Chapter 335: The Grave-Robbing Family with a Century of Heritage

Outside the window, the lights were blinding; a heavy truck rumbled as it rolled over a mud pit.

Not a drop of blood remained on the old, wrinkled face, and a look of terror flickered in the eyes.

Bead after bead of sweat trickled down the cheeks, dripping onto the collar.

Opposite him, Lin Sicheng looked up at the roof of the vehicle, as if lost in thought.

A group of Police officers looked at each other, and Yan Wenjing was so anxious he was practically burning up.

Anyone with a bit of experience knew that the suspect opposite was already on the verge of a breakdown. If they just applied a little more pressure, he would spill everything—what he should say and what he shouldn't.

But Lin Sicheng? He was just zoning out?

Yan Wenjing couldn't help it and gave a wink, but Lin Sicheng's soul seemed to have wandered off; he remained unmoved.

He gritted his teeth, preparing to cough, but just as he opened his mouth, a cold snort came through the headset: "Shut your mouth, you bastard, and just sit there and stay put!"

Yan Wenjing lowered his head, feeling sheepish.

Inside the command vehicle, Yu Guang put down the walkie-talkie and stared at the monitor: "Idiots!"

The two Captains of the Special Duty Team didn't speak, merely exchanging a glance.

Relatively speaking, Yan Wenjing still lacked seasoning and was somewhat deficient in experience.

This was an old pro who had been in and out of jail three times; his psychological fortitude and ability to withstand pressure were far from ordinary. You might think he was about to crack, but in reality, you had only broken through the first line of psychological defense. There were two, or perhaps three or four more behind it.

Just like Ma Shan—every time it seemed like he was about to collapse and confess, but in the end, did he ever confess?

To deal with such a stubborn individual with extensive anti-interrogation experience, one had to employ strategy and technique. Just like Lin Sicheng now: he appeared to be zoning out, but he was actually searching for the vital point. At the same time, he was giving this old pro enough time to do the math.

After nearly ten minutes of silence, Lin Sicheng suddenly spoke: "Yang Laoda, have you calculated it clearly? How many years for grave robbing the Grand Princess Tomb?"

The old man jolted, glanced at him, and lowered his head again.

To catch a thief, you need the stolen goods; to catch an adulterer, you need the pair. Since the other party had stated the location, the tomb owner, and the grade so clearly, he couldn't deny it even if he wanted to.

It would be at least twenty years, or perhaps life imprisonment. But he was already over fifty; twenty years and life were no different.

Just as he was thinking this, Lin Sicheng asked out of the blue: "Have you ever had blood on your hands?"

The old man was stunned, a flash of disdain crossing his eyes: If I had human lives on my hands, would I still be here chewing the fat with you?

"Looks like you haven't, that makes things easier..." Lin Sicheng counted on his fingers, "I suppose you and your apprentice only reached the golden well and just broke through the Golden Roof. There must be traps in the tomb, so you didn't dare to rashly enter the pit. Strictly speaking, you haven't caused any substantial damage; three years at most..."

"You were released from prison five years ago, but for five years, you've only driven a beat-up minivan and smoked five-yuan Baisha cigarettes. Your wife is still farming in the Xie, and just last year you spent two hundred thousand to buy an old, dilapidated small apartment in the city for your son, and you even had to borrow the bride price from relatives... Yang Laoda, you aren't doing so well, are you?"

Hearing the first half, the old man was shocked: They hadn't even seen the tomb yet, how did he know they had only just broken the Golden Roof?

But that wasn't right.

Digging up a Princess Tomb and only getting three years? Was this damn cop trying to fool him?

Afterwards, he curled his lip: It was true he wasn't doing well, but could he be blamed for that?

In the first two years after he got out, at most every two months, the local Police Station would come to his home to interrogate him: Where had he been during this time, had he committed any more crimes, had he been in contact with former accomplices?

Damn it, he wanted to get rich, but did he even have the time to commit a crime?

"Yang Laoda, don't glare at me, this is a good thing: it shows you haven't committed many crimes in these five years, otherwise you wouldn't be in such a difficult spot. Let's add a bit more for you: add another five years..."

Lin Sicheng smiled: "That adds up to only eight years. Yang Laoda, have you ever heard of a felon sentenced to over ten years in the first trial who only got two or three years in the end because of significant meritorious service before the second trial?"

The old man didn't make a sound, his two eyeballs rolling around: Was this cop trying to get him to inform?

He had indeed seen cases where a sentence was reduced by several years, and more than one. But the problem was, he might be off the hook, but what about his wife and kids?

