Chapter 184

Chapter 184: Less Than One in Ten Remained

Inside Ci Ji Hall, smoke and sparks rolled like waves. Babies cried, mixed with older children screaming for help. The fire was huge, and it started in more than one place.

A’Jian saw several women running toward a building where the flames were worst. The moment they reached the doorway, a broken beam collapsed.

A’Jian stomped forward and shouted, “Watch out!” He grabbed the woman who was about to be crushed and rolled away with her.

The woman did not care that her leg had been struck. She struggled up and cried, “Hurry! Hurry and save them!”

Another woman sobbed, “My lord, this is the Infant Nursery Hall. All the children inside are under one year old. They can’t even run…”

A’Jian froze.

The commotion had already spread next door. Du Yi Zhi naturally knew Ci Ji Hall would not catch fire for no reason. This disaster had happened only because the cotton stored next door had been set alight and spread here.

Save people, or save cotton?

Someone shouted again, “Boss Du, look! That side is on fire too!”

Du Yi Zhi’s eyes turned icy. Whether the Southern Du Branch did it, Prefect Yan did it, or both shared the blame, they were all mad, worse than beasts.

As the “parent official” of Ji Zhou Prefecture, a great clan supported by the people, they were now using innocent children’s lives so Du Yi Zhi would have no time to protect the cotton.

The choice was right in front of him. Even knowing it was a trap, Du Yi Zhi still had to step into it.

Du Yi Zhi drew a deep breath and shouted, “Save people first!”

If the cotton was gone, more could be sent later. But if those children were burned alive inside, then even if they saved ten times as many people, they would never wash the guilt from their hearts.

Inside the Infant Nursery Hall, black smoke churned and flames shot into the sky. With Du Yi Zhi’s order, everyone ignored the danger and poured buckets of snow and water inside.

The fire did not weaken at all.

A’Jian sniffed the air and said, “Someone poured a lot of fire oil around here. Water won’t put it out. We have to get the children out first.”

After speaking, A’Jian grabbed a bucket and dumped water over himself, then charged inside.

Du Yi Zhi did not move. He knew his limits. With his body and strength, even if Du Yi Zhi went in, Du Yi Zhi would only get in the way.

One hunter after another rushed inside. The flames were scorching. The sound of beams smashing down kept ringing out.

In the Du family’s third house, Du Cheng looked a little more lively that night. Third Madam Du carried in a bowl of hot porridge she had cooked herself.

The thick white rice was mixed with minced meat and greens. In weather cold enough for ice to be three feet deep, the Du Residence still ate greens grown in heated greenhouses every day.

Third Madam Du feared Du Cheng would refuse to eat, and she was about to coax him. But a wrist, much thinner than before, reached out on its own.

Du Cheng took the spoon and ate the thick porridge, one bite after another.

Third Madam Du cried with joy and said, “Slowly. Slow down…”

“Mother…” Du Cheng finished and lifted his face. His voice was hoarse. Since the day Third Master Du locked him in his room, this was the first time Du Cheng had spoken.

Third Madam Du quickly took the bowl from him and said, “Cheng’er, you…”

“Mother, I’m still hungry. I want another bowl.” Du Cheng cut her off.

Third Madam Du blinked, then nodded in a rush. “Alright, alright. Cheng’er, wait. Mother will go get you another bowl right now.”

Third Madam Du turned and left.

Du Cheng watched her back. His lips parted, but in the end Du Cheng did not call out again. Du Cheng shoved his feet into his shoes and sprinted outside.

[Faster! Faster! Maybe if Du Cheng was fast enough, Du Cheng could stop them… maybe…]

Du Cheng suddenly stopped. Du Cheng stared at the raging firelight not far away.

Du Cheng was not the only one. More and more people saw the flames rising into the sky.

In the freezing night, with snow piled three feet deep, someone shouted, “Boss Du’s cotton is on fire! Hurry – everyone go put it out!”

One person, then two, then more. People ran past Du Cheng toward the growing fire.

An auntie carrying a bucket slammed into Du Cheng. Du Cheng had not eaten for days. With that hit, the bowl of porridge Du Cheng had just swallowed felt like it was about to burst out of his throat.

Du Cheng fell to the ground and panted hard.

The auntie had no time to look at his clothes or face. She did not realize he was the Du Clan’s young master, Third Master Du’s son. She asked, “Kid, are you alright?”

Du Cheng shook his head.

The auntie patted his back and said, “Then Auntie will go help. Boss Du is a good man! If he hadn’t sent cotton here, the commoner in Ji Zhou Prefecture would have suffered!”

With that, the auntie ran forward at full speed.

Du Cheng opened his mouth. Du Cheng wanted to say that Du Yi Zhi was Du Ming Hao’s son.

Du Ming Hao had raped another man’s wife and killed people. How could the son of such a man be a good person?

But Du Cheng’s mouth hung open, then closed again. Du Cheng remembered what Father had said.

If Du Ming Hao was not a good man for killing someone and ruining another man’s wife, then what did that make Father, who planned to use the lives of dozens of infants to force Du Yi Zhi to back down?

The fire seemed to burn inside Du Cheng’s chest. Du Cheng pressed his lips together and pushed himself up again.

“What are you looking at, Master Lin?” Jiang Mang had bought many good dishes. After eating his fill, Jiang Mang realized Lin Yi was not in the room.

Jiang Mang shook off the people beside him and walked out. Jiang Mang saw Lin Yi staring in one direction.

Jiang Mang followed Lin Yi’s gaze. In the next instant, Jiang Mang froze.

“That is…”

Someone shouted, “Fire!”

Outside, someone shouted again, “Boss Du’s cotton is on fire! Hurry – everyone go put it out!”

The pastry Jiang Mang still had not swallowed got stuck in his throat. Fire?

Jiang Mang looked at Lin Yi. Lin Yi’s face was blank.

Jiang Mang looked outside again, hoping Jiang Mang had heard wrong. But Jiang Mang had not. More and more voices rose, more and more commoner shouting.

Jiang Mang’s eyes widened. Jiang Mang suddenly grabbed Lin Yi by the collar.

Their eyes met.

Jiang Mang demanded, “Master Lin knew from the start?”

Jiang Mang’s fingers tightened. Lin Yi’s lips curled into a cold smile as Lin Yi pried Jiang Mang’s hand away. “Escort Master Jiang, don’t forget who your master is!”

Jiang Mang stared and said, “What do you mean? Are you saying this was the Heir Apparent’s order? Impossible! I don’t believe it!”

Lin Yi sneered and said nothing.

Jiang Mang spun around and rushed out.

This time Lin Yi did not stop Jiang Mang. Even if Jiang Mang went, what could Jiang Mang do?

There were hundreds of jin of fire oil, and dozens of children’s lives. Du Yi Zhi was destined to lose that cotton.

“We’re still missing one! Boss Du, there’s still one child inside!” A woman counted the babies who had been rescued.

A’Jian’s forehead was singed, and a large patch of his arm was burned. The other hunters were all injured too, more or less.

Many of them threw packed snow onto their wounds and prepared to charge back inside.

Just then, two more figures rushed past them and ran into the fire.

Du Yi Zhi frowned. One of those figures looked familiar.

But at that moment, a cheer burst out nearby.

“The fire is out!”

“Boss Du! The fire is out! It’s out!”

Next door, the cheers mixed with choking sobs. Only then did Du Yi Zhi realize that at some point, the yard outside had filled with commoner.

They had poured water onto the cotton piles and smashed down ice and snow on their own.

Black ash. Pure exhaustion.

When the flames finally died, the cotton in the residence was already almost gone. Less than one in ten bales remained.