Chapter 106 Chapter 104

Rosslyn Chapel, also known as the "cipher cathedral", is located seven miles south of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the site of a temple worshiping Mithra.Built by the Knights Templar in 1446, the church is filled with stunning carvings of symbols of Judaism, Christianity, Egyptian, Masonry and pagan traditions. The church is at the point where the north-south meridian crosses through Glastonbury.This vertical "rose line" is the traditional symbol of Avalon Island, where King Arthur was buried after his death. It is considered to be the mainstay of this sacred area of ​​Britain.Rosslyn (Rosslyn), the earliest spelling is Roslin, is derived from this deified "rose line".

Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu drove the rented car into the overgrown parking area under the cliff.Rosslyn Chapel stands on the cliff.Its weather-beaten spire is casting a long shadow.They were rejuvenated during the short flight from London to Edinburgh, although neither of them got a good night's sleep, as they were full of anticipation for what was to come.Langdon stared up at the desolate building, high up in the cloudless sky.Langdon felt like Alice in Wonderland, down the rabbit hole.This must be a dream!He knew, however, that Saunière's final hint could not have been more specific.

The Holy Grail awaits beneath the ancient Rosslyn Chapel. Langdon thought that Saunière's "Holy Grail Map" would be a drawing, a map marked with various symbols, but the way to reveal the final secret of the Priory of Sion was to tell Saunière is the same.These are simple verses.The four clear lines of verse undoubtedly refer to this place.In addition to identifying Rosslyn Chapel by the name mentioned, the poem mentions several notable architectural features of the church. Although Saunière made it clear in his final hint.However, Langdon's heart was still flustered, and there was no sense of enlightenment at all.Rosslyn Chapel seemed too conspicuous for him.For hundreds of years, in this stone church, people have been whispering that the Holy Grail is here.In recent decades, due to the discovery of an astonishingly large underground palace under the church using radar technology to detect the underground, such whispered discussions have gradually converged into a deafening cry.This underground palace, which is extremely deep from the ground, not only dwarfs the church built on it, but there seems to be no exit or exit.Archaeologists have demanded that a hole be blasted into the underlying bedrock to gain access, but the Roslyn Warden expressly forbids any excavation of artifacts on the sacred ground.Of course, this will only lead to more unwarranted speculation.What is the Roslyn Regulator trying to hide?

Rosslyn Chapel has become a mecca for adventurous adventure seekers.Some people claim that they are attracted here by the inexplicable and powerful magnetic field generated by its unique geographical location; Admittedly, they came here to hang around, but they wanted to hear stories about the Holy Grail and gain some knowledge. Although Langdon had never been to Rosslyn Chapel before, he always laughed when people mentioned that the Holy Grail was hidden here.To be honest, it may have once been the Holy Grail's dwelling place, but that was years ago; but now, it certainly isn't there anymore.With so much focus on Rosslyn Chapel over the past few decades, sooner or later, people will find a way to break into the underground palace.

Orthodox academics who study the history of the Holy Grail agree that Rosslyn Chapel was a deceptive trap, an elaborate, persuasive and devious dead end of the Priory of Sion.But tonight, as the Priory of Sion clearly stated in the poem that the Holy Grail was hidden in this place, Langdon was no longer self-righteous.There was one question, however, that still puzzled him and lingered in his mind all day. Why did Saunière take such pains to bring us to such a striking place? There seems to be only one answer. There are certain things about Rosslyn Chapel that we don't fully understand.

"Robert?" Sophie turned to him from outside the car. "Are you here?" She held the rosewood box that Captain Fache had returned to them.The two cryptex boxes inside have been put back together, just as they were when they were found.The papyrus with the poem on it was safely locked inside—only the broken glass vinegar bottle in the box was gone. Langdon and Sophie walked up the long gravel road up the hill, past the church's famous western wall.Casual tourists might conclude that the odd-looking, overhanging wall is part of the unfinished church.The truth itself, Langdon thought, was far more interesting than such subjective assumptions.

The western wall of Solomon's Temple. When the Templars built Rosslyn Chapel, they designed it exactly in the architectural style of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem-at the beginning of its completion, there was a western wall, a long and narrow rectangular chapel, and a temple with the highest The sanctuary resembles the subterranean palace where the original nine knights first discovered the priceless treasure.Langdon had to admit.These knights had some interesting geometrical concepts in mind when they built a storehouse for the Grail that echoed its original hiding place. The population of Rosslyn Chapel was much more modest than Langdon had originally estimated.On the small wooden door hung two hinges and a rough oak sign which read:

Roslin Langdon explained to Sophie that this ancient spelling had evolved from the "rose" meridian on which the church was built; "The Genealogy of the Virgin Mary"--that is, the family tree of Mary Magdalene evolved in one continuous line. The church will be closing soon.But Langdon pushed the door open, and a gust of hot air wafted into his face, as if the ancient building was letting out a weary sigh at the end of a long day.On the arched door of the church, there are plum blossom-shaped carvings everywhere. They are roses, the symbol of the goddess's pregnant womb.

