After hearing Wang Guan's account, Elder Zhou was somewhat surprised. "But was there truly nothing inside the underground palace?"

"Not entirely nothing; there was at least a mural."

At that moment, Yu Feibai brought out the wine, remarking casually, "A mural depicting King Wu's campaign against Zhou. Based on this single painting, we made several speculations, ultimately concluding it must relate to Wu Zetian."

"How could King Wu's campaign against Zhou be connected to Wu Zetian?" Elder Chang frowned. "They are separated by seven or eight dynasties, a thousand or two years; they shouldn't be related."

"Perhaps it's a metaphor."

Elder Zhou pondered, being quite knowledgeable in calligraphy and painting, his gaze distant. "Campaign against Zhou... that means campaigning against the Zhou dynasty, doesn't it?"

"Elder Zhou is brilliant."

Yu Feibai chimed in with a smile, "You guessed it right away."

"Stop flattering me."

Elder Zhou chuckled in mock reprimand, then mused, "That said, your speculation isn't wrong. The underground palace could indeed have been a place where the powerful elite of the Li Tang stored their armor and weapons."

"Nine times out of ten, yes." Yu Feibai sighed regretfully. "It's a pity we lacked sufficient evidence."

"Even if we had evidence, what then?" Elder Chang shook his head. "Such shadowy matters are best left to be consumed by the long river of history. There's no need to delve deeper."

"Indeed, Brother Chang is correct," Elder Qian agreed. "History itself is often a muddled account. As long as the general direction is sound, the minute details can be overlooked."

"There might be evidence."

At this point, Yu Feibai smiled faintly. "However, you should ask Wang Guan about this: after leaving the palace, Elder Hou secretly summoned him aside for a private meeting. We don't know what he wanted. He refuses to tell us, leading me to suspect Elder Hou is hoarding something."

"Really?" Elder Chang turned to Wang Guan, inquiring, "Is that true?"

"This really cannot be spoken of," Wang Guan nodded, then shook his head, intending to remain tight-lipped.

"What's there to hide..." Elder Chang expressed his dissatisfaction. "Telling half and keeping half—that's unacceptable. Forget it, I won't ask you. Lingxi, call Guangping directly and ask him about it."

"Alright, we’ll ask him later. Let’s eat first," Elder Qian cheerfully urged. "Come, savor this thirty-year-aged Shaoxing Huadiao wine..."

Hearing this, Elder Chang forgot about Wang Guan, snatched the wine jar, and took a deep breath, his face alight with pleasure. "Now this is right. The wine from noon had enough kick, but it lacked depth. Aged vintage is far more flavorful, with a lingering aftertaste."

Having good wine was enough; Elder Chang wasn't overly inquisitive, and he quickly put the previous topic aside, focusing intently on tasting the fine liquor. He left only after dinner, carrying a slight buzz of two or three parts intoxication. This showed that Elder Chang possessed considerable restraint; he hadn't drunk to excess, resulting in him not becoming completely sloshed.

As soon as Elder Chang departed, Elder Zhou followed suit shortly after.

When Wang Guan and the others returned to the living room, Elder Qian finally spoke. "Wang Guan, when you said you needed to keep it confidential, it was more than just promising Elder Hou to stay silent, wasn't it?"

"What, is there some hidden scandal?" Yu Feibai asked with keen interest, showing no concern that Wang Guan might still conceal the truth.

"You're overthinking it. How can there be so many hidden scandals in this world?"

Wang Guan replied irritably, "It’s just that Elder Hou said it shouldn't be publicized..."

"Publicized?"

Yu Feibai was quick on the uptake. "Publicize what?"

"It's not about publicizing anything specific," Wang Guan explained. "Actually, you guessed correctly. Elder Hou did make a discovery in the underground palace. Beneath the mural's stone slab, he found something, including a golden casket. Inside the casket lay a blood oath—the covenant of the powerful elite of the Li Tang..."