At the Research and Manufacturing Bureau Square, Mo Shang, now dressed in official robes and wearing the seal of the Marquis of Moyang, stood there with a cold and stern expression, a sword symbolizing the power of the Grand Master of the Mo Family hanging at his waist.

As he watched the Mo family disciples and the craftsmen from the Research and Manufacturing Bureau continuously gathering in the square, Mo Shang was filled with mixed emotions. He didn't know what he would encounter if he led these people into the palace. Perhaps they would be safe and sound, or perhaps they would be wiped out.

But Mo Shang did not regret it. In his view, without the emperor, he and his ideals had no hope, and life had no support. He did not want to return to the kind of lifeless existence he had before.

Soon, all the disciples of the Mo family and the people from the Research and Manufacturing Division gathered in front of Mo Shang. A leading disciple stepped forward and shouted:

"Reporting to Your Highness, a total of 837 Mohist disciples and craftsmen from the Research and Manufacturing Division have all gathered!"

"I am no longer some kind of 'Grand Master,' and there will never be another 'Grand Master of the Mo Family.' Instead, I am the Marquis of Moyang, personally appointed by His Majesty, and the supervisor of the Imperial Workshop...! Do you understand?"

Looking at the crowd before him, Mo Shang denied his identity as the Grand Master of the Mo Family.

"clear....!"

Although the Mohist disciples were somewhat surprised, they still shouted in unison.

Mo Shang nodded, then looked around at everyone and said loudly, "Everyone, the Emperor has given us a second life. Without His Majesty, we would still be rats living in the dark."

Without Your Majesty, we would still be lowly people despised and abandoned by everyone.

Without His Majesty, we could not possibly live such a peaceful and prosperous life.

Mo Shang's powerful words clearly reached the ears of everyone present. Thinking about their previous precarious existence and the contempt they suffered, and then thinking about the stable life they would have after joining the Research and Development Department, everyone felt a surge of warmth in their hearts.

Mo Shang then raised his voice: "With the current upheaval in the palace, His Majesty is likely in danger. What do you think we should do?"

"We swear to protect His Majesty with our lives...!!"

A disciple of the Mohist school immediately shouted.

"We swear to protect His Majesty with our lives...!!"

Then everyone shouted in unison.

Seeing everyone's faces flushed and their blood boiling, Mo Shang nodded with satisfaction.

Then Mo Shang said in a deep voice, "Without His Majesty's decree, I don't know what happened in the palace. This time, we might not be able to come back. Those who are afraid of death, it's not too late to back out now..."

After hearing Mo Shang's words, everyone just looked at him quietly and stood still, with no one choosing to leave.

"Alright!! Everyone open the storerooms, grab the weapons you've forged, and follow me into the palace to protect the Emperor..."

Immediately, Mo Shang roared, opened the warehouse of the Research and Manufacturing Department, took out the military crossbow stored inside, and then rushed towards the palace.

On the other side, upon receiving the news, Zhang Bozu immediately summoned all the students of the medical school.

Meanwhile, students from the College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture, led by their respective doctoral students, picked up all available weapons and converged on the direction of the palace.

Upon hearing the rumors circulating in the city, the students of the Imperial Academy gathered in the square within the academy.

Soon, Zheng Xuan, who was the Imperial Academy Chancellor, arrived in front of the students, followed by Cai Yong, Qiao Xuan, and Zang Yan, who had just arrived at the Imperial Academy as a Doctor.

"Your Excellency, fellow scholars, I have heard that His Majesty has fallen into a coup, and the Empress Dowager has launched a coup, arresting officials promoted by His Majesty on a large scale. Is this true...?"

A young student from the Imperial Academy couldn't help but ask, his expression filled with excitement. Most of the others also had flushed faces and stared intently at Zheng Xuan and his companions.

Since Liu Hong ascended the throne, his actions have given people hope for the revival and rise of the Han Dynasty, which has been praised by scholars and students who are loyal to the Han Dynasty.

Moreover, after Liu Hong reorganized and eliminated the students at the Imperial Academy, he took good care of the remaining students and promoted them repeatedly. Now, in addition to studying academic subjects, they are also diligently learning the way of governing the country, hoping to assist the emperor in creating a great and prosperous era. It can be said that those who can remain at the Imperial Academy now are almost all members of the emperor's faction.

Protecting the emperor is protecting oneself; this has become the consensus among everyone present.

Facing the intense gazes of the group of imperial students, Zheng Xuan and his companions exchanged glances. Rumors were rampant in Luoyang, and they were not entirely sure what had happened in the palace, but they were certain that the matter was very serious.

Zheng Xuan sighed helplessly, then said loudly, "I have heard about what you are talking about, but no news has come from the palace, so we cannot confirm whether the rumors are true!"

"Something terrible has happened...something terrible has happened...!"

Just then, a young, panicked student ran in from outside the Imperial Academy, shouting that something bad had happened as he ran.

"What happened...?"

Seeing the students near the track already out of breath, Zheng Xuan quickly asked.

The student, panting, said, "In the West Garden, students from several academies, armed with weapons, are heading towards the palace, shouting 'Enter the palace to protect the emperor!'"

"What....?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Xuan's expression changed. Those three academies were all founded by the emperor himself, and in name, they were all his students. Now, they were all shouting to enter the palace to protect him, which showed what had happened inside the palace.

Zheng Xuan then paused, looked at the group of students, and said loudly, "No matter what has happened, our Imperial Academy must not fall behind others. Gentlemen, please follow me into the palace to protect the Emperor!"

"Enter the palace to protect the emperor!"

A loud shout rang out from among the students of the Imperial Academy.

"Enter the palace to protect the emperor...!!"

The group of young students from the Imperial Academy shouted and, led by Zheng Xuan and his companions, ran away from there.

Because the Imperial Academy was closer to the palace, the students who ran out of the Academy quickly caught up with the students from the three academies ahead.

At this time, the students of the Imperial Academy were deeply practicing what Liu Hong had said: "Young people should study diligently and strengthen their bodies."

Therefore, these students who were dedicated to their studies were not as weak as people imagined; almost every one of them had a long sword hanging from their waist.

That's not just a decoration; it can actually kill people.

The commotion outside also alerted the people in the city, who came out of their homes to watch. When they saw wave after wave of young people on the street, all armed and shouting "Protect the Emperor!" as they gathered towards the palace, everyone was shocked.

They had lived in Luoyang their whole lives, and this was the first time they had ever seen such a grand spectacle.

Meanwhile, some wandering knights, impoverished scholars, and even some who had been eliminated from the Imperial Guard but had not yet left, all gathered outside the Southern Palace after hearing about this.

Before long, three thousand students from the Imperial Academy, as well as personnel from the Medical College, Engineering College, Agricultural College, and the Research and Manufacturing Bureau, gradually gathered outside the Southern Palace. In total, there were nearly seven thousand people, all carrying various kinds of weapons. They surrounded the gate of the Southern Palace and shouted that they should enter the palace to protect the emperor.