Chapter 7: Ji Ya

The term "great" is used because the Mortar Empire unified the entire continent three thousand six hundred years ago, unlike today, where there are nearly dozens of kingdoms, large and small.

The term "mysterious" is used because the collapse of the Mortar Empire is truly astonishing, having occurred almost overnight, without any warning. The entire Mortar Empire existed for less than a century, and even now, there is no consensus on why it collapsed so suddenly.

Merlin looked up and saw a luxurious carriage wrapped in animal skins, pulled by four horses, appearing before the three of them. After comparing it, Merlin revealed a faint smile of bitterness, then nodded and instructed Moss: "Moss, please go to the church and fetch Meixue. On such a cold day, it would be more comfortable to ride in the carriage."

History conveys knowledge and civilization; therefore, as a noble, history is indispensable. Antiques bear the marks of history, and to study history well, one must first study antiques well

Nobles should be learned, elegant, and wise. A true noble must have a fondness for and expertise in antiques. Can anyone tell me the background of this ring in my hand?

dozens of silver coins

"Anson, what happened?"

Jia nodded and personally handed the ring to Anson, who gently caressed the ring and examined the patterns on it closely. Finally, with confidence, he said: "This ring is made of a special material, likely polished from jade. Historically, the use of jade to make rings was popular only during the mysterious Morta Empire period, which was three thousand six hundred years ago. The patterns on the ring clearly reflect its style, undoubtedly indicating that it is a ring from the Morta Empire period."

Well, there is some truth to that. It seems this woman has some background. However, it doesn't matter; there is no one I cannot investigate. Give me a few days, and I will be able to uncover the ancestry of Ji Yazhu for three generations.

Merlin recalled Mei Xue's warning from before and helplessly shook his head, saying: "Forget it, I should head back early. I won't go today. Moreover, Mei Xue specifically warned me today that I must return to the library before dark."

The ring was first passed to Merlin and others in the front row. Although Merlin was not interested in the antique, he was quite intrigued by the Mortar Empire mentioned by Jia.

Merlin asked softly

Merlin, along with Anson and others, arrived outside the small building, where Moss was already waiting. Just as Merlin was about to climb into the carriage, Anson hurriedly grabbed his coat from behind and whispered, "Merlin, why are you going back so early? Why not come with us to a place."

Hearing Anson methodically analyze the background of the ring, a hint of surprise flashed in Ji Ya's eyes. She then nodded and said, "Not bad, you articulated that well. What is your name?"

Then, young Master Merlin, what will you do upon your return

Anson hurriedly said: "Merlin, where do you think we are going? Hehe, this time I am taking you to broaden your horizons. Recently, a friend of mine has acquired some new antiques, and Gut and I both want to take a look."

Why did a vast empire collapse overnight? Merlin found it hard to believe; he was more inclined to think that the passage of time had led to misinformation, thus obscuring the true reasons behind the fall of Morta and the Book Empire.

Anson looked complexly at Jiya, who had walked to the back, then sighed deeply and slowly said: "It seems impossible to get Jiya. I originally thought she was like other women, coming here just to flirt with some noble young men. But after seeing this ring, I felt that this was unlikely. Do you know how much this ring is worth?"

Merlin finally nodded and said to Anson and Guter: "Come up, let Moss take us there"

Moss nodded and then fell silent, directly driving the carriage towards the church. Merlin and the others also climbed into Guter's ultra-luxurious carriage, slowly departing.

"Just looking at antiques?" Merlin hesitated slightly

Anson scoffed, saying: "This broken-down car of yours? It’s nothing but torture inside. We should take Guter's car instead"

However, Anson shook his head and said: "Dozens of gold coins won't suffice. You may not know that, in the current market, antiques from the Mortar Empire period are priced exorbitantly. Not to mention this ring, which is exquisitely crafted and undoubtedly belonged to the adornments of the nobility at that time. Do you think Jia is here for the money, just to casually present antiques worth dozens of gold coins?"

The ring was passed to the back, and Ji Ya followed to the back as well. At this moment, Merlin noticed that Anson, who had just been full of excitement, now had a somewhat unpleasant expression.

Gute waved his hand and said, "I will send Master Merlin back."

Gute's face was filled with a sense of confidence

Anson felt a surge of joy in his heart and immediately said, "My name is Anson"

Gute also does not understand antiques very well; in his view, jewelry is the most valuable. This ring is merely made of jade, and it is already quite good if it is worth a few dozen silver coins

Merlin knows nothing about antiques, but his companion Anson has a particular fondness for them and often enjoys collecting interesting pieces. Upon hearing Jia's question, Anson immediately stood up.

Jia held the ring in her hand, and under the sunlight, it did not exhibit a particularly brilliant luster. It was evident that it was not crafted from polished gemstones; the material appeared to be quite unique.

Of course, let's go see the antiques

Teacher Ji Ya, may I take a closer look at this ring

Jia's first class passed quickly, as these noble youths only attend one class each day, and gradually, people began to leave.

Jia nodded and continued, "Indeed, Anson's analysis just now was very accurate. It is evident that Anson is quite knowledgeable and has already mastered the fundamental elements of noble etiquette. Every noble should be very well-educated. However, you may not be familiar with antiques, but that is not a problem. I will take a considerable amount of time to specifically explain some basic elements of understanding antiques to you. Now, let me show you this ring; feel its material, then observe the patterns, and truly appreciate the vicissitudes of three thousand six hundred years."

The Mortar Empire, as recalled by Merlin, is indeed a great and mysterious empire from three thousand six hundred years ago

Merlin also fell into contemplation. In this world, there are three denominations of currency: gold coins, silver coins, and copper coins. One gold coin is almost equivalent to one thousand from the previous life. Dozens of gold coins amount to tens of thousands. It is indeed unlikely that someone who can casually take out tens of thousands would be doing so to pursue the offspring of nobility

Moss glanced at Anson and Guter, a look of concern appearing on his face