I am already immortal, why should I ascend to become an immortal?

Chapter 226: Entering the Mausoleum of the King of Qin; "Until the King dies, no one is allowed to enter the underground palace without permission"

In the long history of the Qin State, women had never served as officials in the court.

However, this does not mean that the Qin State did not allow women to serve as officials. After all, in order to recruit talents and carry out reforms, the Qin State had opened up the channels for communication and issued a call for talents to the world.

As long as you have a good plan for governing the country, you can come to Xianyang and be summoned by the King of Qin himself.

If you have real talent and knowledge, you can stay in this land and boldly display your talents and ambitions.

As for the fact that there had never been any female officials, it was because the ancient sages of the Hundred Schools of Thought almost never admitted women to school. Over time, an illusion was formed in the Qin Dynasty that women could not serve as officials or participate in politics.

"Your Majesty, what are your plans for the danger at Hangu Pass? Judging from the time, the Prime Minister should have already started appointing his generals by now."

Li Si frowned. Although he thought of several possibilities regarding letting Lu Buwei become the main general, he always felt that there was a high degree of gambling involved in this matter.

Moreover, they were gambling with the lives of nearly one million soldiers at Hangu Pass.

"I have my own plans!"

Ying Lou lowered his eyes and sipped his tea before he spoke.

Since the King of Qin said so, Li Si naturally couldn't ask any further questions and could only drop the topic there.

"Li Si, help me pass an imperial edict back to Xianyang City and tell Heibingtai to be ready to dismiss everyone in Xianyang City, including the royal family, clans, and officials. If necessary, have them temporarily relocate to Duyi County. There cannot be a single person within ten miles of Xianyang City."

After Ying Lou finished speaking, he waved his hand and asked Zhao Gao to bring writing brush, ink and black silk cloth.

Although Li Si was not sure whether Ying Lou did this to prepare in advance for the breach of Hangu Pass or for the long-sealed [Qin Ba Crossbow] in Afang Palace.

If it was the latter, Li Si would be even more confused.

The Qin Ba crossbow requires 100,000 people to pull the bows to unleash 10% of its power, and there are many requirements, and the person pulling the bow may even die of exhaustion.

Could it be that Ying Lou was willing to sacrifice the lives of 100,000 or even more Qin people in exchange for victory in the war?
Li Si, who always prioritized trade-offs and gains and losses and never mixed in extra emotions, lowered his head and analyzed the pros and cons of this matter.

One hundred thousand strong men, or more, are not impossible to sacrifice.

However, if the price of this sacrifice only resulted in the withdrawal of the three kingdoms, then the gain would be counterproductive.

But if we can annex Qi and incorporate its population into Qin, let alone 100,000, it would be worth it even if the sacrifice was greater.

But destroying a country is no joke.

Can Ying Lou really succeed in what hundreds of kings from the seven Central Plains countries have failed to do over thousands of years?
Thinking of this, Li Si couldn't help but look up at the youngest king in the history of Qin State.

moment.

The two looked at each other. Ying Lou seemed to have seen what Li Si was thinking, so he said, "The previous king once taught me that the people are the foundation of the country. If you harm the people, you harm the country. Although we Qin people can sacrifice our lives for the country and die on the battlefield, but just to pull the string and put an arrow, we will lose the lives of hundreds of thousands or even millions of men. Such a thing will not be done by the Qin kings of all generations, and naturally I will not do it either."

Hearing this, Li Si was speechless.

In his heart, it doesn’t matter how many people die, what matters is what you get.

If one can gain more between gains and losses, then it is worth sacrificing many people.

After drafting the royal summons, Li Si and Xiao Luoyang stood up to say goodbye. But before leaving, Xiao Luoyang looked at Ying Lou again with a slightly suspicious look.

"Alas, this little girl is really smart. I guess she won't be able to hide it for much longer!"

Ying Lou knew clearly that the Golden Cicada was himself. Xiao Luoyang was probably already suspicious, and it wouldn't take long for him to be found out after they reached Hangu Pass.

