sbdcsierra Chapter 646 Say Goodbye to Your Mother
Chapter 646 Say Goodbye to Your Mother
Jiuyi Mountain has a majestic and magnificent terrain. Zhaoling Mausoleum is located here. Nine mountain ranges wind down like nine giant dragons lying dormant, showing the majestic momentum of the royal mausoleum and telling the world about the great achievements of Emperor Taizong in creating the prosperous Tang Dynasty.
The unique mountain range where Qianling Mausoleum is located is like a phoenix spreading its wings and flying high into the sky. Its lively outline is somewhat mysterious and romantic.
Li Chengqian set foot on the land of Xianyang again.
The Xianyang Sanatorium, a place where so many veteran officials spent their later years, instantly became bustling with activity upon hearing that His Majesty had arrived. Those veteran officials, who had weathered the storms of the Tang Dynasty from its founding to its continuation, its rise and fall, all came out to greet Him with respect, supporting each other and dragging their aged and slightly staggering bodies.
Their faces are full of traces of time, their hair is white, and they walk with difficulty, but the loyalty to His Majesty and the love for the Tang Dynasty in their eyes have never diminished in the slightest.
When Li Chengqian returned this time, his heart was as heavy as lead.
He chose neither the train nor the horse-drawn carriage.
He thought of the time when he married Su Zhi. At that time, he was in high spirits and riding a horse at full speed. Su Zhi's beautiful smile seemed to be still in front of him.
Now, everything has changed. He is leading the way, riding a strong horse with its mane fluttering in the wind.
Behind him, the long funeral procession moved slowly forward like a sad black dragon.
The sound of horses' hooves hitting the solid ground made a dull and rhythmic sound. The funeral procession walked step by step for a whole day before finally arriving at Xianyang City.
Cheng Yaojin, who has spent his whole life in military service, is now old and his eyes are blurry, and the turbidity of time can be seen in his eyes.
He stood at the front of the welcoming crowd, trying hard to raise his head and look at Li Chengqian on his horse.
His eyes became dazed, and he clearly saw the heroic figure of Li Shimin when he was young.
Although he knew very well in his heart that the person in front of him was Li Chengqian, memories surged in uncontrollably like a surging tide, causing him to fall into reverie involuntarily.
His eyes slowly swept over Qin Ruzhao, Zhang Xianhuai and others beside Li Chengqian, and his thoughts suddenly drifted back to many years ago.
At that time, Empress Zhangsun unfortunately passed away due to illness. Emperor Taizong, with a heavy heart, personally attended the empress's funeral.
He and Yuchi Jingde stood solemnly where Zhang Xianhuai and Qin Ruzhao were standing now.
Emperor Taizong was dressed in plain white mourning clothes, looking very sad. His grief-stricken look is still deeply imprinted in his mind, as if it happened just yesterday.
Today, time seems to have returned to that sad scene of the past, but most of the old friends who once fought side by side and struggled for the Tang Dynasty are no longer alive. However, their voices, smiles, and the glorious military exploits they made for the Tang Dynasty seem to have never really left. They have always existed vividly in everyone's hearts, becoming an indelible memory in the long history of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Chengqian rode his horse slowly forward. He gently pulled the reins, and the horse under his crotch stopped steadily.
"Mr. Cheng, how are you feeling lately?" Li Chengqian's voice was a little tired.
Cheng Yaojin raised his head with great effort and looked at Li Chengqian, forcing a kind smile onto his face. He bowed, his movements a little slow but still respectful: "Your Majesty, I am in good health."
"Your Majesty is young and promising, yet you shoulder the great cause of the Tang Dynasty. You must take good care of your health. The joys and sorrows of this world are commonplace. Your Majesty, please do not be overly sad. The future of the Tang Dynasty rests entirely on your shoulders!"
After hearing this, Li Chengqian nodded slightly and said solemnly, "Mr. Cheng, I understand everything."
"Once I have properly handled the Queen's affairs, I will definitely come to visit Mr. Cheng again."
After saying this, he gently waved his whip, and the funeral procession slowly moved towards Qianling Mausoleum.
The funeral procession finally arrived at Qianling Mausoleum.
The exterior of Qianling Mausoleum is completely different from the solemn and majestic Zhaoling Mausoleum with numerous stone statues.
There are neither statues of the Six Horses symbolizing Emperor Taizong's glorious military exploits, nor stone statues representing the civil and military officials of the court.
