White Horse, Silver Spear, Grand Commandant Gao

Chapter 94 Cliff Collapse and Flooding of the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum

Gao Xingzhou took his son and traveled more than 300 li south along the Qin Straight Road. After leaving Luochuan County, they left Yanzhou and arrived at the territory of Fangzhou.

Fangzhou Guibao Army, also known as the Fufang Jiedushi, was a post held by Guo Ziyi, who was in charge of the four prefectures of Fu, Fang, Yan, and Dan.

The ancient Yellow Emperor's mausoleum is located in Huangling County, which is under the jurisdiction of Fangzhou.

Gao Huaide had once heard the old man Chen Tuan in the tower say that the origin of China's destiny was here, and he had long wanted to go and see it. So he prepared incense, candles, fruits, sacrificial meat and wine, and went to worship with great enthusiasm.

Sima Qian, the Grand Historian, wrote in the opening of his Records of the Grand Historian: "The Yellow Emperor died and was buried at Qiaoshan."

Qiaoshan Mountain runs north-south and belongs to the Ziwu Ridge. The north is Zi and the south is Wu. The mountain is surrounded by water on three sides, with ancient cypress trees and dense forests. Stepping into it, a sense of solemnity arises spontaneously.

"Is this the ancestral origin of all Chinese people...?"

Gao Huaide arrived at the Xuanyuan Temple located at the western foot of the mountain, walked around it, and couldn't help but feel suspicious.

"The style and design of this temple don't look like ancient architecture. Could it be a way to deceive unsuspecting people?"

"Young master, you have a keen eye; nothing can be hidden from you. The temple was indeed built later."

Lu Qian flattered, "One hundred and sixty years ago, during the Dali era, the then military governor of Fufang reported that there was a mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor in Fangzhou, and requested that a temple be built for him to be worshipped in all four seasons and included in the sacrificial rites. A thousand cypress trees were planted, and that's how this temple was built. The Yellow Emperor's mausoleum is located on the mountaintop."

"Wait, why are people cutting firewood and logging here? Is nobody doing anything about it?" (Note 1)

"Young Master, the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum is not like the mausoleums of the emperors of this dynasty, which are usually guarded by soldiers."

Lu Qian spread his hands: "Commoners rely on the mountains for their livelihood. Why should we care about our ancestors from thousands of years ago? As long as there are benefits, that's what matters. Cutting down a cypress tree is enough to make a living for several days."

"Why don't they just demolish the temple? The beams and timber are worth some money, aren't they?"

"These people are quite shrewd."

Lu Qian pointed to the various offerings on display, as well as the figures peeking out from the temple entrance and flashing by: "Young Master, do you believe it or not? We just left, and these offerings probably won't stay for even a moment."

Gao Huaide couldn't help but laugh in exasperation: "If I hadn't brought a troop of soldiers, would they have stolen my horse and gun too?"

"You're right."

The cypress trees planted back then have all been cut down, leaving only stumps, their rings like eyes, glaring resentfully at the heavens.

Such was the simple and honest nature of the people; Gao Huaide was speechless.

"Let's go up and take a look."

The sacred path beneath our feet is overgrown with weeds, indicating that not many people come to worship there on ordinary days.

After climbing to the top, the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor came into view.

A mound of earth, overgrown with fragrant grass, stands before a sacrificial pavilion, inside which is a stone tablet inscribed with the three large characters "Huangdi Mausoleum," without any further embellishment.

Facing this simple mausoleum, Gao Huaide, who was usually carefree, was unusually solemn and respectful. He offered wine as a gesture of respect and bowed several times.

There is no other reason than that this place holds not only the remains of an emperor, but also the common ancestor of every Chinese descendant. Coming here silently evokes echoes deep within one's bloodline, a mysterious resonance of pilgrimage and tracing one's origins.

"Legend has it that this place is a cenotaph, with no body inside, only the sword and shoes remain. The immortal book says: The Yellow Emperor collected copper from Shou Mountain and cast a tripod at the foot of Jing Mountain. When the tripod was completed, a dragon with a beard descended to greet the Emperor, and then he ascended to heaven."

"This dragon at least knows etiquette, unlike some arrogant people who have no respect for their ancestors whatsoever."

Gao Huaide criticized with utter disdain: "To think that one could return to ancient times and, with a little knowledge and shallow understanding, make wise rulers bow down in submission; or that, relying on modern skills and ingenuity, one could crush the heroes of that time, is utterly absurd."

He spat and said, "To fantasize like this, why don't you take a piss and look in the mirror to see how much you really are in reality?"

"I'm gone."

Unexpectedly, as soon as he uttered those two words, a "crack" sound came from deep within the cliff face. Immediately afterward, a huge rock broke off from the cliff, carrying dirt and gravel, and tumbled down into the river at the foot of the mountain, splashing up a large amount of water.

In an instant, the entire cliff began to shake violently, and more rocks and soil collapsed, as if torn down by an invisible giant hand. The collapsed soil and rocks stirred up huge waves, and the river surface formed a series of rapid whirlpools.

Gao Huaide was dumbfounded when he saw the scene before him.

What's going on? Lately, I've been encountering either storms or landslides. Did I say something wrong that alarmed the ancient sages?

"Young master, the Yellow Emperor is furious and issuing a warning. There must be some unseen force at play. You should pray more."

Upon hearing Lu Qian's words, Gao Huaide hurriedly turned towards the tomb and bowed several more times.

When everyone returned to the foot of the mountain and the dust settled, the scene had changed drastically. A gap had appeared in the once intact cliff, as if a piece had been forcibly scooped out.

