Although he hadn't anticipated the current changes, Ye Tao always carried a few tools with him. With a few copper wires, and after hollowing out two pieces of cherry wood to make earcups, he quickly created a listening device for cracking coded mechanisms.

Although identical in form, this password disc was two sizes larger than the one on the copper door, with one ring having sixty segments and the other seventy-two, adding countless times more variations. Ye Tao suddenly realized that the Xiling people were actually quite generous. If one were to try each segment of the copper door's password one by one, using the brute-force method, wouldn't it have been opened long ago? After all, it was just a waste of manpower. The Xiling wasted manpower on countless things. While Ye Tao was still lost in thought, he had already begun to crack the password. One good thing about old password discs was that they were easier to discern by sound. The sounds of each segment turning were very distinct. This large password disc with twelve rings from the inside out was quickly cracked by Ye Tao for the innermost two rings. With only four and six segments in the two rings, and no sound-producing reeds to confuse the solver, the differences could naturally be heard. Not to mention Ye Tao, even apprentices who had received some training in locks at the Ye Family Workshop could do it.

But the challenges that followed were increasingly difficult. Each time he moved outward, the number of password teeth increased, and the number of sounds that needed to be memorized also increased. Then, he had to determine the position of the teeth springs amidst multiple sounds. Not only was there an increase in the number of password teeth, but also, due to the technical limitations of the time, the outer rings of these metal password discs were more likely to have manufacturing flaws. Over the years, these flaws would undoubtedly be amplified by various factors. Although rust-proofing treatment had been done, there were still many traces of oxidation inside and outside the password rings. How to distinguish between valid and invalid sounds was not just a technical problem, but also a trial of a password cracker's experience, patience, and courage.

Ye Tao's method wasn't particularly clever. He used one hand to turn the password ring at a steady speed, while closing his eyes to listen to the rubbing sounds inside, constantly simulating the possibilities of various sounds in his mind. In these years at the Ye Family Workshop, Ye Tao had come into contact with a variety of precision components and metal materials, far more than the craftsmen of the past, and his understanding of various scraping and collision sounds was also more proficient. He turned the password disc ring by ring until he remembered the slight differences in the sound of each password tooth, simulating the shape of the entire password ring in his mind. And at this point, that ring of the password had actually been cracked.

Although he cracked one ring after another, and Ye Tao had almost simulated the internal structure of the password disc in his mind, there were still many unclear areas. He frowned, closing his eyes as if in a trance. His heart was completely immersed in the gears of the password.

Seeing that Ye Tao had started cracking the sixth ring in about an hour, Tan Weixin also breathed a sigh of relief. Although she knew it would be more difficult later, at the current rate, even if Suo Yong came here, he might not be able to do better. Although Suo Yong only specialized in the very niche field of cracking mechanisms and codes many years after completing his apprenticeship, and began to have his own unique achievements, don't forget that although Suo Yong was the second senior brother, almost all of their other knowledge, except for carpentry, came from Ye Tao. In terms of the basic skills in all aspects, Ye Tao was unrivaled. And Ye Tao's imagination was far beyond that of his fellow disciples.

Tan Weixin stared blankly at Ye Tao, watching the beads of sweat on Ye Tao's forehead start to appear little by little, gathering into large drops of sweat, and then sliding down the firm arc of his face. When the first drop of sweat fell, Ye Tao had already started cracking the eighth ring, but he was obviously tired. The speed of turning the password ring was not so uniform, and his expression was even more serious, so serious that he lost the joy that he always showed when he was concentrating on his work. The sound of sweat drops falling on the ground startled Ye Tao, his hand trembled, and he stopped cracking the password. Ye Tao irritably tore off the cherry wood earcups, waving his hand in disappointment and powerlessness.

Tan Weixin suddenly stood up, walked behind Ye Tao, and gently stroked his face with one hand, brushing away the sweat. The moment Tan Weixin's hand touched Ye Tao, Ye Tao, who had been in a state of high mental tension, straightened his back all of a sudden, and then relaxed. Tan Weixin's hand gently rested on his shoulder. Leaning down, close to Ye Tao's ear, Tan Weixin said softly, "There's no rush. Rest for a while."

Ye Tao also knew that after nearly two hours of cracking, his spirit was really on the verge of collapse. This kind of work that consumed a lot of energy was best done when he was full of energy. He didn't insist too much, nodded, and said, "Okay."

