Chapter 2501 Kuilong Divine Mark
"Is this platform where you live?"
After walking up the last small slope, Yushan and others finally reached the highest point of the entire Yuming clan's building.
Standing on the platform, Yushan Heren could even see two similar building complexes in the distance, corresponding to the Zisang and Jianggu clans.
One of them should belong to the Dongli family, but as for the other one, Yushan Heren is not sure.
Hearing this, Yu Mingxue nodded and responded.
On the platform is the residence of the head of the Yuming family. After the death of Yu Mingxue's grandfather, the other members of the Yuming family maintained a tacit understanding and did not extend their hands to this side, leaving Yu Mingxue a place that he could fully control.
It is for this reason that Yu Mingxue did not want to fall out with his family. At least the other people in the Yu Ming family still gave Yu Mingxue some respect and did not behave in an unpleasant way.
This is different from Kaguya Shinomiya.
At that time, Kaguya Shinomiya was forced into a corner, forcing her to seek help from Kazuto Yuyama, and to fight to the death.
Although this matter has some unclear relationship with Yushan Kazuto, it is an established fact that Shinomiya Kaguya has fallen out with the Shinomiya family.
Yu Mingxue's treatment was much better. At least her status as the heir was still retained, and the residence of the family head still belonged to Yu Mingxue.
Although the probability of the Yu Ming family being handed over to Yu Mingxue after she reaches the age to inherit the position of family head is not high, there is still a theoretical probability.
Moreover, having grown up in the family since childhood, Yu Mingxue has actually been taken care of by many members of the Yu Ming clan. Her feelings towards the family are completely different from those of Shinomiya Kaguya.
"Lord Yushan, this way."
Walking to the largest building on the top of the mountain, Yu Mingxue couldn't help but speak.
He raised his head and took a look at the hall located in the center of Yuming clan.
At first glance, this hall seems to be slightly smaller than the Great Buddha Hall that I saw in Todaiji Temple during the day, and is almost half the size. However, a closer look reveals that the cost of building this hall is much higher than that of the Great Buddha Temple.
The value of just one pillar may be higher than the entire cost of building the Great Buddha Hall.
Because all the wood that makes up the hall has a resounding name - red sandalwood.
Although the price of red sandalwood is lower than that of huanghuali wood in modern times, in ancient times, the price of red sandalwood was far higher than that of huanghuali wood.
The central hall of Yu Ming clan is made entirely of rosewood, which is of the best quality.
Such a huge hall would require at least tens of thousands of cubic meters of rosewood.
According to the current price of red sandalwood, one cubic meter of ordinary small-leaf red sandalwood costs six to seven million yen. In other words, based on the price of the most common materials alone, the cost of consumables for this hall has reached hundreds of billions of yen.
In fact, when the hall was built, large blocks of materials were used. The price of large blocks of materials, compared to ordinary materials, can be said to be exponentially increased.
In addition, the quality of the rosewood material used in the main hall is also very high, and its price is a level higher than that of ordinary rosewood materials.
The wood used for the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple is basically ordinary. To say that its cost is not as much as a pillar of the Yumingshi Hall is actually a bit of an exaggeration.
"Please come in, Lord Yushan." Yu Mingxue said in a low voice while standing in front of the hall.
Upon hearing this, Yushan Heren couldn't help but blink slightly. He was a little hesitant to walk into such an extravagant and luxurious palace. Why not just use the gold to build a palace?
In fact, Yu Ming had this idea, but after considering the density and hardness of gold, he finally gave up this plan.
A pure golden palace would probably be crushed in a short time, or even impossible to build.
Moreover, although Japan is rich in gold, it is still difficult to build a palace with gold.
Some nobles in ancient Japan would set up "golden houses" in their homes, but they only covered the house with gold foil. Places like the Kinkakuji Temple, which looks glittering, are actually just using gold foil as decorative material.
However, Yuming clan had considered using pure gold to build a palace, which was enough to show how wealthy Yuming clan was.
As you walk into the hall, you'll see a huge bronze Kuilong divine pattern.
The overall shape of the Kuilong divine pattern is circular. Yushan Heren made a rough estimate and found that its diameter is about three meters.
The entire Kuilong divine pattern has a simple and ancient shape, exuding a strong Shang Dynasty style.
During the Shang Dynasty, this kind of Kuilong pattern was the most popular and was often used for decoration. It was also popular in the Western Zhou Dynasty and the Ming and Qing Dynasties, but it was still different from the Kuilong pattern of the Shang Dynasty.
As if seeing Yushan Heren's curiosity, Yu Mingxue smiled and explained, "This Kuilong totem was brought from the mainland by our first ancestor when he moved to Japan."
"If you want to talk about it, it is related to your ancestors, Master Yushan. According to records, this Kuilong totem was actually given to the Yuming family by your ancestors."
