Midnight at Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi.
The weather tonight was beautiful. A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, heralding the arrival of early spring, while brilliant lights shone from the high-rise buildings down to every single tree surrounding the lake.
Across the water, the red-lit The Huc Bridge arched like a strip of peach-colored silk. The Turtle Tower rose from the lake like a mysterious, ethereal palace. Together, they painted a vibrant, colorful picture in the heart of the city.
However, the atmosphere tonight was entirely different from usual.
Numerous barricades and warning signs had been set up around the lakeshore, and there was even a government decree strictly prohibiting entry into the lakebed area.
Over five hundred special forces soldiers and police officers took turns guarding and maintaining order around the perimeter. Their faces were solemn, and they were fully armed and dressed in neat uniforms.
The vast lake was now completely drained of water. In the very center, a deep, yawning pit had been excavated into the earth, creating an incredibly tense and solemn atmosphere.
Despite this, they did not stop the public from gathering outside the perimeter, as the locals here primarily made their living through nighttime activities.
Outside the barricades, the crowd of city dwellers was even larger and more bustling than usual. The atmosphere here stood in stark contrast to the solemnity of the lakebed; laughter, the calls of street vendors, and lively music filled the air, bringing the entire neighborhood to life.
Reporters and journalists had arrived early, setting up their cameras and recording equipment to interview bystanders, everyone eager to catch the latest scoop.
Meanwhile, children played, teenagers sang and danced, and adults chatted or played chess. The happiest of all were the street vendors and late-night food stall owners; seeing the endless stream of customers, satisfied smiles spread across their faces.
"Hanoi is most beautiful at night."
Under the shimmering lights, the lively and joyful scene made one feel as if they were immersing themselves in a fantasy world, forgetting all their sorrows and the exhaustion of daily work.
It had all started yesterday morning. Residents around the lake suddenly noticed the water level slowly and inexplicably receding. By noon, the lake had dried up completely, exposing a crack on the lakebed about one meter wide and three meters long, looking as natural as if it had just split open.
Sensing that something was amiss, the locals reported the matter to the local authorities. After sending people down to investigate, they discovered a small cave about ten meters deep, just wide enough for a person to squeeze through. It was a man-made cave; the entrance was caked in waterlogged mud, pitch-black and yawning into a seemingly bottomless depth.
It was clear that the ancients had created this cave beneath the lake a very long time ago. Over the ages, worn down by time, it had finally reached its limit, cracking open and spreading all the way up to the lakebed.
Brave miners and tunnelers were sent inside to explore. Venturing fifty meters deep, they were stunned to find a vast space that seemed entirely cut off from the world above.
Before them lay an immense area spanning up to a square kilometer, resembling a miniature country. Everything seemed to be there: houses, shops, streets, marketplaces... It was evident that an extremely advanced civilization had existed here long ago. Furthermore, almost everything was perfectly preserved, as if some mysterious force had shielded it from the ravages of time.
In the distance, a massive city wall loomed. Inside, a series of grand, majestic, palace-like structures stood tall, their imposing aura making one feel as though they could envelop the entire country.
This would be a monumental historical discovery for the nation, one that could help deepen our understanding of ancient civilization—especially since it was the largest and most intact architectural ruin ever discovered in the country.
Recognizing the immense significance of the find, the government immediately ordered the area sealed off for exploration, while urgently summoning the nation's most renowned archaeologists to excavate and study it.
A total of ten archaeological teams were invited to study the ruins, bringing together nearly two hundred participants. This was the largest mobilization in the history of the country's archaeological community, proving just how highly the government valued this endeavor.
At this very moment, deep underground within the ruins, several groups of people equipped with archaeological gear and clothing were making their way through the site, their flashlights casting flickering beams of light. Among them, a team of about fifteen people was walking closest to the central area of the imperial city.
“Kid, pick up the pace and stop wandering off. We still have a long way to go.”
The speaker was a tall man in his late thirties with a resolute face and deep, thoughtful eyes. Wearing a safety helmet and shining his flashlight around the ancient structures, he frowned and turned back to speak in a low voice.
The youth he addressed was Li Qifeng, a seventeen-year-old standing about 1.7 meters tall. He had a bright, handsome face with the fair, golden-toned skin characteristic of East Asians, clear brown eyes beneath neat, well-defined brows, a prominent nose, and a faint smile on his lips.
Dressed in a khaki jacket and jeans, with a slightly oversized safety helmet on his head and a flashlight in hand, the boy carried a backpack on his shoulders. As he walked, he shone his light on the strange structures around them, occasionally running over to touch them, his eyes filled with intense curiosity. Hearing the man's words, he frowned slightly and protested:
“Don't worry, Uncle Li. It wasn't easy for us to discover such a grand and well-preserved ruin. I'll be careful.”
