Chapter 139: The Enigma of the Yeguang Cup

“It’s really the Yeguang Cup!”

Wearing white gloves, Feng Wancheng carefully accepted an ancient jade cup from a staff member.

The jade cup, about three inches tall, boasted a deep, emerald hue with natural patterns. Thin as paper and as shiny as a mirror, its surface was flawlessly smooth and the jade shimmered with a clear, vibrant luster, showing no sign of damage.

He shone a flashlight on it just enough to reveal its details.

Inside, it sparkled like clear water, as if filled with a mysterious radiance.

“The wine brings the Yeguang Cup to life! The ancients never deceive!”

Handing over the flashlight, Feng Wancheng slowly rotated the cup, and after a long pause, he couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.

Under the light, the jade cup looked exquisite. If fine wine were poured into it under moonlight, it would create an entirely enchanting scene.

Rumor has it that many Yeguang Cups have been unearthed in the Long Kingdom, but nothing as exceptional as this one—truly a top-tier relic.

“First, secure this Yeguang Cup well. Everyone, get back to work—but be extremely cautious! Yeguang Cups were never the kind of items anyone could casually own in ancient times.”

After admiring it for a moment, Feng Wancheng carefully passed the Yeguang Cup to a nearby worker before offering further instructions.

“Rest assured, boss!”

All the workers nodded in unison.

In an excavation, the fear is not finding anything; once something is discovered, every worker becomes supremely cautious.

“Alright, get to work!”

Though October had deepened into autumn, the midday sun still burned fiercely. The workers in the sand pit were drenched in sweat, yet no one complained of fatigue or asked for a break.

It was simply that every now and then, shouts like “Boss, something’s here!” or “Boss, look—an ancient, weathered document!” would ring out.

Every discovery, whether by those in the pit or outside, sent waves of excitement through everyone.

In just a few hours,

more than twenty relics had been unearthed.

Especially when a broken plaque was discovered—it even still faintly bore the inscription of the Protectorate of Ancient West Liang.

This confirmed that during the Tang Dynasty, this site must have housed the ancient Protectorate of West Liang.

Before anyone knew it, evening had arrived.

At Wudi City’s Ancient Building Courtyard, Xu Hao had just brewed himself a cup of tea.

After meeting Feng Wancheng in the morning, he left the excavation site. Although the tourism festival had ended, there was still plenty of work to be done. Besides, his presence wouldn’t have made much difference there—just waiting for further news.

“How exactly should we build Oasis 3?”

Cradling his tea, Xu Hao took a moment’s rest before moving to the sand table.

Next, Haofang Culture was set to film a new costume political drama. After much thought, he decided on a project reminiscent of The Langya List. Not only is the plot gripping, but the ancient architecture and costumes are exquisitely crafted.

Recently, Mingsha Tourism had also been preparing for this drama.

But constructing a grand ancient-style commercial street alone wasn’t enough—significantly, they had to recreate the iconic Langya Pavilion.

Only then

could Oasis 3 truly bear the mark of The Langya List.

“But the Langya Pavilion is notoriously difficult to build!”

Gazing at the topographical map, Xu Hao couldn’t help but frown.

On Earth, the Langya Pavilion is often made with green screens and temporary structures to achieve its aesthetic, but recreating it in reality is a tremendous challenge—not because of the pavilion itself, but due to its surroundings.

In Earth’s films, the pavilion is set amid lush forests and babbling brooks. Without that natural backdrop, its grandeur would pale in comparison to Tengwang Pavilion or Tingchao Pavilion, and even fall short of the splendor of Qixia Town.

Yet, replicating such an environment in the desert would be a colossal task—one that might involve removing all the shifting sands and replacing them with soil fit for plants to root.

“How do we manage this?”

After a long moment of contemplation, Xu Hao pulled out his phone, ready to call Luo Peng.

Before he could dial, another number rang through—Zhu Qiang’s.

“Hmm?”

Xu Hao answered the call immediately.

“Brother Hao, something huge has been found at the excavation site!”

The moment the phone connected, Zhu Qiang’s excited and animated voice filled the line.

“Something huge? Is it even more valuable than the Yeguang Cup?”

Xu Hao paused in surprise.

Back when they unearthed the Yeguang Cup, they had already called him.

To Xu Hao, the Yeguang Cup was the most precious find of the excavation.

“Brother Hao, although this item isn’t as valuable as the Yeguang Cup, it holds immense significance for our guesthouse,” Zhu Qiang explained.

“What item?”

Zhu Qiang’s words instantly piqued Xu Hao’s interest.

“Just moments ago, a worker uncovered a sheepskin journal with several readable inscriptions. Experts have verified that it not only details the Yeguang Cup’s origin but also recounts an entire story!”

“What story?”

Xu Hao grew even more curious.

“According to the sheepskin journal, the Yeguang Cup was brought from a minor Western region after a commanding victory by a garrison commander at the ancient Protectorate of West Liang, celebrated with a grand feast.

