The argument in the room had been going on for a long time. The food on the table had grown cold. Although much of it remained, no one felt like eating. They were engrossed in a more important debate, making the food seem insignificant.
Shen Feng listened to the incessant bickering. Some argued for a severe punishment to deter others from stealing grain, while others pleaded for leniency towards their old comrades, suggesting Li Xiang's people be exiled to the remote southern regions to suffer endless torment.
"If everyone continues to argue, the decision now rests with you. Whatever solution you propose, we will all abide by it. Please make the decision!" Xu Xing said.
"Yes, City Lord, you have always been just and fair. You also value the camaraderie among us, and you certainly wouldn't let your subordinates feel disheartened. So, we implore you to make a suitable decision!" Yang Chang added.
Nearly everyone at the table turned their gaze to Shen Feng, clearly expecting him to make the decision. Although making decisions was always a headache, at this juncture, he was the only one capable of making the right call.
"Since you all wish for me to make a decision, I will now state my opinion. I hope it will not disappoint you!" Shen Feng said, standing up with a serious expression.
"City Lord, please just tell us. We will have no complaints!" the others nodded in agreement, handing over the decision-making power to Shen Feng.
Shen Feng spoke in a deep voice, "Li Xiang's mistake this time is extremely grave. He has caused a famine, something that should not and cannot happen under my command. Yet, he bungled it, so I cannot simply ignore it. However, if I deal with him too harshly, many will think I am heartless and not a good leader. Therefore, I am willing to give Li Xiang a chance, depending on whether he can seize it!"
Upon hearing this, Yang Chang and the others showed expressions of joy. It was evident that the City Lord's decision was wise, as he had considered the deep bonds forged during past battles and was unwilling to be too severe.
Xu Xing and Xie Mu'an, however, remained silent. Though they said nothing, their disappointment was palpable regarding this decision.
Shen Feng continued, "Now, all of you, hand over your communication devices and stay at Fengshen Palace for the night. Do not contact the outside world. As for me, I will send a message to Li Xiang, informing him that someone will be sent to Jiangyang tomorrow to investigate the grain reserves in the granaries. If he can restore the grain reserves within the stipulated time, this matter will be considered concluded. If he admits his mistake, I will exile him to the south. But if he chooses the most extreme path and burns down the granaries, he has only himself to blame, as he will have chosen to go down that path. You can all understand my decision!"
"No problem, I believe Li Xiang will surely replenish the grain within the given time, and then there will be no crisis. At least he can save his life and go to the south!" Yang Chang said first.
Following this, everyone handed over their communication devices. Fengshen Palace then sent word to their families, informing them that they would be staying at Fengshen Palace for the night and would not be returning.
As dusk approached, Shen Feng had someone call Li Xiang, explaining the situation: "Yuzhou wishes to investigate the consumption of grain in various regions, so someone will be sent tomorrow to inspect. Please prepare the granary and ensure all grain storage information is recorded. Both incoming and outgoing grain must be logged and submitted for verification immediately."
Li Xiang had not expected such a turn of events. Previously, if anyone was to inspect the granaries, he would be notified in advance. But this time, he was informed the evening before that an inspection would take place the next day. The notice was too abrupt, and it was clearly too late to prepare the grain. However, admitting his mistake was even more impossible. Thus, he thought of his prior preparations.
If he admitted his mistake now, his power and status would vanish. For someone who had held power for so long, suddenly losing it would undoubtedly shatter their psychological expectations.
And so, that very night, a fire broke out in the Jiangyang granary. When people rushed over, they discovered that the granary, where open flames had always been strictly prohibited, had become an inferno, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky. As the granary burned, the surrounding crowd spontaneously organized a firefighting effort, but they were immediately blocked by people from the City Lord's mansion.
"What are you doing? The granary is on fire, and you're not going to rescue it? We need to save the burning grain, don't block our way!" The surrounding crowd was agitated, worried about not receiving grain in the future, and eager to fight the fire.
"These are the City Lord's orders. He says the fire in the granary is too large, and only the fire department can carry out the rescue. If you approach, you will be harmed, and he cannot bear to see you suffer casualties in vain. So please understand the City Lord's good intentions and stay nearby!" the soldiers said, blocking the crowd while trying to persuade them.
"What kind of nonsense is this? Even if the fire is huge, we can put it out with our collective effort. Grain is the most important thing right now, who cares about casualties?" Someone retorted, unable to stand it any longer.
Under normal circumstances, people nearby would not ignore a fire. As the saying goes, when the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer. If a place catches fire, the surrounding people are also likely to be affected. Therefore, even for their own safety, the flames had to be extinguished.
It was unclear what these people were thinking. Not only was the fire department arriving very slowly, as if stuck on the road, but they were also preventing the surrounding people from fighting the fire. Weren't they afraid that all the grain in the granary would be burned?
Unfortunately, the soldiers were determined to prevent people from approaching, fearing that they might get hurt if they approached without authorization. This was the City Lord's order, and they could only obey their duty and prevent these people from getting near the granary.
Countless people watched helplessly as a massive granary turned into ruins. Their hearts were heavy seeing this scene, for it represented countless grains, now destroyed in the flames. How could this not bring sorrow?
Some elderly people could not bear to witness this and shed tears. It was grain, grain that could save countless lives, now lost in the fire.
However, at this moment, Li Xiang showed a relieved expression. He knew that this scene was the result of his long-term preparations to cope with unexpected inspections. If others were to discover his unauthorized diversion of grain, it would cause immense trouble. But now, with the granary burning, there was no way to investigate how much grain was lost, as faced with a pile of ruins, no one knew the extent of the damage.
"Even if people from above come to investigate, they will find nothing to look into when they see these ruins. At most, I will be charged with dereliction of duty, receive a symbolic punishment, and then I'll be fine!" Li Xiang thought to himself.
His plan was well-conceived. When he diverted the grain, he had already considered how to deal with his superiors. Now, the solution was simple: set the granary ablaze, and there would be nowhere to investigate.
He had conceived this method after reading about peculiar phenomena. In ancient times, there were frequent stories of "fire dragons burning granaries" and "ghost soldiers borrowing grain." If one thought about it carefully, the reason for the disappearance of grain was clear: it must have been stolen by someone.
After the granary fire, there were those who rejoiced and those who grieved. Those who grieved were generally the common folk. With their simple minds, they believed there was grain in the granary, and watching it turn to ashes naturally made them unhappy, worrying if they would still receive grain in the future. Those who rejoiced did so because they felt safe.
However, the next day, people from Yuzhou arrived. But they were not there to inspect the granaries; they were a group of ability users.
The appearance of these ability users caused everyone to exclaim in surprise. The people who appeared were Shen Feng's disciples. His earlier disciples were already capable of handling matters independently. Upon their arrival, they immediately headed to Li Xiang's residence and, without a word, bound him.
"I deserve death! I have failed the City Lord! I stood by and watched the grain turn to ashes. It's all my fault, my indecisiveness, my obstruction of the public's attempt to fight the fire. I have brought suffering to these people! Take me away! I have no face to face these elders and villagers!" Li Xiang said with deep remorse as he was being apprehended, offering no resistance.
Anyone unaware of the situation would have considered him a decent official. However, many people scoffed at his actions.
"We know everything. You don't need to pretend anymore. Your trial will not be for the granary fire, but for the disappearance of the grain. Come with us. Your family will also be taken!" Qu Zhaoqian said.