The thunderous drumbeats resounded throughout the entire square, striking heavily on the hearts of everyone present, and everyone's heart was shaken.
Zhang Shusheng raised his drumstick and shouted, "I have been wronged!"
Then, those behind him who had lost their children also shouted in unison: "We are innocent!"
The uniform shouts were like thunder, shaking the surrounding air.
“Boom!”
Zhang Shusheng struck the drum again and continued, "I want to sue Her Royal Highness the Princess. In order to save her life, she ordered people to kidnap innocent children and use their heart blood to make elixirs!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Zhang Shusheng repeatedly struck the drum, as if he wanted to vent all the grievances and resentment in his heart.
Today he must seek justice for his daughter and the other children! Let's see if these nobles can ignore the law and cover the sky with one hand! The rumbling drums sounded again and again, like thunder, and Zhang Shusheng would shout for himself and his daughter every time he beat the drum.
The crowd around was boiling like a pot of water. More and more people flocked to the scene at the sound of drums. The square and even the three streets outside the palace gate became more and more crowded and noisy.
At a glance, there were crowds of people around.
“De de de…”
At this time, a rumbling sound of horse hooves came from the end of Zhuque Street, and the hurried sound of horse hooves was getting closer and closer.
Then I saw a team of twenty or thirty people riding horses towards this side.
Mr. Li saw the person coming from a distance and his eyes widened in surprise.
He immediately mobilized his imperial guards, and the soldiers acted in a well-trained manner, driving away the gathered people every ten steps and clearing a path for the newcomers as quickly as possible.
Leading the group was a handsome and flawless young man in white.
He was covered in a frosty white cloak, looking so elegant and noble, as if he was a banished immortal from heaven who had come down to earth.
Behind him was a group of majestic-looking imperial guards. They were all riding horses, passing through Zhengyang Gate and Dajing Gate and heading towards Chengtian Gate, looking covered in dust.
The imperial guards on both sides bowed in unison to welcome the return of the eldest prince.
Chu Yi heard the incessant drumbeats from afar, heard Zhang Shusheng's angry shouts, and saw the people gathered in the square. Their handsome faces showed no emotion, but their eyes were dark and inky.
He received the news that Anle was seriously ill last night, so he rushed back from the imperial mausoleum overnight and only arrived in the capital now.
He had been gone for only one day, but he had never expected that the capital city would be turned upside down...
“Oh—”
Chu Yi tightened the reins and stopped the horse in front of the Dajing Gate. He looked in the direction where the sound of the Dengwen drum came from and saw a girl in snow-blue clothes standing next to Zhang Shusheng.
The slender and delicate girl stood leisurely with her back to him. From Chu Yi's angle, he could not see her face at all.
However, at just one glance, Chu Yi recognized her, the corners of his lips curled up, and his eyes sparkled.
It's her.
The girl's existence was like a ray of light that dispelled the heavy haze, making Chu Yi feel suddenly enlightened. It was also like a touch of bright color suddenly appearing in a gloomy landscape painting, making him feel that his lifeless life had a change worth looking forward to.
Chu Yi's heart, which had been hanging for half a night, suddenly settled down, and his brows curved slightly in a gentle manner.
Gu Yuan, who was following behind Chu Yi, also saw his sister and raised his eyebrows in confusion.
Why is my sister here?!
The black horse under Gu Yuan's crotch was breathing out white air rapidly.
Many people in the square also noticed Chu Yi's arrival. They all looked at this handsome young man in white and couldn't help but take a few more glances at him.
Chu Yi only paused for two breaths and silently made a gesture to Gu Yuan.
Gu Yuan clasped his fists in understanding and accepted the order, while Chu Yi kicked his horse's belly and continued to ride towards the palace.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The deep and deafening sound of the drum rose one after another, louder than the last, echoing throughout the entire palace.
Chu Yi rode his horse all the way to the Jingren Palace in the inner court. As he walked forward, the palace servants along the way saluted him one after another: "Your Highness, the First Prince."
