Lin Zitong, standing beside him, frowned and said, "The yin energy is very heavy, but it has been dispersed by the gap created by the earthquake."
Yan Shouyi nodded. If these experts had entered the imperial tomb two hours before the gap appeared, they might have suffered lifelong ailments just from the erosion of yin energy.
However, the yin energy had already dissipated, and the experts entered the imperial tomb at dawn, so their collective madness was likely not due to the yin energy.
Lin Zitong then asked, "Did Qin Shi Huang also practice human sacrifice?"
Lin Zitong was more knowledgeable about ghosts and spirits; history was not her forte.
Yan Shouyi patiently explained to his wife, "Human sacrifice was a popular burial practice during the Shang Dynasty. After the Qin and Han dynasties, it gradually became more humane. Didn't we see the Terracotta Army yesterday? However, it became popular again during the Liao Dynasty... The most important factor, in the end, depends on what the contemporary ruler thinks."
When Zhu Yuanzhang died, he also had his concubines buried alive with him. This cruel burial practice still existed in the recent Qing Dynasty.
This was not the first time Lin Zitong had seen a sacrifice pit. The scale of this one was quite small, filled only with the bones of livestock.
She recalled that during the construction of the King's tomb, the pit containing a hundred people was far more terrifying than this one, yet she hadn't even blinked. Long Feicheng, on the other hand, had almost wet himself from fear.
As Yan Shouyi was explaining to Lin Zitong, someone suddenly interjected, "You know so much about history; are you a graduate student from which university?"
The two of them turned to look. A young man in a white shirt was scrutinizing Yan Shouyi with a doubtful expression.
The young man wore thick glasses and looked scholarly, speaking slowly and deliberately. He clearly appeared to be a "bookworm" devoted to academics.
Yan Shouyi had no prejudice against bookworms and politely replied, "I'm not a graduate student."
"Oh?" the bookworm pressed, "An undergraduate?"
"I... I didn't attend university," Yan Shouyi admitted, feeling a little embarrassed.
The bookworm was taken aback. He clearly found it unbelievable that someone who hadn't attended university could be so knowledgeable about history.
Yan Shouyi didn't wait for further questions and introduced himself, "Not only did I not attend university, but I stopped studying after primary school. However, I learned this knowledge by reading books on my own, and some of it was told to me by my grandfather."
He had expected the bookworm to show a look of disdain towards Yan Shouyi, an "illiterate" without formal education. However, the bookworm didn't react that way.
The bookworm thought that some privileged family members disdained the current educational standards and thus hired renowned tutors for one-on-one instruction. Though they lacked formal degrees, their actual knowledge was far superior to that of graduate students.
Moreover, Yan Shouyi had mentioned "grandfather," and the bookworm instinctively assumed Yan Shouyi's grandfather must be an extraordinary figure, knowledgeable and esteemed.
He shook Yan Shouyi's hand and said enviously, "Your grandfather must be a truly remarkable history professor!"
Yan Shouyi: "...No, he was just a carpenter from a small village."
The bookworm: "..."
The bookworm felt his worldview shaken. The Yan Shouyi before him was a "person of three un-s"—uneducated, lacking qualifications, and without background!
"Excuse me, I suddenly feel like washing my hands," the bookworm said, turning to do so. He washed his hands repeatedly, as if trying to scrub off a layer of skin.
"Damn it!"
Seeing this, Yan Shouyi couldn't help but ask Lin Zitong, "I suspect he's looking down on me."
Lin Zitong giggled, covering her mouth, "Be more confident and remove the word 'suspect.'"
"I just didn't go to school, does he have to despise me so much?"
Yan Shouyi felt deeply hurt. Ever since he began navigating the world, he hadn't experienced such a blow.
The casual disdain shown by the bookworm was truly hurtful.
"That bookworm is called Li Yang, and I'm Xia Qi. We are both graduate students in the History Department of Yenching University."
At this moment, another voice reached them, and a girl with a ponytail appeared before Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong, extending her hand in a friendly gesture.
Having experienced Li Yang's disdain just moments ago, Yan Shouyi hesitated to shake hands this time.
He introduced himself, "My name is Yan Shouyi, and this is my wife, Lin Zitong. I have no education or background, and my grandfather was just a carpenter. However, my wife is a bit better; she graduated from college, and her family has mines... no, the mines have a family..."
Xia Qi was momentarily stunned by Yan Shouyi's explanation. After a pause, she shook her head and said, "I'm not Li Yang, so don't be so nervous. I'm greeting you because your accent sounds like you're from Jianzhou?"
Upon Xia Qi's mention, Yan Shouyi and his wife also noticed that the girl had a Jianzhou accent.
To be precise, it was a Rongcheng accent!
Jianzhou was famously known for its "eight mountains, one water, and one field." Due to the mountainous terrain, transportation was not very convenient in the early years, leading to significant differences in living habits and customs among the people in various regions. It was said that crossing a mountain could render one unable to understand the local dialect.
These differences included accents.
Netizens often mocked Jianzhou people for confusing "f" and "h." In reality, the accents of Jianzhou people were far worse than most people imagined.
Xia Qi's accent was that of a standard Rongcheng native, not only confusing "f" and "h" but also having a deep voice, a heavier intonation, and speaking louder.
Although Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong were not originally from Rongcheng, they were considered half-Rongcheng people. Hearing a Rongcheng accent in Chang'an made them feel a sense of familiarity.
Xia Qi explained, "Li Yang is my classmate. He's quite arrogant and likes to judge people by their academic qualifications. However, he's not a bad person, so please don't take it to heart."
Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong understood the explanation from their "compatriot." Li Yang was actually quite alright; he only showed disdain. Others might have resorted to outright mockery.
"Wait, the surname Xia is rather uncommon in Rongcheng. I have a friend named Xia Zhi; do you happen to know her?" Yan Shouyi suddenly said.
Xia Qi blinked in surprise, "Xia Zhi is my elder sister."
The two exchanged information and confirmed it. Xia Qi's sister was indeed that police officer from Rongcheng, Xia Zhi!
The sisters were three years apart but had vastly different personalities. Xia Zhi chose to become a proud people's police officer, while Xia Qi was more reserved and a top student.
This was truly a reunion of fellow provincials, bringing tears to their eyes.
Xia Qi even said, "My sister often mentioned the interesting friends she's recently made, and she seemed to have mentioned your names. My sister said you two are a truly divine couple!"
Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong exchanged a knowing smile. Xia Zhi had likely not told Xia Qi everything, so Xia Qi simply believed they had a good relationship.
In fact, the term "divine couple" carried another layer of meaning.