Just as he was thinking this, Lin Sicheng asked out of the blue: "You're afraid of the boss's retaliation, right? The boss's surname is Qi?"

The old man was slightly startled, a look of confusion appearing on his face.

Not Qi Song?

Impossible: it was through the line of Qi Song that they had tracked down Jinlu Zhai. And before arriving in Zhangjiakou, during one phone call, the old man had put it on speaker, and it was Qi Song's voice.

Lin Sicheng turned the thought over, a sudden idea occurring to him: Qi Song, Song Chun?

Could this Qi Song have reversed his name to Song Qi?

"Not surnamed Qi, then surnamed Song?"

The old man's pupils constricted slightly.

Did he guess right?

Qi Song was surnamed Song, and Song Chun was also surnamed Song.

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Captain Yan, Qi Song and the second target might be relatives of the same clan. Check it out, see if his name is actually Song Qi, or perhaps Song Qi, just follow this homophone to investigate..."

The group of Police officers finally reacted: the name Song Chun was of course fake, but the surname "Song" was very likely real.

At first glance, it seemed useless; if Qi Song wasn't named Song Qi, they still wouldn't be able to find out what Song Chun's real name was.

But for the Police, this was a watershed: it could narrow the probability from over a billion down to one in a million.

There were nearly ten million people surnamed Song in the country, half of whom were women, so that was five million. Combining this with age, occupation, place of origin, and address, it could even be narrowed down to one in several tens of thousands or one in several thousands.

Yan Wenjing nodded, meaning the leader had received the message.

Lin Sicheng continued to ask: "And you, Yang Laoda, who are you related to? Dan Hua, Li Jilin, or perhaps Li Yao?"

In an instant, the old man's forehead, which had only been dry for a few seconds, began to sweat again.

Seeing this, Lin Sicheng reached out his hand, and Yan Wenjing understood instantly, handing over another Folder.

He opened it, and the first photo was of Qi Song.

"This is your boss!"

Lin Sicheng flipped to the back: "This is Ren Danhua, formerly named Dan Hua. This is Yu Jichuan, formerly named Li Jilin. His younger sister Yu Jiyao, formerly named Li Yao; these three are all from Tangshan... Come, Yang Laoda, point it out: which one is your relative?"

The old man stared, his eyes looking as if they were about to pop out.

At first, he thought he was just helping the boss transport goods and had been caught red-handed by the Police.

Later, he realized that the matter of the Princess Tomb had been exposed, and this time he was truly finished.

Just as he was pondering that he probably wouldn't be getting out this time, this kid had suddenly produced photos of the boss?

Even those who are in cahoots with the boss and those connected to him personally, all have photos.

And even, knowing what their real names are...

"It doesn't matter if you don't point them out; we can just ask the local Police and find out."

Lin Sicheng flipped the page again: "Come on, take another look. This is your big boss, right?"

This one is a photo of Song Chun.

Glancing at it, the old man trembled all over.

Huh, he really knows him?

Lin Sicheng's heart stirred, and he flipped to the next one: this was a photo of Ma Shan: head shaved, wearing handcuffs and leg shackles.

"How about this one, do you recognize him too?"

Before the words had even faded, the old man's pupils dilated sharply.

He looked at the photo, then at Lin Sicheng, with an expression as if he had seen a ghost.

Good heavens, you know this guy too?

This old man isn't high-ranking, but he knows quite a lot: take Sheng Qingfeng of Jinlu Zhai, for instance; he should be at the same level as him, but other than Qi Song, he doesn't even know Ren Danhua.

The question is, why was he even more surprised when he saw Ma Shan than when he saw Song Chun, and even, felt a bit of relief?

Lin Sicheng's mind raced.

"Ma Shan is inside, what are you relieved about? Oh, there must be a grudge..."

"But Song Chun and Qi Song's subordinates all know Ma Shan is inside, including Ren Danhua, Yu Jichuan, Yu Jiyao, and even Sheng Qingfeng. You're the only one who doesn't?"

"I get it: you might have joined Song Chun after falling out with Ma Shan, or perhaps you were Ma Shan's subordinate before; after Ma Shan and Song Chun had a falling out, you were poached by Song Chun."

Regardless of which one it is, Ma Shan hates you enough to want you dead and would definitely want revenge. So seeing him inside, you finally felt relieved.

But maybe your skills aren't up to par, or maybe they suspected you were a mole for Ma Shan, so neither Song Chun nor Qi Song ever really trusted you! That's also why you've been doing so poorly."

