Not of Tibetan descent? When he first came in, didn't Tenzin Zongji's actions adhere strictly to the most traditional customs? And Niyong's appearance is no different from that of an ordinary Tibetan. This...

Xu Zhiwu looked at Niyong with the same bewildered expression as mine.

Niyong laughed heartily, completely understanding, "No wonder you find it strange. Based on appearance, demeanor, and speech, everyone assumes we are pure-blooded Tibetans."

I interjected with a smile, "Your Mandarin carries a Beijing accent, almost like a northern dialect."

Niyong gave me a thumbs-up, flattering, "Mr. Luo is sharp."

Xu Zhiwu took over, "Little Luo is accomplished in many ways; I'll tell you all about it when we have time. For now, quickly tell us about the Golden Eye and Silver Bead. If I don't understand this, I might not sleep for days and nights."

Niyong was very forthcoming and straightforward. Seeing Xu Zhiwu's eagerness, he quickly got to the point:

"You two must already know some things from Laba. This Golden Eye and Silver Bead is an heirloom of my family. If not for certain circumstances that Laba happened to stumble upon, I wouldn't have sold it to him even for ten million."

There must have been quite a convoluted story behind Laba acquiring the Golden Eye and Silver Bead from Niyong. I wanted to ask for the specifics, but upon seeing the urgency in Xu Zhiwu's eyes, I held back, calmed myself, and listened closely to Niyong.

What Niyong said next surprised us even more: "To tell the truth, in essence, we have absolutely no connection to the Tibetans."

We all exchanged astonished glances.

Niyong seemed to anticipate our reaction, smiling faintly, "When Laba first learned of this, he was as surprised as you are... If you weren't Laba's introduced friends, I certainly wouldn't be telling you this. Actually, Mr. Luo already noticed when he pointed out the strong northern accent in my Mandarin. Yes, that's true. Because our ancestors were originally northerners. Counting the time before and after arriving here, it's only been a little over a hundred years."

Hearing this, in a flash of insight, I suddenly recalled those coffins of the Han soldiers, the depictions of the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars on them, and the bone ash jars—all those funeral customs unique to the North. Those Han soldiers must have been northerners in life. Could it be... I felt an answer bubbling up in my chest, but jumping to conclusions halfway through wasn't my style; it was better to hear Niyong out completely.

Niyong, of course, didn't notice the flood of thoughts racing through my mind in an instant, and continued:

"Initially, thirteen of our ancestors, men from the Northeast, settled here under the orders of Shengtai, the High Commissioner to Tibet. When they first arrived, the place was utterly devastated, devoid of any vitality. What you see is merely the vast Guge ruins, nothing else... I've strayed off topic. The point is, my grandfather and the other twelve were strong, able-bodied men from the Manchu Plain Yellow Banner. Each had a family back home with parents, wives, and children. You all know the strict rules of the Banner people, especially those of the Plain Yellow Banner who held some connection to the Imperial family. But Shengtai, armed with an Imperial Edict, forcibly compelled our grandfathers to abandon their families in the Northeast, marry local Tibetan women, have children, and dedicate themselves to being dutiful, settled Tibetans."

"I might be speaking confusingly, I don't know if you understand. In short, my grandfather and the other twelve good Manchu Plain Yellow Banner men were reluctantly married to Tibetan women. Not only were they married, but Shengtai also decreed that the descendants of these thirteen must only marry Tibetans. This was to ensure that generation after generation, they would become more and more like pure Tibetans—which is why you see me now, my exterior already indistinguishable from a Tibetan. On my household registration, the nationality column is filled in as Tibetan." Niyong gave a wry smile at this point, "In reality, who would ever know we are actually Manchu Plain Yellow Banner people? Who would have expected it? Right? It’s just that the experts and scholars who come here to investigate always speculate that we must be descendants of Guge, or at least related to the Guge Dynasty. Countless tourists also ask why our dozen or so households, who have no connection to the Guge Dynasty, are guarding this desolate ruin... What am I supposed to say? I can hardly reply: We are merely the result of the Great Qing Emperor having an unexpected thought, sending us here to guard a secret whose conclusion is still nowhere in sight."

"A secret—?" I dragged out the word as I repeated the question.

Xu Zhiwu also asked, "Are you guarding this place for the secret of the Golden Eye and Silver Bead?" This fellow was still obsessed with the artifact, but I, on the other hand, was much more interested in the story of Niyong's ancestors, especially the Qing Emperor—it should be Guangxu, no, Empress Dowager Cixi was likely the one truly in charge. I was fascinated by how the Old Buddha suddenly developed an extra thought and dispatched thirteen trusted Plain Yellow Banner youths to such a remote region of Southern Tibet.

Niyong suddenly sighed, "Chatting with you in Mandarin reminds me of my old home in the Northeast. I’ve been to Fengtian—no, you call it Shenyang now... I have been to Shenyang; my ancestral home is in Fengtian city. But ever since my grandfather came here, he never went back. Before he died, he clutched my father’s hand, tears welling up, pointing towards the northeast, choking on words, unable to say anything coherent. After a long while, he finally passed away. Alas..." A faint glimmer of tears shone in Niyong's eyes as well. I felt a pang of sympathy, and a touch of sadness crept into me too.

