As the sky faintly brightened, the entire capital was already bustling, with countless people surging towards the South City Gate.
The Duke of Chengguo and his entourage would enter the capital here, traverse through the city to the Imperial Street, and then receive an audience with the Emperor in front of the Imperial City.
The teahouses and restaurants along this street had been fully reserved half a month ago. Those who couldn't book a prime spot had come before dawn to secure their place along the street.
From inside the city to the outskirts, people crowded everywhere. Naturally, the South City Gate and Imperial Street attracted the most people, as the prince would come here to welcome them and the Emperor would grant an audience.
In addition to these areas, there were surges of people overflowing everywhere. From the highest point of the city gate, one could see the crowd stretching all the way to the Capital Suburb Camp.
To maintain order, the Five Cities Military Department, along with the Imperial Guards, had dispatched over a thousand personnel. However, with such an enormous crowd, neither these soldiers, government officials, nor the Imperial Guards could compare to the Jinyiwei in their ability to intimidate. Thus, the clamorous chaos persisted throughout.
"This is truly an unprecedented spectacle." A richly dressed man standing in the highest room of a nearby tavern near the city gate exclaimed, "The Duke of Chengguo deserves his renown; one cannot help but admire him."
"But for most of these people, it's really just curiosity," another remarked lightly with a smile. "Admiration is hardly the point."
"Indeed. This is the capital, not the northern lands," someone else sneered coldly. "If the Duke of Chengguo thinks he can act as he did in the northern lands, he's bound to be disappointed."
The richly dressed man chuckled.
"Is everything ready?" he turned and asked.
Several men nodded.
"All set." One of them replied, pointing ahead, "The people are positioned ten miles outside the city."
"When the Duke of Chengguo can't pass through, the news will naturally spread. Everyone will know the reason. This way, it won't disturb the prince or the Royal Family here," another said with a faint smile.
Some people can be provoked, while others cannot. As merchants, they understood this principle better than anyone.
The richly dressed man nodded with satisfaction and withdrew his gaze, looking out toward the distance beyond the city gate.
"I hope the Duke of Chengguo enjoys this surprise," he said with a smile.
................
As the formation marched out from the Capital Suburb Camp, the waiting crowd immediately broke into a commotion.
This Army was utterly different from the usual Imperial Guards. Their armor was not exquisite, and their physique wasn't taller or broader than the Imperial Guards'. Yet, their weathered, lean frames exuded an air of hardened tenacity. The old but robust vibe of their gear—swords, spears, crossbows, shields—added an overwhelming atmosphere of battle-tested gravity, even slowing the steps of their horses slightly.
Despite the rising waves of cheers from the crowd, the soldiers in the military formation remained immovable, as if blind and deaf to the noise around them.
This striking display of calm amidst chaos left the spectators even more thrilled.
Several Imperial Guards rode swiftly on horseback.
"The Emperor has already left the sleeping quarters."
"The princes have stepped out of the palace gates."
The timing of the march, the points of arrival, and the audience were all calculated by the Observatory. Everything was dictated by auspicious timing; it was not something one could simply decide at will.
Upon hearing this report, the waiting officials immediately signaled the Duke of Chengguo.
"Duke, it is time to proceed." They announced.
The Duke of Chengguo signaled to his subordinates. The sound of horns and war drums instantly echoed, and the army moved as one.
The heavy, resonant horns and the vigorous drumbeats, combined with the thunderous rhythm of horseshoes hitting the ground in unison, caused the surrounding spectators to feel chills and raise goosebumps. Following an awestruck silence, their cheers escalated to new heights.
"Is this what a battlefield military formation looks like?"
"It's truly breathtaking."
"No wonder the Jurchen people wouldn't dare invade."
"You fool, the Jurchen people have formations too! This is just how battles are fought on the battlefield."
Amid the murmurs, the formation advanced, and the waves of commotion surged outward like tidal waves.
The uproar from the distance stirred another round of chaos among the crowd here.
"They're coming."
"They're here."
"Don't push!"
"Step back!"
Shouts and reprimands mixed with the crying of children being squeezed in the throng, creating an overwhelming cacophony. The soldiers, constables, and guards struggled with their horsewhips and batons to restore order.
Within the crowd were some individuals whose expressions were unusual—heavy, excited, nervous, and faintly exhilarated all at once.
"They're coming."
"Get ready."
"No one move yet."
"Wait for the signal."
