The Dengwen Drum was indeed enormous. Several large drums made of cowhide stood in the Dengwen Drum Courtyard.
The drumsticks are more than three feet long, but they have not been struck for years and look a bit broken.
Wang Chao took the drum hammer and handed it to Zhang Ruoxi: "Hit it! Hit it loudly, and Lord Zhang will be vindicated."
Zhang Ruoxi took the drumstick and used all her strength.
"Boom! Boom! Boom boom boom..."
The capital city was shaken.
The Dengwen Drum has a unique design. Once it is struck, the sound can be heard for miles, and the entire palace is enveloped by the drum sound.
Zhao Huan was having fun with Nangong Lian'er. Since he took Nangong Lian'er into the harem, he stayed here almost every night.
"Lian'er, drink another cup with me." Zhao Huan's eyes were hazy with drunkenness.
"Your Majesty, don't go to the other concubines. If you always stay in the Rouge Pavilion, Sister Mu and the others will be jealous." Nangong Lian'er put down the wine glass and said.
Zhao Huan nodded, stood up and said, "Well, you are right. I will go there tonight."
Just as Zhao Huan was about to leave, Nangong Lian'er grabbed him and said, "No, I don't want you to leave."
Women always say one thing and mean another. Zhao Huan shook his head and laughed, "Didn't you say Sister Mu would be jealous? Why aren't you letting me go?"
Nangong Lian'er turned around angrily: "Then you can go."
Zhao Huan looked at her slender figure and took her in his arms: "How can I bear to leave you, you are such a beautiful little beauty."
Nangong Lian'er was about to break free with a smile on her face when she suddenly heard the deafening sound of drums from the palace.
Zhao Huan's face changed drastically. Was there a coup in the palace? No, it was the Crown Prince who had passed away.
Zhao Huan's figure swayed, his face pale. Nangong Lian'er hurriedly supported him: "Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?"
"Quick, take me to the Crown Prince's Palace."
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty," Cao Dongsheng rushed in in a panic. "Your Majesty, there's a woman beating a drum in the Dengwen Drum Courtyard, protesting her grievances."
Zhao Huan hastily retracted his steps and asked in surprise, "Who?"
"Your Majesty, two captains from Kaifeng Prefecture are accompanying a woman in beating the drum to report the incident," Cao Dongsheng said.
Zhao Huan felt relieved. It wasn't the Crown Prince's death. Then he frowned: "Meng Kangtou is becoming more and more unreasonable. What's he up to?"
Cao Dongsheng bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the late Emperor Renzong has issued an order to summon His Majesty for any matter."
Zhao Huan said impatiently, "Summon this woman to Wende Hall."
Wang Chao, Ma Han and Zhang Ruoxi were led to Wende Hall by eunuchs. Zhao Huan looked at them in surprise.
Cao Dongsheng beside him said, "Who gave you the courage to beat the drum in the middle of the night and startle the emperor?"
The three of them knelt hurriedly. Zhang Ruoxi bowed her head and said, "Your Majesty, I am the daughter of Grand Secretary Zhang Han. I have been wronged and I beg Your Majesty to help me."
Zhao Huan frowned. "If you have a grievance, you should go to Kaifeng Prefecture. Why are you risking death by beating the drum?"
Wang Chao knelt beside him and said, "Your Majesty, I have been ordered by Lord Meng Gurao to come and beat the drum to protest my grievances."
Zhao Huan was furious. He looked at Cao Dongsheng and said, "This Meng Kangtou is becoming more and more unreasonable. He must be getting old and confused."
Cao Dongsheng knew something was amiss and bowed, "Your Majesty, it's not too late to listen to them."
So Zhang Ruoxi told the whole story of how her father and Shan Wenhao were arrested by the Hu Yasi, and how she came to Kaifeng Prefecture to seek redress for her grievances with Meng Gu Rao.
Zhao Huan was furious when he heard this: "Zheng Xian, that bastard! I didn't give him power to let him do whatever he wants and frame people for no reason!"
Cao Dongsheng said from the side: "Your Majesty, this servant and Zheng Xian are old acquaintances. From what I understand, perhaps Master Zheng is unaware of this."
Zhao Huan regretted giving the Tiger and Dragon Guards too much power, leaving them without checks and balances. If it weren't for this woman's protest, countless loyal officials and generals would have been persecuted.
Thinking of the various unjust cases created by the East and West Factories and the Embroidered Uniform Guards in the Ming Dynasty, which led to the unjust deaths of countless loyal ministers and generals, I couldn't help but feel terrified.
"Let them go! Let them go! Quickly pass the order to release Zhang Han and Shan Wenhao!" Zhao Huan pointed at Cao Dongsheng.
Cao Dongsheng stammered, "I'm afraid, I'm afraid that by now, the two of them have already..."
Zhao Huan was shocked. If the Tiger Court had reported a case resulting in a death during an interrogation, they would simply write it as suicide out of fear of punishment. He hadn't investigated the matter deeply before, always believing that those people deserved their punishment. Now, he was afraid that these two people were in grave danger.
Ma Han knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, when we arrived, Lord Meng had already gone to the Tiger Court. He said he had a way to stop the Tiger Court from torturing us."
Zhao Huan breathed a sigh of relief. If Meng Gurao hadn't gone to the Tiger Court first, it would have been fine if Zhang Han and Shan Wenhao had confessed. If they hadn't, they would have been interrogated to death and the case would have been closed as suicide out of fear of punishment.
"Send that bastard Zheng Xian to see me!"
Cao Dongsheng was about to bow and agree, but Zhao Huan waved his hand and said, "Wait, I will go to the Tiger Court myself."
Wang Chao, Ma Han and the other three were overjoyed, and Zhang Ruoxi was so happy that she cried and knelt on the ground and kowtowed continuously.
Zhao Huan hurriedly walked over and helped her up. He saw that Zhang Ruoxi looked so pitiful, with tears still on her eyes. She was really pitiful.
Zhao Huan said softly, "Miss, I will definitely make the decision for you and clear your father's name."
Zhang Ruoxi said with tears in her eyes: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Meng Gurao was shocked when he was taken to the interrogation department to see that Zhang Han and Shan Wenhao had been tortured beyond recognition.
Both men had whip marks all over their bodies, and Shan Wenhao even had a deep mark on his chest from the branding iron.
The officers from the Torture Department were still whipping the two men, who were already dying.
"Stop!" Meng Gurao was furious. The officer saw that it was the official uniform of a first-rank official and immediately stopped.
Tang Cheng followed behind and sneered, "Why, Master Meng, are you in cahoots with these two?"
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