Yang Ling looked at High Scholar Li's reply and felt a little ashamed to face Miss Gao. He thought that if he were to tell her now, she would be even more upset. He could only put the matter aside for now and muddle through it in the future. He was too embarrassed to go to the back residence again. He stayed a night in the study and then went to Tai Ling the next morning.
Gao Wenxin's heart was like a mirror. She knew this would be the result. Her father was a local and was an imperial physician in the palace. He had a great reputation in the village. Gao Wenxin had followed her father from a young age and learned great medical skills. When Imperial Physician Gao was working in the palace, there would be villagers with incurable diseases that came to his door. This Eldest Young Miss did not care about her status and appeared in public to treat them. As time went by, her reputation began to spread.
After interacting with many people, Miss Gao heard of the husband she had never met before. She knew that the Li Family was a scholarly family, and had some understanding of the conduct of this husband's family.
Since she had entered the Musical House, it was not important whether she was innocent or not. What was important was that no one could announce her innocence to the world. The Li Family was a local aristocrat with status. How could they marry a new wife for others to gossip about? Also, she was still a servant right now. The Li Family would not lower their status for her.
Yang Ling was too embarrassed to go back to the back residence to see her. She felt slightly apologetic. Right now, Gao Wenxin did not dare to have any extravagant hopes for her future. Han Youniang took good care of her and treated her with courtesy. But Gao Wenxin still stubbornly wore servant clothes, bowed, and called herself a servant.
Tai Ling was on Bijia Mountain in the northwest of Changling. Yang Ling had come here twice when he had just received the edict. This time, he saw that Luocheng, which was almost two thousand feet in circumference, had begun to take shape. The incense hall, wing rooms, and divine cooks in the mausoleum had not yet been built, but the Golden Well and Baoshan City had been built.
The Golden Well was the center of the underground palace, and the most important place in the imperial mausoleum. Although they were only responsible for the construction of the houses and there would not be any delays, Yang Ling still sent the men of the Left Sentry Army under his direct command to be responsible for the construction of the imperial mausoleum. The person in charge of the construction in the mausoleum was the new capital manager of the Third Division, Feng Tang. This person was steady and dependable, and could also endure hardship.
Not far from the cemetery, there was a row of houses built on the mountain. They were the daily offices of the Sky Observing Officials, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Rites, and the various officials of the Shenji Battalion. Lian Delu, Peng Jizu, and Feng Tang, who were in the mausoleum, heard that the General Staff had arrived and hurried back to pay their respects.
As soon as Peng Jizu saw Yang Ling, he laughed and said, "Your Excellency, you can come and take a look every few months. Us brothers are also up there watching those bastards work. As for how to build the mausoleum, the other yamen will worry about it. It's not a big deal."
Yang Ling said, "Hmm, it's been hard on all the generals. However, the Emperor has issued this mission, and all the officials are guarding the mausoleum. If I always don't come, I will inevitably be criticized by others. In fact, I also feel that our people are just doing manual labor. As long as the officers and soldiers don't slack off, it's fine. As soldiers, how can we interfere in the construction of the mausoleum? "
Feng Tang frowned slightly, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Hearing Yang Ling's words, he finally could not help saying, "Your Excellency, a few days ago at lunch, a brother reported that the Golden Well in the underground palace was leaking water. This lowly official has not reported this matter to you."
Lian Delu rubbed the pockmarks on his face and said disapprovingly, "I say, Old Feng, you are too cautious. The underground palace is so deep. Fortunately, it's on the mountain, otherwise dozens of wells would have been dug. What's so strange about water seeping?"
These generals were illiterate and knew nothing about feng shui, so they did not realize the seriousness of the matter. Feng Tang had just been promoted and was mocked by Head Lian. He could not help but blush and hastily explain, "This lowly general heard about it and did not think it was anything special. However, the strange thing was that when the Observing Sky Officials, Ni daren, and the assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites, heard the news, they hurriedly rushed over with people, as if they were facing a great enemy. This lowly general found it strange and wanted to follow the mausoleum to take a look, but was stopped by them. Ni daren used the excuse that he needed to survey the geography to see if it was good or bad, and chased out the seven or eight brothers who were guarding the mausoleum. It was not until more than two hours later that he allowed us to return to the underground palace."
Yang Ling's expression changed. He leaned forward and attentively looked at him, saying, "Continue, what happened next?"
