Blocking the road to seek redress must reflect trust and admiration for the officials.
The Duke of Chengguo truly holds such high regard in the capital.
The soldiers at the front couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.
But what grievances do these people have?
As the thought crossed their minds, they suddenly heard the crowd shouting loudly.
"The Duke of Chengguo wages war for profit, extorting wealth from the populace!"
"The Duke of Chengguo craves warfare, plunging all corners of the land into chaos!"
"The Duke of Chengguo profits from war, robbing the people of their livelihood!"
The shouting echoed down the main road, leaving everyone visibly shocked.
The soldiers, who had previously been somewhat stirred, stood in stunned silence.
What?
Craving warfare? Plunging the land into chaos?
Are they talking about… us?
While dazed, someone in the kneeling crowd suddenly raised a hand and threw a rotten fruit.
Perhaps due to the distance or the thrower's shaky, weak grip, the fruit did not hit the soldiers but landed on the ground before them with a splattering sound.
Though not particularly loud, for some reason, the sound felt especially piercing to the soldiers, as if it were the stone bullets hurled by the Qingshan Army on the battlefield, exploding and leaving their ears ringing.
The juice from the fruit seemed to splash onto their faces and bodies, sticky and searingly painful.
"Craving warfare!"
"Bringing ruin to the nation and its people!"
"Return our livelihoods!"
"Draining the treasury!"
"Leaving the people destitute!"
The shouting surged louder and louder, and more fruits and vegetables were thrown as the stunned crowd finally returned to their senses. The scene descended into chaos.
The soldiers on duty rushed in to disperse them, but those kneeling resisted with all their might, ignoring the weapons in the soldiers' hands—swords, pikes, and clubs.
"The government soldiers are killing people!"
Several elderly women fell to the ground, wailing and throwing themselves at the soldiers.
Of course, the government soldiers could not truly attack or harm these civilians. For a moment, it was as if they had fallen into a quagmire, stuck in an unbearable deadlock, and the scene became utter bedlam.
"What is happening?"
"It's people who couldn't afford the fees for setting up market stalls a short while ago."
"Fees? What fees?"
"Of course, to fund the rewards for the Duke of Chengguo."
"I hadn't heard of that?"
"You're naive. Haven't you heard that even officials' salaries were levied? These vendors were no exception."
Questions and murmurs spread like wildfire. The previous cheers scattered, and the expressions of the onlooking crowd turned strange and conflicted.
The military formation remained disciplined and rigid, the soldiers standing immobile, but the once indomitable aura of iron and blood seemed greatly diminished under the onslaught of clamor, weeping, and the crowd's judging gazes.
...........................…
Before the Imperial City, countless officials stood in prescribed ranks according to their status. Since the emperor had yet to arrive, they were quietly conversing, the atmosphere light and leisurely.
But soon enough, an Imperial Guard galloped in, whispered a few words to an official, whose expression changed drastically as he hurried inside. The news quickly spread, disrupting the tranquility of the courtyard.
"How could this happen?"
"They've actually been stopped."
"What should we do now?"
Ning Yunzhao stood toward the rear, listening to the whispered discussions around him, and sighed deeply.
"Mr. Ning, for whom do you sigh?" someone asked softly. "For the Duke of Chengguo, perhaps?"
Though Ning Yunzhao kept a low profile, as the nephew of Ning Yan—who had been dismissed for supporting the Duke's request to wage war—many still associated him with the Duke's faction.
"You could say that," Ning Yunzhao replied calmly. "But truly, I sigh for His Majesty. After all, the Duke of Chengguo represents the emperor's dignity. For him to be blocked at this moment, unable to meet the court in time, reflects poorly on His Majesty's honor."
Indeed, Ning Yunzhao was known to prioritize imperial orders above all else—a fact everyone was well aware of.
The person who asked cleared their throat, pointing at several high-ranking officials briskly heading out.
"The senior officials are on their way; they should resolve this. It won't delay His Majesty's audience," he said softly.
Ning Yunzhao nodded as well.
"I trust the Duke of Chengguo will safeguard His Majesty's dignity," he said.
Trust the Duke of Chengguo? How would he safeguard it? By apologizing and begging forgiveness from these small traders, grandmothers, and women blocking the road, asking them to step aside?
As those officials headed urgently out of the city, seven miles away, the commotion grew worse.
The incoming crowd was now large enough to obstruct the reinforcements of soldiers sent to maintain order. The road was filled with wailing civilians tugging at soldiers, while hired agitators from De Sheng Chang had lured many to the road's center to join the fray.
"We demand to see the Duke of Chengguo!"
"Let the Duke of Chengguo come out!"
"We want an explanation!"
Nearly a hundred people were shouting at the top of their lungs, waving banners, and even charging directly at the military formation.
