The expressions on their faces all looked rather ugly.
Tang Yu kindly reassured them, "There's no need for alarm, gentlemen. We're only here to investigate who was involved in maintaining and repairing the formation back then. So long as none of you embezzled or accepted bribes, or did anything deceitful and unworthy of His Majesty's grace, the Northern Pacification Commission will not make things difficult for you."
Hearing Tang Yu's words, everyone felt their hearts sink even further.
Repairing and maintaining the formation was an enormous gravy job.
From top to bottom, who in all of Firecloud Prefecture hadn't gotten involved to skim some profit?
If everyone hadn't been so brazen in their greed that some of the formation's materials were of appallingly poor quality, and if this year's eruption of earthfire hadn't been so disastrously timed, things would never have escalated to this point.
Once everyone had arrived, Tang Yu borrowed a separate courtyard from the Firecloud Prefecture government office specifically to interrogate them.
This sudden investigation by the Northern Pacification Commission was no less devastating to Firecloud Prefecture's officialdom than another earthfire eruption.
After seven days had passed, less than half of them were ultimately released.
The hands of those people had been relatively cleaner, and every one of them was an official from Firecloud Prefecture.
Not a single merchant involved in the repairs and maintenance was released. They had been deemed to have supplied inferior materials for unscrupulous profit and were still undergoing further investigation.
Had they done it on their own initiative?
Or had they colluded with certain officials to make this money together?
Every detail was thoroughly investigated.
Once the groundwork had been properly laid, Tang Xuanji had his subordinates continue their focused investigation, putting on the appearance that they intended to pursue the matter