Sighed.

Zhao Gao called the palace maids and eunuchs, and used warm water and soft silk to wipe Ying Lou's body, which had not been washed for several days.

Now it is spring, and the temperature in the north of the Central Plains is gradually warming up. There is no need to wear a fur coat when traveling.

Outside the tent.

Ying Lou felt the slightly cool spring breeze, closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.

The convoy has been stationed there for seven days.

There were also wisps of smoke rising in the distance. It looked like we could only set off tomorrow.

"How far is this place from Xianyang?"

"Reporting to the king, about three hundred miles!"

Zhao Gao bowed and replied.

"Three hundred miles!"

To leave Hangu Pass, you need to head east, and more than 200 miles east of Xianyang City is the location of the Qin King's Mausoleum.

Logically speaking, this place should not be far from the Qin King's Mausoleum.

Ying Lou suddenly remembered what Zhao Guizhen said to Chang Lingjun a few days ago.

It is comparable to the heavenly palace and can allow mortals to achieve immortality.

More than ten years ago, Ying Lou had never heard of or set foot on this Qin Mausoleum, which was officially ordered to be built by the previous King Ying Chu.

"How far is the royal mausoleum from here?"

Ying Lou looked around, but because of the countless tents blocking his view, he couldn't see too far.

"Reporting to the king, about fifty miles to the west and south is the royal tomb."

Fifty miles is not far. If you ride fast, you can arrive in about half an hour.

Hearing this, Ying Lou thought for a moment and then said, "Call ten Black Ice Terraces to go with me to the King's Mausoleum."

"promise!"

The thing that satisfied Ying Lou the most about Zhao Gao was his intelligence. He would not talk nonsense hypocritically for some high-sounding reasons.

A quarter of an hour later.

The sun in the sky has already set down the mountain.

The orange-red light cast long shadows on the tents standing on the plain.

Zhao Gao was coming from a distance, pulling a magnificent carriage.

"Black Ice Terrace, the Ten Iron Eagle Guards, pay homage to the King of Qin."

A low voice like the night wind suddenly came from behind Ying Lou.

Turn around and look.

I saw ten people kneeling on one knee.

They were wearing light black armor as dark as ink, half of their faces were covered with black cloth, and their long hair was tied up and hung behind their heads.

He wore a black-bladed, red-edged long sword called "Yuzhoufeng" on his waist, and a Qin crossbow made of black iron and deer tendons on his back.

The same attire, the same body shape, the same weapons, making it impossible to tell their gender or age.

"Follow me to the Royal Mausoleum!"

"promise!"

The words fell.

Get up.

Get on the horse.

The Ten Guards of the Black Ice Platform did not drag their feet at all.

"I don't need a carriage, just a fast horse!"

Looking at the gorgeous carriage brought by Zhao Gao, Ying Lou seemed displeased.

But this cannot be blamed on Zhao Gao. After all, the King of Qin had always been in weak health. Not to mention riding a horse, he rarely even went out of the Afang Palace.

"As ordered!"

Although Zhao Gao wondered when the king had learned horse riding, he did not dare to say much. He quickly took off the shaft of the carriage and brought a maroon horse to Ying Lou.

"All officials, generals, and servants, bow your heads, close your eyes, cover your ears, and kneel down!"

As Ying Lou mounted his horse, the herald's cry rang out throughout the camp.

All civil and military officials, servants, including the 200,000 soldiers and horses on the periphery, all stopped what they were doing, knelt on the ground, lowered their heads, closed their eyes, and covered their ears.

The sound of horse hooves clattering all the way westward.

Ying Lou clamped his legs lightly around the horse's belly, holding the reins with his right hand, handling the horse with ease, causing dust to fly everywhere.

Although it was his first time riding a horse, he didn't look like a novice at all.

Behind him, the Ten Iron Eagle Guards of the Black Ice Platform all rode the same black horses.

The eleven horses galloped away, and in less than half an hour, before the sun set, they arrived near the royal tomb.

