"The fire is completely extinguished? Were any innocents harmed?"Li Zhang halted before Li Ce, his ceremonial robes pristine and untouched by dust. Amid the chaos and filth surrounding them, he appeared all the more solemn and authoritative.
Li Ce composed himself and said, "Someone must remain to watch over the site, lest the embers ignite again. The relocated gunpowder must also be properly secured to prevent further mishaps."
Li Zhang gave a weighty nod. After a moment's contemplation, he spoke with decisive clarity:"The ancestral rites must not be delayed, and a fire at the Arsenal is no trifling matter. I shall proceed to the Imperial Temple. Let the Prince of Chu and the Arsenal Superintendent report directly to His Majesty."
This arrangement was watertight. It ensured the investiture ceremony continued unimpeded, allayed any concerns the Emperor might have upon hearing news from Daming Palace, and subtly demonstrated his own uprightness—clearly distancing himself from the incident at the Arsenal. Moreover, it conveyed trust in Li Ce, displaying fraternal harmony for all to see.
Li Ce responded solemnly, "I shall obey Your Highness's command."
Li Zhang gave a slight nod, his gaze brushing past Ye Jiao's face before turning away. The Crown Prince's guards had already cleared a path. He stepped forward, flanked by the Imperial Guards and accompanied by the Three Divisions, departing from the Arsenal.
Before boarding his carriage, Li Zhang looked up at the sky. Though time had been lost, there was still enough before dusk to complete the ancestral ceremony at the Temple.
It was fortunate he had come today. Had the Ministry of War suffered such a calamity while he proceeded to the Temple for the ceremony, the Emperor would not have merely rebuked him—his very character would have come under suspicion.
A fire? Fires never start without cause.
The white jade beads hanging before his face veiled Li Zhang's expression. Seated upright in his imperial carriage, a faint, cold smile curled upon his lips.
Fortunately, the Emperor had not flown into a thunderous rage.
He had changed out of the heavy, elaborate regalia worn during the investiture and now wore a robe of scarlet and yellow with a round collar. Upon his head rested the Winged Virtue Crown favored by Emperor Taizong. Only the golden, dragon-embroidered motif on his chest preserved his imperial majesty.
Still ailing, the Emperor leaned back against a cushion. His penetrating gaze fell upon Ye Jiao, exuding silent authority.
"Minister Ye," he said coldly, "speak."
Though his tone was harsh, Ye Jiao knew that being granted the opportunity to speak was, in itself, a sign of trust.
She bowed deeply and said,"Your Majesty, I discovered the failed forging of the stranger's blade was due to a change in the clay used by the Arsenal. Thus, we resumed forging on-site. During the process, the clay storage room suddenly caught fire. Everyone fought hard to extinguish it. Once it was out, the gunpowder store caught alight. Fortunately, both the Prince of Chu and the Crown Prince arrived in time. Through our combined efforts, the disaster was contained."
Her voice was calm, her explanation clear and without deflection of blame.
"So, the clay was at fault?" the Emperor asked sharply, ignoring the heroics of the Crown Prince and Li Ce.
Before Li Ce could respond, Superintendent Wang fell to his knees and bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty, I am to blame. I mishandled the relocation of the storehouse, causing black powder to mix into the clay. I await Your Majesty's punishment."
Confessing early was better than letting Li Ce report him first.
But the Emperor saw through Wang's maneuver.
"You plead guilty?" the Emperor said coolly. "Then I shall oblige."
"Men, take him!"
"Wang Yao, Superintendent of the Arsenal—due to negligence and improper conduct, causing a fire in the military storehouse and nearly inciting catastrophe—shall be stripped of office and imprisoned. The Court of Judicial Review will handle the case!"
Wang Yao was stunned. Kneeling, pale and trembling, he stammered,"This guilty official… accepts the decree with gratitude…"
The Emperor continued,"You may hold responsibility for the clay store, but what of the gunpowder store? That, too, was your doing?"
The gunpowder store?
