Chapter 175: Confiscating the Estate

Hongwu 8th year, March 11, Yin Hour.

The Fengyang Palace was shrouded in the deepest darkness before dawn, and only the east wing hall remained lit.

Empress Ma sat behind the writing desk, with Chen Heng's overnight‑delivered confession transcript spread before her.

Liu San had been interrogated by the Jin Yi Wei with torture through the night, and, like beans spilling from a bamboo tube, he spilled everything he knew.

Guanyin Nu sat beside him, cradling the sleeping Zhu Huanhuan, and said softly, "Imperial Mother, you haven't closed your eyes all night, rest a moment?"

"If I don't finish reading these, I can't sleep," Empress Ma rubbed her temples and continued reading.

Liu San's testimony was shocking to the eyes.

Since the Hongwu 6th year when the New Capital Project began, Zhou Dexing and Wu Liang have colluded to embezzle a total of 800,000 taels.

To cut costs, they deducted thirty percent of the laborers' wages, halved their rations, and classified the craftsmen conscripted from various regions as "criminal registers," giving them only food without pay.

When the laborers died of exhaustion or illness, to conceal the numbers, they simply tossed the bodies into the mass burial ground.

Liu San alone had personally dealt with 237 bodies.

Even worse, Zhou Dexing had secretly imposed additional corvée on the surrounding counties of Fengyang, forcibly conscripting able‑bodied young men to the site; those who resisted faced flogging at best, execution at worst.

"Mother, look here, Liu San said that Zhou Dexing has a large mansion west of Fengyang City, with an underground silver vault piled with silver," Zhu Yong said, pointing to a line in the testimony.

Empress Ma sneered, "Eight hundred thousand taels—he could swallow that alone; there must be others in the court."

Just as she spoke, hurried footsteps sounded from outside.

Chen Heng pushed the door open and knelt on one knee: "Your Highness, something's happened! Zhou Dexing and Wu Liang have fled!"

"What?" Empress Ma rose.

"I have just taken men to the Prefect's office and the General's residence; both places are empty, the gate guards said that an hour ago Zhou Dexing and Wu Liang left the city with their families, claiming they were ordered to go to Huaian to inspect river works," Chen Heng said urgently.

"Ordered by whom, when my palace is right here in Fengyang? Whose command…" Empress Ma snapped.

Zhu Yong grabbed the hammer and said, "Mother, I'll go after them!"

"It's too late; if they dared to run, they must have prepared in advance. Chen Heng, seal the Four Gates and conduct a citywide search for any of their accomplices."

Empress Ma shook her head.

"Yes!" Chen Heng took the order and stepped back.

Guanyin Nu worried, "Imperial Mother, now that they've fled, they're probably seeking a patron."

Empress Ma sat again, her gaze icy, "Monks may run, but they cannot escape the temple. Yong Er, lead a team to seize Zhou Dexing's mansion and dig out the silver vault."

"Alright!" Zhu Yong lifted the hammer and left.

When dawn was just breaking, Zhu Yong led Imperial Troops and Jin Yi Wei into Zhou Dexing's large western mansion.

The mansion spanned twenty mu, with carved beams and painted rafters, more magnificent than the Prefect's office.

The steward and servants were restrained, kneeling in the courtyard trembling.

"Search! Every room, the basement, hidden walls, secret compartments—none may be missed!" Zhu Yong ordered.

The Imperial Troops spread out to search; half an hour later, Zhang Wu reported, "Prince, we've found it! There's a hidden passage beneath the rear garden's artificial rock!"

Zhu Yong followed to the rear yard and saw the artificial rock already moved aside, revealing a pitch‑black opening.

He lit a torch and went down about ten zhang; the view opened up before him.

It was a massive underground silver vault, ten zhang long and wide, two zhang high, neatly stacked with silver ingots that glittered white in the torchlight.

"My heavens…" Zhang Wu gasped, inhaling a cold breath.

In a corner of the vault were dozens of boxes; when opened, they were filled with gold, silver, jewels, and antique paintings and calligraphy.

Chen Heng roughly estimated that the silver alone amounted to at least 500,000 taels, and with the jewels the total value exceeded 800,000 taels.

