Chapter Ninety-Six: The Imperial Mausoleum

The items displayed inside the semicircular main hall perfectly matched those I had mentioned in my story, leaving everyone present speechless with astonishment.

Suddenly, I broke into a gleeful smile and said to Yue Qianling, “Weren’t you asking me to conjure up an emperor for you? Well, here he is!”

“Wha... where?” Yue Qianling asked in surprise.

I turned around and pointed to the sealed main chamber of the tomb with a grin. “He’s buried right inside!”

“Who is buried in the main chamber?” she inquired.

“The Benevolent Ancestor Emperor Chun of the Ming Dynasty and his Empress,” I answered solemnly.

“The Benevolent Ancestor Emperor...” Qiuno was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed in shock, “Yanhui, are you saying the main chamber holds the parents of Zhu Yuanzhang?”

“That’s impossible!” Before Qiuno could finish, Yue Qianling flatly denied it. “The imperial tomb of Zhu Yuanzhang’s parents is in Fengyang County under Chuzhou’s jurisdiction, which is also the birthplace and origin of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The tomb is located fifteen miles southwest of the city.”

Yue Qianling rattled off these details confidently, but her voice faltered halfway through as she and Qiuno stared wide-eyed at the main chamber door, which Liu Hao and I had just pried open together.

Inside rested two lacquered golden coffins, each adorned with carved dragons and phoenixes, eight inches thick, lying silently.

What caught our eyes were the spirit tablets in front of the coffins, now nearly decayed and faded, yet the inscriptions remained clear:

“The Seat of the Benevolent Ancestor Emperor Chun of the Ming Dynasty” and “The Seat of the Benevolent Ancestor Empress Chun of the Ming Dynasty.”

“How... how is this possible?” Yue Qianling stared in disbelief at the tablets. “Why would Zhu Yuanzhang’s parents be buried here?”

“I told you before, this is the Dragon’s true lair. When ancestors are buried here, future generations are destined to produce an emperor.” I was not surprised at all; I had known this from the moment I entered. “Among all emperors in history, Zhu Yuanzhang’s status was the humblest. Even Liu Bang was at least a local official. A beggar rising to the throne—do you really think his luck was that extraordinary?”

“But you said Zhu Yuanzhang was a beggar; how did he know this was the Dragon’s lair?”

“Don’t forget, he had Liu Bowen by his side. The expert I mentioned earlier was none other than Liu Bowen!” I calmly walked back into the hall, looking at the displayed items. “All these things are connected to Zhu Yuanzhang’s fate, revealed through metaphysics and mysticism. The most important treasure in the Ming Tombs is also related to such esoteric knowledge, so leaving clues here is not surprising.”

I paused, my gaze settling on the last piece—a white jade block resembling tofu. Yue Qianling seemed captivated by my story.

“Of course, that white jade block has its own legend. Tell me about it,” she urged.

“I know these items aren’t merely from the legends I just told you,” I answered calmly. “Records say that in the second year of the Hongwu era, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the silver bureau to craft five extraordinary ritual items, including cinnabar soil mounds, coral-red sorghum, a golden shoulder pole, and a jadeite red carp. These must have been used in this very place.”

“Yanhui, you only named four. What about this white jade block?” Yue Leiting asked eagerly.

“The white jade block isn’t just a simple piece of jade tofu. According to the burial records, the hollowed-out white jade tofu rests atop a nine-kirin auspicious plate. This plate is formed by nine qilin linked head to tail, their heads turned inward. The whiskers of the nine qilin form a stand, holding the white jade tofu in the center. Each qilin holds a luminous pearl in its mouth, which at night glows brilliantly when all other lights are extinguished. The jade tofu shines pure white and crystal clear, radiating a mesmerizing light, a treasure of unparalleled rarity.”

“But even if we know the origins of these items, what connection do they have to the Ming Tombs?” Qiuno looked at me puzzled.

“Every item here has metaphysical significance, and this white jade tofu is no exception. Once you hear the story, you’ll understand,” I smiled.

Yue Qianling seemed deeply interested and urged me to continue.

Zhu Yuanzhang’s mother became pregnant with the True Dragon after consuming a carp’s head from the Salt Pond on the Jiazi day. The Yuan dynasty’s strategist predicted that a True Dragon Emperor would arise and had already calculated that the child was in gestation. However, his mother couldn’t access the soil from the Emperor’s Mountain, and without it, she would face a difficult labor and possibly die. To prevent this, the Yuan emperor stationed troops at the Emperor’s Mountain to restrict access.

