Chapter 46 He Comes to Guard



The flames in the capital city in the night were as bright as day.

The streets were in chaos, and many wealthy families were also in turmoil.

Servants were running around in the house, some asking for news, some packing things, and some holding sticks and axes to guard the door.

Although there wasn't as much crying and shouting as on the streets, everyone looked panicked.

Is it fleeing or hiding? What is the latest news?

Ning Yan strode out, and Madam Ning II hurriedly followed behind him.

"Grandpa, Grandpa..." she shouted quickly, with tears in her voice.

Ning Yan stopped and looked at her with frown.

"Why are you crying?" he said, "Don't blame Yun Zhao for not delivering the news earlier. It was already extremely difficult for him to protect himself."

Here he paused again.

"He followed the emperor and ran away, not because he was afraid of death. His Majesty always has to have someone by his side."

It is obvious that some people's intention is not just to protect the emperor.

Madam Ning raised her hand to wipe away her tears.

"Of course I know. I have been watching Yun Zhao since he was a child. Don't I know what kind of person he is?" She choked up and said, "It's just that you, old man, you..."

"I must go out." Ning Yan said calmly, interrupting the second wife of Ning. "I didn't go out before because I was loyal to the emperor. If the emperor doesn't listen to my advice, I will stay here to the death."

"Now Jundu has run away." Madam Ning cried.

"It is precisely because you have run away now." Ning Yan said, "I have to stand up, for the way of the saints, for the destiny of heaven and earth, and for the lives of the people."

Madam Ning raised her hand to wipe away her tears.

"You and the children should hide at home and don't run around. The capital city must not be in chaos at this time." Ning Yan said in a gentle tone.

Madam Ning nodded while crying.

"Master..." she said, pulling Ning Yan's sleeve.

Ning Yan frowned.

"Don't keep crying..." he said.

Before he could finish his words, Madam Ning Er took out a sword and handed it to him.

"Master, you forgot to take your sword." She said, "Even though you are a scholar, you still need to take a weapon if you have to defend the city."

Ning Yan smiled.

"I really forgot." He said, holding out his hand to take it, "Then I'll go."

Madam Ning nodded with tears in her eyes.

"You go ahead," she said.

Ning Yan turned around and strode out with the sword in hand. When he reached the door, he saw a group of people standing there. They were the family servants, each holding a stick, a knife or a gun.

Ning Yan and his wife were stunned.

"Dad." Ning Shiyi came out and said, "Let's go."

He was survived by two other sons, the youngest of whom was Shishilang, who was only eight years old.

"Dad, let's go." He also shouted, holding a wooden stick that was taller than himself.

"Eleven, what are you doing?" Mrs. Ning Er said, and hurriedly stepped forward to pull her little son over and snatch the wooden stick from his hand.

"Mom, of course we have to go and defend the city." Ning Shiyi said, "Defending the country is protecting the home, and every citizen has a responsibility."

Ning Yan nodded.

"Okay," he said, "let's go."

Ning Shiyi and others responded with serious expressions. Shisilang also wanted to go with them, but was stopped by Ning Er's wife, and he couldn't help but make a noise.

"Fourteen, my brothers and I are all gone. Only your mother, sister and other female relatives are left at home. You have to stay at home and take care of them." Ning Yan looked at him and said.

Ning Shisilang nodded and puffed out his chest.

"Dad, don't worry, I'm at home." He said loudly.

Ning Yan touched his head with a smile, the door opened, and the noisy crying and shouting from the street suddenly came like a tide. Although the specific scene could not be seen, hearing it in the night was enough to make people turn pale and terrified.

The door was immediately closed, and the servants who stayed behind bolted the door one by one and put sticks on it to make the door sturdy enough to protect the people inside.

But this solid door protects the people inside and keeps out the family members outside.

Madam Ning held her little son tightly in her arms and burst into tears as she looked at the gate.

God bless you.

The noise in the streets all flowed towards the city gates. The people who were originally rushing into the capital all wanted to rush out of the city gates.

We brought our families with us, pushed carts and rode horses, and we cried and shouted, making the place so crowded that no water could pass through.

The city gates were already closed, which only made the panic worse and the noise even louder, almost drowning out the city gates.

All the soldiers of the Wucheng Bingmasi deployed swords, spears, and whips, but it was completely useless against the surging masses. In the panic of death, the masses were no longer afraid of this. The panic condensed together like a snowball, growing bigger and bigger, crushing everything.

"Master Ning is here!"

"Master Ning is here!"

