Chapter 1290

After the sacrificial rites, Zhan Peng accompanied Hu Xiaotian to the rear mountain logging area of Luo Yun Mountain, where he saw Liang Yinghao; Liang Yinghao was quite surprised that he had arrived so quickly, and several people came to the logging camp's wooden house.

Liang Yinghao took out the excavation diagram of the tunnel, pointed it to Hu Xiaotian, he pointed to the tunnel leading to the imperial mausoleum and sighed, saying: "This imperial mausoleum really spares no expense; my lord, do you know what we encountered after digging fifteen li toward the mausoleum from here?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said: "Could it be a wall of copper and iron?"

Liang Yinghao nodded and said: "Exactly, it's a wall of copper and iron. They surrounded large blocks of rock, poured copper juice between them, and our brothers, after immense effort, hollowed out a rock more than one zhang wide, thinking we could breach the outer wall, only to find inside was a solid copper wall. The mausoleum is still thirty li away; I have never seen such a solid fortification, nor such a massive project."

Hu Xiaotian said: "What if we dig downwards?"

Liang Yinghao said: "The foundations are extremely deep; our brothers dug down along the copper wall for more than ten zhang, still found no end, and we have already entered the patrol range of the mausoleum guards, so we dare not make any major moves."

Hu Xiaotian and Zhan Peng exchanged a glance, both left speechless.

Liang Yinghao said: "I am also interested in this mausoleum; the foolish lord labors the people and wastes wealth, empties the treasury, and pours most of Dakang's wealth into this mausoleum. If we could dig a passage and steal all its treasures, it would also be considered carrying out heaven's will."

Hu Xiaotian said: "This mausoleum was designed single-handedly by Hong Beimo; this person is unfathomable. Since we cannot dig through, there's no point in wasting effort."

Liang Yinghao said: "I heard Hong Beimo was ordered to build your Prince Consort's residence; I plan to bring a few brothers in to have a look, to see if this old thing will set up any mechanisms inside."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and nodded. Preparing in advance is certainly good; Hong Beimo and the Heavenly Secrets Bureau behind him cannot be underestimated, and when it comes to the art of mechanisms, Hong Beimo should be considered the best in the world.

Zhan Peng said: "It would be best to dig a tunnel in advance leading to the Prince Consort's residence; if my lord encounters any trouble, he can exit the city directly via the tunnel and come here."

Liang Yinghao chuckled and said: "That won't do. If we directly dig a tunnel to the Prince Consort's residence, others will follow the trail and find our lair, rendering our previous efforts wasted. Moreover, it would be time-consuming and labor-intensive, and it's probably too late to start now. Better to buy a few suitable residences around the Prince Consort's residence and secretly dig tunnels into it; that should not be difficult."

Hu Xiaotian said: "You are an expert at tunneling, but this is somewhat improper. The Heavenly Secrets Bureau's influence permeates Kangdu; Hong Beimo is old and scheming. Since we could think of digging a tunnel into the Prince Consort's residence as a retreat, he would surely anticipate this. This time the Emperor has put him in charge of constructing the Prince Consort's residence. He will definitely make preparations in advance, eliminating all potential threats and loopholes. Yinghao, you must absolutely not move near the Prince Consort's residence. You can infiltrate and observe what tricks they are pulling there. Our advance precautions are just that."

Liang Yinghao nodded; Hu Xiaotian's thoughts are ultimately more thorough than his own. From Hong Beimo's design of the mausoleum, with copper and iron walls poured underground more than thirty li from the mausoleum to prevent digging, we can see this person acts cautiously and thoroughly.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Let's put the mausoleum matter aside for now; since we can't dig underground, we could consider other ways to enter, but this is not urgent; the pressing matter is my grand wedding."

Liang Yinghao said: "My lord, when do you plan to appear?"

Hu Xiaotian narrowed his eyes and said: "Appearing seven days in advance is sufficient."

Liang Yinghao laughed and said: "That means we have over two months to prepare."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Is there a way to dig a tunnel deep into the imperial palace?"

Liang Yinghao said: "My lord means?"

Hu Xiaotian then informed Liang Yinghao of the existence of secret passages in the imperial palace; he was very familiar with the palace's internal structure, describing it in detail. After listening, Liang Yinghao said: "If we can find the palace's structural diagram, we can enter the palace's underground via its subterranean drainage channels, determine the spot nearest to the Bureau of Agriculture and Sericulture for digging; fortunately, the Bureau is not far from the palace walls. As long as we can smoothly dig beneath the Bureau and connect with the existing tunnel, the project will be complete."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "I will soon obtain the detailed plans of the palace; in the next two days you can look for a suitable residence near the imperial city."

Liang Yinghao said: "The imperial city should be much easier to dig than the mausoleum; I doubt there will be such perverse copper and iron walls." He then sighed and said: "I'm really curious—what treasures are actually hidden inside this mausoleum?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "It must be an unspeakable secret; Laohuangdi, in building this mausoleum, labors the people and wastes wealth. Dakang's treasury has probably been mostly spent here; the true secret of this mausoleum likely only Hong Beimo knows. I speculate that Laohuangdi is willing to pay such a price to build this mausoleum because he believes it can grant him immortality."