The soldiers standing at the front lines no longer wore any trace of excitement on their faces, replaced instead by blank expressions, alongside undeniable confusion and disappointment.
Suddenly, the military formation parted, and an armored figure on horseback emerged.
Everyone froze at the sight of the figure.
Though clad in armor, wearing a hat, and veiled, it was unmistakably a young woman.
A woman in the military ranks?
The sight of her appearance left the crowd startled, and the turbulent noise subsided significantly.
"Hey, did you come here to cause trouble because the feudal authority collected fees you didn't want to pay?" Zhao Hanqing asked loudly.
It was said that the Duke of Chengguo had been rescued from Yizhou by his daughter-in-law leading troops. Was this maidservant someone close to the Heir's Wife?
The man leading the crowd had a flicker in his eyes.
No matter who came to question them, just having someone emerge would effectively pin this incident on the Duke of Chengguo. Even the soldiers who had been pulling at them hesitated and halted.
Not to mention, it was merely a young girl. Young girls were far easier to deal with.
Suppressing his elation, the man responded loudly, and the others echoed him, causing the scene to erupt in noise once again.
"...The feudal authority collected our money in order to…" the man began, but the girl interrupted him.
"Disregarding orders is a crime." Her voice rang out clearly. "Inciting a crowd is rebellion. Criminals and rebels are punished according to the law. Surrender immediately."
What? Criminals? Rebels? Surrender?
The raucous scene fell silent once more.
What was she talking about? How were they criminals or rebels? And who did she think she was?
The man leading the crowd regained his composure, both amused and furious.
"A rural wench, ignorant and laughable," he sneered.
"We are not rebels; we are oppressed…" he shouted.
But before he could finish, she interrupted again.
"We are under orders to enter the city. Stand aside at once, or you defy the emperor's decree!" she declared loudly. "Those who dare to defy imperial commands shall be executed without mercy."
Executed without mercy? Could she be serious?
The crowd stared at her in disbelief. What outrageous words from this girl!
As the thought crossed their minds, they saw the girl raise her crossbow and point it directly at them. At the same time, the soldiers behind her followed suit, their crossbows aimed in unison.
Sharp, chilling crossbow bolts gleamed menacingly in front of them, causing the civilians—unaccustomed to such sights—to gasp in fear and stumble backward.
The deadly atmosphere made even the man leading the crowd falter, his expression shifting uneasily.
Executed without mercy? Impossible! If faced with the Jinyiwei, such threats would be believable, but how could the Duke of Chengguo act like the Jinyiwei?
"Do not panic! I refuse to believe that under the clear skies, a Duke who cherishes his people like children will shoot down innocent, wronged citizens!" the man shouted, stepping forward boldly.
The others steadied themselves as well.
"That's right! We have grievances and seek justice!"
"We are citizens, not Jin thieves!"
"The soldiers wouldn't dare kill us."
"The Duke of Chengguo wants to slaughter his own people."
Curses, yells, and cries rose again, and the crowd rippled forward once more.
"Release the arrows," the girl's voice rang out coldly and decisively.
With a collective twang, crossbow bolts flew out.
Screams erupted all around, and even the on-duty soldiers maintaining order instinctively shouted in alarm.
Luckily, the feathered arrows didn't hit anyone but embedded themselves in the ground in front of the advancing crowd, forming a neat line.
Despite this, the front row of civilians collapsed to the ground in fright, wailing uncontrollably.
They actually fired their arrows!
In the center of it all, the leading man's face flickered with fear, but he gritted his teeth again.
Look—while they dared fire, they didn't dare harm anyone. It was mere posturing.
"Don't be afraid of them!" he shouted, waving his arm. "We demand justice! We demand answers!"
Spurred by his words, the hesitant crowd began to edge forward again.
Zhao Hanqing put away her crossbow. As she did so, the soldiers behind her followed suit, lowering their weapons.
See? See? They're afraid now!
The crowd's spirits lifted in joy, but before that joy could fully set in, they watched the girl draw a long spear.
"Form up! Advance!" she commanded sharply, brandishing the spear forward, pointing it squarely at the obstructing crowd.
A loud synchronized clatter came from behind her as the soldiers rearranged their formation. The crossbowmen retreated, replaced by a line of spear-wielding troops.
"Hah!"
A united shout resounded as the formation of mounted troops moved forward in lockstep.
The thundering hooves caused the ground to quake. The soldiers, their expressions rigid and solemn, appeared as if they were staring down Jin thieves rather than mere civilians. Their long spears shimmered with an icy edge, carrying an aura of death and blood.
A murderous energy swept over the scene like a tide.
…
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Sob sob sob… after so many days, I finally climbed into the dashboard to check… Posting the first chapter felt so lonely.