I Have a Date with a Thousand-year-old Female Corpse
Chapter 597 Xishi and Zheng Dan_1

Chapter 597: Chapter 597 Xishi and Zheng Dan_1

Although you accused me of being stingy, I couldn’t bear the thought of not using the Returning Yuan Pills to treat your wounds, Xian Qianling.

"Anyway, Little Yun still has some of these pills, so I can just ask her for more when we get back. For now, you should eat two more to stabilize your injury," you said.

Whenever your eyes met Xian Qianling’s tender gaze, you would avert yours immediately.

"Although the Returning Yuan Pill is quite effective, you can’t take too many at once. A normal person can only handle one; I’ve already taken two, which is enough. The wounds might look a bit terrifying, but it’s only because of the Sword Qi. Once the Sword Qi fully dissipates, the wounds will gradually heal," you insisted.

Seeing your determination, Xian Qianling handed the light blue porcelain bottle to Sophia, who then passed it to Kim Jae-won.

Kim Jae-won treated the porcelain bottle like a treasure, holding it carefully in his hands, and was extremely grateful to you, "Chairman Li, as soon as we get back, I will definitely transfer the agreed sum into your company’s account."

You nodded, not bothering to be polite with the Korean. As for how much he would pay, that was for him to realize on his own.

"So that’s how it is, that’s how it is indeed," you mused.

Accompanied by Du Xishan’s deep sigh, everyone turned to look at him.

"Lao Du, what did you find?" someone asked curiously.

Du Xishan had been studying the information on the murals. As an archaeologist who had come here, he was determined to read and decode all the information about the tomb’s occupant without damaging the chamber.

With a smile on his face, Du Xishan came over and nonchalantly sat on the step beside you, saying with a laugh, "We were guessing the identity of the main female character in the tomb, right? The mural has already revealed everything."

"Oh? Do tell," you encouraged.

Everyone loves gossip, especially when it’s about relationships between men and women.

"Well, before I speak about this person, let me first recount a story from over two thousand five hundred years ago about two washerwomen from the ancient Yue Kingdom," Du Xishan began.

"Washerwomen? You mean Xishi?" Hong Xiu reflexively asked.

"Xishi is one of them," Du Xishan smiled and continued, "Legend has it that at the foot of Zhuluo Peak lay Zhuluo Village, inhabited by the Zheng and Shi families. Both families had girls of extraordinary beauty since birth, who played and grew up together. Although they were cousins, their personalities were quite different. The elder sister from the Zheng family was as beautiful as a flower and possessed breathtaking elegance. She was lively and cheerful, and loved sword dancing. The younger sister from the Shi family, equally stunning and radiant, was much gentler compared to her elder sister. Having been raised by her grandmother, with no male elder in the home, she often indulged in self-pity, clutching her heart and frowning."

Hong Xiu, who seemed to have never heard this story before, furrowed her brows and said, "It’s not one of those melodramatic TV plot twists where they love and hate each other, is it?"

Du Xishan did not answer but continued, "To encourage her younger sister and make her more lively and cheerful, she would go around telling people that she had a sister who was as beautiful as a heavenly immortal, even more beautiful than herself. Thus, the news began to spread, and many people made special trips through Zhuluo Village just to catch a glimpse of the legendary beauty."

Upon hearing this, you couldn’t help but laugh, "Lao Du, you really beat around the bush when telling stories. These two are Zheng Dan and Xishi, right?"

"Zheng Dan and Xishi? Xishi is the foremost of the four great beauties, her story needs no retelling. But who is this Zheng Dan?" asked Xian Qianling with a puzzled look on her face.

"Just continue listening to Lao Du. In my opinion, Zheng Dan should be considered more beautiful than Xishi, in looks as well as in spirit," you said.

After hearing your words, Du Xishan nodded in complete agreement: "The literature does indeed record that Zheng Dan’s appearance and figure were superior to Xishi’s, though they were both quite close, falling between equals. The ancients favored gentle and weak women, so naturally Xishi was more popular than Zheng Dan."

