Zhuo Yu Feng Yang Chapter 24

Chapter 24: The mystery of the bottom of the inkstone and the secret of the orchid grass

The sunshine after the rain shines through the window lattice, casting mottled light and shadow on the wooden table of Xianyunzhai.The Fang Jiajing Duan Inkstone was placed in the center of the table. The blue-purple stone surface glowed with a warm light, and the orchid grass pattern of the inkstone stretched like a butterfly in the skylight.

Jiang Zhuo and Lu Jingyang stood side by side, one holding a magnifying glass and the other holding a yellowed “Collection of Wen Zhengming’s Calligraphy and Paintings”, facing the small seal script on the side of the inkstone for comparison.

“‘Orchid grows in the empty valley, and inkstone hides thousands of years.’ The turning arc of this handwriting is completely consistent with Wen Zhengming’s cursive style in his later years.” Lu Jingyang tapped the handwriting on the album with his fingertips and said in a determined tone, “But this sentence is not like a leisurely inscription, but more like a reminder from an agency.”

Jiang Zhuo said nothing, and his fingertips lightly stroked the lines on the bottom of the inkstone that were so faint that they were almost invisible.This pattern meanders along the edge of the inkstone bottom and goes exactly around the root of the orchid grass pattern. It is more like a deliberate mark.He recalled his previous experience in repairing ancient inkstones. Literary inkstones of the Ming Dynasty often had hidden grids, and the mechanisms were often linked to the patterns on the inkstone body.

“Try to apply force according to the veins of the orchid grass leaves.” Jiang Zhuo suddenly said, pointing to a main leaf of the orchid grass in the inkstone, “Wen Zhengming loved orchid. The mechanism of this inkstone is mostly hidden in the orchid grass pattern.”

Lu Jingyang’s eyes lit up, and he immediately found a piece of soft cloth to wrap his fingertips, and carefully pressed it on the intersection of the lines of the main leaves of the orchid grass.He pressed lightly, for fear of damaging the inkstone. He pressed it a few times, but the inkstone didn’t move at all.

“No,” Jiang Zhuo frowned, took the magnifying glass in his hand, and looked closely at the inkstone, “The veins of the orchid leaves have three protrusions. They are not naturally formed, but are artificially polished clasps. They must be done in order.”

He pointed at the three leaves of the orchid grass and announced the order: “First left, then right, and finally center. The force should be even, not anxious.”

Lu Jingyang did as he was told, first pressing his fingertips on the bulge of the left orchid leaf and twisting it gently.There was only a very light “click” sound, and the inkstone seemed to vibrate slightly.He was delighted and quickly rotated the right and middle bulges in order.

After three soft sounds, a subtle sliding sound suddenly came from the bottom of the inkstone.

The two looked at each other and saw the surprise in each other’s eyes.Jiang Zhuo stretched out his hand, gently held up a corner of the inkstone, and slowly turned it over.I saw a piece of stone about the size of a fingernail slowly popping up from the light line on the bottom of the inkstone, revealing a dark grid about an inch deep.

There is a layer of dry camphor wood powder in the dark compartment, and a roll of tissue paper wrapped in wax is placed in the powder.The tissue paper was wrapped tightly, and after hundreds of years, it was not damaged at all.

“Be careful when handling it,” Jiang Zhuo warned.

Lu Jingyang held his breath, gently took out the roll of tissue paper with tweezers, and placed it on a soft cloth.He carefully peeled off the wax seal, and slowly unfolded the tissue paper. Inside were a few lines of small regular script, with beautiful handwriting and a bit of feminine gentleness.

The two of them came forward and took a closer look.

What was written on the paper was not some hidden treasure secret, nor some unparalleled prescription, but a woman’s self-narration.

[During the reign of Emperor Jiajing, my concubine followed her father to Yunnan and encountered an epidemic. She relied on the herbs given by the old man in the mountains to recover.The old man said that the name of this herb is “Konggu Lan”, which grows in the dense forests of southern Yunnan. It can detoxify hundreds of poisons and cure serious illnesses… I am afraid that this recipe will be lost, so I hid it in the inkstone given by Mr. Wen. I hope that in the future, someone who is destined to get it will save the suffering of the world.】

There is no signature at the end of the article, only a small plum blossom is drawn, which is exactly the same as the plum blossom pattern on the lock of Mr. Gu’s wooden box.

Lu Jingyang suddenly realized: “This is written by Mr. Gu’s ancestor! Konggulan can cure diseases. No wonder Mr. Gu said that this inkstone can save his daughter’s life!”

Jiang Zhuo also breathed a sigh of relief.He was originally worried that there was some troublesome secret hidden in the secret room, but he didn’t expect it to be such a warm past.It’s just that this prescription only mentions the name of Konggu Orchid, but does not include the specific usage and growth location, which is still a bit tricky.

“Konggu Orchid…” Jiang Zhuo pondered, “I seem to have seen records in the “Southern Yunnan Materia Medica”. This grass grows in high mountains and dense forests. It likes shade and humidity. Its flowering period is around Double Ninth Festival. The whole plant can be used as medicine to treat difficult and complicated diseases.”

“Really?” Lu Jingyang’s eyes lit up and he quickly took out his mobile phone, “I’ll check it now! There are records of plant specimens in the institute’s database. Maybe we can find the distribution area of Konggu Orchid!”

His fingers quickly slid across the screen, and not long after, he cheered: “Found it! There are still wild populations of Konggu Orchid in the Ailao Mountain Nature Reserve in southern Yunnan! However, it is a national second-level protected plant and cannot be picked at will. You must apply for a scientific research collection permit.”

Jiang Zhuo nodded: “Mr. Gu’s daughter has a strange disease, and ordinary medicines are ineffective. This Konggulan may really be a symptomatic medicine. You can go to the research institute tomorrow and ask if you can apply for collection in the name of scientific research. I will contact Mr. Zhou. He stayed in southern Yunnan back then, and may know the specific use of Konggulan.”

Lu Jingyang nodded vigorously, carefully resealed the tissue paper and placed it back in the secret compartment of the inkstone.He turned the mechanism, the stone pieces slowly closed together, and the inkstone returned to its original state, as if it had never been opened.

The afterglow of the setting sun falls on the inkstone, and the orchid grass pattern is coated with a layer of warm gold.Lu Jingyang looked at the inkstone and suddenly sighed: “It turns out that what this inkstone hides is not a shocking secret, but a heart that wants to save people.”

Jiang Zhuo looked at the light in his eyes and raised the corners of his mouth slightly: “The meaning of antiques does not lie in their value, but in the stories and people’s hearts hidden inside.”

At this moment, there was a rush of footsteps outside the door.Mr. Gu ran in panting, with an anxious look on his face: “Boss Jiang, my daughter… my daughter’s condition has worsened again!”

Jiang Zhuo stood up with a steady gaze: “Don’t worry, Mr. Gu, we have found clues. Kong Gulan’s prescription may be able to save your lady.”