Excerpt from "S.A.I.N.T.S. Song of Winds", Ch.7
Wong sipped his tea quietly, pondering whether it was appropriate to reveal his inner thoughts to a man – a very young man at that – whom he had just met. But then again, Ronny Tan had a reputation for integrity, discretion and, most importantly, a penchant for adventure.
“I have a personal theory, Mr Tan … about all this.”
“Let’s hear it, Professor.”
Wong took a deep breath. “As you know, I have studied the burial complex for many years now. It is my belief …” He paused and looked into Ronny’s eyes. “That a secret passage exists, leading to the inner sanctum of Qin Shi Huang’s tomb. This tablet might be part of the clue as to its whereabouts.”
It was unexpected. “Did you say … the tomb’s inner sanctum?!”
The inner sanctum of Emperor Qin’s tomb remained an archaeological mystery to this day. The outer details of the mausoleum and its grounds, the largest imperial tomb complex ever constructed in China, were fairly well-defined, researched and understood. The excavation of terracotta soldiers was an open national effort. Several excavations of the tomb’s surrounding areas were also carried out, yielding numerous fascinating discoveries. The tomb itself, however, was another story. The Chinese government steadfastly refused to grant permission to anyone, including its own officials, for any kind of exploratory probe underneath Qin’s monumental burial mound. It was generally understood that an exploration into the tomb would not be approved until the government had the certainty that it would remain intact, in every detail, following an excavation. Given the longstanding interest of academics and speculators in exploring the gigantic burial mound, the government maintained a tight blanket of security around the clock.
According to Chinese folklore, the Emperor’s spectacular tomb and its unimaginable treasures were protected by a collection of supernatural defenders, curses and deadly booby traps. There were even rumours that the actual sarcophagus existed not underneath the burial tumulus, but somewhere else entirely. It is said that Qin Shi Huang was acutely wary of likely grave robbers in his posthumous years and was mortified at the possibility of losing his exalted heavenly status should anyone desecrate his tomb. His tomb’s secrets had to be maintained at all cost, even to the extent of ordering the execution of every craftsman and labourer involved in its construction, numbering in the tens of thousands.
Ronny was intrigued. “So what’s the latest on the tomb itself?”
“You’ve probably heard that we’ve carried out a geophysical survey of the area, directly underneath the burial mound. We found very clear traces of concentrated mercury – more than ten times the amount in any surrounding region. This is consistent with historical rumours of mercury being poured into the tomb in tremendous quantities, presumably to replicate the rivers, lakes and oceans of China’s geography and to aid the Emperor’s soul in navigating the afterlife. In another theory, mercury’s high toxicity might have been ideal as some form of deterrent against anyone trying to make their way into the tomb. Applied onto the tip of any wound-inflicting projectile, such as arrows, crossbow darts or flying daggers, it would prove a lethal poison.”
“But the Emperor consumed mercury on a regular basis, believing it helped in his quest for immortality. Did his aides knowingly administer the treatment despite its toxicity?”
“Interesting question, isn’t it? Was it just bad advice... or slow assassination?”
Ronny swirled a mouthful of tea in his mouth, pensively. What if Dr Wong was right about the secret passage? What if someone could find all the clues, solve the riddles and find the secret passage into Qin’s burial chamber? It would be challenging. It would be dangerous, most likely. It would be exciting.
“I have a personal theory, Mr Tan … about all this.”
“Let’s hear it, Professor.”
Wong took a deep breath. “As you know, I have studied the burial complex for many years now. It is my belief …” He paused and looked into Ronny’s eyes. “That a secret passage exists, leading to the inner sanctum of Qin Shi Huang’s tomb. This tablet might be part of the clue as to its whereabouts.”
It was unexpected. “Did you say … the tomb’s inner sanctum?!”
The inner sanctum of Emperor Qin’s tomb remained an archaeological mystery to this day. The outer details of the mausoleum and its grounds, the largest imperial tomb complex ever constructed in China, were fairly well-defined, researched and understood. The excavation of terracotta soldiers was an open national effort. Several excavations of the tomb’s surrounding areas were also carried out, yielding numerous fascinating discoveries. The tomb itself, however, was another story. The Chinese government steadfastly refused to grant permission to anyone, including its own officials, for any kind of exploratory probe underneath Qin’s monumental burial mound. It was generally understood that an exploration into the tomb would not be approved until the government had the certainty that it would remain intact, in every detail, following an excavation. Given the longstanding interest of academics and speculators in exploring the gigantic burial mound, the government maintained a tight blanket of security around the clock.
According to Chinese folklore, the Emperor’s spectacular tomb and its unimaginable treasures were protected by a collection of supernatural defenders, curses and deadly booby traps. There were even rumours that the actual sarcophagus existed not underneath the burial tumulus, but somewhere else entirely. It is said that Qin Shi Huang was acutely wary of likely grave robbers in his posthumous years and was mortified at the possibility of losing his exalted heavenly status should anyone desecrate his tomb. His tomb’s secrets had to be maintained at all cost, even to the extent of ordering the execution of every craftsman and labourer involved in its construction, numbering in the tens of thousands.
Ronny was intrigued. “So what’s the latest on the tomb itself?”
“You’ve probably heard that we’ve carried out a geophysical survey of the area, directly underneath the burial mound. We found very clear traces of concentrated mercury – more than ten times the amount in any surrounding region. This is consistent with historical rumours of mercury being poured into the tomb in tremendous quantities, presumably to replicate the rivers, lakes and oceans of China’s geography and to aid the Emperor’s soul in navigating the afterlife. In another theory, mercury’s high toxicity might have been ideal as some form of deterrent against anyone trying to make their way into the tomb. Applied onto the tip of any wound-inflicting projectile, such as arrows, crossbow darts or flying daggers, it would prove a lethal poison.”
“But the Emperor consumed mercury on a regular basis, believing it helped in his quest for immortality. Did his aides knowingly administer the treatment despite its toxicity?”
“Interesting question, isn’t it? Was it just bad advice... or slow assassination?”
Ronny swirled a mouthful of tea in his mouth, pensively. What if Dr Wong was right about the secret passage? What if someone could find all the clues, solve the riddles and find the secret passage into Qin’s burial chamber? It would be challenging. It would be dangerous, most likely. It would be exciting.
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