"Stop beating around the bush and get on with it. We’re all listening," urged Hong Xiu impatiently.

"Because of Zheng Dan’s widespread acclaim, the news of Zhuluo Village producing a beauty quickly reached the ears of General Fan Li of the Yue Kingdom. Fan Li personally visited, and upon seeing her, was astonished as if she were celestial. Later, Fan Li earnestly invited them on behalf of the national interest. Initially, Xishi’s grandmother was unwilling to consent, claiming she couldn’t bear to send off her precious granddaughter to ’feed a tiger,’ but under Zheng Dan’s strenuous persuasion, the grandmother finally agreed with tears in her eyes. Afterwards, Fan Li took Zheng Dan and Xishi, along with six other beauties selected from other parts of Yue, into the Yue King’s Palace for comprehensive training. Later, these eight beauties, along with King Goujian of Yue, his wife, Fan Li, Wen Zhong, and others, entered the Wu State as slaves," he continued.

At this point, Du Xishan chuckled and said, "You all know the rest of the story, so there’s not much left to say."

Xian Qianling and Hong Xiu exchanged glances, and Xian Qianling asked, "Professor Du, inside this coffin, you’re not suggesting that one of them might contain Xishi’s remains, are you?"

Du Xishan shook his head: "That’s decidedly impossible. Since you’re not aware, I’ll just say it plainly. In fact, the eight beauties presented to King Wu Fuchai by Goujian each had a specific role; Xishi, with three other beauties, was responsible for beguiling Fu Chai, while Zheng Dan led the other three in secretly gathering intelligence and transmitting messages. When Goujian launched a surprise attack on Fu Chai and had him surrounded for a period, the news of Fu Chai’s self-inflicted death came, and Zheng Dan coordinated from within to open the gates of the Imperial Palace, ushering in the fall of Wu State. While everyone from Yue Kingdom was celebrating, the elder sister Zheng Dan was searching everywhere for her younger sister Xishi."

While speaking, Du Xishan casually pointed to a mural on the stone wall directly in front: "It’s all recorded up there. Zheng Dan led people everywhere in search of Xishi until finally, on Tai Lake, she saw her sister’s figure. There, Xishi stood alone on a small boat, still holding her chest with a troubled look, quiet and remote. Zheng Dan told Xishi that the Wu State had fallen, their mission of the eight women was successfully completed, and they could finally return home to live happily ever after."

Seeing Du Xishan pause, the hearts of the three girls and the Goryeo boy all leapt to their throats: "And then what happened?"

"Then, Xishi jumped into the lake," you added timely.

Xian Qianling immediately objected: "Impossible! It must’ve been Fan Li who came to pick up Xishi and then took her away from her hometown, to soar together, twin souls in flight."

You glanced at Xian Qianling with annoyance: "Silly woman, truly a silly woman. You believe in such a third-rate TV drama plot meant to deceive children! That outcome is merely later scholars and poets wishfully thinking. First, you must understand Xishi’s character; she could enter the Palace for the sake of national justice, and after being presented to Fu Chai by Goujian, she showed she had high moral integrity. Moreover, after spending many years with Fu Chai, even though they had no children, Fu Chai always cherished and protected her affectionately, and Xishi’s heart of stone would have gradually melted. A good woman does not serve a second husband. Although she approached Fu Chai with a purpose, he was after all her husband. Now that her mission was complete, Xishi also felt life held no further appeal and naturally chose to jump into the lake. As for Fan Li, even if he had always loved Xishi, he would only silently support her choice, after all, that was Xishi’s only destination!"

After hearing your words, everyone fell silent instead.

Actually, no one likes a bleak love story, and especially for characters well-known to them, upon learning about Xishi’s tragic ending, Xian Qianling and the three girls felt even more upset.