Li Shimin was now extremely sensitive to the words "Zhaoling". Upon hearing that it was an urgent report from Zhaoling, he immediately ordered someone to bring it over, and secretly prayed that nothing bad would happen at Zhaoling.
When Li Shimin opened the urgent report from Zhaoling, everyone else looked at him with curiosity in their eyes.
Because Zhaoling is too important. It is the burial place of His Mausoleum after His Majesty's death. Any disturbance there would be an earthquake affecting the entire Tang Dynasty.
However, just as they were feeling uneasy, His Majesty suddenly burst into laughter.
"good!"
"That's great!"
"Someone, prepare the carriage immediately! I want to personally inspect the Zhaoling Mausoleum!"
"Going to Zhaoling again?"
Changsun Wuji wanted to complain a lot upon hearing this. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, visits to Zhaoling Mausoleum had been a fixed twice-yearly practice. After his younger sister, Empress Changsun, passed away, an additional visit was added each year. However, since three months ago, an extra visit has been added every month…
It's been less than a month since the last visit, and His Majesty is going to tour Zhaoling again?
However, before Changsun Wuji could finish his surprise, Li Shimin waved his hand and ordered all the civil and military officials present to be executed.
"Go, all of you!"
"The expansion of Zhaoling is now complete. My beloved ministers, you may come with me to see it!"
Everyone was shocked to hear this. Yan Lide had said he would expand the Zhaoling Mausoleum tenfold, and it had been completed in just three months.
That's impossible!
That's absolutely impossible!
In fact, not only did these ministers think this way, but Li Shimin himself was also very uncertain.
Although he had visited Zhaoling several times before and always saw the construction progress at a rapid pace, he still couldn't believe that they could expand Zhaoling tenfold in just three months!
However, when Li Shimin thought of Li Jue, he felt that there was a certain possibility.
His eldest grandson has never disappointed him!
Under Li Shimin's repeated urging, dozens of carriages were quickly prepared, and even the accompanying Imperial Guards and Hundred Cavalry were all ready.
However, Chang'an is more than a hundred miles away from Zhaoling. At their speed, they definitely wouldn't be able to reach it today. They could only stop in Xianyang first and then head to Zhaoling at Zongshan early tomorrow morning.
The night Li Shimin spent at the Xianyang Palace was the most difficult night he had endured in all these years.
He barely slept that night, tossing and turning, and every now and then he would get up, put on his clothes, and wander around the Milky Way for a while.
Li Shimin finally made it to morning and hurriedly ordered people to prepare breakfast. He didn't even want to waste time eating, so he ordered people to eat breakfast in the carriage.
Because of the construction of the imperial highway, the road from Xianyang to Zhaoling Mausoleum in Zongshan was very easy to travel, and there was a wooden track that stretched all the way to Zhaoling.
Therefore, Li Shimin arrived at the Zongshan area in less than two hours.
But as soon as he saw the boundary marker, he noticed a very grand archway standing next to it.
"What's going on here? When did a memorial archway appear here?"
Just as Li Shimin was wondering, a group of dancers dressed in plain clothes floated out from behind the archway.
"This servant respectfully welcomes Your Majesty!"
Seeing this, Zhang Anan glanced at Li Shimin's expression. Seeing that Li Shimin did not show any displeasure, he immediately waved to the group of dancers.
"You all rise and answer!"
"promise!"
"Ananda, ask them what they do!"
"promise!"
Zhang Anan cleared his throat and asked the group of dancers.
"His Majesty asked you what you do?"
The lead dancer stepped forward and announced loudly.
"Your Majesty, we are here on the orders of the eldest grandson of the emperor to welcome you!"
"To receive the emperor?"
Li Shimin had seen officials kneeling to welcome him, and he had seen ghosts weeping, but he had never seen a group of dancers running out to greet him.
Although he didn't know what Li Jue was up to, based on his understanding of Li Jue, he knew that this guy's tricks must be strange!
"Ananda, ask them what other tricks they have up their sleeves!"
"promise!"
"You all, please make way! His Majesty is going to inspect the Zhaoling Mausoleum!"
"Your Majesty, wait!"
"The eldest grandson has appointed us as guides to explain the scenery along the way to His Majesty!"
"landscape?"
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin immediately looked behind the archway and indeed saw pavilions and towers, shaded by green trees.
"All right!"
"I'll get out of the carriage and take a look at this grandson's project!"
Li Shimin got off the carriage, and the others naturally followed suit.
Upon seeing this, the dancers immediately divided into ten groups and then each acted as a guide for these dignitaries.
Li Shimin's guide was naturally the youngest and most beautiful, and was a top-notch public relations officer carefully selected and rigorously trained by Li Jue.
"Your Majesty, please look. This archway marks the boundary between the Zongshan Royal Mausoleum and the mortal realm."
"Once we pass through this archway, what we'll see is a fairyland of royal gardens!"
"wonderland?"
Li Shimin was very dismissive of this. He had served as a guard for Emperor Yang of Sui in his early years and had seen all kinds of extravagance.
He didn't believe that Li Jue could create some kind of bullshit fairyland with just a mere one million strings of cash.
However, when he walked past the archway and saw the endless rows of buildings, and then saw rows of cranes dancing gracefully by the stream, he was stunned for a moment.
"This scene, calling it a fairyland wouldn't be an exaggeration..."
If Emperor Li Shimin reacted this way, the expressions of the other ministers were even more exaggerated.
"This...this place truly lives up to its name as a fairyland!"
"Look, there's smoke rising from that mountain!"
"And that stream... there's even a white mist shrouding the stream. Cranes are flying above it, it really is like a fairyland!"
Li Shimin was completely captivated by the sight before him. Even if someone told him that these views cost ten million strings of cash, he would accept it because it was well worth it!
"Your Majesty, this is only the entrance to the royal gardens... the real scenery is yet to come..."
"Still behind?"
Li Shimin's curiosity was immediately piqued, and he couldn't even wait for the guide's explanation, so he strode ahead.
Seeing this, guide Qin Qing pursed her lips awkwardly, then followed with small, quick steps.
"Your Majesty, please be careful, there are steps here..."
"Your Majesty, this scene is white clouds emerging from the mountain peaks..."
Li Shimin didn't care about the name of the scenery; he only wanted to know where the stream and the mist on the mountain came from.
"Just tell me directly how this scenery was created!"
"Your Majesty, when the eldest grandson ordered people to repair this place, they accidentally unearthed a hot spring. The rising mist here is caused by the hot spring..."
"oh?"
"There are hot springs here?"
When Li Shimin said this, the officials behind him all stared wide-eyed.
The Tang Dynasty had no shortage of hot springs, and Tangquan Palace was especially famous for its hot springs.
However, the Hot Spring Palace belonged to the royal family, and these people were not qualified to go in and enjoy it.
If the eldest grandson could open the hot springs of Zongshan, these officials would be more than happy to support him!
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