Although the Qin Mausoleum was built under the order of the previous king Ying Chu, the site selection and planning were decided a hundred years ago.

As for why the construction has not started yet, even Ying Lou doesn't know.

"It seems that because of the construction of the royal mausoleum, the people in the surrounding area have been relocated."

Ying Lou slowed down and sat on the horse, looking around and muttering to himself. The Mausoleum of the King of Qin is located to the south of Mount Li and to the north of the Wei River.

According to the records written by the imperial censors in the palace, the construction area of ​​the royal mausoleum in Yinglou was about 80,000 acres. It was built according to the layout of Xianyang and the entire mountain was hollowed out. It was the largest mausoleum in the history of Qin kings.

From the time the construction was ordered to the present, at least 200,000 laborers and craftsmen have been mobilized.

We continued forward along the gravel road for a while.

I saw a team of soldiers dressed as Qin soldiers blocking the way.

"The royal mausoleum is a restricted area. Anyone who trespasses will be killed!"

The team of more than fifty people all looked well-trained and battle-hardened.

It is said that the army guarding the construction of the royal mausoleum was the most loyal guards of Ying Chu at that time, about 50,000 people.
"I am the King of Qin, Ying Lou!"

Because the Black Ice Platform is only responsible for killing enemies and executing orders, they will not do this kind of work such as passing messages and communicating.

"Your Majesty?"

The leading general was visibly stunned.

Having never seen Ying Lou before, he did not dare to easily believe the words of the person in front of him.

Even this person's temperament and manners are top-notch.

Furthermore, the ten masked men in black armor at the back seemed to be the Black Ice Platform.

"No one in the palace has sent word that the king is coming to the royal mausoleum!"

Just when the general was puzzled, Ying Lou took out a letter with the royal seal prepared by Zhao Gao in advance and threw it to him.

"You are the king!"

More than fifty people dismounted in an instant and knelt on one knee towards Ying Lou.

"Get up!"

Ying Lou didn't care. He asked these people to stand up and continued walking inside with him.

"Your Majesty, my name is Wang He, a native of Xianyang. I followed the late king in his early years and am currently in charge of guarding the east gate of the royal mausoleum."

On the way towards the royal mausoleum, the team leader Wang He followed Ying Lou on horseback and spoke cautiously.

"How many years have you been here?"

"Reporting to the king, thirteen years and seventy-eight days!"

"Have you ever been back to Xianyang?"

“Since I came here, I have never gone back.”

"Do you have any family?"

"Yes, a wife, a child, and an old mother. But I heard that the old mother passed away two years ago and was buried outside the south of the city."

When Wang He said this, his expression suddenly became a little lonely.

He guarded the royal tomb for thirteen years and seventy-eight days. He was unable to go back to see his old mother when she passed away. His son had grown old enough to start a family, but he couldn't even remember what his father looked like.

"You don't even allow family visits?"

"Replying to the king, we old soldiers have never returned home since the royal mausoleum was first built until now."

Ying Lou was a little surprised when he heard what Wang He said.

This place is only three hundred miles away from Xianyang. Why are these soldiers not allowed to go home for more than ten years?

Even the construction of tombs of Qin kings of all dynasties had never been so strict.

However, there must be a reason for the abnormal situation.

Could it be that there is some secret in this royal tomb that must not be leaked at all?
Considering what Zhao Guizhen had said to Chang Lingjun before, Ying Lou couldn't help but feel confused.

"Is this really just a mausoleum for me?"

Ying Lou asked.

"Your Majesty, I don't know. For the past thirteen years, I have only been responsible for guarding the east side of the royal mausoleum. At most, I have been to the burial pit, and I have never set foot in Mount Li."

The practice of burying people alive with the dead has been passed down since Lin Yao unified the Central Plains.

From the kings of various countries to the princes and nobles, all would choose to be buried with living people after their death.

Even Ying Chu, who was known as the most benevolent of all Qin kings, had 300 people buried with him when he died. After taking poison, they were buried in the underground palace along with the coffin.

