Chapter 681: Dug Through?

Everyone looked around, all feeling a bit reluctant.

Even Xiao Feifei was wandering about, sniffing here and there.

Xiao Ningyuan said, "We can discard the crude stuff; just take the former‑dynasty secret manual left by the National Preceptor and His Majesty's jade seal."

"Also the rabbit that Weng Weng made for me!" Tuan Tuan shouted.

Eunuch Cheng hurried to fetch it, "Don't worry, Little Princess, the old servant will hold it for you."

Xiao Ran looked at the food brought back from the imperial kitchen last night with a regretful face, "What a pity."

Chen Hao smiled.

"Wait!" Feng Zhou shouted suddenly.

Everyone stopped and all turned to look at him.

Feng Zhou, as if unaware, lifted his head and looked upward, "If an ordinary residence is excavated, one would see a layer of broken stones and rubble mixed with shattered bricks and pottery shards."

"Those were the waste materials used for backfilling when it was built."

"Experienced craftsmen, upon seeing that, would think there is nothing further below."

"If they are still not satisfied and keep digging, they should encounter compacted yellow earth, uniformly colored and solidified."

"Once they reach this layer, even an inexperienced person can understand that nothing lies beneath, so they will naturally stop."

"Bookworm!" Xiao Ran snapped, "Now there's no time to listen to your civil‑engineering lecture. Let's go!"

Xiao Ningyuan, however, felt a spark in his heart—Feng Zhou was the Ministry of Works prodigy!

"Feng Zhou, did something occur to you?"

Feng Zhou came to his senses and looked at Tuan Tuan, "Alliance Leader, could you lay a layer of compacted yellow earth over our secret chamber, then add a layer of backfill waste on top?"

"That way, they won't dig further, and we won't have to hide in the secret passage."

"You mean," Tuan Tuan blinked, barely understanding, "lay a layer of yellow earth over the secret chamber, then a layer of junk on top of the earth?"

"Junk?" Feng Zhou was startled, waving his hand, "No, no, no—not ordinary junk, but the broken stones, cracked tiles, wood scraps, and such that were discarded when this house was built."

Tuan Tuan nodded, "Sure!"

Everyone's face lit up with joy.

Tuan Tuan lowered her head, rummaged in the small embroidered pouch at her waist, pulled out a tiny stone, and was about to speak.

"Wait!" Xiao Ningyuan called out to her, looking at Feng Zhou, "Shouldn't we cover the entire Guoshi Residence?"

"If only the secret chamber is covered, it would be too conspicuous, like the old tale of the three hundred silver hidden."

"Exactly!" Feng Zhou slapped his forehead, "My brain!"

"Eldest Son is right! We must cover the whole Guoshi Residence."

"Oh." Tuan Tuan nodded, "Very thick, then?"

Feng Zhou thought about how to explain to the Alliance Leader, then gave up, "Yes, very thick."

"Alright! For the ground of the Guoshi Residence…"

Feng Zhou heard, "It's underground! Alliance Leader, not above ground."

"Oh, underground, lay a thick layer of yellow earth, then pile on plenty of the junk from building the house!"

Having finished, Tuan Tuan relaxed her hand and the tiny stone fell.

A faint glimmer flashed, and the stone vanished.

Feng Zhou helplessly pressed his forehead, "Alliance Leader, why are you always thinking of junk?"

Tuan Tuan patted her hand, "Alright!"

Everyone instantly relaxed, sitting down to sip tea and chat.

On the ground, iron spade heads clanged against broken stones, creating a huge racket and clouds of dust.

The carriage was parked nearby, its curtains hanging low.

Qing Wang leaned on the carriage's cushion, covered his nose, and lifted the tea cup on the small table, "Minister Meng."

"Here I am!"

Minister Meng, who was standing beside the carriage with his hand lowered, hurriedly replied, "Your Highness, what orders?"

"Are you familiar with the Guoshi Residence?"

"Yes, Your Highness." Minister Meng quickly pulled a booklet from his bosom, held it to the carriage window, "According to old Ministry of Works records, the Guoshi Residence's ground is paved with fine blue bricks."

"Beneath the bricks… three chi thick compacted earth." He opened the booklet, reading as he spoke, "Below the compacted earth is a five chi thick backfill layer, composed of the broken bricks and rubble left from the original construction."

"What lies further down?" Qing Wang asked.

Minister Meng shook his head, "Nothing further below."

"The booklet clearly records that beneath the backfill layer is the native soil."

Qing Wang was silent for a moment, "How long will it take to dig through?"

Minister Meng glanced at the over a hundred Imperial Guard, counted on his fingers, "The compacted earth above the backfill layer can be dug through in about half a day."

"Make them hurry!"

"Yes."

The sun gradually shifted westward as the Imperial Guard sweated profusely, iron spades flailed, and broken bricks and rubble were carted away in baskets.

"Ding—"

A crisp sound rang as an Imperial Guard's iron spade struck something hard.

He crouched, brushed aside the loose soil, revealing a jagged broken brick.

He shouted, "Found it! There's something here!"

Inside the carriage, Qing Wang sat up abruptly and flung the curtain aside, "Go take a look."

Minister Meng jogged over, crouched, picked up the broken brick to weigh it, then brushed aside the surrounding soil to examine.

Broken bricks, tiles, lime slag… mixed into a clump, mottled with variegated colors.

He stood up, brushed the dust from his hands, turned, and hurried back to the carriage.

"Your Highness, we've reached the backfill layer."

Qing Wang's brows knit: "Didn't we find the secret chamber?"

Chief Meng hesitated: "Your Highness, if there truly is a secret chamber underground, it should be above the backfill layer."

Qing Wang's voice deepened: "Dig further."

Chief Meng shouted toward the Imperial Guard: "Keep digging!"

The iron spade head struck again, and the broken bricks and rubble quickly piled into a small hill.

Dusk deepened, and lanterns and torches lit up one after another.

Qing Wang yawned; he had drunk too much wine yesterday, and his body still felt weary.

"How much longer until we break through?"

Chief Meng's legs were already sore and weak: "Your Highness, if we keep going nonstop, it will take about a day's work."

Qing Wang nodded: "Stay here and watch, be careful!"

"I'll return to the mansion first; once we break through, send someone quickly to report."

"Understood."

The next evening, Qing Wang was idle in the mansion and ordered a Guard: "Go to the Guoshi Residence and take a look; why hasn't the digging finished?"

"Yes!"

Soon after, the Guard returned: "Your Highness! They're still digging; Chief Meng said they haven't stopped at all."

Qing Wang frowned: "Why so slow!"

Never mind, they should be able to break through by tomorrow.

Two days slipped by, and at dusk, Chief Meng, dirt covering his body and face, swayed his limbs, his steps light, and walked into Prince Ning's Mansion.

Qing Wang rejoiced: "Did we break through? Have we found the secret chamber?"