Chapter 123 The Crown Prince’s Gratitude

Chapter 123: The Crown Prince's Gratitude

Xue Han had no idea how long he had been asleep when Hu Si came in and roused him: "Sir, there's word from the palace. His Majesty summons you."

Xue Han tidied himself up a bit and went to see Emperor Jingping.

Compared to the senior ministers and nobles who had stayed up until nearly dawn, Emperor Jingping had gotten more rest and was in fairly good spirits when he saw Xue Han.

The Crown Prince beside him, though he had just been through a life-or-death crisis, now appeared to have returned to normal.

"Your humble official, Xue Han, pays his respects to Your Majesty and to Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Emperor Jingping said with a smile: "No need for such formality. Xue Han, you saved the Crown Prince last night. I must thank you."

"It was merely my duty. I dare not claim credit."

Emperor Jingping was quite satisfied with Xue Han's attitude: "Patrolling and guarding are not solely the duties of the Imperial City Bureau, yet you were the only one who discovered the fire in time and saved the Crown Prince."

The Crown Prince stood up directly and cupped his hands toward Xue Han: "Thank you, Commissioner Xue, for saving my life."

Xue Han hurriedly stepped aside: "Your Highness, you humble me too much."

"Last night was chaotic, and I never got around to asking: how did you discover the fire at the Crown Prince's residence?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the hunting lodge is surrounded by many trees and plants. Considering the dry autumn weather, which is prone to fires, I arranged for my subordinates to increase patrols, especially during the late-night hours when it's difficult to spot trouble promptly..."

Emperor Jingping nodded in agreement, glanced at the Crown Prince, and asked again: "I heard that when you led your men to the Crown Prince's residence, not only was the Star-Gazing Tower on fire, but the Crown Prince's sleeping quarters were also ablaze. How did you guess that the Crown Prince was trapped in the Star-Gazing Tower?"

Emperor Jingping asked this not out of suspicion toward Xue Han, but out of curiosity.

When the Crown Prince was in danger yesterday, he had inquired immediately. At that time, everyone who discovered the fire was focused on extinguishing the blaze in the Crown Prince's sleeping quarters. If not for Xue Han heading straight to the Star-Gazing Tower to rescue the Crown Prince, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"I did not speculate much. I simply saw that the people at the Crown Prince's residence were fully engaged in fighting the fire in His Highness's sleeping quarters, while the Star-Gazing Tower was being neglected. For some inexplicable reason, I felt uneasy and decided to go take a look." Xue Han's tone was calm, making him even more convincing. "If I must explain why I made that judgment, it was probably intuition."

"Intuition is good!" Emperor Jingping looked at Xue Han with even more appreciation. "Xue Han, we truly owe it to your intuition this time."

"It was what I should do."

"By my decree, Imperial City Commissioner Xue Han, for his merit in saving the Crown Prince, is granted the purple robe and golden fish pouch."

In Great Xia, only officials of the third rank and above may wear purple robes. For Xue Han, as Imperial City Commissioner, to be granted the purple robe was an immense honor.

"Thank you for Your Majesty's gracious reward."

Beside him, Xue Quan struggled to suppress the upward curve of his lips, feeling extremely satisfied.

In the past, people would say Xue Han had a good adoptive father. From now on, they would say Xue Quan had a good eldest son. It was still his discerning eye.

After announcing the reward, Emperor Jingping's expression turned serious: "Although the fire is extinguished, we must still thoroughly investigate how it started. Those who contributed to fighting the fire shall be rewarded; those who were negligent shall be punished."

"Yes."

"You may withdraw."

"Your humble official takes his leave."

The Crown Prince stood up: "Father, allow me to see Official Xue out."

"Hmm, go ahead."

Once outside the main hall, the Crown Prince spoke first: "Official Xue, would you like to come sit at my place for a while?"

"Your Highness's invitation is my honor."

The Crown Prince's new residence was not far, and they arrived shortly.

A eunuch served tea. The Crown Prince smiled apologetically: "I have only just moved in here. My hospitality is lacking."

"Your Highness is too courteous."

