The flames in the brazier gradually weakened, leaving only scarlet embers that occasionally burst with a spark.
In the council hall, the waves of allegiance had not yet settled, and the smell of charred wood still lingered.
Arashi's sneer faded, replaced by a gentle smile.
Looking at the ministers kneeling on the ground, faces showing the relief of surviving a disaster, Arashi said, "Rise. You are the pillars of the Land of Fire. There is no need for such a grand bow."
His voice was not loud, but it instantly calmed the restless crowd.
"Thank you, Lord Daimyo!"
Tanaka Shigeru and the others stood shakily. Their backs stayed slightly bent, and none dared meet Arashi's eyes.
The sight of that burning brazier had seared itself into their minds.
Arashi did not return to the main seat. He paced to the center of the hall and stood with his hands clasped behind his back.
Then he sighed.
The sigh was soft, but it made the ministers' hearts jump to their throats.
"My lords," Arashi said with a trace of sorrow, "my few useless elder brothers nearly emptied the treasury for the sake of a false reputation."
"Stabilizing internal strife, appeasing the territories, and rebuilding the capital will cost a fortune."
He paused, letting his gaze sweep over them.
"Just yesterday, Lord Tanaka even told me the treasury is cleaner than his hair."
Tanaka shuddered, nearly dropping to his knees again. "Your subject was only making a comparison. Your subject deserves punishment!"
"No, you are right," Arashi said, waving for him to relax, though worry deepened on his face.
"Now the war is about to end, tens of thousands of soldiers await pensions, displaced civilians wait to be resettled, the ruins await reconstruction, and money is needed everywhere."
"These past few days, I have slept poorly because of money."
His words were filled with helplessness.
The ministers exchanged glances.
He is asking for money.
Then again, this Daimyo, for all his thunderous methods, did inherit a wreck.
And every person present had contributed, more or less, to that wreck.
As Minister of Finance, Tanaka knew the treasury best. He clenched his jaw and stepped forward first.
He knelt again. "Lord Daimyo worries for the country. How can your subjects stand by?"
"Your subject, Tanaka Shigeru, is willing to share Your Lordship's burden and donate seventy percent of his family property to replenish the national treasury."
The hall was stunned.
Seventy percent.
That was the Tanaka clan's wealth accumulated over a century.
Had he gone mad?
In an instant, the ministers understood.
This was not madness. This was loyalty.
He was using money to buy his life, to buy his clan's future.
That fire had just burned away the evidence of their crimes.
Now it was time to pay for absolution.
"Your subject, Masashi Ito, is willing to donate seventy percent of his family property to share Your Lordship's burden."
"Your subject, Kawachi Mori, is willing to donate all earnings from the three iron mines in his territory for the next ten years."
"Your subject…"
For a moment, the hall resounded with pledges of donation.
It was like an auction of loyalty. Whoever spoke slow, whoever gave less, was disrespectful to the Daimyo.
Yui stood in the corner, watching this absurd yet real scene, her heart unsettled.
One fire, a few words, and those miserly old foxes were emptying their coffers.
Such methods were terrifying.
Arashi listened quietly. The worry on his face eased, though his brows remained slightly furrowed.
In his heart, he sneered.
A bunch of fools.
Do I need your money like this?
If I wished, a single thought could wipe out your wealth and your lives together.
A thought flashed through his mind. Arashi lifted his hand, pressing down lightly. "Good. I appreciate your intentions."
He sighed, his expression turning complicated.
"State affairs are difficult. I should not ask you to spend so much. But for now, this is the only path."
"It is just that…"
"Money alone is not enough."
Their hearts tightened again.
There is more?
Arashi paced a few steps, then said slowly, "After this war, I found many positions in the court overstaffed and inefficient."
"Some hold multiple posts, occupying seats yet accomplishing nothing."
"If this continues, the country will cease to be a country."
He stopped and looked at several old ministers who held real power.
"I plan to streamline the court."
"Eliminate useless departments, merge redundant posts, and promote capable young people."
"You are pillars of the nation, experienced and knowledgeable. You must understand this."
"Why not help me compile a list?"
"See which subordinates are old and should retire, and which posts do not actually need so many people."
Those words shook them more than the demand for donations.
Losing money was painful enough.
But this—this was like tearing away the foundations they had built with their own hands.
Those posts and people were the foundations and wings they had built over decades.
Cut their own?
Whoever moved first would lose their base.
It was worse than death.
Silence fell again.
Heads lowered. No one dared speak first.
The air congealed.
A faint smile touched Arashi's lips, then vanished.
The time was right.
The carrot would now appear.
He laughed suddenly, breaking the silence. "Haha, look at how frightened you are."
"Would I really make you cut off your own arms?"
He walked to Tanaka, personally helped him up, and patted his shoulder, his manner warm.
"Your efforts for the country today, I have seen and taken to heart."
"You are my meritorious subjects. I am too busy rewarding merits, how would I punish faults?"
He looked around and raised his voice. "The list can wait. But there is something we must do now."
"I have decided to use the treasury and your donations to launch the Land of Fire's Three-Year Revitalization Plan."
"First, we will rebuild war-torn towns, repair the roads, and dredge the rivers."
"Within this, there are countless opportunities, countless benefits."
Arashi's voice carried weight.
"These projects will not be given to outsiders."
"I will prioritize them for my most trusted subjects, for those of you standing here who are willing to face hardship with the Land of Fire."
"What you have lost, I will let you earn back a hundredfold, a thousandfold."
"I will make the Land of Fire prosperous and strong, and I will make my meritorious subjects the wealthiest, most honored people on this land."
Silence.
Then the ministers' breathing quickened, and their eyes turned red.
They looked at Arashi with fervor.
This Daimyo had first crushed their pride with ruthless force, then erased their leverage in one stroke, seized their wealth, and tightened his grip on their power.
Finally, he painted a reward so vast it defied imagination.
A pull, a strike, then a sweet date.
"Your subjects are willing to follow Lord Daimyo through fire and storm, without hesitation!"
"For the Daimyo, through any peril, without hesitation!"
They knelt with true conviction.
The roar of allegiance rose like a tidal wave, nearly lifting the roof.
Arashi watched with satisfaction.
Fear and greed are the two most useful reins in this world.
Now, he held them both in his hands.
(To be continued.)
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