When the explosion occurred, Emperor Liu was in the Long Live Hall, with Concubine Zhou Yifei in his arms. The bed was warm, and he was awakened when he first felt sleepy.
Concubine Yi, who is already in her thirties, has long lost her youthfulness, but her beauty is still the same, just like a ripe peach. Especially after giving birth to a child, her peerless charm is full of fatal temptation. With Liu The emperor is not in good health now. He is also feeling very depressed and can't bear to eat. Most of the time, he can only stay vegetarian.
However, no matter how graceful the body was, it could not attract Emperor Liu's attention as much as the earth-shattering scene outside the palace. The hour was getting later and the night was getting darker. Under the pressure of the government, the noisy outside gradually fell into immersion, but even in the deep palace, it seemed that You can feel the restlessness outside the palace walls.
The atmosphere in the Long Live Hall was a bit depressing. Emperor Liu was dressed in single clothes and did not pay attention to his image. He just sat behind the imperial eucalyptus with a cold face. In addition to the eunuch Xing Shouyan who was present, there was the prince Liu Yang.
Ministers also came one after another to greet and express their concern for Sheng Gong. One by one, including Zhao Kuangyi, the prime minister on duty, Emperor Liu rushed to the scene to rescue him.
With such a big event happening, the whole court may not be able to live in peace. Of course, it is not the turn of ordinary people to worry about it. In addition to being concerned, more people can only stay at home and wait for the news to come out. , by the way, make temporary preparations for fire prevention.
"Official, it's late at night, please add some clothes!" Emperor Liu looked a little sinister at this time, exuding a dangerous aura. Even so, Yan Tuo had to come up with a robe and said carefully care.
"Yeah!" Probably feeling the chill of the summer night, Emperor Liu did not refuse, but just agreed softly.
Seeing this, Yan Tuo breathed a sigh of relief and immediately helped Emperor Liu put on his robe skillfully. Liu Yang sat below, and his mood gradually stabilized. He cupped his hands and advised: "Dad, the disaster has happened and is irreversible. The officials and soldiers are also working hard to provide disaster relief, so please take care of yourself and don't worry too much."
I don't know if Liu Yang's consolation had an effect. Emperor Liu's face looked much better. He remained silent for a while and said quietly: "Putting out fires and rescuing disasters is a top priority. However, the source of this matter must be investigated clearly. If there is any minor mischief, , dereliction of duty and slackness will be dealt with severely!"
Emperor Liu said this with murderous intent and did not hide it. He even used the word "harsh". Obviously, he had doubts about this accident.
Time passed by bit by bit, midnight passed, the rooster crow came, and it was not until Pingdan time that the preliminary results of the treatment were finally obtained. Yantuo came to report, and the civil and military ministers were waiting for the edict outside the palace.
Emperor Liu did not stay in the palace any longer. He got up and walked outside. The sky and earth outside were dark with darkness. He had not slept all night. Emperor Liu was also a little tired and his mind was very confused. He blew some wind and finally regained consciousness.
There were many people in front of Long Live Hall, including civil and military officials, nobles and bureaucrats. After hearing the news, under the leadership of some people, they took the initiative to go to Yanqingfang to put out the fire. Even Zhao Kuangyin was among them, his old face was covered with black dust. Of course, no one is clean, everyone seems to be working hard.
However, Emperor Liu was not moved by their active and responsible performance. Instead, he said coldly: "There is a fire in Yanqingfang. Why are you going to join in the fun? Are you going to put out the fire, or are you afraid that it will not cause enough chaos?"...
As soon as these words came out, the distinguished ministers present looked at each other in shock. Emperor Liu's words were a bit unkind, and the heart-wrenching meaning was really shocking.
Even the ministers who came to pay their respects first and got Emperor Liu's permission before going to Yanqingfang could not help but feel hesitant at this time. Without caring about their thoughts, they looked around. Emperor Liu's tone seemed to have softened a little, and he raised his finger and said: " You have worked hard tonight, go back and have a good rest, and we will talk about it in the morning if you have anything else to do!"
"Yes! Your Majesty, please leave!" After hearing this, Yi Qian Wenwu breathed a sigh of relief and did not dare to continue to show his presence in front of Emperor Liu.