“Is that so?” Upon hearing this, Yushan Heren couldn't help but blink slightly. He didn't expect that this Kuilong divine pattern had such a history.
In the library of Yushan's house, there is actually a genealogy of the Yu family, as well as some anecdotes about ancestors.
However, among these records, there are not many records about the Yuming clan, so Yushan Heren actually only has some basic understanding of the Yuming clan.
"Not only that, all the ritual vessels used by our Yuming clan in annual sacrifices were actually given by your ancestors." Yumingxue continued.
The first group of Yuming clan sailed to Japan in the middle of the Shang Dynasty. Since then, the Yuming clan in Japan has maintained the sacrificial rituals of the Shang Dynasty.
The Shang Dynasty worshipped the color white, so Yu Mingxue wore a white crown and robes, and even the horses that went to pick up Yushan and his men were pure white.
In the beginning, when Yu Ming clan performed sacrifices, they even sacrificed living people.
Of course, during the Shang Dynasty, people of other races might not be qualified to be called human beings, and the Yuming clan itself was a clan in charge of matters such as sacrifices and divination, so this idea was even more deeply rooted.
However, later on, with the changes in sacrificial rituals on the Chinese mainland, the Yuming clan gradually abandoned the practice of sacrificing living people.
However, because the Yuming clan has inherited the sacrificial form of the Shang Dynasty for a long time, until now, when the Yuming clan performs sacrifices, there is still a strong Shang Dynasty style.
Chapter 2502: "Baishi Liuzhu Shiji Collection"
In the sacrificial process, ritual vessels are very important.
There is also a set of very ancient ritual vessels in Yushan's house, but it is impossible to determine how long they have been passed down. However, after hearing what Yu Mingxue said, Yushan and others felt that the set of ritual vessels in his home was at least before the Shang Dynasty.
"This chair is also made of rosewood." Sitting on the chair, Yushan Heren couldn't help but knock on the seat.
"The chairs in the hall are all carved from a whole piece of red sandalwood." Yu Mingxue said.
Rosewood burl is actually the tumor of rosewood. Gallwood is a more formal name.
Since rosewood is very hard, it is rarely injured and forms galls. Rosewood galls are extremely rare, and those that can be carved into the size of a chair are even harder to find in the world.
Judging from the patterns on the chairs, the burl wood used in these chairs is also top-quality among burl woods.
To put it bluntly, even if it is made into beads, a small bracelet would cost millions of yen. The value of the raw materials of the entire chair, without considering its historical significance, would be hundreds of millions of yen.
Although it is still dwarfed by the entire hall, it is the first time that Yushan Heren has seen such extreme luxury.
"By the way, is there air conditioning in this room?" Sitting on the chair, Yushan Heren couldn't help but blink and said.
When he first walked in, Yushan Heren felt that the temperature in the room was slightly lower than outside.
Originally, Yushan Heren thought that it was because of the structure of the room that it was warm in winter and cool in summer, but after sitting for a while, he still felt something was wrong.
"The air conditioning and fresh air systems in the hall are turned on 24 hours a day." Yu Mingxue said.
The main reason is that the entire hall is very expensive, so it naturally requires more careful maintenance. Constant temperature, dehumidification, dust removal and other processes are indispensable.
In the past, these maintenance tasks were done by dedicated personnel, and there were no less than a hundred people walking around this hall every day.
But now, with the help of technology, we don’t need so many people.
However, before Yu Mingxue's grandfather passed away, there was still a small team carrying out the maintenance work of the hall.
After Yu Mingxue's grandfather passed away and he inherited the family territory, he dismissed the team.
However, every week, maintenance personnel will come to regularly check the condition of the hall.
"I didn't expect you have electricity here." Upon hearing this, Yushan Heren couldn't help but blink slightly.
Walking in the Yuming clan's territory, Yushan Heren didn't see even a single electric wire. After entering the hall, Yushan Heren didn't see any electrical appliances either. However, he didn't expect that air conditioning and fresh air systems were installed in the hall.
"In order not to affect the overall structure of the hall, it took a lot of effort to provide electricity to the hall." Hearing this, Yu Mingxue couldn't help but smile.
On the other side, listening to Yu Mingxue's introduction, Yu Shanheren nodded.
All the circuits were hidden, and even I didn't notice it. It was obvious that a lot of thought went into it.
"What books are here?" There were some rare ancient books on the table, one of which had a bookmark in it, which was obviously the one Yu Mingxue read on a daily basis.
"They are just some ordinary ancient books. If you want to read them, Lord Yushan, you can take them yourself." Yu Mingxue said.
Hearing this, Yushan Heren picked up an ancient book on the top of the pile.
As soon as he picked it up, Yushan Heren felt that the quality of the paper of this ancient book was somewhat worrying, as if the paper would break if he applied a little more force.
After opening the book, Yushan Heren saw the name of the book, which was "Collection of Bai Juyi's Six Letters".
