As Yan Shouyi and his team were about to enter the imperial mausoleum, dawn had broken.
However, the sky was overcast, and a heavy downpour was in progress, punctuated by occasional flashes of lightning, which hardly seemed fitting for the occasion.
The torrential rain washed the yellow mud outside the breach, forming a slurry that poured into the opening.
Many staff members were carrying sandbags to build embankments, blocking the muddy water from entering. Yet, Liang Yinqiu couldn't help but feel a sense of pity; she would have felt regret even if a speck of mud had flowed into the mausoleum, damaging a single tomb brick.
Wang Sihhuai had equipped Liang Yinqiu, Yan Shouyi, and the others with communication devices. However, Yan Shouyi could already foresee that these devices would inevitably malfunction due to magnetic field interference once they entered the mausoleum.
Before entering the mausoleum, Long Feicheng called. He was full of complaints about Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong arriving at the imperial mausoleum without a word. Although he wasn't qualified to enter, he thought it would be nice to at least see it from the outside.
Yan Shouyi had no time for idle chatter with Long Feicheng at the moment. He simply told him to have him and Wang Ji head over and wait outside the imperial mausoleum.
After hanging up, Yan Shouyi nodded at Liang Yinqiu and Wang Sihhuai.
Wang Sihhuai stepped forward to pull back the cordon. Everyone entered the imperial mausoleum in order, with Yan Shouyi leading the way.
He glanced back at a certain corner. It was empty, but he knew Wei Changqing was there.
Once they entered, Wei Changqing would also find a way to enter the imperial mausoleum. He was Yan Shouyi's strongest trump card, his greatest reliance.
Yan Shouyi led the way, with Lin Zitong following closely behind. Wang Sihhuai and a few team members were right behind them, while the remaining team members were arranged at the rear, sandwiching Liang Yinqiu, Li Yang, and Xia Qi in the middle.
The pitch-black tomb chamber was illuminated by the headlamp on Yan Shouyi's head. But the darkness seemed to have a physical presence, desperately pressing against the beam of light emitted by the headlamp. Beyond the reach of the light, everything was so dark that nothing could be seen.
After walking a few steps inside, the rushing sound of rain from outside gradually disappeared. In the narrow corridor, only the sounds of breathing and footsteps could be heard. If the footsteps stopped, everyone seemed to be able to hear each other's heartbeats.
"It's starting."
Xia Qi wanted to take a deep breath but worried if there might be poisonous gases in the tomb sealed for two thousand years.
So, she resorted to patting her own cheeks to sober herself up.
This was the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor!
A place where even a small discovery could make her a figure in history!
However, Xia Qi found that her hands were frighteningly cold.
It was already May, and the weather had long since warmed up. Yet, the temperature inside the imperial mausoleum was likely only a few degrees Celsius.
Fortunately, everyone was prepared and dressed warmly. The cold hands and feet were mostly due to nervousness.
Yan Shouyi sniffed his nose and was relieved that there were no harmful gases in the air. He then turned back and said,
"The air quality here is fine for now. Don't worry, everyone."
Yan Shouyi had spent some time in the Yunnan Worm Valley and had long since developed a body resistant to all poisons. He was also very knowledgeable about various poisonous gases and miasmas.
However, no one doubted Yan Shouyi's words at this moment. Everyone was much more subdued than they were on the surface.
There was only one path ahead. They walked along this path for what felt like dozens of meters but still hadn't reached the end. However, Liang Yinqiu had made some discoveries.
"According to historical records, the imperial mausoleum has a '回' (hui)-shaped structure. In addition to the main palace, it is divided into an inner city, an outer city, and areas beyond the outer city. Our current location should be in the outer city."
Even though it was the outer city, the walls of the corridor were already adorned with exquisite murals. Liang Yinqiu and the others stopped to take photos and record them.
These murals extended for dozens of meters and were far more exquisite than anyone had imagined. Even the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" scroll would have felt inferior in comparison.
Like the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival," the murals mainly depicted the daily lives of the common people under the reign of Qin Shi Huang.
However, the murals portrayed scenes of people living in peace and contentment, which was completely different from the descriptions of widespread suffering in later records.
Even Liang Yinqiu found it difficult to pass judgment on this, as history was always written by the victors. And the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang would certainly not record information detrimental to his reputation.
Wang Sihhuai was a rough man who didn't read much, but he possessed a certain aesthetic appreciation. Looking at the murals, he couldn't help but say, "Even by today's standards, could we create such exquisite murals?"
A team member echoed his sentiment: "It seems that all the spectacular things appeared in ancient times. Our modern skyscrapers are impressive, but something feels missing. Perhaps it's the lack of detail."
Today, a layer of plaster is enough for a wall. Even making a feature wall is considered extravagant. But in ancient times, intricate carvings were commonplace in people's homes, with every detail executed to perfection. This was even the case for a tomb meant for the deceased, with such demanding requirements.
At this point, Liang Yinqiu slowly said, "You see the exquisite beauty of the mausoleum's murals, but you cannot imagine the blood, tears, and suffering behind them."
"Why are all the breathtaking architectural wonders in ancient times? Why can't we create aesthetic miracles in this era of technology? It seems that modern aesthetics are far inferior to the past..."
"You must understand that in past feudal dynasties, with a single decree from the emperor, countless common people would rush forward to risk their lives. They could spend immense human and material resources and time to build a palace for the enjoyment of only one person. Some people were even born on construction sites and died on construction sites. In such an environment, how could they not build those exquisitely detailed and miraculous structures?"
"According to historical records, the construction of the imperial mausoleum began when Qin Shi Huang ascended the throne at the age of thirteen. The imperial garden was then constructed for a full thirty-nine years. Even after Qin Shi Huang's death, it was not truly completed. Later, due to the uprising of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang and the chaos in the Qin dynasty, the second emperor, Qin Ershi Hu Hai, hastily completed it. But that was still a year after Qin Shi Huang's death."
"A palace meant for a dead person took nearly forty years to build. How many people's bones were piled up to create this wall before us? How much blood and tears were used to paint these exquisite murals... How could it not be exquisite, not transcendent?"
As Liang Yinqiu spoke, tears streamed down her face. Her tears spanned two thousand years, as she grieved for the suffering common people of that era and lamented that time.
Upon hearing this, everyone fell into silence.
Wang Sihhuai was moved. This, he realized, was the essence of scholars. Although they were physically weak, their minds were giants, capable of shaking eras.
Yan Shouyi also sincerely admired Liang Yinqiu.
However, time was pressing, and he had to remind Liang Yinqiu, "Professor Liang, your colleagues are still missing. We should hurry and move forward."
Liang Yinqiu quickly wiped away her tears, composed herself, and pointed ahead, saying:
"According to historical records, there must be a passage leading to the inner city ahead. Perhaps my colleagues are there."