Outside the city, the shouting was also intense, but it couldn't compare to the solemnity of this side of the Imperial City—noisy and chaotic, mixed with strange shouts and whistles.
The scholars and students had already stood in front of the soldiers in the front row.
"You..."
One of them pointed at the soldier on horseback, standing solemnly, yelling for him to dismount.
Before he could finish his words, the soldier looked over dully.
Unlike those soldiers who retreated, his eyes showed no fear or unease.
He looked like an emotionless wooden figure.
This indifferent look toward life and death can only be possessed by someone who has experienced countless life-and-death situations.
There was no anger, no raised bows, yet it made the student shiver, his hand pausing.
Zhao Hanqing also looked at the people rushing in front of her without the slightest fear, but rather with some boredom.
She felt nothing about the so-called sinners or merits, not even anger or sorrow; she was just following orders.
Without an order to deal with such a situation, she would just wait.
The expressions of the generals within the military formation were grave, with a hint of sadness in their eyes. Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves arose; it was the Duke of Chengguo urging his horse.
"Let me meet them," he said.
At this moment, any meeting seemed to carry a forced helplessness.
But this was the only option. They couldn't be trapped here and be unable to even enter the Imperial City. The Duke of Chengguo's prestige and the face of the Northern Army would be completely lost.
From now on, they would become a joke of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
A decade of battles earned them fame, and it could vanish in a single moment, making one feel grief and helplessness.
Even if they entered the Imperial City, after these two disruptions, the joy and pride of rewards and honors were gone.
They parted to make way, following the horse, but just at this moment, the Duke of Chengguo suddenly reined in his horse.
"Listen," he said, turning his ear to the side.
Listen? Listen to what?
The generals were stunned, subconsciously also turning their ears to listen.
From far away, there seemed to be a faint rumbling sound. Rather than hearing, it was more of a sensation.
Feeling the vibrations coming from the ground.
The ground was indeed vibrating, although faintly, it was still possible to discern that many people were approaching.
This vibration wasn't caused by horse hooves but by human feet hitting the ground.
To cause such a vibration by foot, there must be at least ten thousand people.
Are tens of thousands of people approaching?
Are these the onlookers, the common people?
Isn't it a bit late for them to arrive, and are they not too densely packed?
The generals couldn't help but look back, and the soldiers in the military formation also noticed and turned back to look.
One by one, everyone turned their heads, and the noisy crowd around them couldn't help but stop.
"What's happening?"
"What are they looking at?"
They murmured while following and looking back.
Seventh Chen, standing atop a carriage, wobbled unstably and fell to a sitting position.
"What's the matter?" he said angrily, scolding the coachman, "Keep the carriage steady, don't wobble."
The coachman, uneasily, steadied the carriage.
"Seventh Master, it's the ground shaking," he said.
The ground...? Seventh Chen was just about to ask when Manager Liu, still standing atop the carriage, suddenly reached out and tapped him.
Because Seventh Chen had sat down, Manager Liu didn't notice and ended up tapping right on his head.
"Hey, hey, the head, the head," Seventh Chen exclaimed, shielding his head.
Manager Liu didn't stop or look at him.
"Look, look, a lot of people are coming over there," he said.
A lot of people? How many could there be? Everyone in the capital is already here.
Seventh Chen turned his head to look from atop the carriage and couldn't help but widen his eyes.
My goodness, he thought, it's truly a lot of people.
Thickly packed, like a line pouring in from the horizon.
This year, Chen Qi had gone to watch the tide with Fang Jinxiu and had been awed by the scene of the Qiantang River tide.
At this moment, looking at the people appearing in his line of sight, it was as if he were seeing the Qiantang River tide again.
How could there be so many people?
Who are they?
Manager Liu, standing high, saw further, his expression dazed.
"They seem to be... refugees," he said.
Refugees?
Seventh Chen squinted his eyes. The crowd in his vision was getting closer, revealing people of all ages.
They were in tattered clothing, they were travel-worn, and their faces were weathered.
Women carried children, the elderly leaned on wooden sticks, men supported women, relying on each other, stumbling along.
It seemed they had crossed mountains and rivers, journeyed a thousand miles, coming steadily.
Like thunder rumbling for thousands of miles, obscuring the sky and sun.
...............
The commotion gradually subsided.
The rabble-rousing crowds cupped their hands around their mouths in shock, watching the crowd coming in.
The scholar with his finger on the soldier in front also wasn't looking at the soldier but at the approaching crowd.
The crowd came closer, and one could see that these people came from different backgrounds but were indeed ordinary citizens.
They weren't literati or soldiers.
They must be onlookers.
The news of the Duke of Chengguo's honor parade and being summoned by the emperor had long been announced, and people from many places hurried to watch. The wealthy had already booked accommodations in the capital and came by carriage, while those who couldn't afford to hire transport walked.
These now arriving were from even further away, only now reaching here.
It's good to have onlookers. Regardless of whether Duke of Chengguo would unleash his anger and kill or dismount and remove his armor to plead guilty, all would be seen and spread by everyone.
And their fame for integrity and righteousness could spread throughout the world. Having the experience of confronting such a high official like the Duke of Chengguo would be a prestigious credential, whether for future governance or study.
Let them all come, the more the better.
The scholars and students were more spirited.
"But aren't there too many coming?" suddenly a student murmured.
The crowd at the front had already reached them, but far away, there seemed to be an endless stream from the horizon.
"There must be tens of thousands of them now."
.............
The sound of drums and music outside the Imperial City had already stopped. The emperor sat upright with a gentle expression, smiling, surrounded by seven or eight summoned important officials for company.
Without the sound of drums and music, the cheers of the crowd outside Imperial Street became clearer, pleasing the emperor even more.
His gaze swept over beneath the city gates, where officials had already stood up, lined up according to their ranks, though this solemnity seemed somewhat chaotic, likely because many were whispering and speaking.
The scene was somewhat unsightly.
However, the emperor, being of even temper, did not scold, but rather turned to ask the question he was most concerned with.
"Where is the Duke of Chengguo now?"
However, the several ministers who had been smiling instantly wore strange expressions upon hearing this question, seeming a bit uneasy, and no one immediately volunteered an answer.
This was somewhat disrespectful in front of the monarch.
Still, the emperor showed no anger, not even a hint of displeasure. If closely observed, one might see the amusement in his eyes deepen.
"Is there a problem?" he inquired proactively, "Is everything going smoothly?"
Having been asked thus, they couldn't remain silent. A hesitant minister finally stepped forward.
Speak, speak.
The emperor looked at him kindly.
The sound of footsteps interrupted the conversation.
Lu Yunqi ignored the ongoing monarch-official dialogue, did not seek permission, and directly bypassed the minister to approach the emperor's side, whispering a few words in his ear.
The minister saw the emperor's face change dramatically, appearing both surprised and possibly angry.
***************
Hmm, the emotions and pacing are good, today we continue with a double update.