Chapter 128 The Situation Takes a Sudden Turn
Li Yuanyou felt both anxious and angry as he watched the crowd spiral out of control once again.
He was telling the truth, so why didn't these disaster victims believe him at all?
Cui Dalang was speechless at the young man's questioning, and seeing the crowd stirring, he became furious.
"You've rebelled! Are you trying to start a rebellion?! Let me tell you, I am a member of the Cui family, a prestigious and respected clan. We have already promised to provide grain for relief. How dare you be so ungrateful for such a great favor?"
"A prestigious family? I think you're nothing but wolves that devour people without spitting out the bones!"
The young man pointed at Cui Dalang's nose and angrily rebuked him, "Last year, as soon as the drought started, your Cui family's grain store was the first to raise prices, forcing us to exchange our land deeds for rice! My family was forced to sell our ancestral property because of you, and my father couldn't bear it and died of illness! Is this your great favor?"
Many displaced people with similar experiences chimed in, "That's right! The Cui family and those corrupt officials in the city are in cahoots!"
"Every grain of rice in your hands was bought with the lives of our people!"
Cui Dalang's face turned ashen from the scolding. He wanted to retort, but then he saw several furious refugees raising stones and sticks, ready to rush at him.
Although the officials carried swords, they ultimately dared not kill the unarmed disaster victims.
Seeing the chaotic scene before him, Li Yuanyou wanted to step forward to stop it, but Cui Dalang grabbed him.
"Your Highness, hurry! These scoundrels have gone mad! If we don't leave now, it will be too late!"
The crowd became even more excited when they saw that they were about to leave, and they surged forward.
"Don't run! Leave the food behind!"
"Don't even think about leaving without food!"
The officers were forced to brandish their knives in an attempt to stop them. In the chaos of pushing and shoving, an old man was pushed forward and stumbled, losing his footing and crashing straight into the sharp blade in the officer's hand.
A bloodcurdling scream rang out, and the old man was instantly pierced through by the blade!
"Murder! The officers have killed someone!"
Someone immediately screamed.
The scream was like a powder keg ignited, and the crowd instantly erupted!
Someone rushed towards Li Yuanyou like a madman, and the human wall formed by the officers and soldiers was instantly broken.
Some people took the opportunity to snatch the few remaining porridge buckets, the porridge shed was overturned, the thin porridge was spilled all over the ground, and the sound of breaking earthenware bowls and cries filled the air.
In the chaos, someone shouted at the top of their lungs, "Charge into the prefectural government office! There must be grain inside! It's better to rob grain than to starve to death!"
"Capture the Second Prince! The imperial court will surely pay a ransom!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a group of young and strong refugees rushed toward Li Yuanyou.
More people followed closely behind, and the officials couldn't stop them at all.
In the chaos, Li Yuanyou was protected by Cui Dalang as they retreated.
He watched the approaching crowd, his face deathly pale, his lips trembling but unable to utter a single word.
He had never seen such a crazy scene. The refugees who were usually grateful to him were now only looking at the hunger for food, and there was no trace of awe in their eyes.
Is it really because he was so incompetent that things have come to this?
Suddenly, a fist-sized pebble hit Li Yuanyou on the forehead, and blood gushed out immediately!
"Your Highness!" Cui Dalang was shocked and quickly shielded Li Yuanyou with his body, then turned to the guards and roared.
"The refugees have rioted and injured the prince; this is tantamount to treason! They must be executed immediately without exception!"
Previously, the officials had been restrained by the order "not to harm the disaster victims," but now that they had received the order, how could they dare to hesitate?
A flash of light appeared, and the first few refugees who charged forward instantly fell into pools of blood.
This sudden, bloody crackdown finally brought the frenzied crowd to a standstill.
Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Cui Dalang urged sharply, "Quickly! Protect His Highness and bring him into the city!"
The crowd quickly helped the dizzy Li Yuanyou, and they staggered through the city gate.
As soon as he entered the city, Cui Dalang turned around and roared at the city guard, "Close the city gates immediately! No one is allowed to enter the city!"
However, the chaos outside the city did not subside even after the city gates were closed.
After a brief moment of fear, gazing at the corpses lying on the ground and the cold blades of the soldiers at the city gate, the last shred of reason in the eyes of the refugees was completely extinguished, and they descended into a desperate frenzy.
"We're going to die anyway! Let's fight them!"
"Charge in! Kill these corrupt officials before you die!"
Everyone's eyes turned red, and they picked up stones and sticks from the ground, desperately rushing towards the soldiers!
The dozens of officials outside the city gate were quickly swallowed up by the crowd, screams rose and fell, and soon fell silent.
The refugees, stepping over the corpses of their companions and officials, continued their frantic ramming of the city gate, roaring as they went.
"Open the door! Give us food!"
"If you don't open the gate, burn it down!"
On the city wall, Li Yuanyou leaned against the crenellations, the wound on his forehead already simply bandaged.
But looking at the mad crowd outside the city and the blood on the ground, his stomach churned, and his legs went weak so much that he could barely stand.
Huang Wei and Cui Dalang stood beside him, their faces also grave as they gazed at the chaos outside the city.
Huang Wei rushed over upon receiving the news, only to find the situation already beyond repair.
He harbored resentment towards Cui Dalang for rashly ordering the killing, but he knew even more clearly that if the Second Prince had been seriously injured in that critical moment, none of them, including himself, would have been spared even with ten heads.
He frowned, not understanding why the situation had taken such a sharp turn for the worse.
It was as if an invisible hand was secretly pushing things towards an abyss of no return.
What's even more troublesome is that General He just led the main force out of the city to suppress the bandits at this time. Now the city's garrison only has one or two hundred men left. How can they withstand the onslaught of hundreds or thousands of crazy refugees outside the city?
If General He cannot return to reinforce in time, it is only a matter of time before the city gates are breached.
Moreover, the truth that the city's food supplies were running out could no longer be concealed, and panic was spreading.
Beset by internal and external troubles, this state capital has become a powder keg that could explode at any moment.
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