Chapter 522 Natural Disasters and Man-Made Calamities
"shut up!"
Just as Shang Ruyi held her breath, her blood rushing through her veins with Pei Xu's words, Chu Ruoyan's angry voice rang out, interrupting Pei Xu's speech.
Her face flushed with anger, her eyebrows arched, and she glared furiously at Pei Xu, shouting, "How dare you! You, you dare to force the emperor to abdicate?!"
It was only at this moment that Cheng Fei seemed to understand Pei Xu's words.
He exclaimed urgently, "I don't want to!"
Although it was a child's terrified cry, it was still the emperor's voice. Chu Ruoyan glared fiercely at Pei Xu and said, "Aren't you afraid the emperor will chop off your head?!"
Pei Xu calmly replied, "I have already dedicated myself to the nation, and have nothing more to fear."
Faced with someone who disregarded life and death, Chu Ruoyan seemed to know that having someone drag him down and behead him would be useless. What angered her even more was that many of the civil and military officials on both sides nodded repeatedly after hearing Pei Xu's words.
no!
Absolutely not!
At this moment, Chu Ruoyan felt a surge of manic emotion amidst her panic.
She had lost so much—the Eastern Capital, the Ziwei Palace, the magnificent palace where she had grown up, she could never return; her father, who had loved her, sheltered her from all the storms of life, and showered her with all the rare treasures in the world, was gone forever; and her mother, always so dignified, noble, gentle, and kind, had also lost her voice, and her soft, comforting words that could soothe all her troubles, she would never hear again…
She has nothing left!
In this chaotic world, the only thing she wanted, the only thing she could hold onto, was the handsome, dashing man who had been deeply engraved in her heart since childhood, a man as reliable as a mountain. She wanted him!
It's not just liking, it's not just loving.
She even felt that it was God's last bit of salvation for her.
Even if the emperor were to abdicate, even if the Great Ye Dynasty were to fall into even greater chaos and war, it wouldn't matter. As long as he was still alive, as long as she could be with him, she would still be alive, she could survive!
Thinking this, Chu Ruoyan's face flushed red, as if all the blood in her body had rushed to her cheeks. She gritted her teeth and looked at Pei Xu with a deep gaze, saying, "In the end, you've all been fixated on the appearance of a comet, but now it's already the fourth day. The celestial signs are there, but where is the disaster? Where is the disaster?!"
"..."
"Let me tell you, even if there really is a disaster, let alone no disaster—"
"It really exists, so what?"
At this moment, a very soft voice suddenly rang out amidst the heated debate, startling everyone and causing them to instinctively turn their gaze to the speaker.
It is Shang Ruyi.
The moment she opened her mouth, Yuwen Ye released her arm.
Chu Ruoyan also looked at her, her eyes now filled with hatred in addition to her previous anger: "What, are you saying that if there really is a disaster, the emperor should abdicate?"
"No, if there truly is a calamity, I believe—"
Shang Ruyi looked at her, then at Chu Chengfei, who was now huddled behind the eunuch in a panic in the court, and said calmly, "We should first provide disaster relief and help the people."
These four words alone caused an uproar among the people in the hall.
Everyone was genuinely surprised. Just now, everyone was thinking about the emperor's abdication, the change of dynasties, and the transfer of power, trapped in the mindset of those in power. But this young mistress of the Yuwen family was truly genuine, always considering all issues from the perspective of the common people.
Such a person is truly benevolent!
Compared to all the previous statements, the difference in quality is immediately apparent!
Seemingly sensing the admiration and appreciation in everyone's eyes when they looked at Shang Ruyi, especially Yuwen Ye, whose dark eyes seemed to sparkle with a joy she had never seen before, Chu Ruoyan felt an indescribable anger surging through her chest.
A wicked thought arose spontaneously.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Then go do disaster relief, go help the people."
"..."
"It's not something that's right in front of you, so no matter how eloquently you speak, it won't make a difference!"
Her words were a desperate act of ruthlessness, showing no regard for the facts and only a desire to verbally defeat her opponent. Upon hearing this, not only did Shang Ruyi frown slightly, but Yuwen Qian, who had been silently observing the chaos in the court from a distance, also frowned slightly.
He instinctively wanted to take a step forward.
But as soon as she lifted her foot, she saw another slender figure slowly walk forward from behind Shang Ruyi. He was panting with every step and looked extremely weak, but in an instant, he shocked everyone around him.