A felt cloth had already been spread on the ground, and Ye Tao lay down on it with his clothes on. Tan Weixin giggled, sat at one end of the felt cloth, and let Ye Tao rest his head on her legs. Probably knowing that she was too thin and would make Ye Tao uncomfortable, she also took out a piece of clothing from her luggage, folded it up and put it on her legs. The gorgeous weaving of that Tiansi Lingjin (Celestial Silk Brocade) could only be reduced to a pillow, which made the noble sons present who knew the goods gasp. Only a few bolts of Tiansi Lingjin are produced each year, and they are only produced in a small town in Chunnan. Almost all of the brocade produced is purchased by the Chunnan royal family. As extravagant as Chunnan is, even their king is reluctant to wear it often. Usually, Tiansi Lingjin is only used as the most important reward, and as a gift to friendly countries. Generally, few people actually make clothes out of Tiansi Lingjin, most of them are collected. Unexpectedly, this seemingly thin and delicate woman made a garment out of a moon-white piece, which was considered a top-grade item even in Tiansi Lingjin, and even used such clothes as a pillow for "Lu Zhen's" head.

Ye Tao never cared how expensive a pillow was, only whether it was comfortable. Seeing Tan Weixin suddenly acting coquettish and wanting to be his pillow, he smiled and lay down. His head had barely touched the gorgeous pillow when his breathing became deep and long, and he actually fell asleep immediately. The energy he had spent cracking those password rings was evident.

Tan Weixin stroked Ye Tao's head with an affectionate look. But when she raised her head and looked at the Third Princess and the other three纨绔子弟 (wan ku zi di – playboy children of high society), as well as Commander Qin, it was another kind of affection. Her expression seemed close yet distant, looking amiable but with a hint of arrogance, as if to say: whether you have the qualifications to be my friend depends on yourselves.

While continuing to stroke Ye Tao's hair, Tan Weixin said lightly to these people, "Are you still curious about who we are? And why we came here?"

The few nodded. Just looking at the Tiansi Lingjin that Tan Weixin took out and her expression just now, they were enough to judge that the so-called "Lu Zhen's" wife was by no means an ordinary person. This kind of inherent nobility and indifference was by no means something that the arrogance of ordinary noble daughters could simulate.

"Actually, I only understood when I came here and saw the magnificent and complex underground palace. It turns out that this matter is so interesting." Tan Weixin said calmly, "As for who we are, there will always be an opportunity for you to know in the future, but not now. Whether or not you know, in any case, for our safety, I'm afraid you will have to follow us for a short time."

Hearing Tan Weixin say that, the few were all in despair. Although they had thought of this, it was a different feeling to have it pointed out by Tan Weixin. However, what Tan Weixin said also made it clear that she would not kill them so quickly, but would rather take the risk and keep them by her side. This could be considered relatively good news.

Tan Weixin continued, "Why was this underground palace not put into use? Why is there no record of entering the former dynasty's palace rooms? I think there should be two reasons. This palace room should have been the last hope left by the former dynasty's royal family for their family. This is indeed a palace room building, and also a royal mausoleum system, but I don't know if it was because the construction time was too long, or the preparation of various other related matters was too complicated. In any case, the bones and clothes of the former dynasty's emperors were indeed not able to be moved here, but were finally seized by the rebels in the chaos of war. And this place is actually a secret reserve of some treasures that were intended to allow the imperial descendants to revive and spread rain, very huge treasures." Looking at the confused expressions of the few, Tan Weixin said with a smile, "Fortunately, this part of the treasure did not fall into the hands of the former dynasty's descendants after all, but was obtained by us. It is normal that we already have someone who has been here and can have an incomplete geographical map of this place, right? But now, in any case, this map of the maze is not very useful, it is just a basis. Whether it is the underground palace, or the treasure, or even the royal mausoleum that has never been formally put into use, it is actually the center of the entire grand plan. However, too much financial, material, and human resources were spent here. Although both the underground palace and the magnificent and gorgeous garden that covered the underground palace later can be regarded as masterpieces, and can be regarded as preparing for a rainy day, they also accelerated the collapse of the empire at the same time, so that the former dynasty did not have time to enjoy its long-term arrangement before it had already collapsed. But, did the true descendants of the former dynasty completely disappear in the torrent of history, forget their bloodline, and give up their identity as the sect master who once dominated the world? No, no, absolutely impossible."

"The descendants of the former dynasty may not know about the treasure, but they have another set of forces that have been operating quietly since before the fall of the former dynasty. They should be satisfied with this. What creates history is never wealth, but the people who control wealth."

Everyone present was fascinated by Tan Weixin's娓娓 (wei wei – patiently, tiresomely) narration. Tan Weixin picked up a cup of water, moistened her throat, and continued...