Chapter 302: Personal Arrival
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
THUMP!
The thunderous sound of the drum resounded throughout the entire square and heavily struck the hearts of everyone present. Everyone’s hearts trembled.
Scholar Zhang raised his drumstick and shouted, ‘This commoner has been wronged! ‘
Right on the heels of that, the people behind him who had lost their children also shouted in unison, ‘This commoner has been wronged!’
The uniform shouts were like thunder, causing the surrounding air to tremble.
THUMP!
Scholar Zhang rang the drum again and continued, ‘This commoner wants to report the eldest princess. In order to survive, she didn’t hesitate to order people to abduct innocent children and take their heart blood to refine pills! ” Thump! Thump! Thump!
Scholar Zhang repeatedly struck the drum, as if he wanted to vent all the grievances and unwillingness in his heart.
Today, he had to 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 thunderous drum beats came again and again, sounding like thunder. Every time Scholar Zhang struck the drum a few times, he would shout for himself and his daughter.
The surrounding crowd was boiling like a pot of boiling water. More and more commoners flocked over when they heard the drumbeat. The square and even the three streets outside the palace became more and more crowded and noisy.
At a glance, the surroundings were crowded with people.
At this moment, the sound of horse hooves came from the end of the street. The hurried sound of horse hooves gradually approached.
He saw a team of 20 to 30 people riding their horses over.
President Li saw the person from afar and widened his eyes in surprise.
He immediately mobilized the imperial guards under him. The soldiers were well-trained and moved. They drove away the gathered commoners every 10 steps and opened up a path for the people at the fastest speed.
The leader was a handsome and flawless young master in white.
Dressed in a frosty white cloak, he was elegant and noble, like an immortal from heaven who had descended from the mortal world.
Behind him was a group of majestic-looking imperial guards. This group of people rode horses and passed through the Zhengyang Gate and the Great Ming Gate. They rushed in the direction of the Chengtian Gate, looking travel -worn.
The imperial guards on both sides bowed in unison to welcome the Eldest Prince’s return.
Chu Yi heard the endless drumbeats from afar, heard Scholar Zhang’s angry shouts, and saw the commoners gathered in the square. Their handsome faces were expressionless, but their eyes were dark like ink.
He had received the news that he was seriously ill last night and had rushed back from the imperial mausoleum overnight. He had only arrived in the capital now.
He had only been gone for a day, but the capital seemed to have been turned upside down...
“Huff—I’
Chu Yi pulled the reins tightly and stopped the horse in front of the Great Ming Gate. He looked in the direction of the drumbeat and immediately saw the young girl in a snow-green dress standing beside Scholar Zhang.
The slender and exquisite girl stood leisurely with her back facing him. From Chu Yi’s angle, he couldn’t see her face at all.
However, Chu Yi recognized her with just one look. His lips curled up, and his eyes sparkled.
It was her.
The young girl’s existence was like a ray of light that pushed away the layers of haze, making Chu Yi suddenly feel enlightened. It was also like a dark landscape painting that had a hint of brightness, making him feel that his lifeless life had another variable worth looking forward to.
Chu Yi’s heart, which had been hanging in the air for half a night, settled down instantly. His eyes curved up gently.
Gu Yuan, who was following behind Chu Yi, also saw his sister and raised his eyebrows at a loss.
Why was his sister here?!
The black horse that Gu Yuan was riding on was spewing out white gas.
Many commoners in the square also noticed Chu Yi’s arrival. They sized up this handsome young master in white and couldn’t help but take a few more glances.
Chu Yi only stopped for two breaths and silently gestured to Gu Yuan.
Gu Yuan cupped his fists and accepted the order. Chu Yi squeezed the horse’s belly and continued to ride it towards the palace.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The deep and deafening drums rose and fell, louder and louder, resounding throughout the entire palace.
Chu Yi rode his horse all the way to the inner court’s Jingren Palace. As he walked forward, the palace servants along the way bowed to him. “Your Highness. ”
Another eunuch quickly led him to the peaceful bedroom.
The hall was filled with a sad, oppressive, and painful atmosphere. Every palace servant had a long face.
An Le was still lying on the bed with his eyes closed, unconscious.
The Emperor had just finished court today and had been by An Le’s side since last night. It had only been a night, but he looked much more haggard. There was a dark green shadow in his eye sockets.
He was still wearing the dragon robe from yesterday , which was already covered in wrinkles.
“Father.”
Chu Yi quickly walked in front of the Emperor and immediately saw the eunuch Zhao Rang, who looked a little uneasy beside the Emperor, and An Le, who was pale and unconscious on the bed.
The Emperor frowned slightly and raised his hand to rub his temples. He looked at Chu Yi and said in a low voice, “On the first day of the new year, there was some chaos in the capital this morning. The people were indignant and gathered at the right gate of Chang’an...”
Chu Yi immediately understood the main point of the Emperor’s words.
His father probably didn’t know that many commoners had gathered at the right gate of Chang’an until the drum was sounded. Only then did he know about the commotion in the capital today.
Chu Yi’s heart sank slightly.
The Internal Affairs Directorate was in charge of internal and external communication. It was supposed to be the Emperor’s eyes and ears, ensuring that internal and external communication was smooth.
However, the Internal Affairs Directorate was no longer under his father’s control. He deceived everyone, causing his father to be very passive in the palace.
Chu Yi immediately instructed Zhao Rang, “Zhao Rang, prepare the dragon carnage.”
“Father, let’s go to the Chengtian Gate.”
The Emperor had no objections to his son’s decision.
Hence, Chu Yi personally went to the bedroom to carry the unconscious An Le out and sat in the dragon carriage with the Emperor.
After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, the Emperor’s guard of honor arrived at the Chengtian Gate in a grandiose manner.
“The Emperor has arrived! ”
When the eunuch’s sharp voice reached the right gate of Chang’an, the surrounding noise suddenly stopped.
Be it the bailiffs or the commoners, they were all stunned and couldn’t believe their ears.
The drumstick in Scholar Zhang’s hand stopped in midair. His hand slipped, and the drumstick fell to the ground with a clang.
No one expected that the Emperor, who was usually only seen in operas, would personally leave the palace.
It was unknown who was the first to kneel down, but the others followed suit and knelt on the ground. Their bodies were all shorter.
The people kneeling on the ground couldn’t help but raise their heads and look up. Their burning gazes shot towards the city tower above Chengtian Gate.
At this moment, most of the commoners had already forgotten the indignation they felt when they heard the drum being beaten. They were more in awe of the Emperor.
The Emperor lifted his robe and sat on a large golden chair on the city tower. His expression was serious and dignified.
On the way to Chengtian Gate, he had already heard Gu Yuan report the whole matter, including the disappearance of a child in the capital, a girl who said that she had escaped from the palace, and the girl’s father who came to beat the drum but was stopped by the bailiff...
The Emperor’s eyebrows were deeply furrowed.
As the eldest princess didn’t have much time left, the Emperor had been accompanying her since yesterday and had never left Jingren Palace. He never expected that such a thing would happen in such a short day.
His only daughter, his eldest princess, was a blessed child.
How could he let Shangqing’s sorcery ruin his precious daughter’s good fortune?