That was none other than Ji Hong, the veteran official who had confronted Shang Ruyi at Dayan Temple before.
He stood hunched over in the center of the court, and because of his frail physique, he remained silent, almost unnoticed. But at this moment, as he slowly stepped out of the ranks and walked towards Shang Ruyi, all eyes immediately turned to him.
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the Taiji Hall became tense again.
It should be noted that this Lord Ji was utterly loyal to the Daye Dynasty. Even though he was rejected by Chu Yang back then, he still guarded the Daxing Imperial Palace and worried about the country every day. Even though his son died under Chu Yang's imperial sword, and he, an old man, had to bury his son, he still attacked this young lady Yuwen in Dayan Temple for Chu Yang's passing.
Now, Pei Xu is trying to force the emperor to abdicate, and the young mistress of the Yuwen family has spoken out against the eldest princess. The situation in the Liangyi Hall has reached a point where they can no longer coexist.
Does his appearance here mean he intends to confront the Yuwen family again, dedicating himself to the royal family until his dying breath?
As he approached, Chu Ruoyan's eyes lit up, while Shang Ruyi involuntarily held her breath. She knew, of course, the weight this old Lord Ji carried in the court; his words alone were enough to shift the tide of the court.
Just as Shang Ruyi nervously clenched her hands hanging by her sides, a warm, familiar scent wafted from behind her.
Looking back, it was Yuwen Ye.
Although he didn't say anything, his tall figure stood behind her like a mountain, providing her with a sense of security.
Thinking back to the last time at Dayan Temple, when she looked at him several times but he remained unmoved and tried to help her get through that ordeal, but in the end, he still made arrangements to protect her. Now, with him behind her, Shang Ruyi felt more confident.
Looking at Ji Hong's white hair and frail appearance, she said softly, "Lord Ji—"
But before she could finish speaking, Ji Hong didn't even look at her. Instead, he looked at Chu Ruoyan, whose eyes were shining as she looked at him, and said, "Your Highness, if a disaster really occurs, and the Yuwen family truly provides disaster relief and assistance, what will happen then?"
"...!?"
Chu Ruoyan was stunned.
Was this a question accusing her?!
She couldn't believe her ears and stared at Ji Hong in astonishment. After a long while, she said in a trembling voice, "Lord Ji, what—what did you say?"
This not only shocked Chu Ruoyan, but also stunned Shang Ruyi.
It should be noted that although Pei Xu proposed abdicating, he did not specify to whom he would abdicate. He himself had just spoken about disaster relief and helping the people, but Ji Hong mentioned "the Yuwen family" in his words. In other words, he directly stated that if he wanted to help the people, he would have to abdicate to the Yuwen family!
Ji Hong was actually helping them?!
How could that be?
Shang Ruyi opened her eyes wide in a panic, looking at him, but knew this wasn't the time to ask questions, so she could only stand there blankly. Chu Ruoyan, in her daze, with red eyes, used her last bit of strength to say to Ji Hong, "Lord Ji, even you—"
Ji Hong looked at her with his cloudy, bluish-gray eyes and said only, "Princess, please enlighten me."
This is the final moment.
When Ji Hong also stepped forward, everyone, even those who knew the situation was irreversible but still cared for their former master, understood that this coup, even without Yuwen Yuan's personal intervention and without armed conflict, was destined to bring the Daye Dynasty to its end.
"hehe,"
Chu Ruoyan suddenly burst into laughter, and once she started laughing, she seemed unable to stop. She then laughed heartily, even laughing until tears streamed down her face. Her eyes were red as she looked at Ji Hong in front of her and said sadly, "Isn't what you all want the emperor to abdicate?"
"..."
"Alright, I can say it out loud, if any disaster really occurs—"
Everyone held their breath, staring intently at her. Chu Ruoyan's face flushed red, and she bared her teeth. Her stunning beauty had vanished, replaced by a fierce, wolf-like ruthlessness, as she was driven to desperation. She said, word by word, "The Emperor shall abdicate!"
"Royal Sister!"
The young emperor sitting on the dragon throne panicked, but at this moment, he had no other choice but to shout.
After all, by this point, even the eunuchs around him had stopped speaking.
After uttering those words, Chu Ruoyan felt as if half of her bones had been removed, and she swayed as if she were about to collapse at any moment. Yet, she stood in the center of the hall, like a stubborn ghost, watching the relaxed, composed, and even joyful expressions of the people around her. She chuckled twice and then said, "However, you keep saying 'When a comet appears, disaster strikes,' but where exactly is the disaster?"
