The palace experts and servants rushed over from the tunnel. They first used stone blocks to cushion the door-sealing stone, then passed four iron rods as thick as forearms underneath. Eight palace experts inside and outside worked together to lift the boulder blocking the door.
The empress dowager and Dongfang Liren left under the escort of the palace servants. Ye Jingtang and a few secret guards once again went to the vicinity of the collapsed tunnel to check on the situation.
The tunnel had collapsed in a chain. According to Ye Jingtang's estimation, it had collapsed by more than 100 feet, which wasn't too long.
But the soil above had already loosened. If they started work without support and reinforcement, they would be buried alive after digging for a few meters.
Digging up was also risky. If they penetrated into a moat, everyone in the tunnel would drown.