Ye Jiao looked perplexed. She had assumed the fire had spread from the clay room by way of drifting sparks.
Wang Yao hastily replied,"The stores were close, Your Majesty. I believe the two fires were connected."
The Emperor turned to Li Ce."I heard you were the first to rush in. Tell us what happened."
Before speaking, Li Ce withdrew something from his sleeve—A crude parcel wrapped in coarse cloth, about a foot long and as thick as a wrist. He slowly unveiled it and held it aloft.
"Father, behold. The wooden pillar near the window of the gunpowder store was first to catch fire. This was thrown inside. I stamped it out and hid it in my sleeve, awaiting the moment to report to Your Majesty."
It was a wooden stick—one end still bore traces of scorched oilcloth.
"I believe someone within the Arsenal took advantage of the chaos to hurl this into the gunpowder store, attempting to ignite the stockpile and cause an explosion."
The Emperor's expression changed instantly. His hand rose sharply, and Gao Fu instinctively stepped forward to support him. But years of imperial restraint kept the Emperor composed, despite his fury.
He pointed at Wang Yao."Wang Yao! Are you ready to bear the charge of destroying imperial arms and committing treason?"
The armory of the Tang Empire was the soul of its military.Who would seek to destroy it? Only traitors—foreign spies!
Wang Yao collapsed to the ground. Pale and shaking, he clutched the floor for support.
"Your Majesty… If I harbored treasonous intent, may I be drawn and quartered, my family annihilated, and my soul condemned!"
He felt himself plummeting into an abyss, a monstrous maw yawning in the dark, ready to devour him whole.
This was never supposed to happen.
It had all begun with a minor favor for a relative. He had turned to Prince Wei, Li Chen, who loathed the Crown Prince and had promised to create a disturbance around the time of the investiture.
Wang Yao had thought it a mere show of allegiance. Though fearful of trouble, Li Chen had said the blame could fall on Ye Jiao.
He'd reluctantly agreed. But when Li Ce mentioned gunpowder in the clay, Wang Yao grew uneasy. When the gunpowder store actually ignited, dread consumed him.
Now… someone had truly committed arson?Should he expose Li Chen?
Cold sweat drenched him. If he did, his crime would escalate from negligence to conspiracy and arson. He might be executed on the spot.
Better to remain silent. Let Li Ce uncover the culprit. If Li Chen is implicated later, it would not be too late to speak.
Just as he wavered, an urgent report arrived from outside the hall.
"Someone at the Arsenal has hanged himself."
A eunuch stepped forward to report the situation. While cleaning the powder store, they had found a craftsman hanging from a beam.
The coroner from the Capital Prefecture had already examined the body. A strip of his outer garment had been torn away, and traces of fire oil stained his sleeve. It was confirmed to be suicide.
The Arsenal clerks testified that he had recently been dismissed for careless work. A note found on his body cursed Wang Yao viciously.
Given the gravity of the matter, the report had been swiftly submitted to the Emperor.
Wang Yao, though shaken, began to feel a measure of relief.
He had indeed dismissed the man days ago for negligence, and the craftsman had once kicked in the Arsenal's gate in anger, only to be driven off by the guards.
With testimony and evidence aligning, suspicion shifted away from him.
If it was truly the craftsman acting out of resentment, Wang Yao's guilt would be lessened.
But… if this was orchestrated, and someone had driven that man to die for their cause—then those behind the scenes were terrifying indeed.
Trembling, Wang Yao lowered his head and awaited the Emperor's judgment.
The Emperor fell silent for a moment before turning to Li Ce.
"Prince of Chu, what is your assessment?"
Li Ce's expression shifted slightly.
"Liu Yan, Prefect of the Capital, is known for his meticulous work. Since his men discovered the truth, I believe their findings."
The Emperor's face remained stern.
"To bear such hatred and seek vengeance by igniting the gunpowder? When did the Arsenal become home to such vermin? Wang Yao! This is your doing!"
Wang Yao trembled violently, pleading once more for mercy.
The Emperor...