The palace was filled with an atmosphere of sadness, depression and pain, and every palace servant had a sad face.
Anle was still lying on the couch, eyes closed, unconscious.
The emperor dismissed his court today and has been staying with Anle since last night. After just one night, he looked much more haggard, with a dark blue shadow in his eye sockets.
He was still wearing the dragon robe he wore yesterday, which was covered with wrinkles.
"Father."
Chu Yi walked quickly to the emperor and saw the eunuch Zhao Rang, who looked a little embarrassed beside the emperor, and An Le, who was pale and unconscious on the couch.
The emperor frowned and rubbed his temples. He looked at Chu Yi and said in a deep voice, "On the first day of the first lunar month, there was some riot in the capital this morning. The people were indignant and gathered at the right gate of Chang'an..."
Chu Yi instantly understood the point of the emperor's words.
His father probably didn't know about the riots in the capital until the drum was struck.
Chu Yi's heart sank slightly.
The Imperial Household Department was in charge of all internal and external documents and was supposed to be the emperor's eyes and ears, ensuring communication between the inside and the outside.
However, the Imperial Household Department is no longer under the control of my father. He deceives his superiors and subordinates, so that my father is cut off from the outside world in the palace and acts very passively.
Chu Yi immediately ordered Zhao Rang, "Zhao Rang, go prepare the dragon chariot."
"Father, let's go to Chengtian Gate."
The emperor never had any objection to his son's decisions.
So Chu Yi went to the bedroom personally, carried the unconscious Anle out, and sat on the dragon chariot with the emperor.
Just a cup of tea later, the emperor's procession arrived at Chengtian Gate in a grand manner.
"The Emperor has arrived!"
When the eunuch's sharp voice reached the right gate of Chang'an, all the noise around suddenly stopped.
Both the yamen runners and the common people were shocked and could not believe their ears.
The drumstick in Zhang Shusheng's hand also stopped in mid-air. His hand slipped, and the drumstick fell out of his hand and fell to the ground with a "bang".
No one had ever expected that the emperor, who could only be seen in operas, would actually leave the palace in person.
I don't know who was the first to kneel down, but everyone else followed suit and knelt on the ground, their bodies all shortened.
Everyone kneeling on the ground couldn't help but look up, their burning gazes all directed towards the city wall above Chengtian Gate.
At this moment, most of the people have forgotten the indignation they felt when the drum was struck just now. What they feel more in their hearts is awe for the emperor of the time.
The emperor lifted his robe and sat on a large gold-painted chair on the city wall. He looked serious and majestic without even getting angry.
On the way to Chengtian Gate just now, he had already heard Gu Yuan report the whole story, including the disappearance of a child in the capital, the story of a girl who said she escaped from the palace, and the story of the girl's father who came to beat the drum to report the incident but was stopped by the yamen runners...
The emperor's eyebrows were deeply raised, forming the Chinese character "川".
Because the eldest princess doesn't have much time left, the emperor has been with her since yesterday and has never left Jingren Palace.
He never expected that such a thing would happen in just one day.
His only daughter, his eldest princess, was a blessed child.
How could he allow Shangqing's evil magic to destroy his precious daughter's blessings?
The emperor had been on the throne for less than a year and had nearly been deposed when he was crown prince. The previous emperor had been on high alert, so he had few opportunities to build up his own foundation.
The previous emperor favored his youngest son and indulged the noble families, so the power of the court was divided among the noble families. Emperor Taizu did not abandon the donkey after it had done its work, and the previous emperor was not able to take back the military power, so most of the military power was in the hands of nobles, such as the Duke of Weiguo and the Duke of Yingguo.
(The Emperor is Hell at the beginning...) In fact, according to the mentality of the previous emperor, he was thinking: If you don't let me change the crown prince, then I will let my youngest son take the throne himself. Therefore, during his reign, he continued to help the aristocratic family and his youngest son.
(End of this chapter)
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