“The twelfth day of the first month of the third year of Yuanfu?”
The three students, all history majors, immediately recognized the historical reference from the first line.
“This paper records the day that Emperor Zhezong of the Song Dynasty died.”
This realization stirred even more excitement in their hearts.
The day the emperor passed away.
Could there have been some secret that the official records didn't dare to mention on the day Zhezong died, since he had no sons?
Why else would this official in charge of recording the emperor's daily life bury a page of the ‘historical records’ documenting Zhezong's death in his own coffin?
Filled with anticipation, the three continued to read the text.
The ‘historical record’ in the wooden box was only one page long.
The paper was incomplete, and faint traces of burning were visible along the edges.
After the first section which detailed the specific date and time of Zhezong's death.
The text became heavily fragmented.
The three of them guessed and pieced together the information, using their combined historical knowledge to reconstruct the circumstances of Zhezong's death, those present at the time, and some of the conversations and decisions that were made.
After this section, amidst the fragments, there appeared a relatively complete passage.
The three eagerly looked at it:
[At midnight, the empress discussed matters with her officials, when there was a commotion outside the palace for four consecutive times.
She looked out and saw a celestial being descend from the heavens.
The celestial being walked on air, each step leaving a lotus flower mark.
At that time, celestial flowers rained down, golden lotuses sprang up from the ground, purple energy surged eastward for thousands of miles, and the sky was veiled in radiance.]
The three of them: “......”
As top students in their field, deciphering ancient texts posed no obstacle for them.
Their eyes read the text, and their minds immediately understood its meaning.
However…
Because they understood this passage, the three students found it even more ludicrous.
“Professor, could this be some fake stuff that tomb robbers planted to fool people?”
Professor Qin shook his head gently, listening to his student.
“Based on the patterns on the wooden box and the age of the paper, both are Song Dynasty artifacts.
“The writing on this paper does look like Deng Chang's handwriting.
“It's unlikely that someone would go through the trouble of creating a fake and leaving it in a tomb to play tricks.”
Han Xiaoxiao: “So… what you're saying is… this account is true?
“Do celestial beings really exist?
“Did a celestial being descend on the day Emperor Zhezong died, bringing with them such extraordinary phenomena?”
Professor Qin shook his head, “Logically speaking… as an official historian, as the emperor's recorder for the Song Dynasty, everything Deng Chang wrote about the emperor's words and actions, the relationships between the emperor and his officials, and matters of state, should have been true.
“But celestial beings… we must believe in science, that this world is material.”
Han Xiaoxiao pointed at the fragment in the wooden box, “Then what about this paper?”
Professor Qin: “......”
You're asking me, who do I ask?
Could it be that there really were celestial beings in the Song Dynasty, and one descended to Earth on the day Zhezong died?
Looking at the description of the event – celestial flowers raining down, golden lotuses springing up, purple energy surging for thousands of miles…
This wasn’t just any celestial being! It must have been the legendary Daozu himself!
If Zhezong had such great face, how could he have died so young?
Even if he really died.
According to this text, a celestial being descended to Earth because of his death, but couldn't just resurrect him?
If Zhezong had been resurrected, there wouldn't have been the later Emperors Huizong and Qinzong, nor the Jingkang Incident….
Thinking this through, Professor Qin suddenly realized – if a celestial being really had descended to Earth on the twelfth day of the first month of the third year of Yuanfu.
If the celestial being could have brought Zhezong back to life, could have helped the Song Dynasty ‘stand tall’.
Could have prevented the Jingkang Incident, the subsequent disintegration of the empire, and centuries of hardship… it wouldn't have been so bad.
He shook his head, muttering to himself that he was getting carried away.
Professor Qin glanced at his students, “The celestial being descending to Earth was probably just an exaggeration, something they made up to glorify Emperor Zhezong.
“Just like when someone is born with auspicious omens.
“Anyway, it’s unlikely that there were really celestial beings in the Song Dynasty.
“If there were, the Song Dynasty wouldn't have been bullied by foreign powers for three hundred years.”
Another graduate student nearby nodded in agreement, “Yeah, there’s no such thing as gods or ghosts.
“If there were, we in the archaeology department would know about it.
“You believe in gods in the Song Dynasty, I’d rather believe that I’m Qin Shi Huang.
“Give me 50 bucks, and I’ll at least split the crazy Thursday meal with you.”
Han Xiaoxiao, not daring to contradict her professor, just rolled her eyes at the graduate student and continued reading the rest of the fragmented page.
However, after the passage mentioning the ‘celestial being descending to Earth’.
The text on the remaining part of the page was even more fragmented.
Even as history majors, the three of them couldn’t make out a single complete sentence.
With no other choice, they could only try to decipher the remaining characters on the page and discuss the possible context.
Graduate Student: “This character is missing half, but we can vaguely make out that it should be ‘dan’.”
Han Xiaoxiao: “Dan? Dan what? What kind of dan?”
Graduate Student: “Given the context of a celestial being descending to Earth, could it be ‘elixir’?”
Han Xiaoxiao: “There’s a ‘jin’ character after this.
“And the part after ‘jin’, which is missing most of it, looks like it could be ‘kuang’ based on the corner we can see.”
Graduate Student: “Gold mine? Why would they mention a gold mine?
“Did the celestial being descend to Earth, wanting to seize their gold mines while the Song Dynasty was leaderless after Zhezong’s death?”
Professor Qin: “Stop making things up, if a celestial being really came down to Earth, they could turn stones into gold. Why would they need a gold mine?
“Look at these two characters, ‘Tai Yi’. These are the only two complete characters in the lower part of the page.
“It looks like it’s some sort of title, name, or alias.”
Han Xiaoxiao: “The last two characters we can make out are missing just a little bit.
“If I’m not mistaken, they should be ‘Tian Zun’.”
Graduate Student: “Tian Zun? I think that refers to the highest level of attainment in the Daoist system, someone who has achieved enlightenment and perfection.
“If you combine those two characters with the previous ones, it becomes ‘Tai Yi Tian Zun’?
Han Xiaoxiao: “The Three Pure Ones in Daoism are called ‘Yuan Shi Tian Zun’, ‘Dao De Tian Zun’ and ‘Ling Bao Tian Zun’.”
“If the celestial being who descended to Earth after Zhezong's death was called ‘Tai Yi Tian Zun’.”
“It actually matches the description of celestial flowers raining down, golden lotuses springing up, purple energy surging eastward for thousands of miles, and the celestial being walking on air, each step leaving a lotus flower mark.”
Professor Qin: “......”
So you still believe that there were celestial beings in the Song Dynasty?