Because of the hot springs, everyone's interest was piqued.
Although they got off at the archway, and it was still several miles to Zhaoling Mausoleum on Zongshan Mountain, not a single person complained.
Of course, the main reason was that there were so many beautiful sights around them that they were overwhelmed with their beauty.
"Your Majesty, this is the Forest of Wind and Bone, where all the pine trees are over a thousand years old."
"millennium?"
Li Shimin smiled slightly upon hearing this. He had traveled between Zhaoling and Chang'an dozens of times and had seen this forest before. He just hadn't expected that his rebellious grandson would only cut down some trees and then clear out the remaining ones to present it as the Fenggu Forest to deceive people.
However, after his fuss, the place has indeed become much quieter and more elegant.
"After passing through this forest of ancient trees, we will arrive at the memorial hall of the Zongshan Imperial Mausoleum."
"And what is this memorial hall?"
"Your Majesty, the memorial hall displays precious cultural relics from the founding of the Tang Dynasty, including your personal riding whip, bow and arrow, weapons and so on."
"oh?"
"Is my riding whip here too?"
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin inwardly cried out, "Finally, the case is solved! My horsewhip has been missing for almost half a year!"
Li Shimin led the group into the memorial hall, where they were greeted by six extremely magnificent and lifelike warhorses.
Li Shimin was very familiar with these warhorses; he not only knew their breeds but could even name them.
"Isn't this my Qingzhui?"
"And this one, this is my Salu Purple!"
Zhang Anan joined in the conversation upon hearing this.
"Your Majesty, this one is clearly a Quanmaogua, and this bright red one should be a Shifaqi..."
Today, Yuchi Jingde had the honor of accompanying His Majesty on a tour of Zhaoling. Seeing the two talking animatedly, he immediately stepped forward and pointed to a warhorse that was entirely black except for its white hooves.
"This is a White-hoofed Crow, which I personally retrieved for Your Majesty from the battlefield, hahaha!"
Li Shimin walked to a large yellow horse, patted its mane, and was filled with emotion.
"This steed, the Tele Biao, has saved me from danger several times!"
"It can be said that without Telebiao's help, I would not have been able to create the Tang Dynasty!"
Li Shimin was filled with both admiration and curiosity.
"How were these warhorses made? They are indistinguishable from real horses!"
Qin Qing smiled slightly and explained.
"Your Majesty, these warhorses were all made by skilled craftsmen hired by the eldest grandson. They used wood as the base, covered it with cotton to represent muscle, and then covered it with real horsehide, which was then decorated in terms of color and coat. This is how such a spectacle came about!"
"Moreover, to ensure a one-to-one restoration, the eldest grandson specially invited the groom who used to raise the emperor's horses to provide guidance, and also referenced the forms of the Six Steeds of Zhaoling..."
Li Shimin sighed again after hearing this.
"It's admirable that he thought of everything so thoroughly... If you see him, please tell him. Consider it a favor I owe him!"
"This servant dares not..."
After leading Li Shimin on a tour of the Six Steeds of Zhaoling, Qin Qing then led him to the Founding Hall of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Shimin became even more familiar with the Founding Hall, as many of the weapons inside were ones he had used in battle.
He remembered very clearly that these weapons had always been kept in his secret vault and could never have been taken out!
"Zhang Anan, come and explain this to me..."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Anan lowered his head guiltily.
"Your Majesty, these weapons were indeed borrowed by this servant..."
"borrow?"
Are you sure it wasn't theft?
"Your Majesty, even if you gave me dozens of times the courage, I wouldn't dare steal your private stash!"
"Your Majesty, please take a closer look..."
Li Shimin looked closely and indeed figured out the trick.
Although these weapons are similar in appearance to those he secretly kept in his private collection, there are still some subtle differences. For example, the bow he used back then was very worn out, but the bow hidden here, apart from being the same in shape, has not suffered much damage.
Li Shimin recalled the six steeds of Zhaoling that he had just seen, and immediately had a plan in mind.
This must have been a copy made by Li Jue after he borrowed the original from Zhang Anan!
Thinking of this, Li Shimin's heart was filled with resentment.
"Hmph!"
"Tell me honestly, how much bribe did you take from that bastard?"
"Your Majesty, how could this old servant dare to accept any benefits from the eldest grandson of the legitimate wife!"
"But the eldest grandson said he'll take care of me in my old age and see me off when I die, hehehe..."
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin flew into a rage. He had been counting on Li Jue to carry the banner and break the basin for him, but unexpectedly, that old bastard Zhang Anan beat him to it!
"You old fool, you got a huge advantage!"
Zhang Anan chuckled upon hearing this.
"Your Majesty is right, this servant has indeed benefited greatly, hehehe..."
Because of the opening display of the Six Steeds of Zhaoling, Li Shimin was very tolerant of the items in the Founding Hall. Even when he saw a two-zhang-tall spear, he showed no surprise. However, when he saw the enormous armor, with the words "For Imperial Use" written below it, his face turned bright red with embarrassment.
That clueless Yuchi Jingde even pointed at his armor and compared it with Li Shimin's.
"Your Majesty, something's not right!"
"This armor is so heavy that even if I were to wear it, let alone for you, I wouldn't be able to fit into it!"
Li Shimin snorted coldly upon hearing this.
"Shut up!"
"If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute!"
Upon hearing this, Yuchi Jingde asked in confusion.
"Your Majesty, did I say something wrong?"
"This armor is clearly wrong; it looks more like something a bear would wear!"
Qin Qing smiled upon hearing this.
"Your Majesty, this item was specially commissioned by the eldest grandson of the emperor. He said that anything less would not adequately demonstrate Your Majesty's extraordinary nature!"
Li Shimin had already guessed it; it was the same reason why his father, after ascending the throne, made up a lie, saying that the room was filled with red light when he was born.
In short, it's about creating a god!
After visiting the Founding Hall, Li Shimin also looked at the Sui Dynasty Hall, the Jin Dynasty Hall, and the Qin and Han Dynasty Hall. Seeing that there were many genuine artifacts on display, he immediately became puzzled.
Could this bastard have dug up Emperor Wen of Sui's imperial tomb? Otherwise, how could he have gotten so many good things?
However, just as he was wondering, a screen appeared in front of him. After going around the screen, he saw three huge characters: "Youfenglaiyi Hall"!
Upon seeing these three large characters, Li Shimin's mind became chaotic.
He had a vague idea of what was displayed in this museum. If he was right, it must contain many things that Empress Zhangsun used during her lifetime!
When Changsun Wuji saw the Phoenix Arrives, he was also taken aback. He did not expect that Li Jue, the grandson who had never met Empress Changsun, would show such respect to his deceased sister and would specially build an exhibition hall for her to commemorate and pay tribute to her.
"Your Majesty, shall we go in and take a look?"
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin took two deep breaths, gripped Changsun Wuji's hand tightly, and then stepped into the Youfenglaiyi Hall with a determined look in his eyes...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
