Wei stood in the courtyard after Yan left, watching the relay light fade at the western gate. The fortress had been taken, but its guns, powder stores, and surviving crews were still under guard. He had no intention of calling the work finished before the city knew what remained intact.
“Remove the firing seals first,” he told the engineers. “Keep the powder rooms watched. No one moves a weapon from this yard until the council receives the inventory.”
An engineer handed him a slate with the count of guns and keys. Wei checked the numbers against the map on the table. One firing key was unaccounted for, but the crew pointed toward the lock where Yan had disabled the guard panel. The engineer had found the key there and entered it in the record.
“Who holds the powder room?” Wei asked.
“Two guards at each door. The crew is outside the storehouse.”
“Good. Keep the guards in pairs.”
Some of the local laborers had left with the released prisoners. Others chose to remain and collect wages they said had been withheld. Wei had not sent them away or required them to sign anything. He gave the city council a written inventory and told the laborers they could speak to the clerk before they left.