Emperor Liu turned around and returned to the palace, but for a moment he was a little unsteady. Liu Yang, with sharp eyes, hurriedly stepped forward to help him. After receiving Emperor Liu's instructions, Yan Tuo stood in front of the palace platform and said loudly: "My lords, please come back. Your Majesty has an order." , Liu Fuyin, Zhang Xunjian, and Han Shangshu stay!"
"yes!"
The three people who were called looked at each other, and they didn't look surprised. One of them was a governor, and the other was an inspection officer. The gunpowder factory and warehouse were also directly under the Ministry of War, so they were all involved. However, this expression was really not good. Although it looks good, of course, the person with the lightest burden must be Zhang Yongde. At least he has done his duty after the incident. As for before the incident, even if the blame was divided, it was not his turn to take the lead.
However, he was also worried that tonight's disaster relief measures violated some procedures.
"Has the fire been controlled?" In the Long Live Hall, Emperor Liu sat down exhausted, but his mind was still clear and his eyes were still sharp as he stared at the three people and asked.
Zhang Yongde, the commander-in-chief of the front line of fire fighting, hurriedly handed over his hands and reported: "Your Majesty, a disaster occurred. After I learned about it, I immediately reported it and urgently mobilized 3,000 patrols to Yanqingfang. In cooperation with Kaifeng Mansion and the people inside and outside the place, after a night of fighting, The fire in Yanqingfang has been basically controlled. At present, all soldiers under the Inspection Department are dispatched, and the whole city is under martial law. The situation is under control."
When he said this, the panic in Zhang Yongde's heart intensified. He was doing something special this time. He mobilized soldiers and horses from the inspection camp to go to the disaster relief without getting the order from the Privy Council.
Although there was a reason for the incident, it is true that the regulations were exceeded. The Inspection Department's usual powers and personnel arrangements are strictly regulated, and they must be reported to the Privy Council for preparation. Are the three thousand inspection troops going to put out the fire, or do they have other plans? , who can say for sure?
Not to mention 3,000 people, just 50 people. If they are mobilized without order, it is a capital crime. The great-nephew of Gongsun Li of Pingyuan was beheaded for leading a group of forbidden troops out of the camp for a gathering without authorization.
Zhang Yongde also hesitated beforehand, but in the end he chose to act first and report later. At this time, thinking of Emperor Liu's words in front of the palace just now, Zhang Yongde couldn't help but feel his heart twitch. Fortunately, his decisiveness also led to achievements. The effect was considerable. At least the fire was controlled in time, without causing it to spread outward and cause greater losses. With this in mind,
After carefully observing the expressionless Emperor Liu below, he still took the initiative to plead guilty: "I sent troops without permission without military orders. Please plead guilty, Your Majesty!"
Hearing this, Emperor Liu was stunned for a moment. When he saw Zhang Yongde who looked uneasy, his mind changed and he couldn't help but sigh. This man's performance tonight was both responsible and witty. More importantly, he also had a good political sense.
It's so sensitive...
"You have reminded me!" Emperor Liu said calmly: "It is a meritorious service to provide disaster relief, but it is a crime to abuse power. Considering this urgency, the merits and demerits should be balanced!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Hearing this, Zhang Yongde was immediately overjoyed. Although Emperor Liu said that the merits and demerits were equal, once the matter was over, he, Zhang Yongde, would only benefit from it, and he knew this in his heart.
"Inform Liu Tinghan that the Privy Council's transfer order can be completed!" Emperor Liu said to Prince Liu Yang again.
"yes!"
"What are the losses? How are the casualties?" Emperor Liu looked at Liu Jichang again.
Liu Jichang's back was wet and dry, dry and wet. At this time, he was a little nervous when he heard about it, but he also tried hard to suppress the fear in his heart and spoke clearly: "Back to Your Majesty, in Yanqing Square, most of the mansions and buildings
All of them were burned down, more than 500 of them, and the rest suffered many injuries. The gunpowder factory was almost turned into ashes, and all the gunpowder was destroyed. As for the casualties, statistics are still being made, and subordinate soldiers are still searching and rescuing the fire."
"How is the public sentiment?" Emperor Liu asked again.