Langdon and Sophie walked in, looked towards the end of the famous chapel, and had a panoramic view of it.Although he had read many articles about the fascinating and intricate stone carvings in Rosslyn Chapel, seeing it with his own eyes made a big difference. This is symbological heaven, as one of Langdon's colleagues once commented. Various symbols are carved throughout the church, among them Christian crosses, Jewish stars, Masonic seals, Templar crosses, sheep that suckled Zeus, pyramids, astrological symbols, various Plants, vegetables and fruits, pentagrams and roses, etc.Formerly skilled stonemasons, the Templars built Templar churches across Europe, but Rosslyn Chapel is considered the pinnacle of their love and admiration.These skilled craftsmen carved meticulously, not letting go of any stone.Rosslyn Chapel is a shrine of all religions, of all traditions, especially of nature and goddesses.

The chapel was empty save for a few tourists listening to a young man who led them on their last tour of the day.He led them in a line and walked along a very famous route on the ground-it was an invisible path connecting the six main building areas in the chapel.Generations of tourists have walked through these straight lines connecting the six building areas, and the countless footprints they left behind form a huge hexagonal star on the ground. This is the Star of David, Langdon thought.There is no coincidence here.This six-pointed star, also known as the Seal of Solomon, was once a secret symbol of the priests who indulged in fantasy, but was later adopted by the kings of Israel-David and Solomon.

