Sheng Mingyu was extremely annoyed. He waved his hand to send the person away, looked at Gu Yunni, and the two started talking.
"Is there any way in the mystical arts to blind a person, preventing them from seeing the outside world? I always feel like the Jingzhao Yin has fallen into a trap. He is a subordinate of the emperor and would not easily abandon the people. Although he is not capable of handling affairs, he will not pretend to be blind."
Sheng Mingyu's words made Gu Yunni fall into deep thought. She thought for a long time, her eyes shining.
"If you put it that way, it seems there is indeed a way. We all learned it when we first started learning the mysterious arts, and many little ghosts also know how to use their own essence and blood."
"Evil ghost!"
As soon as Gu Yunni finished speaking, the Imperial Master immediately gave the answer. Apart from the evil ghost, he could not think of any other possibility.
Sheng Mingyu clapped his hands together, excited. "Yes! It could really be that evil spirit. Unless he has someone skilled in occult arts helping him, we just came out from the Seventh Prince. Even if he is stupid, he wouldn't attack us now. It shouldn't be him this time."
Gu Yunni nodded, thought for a while, and agreed with this statement.
Several people looked at the area where the fire had burned, with unclear expressions in their eyes.
Not long after, Jingzhao Yin came back crawling with his men, kneeling in front of Sheng Mingyu and confessing the truth.
"Reporting to His Royal Highness, I have already found out who started the fire. It was the local residents. They only set a small fire and did not intend for it to become so large."
“Why!?”
Jingzhao Yin's words surprised everyone. They had thought of thousands of possibilities, but they had never thought that the people would do it themselves.
If this is true, it seems to have nothing to do with the evil spirit.
"They say the west side of the city is a disaster zone, where ghosts repeatedly come into contact with it, and the people are frequently injured. Only fire can burn away this bad luck. The people are stupid and naturally can't tell the difference."
When Jingzhao Yin said this, he was very angry and kept gritting his teeth.
It was because they were too stupid that they almost lost their lives!
"There must be someone who started the rumor first, right? Who was the first to say this? He's the most suspicious. The people have lived in the west of the city for so many years, they wouldn't easily think this is a disaster area, unless someone is stirring up trouble."
Gu Yunni sighed, but quickly accepted this statement. It was not surprising that anything outrageous happened among the common people.
"I haven't found this person yet. When I asked around, the people all said the same thing. I really want to find the leader, but I'm afraid it's going to be difficult."
Jingzhao Yin had a bitter look on his face.
How could he not have thought of what Gu Yunni had thought of? He hadn't brought the person with him, and he really hadn't found him.
"What should we do? We should bring the people here and interrogate them one by one! The person behind this must be caught, otherwise there will only be more trouble in the future. Who knows what rumors he will spread? Today the west part of the city is burning, maybe tomorrow the east part will be burned."
"Yes! The west of the city is a slum, so it can be burned. But what if it burns the mansions of the officials? I'm afraid His Majesty will be furious!" The Minister of Revenue echoed.
No one wanted this matter to end as soon as possible more than he did. If it got bigger and bigger, his daughter's life might be in danger.
"No!" Sheng Mingyu looked grim and immediately rejected it.
"Arresting so many people would cause panic. Even if we interrogate them, how would we interrogate them? Can they really find out who I was, the one who first said this? Those who deliberately spread the rumors have long since disappeared."
"Yes! Not to mention that it is impossible to torture civilians to extract confessions, even if we arrest them, if it arouses public outrage, I'm afraid the problem will be even more difficult to resolve." Gu Yunni said helplessly.
Some things cannot be done just because you want to. Even if they are in a high position, they cannot deal with the people at will.
"What should we do? We can't just watch the person behind us being so arrogant. If he has a bad temper and causes this kind of thing again, I'm afraid the whole of Kyoto will be burned down next time."
"Alright! Stop complaining, I'll think of something."
The Imperial Master frowned and kept muttering, but Sheng Mingyu spoke in an irritable tone. Today's incident was still his fault, and he was more troubled than anyone else.
"Go and bring the leader here first. This prince wants to question him."
Everyone fell silent, and only when Sheng Mingyu spoke did they breathe a sigh of relief.
The Jingzhao Yin hurried over to do the work, not daring to delay for even a moment.
Not long after, he brought over a man who looked like a villager.
The man was dressed in rags, his body was covered with scars, he was skinny, his skin was hanging on his bones, wrinkled, it was obvious that he was malnourished.
"May your highness be well and safe."
"Old man, are you the leader of these people in the west of the city?"
"Your Highness, I'm not really a leader. I'm just the one who passes on some things, and I hope you all will respect me. I wonder why Your Highness called me here today?"
The old man had a calm expression and looked at Sheng Mingyu with a friendly look, which was surprising.
Ordinary people would not be as courageous as him.
"Old man, you were not an ordinary person before, right? I wonder which family you come from? Have you ever been an official in the court before?" Gu Yunni suddenly asked in confusion.
The old man's eyes sparkled as he looked at Gu Yunni, "The Crown Prince's Consort really has good taste. I used to be from a big family, but I did some wrong things and was abandoned by my family."
"Everyone has made mistakes. It's a pity for the family to lose you." Gu Yunni nodded, said a few polite words casually, and didn't ask any more questions.
Sheng Mingyu looked at her without saying anything and then talked about serious matters.
"I heard from the Jingzhao Yin that some people believed the rumors and wanted to burn down the west side of the city. I wonder what you think, old man. Do you agree?"
"I don't agree." As soon as Sheng Mingyu finished speaking, the old man shook his head in denial, his expression looking a little unhappy, as if he was angry.
"When I heard the rumors, I knew someone was behind it. I wanted to talk to them in detail, but the fire had already started. I could only do my best to put it out. Fortunately, His Royal Highness showed up in time, otherwise I, an old man, would have been buried in the sea of fire."
He looked at Sheng Mingyu with a hint of gratitude in his eyes.
"I know His Royal Highness wants to ask me who is spreading the rumors. I can't help you with this matter. Even though I am in charge of the west side of the city, not everyone listens to me. This is the most chaotic place in all of Kyoto."
Without waiting for Sheng Mingyu to speak, he answered the question directly.
He wants to help, but he has to do it within his means.
"I understand. If you could provide some clues, that would be great, but if you really don't have any, I won't make it difficult for you. Please think about it carefully. Maybe one of your words can help."
Sheng Mingyu had a faint smile on his face, and his tone was no longer as stiff as before. He liked dealing with smart people.
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