Mass Grave

Early the next morning, Chu Danqing took Da Bao and Lu Wanyi onward to East Capital Prefecture.

Along the way, Chu Danqing told Lu Wanyi about what had happened the previous night.

At Lu Wanyi's age, she had thought she had seen enough in life. Never had she imagined that she had still seen too little.

"Your guess was correct. Those twelve precious pearls aimed at the Four Dukes and Eight Counts were not left behind by the previous dynasty, but by the person who once contended with Taizu."

"Those twelve pearls were also made by that enemy. Back then, however, the honored gods were not yet the Four Dukes and Eight Counts."

"Taizu fought him for ten long years before he finally set the realm beneath heaven."

Listening to Lu Wanyi's explanation, Chu Danqing understood what had happened afterward.

The loser had simply lost, and the twelve precious pearls had fallen into the hands of Taizu of the Zhang Dynasty.

"But I have a question." Chu Danqing asked, "Why weren't they destroyed? Why keep them?"

What was the point of keeping such a hidden danger? Destroying them would have been the proper course.

"This old woman doesn't know." Lu Wanyi shook her head. "I only heard it as some idle gossip in the palace back then."

"Brother Chu, don't believe all of it either. Who knows how much of it was true and how much false?"

Lu Wanyi had merely been an Imperial Consort, and she had only been elevated after becoming pregnant. Before that, she had not even been an Imperial Consort.

"All right. I'd originally wanted to ask where those precious pearls were kept." Chu Danqing spoke regretfully.

"I do know where they used to be." Lu Wanyi smiled. "But I don't know where they are now."