The river that encircles the foot of Qiaoshan Mountain is called Ji River, which originates from the surname of the Yellow Emperor. It is said that the Yellow Emperor was born by the Ji River and the Yan Emperor was born by the Jiang River. They were born with different virtues, hence the Yellow Emperor was named Ji and the Yan Emperor was named Jiang.

The Ji River overflowed, causing cliffs to collapse and a large area of ​​land to disappear from the front of the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum. It was hardly an auspicious sign.

Looking at the statue in the temple, which wore a crown with drooping tassels, had robes depicting mountains and rivers, and a long beard reaching its chest with a solemn expression, Gao Huaide knew perfectly well that the Yellow Emperor could not possibly be dressed like this, but he still silently prayed, respectfully asking the sage to bless the world with peace.

"I don't know what you meant by all this, but if it can be restored, the temple will definitely be rebuilt and the statue recast!"

After bowing, he called to his subordinates again, "Let's go!"

The moment those two words were uttered, the earth shook violently, and the river trembled violently, as if it were about to break free of its confinement and rage wildly.

"What's going on?"

Gao Huaide would never have imagined that adding the radical for "walk" would create the character "Liao".

……

He returned to the inn where he was stationed, and was about to tell his father about the strange phenomenon he had encountered, when he discovered that there was an extra squad of soldiers who did not belong to his own family.

No wonder my father had the time to send me to the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum; he was waiting for someone.

Upon entering the room, they heard Gao Xingzhou talking to someone: "How is the matter in Xia Prefecture going?"

"I've already let go and handed it over to Huaiyuan and Yansheng."

A familiar male voice replied, "Although grain transport in Xia Prefecture is inconvenient, industries such as felt making, bow making, hemp spinning, and animal slaughtering are quite developed. The Dangxiang tribes are wealthy, and now that trade has been reopened, merchants from far and near are bringing all kinds of silks and other goods to buy their sheep and horses. The Li family has used this place as a base to develop for more than fifty years, and the income and expenditure are sufficient to maintain daily operations."

The man continued, "When I was investigating the customs of the city, I discovered that besides Helian Bobo, there was another important figure who rose to prominence here."

"Oh, who is it?"

"Emperor Wen of Northern Zhou, Yuwen Tai, also known as Yuwen Heita!"

Gao Huaide recognized the voice as Fu Yanqing's; so it was the person his father was waiting for. He then wondered which dynasty Yuwentai was the emperor of, and whether his nickname, "Black Tower," was because he was dark-skinned and strong.

Fu Yanqing said, "Yuwen Tai once served as the governor of Xia Prefecture, so this place might really have some dragon aura."

Gao Xingzhou neither confirmed nor denied the theory of dragon energy, simply smiling it off.

"Yuwen Tai once said to Heba Yue: 'Now Fei Yetou has no less than ten thousand archers, and the governor of Xia Prefecture, Huba Mi'e Tu, has more than three thousand soldiers. The governor of Ling Prefecture, Cao Ni, also relies on their remoteness and harbors ulterior motives. The refugees of Hexi, such as Hedouling Yili, are wealthy and have not submitted to the court. If we move our army closer to Longxi, seize their vital points, demonstrate our power, and win them over with virtue, we can recruit their soldiers and horses to strengthen our army. We can then pacify the Di and Qiang in the west, appease the northern deserts, return to Chang'an, and assist the Wei dynasty. This is the way of Huan Wenju.'"

Fu Yanqing used the past to illustrate his point and offered a suggestion: "Zhang Xichong has already gone to the capital, and the new military governor of Lingwu Army has not yet been appointed. If we can seize control of this, we can extend our influence to Hexi, which is similar to the path of the rise of Western Wei."

Gao Huaide was immediately invigorated upon hearing this.

He had been wanting to know what the next strategic move would be after taking over Xiazhou, and Fu Yanqing, like a pillow being delivered to someone who was just dozing off, took the initiative to tell him.

Gao Xingzhou, on the other hand, appeared much more cautious and conservative: "Since you have brought up the events of four hundred years ago, you should know that the Eastern and Western Wei dynasties clashed several times, and Yuwen Tai repeatedly teetered on the brink of death."

"Gao Huan once led 10,000 cavalry from Jinyang, and launched a surprise attack on Xiazhou, traveling 900 li. They did not eat or cook, and arrived in four days. They used ropes as ladders to enter the city at night and captured the governor, Huba Emi Tu."

Gao Huaide listened and secretly questioned the authenticity of the battle examples his father had mentioned.

"The walls of Xia Prefecture are ten ren high. It would take five or six ten-foot-long poles to reach the top. Is it really possible to climb up?"

"Jinyang has been a strong military garrison since ancient times. Now that Shi Jingtang is there, how can the court allow us to grow too powerful?"

"Shi Jingtang and His Majesty are only superficially on the surface. If they fall out, the court will definitely deal with him first, and then we can take advantage of the situation."

Fu Yanqing smiled slightly: "We should just remain respectful and wait for our opportunity. Brother Gao, that's what you were thinking when you dragged me along to the capital, wasn't it?"

Gao Xingzhou neither admitted nor denied it, and only talked about purely military matters.

"The route from Jinyang to Xiazhou passes through Yinzhou and Hengshan Fortress, so we need to be extra vigilant. No matter who is in charge of Hedong, it won't be so easy to replicate Gao Huan's actions."

Gao Huaide listened to the two men's discussion with great interest when he suddenly noticed someone tugging at his clothes.

Looking down, he saw a little girl resting her chin on her hand, smiling at him: "Look, you've been eavesdropping again."

Not far away, a little girl bowed slightly and smiled sweetly, "Brother Gao, it's so nice to see you again so soon."

Oh dear, I miscalculated. How could I have forgotten that I would run into these two sisters?