Xu Lie and the others knew it was Li Chonglou's big day.
They had also tidied themselves up early.
At the entrance, a military vehicle was already waiting. The driver was a sharp, spirited young man.
Upon seeing Li Chonglou, he was stunned for a moment, then his face lit up with admiration. He snapped a perfect military salute.
His voice boomed like thunder: "Wu Tao reports, Commander!"
He knew that the special forces members of the Xiong Ying (Eagle) detachment were sent by their superiors to pick up Li Chonglou.
To ordinary soldiers, Xiong Ying was a mythical existence. Even though Li Chonglou looked frail, it didn't hinder his inner admiration.
After all, anyone who could join Xiong Ying was a formidable figure.
"My name is Li Chonglou, not Commander. You can call me Brother Li. Thank you for your trouble, Wu Tao." Li Chonglou returned the salute and explained.
He didn't want to use the Xiong Ying identity to swindle people outside.
In fact, he had only stayed at the Xiong Ying base for three days before being sent to Zhonghai for an undercover mission.
As of now, he wasn't a true Xiong Ying member yet.
Moreover, this matter was personal, and he didn't want to tarnish Xiong Ying's reputation.
"Yes, Brother Li!" Wu Tao appeared honest and dependable.
He drove the four of them directly to Kunling.
Legend had it that the joint tomb of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu Zetian was the Qianling Mausoleum, not in Chang'an but on Liangshan in Qian County, Xianyang.
However, that was merely a decoy tomb to mislead people.
The Kunling Mausoleum was located just outside the city of Chang'an.
Although Wu Zhao had moved the capital to Luoyang and named it Shendu, she abdicated the throne to Crown Prince Li Xian and moved into the Shangyang Palace.
After her death, she was secretly transported back to Kunling.
Therefore, for a long time, no one could find the tomb of Wu Zetian.
It wasn't until Lin Zhendong, over twenty years ago, found it while searching for Shi Bognqiong, and then reported it to the authorities, that large-scale excavation and protection began.
Currently, the area was heavily guarded by the military, with layers upon layers of seals making it impenetrable.
Within the security cordon, without a pass, not even a fly could get in.
However, Fan Lei, with his extensive connections, managed to overcome all obstacles and create an opportunity for Li Chonglou.
This earned Li Chonglou's admiration.
In terms of appearance and terrain, Kunling Mausoleum was far less majestic than Qianling Mausoleum; it was merely a solitary hillside.
The path up the mountain was terraced, covered with low-lying tea bushes that had grown together due to a lack of trimming.
It looked unremarkable.
"Greatest concealment is in plain sight." One had to admit that Monk Shenxiu's attainment was profound; this move alone had preserved Wu Zetian's tomb for over a thousand years.
At the foot of the mountain, a two-meter-high concrete tunnel appeared before the four of them.
This was the passage built to enter the tomb chamber.
"Brother Li, the superiors instructed me to accompany you throughout the descent into the tomb." Upon reaching the entrance, Wu Tao took out rubber gloves and distributed them to the four, instructing, "Once you enter, you are only allowed to observe. No photography or touching."
"And do not damage any artifacts within the tomb chamber."
Lin Zhendong and Lin Ying nodded. As professionals in archaeology, they were naturally aware of these procedures.
Although Li Chonglou was also a member of the archaeological team, he lacked experience. Moreover, he was not here for a tour; he was looking for his father.
It was impossible for him not to touch or feel things, so he remained silent.
He silently recited, "I apologize, Wu Tao. This concerns my father; I cannot comply."
After clearly stating the rules, everyone put on their headlamps and entered the tunnel.
Kunling Mausoleum was of great significance. Even after so many years, no modern electrical equipment had been installed, nor was there any plan to open it as a tourist attraction.
Everything was preserved in its original state.
However, due to oxygen entering the tomb chambers, to prevent oxidation and erosion, most of the fragile funerary objects had been removed for protection.
Walking through the passage, the space ahead opened up dramatically.
An underground structure strikingly similar to the Mingtang in Shendu, Luoyang, appeared before them.
The atmosphere was grand, and the design peculiar, with the eaves formed by the Eight Trigrams, the sky as the roof, the Qiankun and Sheji as the pillars, and the earth as the foundation.
At the entrance, countless stone carvings of warhorses, holding spears and swords, guarded the divine palace.
Witnessing this scene,
Xu Lie, Li Chonglou, and Lin Ying were all awestruck.
Even though Lin Ying had considerable archaeological experience, and Li Chonglou was well-traveled, having recently seen the underground palace of the Qiang King's tomb,
the difference compared to Wu Zetian's Mingtang was not insignificant.
"This is the Wanxiang Divine Palace, modeled after the Mingtang," Lin Zhendong explained calmly, as he had been here once before. "Wu Zetian's lifelong desire for power surpassed everything."
"Although she was forced to abdicate in her later years, her ambition did not die. Therefore, she did not choose to be buried with Li Zhi."
"Instead, she was buried alone in this Wanxiang Divine Palace, secretly built during her reign, continuing to be the sole empress in history."
"Ruling over all beings."
The astonishment on Li Chonglou's face gradually subsided, and he let out a long sigh, "Truly worthy of an Empress."
On the other hand, Wu Tao, like Lin Zhendong, remained calm and unfazed.
He led the four into the main hall.
The furnishings inside the hall were similar to the Mingtang in Shendu. Atop the steps stood a golden dragon throne, its material whether real gold was uncertain.
Behind the dragon throne was a tall and imposing Buddha statue, its head reaching towards the sky, standing in the center of the hall.
