exclaimed in horror: "World Stone?!"
Everyone looked confused, as if they didn't know anything about this kind of thing.
"It is the World Stone."
Fang Lezhong nodded, "My Fang family has records that the World Stone was born with the creation of heaven and earth. Each World Stone represents a magical power that is on par with the rules of heaven and earth."
"In ancient times, someone destroyed the World Stone in order to keep the magical power for himself. Once the World Stone is destroyed, one must spend one's lifespan to pass on the magical power, and it can only be passed on to one person at a time. This is why the magical power has become extinct today."
Having said this, the eyes of all the elders became heated.
"When and where did you find this?"
The old woman asked in a deep voice.
"This stone floated from the sea."
Fang Lezhong replied, "In the sixth year of Lin Kuang's becoming the Taoist master, the side branches of my Fang family suffered heavy casualties. The clan suspected that Lin Kuang was behind this, so they sent me to guard the ship. Coincidentally, this stone ignored the ship's protection and hit the hull."
“…It’s just a fragment. Maybe it was shattered in ancient times. How did you associate it with the idea that Lin Kuang has magical powers?”
The elders looked at Fang Lezhong in silence.
I thought you found it from Lin Kuang, but this is it?
What a surprise for nothing.
“At first, I thought so too.”
Fang Lezhong shook his head and changed the subject: "It was not until I learned that Lin Kuang was still alive that I began to associate it with magical powers."
"Think about it, how many years has our Fang family been passed down?"
"After so many years and so many people, have they ever found a second fragment of the World Stone?"
“It didn’t appear earlier or later, but it appeared after Lin Kuang’s rise.”
"Perhaps you think this is just a coincidence, but how did Lin Kuang survive back then?"
"Can a mere ninth level Yang God stop the collapse of the cave?"
"Let alone the ninth level of Yang God, there are also people here who have reached the fifth or even sixth level of Golden Body. Are you sure you can stop the collapse of the cave and survive?"
"Plus, Lin Kuang is only a branch of the Lin family. Even though he has been a Taoist master for more than ten years, what qualifications and secrets does he have to make Emperor Qing keep him for more than twenty years?"
Fang Lezhong raised the corner of his mouth, "I think if Lin Kuang had mastered a magical power and revealed it back then, all of this would be explained."
Xu Chong listened and sighed secretly.
The three ancient families have too deep a foundation, and the huge information gap allows them to get extremely close to the truth with just a few clues.
If it weren't for the ability to split light into shadows and break the sky with one hand, this body would have ended up in the Spring and Autumn Tomb sooner or later.
"Yes, that's possible."
The old woman nodded slowly, "Although not everyone can master magical powers, our Fang family has nothing but a lot of people... The only problem now is that Lin Kuang is planting Tao for Zifu, even if the Tao seed is half-wasted, unless he is willing, we can't force him."
"There's no rush for this, take your time."
There was a gleam in Fang Lezhong's eyes.