Al-Hatu ordered his soldiers to set up camp on the spot. Fires were already lit, and the cooks responsible for preparing meals for the entire army began their work. Pots, water, and seasonings were all carried with them. The food consisted of dry rations and dried meat or braised and marinated meat.
Fourth Master looked at the two people hanging from the tree trunk and saw that their eyes were tightly closed, and they looked like they were in great pain. Cui Da and Cui Er also looked around at the people hanging there.
"Did you notice? If they were just ordinary guards, they definitely wouldn't have such good stamina. They led us around in these mountains all day without eating anything, and they could still withstand being hoisted like this. Their martial arts skills are definitely not ordinary," Fourth Master said.
Cui Da and Cui Er stared blankly at the two people who were hanging up, but they had their eyes closed and were no longer begging for mercy. No matter what Fourth Master said, they ignored him.
Seeing that he couldn't provoke him, Fourth Master had no choice but to give up for the time being. He carried a torch to a relatively open area and looked at the surrounding terrain and the moon and stars in the sky.
Seeing that Fourth Master seemed to be looking for something, Thirteen went over and looked in the direction he was looking from behind, but he couldn't see anything.
"Fourth Brother, what are you looking at? I've been looking in the same direction for ages, but I still can't figure out what you're looking at," Thirteen asked, puzzled, unable to understand what Fourth Master was looking at.
“It’s all about feng shui. Only kings and generals could afford to build such grand tombs. Something that would make Lord Su go to such lengths to find so many people to excavate couldn’t possibly be just the tomb of an ordinary wealthy family. It must be a grand tomb, perhaps of exceptionally high rank, to have chosen such a location. When I was researching the local county records, I discovered that this area dates back to the Three Kingdoms period. One of the youngest sons of the King of Wu might be buried here. He died before reaching adulthood, and the King of Wu was deeply saddened, posthumously bestowing upon him the title of King of Liu. The tomb of King Liu of Wu is located in these mountains,” Fourth Master said.
"Fourth Brother, are you saying that Su Fusheng is looking for the tomb of this King Wu Liu?" Thirteen asked.
"I don't know. Maybe. Even if what those two people said is true, we can't be sure they're looking for the tomb of that King Liu. After all, it's been over a thousand years, who knows where King Liu's tomb is? Besides King Liu, the county annals also record that some slightly famous scholars, military officers, and civil officials are buried in these mountains, but their ranks can't compare to King Liu's. If Su Fusheng really did conscript men to dig up this tomb, then it's very likely this one, otherwise there's no point in him making such a big fuss," Fourth Master said.
"If you ask me, we should suggest to Father Emperor that no one be allowed to dig up other people's graves at will. Those things left behind by the previous dynasty should belong to the imperial court. How can we allow these local officials to dig them up and steal them at will, and then treat these paintings, calligraphy and inscriptions as rare treasures?" Thirteen said.
"These people dig up these antiques mostly to give as gifts, to superiors who control their careers or to powerful officials or relatives of the emperor," Fourth Master said. "Ninth Brother has all sorts of antiques. Think about it, where did he get them? Did he buy them all?"
"Yes, it's said that the Ninth Prince's mansion has countless antiques and paintings. Hmph, most of them were probably gifts from others," Thirteen said.
Fourth Master nodded and said, "Ninth Prince has never had any real power. Although his maternal clan, the Guoluo clan, has inherited the title of Duke for generations, only one or two people control the military in Liaodong. They have no say in the promotion of officials. So why are so many people flocking to him?"
Thirteen looked at Fourth Master and gradually understood the meaning behind his words. He said, "It's a feint. On the surface, those people are being given to Ninth Master, but in reality, they're being given to the people behind him."
The Fourth Prince laughed and said, "Isn't someone always called a wise prince? Since he's a wise prince, he can't possibly accept gifts from others without permission, otherwise it would give others something to criticize. The Ninth Prince has been using his private assets to run shops in the capital and Nanjing. Father Emperor just turns a blind eye to his behavior, since he won't give him any important positions anyway, as long as he doesn't do anything to disgrace the royal family. However, the Ninth Prince's business dealings have provided him with a good cover. Those people who give him gifts also have a cover."
Thirteen looked at Fourth Master with sudden realization, and after a long while said, "I never thought that Ninth Master, who usually seems so carefree and womanizing, would have such an effect on his actions."
Fourth Master nodded before saying, "Has your father-in-law given any response? I also suspect that Ninth Master is behind the matter in Hubei."
Thirteen said, "I haven't received a reply from my father-in-law yet. But given his relationship with them, I believe it shouldn't be a problem."
Just then, someone came over and announced that dinner was ready. Fourth Master patted Thirteen on the shoulder and said, "Come on, after we eat, I have something to tell you to do."
Fourth Master, Thirteenth Master, and Alhatu still cooked with everyone else, instead of having a special meal prepared separately. They all ate the stew served in iron pots around the fire with great relish. Seeing that Fourth Master could eat such food, Cui Da and Cui Er couldn't help but recall the first time they ate with him at the same table in the villa. Back then, Fourth Master was so unapproachable. They never imagined they would have the opportunity to live and work with him on the march.
After finishing their meal, Cui Da and Cui Er busied themselves helping Fourth Master and Thirteenth Master set up their tents. Fourth Master then pulled Thirteenth Master a long way away, and the two talked under the moonlight, but no one could hear what they were saying.
As night deepened, Fourth Master, Thirteenth Master, and the others began to lie down in their tents to rest. The two people hanging from the tree remained there, silent and lifeless, as if they were dead.
Arhatu originally wanted to send people to guard them in shifts, but Fourth Master stopped him, saying that they were already in such a state that it was impossible for them to escape.
Fourth Master lay in his tent, pondering the events of the past few days. He knew those two were far more complex than they claimed. If they couldn't find the treasure-hunting spot they spoke of by tomorrow, he'd have to torture them severely. Were the corpses in Dead Man's Gully truly injured by traps in the ancient tomb? But why were their joints also red? If they were merely injured by hidden weapons, were they also poisoned, hence the redness of their joints?
With these questions in mind, Fourth Master had some trouble falling asleep. Perhaps it was because he had been sleeping in the mountains for days and was not used to it. He hardly slept a full night.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com