The Empress convenes the guarded council in the Palace of the Jade Dragon’s administrative gallery, beneath painted river maps and suspended jade lamps. Kareem, Censor We, Censor Mai, the Director, and the magistrate from Qiyang accompany her, while Han Rui remains under guard with the sealed evidence.
Imperial Guards secure both gallery entrances. Clerks carry the sealed registers to a central table, keeping the throne room and its gathered officials behind closed doors.
the magistrate from Qiyang
The missing copper was shaped for main conduits, not household repairs. The purification stone was cut for settling basins, and replacing either requires matching sizes from the northern quarries.
Kareem Bishop
Then the immediate danger is not only what was stolen. If repairs stop halfway, contaminated water can enter the new lines and make the villages trust the work less than before.
Censor Mai
The custody breakdown rests with my office. I will provide every access register and identify which clerks could reach the seal, but recovery must not wait for my defense.
Censor We
Issue lawful seizure warrants for the named storehouses, freeze only the implicated accounts, and appoint bonded carriers to return the materials under witnessed inventory.
the Director of Celestial Harmony
The warrants can be sealed before sunset. Temple auditors will witness each recovery, while independent clerks preserve the existing repair schedules and village allocations.
✓ Quest Accepted
Trace the diverted supplies to their private beneficiaries
✓ Quest Accepted
Recover the diverted public-health materials