77: Protective excavation of the imperial tomb?

The next day, early morning.

Zheng Yi's figure appeared on the second floor of White Jade Capital, sitting quietly in front of the desk with his eyes closed in deep thought.

White Jade Capital was built by him with a massive amount of effort and silver, specially constructed for him to Cultivate.

The first floor was used for daily activities, entertainment, and Dual Cultivation.

In addition to more than thirty rooms, there were also more than a dozen so-called "entertainment rooms".

The largest among them was the Pool of Wine and Forest of Meat!

Covering an area of about five mu, the middle was a large bathtub made of Lantian jade, large enough for more than thirty people to play in.

Around the wine pool was the "forest of meat" area.

It collected famous precious fruits, medicinal herbs, and roasted meats from the thirteen provinces of the Great Yu, for the concubines and women inside White Jade Capital to eat.

To reduce the vigilance and sense of shame of the women entering the Pool of Wine and Forest of Meat, besides the heavy aroma of wine, Zheng Yi also specially ordered the imperial physicians to make spices with aphrodisiac effects, which were lit in the Pool of Wine and Forest of Meat.

Around the Pool of Wine and Forest of Meat were other entertainment rooms.

For example, the "glazed sky room" where the surrounding walls, and even the ceiling and floor, were transparent mirrors.

Copper mirrors were not clear, but under Zheng Yi's reminder, the Ministry of Works used sand and stone as raw Materials to manufacture this kind of transparent mirror for Zheng Yi's enjoyment.

Besides mirrors, a large amount of translucent crystals, diamonds, glazed glass, and so on were placed in this glazed sky room for Zheng Yi and his concubines to play with.

Some rooms were specifically partitioned off by him as "dressing rooms".

Ancient skirt styles such as wide-sleeve fairy dresses, mamian skirts, and chest-high ruquns, as well as modern-leaning outfits from his past life like JK uniforms, nurse outfits, secretary outfits, and stockings, were also sewn by the palace embroiderers under his instructions.

Of course, the raw Materials used were all top-tier silk, Shu brocade, and the like, with superior fabrics best at protecting the skin.

Other rooms also had similar functions, too numerous to list individually.

The second floor was the place Zheng Yi used for working and studying.

It stored a large number of books, most of which were Martial Forest Secret Manuals, medical Secret Manuals, and the like collected by the Great Yu Dynasty from within its territory.

The third floor was the highest room in the imperial palace.

Standing on the third floor, one could overlook the entire imperial palace, and even the entire capital city.

Nowadays, the Ministry of Works was crafting telescopes. Once the telescopes were finished, I wonder if one could look beyond the city walls?

The third floor was the gathering place used by Zheng Yi to hold banquets, dances, and the like.

Overall, it was a huge terrace entirely made of jade, vast and huge, enough for thousands of people to gather here.

These three floors were the above-ground buildings of White Jade Capital.

And underground, there were two more levels of underground palaces, which possessed even more functions!

At this moment, Zheng Yi was truly watching the Yin Yang Treasure Mirror in his mind.

Sure enough, after a night of Dual Cultivation, layers of text were flowing across the mirror surface.

[Absorb Pure Yin Qi, lifespan + 17.]

[Absorb Pure Yin Qi, lifespan + 19.]

[Absorb Pure Yin Qi, lifespan + 18.]

[Absorb Pure Yin Qi...]

Ten newly entered palace concubines contributed a full 187 years of lifespan to him!

When playing late into the night, perhaps due to the aroma of the wine and the spices containing aphrodisiacs, in the end, even the dozen or so little palace maids serving them did not escape Zheng Yi's clutches.

Four hundred and twenty-one years of lifespan!

This was the total amount of lifespan he obtained last night!

"Hoo..."

He let out a long breath and slowly opened his eyes.

Last night, he did not summon those seventeen Jianghu women over.

Jianghu women were proud in temperament and could not accept such advanced ways of playing for a time; it would be bad instead if things backfired.

It was better to subdue these ordinary women one by one before provoking that group of Jianghu women.

"With more than five hundred newly entered palace concubines, I just don't know how much My lifespan will increase after subduing all these women."

"And my strength... to what extent will it be elevated?"

Three days later!

The ten beauties who first entered White Jade Capital were sent away, and immediately another ten beauties and madams were sent in.

The difference was that this time there was one more woman.

Lan Lingrong.

