Imperial Palace Experts and palace servants hurried over through the tunnel. First, they propped up the Sealing Stone with stone blocks, then threaded four iron rods as thick as forearms underneath it. Eight Imperial Palace Experts, inside and outside, lifted together, raising the enormous stone blocking the doorway.
The Empress Dowager and Dongfang Liren left under the palace servants' escort, while Ye Jingtang returned to the collapsed section of the tunnel with several Secret Guards to inspect the situation.
The tunnel had suffered a chain collapse. By Ye Jingtang's estimate, more than ten zhang-over forty meters-had caved in, which was not particularly long.
But the soil above had already loosened. If they started digging without reinforcing it with supports, they would be buried alive before advancing more than a few meters.
Digging upward was also extremely risky. If they broke through into the Moat, everyone in the tunnel would drown.
After studying it for a while, Ye Jingtang decided that every trade had its specialists. Work like drilling, surveying, and tunneling still needed to be left to skilled craftsmen. He turned and left the tunnel.
After all that work underground, it was already noon.
Ye Jingtang leaped out of the room in the Blessings and Longevity Palace Side Hall and saw palace servants everywhere outside. Besides the palace Secret Guards, several Black Bureau Chief Constables were also present.
Dongfang Liren stood in the Covered Gallery, assigning tasks to the Black Bureau Chief Constables. When she noticed Ye Jingtang emerge, she approached him.
"I've already arranged for people to search the streets and alleys around the Imperial City, and asked the Ministry of Works to send craftsmen to survey the tunnel. It will probably take some time to get to the bottom of this."
As she spoke, she took a robe