The next day, just as Li Shimin was about to board the imperial carriage, he saw Xu Hui waiting to the side with a huge bundle on his back.
"We're only going out for a few days, do we really need to bring so much stuff?"
"Besides, these items can be left in the carriage; why carry them around with you?"
Xu Hui smiled slightly upon hearing this.
"Your Majesty, this is no ordinary gift; it represents Consort Wu's affection for you."
"oh?"
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin finally recalled the appearance and voice of Consort Wu.
In fact, Li Shimin never showed much favor to Consort Wu; his favorite was the virtuous and kind Consort Xu.
What affection or loyalty did he have for me?
"Your Majesty, Consort Wu, knowing that the Autumn Festival is approaching, specially embroidered a dragon-patterned cloak for you as a congratulatory gift!"
"But Consort Wu knows her embroidery skills are inferior to mine, so she asked me to embroider the dragon's eyes in her stead, hehe..."
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin immediately understood. It turned out that Consort Wu had come to Xu Hui seeking help to plead on her behalf and accompany her on the imperial entourage.
"You little fox, I grant your permission. Go and have her come over!"
"Your Majesty, I thank you!"
Xu Huigang sent someone to summon Consort Wu, and saw her carrying a bundle as she walked from the direction of the Yeting Palace.
"Get in the carriage quickly, His Majesty has approved your presence as his entourage!"
"Thank you so much, Sister Xu! Hehe!"
Just as everyone boarded the carriage and prepared to depart, Crown Prince Li Zhi suddenly ran over, knelt down beside Li Shimin's imperial carriage, and began to weep.
"Father, I beg to travel with you, sob sob sob!"
Upon hearing this sound, Li Shimin immediately lifted the carriage curtain in displeasure.
"What are you doing? Didn't I order you to stay in the capital and oversee the country?"
"No!"
"Your Majesty, I will be heartbroken if I do not see you for a day. I will take care of your daily needs along the way!"
"well!"
"How could I have given birth to such an idiot like you!"
Although Li Shimin expressed his dissatisfaction verbally, he was actually quite happy inside.
After all, who wouldn't want their son to be filial?
"Then come on up. You can take care of Sizi for me along the way!"
"promise!"
Li Shimin's schedule was very full. Along the way, he not only inspected the local governance, but also met with Yongzhou officials from time to time, either to reward them or to punish them.
Therefore, the group did not arrive in Xianyang until dark, rested there for one night, and set off for Zhaoling the next day.
Zhaoling is only 30 li away from Xianyang, but it still takes a whole morning to get there.
When Li Shimin and his entourage arrived at Zhaoling, Yan Lide, the ambassador in charge of the construction of Zhaoling, had already ordered people to prepare lunch. After having lunch with His Majesty, Yan Lide led His Majesty to inspect the underground palace of Zhaoling.
Li Shimin's Zhaoling Mausoleum is very large. Although it was carved into the mountain, the length from the tomb passage to the burial chamber is as long as 75 zhang. Not to mention in the Tang Dynasty with its low productivity, even in later generations, it would be no easy task to carve such a rock cave that is more than 100 meters long.
Li Shimin was quite satisfied with the progress of the project, but the uneven tomb passage, as well as the equally uneven tomb walls and dome, still made him a little unhappy.
"Couldn't we find a way to smooth out the walls and dome of the tomb passage?"
"Your Majesty, these were all hand-carved by craftsmen, and it is very difficult to achieve a surface as smooth as a mirror."
"I'm not being picky and asking you to make it a mirror, but at least make it a little smoother, okay?"
"My feet have been hurting the whole way here!"
"this……"
"Does Your Majesty mean to use clay to level the surface again?"
"Clay..."
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin immediately hesitated. Clay could be used to compact the ground, but it wasn't very strong, and over time it would inevitably become pitted and uneven again.
"Think of another way, preferably something that can both level out the potholes and harden like rock after it dries."
"This...is very difficult..."
"If it were simple, I wouldn't have asked you!"
Upon hearing this, Yan Lide quickly bowed and accepted the order, then led His Majesty to the main tomb chamber.
The main burial chamber of Zhaoling Mausoleum is enormous in both height and size. Inside, a miniature version of Chang'an City was built with bricks and stones, and landscapes such as mountains and rivers were decorated with coral, pearls, and agate.
Li Shimin finally smiled with satisfaction upon seeing these sights.
"I only used some coral and pearls, yet some officials dare to say I'm extravagant. They're utterly absurd!"
"Your Majesty is quite right. Compared to Qin Shi Huang's rivers made of mercury and stars made of luminous pearls, Your Majesty's underground palace is actually quite meager..."
Li Shimin was overjoyed to hear this and immediately issued an edict to reward Yan Lide with three hundred bolts of silk, and all the craftsmen were also rewarded.
After inspecting the underground palace, Li Shimin returned to Xianyang that afternoon. He only stayed in Xianyang Palace for a short while, and before lunchtime, he secretly led Si Zi, Xu Hui, Zhang Anan, and others, changed into ordinary clothes, and left the palace.
Therefore, when it came time for dinner, Wu Meiniang and Li Zhi once again found nothing.
Not only did they fail to see His Majesty the Emperor, they didn't even get to enjoy dinner; they had to go back and eat their own communal meals.
Where is His Majesty?
"Where is Father?"
When asked by the two dignitaries, the gatekeeper eunuch only gave a three-word response.
"This servant does not know!"
Upon seeing this, Wu Meiniang quickly took off a gold bracelet from her wrist and forcibly stuffed it into the little eunuch's hand.
"Now you know, right?"
"Replying to Consort Wu, this servant truly did not know. I only heard His Majesty say that he was taking Princess Jinyang to see a close relative!"
"this……"
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