Pausing for a moment, Lin Sicheng sighed: "That Princess Tomb, you must have dug it on the sly, right? Qi Song only knew you were looking for a tomb in the desert, but he didn't know that you not only found a tomb, but a Princess Tomb. He also didn't know you had already opened the pit and broken the top. Otherwise, there's no way he would have called you from so far away to transport the goods..."

You can imagine: a Gulun Eldest Princess tomb, how many good things must be inside?

Compared to that, the seventeen boxes in the van don't even count as a single hair. No matter how stupid Qi Song is, he knows which is more and which is less...

The expression on the old man's face was incredibly vivid; there was no need to read any micro-expressions, anyone could see it: How the hell do you know, and how do you know so much?

Knowing who his boss is, knowing who his boss's boss is, and even knowing that Ma Shan and the big boss were originally in cahoots?

Did Ma Shan confess?

Impossible.

If he dared to confess, dying ten times wouldn't be enough...

Just as he was in shock and doubt, with a "clap," Lin Sicheng clapped his hands: "Now this is good: unable to receive the goods, Qi Song will know you've been caught the moment it happens. By the time we get to Hunshandake and mention the Princess Tomb, how much importance will the locals place on it, and how big will the commotion be?"

If nothing goes wrong, Qi Song will definitely get wind of it, and since you've just gone inside, he'll know even with his toes that it was your Lower Out of Cage: you were the one who robbed the Princess Tomb..."

"At the same time, to secure evidence, we will definitely seal off Jinlu Zhai. Putting it all together, no matter how Qi Song looks at it, he will think that your grave-robbing case was exposed, which is why you were caught by the Police. Then, in order to earn merit, you sold him out..."

"Yang Laoda, think about it again: it would be fine if they could catch him, but what if they can't? What would he do?"

What else could he do?

First thing is to run for his life, second thing is to take revenge...

The old man shivered in anxiety: "It wasn't me who told!"

"Right, you really didn't say it!" Lin Sicheng sighed, "I know, and you know, but Qi Song doesn't know."

"Then catch him... you have photos, even the big boss's, you must know where they live, why not catch them?"

"The Police can't just catch whoever they want," Lin Sicheng spread his hands, "There has to be evidence!"

The old man was so angry he could vomit blood: Screw your mother?

Where would the evidence come from?

Of course, it has to rely on him confessing...

"Yang Laoda, I'll give you five minutes. If you can figure it out, we'll turn around. We won't go to Hunshandake, nor to Huade; we'll just wait in Zhangbei and let Qi Song send people to pick up the goods."

Don't worry, not a single one of the seventeen boxes will be missing; let him take them all, and we'll guarantee his men see that you and your apprentice are completely safe and sound..."

The old man's eye sockets were almost splitting: what do you mean no evidence? The Police are trying to cast a long line to catch a big fish...

"After picking up the goods, what if Song Qi tells me to go somewhere else?"

"Go where? To transport goods? Transporting goods is good; the more you transport, the more clues there are, and the more evidence there will be... Don't worry, Yang Laoda, you definitely won't be able to run. Of course, you won't run either. Otherwise, if you run, we'll have to catch Qi Song, and if we can't catch him, what will happen to your wife, son, daughter-in-law, and your soon-to-be-born grandchild?"

The old man gritted his teeth: "I'll fuck your mother..."

"Yang Laoda, don't curse. I'm not threatening you; the Police aren't that low. I'm just analyzing for you: what the consequences will be if we can't catch Qi Song..."

Lin Sicheng smiled, "Of course, if you don't want to go, we certainly won't force you. Just find an excuse: the car broke down, you got into an accident, you're sick, your daughter-in-law is about to give birth—there are so many ways, there's bound to be one that fits... but the premise is, you have to confess properly!"

The old man was angry and anxious, trembling all over: this isn't a policeman, this is a King of Hell...

Pausing for a moment, Lin Sicheng closed the folder, "I might as well tell you: although Ma Shan is inside, he refuses to confess. You know the reason very well: he has too many lives on his hands; just the Mu Mausoleum alone is five lives, enough to execute him ten times over..."

"So Yang Laoda, think it over carefully: what I just said isn't a lie: come clean quickly, and you'll be the one with the top merit!"

Come clean your grandfather.

The old man stared fiercely at Lin Sicheng, his expression shifting between light and shadow, his eyes flickering incessantly.

"What are you glaring at?"