Shouts rang out from the crowd, growing louder and louder, and the guards' hoarse voices tried their best to drown out the noise around them.

The name Lord Ning was still very attractive. Gradually, people turned their heads to look. Under the light of the night torches, the crowd made way for a tall and thin man holding a sword.

Ning Yan has not appeared in public for a long time, but this does not mean that the people have forgotten him. He is even more famous than when he was an official.

This was naturally because he was dismissed from office for opposing the emperor.

The people may not understand the affairs of the court, and often do not care about right or wrong. To them, a person who dares to go against the emperor and is willing to lose his official position and title is a person of high moral character, a person with a selfless heart and a broad mind. Such a person is worthy of trust and admiration.

This is also why historians love to impeach officials, especially the more famous and senior the officials are, the more they love to impeach them, because it can enhance their reputation.

Ning Yan's appearance calmed people down temporarily.

"My Lord, my Lord."

"Are the Jin people coming to attack us?"

They cried and begged in a chaotic manner.

Ning Yan looked at them with a serious expression.

"Whether the Jin army has attacked us or not, there is no definite news yet," he said, "but we all know that the Jin army is not far from the capital. They appeared on Jingdong Road before, so we must prepare for the worst."

The officials of the Five Cities Military Division, who had relaxed a little because of his arrival, suddenly became nervous. But the people were not frightened into even greater panic by the dangerous warning as expected. Instead, hearing these words seemed more reassuring than the government's previous insistence that everything was fine and that the Jin people would not attack.

"Then let us out of the city quickly." The people cried out, "Let us escape for our lives."

"If it's really dangerous, the city gates can't be opened now, and everyone should not leave the city." Ning Yan said in a deep voice, "Think about it, if you leave the city and encounter the Jin people in the wilderness, will it be safer than here?"

He said this and pointed to the city gate behind him.

"At least this place is protected by tall, thick and solid city gates and walls."

Everyone looked where he pointed.

The walls of the capital city appear even taller and more solid in the night.

Ning Yan raised the sword in his hand again, pointing at the soldiers and officers of the Wucheng Bingmasi around the city, and also at the neatly-armed defenders on the city walls.

"There are also soldiers and swords here."

That's true. It's not that everyone doesn't know this truth, but they were just panicked for a moment and just wanted to escape.

"Everyone, please stay calm. As long as the city is here, we are here. Even if the Jin people attack, we can protect everyone."

The people calmed down, and those who were blocking and ramming the city gates slowly retreated.

"Everyone please follow the government's instructions and don't crowd around the city gates." Ning Yan said, holding his sword behind him, "I'll guard the city gates for you."

After saying this, he strode towards the city gate, followed by Ning Shiyi and his servants.

Seeing Ning Yan approaching, the people who were blocking the city gate finally made way and looked relieved.

"Lord Ning is here."

"Yes, the court will make arrangements."

"The emperor is still alive, how could he let the Jin invaders?"

The sound of talking made the city gate noisy again, but this noise was different from the previous panic. It made people feel at ease.

The officials of the Five Cities Military Department came to their senses, relaxed their expressions, and began to direct the people to disperse, allowing them to retreat to different streets to rest.

The noise in front of the city gate faded away, and the officers and soldiers in and out of the gate all breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's a good thing that you came, Lord Ning." The official on duty said with a look of fear, wiping the sweat off his face with his sleeves, "Otherwise, the city gate would have been broken down by the people."

Ning Yan nodded to him.

"No need to say more," he said, "just keep vigilance on all sides."

The official responded with a yes, and the guards on the city gate were ordered to disperse. They held their weapons tightly and aimed at the dark night outside the city wall. Because they were too nervous, they did not notice the worry in Ning Yan's eyes.

His appearance temporarily appeased the people, but if...

At this time in the imperial city, the ministers who had hurried to the palace to report and discuss the commotion on the streets could no longer wait when they heard the screams coming from the emperor's bedroom.

They were stopped at the palace gate for a long time. They finally managed to bring up the previous exception and some old ministers held up the accessories they had received as gifts. The imperial guards were forced to open the palace gate and let them in. Then they were stopped outside the bedroom by the eunuchs. After all this trouble, the east was already bright.

You can go to the morning court directly.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, something bad has happened." They rushed in shouting, but suddenly stopped talking and looked at the hall in disbelief.

The curtain in front of the dragon bed had been opened by the eunuch who came in, and the lights were turned on, illuminating the empty dragon bed. The bed was neat and tidy without any signs of anyone having slept on it.

Where is your majesty?

"Your Majesty, he's gone..." a minister murmured.


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