"I shall use tea in place of wine to toast Official Xue for saving my life." The Crown Prince raised his teacup.

"Your Highness is the Crown Prince. I was merely fulfilling my duty as a subject. How can I accept Your Highness's thanks?"

The Crown Prince took a sip of tea and sighed softly: "Last night, when Official Xue rescued me, you also saw my disarray. Even a Crown Prince facing a merciless fire will feel fear and panic. I possess no more ability to be impervious to water and fire than an ordinary person. My gratitude toward Official Xue is genuine."

Last night, trapped in the high tower, with thick smoke billowing and heat waves approaching, he clearly realized his own insignificance and helplessness.

Life and death, it turned out, were separated by a thin line.

In his moment of despair, he saw the youth before him.

The youth wore no armor, but in his eyes, he descended like a heavenly soldier, rescuing him from the sea of fire.

In the eyes of the world, it is indeed natural for a subject to die for his sovereign. But as the one who was saved, how could he regard it as natural? If Xue Han had not appeared, his fate would likely have been the same as that of the eunuch who accompanied him with a lantern to the Star-Gazing Tower last night.

Two bodies were discovered after last night's fire. One of them was the Crown Prince's close attendant, who did not die from the fire but fell to his death while escaping, carrying the Crown Prince on Xue Han's back.

Xue Han took a sip of tea and, after a moment of silence, said: "Since Your Highness holds me in such high regard, I will venture to say a few more words."

"Speak."

"I arrived relatively early and observed that the fire at the Star-Gazing Tower developed more rapidly than the one at Your Highness's sleeping quarters. These two locations are not connected; the fire did not spread from one to the other—"

The Crown Prince's expression turned serious: "What do you mean?"

Xue Han looked directly into the Crown Prince's eyes and said candidly: "In my view, the probability of two non-adjacent places catching fire simultaneously is not high. The fire at Your Highness's sleeping quarters seems more like a diversion."

The Crown Prince's face changed: "Official Xue suspects this fire was not an accident, but man-made?"

Xue Han cupped his hands: "To be frank with Your Highness, I do indeed have this suspicion."

The Crown Prince subconsciously picked up his teacup, took two sips, set it down again, his heart heavy.

He was not without this suspicion himself, but it was not something he could easily voice. What surprised him was Xue Han's frankness.

"Why did Official Xue not mention this before His Majesty?" After a moment of silence, the Crown Prince asked.

Xue Han lowered his gaze: "The matter is of great importance. Based solely on speculation, I dared not speak recklessly and cause His Majesty undue worry."

The Crown Prince nodded, pondered, and asked: "Since it is of such great importance and there is no evidence, why did Official Xue speak frankly to me?"

Xue Han's expression remained open and honest: "Although the matter is of great importance, Your Highness's safety is even more crucial. Regardless of whether anything can be uncovered from this fire, if Your Highness is reminded to take more precautions from now on, then I, as your subject, will have no regrets."

"Well said, 'no regrets.'" The Crown Prince raised his cup again. "Official Xue, I toast to your 'no regrets.'"

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"Does Official Xue have any direction for the investigation?"

"Your Highness, may I ask why you went to the Star-Gazing Tower last night?"

The Crown Prince remained silent for a long while before softly replying, "Yesterday was my late mother's death anniversary."

According to the customs of Great Xia, death anniversaries are not formally observed every year, but as her son, how could I forget such a day?

Every year on this day, he would habitually go to a high place to reminisce, recalling the days when his mother was still alive.

"The other deceased was the eunuch guarding the Star-Gazing Tower. Did you notice anything unusual about him yesterday?"

The Crown Prince thought carefully and shook his head. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"This man strikes me as suspicious."

"How so?"

"He was stationed on the first floor. Logically, he should have had enough time to escape when the fire broke out, yet he perished in the flames. I plan to focus the investigation on him."

"Then I entrust this matter to Official Xue."

Xue Han stood up. "This humble official should also take his leave."

"Let me escort Official Xue out."

Declining the Crown Prince's offer to see him off, Xue Han did not return to rest but went directly to the place where the bodies were kept.