Professor Wen chuckled, "Not only is it indicative of the Tang Dynasty's painting style, but it also reveals details about the weaponry, equipment, and deployment formations of the Tang army, not to mention the style of the clothing—all of which are reflected in this artwork."

"Hmph, so what if it does."

Yu Feibai was distinctly unimpressed, leaning back languidly. "Everyone went to such great lengths, only to find an empty subterranean palace and one mural. Are you all content with this outcome?"

"What choice do we have if we're not content?" Professor Wen offered a wry smile. "Archaeology is often like this; sometimes you stumble upon a surprise in the most unexpected moments, while at other times, it delivers a crushing blow precisely when your expectations are highest. We've long grown accustomed to it."

Though he spoke of habit, the disappointment was visible in Professor Wen's eyes. When the effort far outweighs the reward, a psychological dip is inevitable; being unhappy is only natural.

"Professor Wen, the maintenance supplies have arrived."

Just as everyone was sighing with reflection, someone entered from outside, carrying a few miscellaneous items.

"What are those?"

Yu Feibai looked on with mild curiosity. "What are you planning to do?"

"Maintenance for the mural, of course," Professor Wen explained. "After all, the mural was sealed in a confined space. Now that we’ve opened the palace, air circulation has begun, altering the indoor environment. If we don't perform immediate preservation work, the mural will certainly begin to flake and shatter."

The others suddenly understood, quickly moving aside to watch Professor Wen mix some ** and carefully spray it onto the mural. Before long, the images on the wall had visibly sharpened.

"Eh!"

At that moment, Wang Guan's gaze swept across the wall, and he appeared to notice something.

"Why the sudden startle? What is it?" Yu Feibai asked, puzzled. "Did you find an issue?"

"It's not an issue I found, but rather, I think I understand what scene is being depicted," Wang Guan murmured. "The mural was a bit indistinct before, not entirely clear. Now, look inside the city walls—isn't there a tall platform emitting thick smoke..."

"Yes, that's right."

Yu Feibai examined it closely and nodded in agreement. "It depicts a war—smoke everywhere, beacons burning—that’s perfectly normal for a battle scene. I don’t see anything unusual."

"The city hasn't fallen yet, so where is the smoke coming from? Even if they are signal fires, there are dedicated beacon towers for that; they shouldn't be lit on a platform inside the main city," Wang Guan pointed out. "The platform is located right in the center of the city, likely the most important residence. Yet, it’s on fire. This suggests an internal blaze—self-immolation. That reminds me of a particular historical anecdote..."

"Which anecdote?" Yu Feibai blinked. "The one about Prince Yan, Zhu Di, purging the court, sweeping across Jiangnan, storming Jinling, and the Jianwen Emperor burning his palace to escape?"

"Stop playing dumb."

Wang Guan retorted dryly. "This is a Tang Dynasty underground palace; what connection does it have with the Ming Dynasty? I was referring to..."

"King Wu’s Campaign against Zhou!"

In that instant, contemplation washed over everyone; they realized Wang Guan's inference held a degree of plausibility. After all, Professor Wen had mentioned that the scene might not depict a real war; thus, painting King Wu overthrowing Zhou was entirely possible.

Most critically, thanks to the widespread influence of Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi), everyone was intimately familiar with the story of King Wu's campaign. The populace welcoming the royal army with provisions, coupled with self-immolation within the palace walls—if it wasn't King Wu vanquishing Zhou, what else could it be?

"But the figures in the painting are from the Tang Dynasty," Tang Qinghua questioned.

"Nonsense. People of the Tang Dynasty didn't know what the appearance of the King Wu era looked like; they naturally depicted it according to their own contemporary customs," Yu Feibai said casually. "Whatever the era of the painting, that’s the social context it reflects—that’s basic knowledge for authenticating ancient art. The Tang people didn't have the detailed understanding of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties that we have today, to accurately restore the conditions from several millennia ago."

"Feibai is absolutely correct."

Elder Hou agreed. "This is a distinct characteristic of the era, very common in ancient paintings. But why on earth would someone paint the scene of King Wu overthrowing Zhou? That is what needs investigation."

"They were happy, I guess. Painting whatever they pleased was their freedom..."

Yu Feibai knew that reasoning was flimsy, so he began to think seriously. "Regarding King Wu overthrowing Zhou, Elder Qian once said that King Wu wasn't as righteous as portrayed, nor was King Zhou as tyrannical. Ordinary people have been misled by Investiture of the Gods."

"Lingxi is not wrong," Elder Hou affirmed. "Based on current records, King Zhou was quite wise and powerful. Tales of torturing ministers, the Wine Pool and Meat Forest, and even the supposed bewitching concubine Daji—these are all based on conjecture, deliberately slandering him."

"It's normal; history is written by the victors," Yu Feibai laughed. "If they didn't blacken his name, how would they legitimize their own regime? Not everyone is as fortunate as Xiang Yu, who, despite being defeated and committing suicide, left behind a heroic legacy. Conversely, the victor, Liu Bang, is reviled by many as a scoundrel. Or perhaps that’s because Liu Bang executed so many of his meritorious officials; naturally, no one speaks well of him."

"That's highly possible."

