Upon closer inspection, this seal is not entirely made of gold. To be precise, this seal should be called half gold and half jade.
The Chihu button part on it is carefully made of pure gold.
The lower part of the seal is carved from extremely warm mutton-fat white jade. The jade is as delicate as fat and has a soft and restrained luster. It contrasts with the golden chi tiger on the upper part, making it even more unique and noble.
Put the seal under the light, and in an instant, a dazzling golden light suddenly appeared like lightning, so bright that it dazzled the eyes.
Looking at the chi tiger buttons carved on it, it is truly a masterpiece of craftsmanship and exquisite to the extreme.
The Chihu sits cross-legged peacefully, in the posture of a hidden dragon rising into the sky.
The lines around its body are like a knife and an axe, strong and sharp, and each dragon scale contains endless power. It gives people the impression that it can be like an arrow piercing the sky at any time, soaring into the sky quickly, and in an instant.
Transform into the real dragon that travels around the world and dominates the universe.
The more carefully you look at it, the more you are amazed by its lifelike appearance.
Standing behind everyone, Hou Ximen, who had been silently paying attention to the development of the situation, couldn't help blurting out an exclamation when he saw the whole thing: "Chihu Button, this is the Seal of Destiny!"
His voice was trembling due to excessive excitement, and his slightly cloudy eyes were full of shock and disbelief.
Shen Yu never expected that what was hidden in this small animal skin bundle would be the Seal of Destiny - the Chihu Button.
In ancient times, the emperor's seal was the supreme symbol of imperial power. Its preciousness is self-evident, and it also has a remarkable status in the collection world.
Taking the current auction records as an example, a seal of Emperor Qianlong once sold for a sky-high price of 150 million. The Seal of Destiny in front of you, whether in terms of its historical background or craftsmanship value, is probably higher than the former.
Nothing less.
I don't know how long it took for everyone to break free from this seal that was full of luxury and power.
"Xiao Shen, have you done any research on the Chihu Button?" Lin Qingzhi and Gu Zhengyan blurted out at the same time, asking in unison, as if they had a clear understanding of each other.
Shen Yu pondered slightly and said slowly: "The historical origin of Chihu Button is extremely profound, and it runs through the long history of the Chinese feudal dynasty.
"Chihu is the eighth son of the ancestral dragon in myths and legends. Although it is called Chihu, the dragon's blood is the purest.
"My father is the ancestral dragon who created the world, and my mother is the Qinglong who is the eldest true dragon. Her appearance is the most similar to her parents among all dragon children.
"Such an extraordinary origin is destined to be extraordinary. Its appearance can be said to be the most similar to its parents among the dragons. It has inherited both the majestic and domineering ancestral dragon and the agility and grace of the blue dragon.
“The charms of the two are perfectly integrated in it, making its image both majestic and solemn yet agile and elegant.
"After the First Emperor swept across Liuhe and unified China, the Chihu was given a special and extremely lofty status and was selected to become the iconic shape of the emperor's seal. Since then, it has become a symbol of the supreme imperial power.
"With this seal, you can 'rule the world and obey your officials with authority'."
After saying that, Shen Yu gently held the seal in his hands. It had the texture of gold and the warmth of white jade.
Looking at the seal, there are four characters of "Ordered by Heaven" in seal script engraved on it.
It's Xiaozhuan.
Seeing this, Shen Yu nodded. That's right, this seal is definitely a real seal of the emperor.
Xiaozhuan is an important achievement of the policy of "cars on the same track and books on the same text" vigorously promoted by the First Emperor after he unified the six countries.
At that time, Prime Minister Li Si, as the main person in charge, gathered the wisdom of many strange people, poets and skilled craftsmen to carefully create this brand-new text.
Because the previous writing was called Dazhuan, the newly invented writing was called Xiaozhuan.
Xiaozhuan font is beautiful and has ancient charm, and you can add twists and turns at will. Therefore, official seals that need to be anti-counterfeiting all use Xiaozhuan, which was not abolished until the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China.
People often say seal cutting, and this is what it means.
While slowly showing the seal words "Ordered by Heaven" to everyone, Shen Yu continued to explain the knowledge about seals, "Seniors, Wei Jingzhong, a famous scholar during the period of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, in his "Old Han Dynasty" There are detailed records of the emperor's seal in "Yi".
"The book mentions that the emperor's six seals are all carved from white jade, and the seal buttons are all in the shape of a tiger.
"The characters engraved on it are: the emperor's official seal, the emperor's official seal, and the emperor's official seal; the emperor's official seal, the emperor's official seal, and the emperor's official official seal."
He paused for a moment, with a hint of respect in his eyes, and continued: "The main content of the book "Han Jiu Yi" is a detailed record of the daily life of the Han Dynasty emperors, the official system, the title system and many other aspects. It can be said that It is one of the extremely important documents that is indispensable for the study of Han history.
"From these records, we can clearly draw a conclusion, that is, the emperor's seals are divided into six categories, including the emperor's three seals and the emperor's three seals.
"Each of these six seals has a unique purpose, and its functions are completely different.
"Some seals are specially used to ennoble princes and princes. When a seal falls, it determines the noble status and fiefdom of the royal family and clan.
"Some are used when appointing civil and military officials in the court.
"Others are used to stamp imperial edicts and to deploy troops and generals together with military talismans. Therefore, they must be used with caution and without making any mistakes, because once the seal is used incorrectly, ministers can disobey orders according to etiquette."
At this time, Shen Yu gently picked up the seal and said with determination, "If this jade seal engraved with the words 'Ordered by Heaven' is not mistaken, it should be the 'Emperor's Letter' among the three seals of the Emperor." Xi'."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Wang slowly stroked the gray beard under his chin, "Xiao Shen, what is the biggest difference between the Emperor's Three Seals and the Emperor's Three Seals?"
Shen Yu responded directly without thinking, with a calm expression: "The emperor's three seals are mainly applicable to his own subjects.
"As for the Emperor's Three Seals, the doorways are quite complex and numerous.
"For example, letters to vassal states are generally not stamped with the emperor's three seals, but with the emperor's three seals. This reflects the emperor's special identity and status as the common master of the world."
Mr. Wang nodded thoughtfully, and then asked another question: "Then what is the specific function of this Emperor's Seal?"
Shen Yu did not answer immediately this time, but lowered his head slightly and fell into a brief thought.
After a moment, he raised his head and said slowly: "In my opinion, this emperor's seal is most likely used to worship the ghosts and gods of heaven and earth, or to be used when canonizing gods."