"The survivors who escaped have been temporarily placed in the surrounding areas. I have also urgently mobilized a batch of food, drinking water, and medical supplies for rescue. The government has also announced the list to appease them. The martial law is now in place and everything is fine for the time being."
Listening to his narration, Emperor Liu pondered for a while, then waved his hands a little tiredly: "Go and deal with the aftermath!"
"Yes!" Liu Jichang was even a little surprised when he saw that Emperor Liu did not reprimand him severely. Even if he scolded him, it would be fine. This attitude made him feel unsure.
Emperor Liu looked at Han Tong, who had a sad face, and said directly without any hesitation: "The workshops and warehouses in Yanqingfang belong to the management of your Ministry of War. If such a mess occurs, whether it is an accident or something intentional by thieves, you
Everyone is responsible! This matter must be investigated and brought to light!"
"Your Majesty, please allow me to investigate thoroughly and come back to apologize!" Han Tong bowed and bowed.
"I will send people to investigate this matter. You, the Ministry of War, just need to cooperate. All the officials involved are under my watch. If anything goes wrong again, I will come to you first!" Emperor Liu said coldly.
"Yes!" Han Tong responded with a serious expression. He lamented in his heart that he still has to be frightened at this age. Once this matter is over, he should retire as soon as possible and return to retirement, which will also give his son room for advancement.
.
"The prince should also go with us to deal with the aftermath and appease the people!" Emperor Liu said to Liu Yang again.
Liu Yang was very calm. He cupped his hands and said, "That's what I meant!"
Several people left one after another, dawn was approaching, and the twilight outside the palace was also fading a lot. Not long after, Wang Jien, the envoy of the Imperial City, came to see the emperor. Emperor Liu looked at him, without any delay, and went straight to the point: "I give you full authority to go.
Check it out for me, find out the results, give me an explanation, give an explanation to the court, and give an explanation to the people of Tokyo!"
Emperor Liu's attitude was straightforward, and Wang Jien was also vigorous and resolute. He also took the order without talking nonsense. In fact, he had already prepared to investigate the matter. With all the manpower deployed and the fire under control, it was his turn for the Imperial City Division to enter the scene.
Now. Li Chongju is still in the pass. This is also a good opportunity for their Imperial City Division.
In fact, the explosion was not complicated. It was at the end of the relocation of the factory that there was a problem with the safety management of the powder magazine. The Imperial City Department took the matter seriously and conducted an investigation with great fanfare. From the surviving employees to the management of the workshop,
and surrounding households, and even some important officials directly under the Ministry of War were summoned for questioning…
After on-site investigation and interrogation by hundreds of people, we came to such a simple result. Inside the office, the adopted son Wang Shouzhong was reporting the results, and the report was also very detailed.
However, Wang Jien was a little distracted. He was still thinking about the words of Emperor Liu's order at that time. After Wang Shouzhong finished his report, Wang Jien asked: "According to you, this incident is due to the slackness of the left-behind officials and the management."
Was it bad just now?"
Wang Shouzhong nodded and said: "Based on multiple investigations, the conclusion drawn should be this!"
Wang Jien's brows suddenly furrowed and he said, "You want me to report this result to the officials?"
Hearing some overtones, Wang Shouzhong carefully asked for instructions: "Is it possible that we are still involved in something higher up? If so, please tell me how to proceed."
The Imperial City Secretary is very good at and familiar with this kind of thing. He has done it a lot in the past, and now he doesn't have any psychological burden.
However, Wang Jien shook his head: "If we go up further, do we still have to involve Shang Danggong? He is an old official in the official family. He has always been trusted and has never had any quarrel with me."
"Then according to father's wishes?"
"You concoct a plan and say it's the remnants of the party who are causing the rebellion?" Wang Jien said calmly.
Wang Shouzhong was shocked when he heard this and said hurriedly: "This, this is deceiving the emperor!"
It is normal for the Imperial City Secretary to take advantage of opportunities to cause trouble, but the nature of something like this is completely different.
Seeing this, Wang Jien chuckled and said: "I will report the truth to the officials. This report of yours is for the court and the world. I now understand that what the officials are referring to is roughly this.