Xu Zhiwu also sighed, "That must have been hard for you, Niyong."

Niyong gave a self-deprecating laugh, "What's so hard about it? Generations of us have guarded this place for over a hundred years, and we still haven't waited for the truth. Thinking about it, we have truly failed the Imperial command."

Perhaps that sense of loyalty and filial piety that Niyong's people possessed was something we who grew up under the flag of New China could not fully understand. The Qing Dynasty had fallen for so many years, yet he still spoke of the 'Old Buddha' and the 'Emperor' with such reverence and formality, likely due to the teachings and influence of his forebears.

Niyong was quick-witted and immediately sensed his words were perhaps ill-timed. He quickly added, "Of course, nowadays there's no talk of Imperial commands or anything. It’s just that our generations have remained here for a single purpose; if that goal suddenly vanished, life would seem utterly meaningless."

Xu Zhiwu and I, knowing his apprehension, quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes." Even so, Niyong no longer mentioned the 'Emperor' or the 'Old Buddha,' referring only to the 'order from above.'

"What do you think the order from above was for my grandfather and the others to guard this place? Wasn't it all because of that Golden Eye and Silver Bead?" After talking for a long while, Niyong finally brought up the Golden Eye and Silver Bead. Xu Zhiwu's expression brightened, and he hurriedly asked, "Was it to guard the Golden Eye and Silver Bead?"

Niyong shook his head, "If something like the Golden Eye and Silver Bead needed guarding, would I have given it to Laba?"

Xu Zhiwu looked a bit awkward and mumbled, "Yes... that’s true."

Niyong continued, "Initially, the authorities saw that the Tibetan region was unstable, and several High Commissioners sent to Tibet failed to find a solution. Later, somehow, the authorities heard that a certain noble family possessed a craftsman from the exiled Guge Dynasty. They became interested and subtly let it be known that the court was quite curious about the Guge Silver Eye. That noble family was embroiled in a conflict between several factions and was already stretched thin, desperately needing support from the central government. At that point, he immediately understood what to do and urgently commanded the Guge serf in his household to produce a Guge Silver Eye by any means necessary. However, the craftsmanship of the Guge Silver Eye was exceedingly complex, and that serf only knew how to make a Silver Eye. He had no other Guge peers, so in the end, he could only barely manage to create the Golden Eye and Silver Bead."

"By now, you must all understand, that noble family was the Laba family," Niyong took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, "The Laba family later passed the Golden Eye and Silver Bead to Shengtai through a Han Chinese intermediary."

Hearing this, Xu Zhiwu interjected with a smile, "That Han intermediary was none other than my own grandfather."

Niyong was greatly surprised upon hearing this, "No way? What a coincidence?"

Xu Zhiwu replied, "In fact, it was that coincidental."

Niyong clapped his hands and laughed heartily, "That’s excellent, then I don't need to explain in such detail. Did your grandfather ever tell you that Shengtai later died at Renjingang in Tibet, and his body was never transported back to Beijing for burial, but rather interred somewhere in Tibet?"

Hearing this, I became almost entirely certain of my conjecture. I blurted out involuntarily, "On Mount Qiangbake."

Both men froze, turning to stare at me in unison, speaking in the same breath, "How do you know?"

The moment the words left my mouth, I instantly regretted speaking out of turn and quickly tried to cover it up with a laugh, "Just guessing... just guessing. I encountered many unusual things on Mount Qiangbake, so I guessed that."

Fortunately, Niyong and Xu Zhiwu were both perceptive. Seeing that I was unwilling to elaborate, they didn't press the matter and returned to the previous topic.

Xu Zhiwu asked Niyong, "Shengtai died. What does that have to do with your family's Golden Eye and Silver Bead? Did he give it to your grandfather?"

Niyong smiled faintly, "Of course. My grandfather was his close attendant, one of his most trusted men, and the leader of those thirteen. If he didn't give it to my grandfather, who else would he entrust it to?... However, that's not the primary reason. Didn't I just say that the order from above compelled Shengtai to arrange for my grandfather and the others to guard the Guge ruins? Shengtai handed the Golden Eye and Silver Bead to my grandfather before his death because the only craftsman of the Guge Dynasty left in the mortal world—the Laba family's serf who only knew how to make a Silver Eye—had secretly made another Golden Eye and Silver Bead. After finishing it, if he had done nothing more, it would have been fine. Unfortunately, he then secretly returned to Shengtai’s residence to steal the first Golden Eye and Silver Bead, but he was discovered. He fled back to the Laba residence, handed the newly made Golden Eye and Silver Bead to his master, and strictly instructed his master never to let Shengtai know there was a second Golden Eye and Silver Bead. Then, when Shengtai’s pursuers caught up, he stepped forward, declaring that he had acted out of foolishness because he couldn't bear to part with that statue. He begged for Lord Shengtai's forgiveness. Before anyone could react, he drew a dagger and plunged it into his chest—committing suicide to atone for his offense."