Chapter 226 Showcasing National Prestige (1/2)

Ruan Tang picked up the photo frame; it was quite heavy and had a lot of weight in her hand. The silver frame around it had oxidized and turned black, making it look like it was a hundred years old.

Turning the frame over, a black and white photograph came into view.

There are six people in the photo. The man in the lead is wearing a long robe and has the jade pendant with the key she is holding on his waist.

The man appeared to be in his thirties or forties, with a gentle and refined appearance, yet his almond-shaped eyes were sharp and piercing.

Five people stood in a row behind him.

The five men looked different, but they all appeared to be a few years younger than the man sitting in the chair in front of them. All five men were dressed in long robes and had jade pendants of different styles hanging from their waists.

These jade pendants were the five that Xiaobai had obtained.

The woman in the photo, with her eyebrows, eyes, and expression, was practically a reflection of herself.

Looking at the man at the front of the photo, Ruan Tang recognized his features as similar to the original owner's father from her memories. She was certain that this was the ancestor of the Ruan family.

It was they who hid this unimaginable wealth here, waiting for their descendants many years from now.

She carefully placed the photo frame aside and picked up the letter, which was as thick as a book.

The kraft paper cover is very brittle; a light touch with a fingertip will cause it to crumble into tiny crumbs.

Ruan Tang quickly made a hand seal to reinforce the entire letter before holding her breath and gently opening the seal.

The Xuan paper inside was very well preserved. The small regular script on it was still jet black and clear, and the strength seemed to be penetrating the back of the paper.

"To a descendant of the Ruan family."

The first six words made Ruan Tang's heart skip a beat.

She sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor and unfolded the letter page by page.

Yan Yu didn't say anything, but sat down behind her and pulled her into his arms.

His body heat insulated her from all the cold air in the cave, and his broad palm covered the back of her hand. The weight of his hand made her feel at ease.

The letter was very long; it seemed as if the writer wanted to explain everything about their entire life.

The story begins with the autobiography of Nguyen Kinh Thanh, an ancestor of the Nguyen family, recounting how the Nguyen family business grew from a small rice shop into a wealthy and influential place.

Between the lines, one can see the shrewdness, resilience, and courage inherent in the businessmen of that era.

But the further you read, the heavier the words on the paper become.

"...The times are turbulent, with foreign enemies surrounding us, and the nation is on the verge of collapse. We businessmen, though lacking the ability to abandon our studies for the sword, still have a burning desire to serve our country. However, our donations of money and supplies are but a drop in the ocean. Seeing our country shattered and our people displaced, several close friends and I have been unable to sleep at night..."

"...These barbarian wolves have long coveted our China. Their ruthless methods far surpass those of artillery. They secretly dispatched Yin-Yang masters to steal our dragon veins and destroy our feng shui, attempting to fundamentally sever the backbone of our nation. This matter is a secret we inadvertently glimpsed; it is unbelievable to ordinary people, yet every word is written in blood..."

Ruan Tang's heart sank heavily.

It turns out that there are also extraordinary people in this era, and our ancestors had already noticed this back then.

At that time, the Xuanmen sect was in decline, and there were very few people who could fight against those things.

The letter continues.

"...We have exhausted our family fortunes and rallied patriots from all sides to gather this wealth. It is not for our own private hoarding, but to leave a glimmer of hope and a source of funds for the revival of our nation. The box contains tens of thousands of taels of gold, antique paintings and calligraphy, as well as contracts with overseas trading companies. This is not the wealth of the Ruan family alone, but a sharp sword forged for future generations by the blood, sweat and lives of all our compatriots who refused to be slaves of a conquered nation!"

"...We know that the fate of the Yan Kingdom will be fraught with great calamity and decline for a century. During this century, our China will surely suffer many hardships. Therefore, we have set up this scheme to seal this wealth. The key has been divided into six parts, one of which is used to open the stone gate mechanism and is held by the descendants of the Ruan family. Only those who have accumulated great merit can open it."

"Only those who have the world in their hearts and possess merit can make good use of this wealth and live up to our trust. As a gift to future generations, we will seal the foreign object inside the cave. It can only be opened with the help of five other jade pendants and the stone key."