Lian and Peng saw that his expression was somewhat serious and did not dare to joke around. They only looked at Feng Tang. Feng Tang said, "When this lowly official returned, he found that there was no water overflowing from the well. Later, Eunuch Dai and Assistant Minister Li of the Ministry of Works heard the news and rushed over. They happened to hear a Centurion talking to someone about the discovery of water overflowing from the Golden Well. When Eunuch Dai heard this, he flew into a rage and actually snatched the whip and lashed him, telling him not to let anyone spread rumors and cause trouble. This lowly general saw that they were so cautious, so this lowly general became suspicious. "
Yang Ling slowly paced around the room and muttered, "The underground palace is where the Former Emperor's coffin is placed. If the underground palace is seeping water, it is indeed a big matter. However … digging such a deep underground palace, I have never seen a place that does not leak water.
Isn't the underground palace surrounded by three waterproof walls of up to twelve meters thick made of yellow soil, clear plaster mud, and stones? The last time I came, I even saw Assistant Minister Li personally shoot at the rammed earth layer with an arrow to check if the earth is solid. It can be seen that water seeping is a common occurrence when excavating underground palaces. Why is the Golden Well seeping water so urgent? "
He thought for a long time but could not get the gist of it. He couldn't help but look inquiringly at Yang Yiqing. Yang Yiqing also shook his head and said, "Sir, all the officials here are generals who lead troops in battle. We don't know about these geomancy things, but … the Observing Sky Officials and the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites must know. Why don't you ask them?"
Lian Delu sneered, "Little Yang, didn't you see that those officials don't like us leading troops? Even the General and the others don't pay much attention to us. If they wanted to hide it, would you be able to ask them? "
Yang Yiqing smiled slightly and only looked at Yang Ling. Yang Ling laughed knowingly and said, "You won't say? If you won't say, then let's go see for ourselves. Come, have someone bring the incense table. I want to worship the mausoleum and then go inside to take a look. "
When Yang Ling arrived at the Tai Mausoleum, he solemnly and solemnly paid his respects to the mausoleum. Then, he ordered all the soldiers in the underground palace to withdraw. Only then did he lead the three city officials into the underground palace to investigate. This pretense had long been seen by people from other yamens who found it strange and hurried back to report to their superiors.
The so-called Golden Well in the underground palace was also called the Dragon Cave in the Imperial Mausoleum. So once it was excavated, it was not something that anyone could touch at will. This Golden Well was actually just a hole with a diameter of half a foot and a depth of one meter. Ever since it was excavated, a cover had been added to the top, preventing the light of the sun, moon, and stars from being seen.
Moreover, the soil taken out when the cave was excavated was called Auspicious Soil. It was to be presented to the Emperor for inspection and then kept in the main hall of the Ministry of Rites. After the Emperor was buried, it would be backfilled with rare treasures to guard the tomb. From this, one could see the importance of the Auspicious Soil.
Therefore, in theory, only the five ministers who had received the imperial edict were qualified to reach out and explore this Golden Well. Yang Ling lit incense and washed his hands before coming to the underground palace. The top of the underground palace had been covered, but it had not yet been sealed. The huge palace pillars and stone platform inside the underground palace had been set up to seventy percent. In the center of the stone platform where the coffin was placed was the Golden Well that connected yin and yang and communicated vitality.
Yang Ling came to the side of the Golden Well and stretched out his hand to feel the wall of the well. Although there was a bit of a damp feeling, it did not seem to have been soaked in water. He could not help but be startled. Feng Tang hurriedly said, "Daren, this general had asked that Centurion, but he insisted that he had seen water gush out of the Golden Well with his own eyes. Moreover, the brothers in the underground palace at that time also said the same thing. Surely they did not see wrongly together?"
Yang Ling thought for a while and leaned on the rock to lean more than half of his body into the hole. He felt around the bottom of the hole. The bottom of the hole felt very dry, but the center of the Golden Well should have been a convex and circular block of earth. However, at this moment, there was a faint indent in it and it was somewhat abrasive, as if something had been poked into it.
Yang Ling felt around for a while and straightened up to look at it under the light of the lamp. The dust on his hands was very dry, but the dust was in the form of powder, not like the original soil at the bottom of the hole. He could not help but feel suspicious.
Yang Ling returned to his residence with a heavy heart. He had just sat down when the Sky Observing Officials Ni Qian and the Ministry of Rites Assistant Minister Li Duo hurried over. As soon as he entered the door, Ni Qian smiled unnaturally and said, "Sir Yang has just returned and you have already gone to the underground palace to inspect it? Sir Yang has come from the capital. Is there any decree from His Majesty regarding the construction of the Imperial Mausoleum? "
Yang Ling stood up and said with a smile, "So it is Official Ni, Official Li, please take a seat. His Majesty is very concerned about the Imperial Mausoleum. He is worried that the soldiers will slack off and delay the construction, so he sent me back to the mausoleum to supervise the soldiers. I have just paid my respects to the Former Emperor's mausoleum and was about to go and see all of you. I did not expect the two of you to come first. "
Ni Qian asked Eunuch Dai to hold back the Ministry of Works Assistant Minister to calculate the cost of the construction and to hold back Assistant Minister Li from the Ministry of Works. He himself hurried over and only wanted to know if Yang Ling knew about the overflow of water in the underground palace two days ago. Hearing this, he forced a smile and said, "The construction is progressing smoothly and there is nothing wrong. Sir Yang need not worry."