"Move everything out and record it in a ledger," Zhu Yong said.

When they returned to the palace, it was Chen Hour.

Empress Ma looked at the silver boxes piled like a small mountain in the courtyard, her complexion ashen.

"What a Zhou Dexing, what a Wu Liang—800,000 taels, enough to sustain a hundred‑thousand‑strong army for a year," she said, her voice trembling—not from fear but from anger.

Guanyin Nu, cradling Zhu Huanhuan, stood beside him and said softly, "Imperial Mother, these silver…"

"Confiscate them, ship them back to Yingtian, deposit them in the state treasury. As for Zhou Dexing and Wu Liang, issue maritime capture warrants, place them on the nationwide wanted list. I'll see where they can run to," Empress Ma declared.

Empress Ma spoke with iron resolve.

As she spoke, a clamor rose from outside.

A Jin Yi Wei rushed in, saying, "Your Highness, outside the city… outside the city, many commoners have arrived!"

Empress Ma was startled and stepped out of the palace.

On the square outside the palace, a sea of over a thousand people knelt, all in tattered clothing, laborers and civilians.

They bowed their heads, crying and shouting, "Empress Ma, intercede for us!"

Empress Ma hurried forward, helped the foremost elder to his feet and asked gently, "Sir, rise quickly; tell me your matter at your leisure."

The elder, tears streaming, said, "Your Highness, my son was taken by Zhou Dexing to the site, died of exhaustion, and his body was not returned to us… when I went to demand it, the gate guards beat me…"

"Your Highness, my husband was also taken, three months have passed, no word…"

"Your Highness, Zhou Dexing forcibly requisitioned my land, giving only ten taels of silver, though the land is worth a hundred taels…"

"Your Highness…"

"...."

The cries of complaint rose and fell.

Empress Ma listened, her eyes reddening.

She turned to Chen Heng and said, "Record it; write down each person's grievance. I will act on their behalf."

Then to Zhu Yong she said, "Yong Er, open the granaries, release food, and take a portion of this silver to compensate the harmed civilians."

"Yes, Mother." Zhu Yong replied.

This hustle lasted until noon.

Empress Ma personally distributed compensation silver in the square, listening carefully to each commoner's grievance, and had Chen Heng record them.

Zhu Yong led people to maintain order; his simple‑hearted demeanor made the townsfolk less afraid. Someone, gathering courage, asked him, "Prince Wu, will Zhou Dexing really be captured and brought back?"

"Yes, even if he runs to the ends of the earth, I'll still bring him back." Zhu Yong said confidently.

The commoners were moved to tears of gratitude, many kneeling and kowtowing.

Guanyin Nu held Zhu Huanhuan at the palace gate, watching the scene, and said softly, "Huan Huan, look, your grandmother and your father are doing good deeds."

Zhu Huanhuan was only three, bewilderedly opening her big eyes.

In the afternoon, Empress Ma grew tired and returned to the palace to rest.

Zhu Yong continued handling affairs outside.

Chen Heng quietly found him and whispered, "Prince, I have discovered something."

"What?"

"Zhou Dexing and Wu Liang may be colluding with the White Lotus Sect."

Zhu Yong frowned and said, "White Lotus Sect..."

"Exactly. I found some letters in a hidden compartment of Zhou Dexing's study; they are his correspondence with a person called 'Wusheng Laomu.'"

The letters mention weapons and armor and the like," Chen Heng said.

Zhu Yong's face darkened as he asked, "Where are the letters?"

"Here." Chen Heng pulled several letters from his bosom.

Zhu Yong took them; although he is not well‑literate, he can roughly understand.

The contents are indeed suspicious: Zhou Dexing calls the other "Holy Mother," the other calls Zhou Dexing "Zhou Protector," and Zhou Dexing supplies them with weapons and armor.

"Has this been told to my mother?"

"Not yet; I first report to you, Prince."

Zhu Yong thought and said, "Don't tell my mother yet; she's tired today. Go investigate whether there's a White Lotus Sect base in Fengyang City."

"Yes." Chen Heng obeyed.