Zhan Peng said: "Really a foolish lord; where in this world is there any immortality?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "We all understand this principle, but those in power may not."

Liang Yinghao said: "My lord, this foolish lord is clearly using the pretext of the wedding to lure you to the capital; he intends to harm you, so we must make full preparations to ensure we retreat safely."

Zhan Peng also nodded; they all knew the risks Hu Xiaotian would face on this trip, and they all deeply worried for him.

Hu Xiaotian said: "If he dares to act against me, I will turn Kangdu upside down; with over two months to prepare, what do we have to fear?"

Liang Yinghao said: "Exactly, let him lose the princess and his troops, and let him suffer a total loss!"

Suddenly a spring thunderclap exploded in the sky, the weather quickly darkened, and soon the sound of pattering rain was heard; Liang Yinghao said: "My lord, I have just hunted some game, and it has already been put to stew."

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said: "Man does not retain man, but heaven retains man! With such heavy rain, trying to leave would probably be impossible."

Liang Yinghao laughed heartily and said: "My lord, that remark wrongs me; I am sincerely trying to keep you!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Good, let's have a hearty drink; after we enter the city tomorrow, we probably won't have such an opportunity to drink freely again."

At this moment, the Tianxiang Kingdom, separated from Dakang by the Yun Duan Mountains, also began to rain, but the fine drizzle was gentle as a maiden's hair; even in such rain, the weather was very warm and comfortable, with peach-red willows green and grass lush.

Inside the Tianxiang Kingdom's imperial palace, Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao sat in the waterside pavilion, listlessly gazing at the scenery of the imperial garden outside; from her expression, she was not happy.

A middle-aged man wearing a blue Confucian robe, led by a palace maid, arrived at the waterside pavilion; the maid softly announced: "Your Ladyship, Thousand Years, Mr. Lan has arrived!"

That middle-aged man was indeed the former Dakang Minister of Revenue, Hu Buwei; he entered the waterside pavilion and paid respect to Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao, saying: "Commoner Lan Jing pays his respects to the Empress Dowager."

Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao said indifferently: "No need, Mr. Lan, please sit!" Her phoenix eyes swept over the surrounding palace attendants and she said: "You may all retreat now!"

After the palace attendants had all withdrawn, Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao gazed at Hu Buwei's face and said: "Here there are only the two of us; why be so formal? Please sit!"

Hu Buwei nodded and sat beside Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao.

Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao said: "Today I received a wedding invitation; guess who sent it?"

Hu Buwei smiled and said: "How am I supposed to start guessing?"

Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao glared at him and said: "You are so boring. Guess! You must guess!"

Hu Buwei said: "Since the Empress Dowager wants me to guess, all right; her summoning me perhaps relates to me, and the wedding invitation is sent to her, also related to her, so it must be that my son is getting married."

Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao gazed at him silently, her eyes showing maiden-like admiration and reverence, then sighed softly: "Really boring; indeed nothing can be hidden from you, you have always been so shrewd."

Hu Buwei said: "It's not that I'm shrewd, but this happy news has spread all over the world; guessing it is not difficult."

Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao said meaningfully: "What do you think?"

Hu Buwei said: "How I think seems irrelevant; your imperial brother's arranged marriage cannot be changed by me, nor can it be changed now; everything should just take its natural course."

Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao said: "But outside everyone says he sees Hu Xiaotian gradually gaining power and thus wants to use the wedding as an opportunity to eliminate Hu Xiaotian; how can you not be worried about him? He is your own biological son!"

Hu Buwei said: "Since the day I left Dakang, I have no relatives left in Dakang." His words were spoken resolutely, without a trace of emotion.

Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao said: "But regardless, you and Xu Fengyi are a married couple; he is your flesh and blood, which cannot be changed."

Hu Buwei calmly gazed at Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao and said: "Have I ever told you that he is not my son at all? Have I ever told you that he is an illegitimate child born of Xu Fengyi and another man? What did you promise me back then? Why are you bringing this up now, exactly what is your intention?"

Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao, like a girl who has made a mistake, pursed her lips, lowered her head, and anxiously rubbed the edge of her skirt with her hands, whispering: "Buwei, she was wrong; she was merely jealous, merely afraid you would deceive me."

Hu Buwei sighed and said: "Do you still not understand my feelings even today? If you still do not believe me, then what meaning is there in my abandoning everything to come here? At worst I will just leave."

"No!" Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao exclaimed.

Although Hu Buwei had declared he would leave, he made no move to do so.

Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao whispered: "She was wrong; compensating you is not enough..." She paused and then said: "I will go to your place tonight to make amends; you can do whatever you want, alright?" The Empress Dowager of Tianxiang Kingdom, who stands above ten thousand people, actually accommodated Hu Buwei in this way. (To be continued~^~)