"It is the rule set by Emperor Taizu to beat the drum to report a complaint to the emperor. Why is it not allowed?"

"That's right! Why are you stopping us?!"

"Why can the Supreme Being decide the fate of those children?"

“…”

The people waved their fists in anger and pushed each other forward, trying to force their way through the yamen runners who were blocking the way.

The squad leader and the yamen runners sneered cruelly and disdainfully at these ignorant people.

"You don't know what life and death is!" The squad leader quickly drew out the long sword from its sheath, pointed the sharp blade directly at Zhang Shusheng, and sneered contemptuously, "I think you, the scholar, are the culprit of this trouble. Catch him for me!"

"Anyone else who dares to make trouble again will be sent to jail!"

As they were speaking, the yamen runners approached Zhang Shusheng and his group with long swords in their hands, looking very aggressive.

The yamen runners were strong and powerful, and they kicked and pulled several civilians to the ground. A yamen runner with triangular eyes quickly snatched the girl from Zhang Shusheng's hands.

"Nannan!" Zhang Shusheng looked at the yamen runner who had taken his daughter away with red eyes. Like a trapped beast forced into a desperate situation, he rushed towards the man regardless of anything.

The triangular-eyed yamen runner sneered, raised his long knife and stabbed the girl in the heart...

"Stop!" Li Zongqi's face changed instantly. He wanted to step forward to stop him, but was stopped by the squad leader.

The atmosphere was extremely tense and filled with murderous intent.

The people around all gasped, and the soft-hearted women hardly dared to watch any further.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew up from nowhere, like a dragon's tail, or an invisible beast roaring.

The strong wind caused the trees on both sides of the street to sway wildly, and the flags on the city walls danced wildly.

Everyone screamed and panicked, feeling as if their bodies were about to be blown away by the sudden evil wind.

Some people held onto the trees nearby, some held each other’s hands, some stumbled and fell to the ground, and some were blown back several steps by the wind…

The yamen runners felt a darkness above them, and a huge flag was blown down from the city wall in front of them, floated above them, and fell down like a shield covering the sky and the sun.

The heavy flagpole pressed the squad leader and a group of yamen runners to the ground, causing them to fall all over the place.

Curses, exclamations, collisions, screams...all came one after another.

"ah!"

A sharp and shrill wail rose into the sky.

The triangular-eyed yamen runner covered his right thigh with a distorted face. A long knife was stuck in the middle of his thigh. The blinding blood gushed out, quickly staining his pants, robes and the ground below red...

This scene shocked the other yamen runners around.

Amidst the chaos, Gu Yanfei strolled leisurely among the bustling crowd, his clothes fluttering like clouds, as if he was taking a walk in his own back garden.

She was in stark contrast to the people around her who were staggering to and fro, as if the strong wind had consciously and automatically avoided her.

A few drops of ashes from the burning talisman floated down from Gu Yanfei's sleeves, but no one noticed.

This gust of wind came quickly and went away even more inexplicably, stopping after only three breaths.

When the wind died down, the people in the square finally regained their balance, their faces still showing signs of shock. There were many small items such as handkerchiefs, purses, and copper coins on the ground, making a mess.

The strong wind pushed away the heavy dark clouds in the sky, and the sunlight poured down, coating her with a layer of soft and dazzling gold powder, which made people feel bright in front of their eyes instantly.

The eyes of everyone present were cast towards Gu Yanfei like a tide, unable to hide their amazement.

The pretty girl was dressed in a thin snow-blue dress, with her hair tied with purple ribbons flying high. Even in the cold weather of the first month of winter, she was not afraid of the chill at all, and her steps were brisk and light.

It was as if we were in two completely different seasons from the people around us who were wearing thick coats.

Wherever the girl passed, there seemed to be a warm spring breeze blowing slowly.

Under everyone's stunned gaze, Gu Yanfei walked straight to the girl squatting on the ground in a panic, handed her a hand, and said with a smile: "Give me your hand."

The girl raised her head and looked at her fairy-like sister with tearful eyes. She seemed to be drawn by an inexplicable force and timidly stretched out her little hand.

The triangular-eyed yamen runner rolled on the ground, holding his thigh where the knife was stuck, groaning and crying out in pain, and he didn't care about the girl at all. The blood from the wound flowed all over the ground.

The fat yamen runner jumped up from the ground, but after he took a step, he was blown to and fro by another gust of wind, and even his huge body was lifted up.

"Ouch!" The fat yamen runner fell from mid-air, prostrating himself on the ground, with a bloody tooth sticking out of his mouth.

Everyone was stunned when they saw the two yamen runners in such a miserable state.

"Let go..." The squad leader wanted to stop him, but just as he took a step, the bloody tooth rolled right to the edge of his shoe. He was so scared that he immediately retracted his leg, not daring to act rashly.

Gu Yanfei pulled the squatting girl up, took her hand and walked to Zhang Shusheng, handed his daughter to him personally, and said, "Shusheng, follow me."

The girl's eyes were clear and bright, as if the vast Milky Way was reflected in her eyes.

She smiled slightly, and a gauze-like halo shrouded her body, seeming real and illusory, ethereal and fairy-like, as if she was not a human of this mortal world.

Zhang Shusheng, holding his daughter's hand, followed Gu Yanfei stupidly, all the way to the Dengwen Drum.

The squad leader winked at the runners nearby, asking them to stop the scholar quickly, but most of the runners were afraid and hesitated to step forward.

A burly yamen runner mustered up the courage to rush forward, but was hit on the calf by a stone thrown from nowhere, and fell to the ground with a scream.

Gu Yanfei didn't even look at the yamen runners. He raised his hand and pointed at the drum in front of him, and said to Zhang Shusheng, "Knock."

Zhang Shusheng had come back to his senses at this moment. He looked at his daughter, gritted his teeth, raised his hand and grabbed the drumstick next to the Dengwen drum.

This time, General Li of the Imperial Guards did not stop or advise him. He just made a gesture to his subordinate, asking him to go to the palace as soon as possible to report the matter of the drum.

The two imperial guards immediately took orders and quietly headed towards Chengtian Gate.

This is the important area of ​​the palace. If the situation gets out of control, more imperial guards will have to be dispatched to maintain order.

General Li felt heavy in his heart.

When the scholar first arrived at the right gate of Chang'an and wanted to beat the drum to report the incident, he sent someone to report to the palace, but was stopped by the eunuchs.

Now that things have gotten out of hand, he's probably not immune from blame.

Zhang Shusheng raised the drumstick and pounded hard on the drumhead of the Dengwen Drum.

There will be additional updates at 13:00.

(End of this chapter)