She raised her hand, pointing at Shang Ruyi, her trembling fingertips like gleaming blades, as if she wanted to pierce her: "Just because she says she wants to help the disaster-stricken people, does that make her a bodhisattva? Not at all—"
No sooner had he finished speaking than another rumble of thunder sounded.
However, unlike the previous rumbling thunder that only rolled in the clouds, this time the thunder seemed to be all around the Taiji Hall, even right above their heads, causing the entire hall to tremble slightly. Chu Ruoyan looked terrified, and her words caught in her throat.
Yuwen Yuan frowned and looked out of the main hall.
Immediately, a squad of golden-armored soldiers rushed forward and stood guard outside the main hall.
Chu Ruoyan's face drained of color, turning deathly pale—she then realized that her struggles and stubbornness were utterly useless. Although Yuwen Yuan remained silent, the entire Taiji Palace, and perhaps even the entire Daxing Imperial Palace, were already under his control.
No matter what I say, even if I bleed to death here, the result will be the same.
but--
Just as she managed to sort out this thought in her chaotic mind, it was immediately shattered by another deafening roar. Chu Chengfei, who was in the main hall, was so frightened that he jumped off the dragon throne and threw himself into her arms: "Royal Sister!"
Chu Ruoyan's face turned pale, and she also looked anxiously towards the outside of the main hall.
The thunder seemed to be more than just thunder; it was—
"It's the Golden Dragon Drum!"
Just as everyone held their breath, as if they couldn't believe what they were hearing, someone finally shouted loudly, their voice shrill and filled with immense terror: "It's the sound of the Golden Dragon Drum!"
At that moment, everyone let out a horrified gasp.
Golden Dragon Drum!
It should be noted that the Daye Dynasty established its capital in Daxing, which was divided into inner and outer cities. Regardless of the inner or outer city walls, or the palace walls, gongs and drums were set up at the east, west, south, north and west corners to observe the movements inside and outside the city. Once a natural disaster or man-made calamity occurred, the soldiers guarding the city would immediately sound the gongs and drums to warn of the danger.
However, the warnings given by gongs and drums are different.
The gong signaled a man-made disaster, which was the enemy situation that the capital city had to be most vigilant against. Once an enemy situation was discovered outside the city, the gong should be sounded immediately to alert the soldiers guarding the city to prepare to defend against the enemy.
The Golden Dragon Drum foreshadows natural disasters.
However, not every natural disaster can warrant the use of the Golden Dragon Drum. When Emperor Wen set up these dozen or so Golden Dragon Drums, he also issued an edict that only large-scale natural disasters that could shake the stability of Daxing City or even the Daye Dynasty could warrant the use of the Golden Dragon Drum.
Therefore, since the Golden Dragon Drum was set up, for more than 20 years, the people in Daxing City have never heard a single drumbeat.
So much so that everyone just now thought it was thunder!
At this moment, an increasingly clear and loud roar, accompanied by an invisible sound wave, seemed to be focused on the Taiji Hall, and everyone's heart trembled with the thunderous drumbeats.
Chu Ruoyan panicked and shouted, "What's wrong? What happened?"
In her arms, Chu Chengfei was terrified, his face pale. He could only hold her tightly, crying out, "Royal sister, save me!"
His cries intensified Chu Ruoyan's panic. Listening to the drumbeats and thunder rumbling overhead, it felt as if the world was about to collapse. Her entire being almost crumbled at that moment: "What happened? What's going on?!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than a young eunuch rushed in from outside the Jiade Gate, through the Taiji Gate, up the walkway, and all the way to the Taiji Hall. He stammered in terror, "Reporting to the Grand Chancellor—"
Yuwen Yuan stepped forward: "What happened?"
The little eunuch's legs went weak, and he trembled as he said, "A plague has broken out in the city!"
"What?!"
This caused panic among everyone in the hall.
Yuwen Ye's expression also froze. He subconsciously looked down and saw that although Shang Ruyi's eyes were wide open, her panicked eyes seemed to reveal a "as expected" expression.
At this moment, Chu Ruoyan shouted angrily, "Plague? Even if it is a plague, why are you beating the Golden Dragon Drum!"
The young eunuch knelt down with a thud, his face contorted with grief, and said, "Your Highness, the clinics in both the inner and outer cities are overflowing with patients, and outbreaks have occurred in various wards. Not only that, but countless patients outside the city gates are trying to break into the city to seek medical treatment!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com