The identity of the tomb owner

Anyone with some understanding of the Tianbao Dragon Fire Glazed Top would never foolishly dig a robber's tunnel from above, because up to now, numerous people have died due to this ancient tomb mechanism. Back when my dad had a store, there was a group of tomb raiders who were regulars from our area, all experienced hands. I often saw them around, but later I heard from my dad that this group once found a golden tomb structured with the Dragon Fire Glazed Top. Ignorantly, they dug from above and, in the end, more than a dozen of them were burnt alive, and the tomb was destroyed too!

When Wu Fatty mentioned the Dragon Fire Glazed Top, I was already disheartened, realizing that this would be a difficult task. To avoid death, we would have to dig the robber's tunnel from the side, but the side of a Tang tomb built into a mountain has the thickest layer of earth, making digging from the side a real pain!

"Let's rest for tonight and start digging the robber's tunnel first thing tomorrow morning," Wu Fatty suggested as he meticulously wiped off the Western Region dragon oil from the Luoyang shovel. This stuff ignites at such a low temperature that it's a hazard to carry around; it could catch fire at any moment, and by then it would be too late to do anything about it.

We all agreed with Fatty's suggestion after some thought, considering that after trekking through the mountains all day, our physical strength was at its limit. If we didn't take a break, we probably wouldn't last long swinging the military shovel!

That night, our group found a large rock on the mountaintop to shelter behind and sleep. After all, the mountain winds in these deep forests are sinister, and sleeping exposed to them could lead to a stroke, leaving one with a crooked mouth and squinted eyes that are difficult to cure without a good traditional doctor, and it could affect one for life. This is no joke; my neighbor used to live next to an old bachelor who suffered a stroke. When he was young, he slept on a wild tomb mound while returning home from another place because he was too tired. The next day, he woke up with a crooked mouth and squinted eyes from a severe stroke. Despite seeing many traditional doctors, he never recovered and remained unmarried for life.

Among our team were experts in outdoor survival, so such a mistake was out of the question. However, the area behind the large rock was genuinely uncomfortable, damp and smelling of urine, with centipedes and scorpions crawling over us, making for a particularly "enjoyable" experience. I didn't sleep well, tossing and turning all night, plagued by nightmares. By six o'clock the next morning, I was wide awake. After brushing off a few millipedes that had crawled onto me, I got up and went to eat something.

Soon after I got up, Zhou Jing and the others also woke up one after another, all with dark circles under their eyes, probably not having slept comfortably either. This cursed dragon land is truly no place for humans. If one stays too long in such a place, the negative energy will eventually ruin one's health, turning what could have been an eighty-year lifespan into thirty years.

It was still early at this time, and the sun had not yet risen. The forest was pitch black, and we hastily ate something before making our way down the mountain in the dark.

Fatty was still the backbone of our group, leading us around the mountain. Eventually, we stopped on the west side. He decided to dig the robber's tunnel there because in the northern Qinling Mountains, the terrain is higher in the west and lower in the east. Therefore, when burying the dead, they usually face west with their feet to the east, which is more comfortable for the deceased. To maintain the overall feng shui of the tomb chamber, the main chamber must also be in the west. In funeral customs, it is preferable to be higher rather than lower. If we dig the robber's tunnel from the west, we will surely enter the main chamber the fastest, encountering fewer traps along the way.

Having chosen the spot, Fatty handed me a military shovel and started to carve out the robber's tunnel. To save time, the tunnel should not be too large, so only two people could dig at a time. We split into three groups: Fatty and I, Zhang Jinya and Rosa, and Qingyi on her own, while Zhou Jing... well, he wasn't even as tall as the military shovel. He could help us with geomancy and fortune-telling, but asking him to do physical labor was out of the question.

Since Fatty and I were considered the tomb raiding experts by everyone, we naturally took the first shift. Fortunately, with Fatty planning the initial shape of the tunnel, all I had to do was follow behind and shovel the dirt, so it didn't really test my "professional" skills. Still, I was exhausted. The first shovel of dirt in the mountain is the hardest to dig, with leaves and stones making it very difficult. Below the soil layer, it got much better, with softer soil that wasn't as strenuous.

I had never done this kind of earthwork before, so how could I handle it all at once? It wasn't long before my palms were blistered. But after all, I am a man who stands tall and upright. I admit I'm no good against those malevolent entities, but digging a tunnel, no matter how tiring, I had to grit my teeth and do it.

Fatty and I dug for over an hour before we finally made a tunnel just big enough for one person to pass through. We dug two meters deep before stopping and handing over to Rosa and Zhang Jinya.

All day long, we were busy digging the tunnel. By five or six in the afternoon, we had dug nearly ten meters deep. It was then that Zhang Jinya, who was inside the tunnel, suddenly shouted, "We've reached it, we've reached it, I see the blue bricks!"

A little while later, Zhang Jinya and Rosa crawled out of the tunnel. Zhang Jinya told us, "It's through. I knocked on the blue bricks, and the sound was very crisp. It's definitely hollow inside!"

