Chapter Thirteen: The Feng Shui of Qianling Mausoleum

Having been in Jingzhao for several days, I had almost forgotten that this place was once the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties, distracted as I was by the affairs of the Ming Tombs. Early the next morning, I took the others to the world-renowned Qianling Mausoleum.

Qianling is located on Mount Liang, north of Jingzhao City. It is one of the eighteen Tang dynasty imperial tombs in the Guanzhong region. Construction began in 684 AD and took twenty-three years to reach completion. The scale of Qianling is magnificent and awe-inspiring, with the mausoleum area modeled after the capital city of Chang'an. Mount Liang is a conical limestone mountain with three peaks; the north peak is the highest, and it is upon this peak that Qianling sits.

The two lower peaks to the south of Mount Liang face each other from east to west, with the Sima Path running between them; thus, these two peaks are known as the "Breast Peaks."

I took out the infrared survey map provided by Wei Yong. According to the diagrams, the entire mausoleum originally featured inner and outer walls, four gates, as well as many grand structures like the offering halls and watchtowers. Viewed from afar, Qianling is a mountain, and the mountain is a mausoleum. Imperial tomb specifications are generally gargantuan, but this one is world-famous for being the only imperial burial site shared by two generations of emperors.

"Out of the blue, why does that man named Wei insist on you entering Qianling?" Yue Qianling asked, breathless after walking all morning, as she sat down on a bench to rest.

I looked around and answered solemnly, "Every imperial tomb is arranged according to Feng Shui principles. Since they were meant to uphold the art of Feng Shui, and I happen to understand some of it, then by surveying it from a Feng Shui perspective, even the most hidden imperial tomb must have an entrance."

"Feng Shui patterns... honestly, to me, this just looks like a mountain, no different from any other place," Yue Qianling said, taking a sip of water.

Gu Anqi, who has particularly deep expertise in the metaphysical aspects of Feng Shui, had been observing every blade of grass and tree since we arrived at Qianling. "Sister Qianling, this place is not like other places. In Feng Shui, the site of an imperial tomb must be a place of great auspiciousness—protected by continuous high mountains to the north, echoed by distant hills to the south, surrounded by low ridges on the east and west, with a wide plain inside and a winding river flowing through. This is what is called the 'Four Divine Animals' terrain, and Qianling possesses all these requirements."

Qiu Nuo, who was sitting to the side, suddenly smiled and said quietly, "Speaking of Qianling’s Feng Shui, a story comes to mind."

"Qiu Nuo, don't tell me you've started believing this stuff after spending so much time with him? You’re an artifact appraisal expert, after all," Yue Qianling said with a wry smile.

"Actually, it's just a story I once heard," Qiu Nuo said with a charming smile. "It is said that Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, commissioned Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang to survey and select a dragon-vein burial site for him. Li Chunfeng traveled for eighty-one days and found the auspicious soil of the Mount Jiuzong dragon vein, where he buried a copper coin. Then he sent Yuan Tiangang to search, and after forty-nine days, he found the exact same spot and drove a silver hairpin into the ground. When the Emperor had them verify their findings, they dug it up and found that Yuan Tiangang’s silver hairpin had pierced exactly through the square hole of the copper coin."

"I've heard this story too. Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang were both masters of metaphysics, and the dragon vein they chose is the very Qianling we see now," Gu Anqi said with a smile. "Although it is a story, it goes to show that the Feng Shui of Qianling is extraordinary."

I gave a faint smile, looked around, and said dismissively, "Both of these men were great predecessors. Given their cultivation and attainments, how could they have chosen this place as an imperial mausoleum?"

"..." Gu Anqi paused, looking very surprised. "Brother Yanhui, why would you say that all of a sudden? Do you think the Feng Shui here is bad?"

"The Feng Shui is certainly good, but good Feng Shui does not necessarily make for a suitable imperial mausoleum."

"Stop being so cryptic. I know you know a lot; tell us your thoughts," Yue Qianling urged.

"These three peaks of Mount Liang tower high, with the main peak piercing the sky. To the east, the Wu River separates it from Mount Jiuzong; to the west, the Qi River connects it to Mount Loujing and Mount Qishan. The Wu and Qi rivers meet in front of the mountain, creating a 'water wall' that traps the dragon's breath in the center. Mount Liang is indeed a rare sacred site of the dragon vein," I said calmly, pointing to the surrounding terrain.

"You're contradicting yourself! Didn't you just say this place couldn't be an imperial tomb? Why are you calling it a sacred dragon-vein site now?" Yue Qianling asked.

I smiled dismissively and continued, "You’re too impatient. Wait until I finish. Mount Liang looks like a Feng Shui treasure from the outside, but a closer look reveals many shortcomings. In terms of the layout of a Feng Shui treasure, the fact that Mount Liang is surrounded by water on both sides to trap wind and gather energy is why Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han were both enamored with it—it is indeed a treasure. However, Mount Liang is the remnant of the dragon vein from the Zhou dynasty. For a common family, this site could ensure three generations of wealth and prosperity, but for the Great Tang, three generations is too short. Furthermore, the Feng Shui here does not harmonize with the Zhaoling Mausoleum; it lacks royal harmony, so I fear the national fortune would be obstructed after three generations, thus cutting it short."

Gu Anqi looked back toward the distant Zhaoling Mausoleum of Emperor Taizong, and said thoughtfully, "Brother Yanhui’s observation is accurate. I hadn't noticed it before. Among the eighteen Tang tombs in Guanzhong, Zhaoling is the foremost—it is the head of the Tang dragon vein. But Qianling is positioned above Zhaoling. The Feng Shui order is inverted; it puts a woman who was an emperor on the head of the Tang dragon, which is highly inauspicious."

