Master Jin Zhu dug up many dead bodies in the Loulan people’s burial area. Among them, one female corpse’s face was actually remarkably lifelike. Wearing luxurious fur robes, she lay quietly in a coffin carved from a whole section of poplar wood, her face peaceful.

Master Jin Zhu held a small brush and gently swept away the dust from the female corpse’s face. After scrutinizing her for a moment, he said to Di Renjie, “This corpse has been buried here for at least two thousand years, yet it can be preserved so perfectly—truly rare. This is an ancient ancestor. We must be respectful. Come, nail the coffin shut again, bury it properly. We should maintain a heart of reverence toward our ancient ancestors, then make offerings.”

His two students came forward to look at the female corpse lying in the coffin and asked Master Jin Zhu, “Teacher, we’ve dug up no fewer than ten corpses here. Why is only this one preserved so completely?”

Jin Zhu hesitated for a moment, clasped his hands together and bowed respectfully, then said to his students, “Many conditions are needed for this, but this old man believes the most important condition is fortune sprouts. In this world there are naturally intelligent people, naturally brave people, naturally wealthy and noble people, and naturally kind people. Naturally there are also naturally malicious people.”

“All these people cannot compare to naturally lucky people. This old man originally was full of doubts about heaven and earth, which is why I wanted to excavate the truth from the vast ancient texts and restore the original appearance of heaven and earth. As this old man continued researching, I suddenly discovered that in the unseen realm there seems to be a pair of large hands pushing all things in this world—from sunrise to sunset, from winter, summer, spring and autumn to life, death, prosperity and decline. It seems to carry fate, cycling repeatedly like a circular ring. We always cannot escape this shackle and can only spin in circles within this ring.”

“The lower a life’s intelligence, the less grasp it has over its own fate. The higher the intelligence, the more it can grasp its own fate. Just like a pig—from the moment it’s born we can predict its end. But for a person, we have no way to pass judgment when they’re just born. A farmer’s son won’t necessarily become a farmer, but a pig’s child cannot escape the fate of being slaughtered. Therefore, while you research scholarship, you must also cultivate your own virtue and accumulate your own fortune sprouts. Many times, one inadvertent small change can benefit you for life or cause regret for life. Think carefully, consider thoroughly, act sincerely. Remember this, remember this.”

The old teacher was lecturing. Not only were his students listening attentively, those soldiers also stopped the tools in their hands to listen to the old teacher lecture. Although they couldn’t understand what the old teacher was saying, it didn’t prevent them at all from respecting scholarship. Those difficult and obscure sentences continuously emerged from that white-haired head, finally spoken out word by word. In their view, only people with great wisdom could speak such profound words that they couldn’t understand. Whatever they couldn’t understand was a manifestation of scholarship.

Master Jin Zhu was busy here, while a large cavalry unit was busy on another slope of the mountain. As the most destructive group of people in this world, taking apart the wood on graves was not difficult for them.

War horses dragged ropes with sharp iron hooks attached. As long as the hooks caught on the wood, they would be violently torn from the graves. They worked very smoothly, continuous like waves. This was the military’s standard technique for dismantling enemy fortifications—fast and effective.

The people standing on the graves hanging hooks all wore pig snouts. Di Renjie strictly forbade them from removing their pig snouts. As soon as they came down from the work site, their pig snouts would immediately be thrown into large vats filled with strong liquor, and their entire bodies must also be wiped down with strong liquor.

No matter what, they hadn’t expected the sun tomb to be so massive. It actually occupied the entire slope. The stripped poplar timber was already piled as high as a mountain, and they had only removed two layers. According to Huang Shu, there were at least five more layers of such timber before they would see the main burial chamber.

Di Renjie looked at the mountain of timber piled before him and frowned. Poplar trees, red willows, and saxaul could be called the protective spirits of Loulan. In order to build burial chambers, these people actually felled so many poplar trees. That Loulan has now become a dilapidated place might well be related to their reckless cutting of poplar forests.

Now in Guanzhong, the court had already issued a strict felling prohibition order. Wherever coal could be used, coal must be used. Wherever deadwood could be used, absolutely no trees could be cut. Cutting one tree, planting one tree—this had already become the daily understanding of Guanzhong people.

Most of the timber Li Er used to build Wanmin Palace came from the Qinling Mountains. Doing so naturally wasn’t the most economical method, but doing so was the method that best protected Guanzhong.

The Loulan people acting so recklessly—weren’t they afraid of inviting heavenly punishment? In order to urge the court to pass the felling prohibition order, the Academy specifically conducted a small soil erosion experiment at Wanmin Palace.

They made two sand tables of the same size. The sand tables were covered with identical mountain terrain. The only difference was one was covered with grass, while one was completely bare. Academy students, right in front of the Emperor and civil and military officials at Wanmin Palace, took identical watering cans and poured water onto the sand tables. The result was obvious—one sand table was riddled with holes from the artificial rainfall, the small river in the valley turned into muddy water. The other sand table covered with grass was much better. Not only was the mountain form not greatly damaged, although the small river in the valley rose high, not much sand flowed down.