“How many times have I warned you? Have you ever actually listened? If you don't start obeying me, I won't let you tag along next time.”
“Alright, alright, I get it! I'll pay attention to my surroundings, stay with the group, and not touch anything. Happy now?”
He nodded vigorously, giving a mechanical reply.
The middle-aged man was Li Shan, the country's youngest and most outstanding archaeology professor, who had won numerous prestigious international awards.
Li Shan was the leader of this particular archaeological team. Composed entirely of highly skilled and experienced experts, their mission was of utmost importance: to explore the central area of the imperial city ruins.
“Brother Li, don't be too hard on Xiao Feng. He's still young and inexperienced, and I've been keeping an eye on him. As long as we're careful, he'll be fine.”
The woman walking beside Li Shan smiled as she looked at the two of them.
Her name was Chen Rong. Though she was around thirty years old, her face looked much younger. She had a fine figure, with her hair tied neatly in a high bun. Wearing a set of worn expedition gear and a pair of petite boots, she exuded a fresh, youthful charm.
Ly Ky Phong also glanced at the girl, then shot Ly Son a knowing look.
"That's right, Miss Dung is absolutely correct. I'm not a child anymore."
"I think you should make some time for yourself, Uncle, rather than keeping Miss Dung waiting too long, hehe!"
Ly Ky Phong chuckled as he spoke. He knew the two of them harbored feelings for each other. Tran Dung treated him very well, and he liked her a lot too. If they hadn't been held back by his own affairs, they probably would have married long ago.
Hearing this, a middle-aged woman walking nearby laughed and teased them, "Haha, look at that! Even the kid knows. When are you two going to invite us to your wedding?"
Hearing their words, Tran Dung blushed slightly. She glared at the two of them, then stole a glance at Old Ly, a small spark of joy and anticipation rising in her heart.
Ly Son also froze, looking a bit awkward. He cleared his throat to dispel the embarrassment and quickly changed the subject.
"Alright, everyone, pick up the pace. Don't linger outside. Our mission this time is extremely important!"
"Understood, Professor!"
The group replied in unison without the slightest hint of dissatisfaction. Ly Son was neither the oldest nor the most experienced in the field here, but his prestige within the group was immense. Although everyone was a bit reluctant to leave without researching this area more deeply, they knew how to prioritize. Besides, compared to this place, the central imperial city was far more worthy of study.
The group walked through the outer ruins for about fifteen more minutes before arriving at their destination.
Right before their eyes, a massive arched city gate appeared. The gate was about ten meters high, with doors made of solid red wood, each side about two and a half meters wide. The city wall was towering and thick, enclosing a vast area. On either side of the gate stood two stone lions, each as large as two massive water buffaloes combined.
Strangely, the wooden doors showed no signs of decay, despite the vast amount of time that must have passed.
Above the gate hung a large stone plaque carved with two large characters. The calligraphy was as elegant as drifting clouds, yet filled with a firm, majestic, and proud aura. This was a unique script; fewer than ten people in the world could read it.
Everyone began taking out their equipment to test and analyze. After about thirty minutes, they gathered to reach a consensus, and the middle-aged woman spoke:
"I'm sure everyone here shares my opinion. This city gate and the outer ruins are of the same period, dating back over four hundred years. To be precise, it falls into the late Mac dynasty. However, there is something strange: this entire architectural style is completely unlike that of the Mac dynasty, or any architecture I have ever known."
Pausing for a moment, she continued:
"What's even stranger is that all the structures are completely intact. In my nearly twenty years of archaeological research, I have never encountered such a bizarre site. Everything has been preserved as if it were brand new."
Tran Dung nodded slightly in agreement.
"I was thinking the same thing. I keep feeling like this architectural style is very familiar, but I can't place where I've seen it! Ly Son, what do you think?"
Ly Son paid no attention to their discussion. He was staring intently at the two characters carved on the city gate, his face thoughtful and filled with doubt.
"Thuan Thien... Thuan Thien..."
Ly Son muttered to himself as he pondered, then shook his head. Suddenly, a bold thought flashed in his eyes, and his face grew excited, when he was suddenly interrupted by Tran Dung's call and a loud shout from Ly Ky Phong:
"Uncle Li, Aunt Rong, everyone, come over and take a look at this! I've just found something very interesting."
Hearing his call, they turned around in slight surprise to see him standing near the city gate, waving his hands at them with a bright, childlike grin on his face.
They all chuckled softly but walked over nonetheless. None of them looked down on him for his youth; although he had only been studying archaeology for three years, he was highly intelligent and observant, always making discoveries that took everyone by surprise.