Ghosts Know What I Experienced

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Chapter 23.3: Things have remained the same, but people have changed.

Chapter 23 Part 3

Xi Jia also had a face filled with black lines, wishing he could immediately leave right now.¹ But before he could make the move, Zhufeng-zhenren calculated the truth, “Ah! So it turns out that this young daoist is Young Daoist Ye’s fiancée from the scoop that ‘Ghosts Know’ had originally uploaded!”

Once these words fell, the other masters responded one after another.

“Right! It’s this face, this old man remembers. On ‘Ghosts Know,’ it said that he’s Young Daoist Ye’s future wife.”

“This monk also remembers, it can’t be wrong.”

“No wonder he’s so familiar, I actually saw this young daoist’s picture before on ‘Ghosts Know.’”

Xi Jia, “……!!!”

Ye Jingzhi still didn’t know about the deleted fake news, “My fiancée?”

Qishan-daoren laughed, “That’s all in the past. Young Daoist Ye, there’s no need to mind it.”

How could Ye Jingzhi not mind it, “Why does ‘Ghosts Know’ know that my fiancée is……”

“Right right right, it’s indeed a thing of the past.” Xi Jia was so embarrassed that he couldn’t even raise his head and only wished to find a hole to squeeze into. “Masters, shouldn’t the main focus be to find Qin San Shi and capture him right now? Master Ye’s fiancée isn’t important. It’s important to quickly find Qin San Shi.”

The masters immediately nodded in response, each of them expressing that they had more important things to do. They’re not gossipy at all.

Xi Jia speechlessly stared at them, including the head, Cengxiu-zhenjun, who appeared to be righteous and imposing.

From what Pei Yu had said, that article on “Ghosts Know” was only up for ten or so minutes before it was deemed as false news and was deleted. Then, the masters who are present, from where did you see his picture? If it wasn’t “Ghosts Know” that updated, you all wouldn’t be itching to go read gossips?

Qishan-daoren flicked his sleeve, “The proper work is more important, this old man never reads these trifle gossips.”

……Does your conscience not hurt?!

Temporarily leaving aside whether or not there’s a reliable person in the Xuanxue world, if they wished to find Qin San Shi, they couldn’t blindly look for him like before. Qin San Shi didn’t go to Chang’an, nor did he go to Xianyang. On the contrary, he inexplicably came to the Qin and Tang movie city. There must be a big information included among these.

Jiqin-zhenren, who had settled in Chang’an, said, “My Dinghai Sect has a 300 year old relationship with the Mausoleum. Today, my junior martial brother has already found out why that malicious ghost with 300 years of cultivation could enter the Mausoleum. I’m not sure if anyone still remembers why the Mausoleum had suddenly appeared?”

Zhufeng-zhenren said, “321 years ago, during the spring of the Bingzi year, my sect grandmaster had calculated that Chang’an would meet a huge calamity. Afterwards, everyone of the Xuanxue world came to Chang’an for a look. They only knew that when two grave robbers were digging at an ordinary grave, they accidentally dug the wrong way and left a mark on the Mausoleum’s gate.”

Jiqin-zhenren nodded, “Correct. How could two ordinary grave robbers pry open the Mausoleum’s gate? But they have disturbed the Mausoleum. The first level of the Mausoleum suddenly opened. Those two grave robbers were immediately killed by the malicious ghosts within. We were unaware that among them a person had unexpectedly escaped out of the Mausoleum.” Jiqin-zhenren looked at Master Buxing, “Buxing, the malicious ghost that you have been chasing is precisely one of the two grave robbers who had escaped from the Mausoleum 321 years ago.”

Master Buxing put his palms together, “Amitabha, no wonder that malicious ghost can enter the Mausoleum. It turns out that his corpse is inside.”

These masters’ conversations were mystifying. Xi Jia wasn’t a person of the Xuanxue world, and there were some things he heard that he didn’t understand. He was merely curious, “So, what needs to be done to find Qin San Shi?”

Jiqin-zhenren straightened his face and said, “Then we have to know just what kind of person Qin San Shi is.”

Previously when Xi Jia had searched up the Tai’e Sword, he also searched up the information on Ziying while he was at it. The encyclopedia said Ying Ziying was on the throne for 46 days. Originally he was named an Emperor, and was later proclaimed to be the King of Qin. Before the Battle of Julu, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu had agreed that whoever advanced and entered first would become King. Liu Bang used a stratagem to take the lead and break into Xianyang. Ziying had worn white robes as he offered the jade imperial seal and officially surrendered while kneeling.