As Zhu Yuanzhang’s mother approached childbirth, his father sold tofu nearby. One day, while carrying his tofu stand beneath the Emperor’s Mountain, soldiers gathered to buy from him. Accidentally, the stand was knocked over, and the tofu fell to the ground—luckily, it landed on the very soil needed for a smooth delivery.

Feeling guilty about the accident, the soldiers allowed Zhu Yuanzhang’s father to collect the tofu that had touched the soil and take it home. After his mother ate it, she gave birth to Zhu Yuanzhang without incident.

“No tofu touched by the Emperor’s Mountain soil, no Zhu Yuanzhang entering the world!” Qiuno said excitedly. “And the Ming Tombs are the lifeblood of the Ming Dynasty, just as important as Zhu Yuanzhang’s own life, so...”

I smiled faintly and nodded calmly.

“So the secret of the Ming Tombs is hidden inside this white jade tofu!”

Hearing this, Yue Leiting grinned broadly and raised his head with determination.

“Liu Hao, you and the people upstairs stay here. Clean up the items in this tomb and transport them all back. Now that we have the clue, we’re one step closer to the treasure.”

Liu Hao was about to nod and head back to the surface to carry out the orders when Yue Qianling blocked the path at the entrance to the sacred way.

“Dad, you’re not planning to rob the tomb, are you?”

“Of course I am! This is how I make a living. Didn’t you hear Yanhui? Any one of these items alone could sustain us for life.”

“Dad! These are cultural relics, vital for studying Ming history. Selling them is a serious crime. If Mom finds out, she won’t forgive you,” Yue Qianling protested stubbornly.

“Little ancestor, I have a hundred and eighty men waiting below for their meal. You’re being noble; I have to be responsible for my brothers.” Yue Leiting always found it hard to deal with Yue Qianling but after some thought, he chuckled. “How about this: I’ll take a few items casually, then you report it. That way, I don’t return empty-handed, and you have a major discovery. We both get what we want. What do you think?”

“No way! Not a single piece can be taken!” Yue Qianling shook her head firmly.

Yue Leiting scratched his head helplessly and gasped, “I must have owed you in a past life. Anyone else, I’d have buried you in there by now. Report, report, report—do whatever you want. Just act like I never came.”

Yue Qianling smiled sweetly, linking arms with Yue Leiting. “How could I let you come all this way for nothing? Don’t worry, when I report this to the archaeology institute, I’ll say you discovered it by chance. Reporting national relics brings a reward—even if small, it’s something.”

“Don’t, little ancestor. You do as you please, but don’t say I found it. I, Yue Leiting, can’t afford that reputation. If the underworld hears I reported an archaeological find, those bastards will laugh their teeth out.”

I suddenly stepped beside Yue Leiting and said seriously, “This tomb cannot be robbed, nor can it be reported.”

“Why not?” Yue Qianling asked.

“This is the Dragon’s true lair, a rare and extraordinary feng shui site. Robbing it would destroy the feng shui, and whoever destroys the Dragon’s lair brings disaster upon future generations.” I turned to Yue Qianling. “This place is intricately linked to the Ming Tombs. If you report it, this tomb will be exposed to the world. Those coveting the Ming Tombs will catch wind of it, and it will only bring us trouble.”

Yue Leiting nodded in agreement.

“Liu Hao, as Yanhui says, restore the tomb exactly as it is. Tell everyone here that if anyone leaks a word of this, I, Yue Leiting, will personally send them a funeral wreath!”

Exiting the tomb, Yue Qianling kept glancing back. Following Yue Leiting’s orders, the lifted bluestone slabs were replaced. This imperial tomb, buried for centuries without a single historical record, was once again sealed beneath the earth.

If this archaeological discovery were made public, it would surely cause a seismic shock in the archaeological community and revolutionize the understanding of Ming history. Yet, this secret would likely remain buried for many more years.

Noticing the regret on Yue Qianling’s face, I smiled as I approached her.

“Many things don’t go as one wishes. Since it’s a secret, it’s best kept for now. At least we’re one step closer to the Ming Tombs. Don’t worry—the day the Ming Tombs are opened, everyone will know you were the first to discover them.”