Lin Xi tutted, frowning, "Dad, big brother, why are you giving such an expensive gift on your first meeting? We came in such a hurry, we didn't bring anything..."
I waved my hand, took out a seal from my inner pocket, and respectfully presented it to Lin Jize with both hands. "I have long admired Mr. Lin Sr.'s name, and it is a great honor to meet you today. This is a small token of my esteem, nothing much."
The seal was indeed not large, not like the "great seals" seen on television. The printing surface was about the size of a mahjong tile, and the material was ordinary, a pale gray-blue. Carved on the seal was a rather cute rabbit, not a mythical creature like a dragon or phoenix.
It looked like something one could buy for ten yuan at a street stall. I wondered if the old gentleman would recognize its true worth.
"Oh, what is this?" Lin Jize peered at the bottom of the seal, not understanding, and handed it to the Lin family patriarch.
Before even looking at the contents, the Lin patriarch recognized the material of the seal and smiled, "Nowadays, not many people make seals from Helan stone."
"Perhaps more in ancient times?" I admitted I didn't really know.
The old man shook his head, flipped it over, and looked at the carving. "Not many in ancient times either. Only... Ah! You... Where did you get this thing!"
I smiled and said nothing. "A friend gave it to me."
"Such a generous gift, how can I possibly accept it! I cannot!" The patriarch placed the item on the table and waved his hands repeatedly.
"What is it? Is it very valuable?" Lin Chi leaned in, picked up the seal from the table, and examined it. "What is this? Three kinds of writing... Wuzu Yuanhao? What is this? Yuanhao is dead? Who is Yuanhao?"
"If you don't understand, don't spout nonsense!" the patriarch rebuked. "Put the thing down quickly!"
Lin Chi stuck out his tongue and thumped the seal onto the table.
"Hey, you child! Be gentle!" The patriarch quickly stood up, picked up the seal, and examined it carefully. "Fortunately, fortunately, with your clumsy drop, you almost made us lose this courtyard!"
Oh? Such a valuable item? A courtyard, whether it belonged to the Lin family or to the Saudis, would be worth at least a hundred million, right?
"Father, what does this say?" Lin Jize leaned in to look. "Wuzu Yuanhao, and the other two... what language are they?"
"It's Xixia and Tubo script, they all mean the same thing. This is Li Yuanhao's personal seal! Wuzu means 'Son of Heaven'! He is not dead!" the Lin patriarch said, shaking his head and looking at Lin Chi.
Lin Chi pouted. "So what? It's just a seal. Who is Li Yuanhao? A poet?"
"...Li Yuanhao was the founding emperor of the Western Xia dynasty." Lin Jize was clearly knowledgeable.
This was indeed given to me by Li Yuanhao, or rather, it wasn't. I had brazenly asked for it when I was leaving. Following the principle of "a thief never leaves empty-handed," I always brought something back from the underworld. After all, any artifact from the underworld could fetch a high price back here. Who wouldn't do such a profitable business!
But the last time I went to the underworld, the war was too intense, and I didn't have time. Only when I was bidding farewell to King Yama did I remember. I originally wanted to ask her for something, but looking at all the large items in her palace, most were too big to carry easily. If I asked for King Yama's personal belongings, it would seem a bit flippant, so I didn't.
When I went to bid farewell to the King of Xiliang, I made this request. Li Yuanhao didn't pay much attention. He casually took out this small item and gave it to me. When I saw the rabbit head, I thought he had carved it for fun. The characters below were also a bit irregular. I never expected it to be so valuable.
"Is it true? An emperor's seal? Then why is there a rabbit on it? Shouldn't it be a dragon?" Lin Chi asked.
"Because Li Yuanhao was born in the Year of the Rabbit," the Lin patriarch said, then looked at me. "Brother Wu... ah no, Young Wu, this gift is far too valuable. You should keep it yourself."
"Old Mr. Lin has a discerning eye, but this item is truly not that precious. If you like it, please accept it without worry. It was not obtained through any improper channels."
"May I ask, where did your friend get this seal from?" Lin Jize asked. As a government official, he would certainly care about this. If it was obtained from a tomb, he would definitely refuse it.
"To be honest, Li Yuanhao himself gave it to me," I said with a smile.