Although it was closing time, the young tour guide showed a pleasant smile when he saw Langdon and Sophie coming in, and signaled that they could go around wherever they wanted. Langdon nodded his thanks, then walked back into the chapel.However, Sophie stood at the door, as if she was nailed, her face was full of confusion. "What's wrong with you?" Langdon asked concerned. Sophie looked outside the church: "I think... I've been here before." Langdon was a little surprised: "But didn't you say that you haven't even heard of Rosslyn Church?!" "I did say..." She glanced around the chapel, seeming a little unsure. "My grandfather must have brought me here when I was a kid. I don't know if that's the case. But I think it looks very familiar." She looked around the hall, and then began to nod more firmly: " Yes." Pointing to the front of the chapel, she said, "Those two pillars... I've seen them." Langdon looked at the two intricately carved columns on the far side of the chapel.The white patterns on them glowed red as if burnt by the last rays of sunlight from the west windows.The two pillars, erected where the altar would normally be, appear in total dissonance.On the pillar on the left, some simple vertical lines are carved, while on the pillar on the right, Ze is decorated with ornate spiral patterns. At this point Sophie was already walking towards the two pillars, and Langdon hurriedly followed.Sophie nodded dubiously when they came to the pillar. "Yes, I'm sure I've seen those pillars." "I don't doubt you've seen them," Langdon said, "but you didn't necessarily see them here." Sophie turned around. "What do you mean?" "These two pillars are the most imitated buildings in history. Their imitations can be found all over the world." "You mean a copy of Rosslyn Chapel?" Sophie asked suspiciously. "No, I mean these two pillars. Do you still remember what I told you just now that Rosslyn Church is a copy of Solomon's Temple? These two pillars are the replica of the first two pillars of Solomon's Temple." Lan Den pointed to the pillar on the left and said, "That pillar is called Boaz—also called the Stonemason's Pillar, and the other pillar is called Yachin—or the Apprentice's Pillar." After a moment's pause, he added: "In fact, every temple built by the Masons around the world has two of these pillars." Langdon had explained to her that there was some inextricable historical connection between the Templars and the secret society of the modern day Masons.The most basic levels of these secret societies - Apprentice Masonry, Master Masonry, and Master Masonry - are reminiscent of the masonry careers of the early Templars.Sophie's grandfather, in the last poem, directly refers to the master stonemasons who decorated Rosslyn Chapel with their superb carving skills.He also mentions in the poem that the central canopy of Rosslyn Chapel is carved with various planets. "I've never been to a Kinzan temple," Sophie said, keeping her eyes on the pillars. "I'm almost sure I saw these pillars here." She looked back into the church again, as if looking for something to jog her memory. The other visitors were leaving now, and the young guide, smiling broadly, approached them from across the church.He was a handsome young man of about twenty-eight or twenty-eight, with a Scottish accent, and auburn hair. "The church is closing soon. Can I help you?" Then you help us find the Holy Grail, what do you think?Langdon wanted to tell him so. "Password." Sophie blurted out, suddenly realizing something: "Here's a code." The guide seemed amused by her enthusiasm: "It's the code, ma'am." "It's on the ceiling." She turned to face the wall on the right and said, "Over there...somewhere." The tour guide smiled: "I can see that this is not the first time you have come here." This is the code, Langdon thought.He has almost forgotten all this knowledge.Among the many mysteries of Rosslyn Chapel is a Vaulted Door, from which hundreds of stones protrude outwards and extend downwards, forming a strange polyhedron.Markers are engraved on each stone, which may seem careless on the surface, but the code set by these markers is unfathomable.Some believe that this code will open the door to the underground palace below the church; others believe that it tells a true story of the Holy Grail.That's fine -- cryptographers have been trying to figure out its meaning for centuries, and to this day the Roslyn Overseer promises a rich reward to anyone who can explain its inner meaning, but the code , is still a mystery. "I'd love to show you around--" The guide's voice gradually faded. That was the first cipher I ever encountered, Sophie thought.In a trance, she walked alone towards the archway where the password was hidden.She handed the rosewood box to Langdon, and quickly forgot about the Holy Grail, the Priory of Sion, and the mysteries of the past.She came under the ceiling inlaid with codes, stared at the various symbols on her head, and memories flooded her heart like a flood.She was recalling the first time she came here.Strangely enough, however, these memories saddened her unexpectedly. When she was young - about a year or two after her family died, her grandfather took her to Scotland for a short holiday.Before returning to Paris, they went to Rosslyn Chapel.It was late and the churches were closed.But they went in anyway. "Grandpa, shall we go home?" Sophie asked, feeling tired. "Soon, baby, soon." His voice sounded sad. "I still have something to finish here, how about you wait for me in the car?" "Are you going to do grown-up things again?" He nodded and said, "I promise you, I'll be back soon." "Then can I guess the combination on the arch again? It's fun." "I don't know, I'm going outside. You're not afraid to be here alone, are you?" "Of course not!" she said displeasedly, "it's not dark yet!" "That's good," he said with a smile, leading her to the intricately carved archway he had shown her earlier. Sophie immediately "plopped" down on the stone floor, lying on her back, staring at the pattern made up of various puzzles on her head. "I need to find this code before you come back." "Then let's play." He bent down, kissed her forehead, and walked towards the nearby side door. "I'm right outside, I'll leave the door open, call me if you need something." Immediately, he walked into the soft night. Sophie lay on the ground, staring up at the code.Soon, sleepiness came up.After a while, the symbol on the head gradually became blurred and then disappeared. When Sophie woke up, the ground felt cold. "grandfather!" However there was no reply.She stood up and brushed the dust off her body.The side door was still open.The night grew darker.She went out and saw her grandfather standing in the hallway of a nearby house.The house is just behind the church.Her grandfather was whispering to a man who could barely see through the screen door. "Grandfather!" she cried. Grandpa turned around, waved to her, and signaled her to wait a little longer.Then.He spoke his last few words slowly to the person standing inside the door, and blew a kiss to the screen door.Only then did he come over with tears in his eyes. "Grandpa, why are you crying?" He lifted her up and hugged her tightly. "Oh, Sophie, this year, you and I have to say goodbye to so many people. I'm so sorry." Sophie