Chapter 15: The Wordless Stele

Qiu Nuo stayed in Qingyang to spend time with her mother. A single conversation with a wise person can be worth ten years of study; after speaking with Qingyang, I finally had some sense of direction. Early the next morning, I took Yue Qianling and Gu Anqi back to Qianling Mausoleum.

The last time I had come, I had focused entirely on the mausoleum’s feng shui and paid little attention to the other details. Qingyang’s astonishing remark had given me a new thought: the secret to entering Qianling might actually lie in the Wordless Stele.

Wu Zetian’s Wordless Stele was carved from a single enormous block of stone. It possessed a solemn, weighty beauty, whole and seamless. No title had been inscribed on its brow; only eight hornless dragons had been carved upon the top, cleverly entwined with one another. Their scales and armor were sharply defined, their sinews and bones exposed. Motion seemed to dwell within their stillness, and they appeared full of vigorous life.

Since the Qin and Han dynasties, every emperor, king, minister, and general had hoped to erect a stele after death and leave a record of his deeds. Yet the stone monument of the only empress in Chinese history bore not a single word.

The stele had stood there for a thousand years. Beside it, the peerless imperial tomb behind it seemed far more dazzling, while the monument itself remained quietly upright, witnessing the changes and splendor of the centuries, as though silently waiting for something.

I tilted my head back and stared at the Wordless Stele. I had held that pose for a long time.

Seeing that there were no tourists nearby, I quickly climbed over the railing surrounding the monument. If there was some mechanism hidden within it, there ought to be a hollow space beneath the base.

I knocked over every inch of the base, but discovered nothing. Judging from how tightly sealed its underside was, the stele fit together perfectly. If Qingyang was right and the secret of entering Qianling lay in the Wordless Stele, the first thought that came to me was this: since Qianling had no entrance, could the Wordless Stele itself be the entrance?

But it now seemed that idea was wrong.

In the mechanisms used in ancient tombs, the design of a secret passage was completely incompatible with the Wordless Stele. Besides, the stele stood far too far from Qianling. No matter how I looked at it, the two seemed to have no connection at all.

Then I suddenly remembered my conversation with Qingyang. She had repeatedly emphasized that before entering Qianling, I first had to understand who was buried there. After speaking with her, I had the vague feeling that she had presented me with an empress Wu Zetian entirely different from the one recorded in the history books.

Qingyang had sent me to Qianling to contemplate the Wordless Stele. I suddenly realized that I might have misunderstood her. Perhaps there was no mechanism hidden in the stele at all. Perhaps she had sent me here so that I could understand the meaning of the Wordless Stele—or, more precisely, why Wu Zetian had erected such a strange monument.

I lowered my head and thought for a while before sitting on a bench nearby. Deep in thought, I said, “Qianling, you’re an archaeologist. Do you know the history and legends behind this Wordless Stele?”

“No. The Wordless Stele has always been one of archaeology’s great unsolved mysteries. Many of our predecessors spent their entire lives studying it, but each had his own theory.” Yue Qianling smiled faintly as she sat down beside me. “As for the true reason, I’m afraid we’ll have to go inside Qianling and ask the empress herself.”

Gu Anqi returned with several bottles of water. Hearing what we were discussing, she blinked and said, “My father once mentioned the Wordless Stele to me. I remember him saying that many scholars had speculated about Wu Zetian’s intentions in leaving the stele blank. But in his view, Wu Zetian could be considered an emperor without equal throughout the ages. Looking back through history, the only person who could perhaps be mentioned in the same breath as her was the First Emperor of Qin. Perhaps she left the stele blank because even she did not know how to describe her own achievements.”

“That theory is actually very common. Even several leading figures in the archaeological world whom I know have reached the same conclusion about the Wordless Stele.” Yue Qianling nodded. “In fact, the theory fits Wu Zetian’s character quite well. She participated in and controlled the highest levels of power for fifty years. Even if we count only from Emperor Gaozong’s death, she ruled for twenty-one years. She was the only truly outstanding female emperor in history.”

“So, according to that theory, Wu Zetian erected the Wordless Stele to boast of her own greatness—to say that her accomplishments and virtue were too immense for words to express?” I thought for a moment, then slowly shook my head. This version of Wu Zetian seemed entirely different from the one Qingyang had described. “Wu Zetian was calculating, ruthless, and deeply versed in literature and history. She did not rise from a talented lady in the palace to empress merely because she was lucky. The very fact that she became empress showed how skilled she was at manipulating people’s hearts. If an empress so full of schemes had wanted to proclaim her own greatness, why would she have left behind a blank stele? And judging from her choice of Qianling, Wu Zetian was not a woman who clung to power. So I don’t think that explanation suits her character.”

“There is another theory. Many archaeologists firmly believe that Wu Zetian left the stele blank because she knew her sins were too great, and felt it would be better not to write an inscription.” Yue Qianling spoke seriously. “When Wu Zetian’s eldest daughter was only a month old, Empress Wang went to see the child. Afterward, Wu Zetian personally strangled her own daughter and blamed the murder on Empress Wang. In a fit of rage, Emperor Gaozong sent the empress into the cold palace. She was later secretly killed by Wu Zetian.”

“No way. She killed her own daughter just to become empress?” Gu Anqi said, staring wide-eyed.

