The sudden departure of the eunuchs and palace maids from the imperial palace immediately attracted the attention of all the nobles and ministers in Kaifeng City.
Normally, eunuchs and palace maids would not easily leave the palace, as they shouldered the important responsibility of protecting the emperor's safety and were the emperor's last line of defense. Therefore, when such a large-scale exodus occurred, the nobles and ministers were shocked and puzzled, and they all speculated that there must be an unusual reason behind it.
The ministers all understood that the only situation in which the Emperor would mobilize the eunuchs and maids who normally guarded the palace was if His Majesty himself encountered some danger outside the palace. This idea quickly spread among the nobles and ministers in Kaifeng, causing quite a stir.
Yet, within this tense atmosphere, a tinge of doubt and confusion lingered. These nobles and officials couldn't help but wonder: Why, when the Emperor was in danger, didn't he simply mobilize the city guards, but instead chose to use the guards within the palace?
Is there some unknown secret behind this, or is there some special reason? All kinds of speculations and doubts swirled in their hearts, making the atmosphere in the whole Kaifeng city tense and uneasy.
All the nobles and ministers wanted to know the truth, and they sent their guards or servants out to gather all kinds of information.
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Chu Fan stood outside Zhonghua City. He looked around and saw a large number of city guards swarming in and surrounding him.
However, what was absurd was that despite so many soldiers gathered at the scene, no one stood up to ask what was going on. Instead, they seemed more concerned about how to protect their common interests as city guards.
Chu Fan couldn't help but feel a sense of amusement as he watched this scene. He noticed that the Wei soldiers displayed a remarkable spirit of unity at this moment, yet this unity seemed blind. They hadn't truly understood the truth of the matter, but instead were blindly trying to protect Zheng Qiang and the other two, who were also members of the city defense force. This indiscriminate unity was actually a form of blind conformity.
Chu Fan knew that while solidarity among the soldiers was a good thing, it could also have negative consequences. For example, soldiers like Zheng Qiang might exploit this solidarity to commit crimes, while other soldiers might choose to cover up their crimes out of the so-called "brotherhood."
The existence of this situation actually poses a threat to the discipline and fairness of the entire army. Therefore, Chu Fan believes that the leaders of these soldiers must take on the responsibility of supervision and ensure that every soldier abides by military discipline and is fair and impartial.
Just when Chu Fan was in a stalemate with the city guards, Eunuch Li and Changsun Dechong led the eunuchs and palace maids out of the palace and slowly walked in front of Chu Fan.
Before Chang Sun Dechong even saluted Chu Fan, he walked up to Zheng Qiang and slapped him several times. Zheng Qiang was stunned. He didn't expect that someone would dare to attack the city guards in broad daylight.
Chang Sun Dechong's eyes widened in anger as he sternly rebuked, "Traitor! How dare you attack His Majesty in public? Are you truly not afraid of death?"
Despite being severely beaten, Zheng Gang remained undeterred and retorted firmly, "We were merely following orders from our superiors and conducting patrol duties. We discovered a murder had occurred here, and we were simply trying to apprehend the criminal according to the law. What crime have we committed?"
Upon hearing this, Chang Sun Dechong couldn't help but sneer and said with a hint of sarcasm, "It seems you haven't fully understood what I just said. I just said that you attempted to besiege the current Emperor of Wei. Don't you understand your crime now?"
Chang Sun Dechong's eyes were like torches. He turned to the surrounding city guards and shouted sternly: "Why are you still holding your weapons? Do you all want to besiege His Majesty like Zheng Gang? Do you want to rebel? If you still have a trace of loyalty, you should immediately lay down your weapons and wait for the review of your superiors!" His voice echoed in the air, full of unquestionable majesty.
The city guards looked at each other, bewildered and at a loss as to what to do. Their eyes flickered between Chang Sun Dechong and Zheng Gang, as if searching for a clear direction.
Zheng Gang was unconvinced and said, "You said this kid is His Majesty? I also said that I am the illegitimate son of the Minister of War. If you dare to treat me like this, be careful or I will tell my father, and he will bring the city guards to kill you."
There was a hint of provocation in his voice. He was absolutely confident that Chu Fan was not the Emperor who was besieging him. After all, which emperor would be so close to a beggar-like child?
When Chang Sun Dechong heard what Zheng Gang said, he was extremely angry. This was not a matter of taking his own life, but the lives of the entire Chang Sun family.
Chang Sun Dechong was even more furious. He shouted, "Zheng Gang, you shameless wretch, how dare you speak nonsense here! Do you think your lies can deceive everyone? Let me tell you, Your Majesty is chosen by Heaven, and you have your own judgment. How can a villain like you slander the Minister of War?"
And you, the city guards, if you still have any loyalty left in you, should immediately lay down your weapons and await your superiors' inspection! Don't be deceived by a traitor like Zheng Gang, or you will face even more severe punishment!
The city guards were even more shaken after hearing Chang Sun Dechong's words. They began to realize that the situation before them was no longer just a problem for Zheng Gang alone, but concerned the loyalty and honor of the entire city guards.
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