The number of 300 people was already the minimum number of people buried alive with the kings in the history of the Central Plains.

"Buried alive!"

Ying Lou looked at a row of old craftsmen being pushed into a deep pit one by one not far away.

The wrinkle between his brows became tighter and tighter.

"Your Majesty, these old craftsmen are no longer able to continue working due to their age and physical condition. However, in order to prevent the royal mausoleum from being leaked, they can only be buried in the burial pit in advance."

Seeing Ying Lou's slightly gloomy expression, Wang He hurriedly said.

However, in Wang He's heart, he did not think that Ying Lou was disgusted with the system of burial alive, but thought that the craftsmen in front ruined the scenery.

"Let Yang Ruihe come to see me!"

Yang Ruihe was a famous general during the reign of King Zhao. He was about ten years younger than Bai Qi and had served three dynasties.

When Ying Chu was in power, he was appointed to be responsible for the daily work of building the royal mausoleum.

"promise!"

Due to the strict rules in the royal mausoleum, even Wang He did not have the authority to report across the chain of command and could only pass on the message step by step.

This also resulted in Yang Ruihe arriving here nearly an hour later, when the sun had completely set and the moon was high in the sky.

"Your Majesty, Yang Ruihe, pays homage to the King of Qin."

Yang Ruihe, who was nearly sixty years old, took off his helmet and sword and knelt on one knee the moment he saw Ying Lou.

"General Yang, please stand up!"

Ying Lou, who was sitting on a chair, raised his right hand and motioned Yang Ruihe to stand up and talk.

"Your Majesty, the royal mausoleum is cold and it is not suitable to stay there for long. You should take care of yourself."

Yang Ruihe knew very well that the King of Qin, who had not visited for more than ten years, must have come today for something.

However, what he didn't know was that Ying Lou had donated Wanli's national fortune for fifteen years and was no longer the sickly person with one foot in the coffin as rumored.

"Now that the three kingdoms of Chu, Tang, and Qi are attacking Qin, I am going to personally lead the expedition to Hangu Pass. I came to see this when I passed by. General Yang, what is the current status of the construction of the royal mausoleum?"

Ying Lou's words shocked Yang Ruihe, who was isolated from the news.

The Three Kingdoms attacked Qin, and the King of Qin led the army personally.

Has the Qin Dynasty reached such a dangerous point?
"Your Majesty, I am not aware of the progress of the construction of the royal mausoleum."

"Not sure?"

Ying Lou frowned, his tone somewhat cold.

As Yang Ruihe was the person in charge of the construction of the royal mausoleum, how could he not know?

"Your Majesty, the previous king assigned someone else to build the underground palace. I am only responsible for matters outside the underground palace, so I am not very clear about it."

Looking at Ying Lou's unfriendly eyes, Yang Ruihe knew that the king had misunderstood him for not reporting the truth, so he hurriedly explained.

"Is this still happening?"

Ying Lou stared at Yang Ruihe who was kneeling on the ground. Seeing that the other party did not seem to be lying, he became confused.

Neither the censor nor any other official had ever mentioned this matter, not even before the late king died.

Could it be that there is something in this underground palace that is inconvenient to spread?

"General Yang, take me into the underground palace. I want to take a look."

When Yang Ruihe heard that Ying Lou was going to the underground palace, his expression became a little nervous, and his eyes began to wander.

"General Yang, can't you hear what I said?"

Although Ying Lou's voice sounded somewhat displeased, Yang Ruihe still did not move.

At this time, the Ten Guards of the Black Ice Platform had already lowered their bodies slightly and grasped their hands on the hilts of their swords.

"Replying to the king, the previous king once issued a secret decree that no one is allowed to enter the underground palace before the king dies."

Before the king died.

This statement would be nothing short of annihilating Yang Ruihe's three clans.

After hearing this, Ying Lou finally understood. No wonder this guy hesitated for a long time and didn't dare to get up.

(End of this chapter)