Yang Ling smiled faintly and said, "I am only responsible for the safety of the Imperial Mausoleum and supervising the construction of the soldiers. There is nothing to worry about. Besides, I am just a layman. Even if I am worried, I am afraid I will not be able to see anything. But … why did I hear that the Golden Well in the underground palace two days ago has water coming out? "
Ni Qian's body trembled. He laughed dryly and said, "That is only a Centurion who secretly drank wine and got drunk. The other soldiers also spread this rumor. It is really not trustworthy!"
"Is that so?" Yang Ling stared at him and said, "I heard that the several daren have already gone to take a look. At first I did not believe his words. But I have just gone to take a look myself. The bottom of the well is indeed very humid. The dust is muddy and looks like there is some water seeping in."
Assistant Minister Li Duo of the Ministry of Rites heard this and his countenance changed greatly. He thought, "The mouth of the spring has been plugged with wooden plugs and compacted with three layers of dust. How can water seep in? I must find an opportunity to plug it again. But Yang Ling is one of the five high-ranking ministers appointed by the Imperial Edict, he is also His Majesty's favorite. Although my official rank is higher than his, I am afraid I won't be able to send him away. With him here, how can I make a move? "
Ni Qian was also frightened; he hastily said, "The underground is dark and damp, it is normal for the dust to be muddy. We have examined it carefully, there is really no … water seeping in …" Speaking to this point, it was difficult for him to suppress his fear, his voice could not help but tremble.
Yang Ling chuckled and said, "It's good that nothing happened. But since there is a rumor, we must not be careless in this matter. I am going to report this matter to His Majesty, asking His Majesty to send an expert who is proficient in geography and geomancy to take another look. When they see that there is no problem, if something happens in the future, we will not be involved."
Hearing this, Ni Qian, two people said with one voice, "Absolutely not!" Ni Qian took a step forward and pulled Yang Ling's arm. He anxiously said, "Building a mausoleum is an important matter, how can we alarm the Son of Heaven just because of a rumor? Mr. Yang, you must not act rashly."
Seeing their panicked expressions, Yang Ling was already eighty or ninety percent sure in his heart. He could not help laughing coldly and said, "Two Daren, the matter of the Golden Well coming out of the water has been investigated clearly by Yang, the witnesses and the material evidence are all in my hands, how much longer do the two of you want to hide it from me?"
Immediately Ni Qian, two people were greatly alarmed. Li Jie's forehead was beaded with cold sweat, his complexion was waxy yellow, it was extremely unsightly. Observing Sky Officials Ni Qian's knees were trembling, and after a long while, he suddenly knelt on the ground and said in a panic, "Mr. Yang, we were also forced to do this, I beg Mr. Yang to save me!"
Yang Ling gave Yang Yiqing a look, and Yang Yiqing understood and retreated, quietly closing the door. Only then did Yang Ling go forward to help Ni Qian up, he smiled and said, "Sir, why do you have to do this? But as for the details, I hope that you can tell me exactly what happened. Yang needs to listen carefully and understand before making a decision!"
* * *
Wang Jinglong sat in Yang Ling's study, holding a teacup in his hand, like an old monk in meditation.
This was originally the study of the Imperial Physician Gao Tinghe, there were no words or pictures on the walls, and the bookshelves were full of medical books, there was nothing for entertainment.
He had been to Yang House four times in the past seven days, except for the first time, when Madame Yang let the maidservant help her out to see him and his wife, Madame Zhang, and after a few words, they returned to the inner residence. After that, it was the old housekeeper who was waiting at the door with two servants to serve him.
At first, Wang Jinglong also talked to him politely, beating around the bush to find out about Yang Ling's situation, but the old housekeeper did not know as much about Mr. Yang as he did, and he could not get any useful information from the old servant.
The old housekeeper answered every question, and if he did not ask anything, he would stand there for a whole day without saying a word. Sometimes when Wang Jinglong was bored and wanted to take a walk in the living room, the old housekeeper would follow him closely, leaving him at a loss and unable to find a chance to frame him.
But his wife, Madame Zhang, was weak and sickly, and had been bedridden for many years, so she contracted a disease. It was not convenient to ask a doctor to diagnose this illness, so it got worse and worse. Ever since he came to Yang House to ask Miss Gao for treatment, there was a great effect. This could be considered a loss on the swings, but gain on the swings. Wang Jinglong's plan did not work, so he just took it as bringing his wife for treatment.
