Chapter 74: The Twelve Golden Statues

Chengming Hall was filled with the flush of embarrassment on Xiang Ning’s face.

She had indeed freed herself from the constraints of The Virtues of Women, but the memories of everything that had happened before lingered.

Fan Li was equally awkward.

His true form was in the Imperial Mausoleum at the end of the Qin, and their separation was a well-kept secret — how could he possibly explain?

“Uh, Your Majesty, may I explain?” Fan Li set aside the Overlord’s Spear and began racking his brain for a plausible story.

But Xiang Ning lowered her head, cheeks aflame.

“You… you needn’t say anything. It’s late. You should return early tonight…”

Her reaction left Fan Li perplexed.

What was going on?

Was she still under the sway of The Virtues of Women? How was this so different from before?

“Your Majesty, are you alright?” Fan Li tried to step forward to check on her.

Xiang Ning shrank back suddenly, like a startled cat whose tail had been stepped on!

“You… you… you go back first, I’m fine now. It’s late, and we’re alone — if you lose your reputation, I still wish to keep mine!”

She finally raised her head, face full of grievance, eyes shimmering with tears as she glared at Fan Li.

Hearing her once again refer to herself as “I, the Emperor,” Fan Li was at least reassured she was unharmed.

“Then I’ll take my leave.” Fan Li lifted his foot to depart, then remembered something and added, “It’s not safe for Your Majesty to be alone in the palace. I’ll leave Black Stallion to guard you.”

This remark made Xiang Ning laugh in exasperation.

Black Stallion was already the Divine Guardian Beast of Chu; protecting the Emperor of Chu was its sacred duty. Why did it need his arrangement?

As she watched Fan Li leave Chengming Hall, Xiang Ning’s mind was awash with memories of her foolish manner while reciting The Virtues of Women.

“Clearly blood kin, yet they seek to harm me.”

“Clearly a traitorous minister, yet ever helps me.”

“I always wish to prove myself, but before him I only make a fool of myself… I am unwilling!”

…

…

Imperial Mausoleum at the end of the Qin.

Fan Li’s true self stepped from the tent, watching as the garrison soldiers dismantled the last section of wall.

With the outer wall of Epang Palace gone, the full grandeur of the palace was revealed!

“Is this truly the work of man?” Fan Li mused inwardly.

It was called a palace, yet it struck the eye as a colossal city!

The majesty of the First Emperor!

Fan Li genuinely admired it.

Without the aura of a true dragon emperor, no one would dare claim such a city!

Yet Fan Li felt something was amiss.

Such magnificence did not seem the handiwork of the last Qin Emperor; only the legendary First Emperor could have conceived it!

“This palace seems as though it belongs only in Heaven,” Cao Cao remarked.

Fan Li nodded.

Perhaps, Epang Palace was designed after the imagined palaces of the heavens.

“The outer wall is gone. What do you plan next?” asked Princess Changle with a smile.

Epang Palace had a main hall and over a dozen side halls.

Each side hall was nearly larger than the entire royal palace of Chu.

Within such a vast palace, who could guarantee there were no traps, mechanisms, or deadly formations?

“Duke Jin, perhaps we should send soldiers inside to explore the side halls first?” suggested Cao Cao.

First, ensure the side halls were safe; otherwise, even those masters of the Dao would not dare enter the main hall.

Everyone agreed with Cao Cao’s suggestion and assumed Fan Li would follow it.

“Order them to demolish all the side halls,” Fan Li replied, once more surprising everyone.

Even Princess Changle felt a pang of regret.

“Hey! Don’t forget our agreement — you promised to help me obtain the First Emperor’s Chronicle. If it’s kept in a side hall and gets destroyed by your soldiers, what then?”

Fan Li glanced at the princess, replying coolly, “Whether it’s the Sword of Qin or the First Emperor’s Chronicle, anything you value cannot be an ordinary item — would it be so easily destroyed?”

He was a bit peeved.

Having information yet not sharing it — the princess and the three Han envoys were far from considerate.

Changle could not refute him, and Cao, Liu, and Sun found his logic reasonable.

After all, this was an imperial tomb.

The most precious burial goods should be kept in the main hall of Epang Palace, not in a side hall.

No one objected further, but the garrison’s demolition methods still took them by surprise.

Demolition?

It was as if they were laying siege!

The garrison had brought along a vast array of supplies, which turned out to be parts for siege engines.

“Spirit-Gathering Ballista?”

“Thunder-Attracting Battering Rams?”

“Earth Spirit Catapults?”

Cao Cao looked at Fan Li, his expression questioning: Is this really necessary?

These costly machines, crafted by master artificers, were valuable wartime assets — now used for demolition?

Fan Li laughed. “Chu has enjoyed years of peace and prosperity, and the treasury is full.”

Cao Cao nodded numbly, feeling thoroughly outdone.

Fan Li continued, “The three Han envoys possess profound cultivation, so I’ll throw out the first stone to draw out the jade. If anything terrifying bursts forth from Epang Palace, I’ll leave it to you three to handle — my own abilities would only embarrass myself.”

“That’s only fair, how could we trouble Duke Jin endlessly?” replied Liu Bei, looking honest, and representing Han’s agreement.

“Siege — I mean, demolition!” Fan Li waved his hand, giving orders to the garrison.

At once, giant ballistae, spirit stone projectiles, battering rams — all rained down upon the side halls of Epang Palace.

Watching the scene, Fan Li suddenly understood the pre-crossing Beautiful Country, who, flush with wealth, dared stir trouble everywhere.

The rich even wage war drenched in the stench of money.

Half an hour later, the siege engines finally ceased.

The smoke cleared, and the grand imperial mausoleum had shrunk by half.

Almost all side halls were leveled, leaving only the main hall of Epang Palace untouched.

But on the ruins of the twelve closest side halls, something remained.

“Those are… twelve golden statues!?” exclaimed Yan Yuan, the great scholar, in disbelief. “The legend is true — and kept here?”

“What legend?” Princess Changle asked curiously.

“The First Emperor gathered all the weapons of the realm, forged them into golden statues at Xianyang to display his might.”

From afar, the twelve golden figures stood about thirty feet tall, robust in form, shaped like fierce generals and wielding Qin long swords.

Fan Li half-joked, “If these golden statues come to life, I must trouble you all.”

No sooner had he spoken than the statues moved!

All twelve turned to face the encampment.

One, apparently the commander, raised its sword, pointing directly at the group.

“Ahem! Gentlemen, after you,” Fan Li said, retreating awkwardly.

He wished he’d spoken auspicious words today instead.

Yet as everyone expected the statues to attack, they instead knelt on one knee.

“What does this mean?” Fan Li wondered.

Could it be that someone among their party had suddenly been recognized as master by the statues? Was Epang Palace now theirs by gift?

“There is someone else,” said the Lord of Qingqiu.

A figure appeared at the main entrance of Epang Palace, of normal human size, unnoticed until then.

From a distance, Fan Li saw it was a desiccated corpse, gaunt, dressed in tattered robes.

The corpse held a golden sword, its head full of white hair, but not a single beard or eyebrow.

“Who dares trespass in the Emperor’s celestial palace?”