Outside the city, the shouts were also loud, but the shouts were not as solemn as the ones here in the imperial city. They were noisy and noisy, mixed with strange calls and whistles.
The students and scribes have already stood in front of the soldiers at the forefront.
"you…"
One of them pointed at the soldiers standing on their horses and shouted to them to get off their horses.
Before he could say anything, the soldier looked over blankly.
Unlike the retreating soldiers, there was no fear or anxiety in his eyes.
Like a wooden person without emotions.
This look of indifference to life and death can only be possessed by people who have experienced countless lives and deaths.
There was no anger or a crossbow, but it made the student shiver and freeze his hands.
Zhao Hanqing also looked at the people rushing towards him without the slightest fear, but with a bit of boredom.
She didn't feel any guilt or merit, and she didn't feel angry, sad or frightened. She just followed orders.
There is no order for her to deal with this situation, so just wait.
The generals in the military formation looked solemn, with a bit of sadness in their eyes. The sudden sound of horse hoofbeats turned out to be Duke Cheng Guo urging his horse.
"Let me meet them," he said.
When I saw him at this time, I felt a bit forced and helpless.
But this is the only way to go. We can't be trapped here. If we really can't even enter the imperial city, then the reputation of Duke Cheng and the face of the Northern Army will be completely lost.
From now on, they will become a joke to the Zhou Dynasty.
It took ten years of fighting to gain a reputation, and then it disappeared in one day, which is sad and helpless.
In fact, even after entering the imperial city, the joy and pride of this reward were gone despite these two obstacles.
They separated to make way and followed with their horses, but at this moment, Duke Cheng suddenly reined in his horse.
"Listen," he said, listening attentively.
Listen? Listen to what?
The generals were stunned for a moment and subconsciously listened.
There seemed to be a faint sound of stepping in the distance. To be precise, it was not listening, but feeling.
Feel the vibrations coming from the ground.
The ground was really shaking. Although it was very slight, it could still be judged that many people were walking towards this direction.
This kind of vibration is not caused by the trampling of horse hooves, but by the landing of human feet.
It would take at least tens of thousands of people to cause such vibrations by stepping on their feet.
Thousands of people are coming this way?
The crowd watching the fun?
Isn’t it a little late and too dense?
The generals couldn't help but look back, and the soldiers in the formation also noticed it and looked back.
Everyone turned their heads in unison, and the noisy people around them couldn't help but stop.
"What?"
"What are you looking at?"
They were talking and looking back.
Chen Qi, who was standing on the top of the carriage, shook unsteadily and fell down.
"What's going on?" he said angrily, scolding the coachman, "Keep the carriage steady and don't swing."
The coachman held on to the carriage uneasily.
"Master Qi, the ground is shaking," he said.
What kind of ground... Chen Qigang was about to ask, but Shopkeeper Liu, who was still standing on the roof of the car, suddenly stretched out his hand to punch him.
Because Chen Qi sat down, shopkeeper Liu didn't know it, so he put his hand directly on his head.
"Hey, boss, boss." Chen Qi shouted, protecting his head.
Shopkeeper Liu didn't stop or look at him.
"Look, look, there are a lot of people coming over there," he said.
So many people? How many people can there be? Everyone in the capital is here.
Chen Qi sat on the roof of the car and turned around to look, his eyes widening immediately.
My mother, he shouted in his heart, there are so many people.
They were densely packed like a line coming from the sky.
Chen Qi and Fang Jinxiu went tidal watching this year and were shocked by the scene of the Qiantang River tide coming in.
Looking at the people in his sight at this moment, he felt as if he was seeing the tide of the Qiantang River again.
How come there are so many people?
Who is this person?
Shopkeeper Liu stood high and looked far away, with a dazed look on his face.
"They seem to be... refugees," he said.
Refugees?
Chen Qi squinted his eyes, the crowd in his sight was getting closer and closer, and he could see clearly that the people walking in the front were men, women, old and young.
Their clothes are in rags, their clothes are dusty, and their faces bear the vicissitudes of life.
The woman is holding the child, the old man is holding a wooden stick, and the man is supporting the woman, supporting each other and staggering.
It seems that I have crossed mountains and rivers, traveled thousands of miles and rushed here.
Like thunder rolling thousands of miles away, covering the clouds and blocking out the sun.
………………………
The noise gradually stopped.
The booing people raised their hands to their mouths and looked at the incoming crowd in astonishment.
The scribe pointed his finger at the soldier in front of him, but he and the soldier did not look at each other, but at the crowd coming.
The crowd is getting closer and closer, and it can be seen clearly that these people have different identities, but they are indeed very ordinary people.
Neither a scholar nor a soldier.
They were probably people who came to see the excitement.
It had long been announced that Duke Cheng Guo was paraded in the streets and summoned by the emperor. People from many places came to see it. The wealthy people had booked a place to stay in the capital early and came in carriages, horses and sedan chairs, while more people who could not hire people came to see him.
Those who set up carriages and horses came on foot.
These people who are coming now are people from further away, and they have just arrived at this moment.
It's a good idea to come and watch the fun. Whether Duke Cheng is furious and kills people, or whether he dismounts his horse and takes off his armor to plead guilty, everyone will see it and spread the news.
And their reputation for integrity can also be famous all over the world. Having the experience of confronting high-ranking officials such as Duke Cheng, this is a distinguished qualification whether they become an official or go to school in the future.
Come and see them all, the more people come, the better.
The literati students were more energetic.
"But, aren't there too many here?" Suddenly a student murmured.
The crowd at the front has already arrived, but it is still densely packed in the distance, seemingly coming endlessly from the horizon.
"There must be ten thousand people here."
…………………………
The drumming outside the imperial city has stopped. The emperor is sitting upright, with a gentle smile on his face, and beside him are seven or eight important ministers who have been summoned to accompany him.
Without the sound of drums, the cheers of the people outside the Imperial Street were clearer, which made the emperor feel very happy.
His eyes swept under the city gate, and all the officials were already standing in a row according to their order. However, there seemed to be some confusion in the solemn standing, probably because many people were talking in low voices.
There is something not very nice about this scene.
However, the emperor, who was always good-tempered, did not scold him, but turned around and asked the question he was most concerned about.
"Where is Duke Cheng Guo?"
But when the ministers who were smiling at first looked a little weird when they heard this question, they seemed a little uneasy. For a while, no one took the initiative to answer.
This is a bit rude to you.
However, the emperor was still not angry, not even a hint of displeasure. If anyone looked carefully, they could see that the smile in his eyes was even stronger.
"What's wrong?" he asked proactively, "Is everything going well?"
After asking questions like this, I couldn't refuse to answer. A minister hesitated for a moment and stood up.
Say it, say it.
The emperor looked at him with a gentle expression.
The sound of footsteps interrupted the conversation here.
Lu Yunqi didn't care about the relationship between the emperor and his ministers, and he didn't ask for permission. He walked directly past the minister and walked to the emperor, whispering a few words in his ear.
The minister saw the emperor's face change suddenly, seeming surprised and angry.
***************
Well, the mood and speed are both good, and I still have my second update today. (To be continued)