324 High Priest (2)
The disciples of the valley had racked their brains to assist the emperor, but they died tragically because of the emperor’s suspicion.
For the sake of the people of the world, they could not take revenge. They could only choose to live in seclusion and never appear again.
At that time, the Valley Master of the Valley of Heavenly Secrets had even left behind an ancestral teaching that the descendants of the Valley of Heavenly Secrets could no longer associate with the royal family.
This explained why no one knew about the Valley of Heavenly Secrets, which everyone in the previous dynasty respected as gods.
Even the books related to the Heavenly Secrets Valley had probably been destroyed by them.
What was passed down had only been briefly mentioned.
Just like what Song Jingchen had seen.
However, this was only a one-sided story. It was impossible to find out the truth.
Shen Yijia pursed her lips. Why were they as unlucky as her beautiful husband? Emperors were indeed evil.
Seeing that Song Jingchen was engrossed in his book, Shen Yijia didn’t disturb him anymore. She turned to look at the large wooden boxes piled around.
The large wooden boxes were arranged neatly along the stone wall. Some of them were even stacked together. Shen Yijia estimated that there were at least a hundred of them.
Looking at these boxes, Shen Yijia felt like she was searching for treasure because she did not know what was inside. She rubbed her hands excitedly and slowly opened the boxes in front of her.
It was filled with books!
Shen Yijia was a little disappointed. She thought that if she opened it, it would be filled with dazzling treasures.
“It’s fine. This is only the first one.” she thought.
Shen Yijia secretly clenched her fists and opened the second, third, and fourth chest.
After opening all the boxes on one side, Shen Yijia was so tired that she sat on the ground. It was not physical fatigue, but psychological.
None of the dozens of boxes were filled with money. They were either books, paintings, brushes, inkstones, or paper.
Shen Yijia was numb. She felt that her beautiful husband must have made a mistake. The Valley of Heavenly Secrets was not a divination sect at all. It was a bookstore!
Didn’t divination require copper coins? Shen Yijia wouldn’t be so suspicious if there were a few boxes of copper coins.
She looked at the other box in frustration. She gritted her teeth and walked over to open it.
Finally. It wasn’t filled with books. It was a box of cloth.
Shen Yijia held her forehead. So not only did the Valley of Heavenly Secrets open a bookstore, but they also opened a cloth shop at the same time?
Then could she also sell these things?
Unexpectedly, just as she thought this, the cloth in front of her visibly eroded.
Unwilling to give up, she went to open other boxes. There were no exceptions.
In the end, half of the boxes were empty.
“What’s up with this place?” Shen Yijia gritted her teeth in anger. She thought that she was going to be rich.
Song Jingchen’s gentle voice sounded. “These are all fabrics from the imperial tributes of the previous dynasty. It’s hard to find them even with money. For there to be so much here, it can be seen how important the people of the Valley of Heavenly Secrets were to the emperor.”
However, so what if he valued them? Once the emperor suspected them, they could not escape death.
When Shen Yijia heard him say this, she reached out and picked up a handful of dust. She blew at it gently and said with a pained expression, “But it’s all gone now.”
Song Jingchen pulled her up in amusement and took out a handkerchief to carefully wipe her face.
Shen Yijia asked curiously, “Why do you think the previous emperor rewarded them with these instead of gold, silver, and treasures?”
Song Jingchen pursed his lips. “I suppose Emperor Yanqing likes it.”
Emperor Yanqing was the name of the last emperor of the previous dynasty.
Shen Yijia blinked and asked silently, “Are you serious?”
Song Jingchen chuckled. “It’s true. Rumor has it that a merchant sent a piece of cloth as light as a cicada’s wing into the palace. Emperor Yanqing directly made him a marquis and a chancellor. At that time, clothes could represent a person’s status, and the cloth could be used as currency.”
Therefore, these things could indeed be considered to be huge wealth in the previous dynasty.
Moreover, if Emperor Yanqing was not so ridiculous, the previous dynasty would not have fallen so quickly.
Shen Yijia was speechless. She just wanted to sigh and say that she was born at the wrong time.
Seeing her shocked expression, Song Jingchen comforted her. “Most of those books are ancient books, and most of the calligraphy and paintings are famous calligraphy treasures… They can be exchanged for a lot of money. The brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones are all extraordinary.”
Before meeting Shen Yijia, Song Jingchen had never thought that he would one day equate the things that these scholars pursued with money.
After all, Song Jingchen liked these things. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have read all kinds of books.
“Really?” Shen Yijia’s eyes lit up.
Seeing that she was finally not sulking, Song Jingchen continued, “Yes, and I took a look at those boxes earlier. They’re all made of rosewood and are worth a lot of money.”