During the banquet, a renowned scholar composed a poem.”

At this, Zhu Qiang paused.

“Wait a minute—you’re talking about that famous poem, aren’t you?”

Xu Hao instantly tensed up.

If it were indeed as he suspected, the guesthouse would undoubtedly trend online.

“Brother Hao, that’s right—it’s the renowned poem, ‘Grapes and Fine Wine, the Yeguang Cup,’ where the lute urges the cavalry onward. And that’s not all—a sheepskin scroll also depicts the layout of the Protectorate of West Liang.”

Zhu Qiang exhaled deeply.

Although Tengwang Pavilion in Gan Province and Yueyang Tower in Xiang Province are the reconstructed versions rather than ancient relics, their recognition in the Long Kingdom stems from the backing of famous poems.

Now, with the sheepskin journal and the Yeguang Cup, if Mingsha Tourism rebuilds a replica of the ancient Protectorate of West Liang on the original site, it would be declared a genuine historical relic.

In future textbooks, reciting that poem would prompt teachers to share the Yeguang Cup’s origin, its historical context, and even its location.

In short, no amount of promotional advertising could ever match this kind of endorsement.

“This is absolutely dreamlike. Hold on, I’m on my way!”

Coming back to his senses, Xu Hao immediately declared,

Clearly, heading to the site was far more important than planning Oasis 3.

In the information age, secrets are hard to keep.

By the time Xu Hao rushed to the excavation site, some workers had already posted news and videos to a short video platform. Even a few resting archaeologists squeezed in a post on their social media.

Such events were too astounding for anyone to remain calm.

Within minutes, the news erupted online—especially on a certain cultural forum in the Long Kingdom where everything exploded.

“What? Is it for real? They’ve traced the origins of that famous poem ‘Grapes and Fine Wine, the Yeguang Cup’?”

“It’s true. Someone even posted an excavation video of the Yeguang Cup—it really is beautiful.”

“But simply finding the Yeguang Cup and linking it to the poem seems a bit rushed, don’t you think?”

Some believed without doubt, while others were skeptical.

There had been countless theories about the background of the poem, yet none with solid evidence, making this sudden discovery seem like a publicity stunt to some.

“This time there’s evidence! A sheepskin scroll clearly recorded the poem’s origin and stated the site as the ancient Protectorate of West Liang.”

Soon, someone replied,

“No kidding?”

Seeing the reply, many grew excited.

“No doubt about it—KuaiDou even has a video of the sheepskin scroll being unearthed. It’s all so genuine! If they could fake something like this, then nothing would be real anymore.”

After watching the video, one person immediately asked,

“Where was it unearthed?”

“Mingsha County!”

“Mingsha County? Weren’t they holding a tourism festival there just yesterday? How come…”

Hearing it was Mingsha County, many were taken aback.

“Apparently, Mingsha Tourism discovered it while constructing an underground heating pipeline for the winter.”

“That explains it!”

“Damn, I just got back from Mingsha County yesterday. If I had known, I would have waited another day to check out the ancient Protectorate’s original site.”

At that point, many began to get agitated.

Most of them were former tourists of Mingsha County.

After visiting Qixia Town and Wudi City, wouldn’t a detour to a genuine ancient relic complete the experience?

Above all, they were eager to see how the Yeguang Cup would look filled with exquisite wine.

At that moment, they truly felt that the ancient Protectorate of West Liang was more intriguing and culturally rich than Qixia Town or Tingchao Pavilion.

“Visiting the original site? There isn’t much to see! According to the staff, the site’s been buried in the desert for so long that it’s lost all its protective value—at most, a stone tablet will be erected.”

“Ah, if only we could see the original appearance of the ancient Protectorate!”

“Nothing can be done, that’s the reality now.”

“Still, I have to admit, the recent archaeological finds in Mingsha County have been impressive—unearthing the origins of a famous poem is truly remarkable.”

“By the way, where should we go next if we want another glimpse of the Yeguang Cup? The Su Province Museum? Or…”

At that moment, someone else asked,

“Well, it’s possible! I heard that since the Yeguang Cup is so exquisitely preserved, it might be considered a national treasure! Such items are typically housed in provincial museums, although sometimes the final decision depends on local authorities!”

“Oh, then we’ll wait and see!”

The buzz rose quickly and faded just as fast.

Within the hour, with countless people searching for keywords like Yeguang Cup and Mingsha County relics, a trending topic emerged:

“Ancient West Liang Protectorate Ruins and Abundant Relics Unearthed at Hongsha Gang Village 256, Mingsha County, Backed by a Famous Poem.”

The headline covered nearly every detail, making any netizen who knew the famous poem eager to click and learn more.

Back at the site, the Cultural Relics Bureau workers had already left the pit.

After recovering the sheepskin journal, they had excavated for another half hour until dusk forced them to stop. Otherwise, at this rate, they would have continued without pause.