A month later, Xiang Yu broke into Xianyang in a rage. Losing to Liu Bang, he was extremely angry. He set fire to Epang Palace and massacred the City of Xianyang. His subordinate also beheaded Ziying.

There was a rumor in which Ziying was carried out of the imperial palace by a loyal old palace eunuch who randomly found a place to bury him in the end. Because things were too urgent, Ziying didn’t have a tomb or gravestone. Nobody knew where he had been buried either. History also gradually forgot the Qin San Shi who had been on the throne for only 46 days.

Jiqin-zhenren said, “Our Dinghai Sect have surveyed the Mausoleum for three hundred years and also found out a lot of secrets. It’s very possible that Ziying is buried near the Mausoleum. He doesn’t have a tomb. Being buried near his father’s side is the most probable.”

Xi Jia captured the main point, “Father?”

Jiqin-zhenren lightly nodded, “Yes. Ziying is Qin Shi Huang’s son, Fusu’s younger brother, and Huhai’s older brother.”²

According to the encyclopedia that Xi Jia had looked up, the historians of later generations have only two doubts about Qin San Shi: one, where his tomb was; two, what his identity was.

Xiang Yu had massacred, burned captured cities, and completely burned much of the historical records. Ziying had only held the throne for 46 days and didn’t leave much to indicate his identity. After a large fire burnt the Epang Palace, his identity also disappeared in the fire.

Some historians believed that Ziying was Fusu’s son, the First Emperor’s grandson. Others believed that Ziying was the First Emperor’s younger brother. There were also some historians who believed that Ziying was the First Emperor’s nephew, Huhai’s older paternal cousin.

There were some people who said that Ziying was the First Emperor’s son because the Yearly Chronicles of the Six States³ stated, “Gao had established Er Shi’s elder brother, Ziying.” In other words, it could be interpreted as establishing Qin Er Shi’s, Huhai’s, older brother, Ziying, as the Emperor.

At present, Ziying as Fusu’s son was the most common theory within the historiographical circle. Yet, Jiqin-zhenren said that Ziying was the First Emperor’s son, Fusu’s younger brother.

Jiqin-zhenren was still talking, and Xi Jia, whose stomach was full of doubts, couldn’t answer. A low male voice sounded beside his ear, “Historical records were burnt until practically none was left. However, people’s memories can’t be erased. The ghosts of those who had died in Xianyang’s large fire know who their Qin San Shi is. These 300 years, the Dinghai Sect has always been seeking information about the Mausoleum from the ghosts’ mouths.”

Xi Jia looked at Ye Jingzhi and lightly nodded.

Indeed, the Xuanxue world definitely had their unique methods to search for historical facts.

Jiqin-zhenren said, “He Shi Bi, Tai’e Sword, these are all funerary objects in the Mausoleum. Since Ziying has these things on him, that proves that he isn’t buried outside of the Mausoleum. Rather, he’s really buried within the Mausoleum. When the Mausoleum for the Emperor was being built in the ancient times, the tomb would be sealed off. There is also another hypothesis in which the First Emperor wanted longevity, used mercury as a river, and casted millions of terracotta soldiers and horses as his army. He even left a passage for Fusu, his favorite son, to enter the Mausoleum and continue to accompany him after his death.”

Ye Jingzhi asked, “He wants Fusu to be buried together with him?”

Jiqin-zhenren said, “It can also be said like that. But Fusu never ascended to the throne and committed suicide instead. He died underneath the Great Wall and was buried beyond the Great Wall in the end. That was probably unforeseen by the First Emperor.” Pausing for a moment, Jiqin-zhenren’s complexion became more grave, “So what we need to face right now is Ziying who is buried in the Mausoleum in Fusu’s place.”

Everyone discussed for a while again. They unanimously thought that Ziying couldn’t have gone far and was definitely near the Qin and Tang movie city. They split into four routes and started to search from four directions. At the same time, they let the juniors do a carpet sweep within the vicinity of the Qin and Tang movie city. If there’s any news, they should immediately notify them.

Ye Jingzhi was assigned to search in the east. Chang’an’s urban district just so happened to be in the eastern direction. He and Xi Jia headed east together.

Downtown Chang’an was about to entire their sights, and Ye Jingzhi unexpectedly didn’t even look around. Xi Jia perplexedly asked, “Master Ye, you don’t need to go find Qin San Shi’s tracks?”

Ye Jingzhi didn’t feel he was slacking off at all and said with a straight face, “Sending you back first.”