I nodded and pointed into the distance, unhurriedly explaining, "The dragon vein of the Great Tang branched out from the Kunlun Mountains, crossed the Yellow River, and entered Guanzhong. Starting from Mount Qishan, it spread east to Mount Jiuzong, Mount Jinsu, Mount Cuo’e, and Mount Yao. Taizong is buried in Mount Jiuzong, the head of the dragon. Zhaoling cannot be positioned behind and yet be treated as the front. Moreover, Mount Liang is not the dragon's head, but the tail of the Zhou dynasty's dragon vein. The energy of the tail must inevitably wane, leading to an inability to govern the nation."

"Later, Emperor Gaozong, Li Zhi, was frail and sickly, and the court was controlled by Wu Zetian. It seems to align with Brother Yanhui’s theory," Qiu Nuo noted.

I pointed to Mount Liang, looking composed and confident. "The north peak of Mount Liang is high, and the two peaks in front resemble a woman’s breasts. Viewed from afar, the entire shape of the mountain looks like a young woman lying flat. Through the principle of 'form nurturing form,' choosing a tomb here meant that from then on, the empire would be controlled by a woman. The main peak of Mount Liang is straight and elegant, belonging to the Wood element; the two southern peaks are round and sharp, belonging to the Metal element. Although the three peaks are tall, from a distance they appear square and flat, signifying the Earth element. Metal conquers Wood, and Earth generates Metal. The dragon's energy of the entire mountain shape bolsters the Metal element. With the underground palace built beneath the main peak, the ruler must be a person of the Metal element."

"Wu Zetian’s Five Elements attribute is Metal. Sure enough, Emperor Gaozong became her puppet!" Gu Anqi exclaimed.

Yue Qianling took a sip of water and sighed, "This was all thousands of years ago. What is the point of saying all this? We are here to see if we can find the entrance. Can we please not go off-topic?"

"To find the entrance, we must first understand the Feng Shui here. But from what I’ve observed, there is a major problem with the Feng Shui of Qianling. If we can't resolve these issues, how can we find the entrance?" I said, my expression turning anxious.

"What is the problem with Qianling’s Feng Shui?" Gu Anqi asked curiously.

"First of all, judging by the choice of site, Wu Zetian was a person who believed deeply in Feng Shui. Since she believed in it, she should have known the consequences of damaging the Feng Shui."

"She... she damaged the Feng Shui here?"

"According to the burial regulations of feudal emperors, if the empress dies first, the emperor can open the underground palace for burial. But if the emperor dies first, the palace must be sealed, and no one else should disturb it. The honored one is buried first; the subordinate should not disturb the honored one to be buried later, but should choose another site nearby," I said in a low voice. "When Wu Zetian was buried in the mausoleum, it wounded the dragon vein of the Li family's tomb, leading to the decline of the Great Tang's national fortune. It also caused the royal energy of the Li family’s Feng Shui treasure to leak, accelerating the downfall of the Tang."

"Looking at Wu Zetian’s goals, could it be that she wanted to destroy the Tang dynasty?!" Qiu Nuo said in surprise.

"That shouldn't be the case. Wu Zetian later returned the throne to the Li family and even changed the dynastic name back to Tang. This shows she knew the importance of ancestral roots. Besides, the fall of the Tang would have brought her no benefits," Yue Qianling shook her head.

"And it is said that Qianling was chosen by the two masters, Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng. I don't think that's necessarily true. The tomb site is halfway up the mountain, where there is nothing but rock. The underground palace was carved out of stone. In Feng Shui, a place of stubborn rock is not suitable for burial because the entire mountainside is solid rock. The rock layer appears very thick, and the earth energy cannot be channeled in," I said, pointing to Mount Liang calmly. "Yuan and Li were great predecessors; they would have known this."

Gu Anqi also began to frown slowly. Looking closely, there were indeed major problems with the Feng Shui of Qianling.

"Now that you mention it, I’ve noticed it too. Qianling faces south, so the 'case mountain' (the hill in front) must be a sharp peak. If there is a mountain ridge connecting the sharp peak and the main parent mountain, it would cause the water on the inner side of the case mountain to flow in an inverted 'eight' shape (八), meaning the water flows away and does not converge into a pool within the case mountain. In Feng Shui, this is considered 'failing to obtain water,' which violates the principles of Feng Shui."

I lowered my head to think for a moment, then slowly looked up and said meaningfully, "Knowing that it violates the art of Feng Shui and yet building the tomb this way... unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless Wu Zetian never considered Feng Shui from the beginning. From design to construction, and finally to the pouring of molten iron to seal the tomb, the entire Qianling project had only one purpose!"

"Anti-theft!"

"Qiu Nuo is right. Everything Wu Zetian did was simply to turn Qianling into an impenetrable fortress," I said, taking a deep, weary breath. "From a Feng Shui perspective, Qianling has no merit, but from an anti-theft perspective, Wu Zetian got her wish. It has not been disturbed for a thousand years!"

"So... does this mean we can't find the entrance to Qianling?" Yue Qianling asked in disappointment.

"If it were buried according to Feng Shui patterns, the entrance would be easy to find. But if it is as Brother Yanhui says—built purely for anti-theft—then this entrance is likely..." Gu Anqi shook her head.

Seeing everyone dejected, Qiu Nuo suddenly thought of something. "Logically speaking, my mother has a profound understanding of Tang history. Perhaps asking her about Qianling might yield some results. However, she has always been a recluse who likes peace and quiet and dislikes being disturbed. But we could go ask Aunt Qingyang!"

Hearing Qiu Nuo mention Qingyang, a glimmer of hope returned to my eyes. This aunt who had always given me all sorts of surprises—perhaps she might have some unexpected insights regarding Qianling as well.