But when he came every day, it was as if he was meditating, it was really boring, and he did not even get to see the two alluring beautiful maids even once. In his mind, those two women were only the maids of the Yang Residence, and they usually did odd jobs in the Yang Residence. Sitting here, he would always have the opportunity to see them. Unexpectedly, after coming here a few times and not seeing them, he couldn't help but miss those two beautiful maids more and more. This made the Third Young Master of the Wang Clan feel like he was lovesick. Every time he was in the study, his heart had long since burrowed into other people's back garden.
Wang Jinglong put down the teacup and looked at Madame Shichen, it should be time for her to finish her acupuncture, and could not help but secretly sigh. Just as he was feeling disappointed, there was suddenly a burst of light footsteps, and then the old housekeeper at the door said respectfully, "Why have the two ladies come to the front yard?"
He heard a clear and melodious voice of a young girl say, "Sister Wen Xin needs to use plum blossom needles today, the needles are in the needle box in the study, I've come to get them for her."
Along with the voice, two young girls dressed in green with delicate features appeared at the door of the study. When Wang Jinglong saw that these two girls were the beauties that he had been yearning for day and night, he couldn't help but stand up in surprise and delight. He said cheerfully, "So it turns out that the two young ladies have arrived."
Ever since Miss Gao came back, no one had treated her as a servant, but this Miss Gao had always treated Young-niang like a servant. Yutang Chun and Yutang Chun were very perceptive and immediately followed suit. It's just that this plain dressing was even more pleasing to the eyes for a beautiful young girl in her twenties, and Wang Jinglong could not bear to look away for a moment.
At first, Yu TangChun thought that this Young Master Wang was a man of gold and jade on the outside, but these past few days she saw him personally accompanying his sick wife to seek medical treatment. She felt that although this scholar's character was flashy and superficial, he treated his wife with infatuation and true love. Her opinion of him changed greatly.
She remembered that the last time she met Young Master Wang as a servant, and now that she saw Wang Jinglong stand up to welcome her, she quickly bowed and said with a smile, "Young Master Wang, this servant has the status of a servant, and is not worthy of such a noble person's greeting. Today, Sister Wen Xin is going to perform the Plum Blossom Acupuncture on your wife again, and I'll go after I've taken the needles. Young Master, please wait for a moment. "
Yutang Chun's appearance was slightly better than Sheridan's, and her green dress and snow-white skin made her look like a beautiful jade. Her smile was as bright as a spring flower, making Wang Jinglong's heart itch. Unconsciously, he followed her to the bookshelf, and the beautiful figure turned around and said, "Good, good, good, thank you Miss, Young Master Wang has a noble heart, and an elegant temperament. How would Wang dare to treat you as a servant, and this greeting is well deserved."
Yutang Chun walked to the bookshelf, and stood on her tiptoes to take the needle box from the top shelf. Hearing Wang Jinglong praise her for not being like a servant, her heart was delighted, and she could not help but smile, and said, "Hehe, Young Master Wang's character is outstanding, and brimming with talent. You're a famous scholar in the capital. This servant has often heard of Young Master Wang, and to be praised by Young Master Wang, this servant is very honored."
Standing behind the two of them, Sheridan listened to the two of them flattering each other, and could not help making a face at Yutang Chun, making a retching expression. Seeing Sheridan's action, Yutang Chun could not help but let out a laugh, and immediately felt that she was being rude. Blushing, she quickly dodged and bowed to him, saying, "Young Master, please have a seat, this servant is leaving."
Wang Jinglong saw that Yutang Chun blushed as soon as she smiled at him, and then floated away like a cloud. He thought that this young girl was attracted by his elegant appearance, and his heart unconsciously swayed. He stared at the door where the two of them disappeared for a long time, as if the delicate fragrance of her floating away was still lingering at the tip of his nose.
Holding Yutang Chun's hand, Sheridan ran to the back garden's long corridor before she stopped and giggled. "So mushy," she said, "I haven't seen you use tricks to hit someone for a long time. Look at Wang Gongzi's infatuated look, I haven't seen you praise Laoye like this."
Yutang Chun scoffed and rolled her eyes at her, saying, "Does our Laoye still need to be praised? If I can praise him so much that he is a god … god … I can't wait for that. Ay! Daren is an official in the imperial court, having one more friend is always better than having one more opponent. Official Wang's family is very influential, isn't it because of our Laoye? "
Sheridan laughed and said, "Shameless, right now Laoye doesn't need you to dote on him. Do you want Laoye to give you a warm slap when he comes back from the mausoleum?" While saying that, taking advantage of Su San's unprepared, she suddenly slapped his buttocks and ran away while giggling.
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