Professor Wen smiled. "You are well aware of how potent the pens of scholars can be. Even a universally acclaimed good person can be twisted by their brush into an utterly wicked villain. It's the same across all eras, ancient or modern."

"As for King Zhou, saying he was utterly wicked is perhaps a bit unfair. However, this man was quite similar to Emperor Yang of Sui; he possessed the temperament of someone overly ambitious for grand achievements. He wasn't inherently incapable, but he yearned to accomplish something monumental—waging military campaigns externally while launching massive construction projects internally. Inevitably, this led to popular resentment, creating crises both foreign and domestic, ultimately resulting in the loss of his empire. Calling it unfair might have some merit, but calling him someone to be pitied is hardly appropriate..."

"In short, he brought it upon himself," Yu Feibai cut to the chase. "In reality, as long as they hadn't meddled so much, the dynasty would never have slipped from their grasp."

"That's precisely the point."

Elder Hou chuckled, then pondered again. "But there must be a reason for painting this. Comparing An Lushan and Shi Siming to King Zhou might actually flatter them. If it were the early Tang, the timing wouldn't fit. Could it be referring to Zhu Wen, who usurped the Tang? But the painting style doesn't seem late Tang..."

"If it's not late Tang style, then what period is it?" Yu Feibai asked offhandedly.

"High Tang style."

Wang Guan explained, "The plump figures, the air of dignified luxury—that is the standard High Tang aesthetic. Only when a society reaches a certain level of affluence can the figures become corpulent. Otherwise, you only see gauntness, much like in Qing Dynasty paintings; no matter how they tried to whitewash the peace, the emaciated appearance of the figures reveals the superficiality underneath."

"High Tang?"

Yu Feibai scratched his head. "In my recollection, who rebelled during the High Tang besides An Lushan and Shi Siming? Furthermore, two rebels wouldn't have the audacity to claim the moral high ground by condemning the 'Tang Zhou'?"

"That's what makes it strange," Wang Guan frowned, thinking deeply. "King Wu conquers Zhou, conquers... Zhou?"

By the end, Wang Guan's tone shifted, and his expression grew exceedingly strange. "I think I understand something, but I worry it might be a coincidence."

"Understand what?" Yu Feibai was startled and quickly pressed him.

"The palace was built exceptionally vast. Initially, we hypothesized it wasn't a mausoleum but a vault for treasures. However, upon entering and finding no gold or silver, we changed our minds, thinking it was an abandoned tomb." Wang Guan shook his head. "But that doesn't account for the sophisticated mechanical doors..."

Prompted by Wang Guan, the others began to realize he had a point. Whatever their theories, the intricate mechanism of the doors remained an insurmountable obstacle.

Meanwhile, Yu Feibai urged him anxiously, "If you have a discovery, just state it clearly. Stop beating around the bush."

"I actually suspect this subterranean palace is neither a tomb nor a treasure vault, but rather a..." Wang Guan hesitated, then spoke softly, "...a place for secret assemblies, designed to mislead outsiders."

"Secret assemblies?"

For a moment, everyone froze, not grasping his meaning.

"Why do you say that?"

Yu Feibai was perplexed. "In ancient times, if one held secret meetings, they would definitely want to remain inconspicuous. Were they planning a rebellion?"

"You might be right; perhaps they were truly plotting a rebellion," Wang Guan chuckled lightly. "Of course, they might have genuinely believed their actions were righteous, a monumental task of restoring order from chaos. And from a modern perspective, that view is somewhat justifiable..."

"I hate it when people play coy! Tell us what you know right now," Yu Feibai glared. "Don't you know that building suspense is highly immoral?"

"I said, this is merely speculation." Wang Guan smiled, and under the concentrated attention of the group, he explained, "Don't you find that Fá Zhòu [Conquering Zhou] can also be interpreted as conquering... Zhōu [Zhou]?"

Zhòu (King Zhou of Shang) is pronounced with the fourth tone, whereas Zhōu (the dynasty name) is the first tone—clearly two distinct words. The others observed carefully and easily discerned the difference.

"Conquer... Zhou!"

Hearing the word Zhōu initially didn't register, but Yu Feibai, being younger and quicker-witted, grasped the implication immediately, letting out a sigh. "Wu Zhou—it shouldn't be King Wu conquering Zhou; it should be rallying against the Wu Zhou!"

"Ah!"

Upon hearing this, the others simultaneously realized the truth.

"Yes, it must refer to the Wu Zhou," Elder Hou's mind raced, and suddenly his face lit up, nodding repeatedly. "It’s the younger generation whose minds turn faster, who see things more thoroughly. If it means conquering Zhou, then everything falls into place."

"Using the conquest of Zhou as an allusion to overthrowing the Wu Zhou... that makes perfect sense," Professor Wen agreed after deep consideration. "In that era, with a degree of political terror in the air, secret meetings would indeed be necessary."

The more Professor Wen considered it, the more logical it seemed, and he couldn't help but praise Wang Guan. "Wang Guan, you are absolutely correct. This location is very close to Luoyang, and being underground, it wouldn't attract notice. Hiding here would allow not only for secret meetings but also for the stockpiling of weapons and armor, waiting for the right moment to strike with surprise..."