Lying next to me, Wu Fatty immediately sprang up at this news, grabbed his backpack, and headed for the tunnel, laughing, "Let's go, brothers, into the tomb!"

"Aren't we going to rest a bit?"

I looked at Fatty, hesitant: "The sun is about to set. I think it's better to wait until the sun comes out tomorrow!"

"Fear of ghosts is no reason not to enter a tomb; entering a tomb is no reason to fear ghosts."

Wu Fatty chuckled, "It's pitch black inside the tomb, day or night makes no difference. I'd rather sleep in the tomb than on the mountain. Last night, the mosquitoes in the mountains almost bit me to death, and this morning when I went to pee, several centipedes jumped out of my pants. It was too frightening."

I was speechless at this, and by then Qingyi and the others had already started packing up. Reluctantly, I followed suit and took the lead.

The order of entry into the tomb remained the same, with Zhang Jinya leading the way, followed by Qingyi and Rosa, with Zhou Jing and Heizi behind Rosa, and I brought up the rear. My birthdate is too weak; if I walked in front, encountering a corpse could easily lead to it becoming animated.

Since there were so many people ahead of me, I didn't get a clear view of the tomb wall that Zhang Jinya mentioned. I only saw Fatty swinging a crowbar at the front, banging a few times, and then the tomb wall collapsed with a crash. Fatty then threw a lit match inside.

I could clearly see a light ignite in the distance.

After a long while, Fatty turned around and smiled at us, "We've definitely hit the tomb of a big shot. Damn, being able to build a tomb into a mountain is already impressive, must be some rich guy or something. Now that we've opened the tomb and seen that the air inside is so good, even the match didn't go out, it seems this tomb even has ventilation equipment. Such technology was extraordinary back then, only in the hands of craftsmen who built imperial mausoleums. I reckon the owner of this tomb must have been a noble or royalty, at least a duke!"

Hearing this, my eyes widened in surprise. My first time in a tomb and we've found a duke's tomb?

In ancient times, a duke was no small title. In ancient China, titles were generally divided into five ranks: duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron, with duke being the highest among these five ranks. Above that were the royal ranks, which were mostly relatives of the emperor. Those with the title of king who were not related to the emperor were usually formidable figures with the power to grant lands and command armies. In modern terms, they were the equivalent of warlords, few in number during any emperor's reign.

"There's no need to waste air, let's go into the tomb!"

Muttering to himself, Fatty was the first to jump in. Only after everyone else had entered did I follow. By then, they had already turned on their flashlights inside. With the light from their flashlights, I could roughly see that the tomb chamber was filled with weapons, such as Tang Dynasty broadswords, all well-preserved and valuable if sold. Besides that, there was a set of armor, the impressive Mingguang armor from the Tang Dynasty, which only those of certain status could wear. There was also the skeleton of a horse.

It seemed we were in the tomb's side chamber, specifically for placing burial objects. Judging by these items, the tomb owner must have been a general or something similar.

"Look, there are murals on the wall!"

Zhang Jinya suddenly shouted, startling me. I turned my head to where his flashlight was pointing, and indeed, the walls were covered with murals, likely depicting the life of the tomb owner.

"Xiao Tian Ge, come over and help look at these murals."

Wu Fatty said, "Your Ge family are almost all historians. Can you figure out the identity of the tomb owner?"

I didn't need him to tell me; I had already taken the flashlight from Zhang Jinya and started examining the murals, curious about who the owner of the tomb we were in might be.

The murals were beautifully painted, likely by a master of the time. The man depicted was tall and majestic, dressed in armor, wielding a broadsword, and exuding power. Most of the scenes on the murals were set on the battlefield, with a couple depicting the scene of his ennoblement, crowded with people dressed in luxurious clothing, indicating a grand and lively event and suggesting a high-ranking title.

I looked over each mural but didn't find any clues until I came across one depicting a war scene and stopped in my tracks.

In the painting, the tomb owner commanded a large army, charging into battle with rows of infantry wielding long polearms. The enemies they faced rode camels, their faces covered with headscarves, wielding curved swords.

This appearance was clearly that of the army of the Arab Empire!

Seeing this, I had some idea of the era the tomb owner lived in—if not mistaken, this tomb owner lived during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Longji!

Throughout Chinese history, only the Tang Dynasty waged war against the Arab Empire, which was at its zenith at the time, to consolidate its hegemony in Central Asia. This war, known as the Battle of Talas, ended with the defeat of the Tang Dynasty and the Arab Empire never daring to expand towards China again.

Looking at the murals, it seemed the tomb owner was also one of the commanders of that war?

However, there were several commanders of that battle. Which one was the tomb owner?

I continued looking until I reached the last mural, which finally confirmed the identity of the tomb owner!

In the final mural, the tomb owner was depicted being beheaded on a chopping block, with soldiers below weeping profusely.

Looking at this mural, I took a deep breath and slowly said, "The only person who commanded the Battle of Talas against the Arab Empire and was later beheaded in the entire Tang Dynasty was Gao Xianzhi!"