Chapter 298: Chapter 124: Aoto Promoted! 400-koku Salary Increase!

Tonight is not only a "sleepless night" for townsmen, the Magistrate’s Office, and the officials of the Town Fire Extinguisher.

The supreme one residing in Edo Castle is also yet to sleep...

...

Edo, Edo Castle, Fuji Viewing Tower—

"Lord Shogun, the fire situation in Edo City has been mostly extinguished." One of Tokugawa Iemochi’s pageboys kneeled on one knee behind him, respectfully reporting to Tokugawa Iemochi, who was standing by the window.

At this moment, Tokugawa Iemochi, standing by the window, was leaning on the windowsill with both hands, lips tightly pressed together, gazing solemnly at the world outside.

Beside him stood the "Empress Dowager": Tenshōin—she stood shoulder to shoulder with Tokugawa Iemochi, gazing at the view outside the window together.

Outside the window, in Edo’s Castle Town, the thick smoke that was so strong just a moment ago had mostly dissipated.

The flames that had illuminated half the sky had almost vanished.

Cloaked under the night sky, Edo’s Castle Town once again fell into complete darkness.

Watching the town where the firelight was finally no longer visible, and listening to the report from the pageboy behind him, Tokugawa Iemochi’s tense face gradually relaxed.

"It’s finally extinguished... Have the Town Fire Extinguisher quickly compile the damage report; how many people died, how many houses burned, I need precise numbers."

"Yes!"

"Alright, you may withdraw for now."

The pageboy bowed his head, responded loudly with "Yes," and then exited the room swiftly yet gracefully.

As soon as the pageboy left, Tenshōin, who had been standing beside Tokugawa Iemochi, smiled slightly.

"...Lord Shogun." Tenshōin asked in her beautifully ethereal voice, "It’s such a relief that the fire in the City Town has finally been extinguished."

Tokugawa Iemochi showed a weary smile: "What a long night it has been..."

Edo Castle, the residence of the Shogun, is centrally located in Edo. Any major disturbance in Edo’s Castle Town is impossible to escape its notice.

When the flames erupted from Pan-cho and other Castle Towns in Edo, the Edo Castle immediately detected the anomaly.

Although a wide moat surrounds the perimeter of Edo Castle, no carelessness can be afforded in the event of a fire.

Recalling two hundred years ago, the "Great Fire of Meireki" that turned two-thirds of Edo into ruins also affected Edo Castle, burning down the Tenshu Tower, which was then the tallest in the nation.

Even though there was little wind tonight, with swift action, there was a great chance of preventing the fire from getting out of control, yet so many places caught fire at the same time, exceptionally terrifying in scale. Out of caution, the officials serving Tokugawa Iemochi in Edo Castle ultimately decided to escort him to safety.

At that time, Tokugawa Iemochi had already fallen asleep, and his attendants swiftly woke him, intending to lead him through a tunnel to temporarily escape Edo Castle.

Waking up in a daze and understanding what had happened, Tokugawa Iemochi’s face turned stern.

"Ridiculous! As the General of Expedition, to flee in panic while the fire in the Castle Town has not yet gotten completely out of control would surely be laughable!"—with such words, he sternly reprimanded those who urged him to temporarily leave Edo Castle, insisting on staying.

Tenshōin, too, insisted on remaining in Edo Castle: "This small fire still falls far short of necessitating an escape through a tunnel."

Tokugawa Iemochi, fully dressed, ascended to the highest building in Edo Castle with Tenshōin—Fuji Viewing Tower, from where, on clear days, they could take in a panoramic view of Edo City and Mount Fuji.

While closely monitoring the situation from Edo Castle’s highest building, he personally issued a mobilization order: calling for the Arson and Theft Magistrate and other units to help extinguish the fire.

Tokugawa Iemochi’s mobilization order played a significant role.

Although the Arson and Theft Magistrate and other units did not have professional fire-fighting skills, they were capable of assisting townsmen to evacuate safely and dismantle buildings.

The additional personnel deployed by Tokugawa Iemochi significantly reduced the pressure on the Town Fire Extinguishers of Edo.

With the help of "favorable conditions" and "unity of the people," the Town Fire Extinguisher finally managed to extinguish this unexpected fire tonight.

The tension finally eased... Tokugawa Iemochi immediately felt a wave of fatigue wash over him.

But it was not yet time to rest assured.

Tokugawa Iemochi raised his hand, pressing forcefully at his brow, and deeply said: "Afterwards... we must have the Arson and Theft Magistrate thoroughly investigate who dared to recklessly set the town ablaze..."

The Arson and Theft Magistrate—a special security unit in Edo.

The original duties of this special unit were to apprehend thieves and arsonists.

Over time and multiple reorganizations, their real duties gradually transformed into handling major crimes, assisting the Edo Magistrate’s Office in capturing dangerous criminals beyond their capacity.

In short—they apprehend the criminals that the magistrates’ officials cannot! They combat criminal groups that the magistrates’ officials find too formidable! They take on what the magistrates’ office cannot handle, and what it can, they handle even better.

They directly manage a crucial armed force within the Shogunate Military System—the Advanced Group.

The Advanced Group is a historically significant vanguard force, primarily equipped with bows and firearms, which has repeatedly charged into battle for the Tokugawa Family, earning countless accolades for the Edo Shogunate.