All that comes into view are six lush and verdant osmanthus trees.
Recalling the beginning of the construction of Qianling Mausoleum, some craftsmen came to ask what kind of iconic buildings should be built outside Qianling Mausoleum.
Li Chengqian couldn't make up his mind for a while, until that night, when he sat opposite Su Zhi and told her about the matter.
Su Zhi raised her head slightly and said softly, "Let's plant some trees, preferably osmanthus trees."
"I have loved the scent of osmanthus since I was a child. That fragrance always brings peace to my heart."
In the eyes of literati and poets, osmanthus may be too ordinary, even considered a bit tacky and not worthy of being in the upper class. They prefer flowers with elegant meanings and graceful postures.
But Li Chengqian and Su Zhi love osmanthus very much. In their opinion, although osmanthus does not have the elegance of peony or the snow-resistant and frost-resistant beauty of plum blossom, its rich fragrance permeates the air and brings people a warm feeling. It is not only extraordinary, but also closer to the lives of the public, adding a simple and beautiful atmosphere to the world.
Therefore, he and Su Zhi dug the holes, planted the trees, added soil, and watered the six osmanthus trees outside Qianling Mausoleum by themselves.
Now thinking back, time flies by like a white horse, and seven years have passed.
Li Chengqian still remembered the time when he and Su Zhi were planting trees outside Qianling Mausoleum. They smiled at each other and Su Zhi said softly, "Plant a few osmanthus trees. If we are buried here in the future, they will keep us company and we won't be too lonely."
Now standing here again, looking at these osmanthus trees, although it is not too desolate and lonely, Li Chengqian at this moment can't feel a trace of lively atmosphere in his heart.
In the 16th year of Qianwu, a year destined to be remembered in the history of the Tang Dynasty, Qianling Mausoleum welcomed its second distinguished guest - Empress Xiaowen of the Tang Dynasty, Su Zhi.
Li Chunfeng stood in front of Qianling Mausoleum, looking at the solemn and majestic mausoleum, his hands unconsciously clenched into fists.
His teacher, Yuan Tiangang, rests in this dark and deep mausoleum.
Once upon a time, he and his teacher worked together in the palace to give advice to the Tang Dynasty, observe the stars at night, and explore the mysteries of metaphysics.
Now, his teacher has left forever, leaving him alone in this complicated world, continuing to work hard for the Tang Dynasty.
Li Jingyou and Li Jingyi followed Li Chengqian closely, tears welling up in their eyes.
Zhang Xianhuai, Qin Ruzhao and others looked solemn and dignified as they personally carried Su Zhi's coffin and walked slowly towards Qianling Mausoleum step by step.
Thanks to the progress and development of the Tang Dynasty, the interior decoration and layout of Zhaoling are more exquisite than before, and it looks much more beautiful than Qianling.
The main tomb chamber of Qianling Mausoleum is very spacious and grand, even much larger than the main tomb chamber of Zhaoling Mausoleum.
At this time, the main tomb chamber was empty. Apart from two huge sarcophagi placed quietly in the center, there were no other decorations, making it look particularly spacious.
Of these two stone coffins, one belongs to Su Zhi and the other to Li Chengqian himself.
Li Chengqian slowly raised his hand, which was trembling slightly uncontrollably. He waved gently, signaling Qin Ruzhao and others to carry the coffin inside.
With a heavy thud, the coffin slowly fell into the sarcophagus, making a dull echo, as if it was the last sigh for the deceased.
Li Chengqian slowly took off the package behind him. His hands trembled more and more violently because the package contained a small clay figurine carefully made by Su Zhi and Xiao Taohong.
Although these little clay figurines are not exquisitely made and are even a bit rough, they are of great significance to Su Zhi.
As for Xiao Taohong's tomb, Li Chengqian specially arranged it next to the main tomb.
This position was originally intended to be reserved for important officials who had made outstanding contributions to the Tang Dynasty during the Qianwu period.
However, Li Chengqian felt that as the queen and the mother of the country, Su Zhi should have a side tomb chamber.
As the queen, she had corresponding power and status, and the locations of these tombs should not be monopolized by his important ministers.
Li Chengqian gently placed the little clay figures into the sarcophagus. Then, he slowly turned around and looked at Li Jingyou and Li Jingyi behind him, his voice slightly hoarse.
"Say goodbye to your mother."