Because of her best performance in the Pool of Wine and Forest of Meat, she was specially approved by Zheng Yi to become the "manager" of the Pool of Wine and Forest of Meat.

Her task was to manage the first floor of White Jade Capital, and to teach every concubine entering White Jade Capital for the first time how to do things and how to serve Your Majesty.

To reward her, she was specially conferred the title of "Consort Lan!"

For a time, Lan Lingrong was unrivaled in prominence throughout the entire inner palace, and many women all rushed over to curry favor in hopes of entering White Jade Capital early to serve Your Majesty.

Even a few concubines had to lower their heads by several points when meeting her.

The women inside White Jade Capital were changed every three days; when Your Majesty took a fancy, it was changed every five days, ensuring every woman was taken care of.

For women who suited his fancy, he would summon them several times.

But most women, after coming to White Jade Capital once, were never summoned again.

With a thought in his mind, a blood-red little bug crawled out.

Blood Moon Gu.

"If I continue to Cultivate the Blood Moon Gu with my essence blood, I wonder what changes will happen again?"

Several more days passed.

Zheng Yi, bringing Liu Chengen, Chen Liancang, Hu Bafeng, and a large number of guards, appeared at the foot of Tianshou Mountain in the northern suburbs of the capital in the name of sacrificing to the late emperors.

Tianshou Mountain was a royal garden and also the location of the mausoleums of the deceased emperors of the Great Yu Dynasty.

All twenty emperors of the Great Yu Dynasty, together with the founding emperor Zheng Mingsen, were all buried on Tianshou Mountain!

Around Tianshou Mountain, there also lived an "Imperial Mausoleum Guard" numbering over a thousand people.

"Your Majesty!"

The eunuch leader Mu Qing, who guarded this place, respectfully said: "The late emperor's mausoleum is located in the northern foothills of Tianshou Mountain, and beside it are the Jing Mausoleum, Xian Mausoleum, Tai Mausoleum, and so on..."

Zheng Yi nodded. These emperors were other emperors buried here, as well as the grandfather, great-grandfather, and so on of Emperor Zhengyong.

After browsing through, Zheng Yi specially dismissed the rest and kept Hu Bafeng behind.

"Hu Bafeng, how is this place?"

Hu Bafeng's eyes drifted somewhat at this moment; the purpose of Your Majesty bringing him here was self-evident.

The graveyard that Your Majesty previously said wanted him to dig... uh, no, wait, to "protectively excavate", turned out to be the mausoleums of the successive late emperors!

Once this matter was leaked out, let alone his nine clans, even if he had ninety clans, it wouldn't be enough to be beheaded!

"Y-Your Majesty..."

Hu Bafeng's legs went soft, and with a thud, he knelt on the ground.

"This, this place, this place's tomb, c-cannot be excavated~!"

"Hmm?"

Zheng Yi glanced at him, then shook his head and said: "Hu Bafeng, get up."

"You just arrived here, such a reaction is completely normal."

"However... I have to do this!"

Hu Bafeng was full of confusion; what was Your Majesty talking about?

Zheng Yi, with one hand behind his back, gazed into the distance towards the north and said: "Hu Bafeng, do you know what kind of scene the six northern provinces of our Great Yu are currently in?"

"I-I know..."

Hu Bafeng swallowed his saliva and said. After all, he came from a tomb-raiding background, and his tomb-raiding ancestry had also trodden all over the six northern provinces, so he had a relatively good understanding of the environment in the six northern provinces.

"The six northern provinces have suffered a severe drought for five whole years up to this year. The fields have yielded no grain, the common people are displaced, and large areas of land have even been occupied by rebels."

"And our Great Yu Dynasty court is mostly occupied by a group of officials who hold sinecures and are corrupt to the core."

"The border army of Bin Province can't even receive their rations... The court has no money!"

"When I want to provide disaster relief, there is actually no money and grain available!"

Zheng Yi said: "To ensure the stability of our Great Yu's Realm, and even more to save the common people of the world, I have to 'borrow money' from the successive late emperors!"

"Ah, b-borrow, borrow money..."

Hu Bafeng was startled and hesitated, saying: "Your Majesty, what is buried here are the successive late emperors after all. In case..."

"So what if they are!"

Zheng Yi gave a low shout and said: "In order for the subjects of the world to be able to eat their fill, what does it matter if I act as a rebellious person for once?"

