"Mirror of the Yin and Shang Dynasties" Part 1: The Fog of Panlong City
Story introduction (within 600 words)
In 2024, Lin Mu, a graduate student in the Department of Archeology, discovered a three-thousand-year-old hand bone holding a jade cicada while exploring the Panlongcheng site. The moment he touched the jade cicada, he traveled to Panlong City in the early Shang Dynasty.
When he woke up, he was lying in the wilderness and was captured by a businessman. He witnessed a horrific human sacrifice ceremony - a teenager was thrown into a boiling pot alive. Young Qingtu rescued him because the jade cicada in his hand was exactly the same as the relic of Qingtu's uncle who had been missing for ten years. Qingtu's father Qingfu took Lin Mu in, and the three of them made the pottery kiln their home.
Lin Mu used modern knowledge to repair the collapsed drainage pipes of Panlong City, which attracted the attention of Long Yin, the son of the city lord, and the two became friends. But this also aroused the suspicion of Zhenren, the leader of Zhenren Mansion. The people of Zhenzhen discovered the jade cicada in Lin Mu's hand and recognized it as a relic of Qinggui, a mining slave who died in Tonglu Mountain ten years ago - Qingtu was Qinggui's nephew.
Lin Mu was assigned to the Tonglushan Mining Area, and found traces of landslides deliberately made of dead wood underground, confirming that Long Yin's brothers Long Cheng and Qing Gui were both murdered. Deep in the mine, he found the last words carved on the wall by thirty-three mining slaves, revealing the shocking secret of Zhenren Mansion's thirty-year illegal mining of tin mines and murders - those tin mines were sold to the Zhou people in the north.
Lin Mu fled back to Panlong City with the evidence, only to find that Qing's father was imprisoned for "collaborating with the enemy" and Qing Tu was missing. He sneaked into the prison to rescue Qing's father, but Qing's father died of his injuries. In order to cover their breakout, Long Yin was seriously injured. Before he died, he entrusted his brother's bone plate to Lin Mu. Achu - Long Yin's sister - joins them, and the three of them head north to Chaoge with the evidence.
In Chaoge, they got to meet King Wu Ding of Shang and the general's wife. Fuhao helped them overthrow the people of Zongzhen, and the people of Zongzhen were punished. However, Achu was killed by an arrow while trying to save Qingtu during the chase.
Three years later, Lin Mu returned to modern times. He woke up while exploring the ruins of Panlong City. The jade cicada he held in his hand had turned into a pottery cicada, with the words left in the soil engraved on the back: "I remember."
The hand bones from three thousand years ago still hold an empty fist, waiting for the next person to discover it.
Intention
"The Mist of Panlong City" explores three core themes through the time-travel journey of archaeological students:
First, history is not a cold text, but a living life. Behind the "remains of human sacrifices" and "records of mining accidents" in those archaeological reports are people with names, emotions, and dreams. They have feared, struggled, loved, and died. Remembering them is the greatest respect for history.
Second, the cost of civilizational progress must be borne by ordinary people. The Zhenren Mansion massacred the mining slaves for personal gain, and the secret of the tin mine was concealed for thirty years. Power and greed have never been exclusive to modern society, and they were also present three thousand years ago. And those who resisted - Qing Fu, Long Yin, A Chu - knew they would die, but still chose to stand up.
Third, memory is a bridge across time and space. Lin Mu came back three thousand years ago, taking away the jade cicadas from Qinggui and leaving behind the cicadas made from green earth. The phrase "I remember" has become the deepest bond between all travelers and this land. Remember, it is the best inheritance.
Protagonist
Lin Mu: 26 years old, graduate student in the Department of Archeology at Peking University. Rational, persistent, with the idealism of modern intellectuals. He learned to shut up and be patient in the Shang Dynasty, but never gave up asking for the truth. He is the "first person" of all time-travelers and the spiritual anchor of the entire series.
Supporting role
Qingtu: 13 years old, son of a potter. His mother died of the plague, his uncle disappeared for ten years, and his father eventually died for him. He grew from an ignorant boy to a successor, learning the simplified symbols of the Lin Mu Cult, the sword-making skills of the Chen Ye Cult, and the bravery of the Raikage Cult. He is the "seed" left behind by all travelers.
Long Yin: 16 years old, the young lord of Panlong City. Arrogant on the outside, soft on the inside. He pursued the death of his brother Long Cheng for ten years, and finally died protecting Lin Mu. He was the embodiment of chivalry and one of the few people of that era who was willing to sacrifice his life for the truth.
Qing's father: 40 years old, potter. Silence, forbearance, and superb craftsmanship. He waited for his brother for ten years, but all he got was a jade cicada. He took Lin Mu in and treated Lin Mu as his son. He died in Lin Mu's arms, using his last strength to tell his son that "there is something hidden in the kiln." He is the epitome of a Chinese father - one who talks little but loves deeply.
A Chu: 15 years old, Long Yin's sister. Cold-faced and enthusiastic, he said he didn't believe Lin Mu, but secretly gave him a bronze dagger. She was killed by an arrow while trying to save Qingtu, leaving only one sentence before she died: "My brother is waiting for me." She was the most ordinary noble girl of that era and the bravest warrior.
Gaozhenren: 40 years old, leader of Zhenren Mansion. Evil, vicious, and scheming. He killed Longcheng, Qinggui, and thirty-three mining slaves before being overthrown by Lin Mu. He was the embodiment of power and the biggest villain of his era.
Purpose: Witness the Yin Shang Dynasty