Chapter 926: His Majesty, Cease Your Anger

All the civil and military officials knelt together, forehead to the ground: "His Majesty, cease your anger—!"

Even Eunuch Cheng knelt: "His Majesty, cease your anger! Preserve the dragon body."

The Emperor raised his hand slightly: "Lord Song, rise. Cheng Jinyan! Take your seat."

"Your servant obeys the command," Eunuch Cheng hurriedly rose from the ground, descended the imperial steps, personally placed a brocade stool behind Lord Song, reached out to help him up, "Lord Song, please."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Song Jingxian slowly sat down.

A figure knelt and stepped out of the line, crouching on the ground, not daring to look up.

It was Han Chong, Commandant of the Five Cities Military Office, in charge of fire‑prevention matters in the capital.

"I have repaid the holy grace, my crime deserves ten thousand deaths." His voice was hoarse and dry, cold sweat beading on his forehead, "Last night the great fire, when I led my troops there, the flames had already spread with the wind."

"Although we rescued with all our strength, but …"

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to continue: "The Revenue Department's storeroom was reduced to ash, and nearby civilian houses were also affected."

"According to my count, over a hundred houses were burned, more than a hundred civilians severely injured, several hundred lightly injured, and we have found the bodies of over thirty civilians."

He bowed heavily: "Afterwards, I searched the fire site and found oilcloth fragments and sulfur traces; this was not an accidental fire, but arson!"

"I have ordered men to fully apprehend the culprit."

He paused, swallowed a mouthful of saliva: "Only … the thief has not yet been caught."

"I have been derelict! I am guilty! Under the Son of Heaven such a great case occurs, I …"

His voice choked, his forehead pressed against the cold golden brick, he could say no more.

All ministers' gazes quietly turned to Minister of War Qin Zheng.

The Five Cities Military Office is subordinate to the Ministry of War.

Han Chong is a man of the Ministry of War; with such a big incident in the capital, the Ministry cannot be uninvolved.

Qin Zheng closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and raised his head: "I have repaid the holy grace."

"Last night's fire destroyed the Revenue Department's storeroom and harmed civilians' lives; this is due to my lax supervision, a failure in duty."

He bowed his head: "I dare not shirk, I ask Your Majesty to reduce my punishment."

Xiao Jieyun said nothing.

Qin Zheng and Han Chong did not dare to move a muscle.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

The Ministry of War is done, now the Revenue Department; the fire burned the Revenue Department's storeroom, which could contain all the Revenue Department's ledgers!

Minister of Revenue Gu Yucheng slowly rose to his feet: "The ledgers stored in the storeroom are the Revenue Department's bottom records of income and expenditure for the past two years."

"Taxes from each province, expenses of each department, border garrison troops' salaries, all are in there."

"If the ledgers are destroyed, the state treasury's income and expenditure cannot be audited."

He bowed slowly: "I ask Your Majesty to be compassionate toward the Revenue Department's colleagues."

"They work day and night checking accounts, daring not a moment of slack."

"My crime, a hundred deaths cannot atone, I ask Your Majesty to reduce my punishment!" After speaking, he bowed heavily, fell to the ground and did not rise.

Other Revenue Department officials in the hall also bowed together, and the golden bricks emitted a muffled sound.

The great hall fell into dead silence again.

All officials lowered their heads, no one dared to utter another word at this moment.

On the Dragon Throne, Xiao Jieyun remained silent.

He did not speak, so everyone in the hall could only keep kneeling.

After a moment, an Imperial Censor stood up straight: "Your Majesty! I have heard that the Revenue Department has recently been auditing the taxes of each prefecture."

"There are several places that do not match, thus the continuous verification."

"I cannot understand, why this fire happened precisely at this time?"

Another Imperial Censor stood up: "I second the motion!"

"Lord Han discovered oilcloth and sulfur, showing this was premeditated."

