Twelve enormous gilded human figures, each dozens of meters tall!
They were varied in appearance, some were generals wielding weapons, others scholars holding bamboo slips, and some were feng shui masters clutching an orrery…
Standing before such colossal figures, Yan Shouyi and Lin Zifeng felt as insignificant as ants.
Upon entering the Imperial City, they were met with such a breathtaking scene, prompting Yan Shouyi to marvel once again at the might of the Qin Dynasty.
“Ancient literature records that after Qin Shi Huang unified the six states, he built the Great Wall, dug the Grand Canal, and standardized written characters and vehicle tracks. Not only that, but he also collected all the weapons from across the land and cast them into twelve golden statues to guard the four directions.”
Lin Zifeng murmured softly, “Qin Shi Huang did this to awe the realm, to deter the people of the conquered states from rebelling, and to restrict civilian armament for easier control.”
Yan Shouyi nodded slightly. “Legend has it that the Twelve Golden Statues were also destroyed by the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, Xiang Yu. However, it seems the historical records are not entirely accurate. The true Twelve Golden Statues were hidden within the Imperial City of Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum.”
These twelve golden statues not only awed the realm but also guarded the imperial tomb.
Fortunately, Yan Shouyi sensed nothing special about the twelve golden statues. They were neither mechanical puppets nor inhabited by wandering souls; they were simply ordinary golden statues.
If these colossal twelve golden statues were to awaken, even Yan Shouyi would have to turn tail and head home, abandoning any ideas about the imperial tomb for the time being.
Having suffered losses a few times, Yan Shouyi stood cautiously outside the city gate, inspecting for a long while.
After confirming the golden statues were harmless, he, along with Lin Zifeng and Taohua Ying, passed through the Imperial City gate and entered the true Imperial City.
Hu Hai had said that the Nameless Actor’s ears were very sensitive; if it heard any loud noises, it would begin to chant.
The Nameless Actor’s chanting would, in turn, awaken Afang Nu, the mercury maiden dormant in the mercury river.
Once Afang Nu awoke, she would surely drench the Imperial City in blood, and even with Yan Shouyi and Lin Zifeng working together, they might not be her match.
Fortunately, if the two of them spoke softly, they would not disturb the Nameless Actor.
The two and the ghost walked lightly and quietly along the central avenue of the Imperial City. On both sides stood the colossal twelve golden statues, and directly ahead lay the majestic underground palace, the objective of Yan Shouyi’s journey.
From afar, they spotted the plaque on the grand palace.
Three characters were inscribed upon it in resplendent gold.
Zhangtai Palace.
When Qin Shi Huang established his capital in Xianyang, Zhangtai Palace served as the primary imperial palace, where major political activities were often held.
History records that Qin Shi Huang “personally managed literary works, judged legal cases by day and handled administrative documents by night” here. Reports from central ministries and nationwide prefectures and counties converged here.
For Qin Shi Huang, this was the center of his power. Even after death, he would not place his main burial chamber in the rear palace, but rather in the position of his dragon throne.
Notably, Zhangtai Palace contained a wide mercury river that flowed out from within the palace.
Yan Shouyi did not understand. The mercury river flowed from top to bottom. The mercury in Zhangtai Palace flowed through the mercury river to the mercury lake outside the city. Where did the mercury in Zhangtai Palace come from?
Could it be flowing up from the mercury lake? This defied the laws of nature!
The two patiently suppressed their curiosity and continued inward.
Climbing the long staircase, they finally arrived outside Zhangtai Palace. The twelve palace gates of Zhangtai Palace were wide open, exuding immense grandeur.
Yan Shouyi took just one glance inside before recoiling with a grim expression.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Zifeng asked with concern.
Yan Shouyi whispered, “According to Ma Jinxuan, after she and her brother entered Zhangtai Palace, they saw many terracotta figures, and even saw a terracotta figure of Qin Shi Huang on the dragon throne, with the Ancestral Dragon Sword at its waist. But when Ma Xingping took the Ancestral Dragon Sword, all the terracotta figures suddenly came to life and pursued them.”
“Is there a problem?”
“But when I looked inside just now, Zhangtai Palace was completely empty. There were no terracotta figures at all!”
Lin Zifeng’s heart lurched, and she also peeked inside.
Indeed, Zhangtai Palace was sumptuously decorated. Jade plates and wine cups sat on tables. Apart from the absence of food, it looked as if a banquet had just concluded.
And Yan Shouyi was right; there wasn’t a single terracotta figure inside. The position where Qin Shi Huang should have been was also empty.
Even the intelligent Lin Zifeng was somewhat bewildered at this point.
Yan Shouyi calmly analyzed the situation.
There were only three possible explanations for the current situation.
First, and the one Yan Shouyi least wanted to accept – the revived terracotta figures had left Zhangtai Palace and gone elsewhere.
Second, Ma Jinxuan had lied to everyone.
Third, Ma Jinxuan had not lied, and there were indeed no terracotta figures in Zhangtai Palace originally; rather, she and her brother had fallen victim to an illusion, experiencing hallucinations.
Yan Shouyi most hoped for the third scenario, was most unwilling to believe the second, and most worried about the first.
If all the terracotta figures had come to life, where were they now?
Moreover, Qin Shi Huang had crafted terracotta figures to be buried with him in place of living people. So why would he create a terracotta figure of himself?
The imperial family was known for its ruthlessness. A schemer like Qin Shi Huang would absolutely not tolerate being replaced, not even by a terracotta figure.
This could be seen from Qin Shi Huang’s title.
After conquering the world, Qin Shi Huang proclaimed himself Emperor but was unsure what title to use.
Emperors of that era received posthumous titles, but Qin Shi Huang refused them, considering it akin to a “child judging a father” or “posterity evaluating the present,” deeming it inappropriate.
Therefore, to leave a lasting legacy, Qin Shi Huang declared himself Qin Shi Huang and decreed that all subsequent emperors would be known as Qin Er Shi (Second Qin), Qin San Shi (Third Qin), and so on, until Qin Wan Shi (Tenth Thousand Qin).
In this way, Qin Shi Huang’s title would be remembered for millennia.
One might ask, how could someone who fought over his title be willing to have a terracotta figure replace him, occupying the position in Zhangtai Palace that belonged to him?
“The Ma siblings likely fell under an illusion,” Yan Shouyi concluded.
However, Lin Zifeng’s words made Yan Shouyi’s conclusion falter.
She pointed at Yan Shouyi’s satchel and said, “If everything they saw and heard was an illusion, then where did they get the Ancestral Dragon Sword from?”
“This…”
Yan Shouyi was momentarily speechless. He truly did not know how to explain this matter.
At this point, Taohua Ying, who had been acting as a naive and innocent little maid, spoke up.
She said, “Could it be that someone used an illusion to blind their eyes, preventing them from seeing what they shouldn’t in the imperial tomb, and then deliberately placed the Ancestral Dragon Sword in their hands, for the purpose of… for the purpose of…”
Taohua Ying’s limited information prevented her from further analysis.
But her words reminded Yan Shouyi and Lin Zifeng.
Lin Zifeng said with a cold expression, “For the purpose of luring us into Zhangtai Palace…?”