Xi Jia, “……”

Along the way, Xi Jia didn’t talk anymore. Only until they had almost reached the hotel was he unable hold it anymore and said, “That article on ‘Ghosts Know’……”

“It was my fault.” A clear cold voice interrupted Xi Jia. Ye Jingzhi looked at him as he blamed himself, “In the future, ‘Ghosts Know’ won’t publish your information anymore. After this, I will go to their headquarters and talk to them.”

Xi Jia, “……” Talk to them? Isn’t it planning on bringing Wu Xiang Qing Li, forcing your way in, and holding a knife to their necks kind of talk?

Thinking for a bit, Xi Jia still said, “That article has already been deleted.”

Ye Jingzhi blanked, “Already deleted?”

Xi Jia nodded, “En, it was deleted very early on. You don’t need to mind it.” Anyways, it was fake news. “Ghosts Know” themselves had to eat a huge deficit and compensate a lot of points.

Ye Jingzhi thought for a while, “En, right, they should delete.” It’s probably because of last year’s “talk” that “Ghosts Know” didn’t dare to expose his scoops as they wished again.

The thoughts in their minds were complete opposites, yet they could still continue to converse together.

Upon entering the hotel, Xi Jia asked, “Since Qin San Shi’s ghost can stay in the world and hasn’t reincarnated, then……did the First Emperor also not reincarnate?”

Ye Jingzhi said, “Because Qin San Shi was the ruler of a vanquished nation. There is shame in his heart as well as resentment so he hasn’t reincarnated. As for the First Emperor, he died violently during the journey back to the palace. That itself has resentment. In addition to being buried in the Mausoleum, the Mausoleum is a natural enchantment, and the yin energy will condense. Perhaps he also hasn’t reincarnated and has become a malicious ghost emperor.”

Xi Jia wrinkled his brow, “If the First Emperor hasn’t reincarnated and is still in the Mausoleum, then could he have seen his own son, Ying Ziying?”

Ye Jingzhi paused in his footsteps, “Perhaps.”

Xi Jia pondered for a moment and also thought that Ziying and the First Emperor should have seen each other a long time ago. Otherwise, how could Ziying obtain the He Shi Bi and the Tai’e Sword? These were all funerary objects in the Mausoleum.

Ye Jingzhi laid down three barriers in Xi Jia’s room. He carefully checked it again before leaving Chang’an to search for Ziying’s whereabouts. Xi Jia took a shower before opening his cell phone to continue checking on some historical materials about the Qin Dynasty.

However, within these historical materials, there were clear records of the First Emperor, Fusu, and Huhai. The amount of information about Ziying could be counted on the fingers on one’s hands. It was as if before Fusu’s suicide, the First Emperor never had this son. Xi Jia rummaged through every major history database and also didn’t find Ziying’s concrete birthdate. There were very few lines in regards to his evaluation like “magnanimous and benevolent” or “if he could be on the throne longer, then perhaps he could have reversed the state of affairs.”

“Since he was in the Mausoleum, then he really should have seen the First Emperor……”

“I have not seen Father Emperor.”

A refined voice sounded from behind. Xi Jia’s eyes tensed and immediately formed a fist. Ziying leaned to the side to dodge.

The handsome and thin man in black stood underneath the hotel’s dim incandescent light. He lightly pulled his lips to reveal a faint smile. This smile wasn’t like the smile Xi Jia had seen before. He seemed to be smiling, but he wasn’t smiling in his heart. In the clear eyes, there was neither resentment nor dissatisfaction, only gentleness and tranquility.

“During the time when Xianyang was captured, Ah Xi carried my corpse and entered Father Emperor’s mausoleum through a secret passage. Father Emperor dispersed Ah Xi’s soul with a palm, but he did not expel me out of the Mausoleum. It was already letting the caged bird fly. The next two thousand years, how could he let me enter his Palace of Eternal Life and sleep for eternity together with him above his River of Longevity?”

Ziying raised his eyes to look at Xi Jia, his smile warm.

“The one Father Emperor wishes to see has never been me.”

The Author has something to say: What made you all appear, Mirror thinks Xi Jia doesn’t know about the misconception that they have an engagement……

Then, this work is not a writing of textual research. In regards to Ziying’s past history, the historiography circle still has no firm consensus. Everything is the author’s personal setting, please do not mind, muah muah =3=

Translator’s Notes:

¹ Black lines like this:

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² Fusu – Qin Shi Huang’s eldest son and heir apparent. ↵

³ Yearly Chronicles of the Six States – I’m not sure about the credibility of this quote since I haven’t read a copy of this, but this is Chapter 15 from the Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian. ↵