thought of the car accident, of saying goodbye to her parents, her grandmother, and her infant brother. "You mean to say goodbye to someone else?" "A dear friend of mine," he replied affectionately, "I'm afraid I won't see her for a long time." Standing beside the guide, Langdon kept his eyes on the church wall, growing increasingly concerned that he had entered another dead end.Sophie had walked away, leaving Langdon with the rosewood box, which contained a map that seemed useless now.Although Rosslyn Chapel was clearly mentioned in Saunière's poem, and they were already here, Langdon still didn't know what to do.Langdon didn't see the "blade and holy grail" mentioned in the poem. "The Holy Grail awaits beneath the ancient Rosslyn Chapel. The blade and the chalice guarded her door together. " Langdon felt again that there was something about the mystery that was yet to be unraveled. "I don't like to pry into other people's affairs," the guide said, looking at the rosewood box in Langdon's hand, "but this box...may I ask where I got it?" Langdon smiled wearily: "Well, it's a long story." The young man hesitated, his eyes fixed on the box again. "That's weird. My grandma had a jewelry box just like yours. Same shiny rosewood, with the same rosewood inlays, even the hinges." The young man must have been mistaken, Langdon thought.If ever there was a box of this style, it was this one—a box specially made to house the keystone of the Priory of Sion. "The two boxes may be similar, but—" Suddenly, the side door was slammed shut, and the two of them looked over involuntarily.Sophie left without saying a word.She was walking along the cliff to a nearby house of large cobblestones.Langdon's eyes followed hers.Where is she going?She'd been behaving oddly since they'd been in church.He turned to the young guide and said, "Do you know what that house is for?" The tour guide nodded and watched Sophie walking that way, feeling very puzzled. "That's the overseer's residence. The overseer lives there. She also happens to be president of the Roslyn Overseer." He paused and added, "And my grandma." "Your grandma is the president of the Roslyn Overseer?" The young man nodded. "I lived with her in that house, helped her manage the church, and guided tourists by the way." He shrugged and said, "I've lived here for most of my life, and I was raised by my grandmother. ." With Sophie on his mind, Langdon walked across the church toward the door, trying to call her back.He was halfway there and stopped abruptly.What the young man had just said reminded him. I was raised by my grandmother. Langdon looked at Sophie walking on the cliff outside, and then looked down at the rosewood box in his hand.This is impossible!Slowly, Langdon turned to face the young man and asked, "You said your grandma had the same box?" "more or less." "Where did she get it?" "My grandfather made it for her. I was very young when he died, but my grandma still talks about him a lot, saying he had two genius hands. He used to make all kinds of things for her." ." Langdon seemed to see a large network of intertwined relationships appearing in front of his eyes. "You said you were raised by your grandma. Would you mind telling me what happened to your parents?" The young man looked surprised. "They left when I was very young." He paused and added, "On the same day as my grandfather." Langdon's heart was pounding. "Did he die in a car accident?" The young guide flinched, his olive eyes flickering blankly: "Yes, they died in a car accident. My whole family died that day, my grandfather, my parents, and—" He hesitated. For a moment, I lowered my head and looked at the ground under my feet. "And your sister," Langdon interjected. Out on the cliff, the large cobblestone house was exactly as Sophie remembered it.The night was falling, and the warm, alluring aroma of baked bread was emanating from the house, through the open screen door, into the endless night.A golden lamp illuminated the windows.Sophie approached the house when she heard muffled weeping from within. Through the screen door, she saw an elderly woman sitting in the hallway.Her back was to the door, but Sophie saw her cry anyway.The woman had long, thick silver hair, which reminded her of something suddenly.Sophie felt herself being pulled closer, and she came closer, up the corridor steps.The woman tightly held a framed photo of the man in her hand, touching his face lovingly with her fingers from time to time, with a very sad expression. It was a face Sophie knew very well. It's grandfather. This woman had obviously heard the bad news that he was murdered last night. The wooden floor under Sophie's feet creaked, and the woman turned around slowly.With sad eyes, she finally noticed Sophie.Sophie wanted to run away, but her feet seemed to be pinned by something, and she didn't move after all.The woman put down the photo and walked towards the screen door without taking her eyes off for a moment.As the two women stared at each other through the thin mesh of the screen door, the moment seemed frozen forever.Then, the woman's expression was like a wave ready to rush towards the top of the wave. She was first dubious...then unbelievable...then full of hope...finally pleasantly surprised. She pushed the door open and came out, stretching out her soft hands to embrace Sophie's stunned face. "Oh baby, look at you!" Sophie didn't recognize her immediately, but she knew who the woman was.She tried to say something, but found that she was about to stop breathing. "Sophie." The woman sobbed, kissing her forehead. Sophie said softly, as if choking: "But... grandfather said you were..." "I know." The woman put her hand on Sophie's shoulder lovingly, and looked at her with that familiar look. "Your grandfather and I were forced to say many things. We did what we thought was right. I'm sorry. But it was for your safety, my little princess." When Sophie heard the last words, she immediately thought of her grandfather, who had called her a princess for so many years.At this moment, his familiar voice seemed to echo in the old stone house of Rosslyn Chapel, and invaded the ground, echoing in nameless hollows. The woman threw her arms around Sophie, and the tears flowed faster. "Your grandfather wanted to tell you everything. But the grudge between the two of you was too deep. He tried to ease the relationship between you. There is too much to explain to you, too much." She kissed again Kiss Sophie on the forehead, and whisper in her ear, "Princess, there are no more secrets. Now, it's time to let you know about our family." Sophie and her grandma, just like this you hold me and I hold you, sitting on the porch steps in tears.At this time, the young tour guide rushed over from across the lawn, with hope and doubt in his eyes. "Are you Sophie?" Through tears, Sophie nodded and stood up.She didn't know this young man, but when they hugged, she clearly felt the blood in his veins expanding violently... She finally understood that the same blood was flowing in both of them. When Langdon walked across the lawn to join them, Sophie could not imagine that just last night, she had felt so alone, and now, in this strange place, was accompanied by three people who were hardly familiar, She felt that she had finally returned to her hometown.