Low voices passed through the crowd as many people began converging in one direction. At that moment, the sound of a sudden commotion erupted.
"De Sheng Chang has thrown a reward!"
This shout echoed in the air.
De Sheng Chang?
A reward?
Reward for what?
Startled and puzzled, the crowd turned to look. Instantly, they were taken aback.
On both sides of the road, a few individuals suddenly appeared, holding large baskets. With a sudden gesture, they tipped the baskets, spilling out coins that rained down like a torrential downpour.
The clinking sound was the noise of coins hitting the ground.
The crowd froze momentarily before bursting into a frenzy, flooding toward the fallen coins.
The group that had just gathered tightly was immediately scattered in chaos. Many among them also dashed toward the money on the ground.
"Don't go!"
"Stop moving!"
"Come back quickly!"
Panic-stricken shouts mixed with the chaotic noise, but in the face of money—especially when so many others were scrambling for it—reason ceased to exist, and reactive instincts took over.
Watching the crowd that had just scattered in an instant, the leading men gritted their teeth in frustration, their expressions livid.
"These shallow-minded fools." They cursed under their breath, resentful but helpless. After all, if they weren't shallow-minded, they wouldn't have gathered here, lured by the money.
They then turned their hateful gazes toward the people spilling the coins, their expressions filled with venom.
De Sheng Chang!
Do they have too much money to spend? What business do they have meddling here, stirring up trouble?
Throwing money at this time—don't they fear causing chaos? Soldiers, please, disperse them! Arrest them and punish them!
Yet De Sheng Chang's coin-tossing was strategically executed. The coins were thrown deeper into the outer edges of the crowd, and assistants from the shop were maintaining order, preventing trampling incidents.
With the crowd diverted, the road itself became less congested. The soldiers, overwhelmed from managing the crowd, even seemed grateful and refrained from driving the coin-throwers away. Instead, they appeared appreciative, as though hoping they would continue tossing coins.
This infuriated the group of men even more.
"They're coming!"
One man shouted with a panicked edge, pointing forward.
On the main road, the army's military formation surged like a mountain rolling toward them, sparking waves of cheers along their path.
There was no time! The leading man gritted his teeth.
"Forget those chasing the coins! Whoever we've got is who we've got. We can't wait any longer; if the army gets closer, there will be no way to break through!" He said in a low voice.
Looking at the advancing armored soldiers and horses, the surrounding people were filled with awe and dread; the momentum was terrifying.
They even felt that if they tried to block the road, the soldiers would trample them without hesitation.
"No, they won't. This is the capital, the Emperor's domain. We're not Jin thieves!" The leading man replied. "Besides, under the watchful eyes of the public, the Duke of Chengguo wouldn't dare."
This reasoning calmed those nearby.
"Hurry, block the road!"
"Raise the banners!"
With a surge of activity, the gathered crowd suddenly rushed to the middle of the road.
The soldiers, who had just begun to breathe a sigh of relief, were caught off guard by the charge, stumbling in disarray and watching helplessly as over a hundred people reached the road's center.
What's happening? The surrounding spectators snapped back to attention, their expressions showing surprise.
The soldiers' brows furrowed deeply.
Someone is instigating trouble!
"Quick, disperse them!"
But it was already too late. The army led by the Duke of Chengguo was right in front of them.
Seeing the sudden emergence of people blocking the road, the expressions of the leading soldiers shifted from seriousness to surprise, with a trace of uncertainty.
"Halt."
A flag was waved to relay the command. The horses' steps came down heavily, and the advancing military formation instantly froze, standing immovable.
This synchronized motion brought an even more overwhelming silence as all surrounding commotion disappeared.
Even the soldiers preparing to drive these people off instinctively paused, now gazing with reverence.
The scene descended into an eerie quiet.
The man in the middle of the road exhaled deeply.
Success! They got the army to stop.
Though there were fewer people and the actions were more chaotic than intended—lacking the gravity they had hoped for—they had still achieved their goal.
With a loud thud, the leader knelt. At his cue, the others in the group followed suit, dropping to their knees en masse as seven or eight banners were raised high.
"Duke, grant us commoners a chance to survive!"
The cries resounded unanimously.
Witnessing this, many soldiers in the formation widened their eyes, their expressions tinged with surprise and puzzlement.
Is this like what's performed on the theater stage—pleading for justice by blocking the path to appeal to a virtuous lord?
Are they seeking the Duke to address their grievances?