The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 105 Yingling
On the 27th day of the 11th month, the emperor set off.

It was early morning.

"General, it's time to rise."

Xiao Yi suddenly heard an urging voice in his ear, and sat up abruptly, muttering, "I'm still alive?"

"Did the general have a dream?" Hua Nong asked, "Dreaming of fighting on the battlefield?"

"Ah."

Xiao Yi nodded sullenly, stood up, ate breakfast, and put on his armor.

The cloak was replaced with a piece of linen, the red tassels on the armor were all replaced with plain colors, the scabbard was wrapped with three layers of white silk, and even the sides of the saddle were covered with a layer of plain cloth.

Everyone was silent because they had gotten up early, except for Zhang Mantun, who talked a lot of nonsense.

"I won't wear heavy armor and not fight the enemy, just to put on a show for others."

Li Chongjin was still awake, sitting in the corridor drinking. He stepped forward and kicked him, saying, "Shut up! Get rid of that brat surnamed Liu and make my uncle emperor!"

"I'll go, General Li, please stop crying. People who don't know better will think you're mourning the late emperor."

After the preparations were completed, they set off to escort the emperor, while it was still completely dark.

Xiao Yi sent his men to the Zhuque Gate to quiet the street, while he went to the Zichen Hall to receive the coffin. There were only about thirty officials present, most of whom were relatives of the imperial family. He recognized only five of them: Feng Dao, Song Yanwo, Liu Xun, Li Hongwei, and Li Hongjian.

The atmosphere was somber.

During the inspection, Xiao Yi leaned close to Song Yanwo and whispered a few words to him.

"Yesterday I saw a cloth shop in the East Market that had changed its signboard. I thought it belonged to my brother Zhongjian."

"Does Xiao Lang prefer white cotton cloth or red cotton cloth?"

"It is indeed related to Brother Zhongjian."

"It was originally Su Fengji's property, under the name of one of his mistresses. When the court confiscated the Su family's property, she was not implicated, but she was uneasy, so she simply sold it to me at a low price, begging me to ensure her safety."

Xiao Yi said, "I see."

Song Yanwo smiled meaningfully and said, "This shop will be registered under my younger sister's name as part of her dowry."

Xiao Yi had originally intended to discuss cotton cloth, but upon hearing this, he gave up.

Finally, with three clapper sounds, the mourners lifted the coffin and began the funeral procession.

"The coffin is being prepared for departure."

The outer perimeter was guarded by the Crane Control Guard, while Xiao Yi led the Inner Palace Guard to protect the center. Empress Dowager Li and Empress An's plain palanquins were positioned to his side and behind.

I noticed that at the very back were the entourages of the high-ranking officials, with each family bringing anywhere from four to twelve people.

The group did not ride horses, but stopped every three steps as part of a ritual called "walking with a bow." They walked very slowly, and it was only at dawn that they reached Zhouqiao. They were still more than 20 li away from Yingling, and it would probably take them three or four hours to walk there.

After leaving the Vermilion Bird Gate and traveling five li, one can finally rest for a quarter of an hour. During this time, one is not allowed to eat, talk, or laugh. The only sound is the mourning of the deceased emperor.

"Your Majesty!"

Xiao Yi suddenly heard a heart-wrenching cry and wondered who could have overacted like that.

Looking back, they saw Song Yanwo sobbing uncontrollably, trying to rush towards the coffin, but was stopped by Lü You and Wei Liang. Song Yanwo immediately collapsed to the ground, convulsing.

"what happened?!"

"I...we didn't push him." Lü You was terrified, raising his hands high with a look of horror on his face, and muttered, "General, I really didn't push him."

"I didn't push it either."

Wei Liang tried to help him up, but Song Yanwo suddenly foamed at the mouth, which startled him so much that he dared not touch him again.

"Imperial physician! Quickly!"

Xiao Yi quickly stepped forward to help Song Yanwo up, but Song Yanwo grabbed his wrist.

He immediately understood, knowing that Song Yanwo would likely thank him for saving him for the fourth time when they met again.

"Brother Zhongjian has fainted from excessive grief. Quickly, send him back to the capital to recuperate..."

"Royal brother!"

Suddenly, another heart-wrenching cry rang out, and Liu Xun swayed before collapsing unconscious.

Seeing that this man was feigning illness and didn't even want the throne, Xiao Yi didn't make things difficult for him and allowed his attendants to send him back to the city as well.

Then, Feng Dao looked over and Xiao Yi nodded, then walked around with his hand on his sword, organizing the troops.

"I, Xiao, was originally a soldier of the Tianxiong Army! I was ordered to guard the inner palace, and today I will ensure the safe reunification of the late emperor's tomb. No matter how grief-stricken you are, please do not faint!"

