In the first year of Emperor Qianlong's reign, an envoy from beyond the pass visited, presenting Qianlong with a treasure map.
It was said that this treasure map could lead to a treasure that granted eternal life.
Qianlong deemed the matter absurd. If such an item truly existed, why would it be presented to him?
After accepting the map, Qianlong dismissed the envoy. Without even looking at it, he handed it to a bodyguard to be burned.
The bodyguard, however, did not obey Qianlong's order. Instead, he hid the treasure map in his home, intending to claim it for himself.
The bodyguard planned to send people to search for the treasure, but during a hunting expedition, his failure to protect the emperor nearly cost Qianlong his life.
Consequently, he was severely punished and faced certain death.
On his deathbed, he entrusted the treasure map to his friend Chen Daiman. Chen Daiman, upon receiving the map, harbored no greed. He initially intended to destroy it, but remembering his old friend's last wish for him to safeguard it, he devised a plan.
He sought out his elder brother, Chen Mei, who was then in the palace, responsible for painting the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival."
Chen Daiman revealed the entire story to Chen Mei, hoping his brother could help him handle the treasure map properly.
Thus, Chen Mei concealed the treasure map within the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival."
As Guan Zhenwan reached this point in her story, I couldn't help but ask, "How do you know about this?"
She glanced at me and said, "Do you remember the beggar I told you about, who pawned the 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' to my ancestor? He was a descendant of the Chen family."
"He told your ancestor?" I asked.
Guan Zhenwan nodded. "But that's a later story... However, none of that is important. What's important is that the treasure map contains the whereabouts of the Suihou Pearl."
I furrowed my brow, still somewhat confused, and asked, "Can the Suihou Pearl truly grant eternal life?"
She smiled slightly. "That, I do not know. After all, no one in this world has ever found the Suihou Pearl, and whether it truly exists is also a mystery."
"Then what about the map Wu Tingxiu found?" I inquired.
"That map was merely a record of the Suihou Pearl's whereabouts before the Qianlong era. For centuries, people have been searching for it. However, someone had already found all the maps and then compiled the clues from them into a single treasure map," Guan Zhenwan explained.
"Why are you telling me all this?" I asked Guan Zhenwan, a look of confusion on my face.
She smiled and said, "Because I need your cooperation."
"My cooperation?"
"Indeed. I wish for you to be my partner and search for the Suihou Pearl on my behalf."
When I heard this, I was taken aback. "You want me to help you find the Suihou Pearl?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
She slowly took another sip of her coffee, placed the cup on the table, and said, "Whether the Suihou Pearl exists or not, I don't care. Whether it can be found, I don't care either..."
"Then what do you care about?"
She smiled and rubbed her thumb and index finger together. "Money..."
"Money?"
"Precisely! Many people are interested in the Suihou Pearl, and currently, only I possess the treasure map..."
Before she could finish, I interjected, "You want to sell me the treasure map?"
She smiled and asked, "Mr. Xiang, do you think you could afford it if I sold it to you?"
Despite feeling a twinge of annoyance at her condescending gaze, I had to admit she was speaking the truth.
Setting aside whether the treasure map was genuine or fake, its mere concealment within the Qing court version of "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" made its value immeasurable.
"Then what exactly do you want to do?" I asked.
Guan Zhenwan chuckled. "I will be organizing an expedition team to search for the Suihou Pearl..."
"An expedition team?"
"Indeed. Anyone who pays a certain sum can join this expedition team. And you will be the leader of this team."
Upon hearing this, I looked at Guan Zhenwan with disbelief. "Is this why you were looking for the 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival'?"
She nodded. "That is only one of the reasons."
"Then what is the other reason?"
She replied, "The other reason is that I need to fulfill my ancestor's promise to return the 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' to the Taicheng Museum."
I began to slowly process everything Guan Zhenwan had said, organizing it in my mind.
She knew the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" contained a treasure map and that people were searching for the Suihou Pearl. Thus, she personally went to retrieve the painting.
Her objectives were twofold: first, to return the painting to its rightful place, and second, to use the treasure map to organize a treasure-hunting expedition team to make money.
Frankly, I had to admire her idea.
A treasure-hunting expedition team – that was truly novel.
"So, what you want is the entry fee for the expedition team?" I asked.
She smiled. "Precisely."
"How much is the entry fee?" I inquired.
She looked at me and slowly said, "You don't need to ask about the amount, Mr. Xiang. I can only tell you that this fee is beyond your imagination."
"Would anyone really be willing to pay this amount?" I asked, uncertainly.
She stared at me. "Mr. Xiang, if you had this money, I believe you would join without hesitation... After all, isn't your goal to find the Suihou Pearl?"
I thought about it carefully and felt she was right. If I had the money and knew the whereabouts of the Suihou Pearl, I would definitely join without a second thought.
Wait a minute...
I suddenly looked up at Guan Zhenwan. "When you said cooperate with me, did you mean I wouldn't have to pay you and could get the treasure map?"
She nodded. 138 Reading Net
"Why me?"
"Because your father..."
"You know my father?!" I exclaimed, nearly jumping out of my seat.
She smiled. "I don't know him, but I know your father was always searching for the Suihou Pearl."
"What exactly do you know?" I asked, unable to contain myself.
She spread her hands. "This is all I know. Your father, Xiang Tian, was always searching for the Suihou Pearl. Although he didn't obtain the treasure map, he did find other maps..."
"Are you saying my father found all the other maps?" I asked.
She looked at me thoughtfully. "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"
Asking me?
I froze for a moment, then my mind raced. She knew my father was looking for the Suihou Pearl, so she assumed I was also looking for it because of my father.
Realizing this, I understood why she wanted my cooperation.
"It's not impossible for me to cooperate with you," I said, crossing my hands on my knees and looking at Guan Zhenwan. "But before that, you have to answer one question for me."
"What question?"
I took a deep breath, pursed my lips, and asked word by word, "Do you know who the people were who caused my father's death back then?"