This is a set of books written by Bai Juyi during the Tang Dynasty. The books collect and copy fragments of idioms, stories, allusions, words, famous articles and sentences from classics, historical records and miscellaneous books before the Tang Dynasty, which can be used to check the words when composing poetry and prose.
Later, Kong Chuan of the Song Dynasty continued to write a book called "New Book of Six Posts". The two books were combined into a total of 100 volumes, collectively known as "Six Posts of Bai Kong".
After flipping through it briefly, Yushan Heren felt that something was not right. This book did not look like a printed version, but rather more like a handwritten version. If there were mistakes in some places, there would be a black dot on them.
Judging from the condition of the paper, it has been preserved for at least a thousand years.
After thinking about it, Yushan Heren suddenly had a bold guess in his mind: "Could this "Baishi Liutieshi Leiji" be the authentic work of Bai Juyi?"
"I'm not sure about this either. Maybe when Mr. Bai Juyi was compiling it, someone else wrote it on his behalf."
Pi Yumingxue did not mean that Bai Juyi asked someone to write for him, but that perhaps when Bai Juyi was compiling "Baishi Liutieshi Leiji", he only played a general role, and the copying work was given to the servants in his house, or some other people.
However, Yushan Heren is more inclined to believe that this "Collection of Bai Juyi's Six Letters" was written by Bai Juyi himself.
After all, many of the fonts in the book are very similar to the handwriting that has been handed down to the present day, which is said to be the authentic works of Bai Juyi.
However, many fonts do appear a little sloppy or deformed.
But even in those sloppy handwriting, you can see that the skeleton of the characters is still there.
When Bai Juyi first compiled this "Collection of Bai Juyi's Six Letters", it seems that he intended it to be used as a reference book.
In this case, when copying, if the other party is interested in practicing calligraphy, he will write seriously for a while.
When Fang is not interested in practicing calligraphy, he writes a little more casually. Isn't this very normal?
Thinking of how popular Bai Juyi was in ancient Japan, Yushan Kazuto couldn't help but blink slightly.
Even if they wanted to, if people knew that an authentic work of Bai Juyi had been unearthed, it is estimated that major museums and art galleries in Japan would even break down their doorsteps in order to purchase it.
"Do you like Bai Juyi?" After thinking for a while, Yushan Heren asked.
"Yes, Mr. Leshan's poems are always so simple, yet thought-provoking." Yu Mingxue said.
Listening to Yu Mingxue's answer, Yushan Heren suddenly thought of a possibility.
Perhaps, the trend of Japan admiring Bai Juyi started with Yu Ming?
Yuming's influence on Japan is profound. Under Yuming's strong support, the entire Japanese upper class society has set off a craze for Bai Juyi. This is normal.
"Lord Yushan, which Tang poet do you prefer the most?" Yu Mingxue asked.
"As for me, I prefer Li Bai a little more." After thinking for a while, Yushan Heren said.
Mainly Li and Du, who can be said to be the first Tang Dynasty poets known to most Chinese people.
The poems written by both of them are indeed very good. Therefore, relying on this first-mover advantage, Li and Du have occupied a very special position in the hearts of most Chinese people.
Chapter 2503 Yushan Kazuto's Shock
"Mr. Taibai..." Yu Mingxue seemed to be thinking about something.
"In my grandfather's private collection, there happen to be two pieces of calligraphy by Mr. Taibai. If you don't mind, Xue can get them for Master Yushan later."
Listening to Yu Mingxue's words, Yushan Heren couldn't help but blink slightly.
To date, the only authentic work of Li Bai that can be traced is "Shangyangtai Tie", which is kept in the National Palace Museum of China, and Yu Mingxue ordered two copies at once.
However, Yushan Heren did not doubt the authenticity of Yu Mingxue's words. After all, as a family that has been passed down for thousands of years and has never declined, the Yu Ming family has the ability and leisure to collect these things.
Originally, "Shangyangtai Tie" was almost bought by Japanese antiquities dealers. It was Zhang Boju who spent 60,000 oceans to forcibly snatch this "Shangyangtai Tie" from the hands of the Japanese.
However, what surprised Yushan Heren was that the two pieces of calligraphy that Yu Mingxue mentioned were both her grandfather's private collection.
In other words, in addition to her grandfather's private collection, there should be other authentic works of Li Bai in the Yu Ming family.
But after thinking about it, Yushan Heren quickly calmed down. After all, he was somewhat used to it.
He continued to flip through the "Collection of Bai Juyi's Six Letters" in his hand. This book recorded some famous articles and sentences, many of which Yushan and others had never seen before, but he read it with great interest.
"Lord Yushan, please excuse me from your company for a moment. I'll go make tea for you." Seeing Yushan and others reading seriously, Yu Mingxue spoke.
"I say, can we talk a little more normally?" Upon hearing this, Yushan Heren couldn't help but raise his head, glanced at Yu Mingxue, and said.