After saying that, he glanced at everyone and happened to meet Empress An's eyes. He noticed that her gaze towards him was somewhat wary, unlike the indifferent vase she had been before.

In just a moment, she quickly lowered her eyes, and when she looked up again, her face was expressionless.

I doubt she would dare to faint; she has to finish playing the empress.

After traveling another five li, they rested for a meal, and Xiao Yi secretly ate a few pieces of dried meat.

He did need to eat, not out of negligence, nor out of any sense of obligation.

Turning her head, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Empress An was looking at her again. Then, she turned to speak quietly to a palace maid, who stole a glance at her.

They were probably talking about what he was eating.

This was one of the few moments of enjoyment in the otherwise long and tedious journey.

Finally, we arrived at the mourning pavilion in front of Yingling Mausoleum, where the official in charge of rites led a rehearsal of the sealing of the mausoleum.

There wasn't much for Xiao Yi to do; he only had to prevent the craftsmen from escaping when sealing the tomb door.

Why were there craftsmen inside when the tomb door was sealed?

"Disciplining the craftsmen who built the mausoleum to prevent leaks and theft of the burial goods is not unique to our dynasty; it has been a precedent since ancient times."

"So, bury them alive?"

"Yes."

Xiao Yi asked, "What would be the point of releasing them?"

The official's expression changed, but he answered flawlessly, replying in a low voice, "Then, the late emperor's mausoleum might be robbed."

Yingling.

As soon as the emperor ascended the throne, the construction of his mausoleum began. Three years after Liu Chengyou took the throne, Yingling Mausoleum had been built to a considerable scale.

Due to the war, most of the laborers had fled, but more than 6,000 were left to rush the final work.

The contents of the underground palace are unknown; only a section of the tomb passage extends out into the mountains.

Amidst the vast expanse of snow and wind, stonemasons, bare-chested, wield iron chisels, chiseling away at iron plates; laborers, carrying massive wooden rammers, their work chants hoarse; beside the furnace, blacksmiths are drenched in sweat; and laborers carrying rubble move in and out of the tomb passage…

As Xiao Yi approached, he saw that the laborers' clothes were torn, revealing the marks from the ropes binding their shoulders—new and old, countless scars.

The older ones were in their sixties or seventies, and the younger ones were only eight or nine years old.

"Snapped!"

The foreman lashed out with his whip, knocking down an old man who was staggering, and shouted, "The emperor's coffin is down! We won't move the remaining stones. Move the corpses away and disperse!"

Xiao Yi turned around and saw two children carrying the body of another child. His gaze then shifted to the distance; in the cold wind and heavy snow, the laborers carried the body away like ants carrying food home.

Seeing this with my own eyes, I realized how apt the "ants" that those in power keep talking about are.

He looked at the overseers, officials, and the coffin, gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and then loosened it, feeling the powerlessness of trying to save the world.

The craftsmen are still there; the blacksmiths are heating molten iron, preparing to pour it into the tomb door, their eyes filled with sorrow.

Xiao Yi led the patrol and entered the tomb passage.

A group of carpenters and stonemasons are patching up gaps and carving decorations.

"The tomb door is about to be sealed, why aren't you leaving?"

An elderly craftsman knelt on the ground, choking back tears, and said, "Reporting to the general, the mechanisms in the tomb were all designed by us humble servants, and we dared not leave."

"I said, get out."

"This... Thank you for your kindness, General. Our families are still alive, how could we dare to escape?"

Xiao Yi examined the tomb chamber and asked, "Did you dig this? How did you ensure it wouldn't collapse?"

"By ramming the concrete layer by layer, it will naturally not collapse."

"Oh?" Xiao Yi suddenly thought of something and asked, "Do you know how to dig mines?"

The old craftsman was taken aback and nodded blankly.

Xiao Yi continued walking in and saw an old Taoist priest dressed in shabby clothes sitting cross-legged in front of a tomb chamber, meditating with his eyes closed, exuding an air of profound mystery.

"What are you doing here, Taoist priest?"

"Waiting to die."

Why wait to die?

"This mausoleum was surveyed by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau with my assistance. It faces the Qian direction from the Qian mountain, and the water flows towards the Qian direction from the Mao mountain. The water source is located at the Mao source from the Mao direction."

"Does inspecting the mausoleum mean certain death?"

The old Taoist priest did not open his eyes, and said calmly, "Countless people died building the mausoleum, and their resentment has accumulated. This humble Taoist priest should use his own body to resolve it..."

"General, don't listen to his boasting." The old craftsman said, "This old Taoist priest may be good at surveying tombs, but he also does tomb raiding by pinpointing auspicious burial sites. He's bound to get buried."

