Chapter Eighteen: The Fourteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty

“Damn it, I’ve worked my ass off digging for three months, and all I find is this thing.”
Yue Leiting’s grumbling voice sounded behind me. Supported by several men, both Yue Leiting and Huo Qian, dripping wet, walked over. Huo Qian, seasoned and knowledgeable, was also awed by the grandeur of the altar before us, but Yue Leiting scanned the surroundings and found nothing to his liking.

The stone statues lining the passage were lifelike, piquing Yue Leiting’s interest, who tapped them with his finger.

“Huo Qian, come take a look—are these stone figures worth anything?”

Huo Qian examined them for a while and nodded. “Each has a unique expression, so vivid, and although these statues must be centuries old, they’re still in pristine condition. The artistic value is remarkable.”

“Who gives a damn about artistic value? Just tell me—how much are they worth?”

Huo Qian shook his head, smiling wryly. “After all, they’re just stone. Their worth is only artistic. If you want a price, collectors would say they’re priceless, but if they were yours, you’d probably complain about them taking up space.”

“So all that talk means they’re not worth anything.” Yue Leiting sighed.

“Leiting, come look at these two things,” I said without turning.

When he finally walked over and saw the golden dragon-tortoise on the disk, Yue Leiting’s eyes shone brighter than the gold itself.

“Heaven rewards the diligent! What a beautiful find—ha! Selling this chunk of gold will never be a loss.”

Huo Qian spotted the book wrapped in oilpaper nearby and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Leiting, I imagine this is the book Mr. Huang has been searching for. At last, we have something to show for it.”

Yue Leiting didn’t even glance at it, still elated as he stared at the golden dragon-tortoise.

“People with too much money and too little sense—going to all this effort just for some old book. Get Liu Hao to send it to Su Lengyue, and from now on, I never want anything more to do with this Mr. Huang.”

I hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, telling Yue Leiting, “You can’t give this book to Mr. Huang.”

Yue Leiting raised his head in bewilderment. “Not give it? What good is keeping an old book? Besides, we can’t afford to cross Mr. Huang. Better to hand it over and be done.”

“Huiyan, Leiting accepted Mr. Huang’s money. As the saying goes, ‘Take a man’s money, solve his troubles.’ If we don’t deliver, it’ll be hard to explain.” Huo Qian added.

“Exactly, brother. Didn’t you say the other day that he sent ginseng as well? Ginseng is for prolonging life, and Mr. Huang is ruthless.” Xiao Lianshan chimed in.

“Mr. Huang only asked to open this place. No one knows what’s inside. Everyone who entered the altar is under Leiting’s command. If Leiting says there’s nothing inside, how would Mr. Huang ever find out?” I said earnestly.

Yue Leiting knew I wasn’t greedy, and was surprised to hear me say such a thing, realizing this was no simple matter.

“So… is there something special about this book?”

I walked over to the statue of Yuan Chonghuan and stood under it for a moment, then nodded silently. Glancing at the men standing behind Yue Leiting, he caught my meaning and ordered them to leave the altar, retracing their steps out.

“I don’t know if this is true, but if it is, this book is worth a fortune,” I whispered, seeing no one else remained at the altar.

Hearing the words “worth a fortune,” Yue Leiting hurried over to study the yellowed ancient book, finding nothing remarkable, and turned to Huo Qian.

“You’re widely read—ever heard of this book?”

“‘The Mysterious Strategies of Luo Xuan?’” Huo Qian thought for a moment and shook his head. “I don’t know much about ancient books. I’ve never heard it mentioned.”

“My family’s elder keeps a hidden library, with books covering everything from astronomy to geography, and in it there’s a story worth telling,” I said calmly.

“Brother, what story? Tell us.”

“After the Ming Dynasty moved its capital to the imperial city, in the northwestern suburbs of Changping at the foot of Yan Mountain, construction of the Changling mausoleum began in the seventh year of Yongle, and ended with the last emperor, Chongzhen, buried in Siling. Over 230 years, thirteen emperor tombs, seven consort tombs, and one eunuch tomb were built.” I explained.

“I know this. You’re talking about the Thirteen Ming Tombs. But what does that have to do with the book?” Huo Qian asked in surprise.

“There’s actually another tomb not recorded in history!”

“Another one?!” Yue Leiting and Huo Qian exchanged bewildered glances.

“The Fourteenth Ming Tomb,” I said.

“The Fourteenth Ming Tomb?!” Huo Qian was puzzled. “Isn’t it the Thirteen Ming Tombs? I’ve never heard of a fourteenth.”

