Chapter 96 of 100
Chapter 96
13 min read3,244 words
(Work hard, for every 100 additional recommendation votes, I will add one more update. :: If there are 10 donations or a cumulative total of 5000 points, I will also add an update.)
The next day, Li Xian returned to Wuyang with his second brother, Li Wei. Xia Qingqing officially took charge of Anyang!
Since ancient times, the imperial mausoleum has been of great importance, and its construction has always been a massive project. Sometimes, the construction of the imperial mausoleum could even drag down a country.
Why is the construction of the imperial mausoleum so important? No one knows! This secret seems to be passed down only within the royal family.
Looking at all historical records, almost all emperors would order the construction of their mausoleums on the day they ascended to the throne; only a very few would build their mausoleums just before their death. Only emperors who died unexpectedly would have their mausoleums built after their death.
"There must be a secret we don't know!" Li Wei finally came to this conclusion.
"Yeah, Second Brother is really smart. Why didn't I think of that?"
"Stop making sarcastic remarks. Let's hurry up and get going."
The two bickered all the way back to Wuyang. First, they went home to see their father, and then Li Xian dragged over a large box. When Li Yulong opened the box, he sucked in a breath again. The box was filled with 100 spirit stones!
If used properly, these 100 spirit stones could even cause a nation to tremble.
After looking for a long time, Li Yulong suddenly asked Li Xian, "Is the deal with the sea clan guaranteed?"
"As long as I hold the secret of stainless steel, it's guaranteed!"
"Stainless steel?" Li Yulong pondered for a long time, "Make all the craftsmen and anyone who knows the secret of stainless steel swear a blood oath."
Li Xian smiled confidently, "Father, I've already taken care of that. Otherwise, the secret of stainless steel would have been leaked long ago."
"Heh, you've really grown up. Now it seems that it's your second brother who hasn't grown up..."
Li Wei was very unhappy; "Father, I've been grown up for a long time! When my little brother was causing trouble, I was already fighting on the battlefield!"
Li Yulong smiled slightly, "Second, although nominally you are in charge of the construction of the imperial mausoleum, in practice, you should not interfere. Let Li Xian take the lead. You are very good at military affairs, but when it comes to administrative work, you really can't match your older brother or your younger brother."
"Don't worry, Father, my greatest strength is that I don't like trouble. That's why I became a general. If someone annoys me, I just cut them down, and they'll never bother me again."
Li Xian: ...
Li Yulong's lips twitched, and he finally huffed, "Xian, go to the palace and meet with His Majesty. Sigh..."
At the end, Li Yulong was also dispirited; the changes in the court of the Great Xia Dynasty had left him speechless.
Li Xian drove the carriage to the palace. Every time he came to the palace, Li Xian would bring gifts; of course, every time he would leave with a full purse.
It was still Fu Minghui who received Li Xian, but the Fu Minghui he saw now almost made Li Xian disbelieve. The once spirited chief imperial guard, the emperor's top favorite, now looked haggard and had a few strands of white hair at his temples! This was a Golden Core expert, and his temples were turning white?
"Are you alright, Chief Imperial Guard?"
Fu Minghui smiled bitterly, "I'm fine, just a bit of a spiritual backlash. I'll be fine after I calm down and meditate. But His Majesty, ah... let's go."
Before even entering the palace, Li Xian smelled an indescribable odor. It wasn't particularly unpleasant, but it wasn't pleasant either. The smell was filled with the decay of withered wood.
When he finally saw the emperor, Li Xian was truly stunned. The once spirited Emperor was now as thin and frail as an old man, like a wooden sculpture carved from withered wood. If it weren't for the yellow robe and the presence of the Empress and the Noble Consort, who would believe this was the Emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty?
"Your Majesty..."
"Call me father-in-law." The emperor's voice was hoarse and weak, but his tone was calm.
Li Xian immediately changed his words, "Father-in-law, Mother-in-law."
As for the Noble Consort, she was left to the side. Since this was a meeting with his in-laws, it had little to do with the Noble Consort.
The emperor waved his hand to dismiss everyone, leaving only Li Xian and Fu Minghui. The first words the emperor spoke left Li Xian speechless. He said:
"Xian, I've been poisoned. Unfortunately, I don't know what kind of poison it is, but I can clearly feel that I have three years left to live."
Li Xian was completely stunned, not knowing what to say or how to react. If it were the Five Signs of Decline, it could be attributed to being overwhelmed or a spiritual backlash; but being poisoned was a serious political event!
The emperor, however, seemed to take it in stride, even managing a weak smile. "Come, come closer, let me take a good look at you."
Li Xian walked to the emperor's side, and seeing the emperor in such a state, he finally felt a pang of sympathy. "Father-in-law, if there are spirit stones, can they extend your life?"
Li Xian did not ask who had poisoned him or other such questions.
"The poison targets my soul, which is why it manifests as the Five Signs of Decline. Your concern is already very comforting to me.
Xian, do you know, being an emperor is truly a lonely path. It's almost like being abandoned by everyone. From the moment I ascended the throne, I became a solitary figure.
I understand the thoughts of all the officials in the court. I understand your thoughts too.
Sigh, it's better to be a little confused. What good does understanding do when you are still powerless?"
Li Xian was drenched in cold sweat; indeed, no emperor in the world was easy to deal with!
The emperor patted Li Xian's shoulder, "The Great Xia Dynasty has been unable to sustain itself for the past ten years. It was your father who extended its life by ten years.
I wanted to use these ten years to change my fate, but the will of heaven could not be defied.
Your sudden awakening gave me hope. Your idea of developing the country through industry and commerce has greatly inspired me. I know you have your own interests, but you don't have the ambition to replace the Great Xia Dynasty. That's enough, enough. Who doesn't have their own interests?"
Hearing this, Li Xian's heart, which had been in his throat, finally relaxed.
After a slight pause, the emperor finally got to the core of the matter, "Xian, there are few people I can trust in my dying days. What I'm about to say is very important."
Without hesitation, Li Xian quickly swore that he would not reveal a single word of today's events, or he would be soul-shattered.
Damn, at this point, refusing or even hesitating could cost him his head; didn't he see Fu Minghui's hand already on his sword hilt?
However, after making the oath, Li Xian was surprised to find that the "soul-shattered" oath seemed to have no effect on him at all? Why did the "soul-shattered" oath fail when other oaths had succeeded? When an oath was successful, he would feel a mysterious constraint, but this time he felt nothing!
Wait, damn it, the Li Xian of this world had already been soul-shattered! Of course, the oath wouldn't work!
Li Xian was overjoyed at this unexpected discovery! In the future, he would always use the phrase "soul-shattered" when making oaths!
The emperor, upon hearing Li Xian's oath, smiled in satisfaction. Then, he finally revealed a shocking secret, a shocking secret about the imperial mausoleum!
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