"The earth's veins can be examined, but the human heart is unfathomable." The old Taoist chuckled awkwardly, opened his eyes, and put on a fawning expression, saying, "I beg the general to save this poor Taoist. I have no family and am willing to leave."

"Does the Taoist priest know how to prospect for minerals?"

"No problem at all."

Xiao Yi nodded, looking around, and felt that the craftsmen in this tomb were all treasures. If he could take them all back, wouldn't that be a ready-made foundation for glassmaking?
After counting, there were 86 people who would eventually be sealed in the tomb.

He exited the tomb passage and immediately headed towards the plain palanquins of the two palaces.

Empress Dowager Li stared blankly at the remaining timber in the distance, probably lamenting the dilapidated state of Yingling, while the Empress would occasionally let out a few sobs.

"This humble general has something to report to the Empress Dowager."

"What's the matter?"

"Please, Your Majesty, have mercy and pardon the craftsmen in the tomb."

"You are presumptuous."

Xiao Yi understood that Empress Dowager Li did not want to increase the risk of tomb robbery and disturb the deceased again. But the truth was, it made no difference whether those craftsmen were released or not. The mausoleum was not even finished, and the burial was rushed. Who could they possibly prevent?

He approached the plain carriage with his hand on his sword and said in a low voice, "Please, Your Majesty, have mercy."

What if I don't show mercy?

"Please, Your Majesty, have mercy."

Xiao Yi didn't say much, because both sides understood the reasoning. Empress Dowager Li was capable of exempting the people from taxes, and she was not without compassion. What they were competing with now was their mindset.

He lowered his voice further to avoid drawing the officials' attention and to maintain Empress Dowager Li's dignity.

Once a dispute breaks out, it is Empress Dowager Li who suffers the most, demonstrating that a failed coup leads to a hundred misfortunes.

Empress Dowager Li flew into a rage, leaning forward like a tigress, glaring hatefully at Xiao Yi, her eyes reddening, gritting her teeth, and uttering a soft rebuke.

"You brat, do you also want to bully the orphans and widows of the Han Dynasty?"

"Please, Your Majesty, have mercy."

For a long time, the two remained silent, gazing at each other in silence.

On the plain palanquin beside her, Empress An glanced in their direction several times.

In the distance, Feng Dao approached with the official in charge of rites.

Empress Dowager Li finally closed her eyes, and two tears fell.

She raised her hand, wiped her face, and murmured, "Without a posthumous title or temple name, the affairs of the deceased emperor could not be more hasty."

Xiao Yi asked, "Do you want a posthumous title, or a name of benevolence?"

After saying this, Feng Dao and the official in charge of rites arrived and reported, "Your Majesty, it's getting late..."

"deliver an imperial order."

Empress Dowager Li was already seated upright, her hands clasped together, her back ramrod straight, her expression calm and showing no sign of emotion.

"The late emperor reigned for three years and always cherished the people. When the emperor died, he was benevolent. Now, the craftsmen who worked at Yingling have been serving for a long time. If they are sealed up along with the mausoleum, it would go against the benevolence of the late emperor. They should all be sent to work at the Directorate of Works."

Feng Dao said gratefully, "It is thanks to the Empress Dowager's benevolence."

Xiao Yi also bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

Empress Dowager Li ignored him and continued issuing decrees.

"The coffin was returned to the west, thanks to the protection of all of you, who worked tirelessly. Originally, 150 pieces of silver were prepared for the burial, but they were melted down and used as rewards. Each member of the imperial family and official was given two taels of silver and one bolt of silk; each guard was given one tael of silver and one bolt of silk; and each palace maid and attendant was given five hundred coins and one bolt of cloth."

Upon hearing this, Feng Dao sighed deeply, his face filled with sorrow. He bowed deeply once more, but remained silent.

The official in charge of ceremonies knelt down and cried, "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Empress Dowager Li seemed to have exhausted her last strength, saying, "I only hope that the Han dynasty can survive this calamity, and I hope that all my ministers will be of one mind and uphold their duties as subjects."

"Your subjects accept the imperial decree and express their gratitude."

"This humble general accepts the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude."

"..."

As the sun set, a loud shout suddenly rang out.

"The emperor has returned to the west, and his coffin has fallen!"

The stone slabs were slowly laid down, molten iron was poured in, sealing the gaps. The three-foot-high mound of earth stood alone in the mountains, without a monument or statue.

Amidst the wind and snow, Xiao Yi ordered his men to bring the artisans along, and felt the deathly aura in the mausoleum gradually dissipated by the warmth of life.

That night, the funeral procession camped out at a funeral camp three miles southeast of the mausoleum.

(End of this chapter)