“Huiyan, are you mistaken? The Thirteen Ming Tombs are in the capital—I went there not long ago. How could there be a fourteenth?” Yue Leiting insisted.

“Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew the Yuan to establish Ming, founding two centuries of rule, with Liu Bowen as his chief strategist. Liu Bowen was versed in astronomy and divination. It’s said that one day, as Zhu Yuanzhang was eating a sesame cake, the eunuch announced Liu Bowen’s arrival. Zhu Yuanzhang covered his half-eaten cake with a golden dish and asked Liu Bowen what was beneath it. Liu Bowen divined and answered: ‘Half like the sun, half like the moon—it must be a golden dragon biting a chunk.’ Zhu Yuanzhang was impressed, and so had Liu Bowen predict the changes in history for the next five hundred years.” I explained.

“That’s the famous ‘Song of the Sesame Cake,’” Huo Qian smiled.

“Actually, no. If Liu Bowen could truly foresee five hundred years, Ming would never have fallen.” I shook my head.

“Brother, hurry and tell us—what was it?”

“Zhu Yuanzhang worried his dynasty would eventually collapse like previous ones, so he asked Liu Bowen to predict why Ming would fall.” I continued, “Liu Bowen pointed at the missing piece of cake and replied: ‘A cake with a missing piece, the moon waxes and wanes—this refers to the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang used a golden dish to cover it, dimming the sun and moon, so Ming will fall because of gold!’”

“Ming falls because of gold! The Jurchen chieftain Nurhaci established Later Jin, later renamed Qing. The Qing invaded and overthrew Ming. Liu Bowen’s prediction was spot on.” Huo Qian marveled.

“Zhu Yuanzhang then asked the cause of the fall. Liu Bowen replied: ‘Gold above, missing below—Ming will fall for lack of money!’”

“Exactly. By the end, the Ming treasury was empty, causing inflation and economic depression. During Chongzhen’s reign, there were years of drought, constant attacks from the Qing, and not enough silver. Court intrigue sealed the dynasty’s fate.” Huo Qian nodded in admiration.

I nodded calmly. “Zhu Yuanzhang, foreseeing danger, ordered Liu Bowen to find a secret place, move vast treasures there, and decreed that every emperor must send a fifth of the treasury there annually, to be kept hidden for emergencies. The location was known only to the reigning emperor and passed on only upon his death.”

“Every year… a fifth of the treasury…” Even the usually composed Huo Qian was stunned. “Ming lasted 276 years… My God!”

“Goodness… Huo Qian, you’re smart, calculate how much treasure must be buried there?” Yue Leiting was dazed.

“As wealthy as a nation!” Huo Qian answered without hesitation.

“This treasure is the Fourteenth Ming Tomb,” I said quietly.

“Huiyan, what does this Fourteenth Ming Tomb have to do with the book?” Yue Leiting finally understood the value of the unremarkable ancient book before him.

“Brother, that can’t be right. Huo Qian said Ming fell because it ran out of money. If there was such a huge treasure, why didn’t they dig it up and use it? How did the Qing still conquer them?”

I smiled lightly and took a deep breath. “The fate of a nation is predetermined. Even if Liu Bowen foresaw the future, destiny cannot be changed. Zhu Yuanzhang’s attempt to alter it was mere wishful thinking.”

“Huiyan, what happened to the treasure then?” Yue Leiting asked anxiously.

“After Liu Bowen found the burial site, he knew Zhu Yuanzhang’s suspicious nature. Having knowledge of the dynasty’s survival secret, Zhu Yuanzhang could never let him go. Liu Bowen resigned, but Zhu Yuanzhang couldn’t trust an outsider with such knowledge. When Liu Bowen was ill, Zhu Yuanzhang sent his rival Hu Weiyong to visit. Everyone knew Hu’s intentions. To prove loyalty, Liu Bowen drank medicine Hu brought, worsened, and died.”

“So Zhu Yuanzhang killed Liu Bowen to silence him.” Huo Qian nodded in sudden understanding.

“There are countless stories of loyal ministers being executed throughout Ming history. Each had various charges, but the real reason was always the same.”

“Brother, I know this too. Every year, transporting the treasure required trusted people. The soldiers responsible would be killed on site. When the emperor neared death, he’d kill the person who knew the secret.”

“Haha, you’re finally catching on,” I laughed.

Huo Qian, who had been excited, now regained his composure.

“Huiyan, if the secret was passed from emperor to emperor upon death, then with Chongzhen, Ming ended. He hanged himself on Coal Hill. So the treasure’s secret died with him.”

“Damn it, so after all that, it’s useless. No one knows where the treasure is.” Yue Leiting looked dejected.

“Not necessarily—someone else knows the secret!”