Xiao Tian wiped the sweat off his brow. "As long as everyone is safe," he said.
Yi Qing's decisive actions had pleasantly surprised him.
Even he, a battle - hardened man, had frowned at the sight of the fire. But Yi Qing had acted quickly and impressively.
He also deeply felt that in Yi Qing's eyes, nothing was more important than human lives.
This differed from the views of many around them. For the nobles, a servant was but a cheap commodity. Human lives could be bought for a pittance, while their possessions were far more valuable.
But Yi Qing's values aligned perfectly with Xiao Tian's.
On the battlefield, nothing was more precious than the lives of his soldiers.
Having witnessed so much slaughter and death, he had the deepest respect and cherish for life.
Yi Qing said to the steward, "First, check if any of the firefighters are injured. Then lead everyone to rest. Also, send someone to inventory the items and assess the losses. Make sure no one takes advantage of the chaos. We'll deal with the repairs after spring. Just clean up the mess for now."
The soldiers from the frontier were straightforward and outspoken. They couldn't stop singing Yi Qing's praises.
Yi Qing took it all in stride. Then she turned to Xiao Tian and said, "Check your study to see if any important items are missing. No one else should touch it. Since your study caught fire, are there any imperial gifts inside? Should we inform the emperor about this?"
Xiao Tian nodded. "You go back first. I'll handle this."
The crowd made way for Yi Qing to leave.
Even after Yi Qing's figure had completely disappeared, the soldiers' discussion about her continued.
"Madam is truly a remarkable woman," one said.
"Right! The person the general has chosen is truly extraordinary," another chimed in.
"The future prince will surely be outstanding, too," a third added.
Xiao Tian couldn't help but think that she wasn't the one he had chosen; she had come to him.
To be precise, she had chosen him...
But he still didn't fully believe Yi Qing's words. Deep down, he desperately hoped that what she said was true.
Because Yi Qing had once said that the birthmark on the baby's buttocks, which was the same as the one on Xiao Jinghan's body, could prove the baby's identity.
But Xiao Tian knew very well that there was no birthmark on his body!
Yet Yi Qing didn't seem to be lying when she said all this. So he was extremely confused.
But this wasn't the time to dwell on these matters. He told the steward to take care of the soldiers and ordered people to guard the scene.
They had to wait until the embers were completely extinguished and the heat had dissipated before they could start looking for clues.
Xiao Tian entered the palace to see the emperor.
"I heard there was a fire in your mansion?" The emperor was lying on the couch with his feet propped up, his head supported by his hand. He was holding a pen and reading memorials. His posture was extremely comfortable.
Judging from his tone, he seemed to be gloating.
"Is it more comfortable to read memorials like this?" Xiao Tian snorted and sat down beside him.
"It's not comfortable, but reading these memorials gives me a headache. I have to support my head. You're here just in time to help me. Come on, Xiaotianzi, turn the memorials for me!" the emperor said triumphantly, nudging Xiao Tian's leg with his foot, with a hint of intimacy.
Xiao Jinghan's given name was Tian, bestowed by the emperor. Only the two of them knew this.
The emperor had once asked Xiao Tian what he wanted to do in the future, planning to dangle a carrot in front of him.
But Xiao Tian had said that he wanted to go back to the countryside and farm, almost choking the emperor. So the emperor had bestowed this name on him.
Of course, at that time, the emperor wasn't yet the emperor, and Xiao Tian wasn't the famous Xiao Jinghan.
The emperor had later joked that the day he could really let Xiao Jinghan retire from the military would surely be a time of peace in the world.
Xiao Tian said irritably, "It's a pity you didn't become an actor."
The emperor stopped teasing him and sat up straight. He casually threw the memorials aside and complained, "Sometimes, reading the memorials from these idiots makes me feel like it's a waste of paper."
Xiao Tian glanced at the memorial that the emperor had scorned. There was a vermilion note on it: "I am well. The old marquis is a pillar of the nation. Rest well."
See, even the emperor couldn't help but say one thing and mean another.
"What are you looking at?" The emperor was embarrassed when his true feelings were exposed. "Instead of putting out the fire in your own mansion, you come here to laugh at me?"
"Did you place someone in my mansion?" Xiao Tian frowned.
The emperor was very candid. "Yes, I did. I'm keeping an eye on Yi Qing for you, in case she has an affair. After all, you're supposed to be dead."
Xiao Tian said, "Mind your own business."
"I am minding your business," the emperor said, looking at him with a half - smile. "I just realized that the person Yi Qing wanted to see was you. You must be really charming. When you were alive, she had a child with you without a proper name; after you died, she fell for another 'you'."
Tsk tsk, some people were slow to catch on, but once they did, they were amazing.
The emperor had once worried that Xiao Tian would end up being a homosexual. Now it seemed that there was no need to worry.
Xiao Tian ignored him and said seriously, "Since you've placed someone there, you can just ask them to find out why the fire started."
The emperor said, "Are you trying to shift the blame onto me?"
He had sent someone to watch Yi Qing out of a father - like concern, but now he was being blamed.
"The fire started in the study of all places. It seems rather suspicious," Xiao Tian said in a deep voice. "Yi Qing also noticed this, so she reminded me to come and see you."
Yi Qing must have known that the emperor wouldn't hold him accountable for the burning of the imperial gifts, out of consideration for Xiao Tian.
But she still reminded him. Xiao Tian understood her meaning - she thought this incident was unusual and it was necessary for the emperor to know.
"Yi Qing, Yi Qing. You can't talk for three sentences without mentioning Yi Qing," the emperor said irritably. "Can you be a bit more manly?"
"Since you have someone in my mansion, don't you know who prevented the fire from spreading further?"
The emperor stroked his chin. "How did she come up with such a quick - witted solution? Could it be that she started the fire herself and is just pretending to be the victim?"
Xiao Tian's heart sank, but he said firmly, "Impossible!"
What the emperor said was exactly what he was most worried about.
He had just hoped that Yi Qing wasn't a spy. Old Man Sun had just told him about the past, which had given him a special feeling about fires. And then this fire broke out, with Yi Qing right there. He didn't want to suspect her, but he couldn't help feeling uncomfortable.
The emperor didn't know what was going on in his mind. He pouted and said, "Tsk tsk. You're protecting her so tightly now that I can't even say a word. I was just joking. Yi Qing wouldn't do such a thing."
"How do you know?" The familiarity in the emperor's tone made Xiao Tian uncomfortable again.
The emperor gritted his teeth and pretended to pick up the jade paperweight to throw at him. "I can't say she's bad, and I can't say she's good. What do you want? You're rebelling against me!"
Xiao Tian also thought he was being ridiculous. He softened his tone and said, "I'd like to borrow some people from the Court of Judicial Review from the emperor."