Yan Wenjing was just about to make a move, but Lin Sicheng stopped him: "Team Leader Yan, let's handle this case in a civilized manner!"

As he spoke, he raised his watch and looked at the old man again: "Yang Laoda, five minutes!"

The old man glanced at the watch and gritted his teeth.

Thinking he was another die-hard like Ma Shan, Yan Wenjing clenched his fists.

Lin Sicheng patted his arm, signaling for him to get out of the car first and let the man think for himself.

A group of Police were half-doubting.

They had seen interrogations by inducement, but they had never seen one like Lin Sicheng's: no traps set, no techniques used, just telling the truth and being straightforward.

Moreover, he poured it all out at once without the slightest ambiguity: including the fact that, up to this moment, Ma Shan had not confessed a single word, which he also told the suspect.

But looking at this old veteran's posture, it felt like it hadn't had much effect?

Amidst the suspicion, the car stopped, everyone got out of the business van, and only the old man was left inside.

Suddenly, the handcuffed hands slammed against the table, and the old man cursed, "Fuck his mother."

Detachment Captain Yu beamed with joy and clapped his hands: "It's settled!"

The two people beside him nodded along.

How many years had Yan Wenjing been a Police officer, and how many old thieves had he interrogated?

To interrogate such an old veteran, ordinary methods were completely useless; you had to calculate the accounts for him and let him know what was light and what was heavy.

Like Ma Shan, it was death either way—death if he talked, and death if he didn't. If he didn't talk, at least his family could live in peace for a few days, so of course he would bite his tongue and not speak.

But for someone like this, whose own crime wasn't major, the consequences of not talking were more severe than talking, so he would naturally weigh the pros and cons: if he didn't talk, would Qi Song put this account on his head, just as that young Police officer said?

If it were really put on his head, the moment Qi Song ran away, his family would definitely be the first to suffer...

Therefore, the old man slamming the table and cursing wasn't because he wanted to be stubborn to the end, but because he was making up his mind and steeling himself: do it or not?

Of course he had to do it; if he didn't, his son and grandson would be gone. So, either don't do it, or do it thoroughly!

As long as he opened his mouth, he wouldn't let a single thing go, as long as he knew it and as long as it was related.

Even one fish that slipped through the net would be equivalent to handing the lives of his wife, children, and grandchildren over to his enemies.

Sure enough, it didn't even take five minutes, perhaps not even three, before the old man slapped the table: "Government, I'll cooperate, I'll confess..."

He even called them "Government"?

Lin Sicheng let out a breath and glanced through the car window: "Good, go to Zhangbei."

Before the words had faded, the voice of Detachment Captain Yu came over the walkie-talkie: "Turn around!"

The three cars turned on their turn signals; when they turned around and saw the familiar road sign, the old man's waist bent down bit by bit.

Like a leaking balloon, a strange sound came from his throat, as if his bones had been pulled out, and his whole person withered away: "Must catch Song Laoqi, otherwise the old man's wife and kids will be miserable..."

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Rest assured!"

Not only must they catch Song Qi, they must also catch Song Chun...

He did not get into the business van, but with his hands in the pockets of his wool cardigan, he walked toward the command vehicle at the very back.

Just as he entered the cabin, "Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap," the three Captains and five or six technical investigation officers were applauding vigorously.

Yu Guang stepped forward and reached out both hands: "Teacher Lin, thank you for your hard work!"

It was the same old routine; Lin Sicheng smiled and offered a polite remark.

The first time, he felt quite shocked and satisfied. But after many times, it just felt like that.

Lin Sicheng also had self-awareness: it wasn't that he was so amazing, but that he happened to be there at the right time and understood things a bit more comprehensively.

It wasn't that the Police weren't professional enough; as long as they kept their eyes on someone, they would dig it out sooner or later.

But the Police could afford to wait, while Lin Sicheng could not.

There was no other way, so he just had to put in more effort...

"Detachment Captain Yu, are we making the arrest?"

"Don't be in a hurry yet, let's interrogate a bit more, investigate a bit more..." After a slight pause, Yu Guang smiled again, "The General Manager's meaning is, since we are beating the grass to startle the snake, let's beat it a few more times and startle a few more out."

It was somewhat contradictory: there were so many concerns before, but now they were so supportive?

But Lin Sicheng expressed understanding: one must adapt to the situation and guide according to the circumstances...

Half an hour later, the motorcade drove into the Zhangbei Hotel.

Looking at the freshly minted transcript and the information just checked, Lin Sicheng had a strange expression.

