Chapter 315 The Will of the People
The crowd was in high spirits, and their shouts were deafening.
Soon, the sound surged towards the palace like a tide, gradually fading into the distance.
Shen Qingci slowly sat up straight, a look of shock flashing in her eyes.
She was right after all.
These people, though seemingly inconspicuous in daily life, are actually the ones who know best who truly cares for them and who is the monarch they truly deserve to support.
The will of the people is the will of Heaven.
If we can truly mobilize the millions of people in this imperial city, then the outcome of this battle is still uncertain!
She absolutely cannot afford to make any mistakes at this time! She must pull herself together, for Chu Jichen's sake, and for the sake of all the people in the city!
Shen Qingci took a deep breath, suddenly stood up, walked to the door, and flung open the courtyard gate.
The alley outside the courtyard was deserted, with only the sounds of hurried footsteps and shouts lingering on the distant street.
Shen Qingci's eyelashes trembled slightly, and the secret agents following behind also showed a hint of joy on their faces: "Master's move really worked! The people are all rushing towards the capital."
"Although the rebels had set up traps beforehand, we have the support of the people! If so many civilians rush over, even if each one only throws a stone, it will be enough to give those rebels a hard time! We at least have the advantage in terms of morale and numbers!"
Shen Qingci responded softly, muttering to herself, "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. I forgot this simplest of truths before."
As she was speaking, the door to the neighboring yard suddenly creaked open.
The old woman who sold tofu that Shen Qingci had seen a few times before was panting and pulling a middle-aged man who looked to be about forty years old and had a slightly hunched back. The two of them were each holding a kitchen knife and a thick wooden stick, and they hurriedly ran out of there.
The man seemed to have some difficulty walking, and he walked with a limp, but his expression was unusually firm.
Shen Qingci was taken aback and subconsciously called out, "Auntie?"
"Young lady!" Upon hearing the voice, the old woman immediately stopped and turned around, her face full of anxiety. "Hurry! Did you hear that? The Shen family army is surrounded by the rebels! We have to go and rescue them!"
"I remember you brought quite a few people with you, saying you were here to do some trading, right? Those young men all look strong and sturdy, they must be quite capable! You should let them go too! More people means more strength!"
“Your family is in Beishuo City, where there is constant warfare. You should know better than anyone what the Shen family army means to our Great Zhou!”
Shen Qingci's heart skipped a beat, and she nodded solemnly, saying, "I have already... sent someone there."
"That's good! That's good!" The old woman breathed a sigh of relief, then sneered and gripped the kitchen knife tightly. "My husband was also a soldier back then. He was wounded in the leg on the battlefield and had to retire. My poor son also died on the battlefield, and we never even found his remains..."
At this point, the old woman's eyes reddened slightly, but were quickly replaced by determination: "Although only the two of us old folks are left in the family now, I absolutely cannot allow the Shen family army to get into trouble in our capital! If anyone dares to touch the Shen family army, I'll fight them to the death!"
After the old woman finished speaking, she said no more, grabbed the old man, and ran headlong toward the main street outside the alley, quickly merging into the surging crowd.
Shen Qingci lowered her eyes, her gaze filled with shock, and tears welled up uncontrollably again.
Chu Jichen, did you hear that? Did you see that?
These ordinary people are risking their lives for you and for Shen's army.
You absolutely mustn't... you absolutely mustn't get into trouble!
Shen Qingci took a deep breath, forced back her tears, and turned to go back into the house.
She still had to wait for news from Chu Jichen.
Time slipped away bit by bit, and every minute and every second felt like torture.
I don't know how much time passed, but the sky gradually darkened, and a full moon rose high in the sky; it was already midnight.
The deafening shouts of battle could still be faintly heard from the palace gates, but the sound of the night watchman's drum was never heard, which made Shen Qingci's unease even stronger.
Suddenly, with a loud bang, the courtyard gate was violently kicked open from the outside!
A member of the secret service rushed in, covered in blood, but his face was filled with undisguised ecstasy: "Master! It's done!"
"Everything is just as the master expected. The rebels have indeed set up a trap and secretly stockpiled at least 10,000 elite troops, hiding them in several houses not far from the palace."
“They waited for the Shen family’s troops to walk into their encirclement and fall into their pre-arranged trap, then they immediately closed in and broke out.”
"The disparity in numbers was simply too great. Shen's army was caught in a pincer movement and had no way to break through. The situation was extremely critical at one point."
"We broke through the encirclement with dozens of guards, trying to create an opening, but we had no way to get out of the encirclement of so many people. Soon we were also caught in a fierce battle."
"Just when we were in despair and thought we were doomed, countless people suddenly poured out from all directions!"
"They were carrying kitchen knives, wooden sticks, hoes, and some even had spatulas and rolling pins. They charged straight in from behind the rebels without any fear!"
"There were too many people, and more and more of them, surging in like a tide."
"The rebels were completely unprepared and caught off guard, their formation instantly thrown into chaos."
"Although the civilians had never received any specialized training and suffered heavy casualties, they were fearless and used their own flesh and blood to hold back the rebels' offensive for us!"
"With them disrupting the rebels, we finally seized the opportunity with the remaining Shen family army, broke through the encirclement in one fell swoop, and turned the tables to wipe out most of the rebels!"
Shen Qingci closed her eyes briefly, her voice trembling slightly: "Okay."
Now, all that's left is... news about Chu Jichen.
What exactly happened to Chu Jichen?
Little did he know, she had already led the Shen family army and the entire city's population to clear the outer obstacles for him. They were just waiting for him…
The officer took a breath, but then continued, his expression becoming serious: "When we came back just now, we heard a much bigger commotion coming from the direction of the city gate."
"It seems to be even bigger than the commotion at the palace gate."
"We were distracted by the fighting over there and didn't hear it."
"According to reports from scouts, the rebels seem to have amassed a considerable number of troops at the city gates and have completely sealed them off."
"They...they're planning to trap us completely in the city, like catching turtles in a jar!"
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