"Besides, I am not borrowing money from all the emperors, just borrowing a sum from two or three ancestors."

"When the Realm is stabilized, I will repay it doubly!"

"Ah... this..."

Hu Bafeng was bewildered, but was also stunned by Zheng Yi's whimsical idea, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"Hu Bafeng, from now on, this place will be the station for you Mojin Captains."

Zheng Yi made a decisive statement: "As for the Imperial Mausoleum Guards here, I will transfer all of them away and have the Shenji Camp garrison it instead."

"The Shenji Camp consists entirely of brave warriors loyal to Me, enough to protect the secrets of this place, understand?"

Hu Bafeng's expression turned stern, and he quickly said: "S-Subordinate obeys the command."

"In addition."

Zheng Yi stared at Hu Bafeng and said: "In order for you to peace of mind work for Me here, I have already brought all your family members into the capital city, bestowed them with houses and farmland, and rewarded them with a large amount of wealth and silver."

"You do not need to worry about their safety."

"Your two sons have also enrolled in the private school in the north of the city."

"With Me watching over them, nothing will go wrong!"

Hu Bafeng was moved to a complete mess and immediately knelt on the ground: "Thank you, Your Majesty! Your Majesty's immense grace, this subordinate will repay it even if I have to tie grass and carry rings!"

"Hmm, get up."

Zheng Yi raised him up and said: "How is the matter of you gathering your colleagues going?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, my friends 'Earth-Dragon Rat Chen Yanshi', 'Golden Boot Yang Dashan', and 'Wind-Listening Swallow Wang Fei' have all agreed to come, and they can arrive in the capital in half a month at most!"

Hu Bafeng quickly said: "These three are best at dividing gold and locating acupoints, surveying soil, and disarming traps and hidden weapons. With these three here, what Your Majesty seeks will certainly be foolproof!"

"Earth-Dragon Rat Chen Yanshi..."

Zheng Yi murmured: "Let him change his nickname."

Hu Bafeng's expression changed, and he awkwardly said: "Y-Yes, Your Majesty. S-Subordinate will write to him as soon as I go back."

He looked around Tianshou Mountain again and hesitated: "Your Majesty, I wonder which late emperor we are going to... borrow money from first?"

Zheng Yi looked towards the very top of Tianshou Mountain and murmured: "If you want to borrow money, of course you have to find the richest person."

"The Founding Emperor, Zheng Mingsen!"

"Ah...?"

Hu Bafeng left to prepare for the matters of excavating the Ancient Tomb.

And Zheng Yi stood alone at the top of Tianshou Mountain, in front of the mausoleum of Founding Emperor Zheng Mingsen, looking indifferently at this mausoleum.

The reason for choosing Zheng Mingsen's mausoleum was because among the three mausoleums he scheduled, his tomb had the highest probability of possessing Cultivation secret methods!

After all, he was the founding emperor, and more than three hundred years ago, he must have had intersections with the Cultivators of that time.

In his tomb, even if there were no Cultivation secret methods, there must be other Cultivation objects.

Besides this consideration, more than three hundred years had passed, and some mechanisms and hidden weapons in his tomb had a high probability of having failed, which would be even more helpful for excavation.

"Your Majesty~!"

At this moment, Chen Liancang quietly came behind Zheng Yi.

"Your Majesty, are you really going to excavate the mausoleums of the successive late emperors?"

Zheng Yi shook his head and said: "Not all of them, but selective excavation."

"Now the world is in chaos, and I need the treasures in the mausoleum as military pay and food provisions."

"If the Great Yu's Realm collapses, the treasures in their mausoleums won't be kept either!"

"Another thing..."

Zheng Yi murmured: "Cultivation secret methods, under the ancestors' tombs, there will definitely be Cultivation secret methods!"

Chen Liancang hesitated and said: "Your Majesty, once this act spreads out, has Your Majesty thought well about how to face the court ministers and the people of the world?"

"The court ministers and the people of the world?"

Zheng Yi sneered and said: "My conscience is clear, what is there to fear?"

"Besides... Elder Chen, could it be that you also don't want to see whether there are Martial Dao Realms beyond the Innate Realm?"

As soon as his voice fell, Zheng Yi felt Chen Liancang's breathing accelerate.

"Hahahah... Elder Chen, as long as you help Me excavate the mausoleums of the successive late emperors, if there are Cultivation secret methods or Cultivation objects, I will definitely share them with you!"

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