Although it was a flash of inspiration and a guess made on the spur of the moment, it was accurate: Qi Song, original name Song Qi, nickname Laoqi.

The woman's surname was Wang, called Wang Chun, with the moniker Wang Yaozi, from Baoding. But a long time ago, she not only had the surname Song, she was also from Tangshan. When she was about seven or eight, roughly just after the liberation, she was adopted by a family surnamed Wang as a child bride, and only then did she change her surname to Wang.

By generation, she was Song Qi's cousin-aunt.

But what Lin Sicheng found strange wasn't this, but her husband: a Baoding native, executed by firing squad in 1996 for the crime of grave-robbing the Qing Imperial Mausoleum and murder.

In 1990, it was her brother-in-law and younger brother-in-law. They didn't kill anyone, just grave-robbed the Qing Imperial Mausoleum, but it happened to be during the "Strike Hard" period, so they also ate lead bullets.

In the eighties, her two grand-uncles (her husband's uncles) and grand-uncle-in-law (her husband's uncle-in-law) were executed, also because of grave-robbing the Qing Imperial Mausoleum.

Both times, her husband had also been dealt with: the first time he was sentenced to seven years, the second time to five years...

That was all they had found for now, but Lin Sicheng had an intuition that something was wrong: two generations, and just because of grave-robbing, seven had been executed. Even more had been sentenced: nearly thirty people, men, women, old, and young.

And they specifically robbed the Qing Imperial Mausoleum; how obsessed could they be?

He recalled for a long time: "Captain Yu, could I trouble you to help check: was this Wang family from Tangshan a long time ago, and only later moved to Baoding? Even earlier, did anyone in their family get dealt with for grave-robbing?"

Even earlier?

Wasn't the eighties early enough?

Yu Guang didn't understand, "Teacher Lin, how early are you referring to?"

"The sixties, or even the mid-fifties!"

The three Captains were stunned: in that era, stealing a melon could lead to execution, and they dared to rob graves?

The key was, who would you sell what you stole to?

But since Lin Sicheng said to check, they would definitely check.

Yu Guang contacted his peers at the HEB Provincial Department, and Detachment Captain Han reported to the General Team, letting the General Team investigate through official channels.

Not long after, about half an hour later, Yu Guang's cell phone buzzed.

He picked it up, said a few words, and stared straight at Lin Sicheng.

Just take the fifties and sixties, for instance; who would dare to engage in Grave-robbing?

It's not that there weren't people willing to risk their necks, but the point was that even if you robbed a grave, it was all for nothing—there was nowhere to sell the goods.

It turns out, after all that, it was a lingering crime from the Republic of China era...

"I found it!"

After hanging up the phone, Yu Guang wore a strange expression, "This family was originally from Zunhua, Tangshan, and moved to Baoding in '59. Three years ago, that is, in '56, Wang Chun's great-grandfather-in-law and great-great-grandfather-in-law were sentenced to death for the crime of Grave-robbing."

Lin Sicheng's eyes lit up: "Did they rob imperial tombs too?"

"Yes, the Qing Dongling!"

"Was it because of the lingering crimes from the Republic of China era that they were brought to justice?"

Yu Guang paused: "Yes!"

Lin Sicheng let out a breath: It matches!

The first generation Wang Shaoyi and the second generation Wang Jianxing, this father and son pair, were the renowned Nine Dragons King of the Hebei region during the Republic of China era.

The "Nine Dragons" here refers to Nine Dragons Mountain, where the Qing Dongling is located within the borders of Zunhua, Tangshan.

The father and son occupied the mountain as kings, active from the twenties to the fifties. But they didn't rob houses or plunder, they specialized in robbing imperial tombs.

In '26, they first robbed the Hui Mausoleum of Tongzhi, two years earlier than Sun Dianying.

In '28, Sun Dianying robbed the Qing tombs, and after Sun Dianying fled, the father and son went through the Qianlong Tomb and Cixi Tomb that Sun Dianying hadn't cleaned out.

Afterwards, they robbed the Jingling of Kangxi and the Dingling of Xianfeng.

This is only what is recorded in the files; how many unrecorded ones they robbed, only Wang Shaoyi and his son knew themselves.

After the victory in the War of Resistance, both parties issued wanted posters for the father and son. But the two were elusive, and it wasn't until '55 that they were captured at Nine Dragons Mountain and sentenced to death.

Even from the twenties of the last century until now, that's almost ninety years. Four full generations, maybe even five—have you ever seen a Grave-robbing family with a heritage of nearly a hundred years?

(End of this chapter)