When Fang Xuanling learned that the small river in this sand table was the Yellow River, he immediately petitioned the Emperor to approve this felling prohibition order. Moreover, he used the two rivers, Jing and Wei, as examples, mentioning the differences in their upstream mountain terrain, giving the civil and military officials and the Emperor a very deep impression. The Emperor approved the felling prohibition order, but required the Academy to find a way to solve the common people’s firewood problem.

The Loulan people were bringing about their own destruction! Even without this disappearance incident, they would likewise be buried by the sand.

Looking out from the low slope, in the distance a large poplar forest stood in the desert. Some had already died. Those dead branches pointing toward the sky were like pairs of arms reaching toward heaven crying out grievances. Such injustice would cry out for another thousand years.

“Continue pulling, continue tearing it open. Tear all this timber apart completely. I want to see exactly what kind of noble person is buried inside. I’m going to burn him to ashes.” Di Renjie became angry.

The soldiers didn’t understand why this young noble official would become angry. With a wave of the junior officer’s hand, immediately another team joined the timber-clearing force. There was too much timber. Even working busily until nightfall, they had only peeled away four layers.

At night they returned to Loulan City to rest. After being busy all day, everyone felt extremely tired. After using their evening meal, they drilled into their tents to sleep. Sleeping until midnight, that wind blew up again. Gou Zi suddenly sat up and awakened the sleeping Di Renjie. The two of them turned their ears to listen. Tonight’s wind sounds were mixed with human voices—this was an extremely sorrowful crying sound, mixed in the night wind, very distinct. When Di Renjie rushed out of the tent, two cavalry units holding torches were already rapidly encircling toward the burial ground.

Di Renjie turned his stirrups and mounted his horse. Xu Jingzong grabbed his horse’s reins and said softly, “Wait until there’s a result before you go. If something happens to you, your petty-minded master will torment this old man to death.”

Thinking of his master’s distorted interpretation of that phrase “A gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall,” Di Renjie immediately complied readily, continuously pacing on the ground waiting for the result of the cavalry’s encirclement.

“Boy, this is right. I most love this attitude of you master and disciple readily complying with good advice. We’re all people with great matters to handle—how can we be damaged in such small matters? Now the Great Tang is at its zenith. This is exactly the good time for our generation to display our abilities greatly. How can we suffer damage? Boy, remember this: preserving life comes first. Your master certainly gave you such instructions, right?”

After Xu Jingzong finished speaking, looking at the pitch-black city wall, he very naturally stood behind Gou Zi. He was very worried that a crossbow bolt would shoot over from outside the city wall and assassinate him in this desolate city.

Gou Zi helplessly said to Xu Jingzong, “Your Honor hiding behind this young master is no problem, but you must know that as a martial artist, this young master will certainly be the first target for assassination among us three. When crossbow bolts come, this young master will inevitably dodge. At that time, you’ll be the one suffering. You need to stand within one step to young master’s side. That’s the safest location.”

Just as they were speaking, Xiao Tie rode a fast horse and charged in from the city gate, saying to Xu Jingzong and Di Renjie, “We caught three people, all old men. They were crying and worshipping their ancestors. When they saw us come out, they wanted to run but were blocked squarely by our cavalry.”

Xu Jingzong laughed heartily and pointed at Di Renjie, saying, “Boy, you’ve found the Loulan people. Now you’ve caused trouble, right? This isn’t the result His Majesty wanted. His Majesty’s purpose was to obtain Black Stone Mountain, planning to build a city and garrison troops here. Black Stone Mountain Pass is the only passage through which Tubo can enter the Northern Court. His Majesty—this person, we all know clearly—always wants to strangle all dangers completely. Therefore, stationing a city and garrisoning troops at Black Stone Mountain to prevent Tubo from cutting off the connection between the Northern Court and the court. Tubo Grand Minister Lu Dongzan put down harsh words saying that the Tubo people can offer beautiful women, cattle and sheep, gold, pearls and treasures to the Great Tang, but not land. He also said land is formed from their ancestors’ bones, so Black Stone Mountain will absolutely not be ceded to the Great Tang.”

“However, this is trouble for you master and disciple. Master Jin Zhu is a simple and honest person, and the border troops have also suffered enough humiliation, so now it’s very troublesome! Even if you release these three Loulan people and act as if this never happened, it won’t work. Young people handling matters are just this careless and rash without settling things properly. Think of a way. Tubo is different from other countries. Our people can’t go up to their territory. If we want to kill our way up, hehe, the price will certainly be very great. A good excuse has flown away.”

Xu Jingzong laughed heartily as he entered his own tent. The old fox had made up his mind not to get involved. He believed Di Renjie should have a method.

Di Renjie scratched his head. This matter was truly troublesome. Black Stone Mountain Pass was the passage Tubo people used to rob the small countries here. How could they possibly hand it over with both hands and allow the Great Tang army to blockade their own doorstep?