Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

Officer Zhou led a squad of soldiers to the front of the Lou family mansion.

This house is located in the most prosperous area of ​​Beijing. It has a vermilion gate, high walls and deep courtyards, and two stone lions squatting at the entrance, making it look very imposing.

He kicked the door, and footsteps came from inside. Then an old face peeked out, glanced at the scene outside, and his expression changed instantly.

"Who...who are you?"

"Chinese Independent Brigade Military Law Department"

Officer Zhou flashed his badge and said, "I am ordered to confiscate the Lou family's property. Open the door."

The gatekeeper was about to say something when he was pushed aside by two soldiers.

The gate burst open with a roar, and Officer Zhou led his men in.

Several pomegranate trees were planted in the courtyard, their branches laden with heavy fruit. Stone tables and benches were placed under the trees, clearly indicating that they had been carefully tended to by someone year-round.

Several servants were squatting by the wall picking vegetables. When they heard the noise, they looked up and dropped the vegetables they were holding onto the ground.

The butler emerged from the main room, his face ashen, but still managing to muster the strength to shout, "What are you trying to do? Breaking into a private residence in broad daylight! Is there no law?"

Officer Zhou ignored him. Lou Bancheng had already been arrested, so why should a mere steward be a threat? He simply waved his hand and ordered, "Search!"

The soldiers scattered and rushed into each room, ransacking everything.

The butler was trembling with rage: "This is robbery! I'm going to sue you! I'm going to find Commander Lin!"

"Looking for Commander Lin?"

Officer Zhou finally glanced at him. "I'm here on Commander Lin's orders. Lou Bancheng, you colluded with the Japanese invaders and smuggled weapons. The evidence is irrefutable. We're only confiscating your property now; you haven't been arrested or imprisoned yet. You should be thanking your God."

The butler's face turned pale instantly, his lips trembled, but he could no longer utter a word.

The soldiers carried out boxes of silver dollars, gold bars, silk, and porcelain from the warehouse, filling half the courtyard.

Officer Zhou opened the ledger and began recording entries one by one.

The butler stood trembling to the side, wanting to stop him but not daring to.

"Commander Zhou, these... these are all the fruits of our master's life's work..."

"Your master's life's work?"

Officer Zhou closed the ledger. "Your master's hard work is squeezed from the common people and scraped from the workers."

Now that it's been confiscated, it's perfect for repairing roads and building schools; it's also a way to do your master some good deeds.

The third concubine, who hadn't been caught at home last time, knelt in the yard, crying her heart out: "This is trying to force us to our deaths!"

The family fortune that the old man had painstakingly built up over his entire life was gone just like that…

Lou Bancheng's eldest son, Lou Shijiang, rushed back from outside upon hearing the news. Seeing the scene in the courtyard, his eyes were bloodshot.

"On what grounds are you ransacking our home? What crime have we committed? I want to see Commander Lin, I want to get to the bottom of this."

Officer Zhou was counting the valuables in the yard when he looked up at Lou Shijiang and said, "Lou Shijiang, your father's case hasn't been concluded yet, so don't rush to claim innocence."

If you are truly innocent, the military court will give you justice.

"Fairness? You call this ransacking your property fair?"

Lou Shijiang was trembling with anger and wanted to rush up and stop him.

Two soldiers stepped forward to stop him, but Lou Shijiang struggled and shouted, "Let me go! You bandits and robbers! My Lou family has been law-abiding citizens for generations. When have we ever done anything to betray our country?"

"A law-abiding citizen?"

Officer Zhou put down the account book in his hand, walked up to him, and looked at him with piercing eyes: "Good people for generations? When your father hoarded goods and drove up prices, did your Lou family ever think about those people who couldn't afford to eat?"

When your father colluded with the Japanese invaders and secretly communicated with foreign enemies, did your Lou family ever think about the soldiers who shed their blood and sacrificed their lives on the battlefield?

Although we don't know if there was any collusion with the enemy, if the commander says there was, then there is.

Lou Shijiang was speechless; his family had indeed colluded.

Lou Bancheng's eldest daughter, Lou Xiaoxin, ran out of the house and threw herself at Officer Zhou's feet: "Sir, please, please give us a way to live."

My father is getting old and can't take any more stress.

"You want money? We'll give you whatever you want, just please don't ransack our house and leave us homeless..."

Officer Zhou said in a deep voice, "Miss Lou, part of your father's wealth was earned against his conscience. Confiscating it now is not robbery, but repayment. It's repayment to those he owes."

"As for you, the military law department will provide you with a living allowance as stipulated, and you will not be left to wander the streets."

Lou Xiaoxin looked up, her face streaked with tears: "Really?"

"real."

Lou Shijiang was about to say something when the butler called out to him, "Shijiang, come back."

Lou Shijiang paused for a moment, then turned to look at the housekeeper.

The butler shook his head. The situation was hopeless; preserving his own life was the priority now.

Officer Zhou continued, "However, that's on the condition that you didn't get involved. Otherwise, none of you will escape."

Furthermore, you are not allowed to go anywhere these next few days. If anyone is found to have left Beijing, they will be charged with treason.

...

Commander's office.

A thick stack of account books lay on the table.

"Sir, most of the Lou family's assets have already been registered."

Officer Zhou opened the top ledger and said, "There are more than 200 million taels of silver alone, and gold bars worth about 8 million dragon coins."

There are also various antiques, paintings, calligraphy, property deeds, and shop shares, all worth at least 20 million Dragon Coins, and this is just the publicly available account.

Lin Tian said calmly, "Their wealth is far more than this. Have you investigated the Western Hill Buddhist Temple?"

Officer Zhou was taken aback: "Xishan Buddhist Temple? That dilapidated temple?"

"It's that dilapidated temple."

Lin Tian looked at him and said, "Under the Buddha statue, there is a tunnel. Lou Bancheng has hidden more things inside than what is on the surface."

Officer Zhou accepted the order with some skepticism.

Half an hour later, he arrived at the Xishan Buddhist Temple with his men.

The temple gate was ajar, and several monks were sitting in the courtyard basking in the sun. When they saw a group of soldiers rushing in, their expressions changed drastically.

The abbot, who was in the lead position, blocked the entrance, his hands clasped together, a smile plastered on his face: "Esteemed benefactors, this is a pure and tranquil Buddhist sanctuary, I wonder..."

"search."

Officer Zhou only said one word.

The soldiers rushed into the main hall, pushed aside the Buddha statue, and revealed a dark hole.

The abbot's face turned pale instantly, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt on the ground: "Benefactor, this...this..."

"What's this? What's inside?"

Officer Zhou stared at him.

The abbot opened his mouth, knowing he was doomed.

Officer Zhou ignored him and waved his hand: "Go down and take a look."

The soldiers filed in, carrying torches. The cave was deep, and the air was thick with the dampness of bygone years.

After walking for a while, the view suddenly opened up.

The firelight illuminated the cave full of boxes, one after another, stacked neatly.

Pry open one box, and inside are gleaming silver dollars; pry open another box, and inside are gleaming gold bars.

When another box was pried open, it contained a dense array of jewelry, which shimmered with tiny sparkles in the firelight.

In the corner were several boxes of weapons, rusty rifles and pistols, neatly stacked.

Officer Zhou stared in disbelief before whispering, "How did the commander know?"

He stepped out of the cave and looked at the monks: "Take them all away, leave none behind."

They also arranged for people to transport the treasure out.

……