“The struggle within the imperial harem was far more savage than anyone could imagine. Becoming the mother of the empire was not achieved through virtue and gentleness. In truth, that was only the beginning. After Wu Zetian became empress, she carried out a series of ruthless acts. She cruelly murdered Empress Wang and Consort Xiao, made her own son Li Hong crown prince, advised Emperor Gaozong, and used a strategy of dealing with the easier opponents first before tackling the difficult ones, eliminating powerful ministers at court and consolidating her position.”

“At the time, the Guanlong aristocracy controlled the government. Without taking some action, there was no chance that anyone would simply hand her the position of empress. Wu Zetian may have been decisive and ruthless, but historically speaking, Emperor Gaozong essentially succeeded in centralizing imperial power. He dealt a heavy blow to the Guanlong aristocracy and changed the long-standing weakness of imperial authority that had persisted since the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties. His actions had an enormous impact on history,” I said impartially.

“If all of that was done to consolidate imperial authority, then it does make some sense. But afterward, Wu Zetian cultivated her own faction, formed a clique of corrupt officials within the palace, eliminated her opponents in the name of the Li-Tang court, appointed cruel functionaries, and instituted a reign of terror based on denunciations and excessive punishment.” Yue Qianling argued her point with a grave expression. “Everything Wu Zetian did in the latter part of her life was motivated by selfishness and personal interest.”

“Emperor Gaozong was still alive at the time. Although Wu Zetian was empress, the true emperor was still Gaozong. Do you really think Gaozong was so incompetent that he would allow the empress to disrupt the affairs of state?” I countered.

“You mean that although these things were done by Wu Zetian, they were actually planned by Emperor Gaozong, Li Zhi, behind the scenes, and Wu Zetian was merely the one who carried them out?” Gu Anqi asked, beginning to understand.

I nodded solemnly. “In ancient times, Empress Lü killed loyal ministers so that Liu Bang would not have to dirty his own hands. Wasn’t Wu Zetian doing much the same thing?”

“If that explanation is wrong too, there is still another view: Wu Zetian knew her own limitations. Leaving the stele blank was a wise decision, allowing later generations to judge her merits and faults for themselves. That would have been the best course.”

“That theory sounds pretty good. If I were Wu Zetian…” Gu Anqi listened with great seriousness. “By the end, I’d really have been caught in a dilemma. Nothing I wrote would have been right, so I might as well have written nothing.”

I shook my head again and spoke pensively.

“Although that theory seems reasonable and can be justified from every angle, it still feels forced when you think about it carefully. It simply doesn’t fit Wu Zetian’s character.”

“What doesn’t fit? Wu Zetian’s merits and faults have always been debated. Rather than write the verdict herself, she could let others judge her. That would also demonstrate her generosity.”

“She was an empress who overturned thousands of years of tradition and replaced the Li dynasty with her own. Her entire life was extraordinary. If she had truly cared about what others thought or said, she never would have become emperor.” I spoke with measured calm. “From every perspective, she was not a woman who cared about the opinions of others—or even about the throne itself. She acted entirely according to her own will. Her burial at Qianling makes that clear enough. She had always shown contempt for rules and institutions, and would rather let later generations accuse her of damaging the great fortune of the Tang dynasty than reopen Qianling. She was an intensely self-directed person. She simply would not have cared what anyone else thought.”

“Brother Yanhui, that makes sense too. Given Wu Zetian’s stature, she had already become the supreme ruler and accomplished something that had seemed impossible at the time. No matter how you looked at it, her life had no regrets. She had no need to care about the judgment of later generations,” Gu Anqi said with a nod.

I spent the entire day staring at the towering Wordless Stele, but still gained no insight. It was clear that Yue Qianling and Gu Anqi were both disappointed.

“It was never going to be that easy. If the secret of Qianling really is connected to this Wordless Stele, and it could be guessed so readily, Qianling would probably have been robbed long ago.” I smiled faintly.

“You can still smile at a time like this? If we can’t get into Qianling, we can’t open the underground chamber.” Yue Qianling sighed irritably. “Why is the Ming Fourteenth Tomb so troublesome?”

I rose from the bench and looked at the Wordless Stele before me, deep in thought.

“An emperor who didn’t care about the opinions of others. An emperor who was arrogant beyond compare. An emperor whose achievements surpassed those of all antiquity… What, exactly, did she intend by leaving this Wordless Stele behind?”

“Brother Yanhui, you really are here.”

A girl’s ethereal voice came from behind me. When I turned, I saw that Qiu Nuo had arrived as well.

“Weren’t you staying home to keep your mother company? What brought you here?”

“From the look of things, it seems you haven’t gained anything today.” Qiu Nuo smiled sweetly.

“I’ve nearly thought my head apart, but I still haven’t found the slightest clue. Alas!” I replied with a bitter smile.

“Since you’ve exhausted yourselves thinking, why not take a break?” Qiu Nuo walked over to Yue Qianling and Gu Anqi with a bright smile. “Tomorrow is my mother’s birthday. I’d like to invite all of you over for a simple meal.”

“Ah! Your aunt’s birthday? Sister Qiu Nuo, why didn’t you tell me sooner? I haven’t even prepared a gift.” Gu Anqi apologized.

“It’s only a family dinner. There’s no need to spend money. It’s enough that you come. My mother prefers quiet and rarely receives guests. This time, she specifically asked me to invite you.”

I nodded in agreement. We still had no clue about the Wordless Stele, and perhaps seeing Qingyang would give me some hint. More importantly, I very much wanted to meet Qiu Nuo’s mother and find out what kind of person could make someone like Qingyang so deferential.