"The arsonist clearly wants to destroy the ledgers, rendering all accounts untraceable; his heart is truly condemnable!"

He paused: "I ask Your Majesty to issue an edict for a thorough investigation!"

Gu Yucheng suddenly lifted his head, his face ashen: "Your Majesty! The distances of the provinces vary, climates and seasons differ, so when the accounts arrive at the Revenue Department, mismatches are common!"

"A temporary mismatch requires careful verification, checking for omissions and filling gaps; this is precisely the Revenue Department's duty!"

He again bowed heavily before the Dragon Throne: "Your Majesty! If I wished to conceal a deficit, I could simply alter a few entries in the ledgers; why set the entire storeroom ablaze?"

"The storeroom burned, the ledgers were destroyed; as Minister of Revenue I am the first to bear the blame, why would I harm myself?"

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the two Censors: "I have served in the Revenue Department for over ten years; every entry, every amount has documentation."

"Now the ledgers are destroyed, but each province and prefecture has its own underlying books that can be cross‑checked; with time we can restore justice for the Revenue Department!"

The first Censor, coldly, said: "Reconciling the underlying books? Even if brief, it will take months."

"During these months, may I ask Minister Gu, how will the Revenue Department's affairs be handled? State affairs should be held accountable!"

Gu Yucheng's eye twitched, about to retort.

Xiao Ze stood up: "Father Emperor, I, your son, think that the responsibility for this matter can be discussed later; first we must soothe the people and stabilize public sentiment."

Song Jingxian silently nodded: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince's words are indeed correct."

Xiao Yuanhang said: "His Highness the Crown Prince's words are indeed apt, I second them."

Zhou Jinhua hurriedly said: "Your Majesty! I also second!"

Xiao Jieyun nodded: "Gu Yucheng."

"I am present."

"The storeroom burned, the ledgers were incinerated; as Minister of Revenue, you cannot escape blame."

Stay in office, bear guilt and make amends.

First allocate silver to compensate last night's casualties and damaged homes.

If the Ministry of Revenue clears the accounts, I will deal with it leniently.

If it cannot be clarified…… he paused, then state law will decide.

Gu Yucheng shuddered, his forehead heavily striking the gold bricks, old tears streaming: "Your subject thanks His Majesty's great grace."

Xiao Jieyun said flatly: "Han Chong."

Han Chong trembled all over: "Your subject is here."

I give you three days to catch the arsonist.

If you cannot finish within three days, go to the Ministry of Punishment to receive your punishment.

Han Chong kowtowed heavily: "Your subject receives the edict."

Qin Zheng.

Qin Zheng kowtowed: "Your subject is here."

This fire happened under the War Ministry's nose; you bear responsibility, so your salary is cut for a year to observe the outcome.

Your subject thanks His Majesty's favor.

The Emperor slowly rose, his gaze sweeping over the officials kneeling in the hall: "Dismiss court."

Eunuch Cheng stepped forward and sang in a piercing voice: "Dismiss—court—"

When Xiao Yuanhang returned to the mansion, the Prince's Mansion was utterly silent.

He frowned: "Where are the Princess Consort and the princess? Why are there so few people in the mansion?"

The servant replied: "The young lady and the Princess Consort took people to the fire scene, also bringing plenty of food and bedding."

At the same moment, at the fire scene.

Xiao Er held Tuan Tuan, standing amidst a stretch of ruins.

The once bustling lanes now lay as far as the eye could see in charred blackness.

Burnt‑collapsed beams lay haphazardly over the rubble, some still wisping thin blue smoke.

The soldiers of the War Corps were lifting people from the rubble; the wounded on the stretchers were wrapped in torn cloth, wailing and groaning.

The air was thick with the smell of burnt; a gust swept up the ashes, pattering onto people.

Cheng Ru'an sighed: "Take what we brought; let's go distribute it."

Yes!

Tuan Tuan furrowed her small brows, gazing at everything before her.

Suddenly, she saw two familiar figures.