It held a giant, resplendent golden Dharma wheel, and its feet rested on auspicious clouds carved from white marble, appearing to fly in the air as if blocked by the dragon throne below.
It was awe-inspiring.
"This is the Chakravartin King from ancient Indian Buddhism, also known as the True King of Dharma. Legend has it that Wu Zetian styled herself as the Chakravartin Emperor, believing herself to be a reincarnation of the Chakravartin King. It is indeed like this," Li Chonglou recognized the statue's origin at a glance, now certain that this tomb was indeed Wu Zetian's true resting place, just as his master had said.
A scholar always maintained a certain degree of doubt and reverence towards anything.
This included his master's words; it wasn't disbelief, but rather the need to form his own judgment.
Otherwise, one would be merely repeating others, unable to think, and certainly unable to reach higher levels of understanding.
Li Chonglou was precisely like this, always holding a reverent attitude towards academics.
"Junior disciple, look closely. The Chakravartin King's feet are not stepping on auspicious clouds, but on a coffin," Lin Ying had already circled around to the side of the dragon throne, her eyes fixed on the base of the statue, her beautiful eyes shining brightly.
Who else could have a coffin placed in such a location besides Wu Zetian?
Indeed, Li Chonglou followed her over.
He discovered that in front of the marble auspicious clouds, behind the dragon throne, rested a white jade coffin.
It was carved entirely from Hetian jade mountain material.
He quickly stepped closer to observe carefully.
The jade of this coffin was of superior quality, intricately carved all over with delicate and lively knife work, depicting Wu Zetian's lifetime achievements.
Governing the administration, promoting the imperial examinations.
Emphasizing agriculture, lightening corvée.
Setting aside other matters, this coffin alone could be considered a peerless work of art.
A priceless treasure.
Moreover, it contained the mortal remains of the Empress Wu Zetian.
However, the coffin had not been opened, possibly because the experts dared not tamper with it, fearing further oxidation that might damage the Empress's remains.
No wonder the security here was so stringent; it made perfect sense now.
Although Li Chonglou greatly wished to behold the Empress's appearance, he only thought about it internally, knowing it was impossible.
Furthermore, his master clearly thought the same way; otherwise, why would he have passed by this coffin when he entered the tomb to find Shi Bognqiong back then?
This was the difference between archaeologists and tomb robbers: professional ethics, moral boundaries, and being true to oneself.
As for scumbags like Liu Zhibo, they didn't even deserve to be called archaeologists.
Li Chonglou forced himself to suppress his inner longing and looked around.
However, he did not see the formation stone his master had mentioned.
He asked, "Master?"
It was only two words, but Lin Zhendong immediately understood.
As Wu Tao was present, it was not convenient to speak directly.
He nodded and said, "Mm, no rush."
The implication was that the formation stone was not located here.
This made Li Chonglou somewhat alarmed; the Empress's coffin was here, but the formation stone was missing. Why?
"This is the Empress's audience hall. Her lifelong obsession with power was such that she would kill her own children without hesitation. After death, she would naturally oversee all beings from this hall," Lin Zhendong seemed to be answering Li Chonglou's unspoken question as he spoke slowly. "But a woman is still a woman; her most private place is always her boudoir."
"Where is Wu Zetian's boudoir?"
"Shangyang Palace!" Li Chonglou and Lin Ying answered simultaneously.
"This palace, based on the real Mingtang, even its layout and arrangement are identical. It is very vast," Lin Zhendong tilted his head and looked around. "Let's go and see other places."
Hearing this, Li Chonglou instantly understood.
It turned out that the formation stone was actually set up in the Shangyang Palace.
A sense of anticipation arose within him.
"If you gentlemen wish to go to Shangyang Palace, this way," Wu Tao led the four.
He had only been here for two years and couldn't understand the subtle meanings exchanged between Li Chonglou and his master.
However, he had also guided superiors to visit Shangyang Palace before. Where a bed should have been placed, there was a flat, massive stone of dark rock.
Many symbols were carved on the stone, which experts had studied for a long time without any explanation.
He heard from his former comrades that there were ghosts inside that stone bed.
But he didn't believe in such things at all. Ghosts and spirits were merely tools of feudal superstition fabricated to consolidate power and rule.
At this moment, Li Chonglou's blood was boiling, and he couldn't wait another second.
He followed closely behind Wu Tao, with no interest in anything else.
Besides, the funerary objects along the way had already been removed. Except for the palace itself and the numerous Buddha statues, there was nothing particularly noteworthy.
The group wove their way through the vast palace, twisting and turning, finally arriving at the Shangyang Palace.
The wooden doors had been oxidized and decayed, and the palace gates were wide open.
Although there was no natural light, under the illumination of their headlamps, it was as bright as day.
From the outside, one could see some stone carvings and formations within, exquisite and luxurious.
This revealed how much the Empress cared about the details of her living quarters.
It also showed the terrifying nature of power.
This was probably why she was so infatuated with it; the feeling of dominating everything was too intoxicating.
As soon as they stepped into the palace, everyone felt a chill.
The temperature here was at least four degrees lower than outside the palace, causing their hair to stand on end and goosebumps to appear.
"Strange, it's all within the mountain body, how can there be such a significant temperature difference?" Lin Ying hugged her arms and muttered.
Li Chonglou, however, had already rushed into the sleeping quarters, his gaze fixed on the massive, dark stone bed.
His eyes were filled with a mix of emotions: excitement, joy, and fear, all present.
His legs involuntarily moved towards the stone bed.
He heard it...
Unseen, he heard a voice, originating from the stone bed, as if calling him!