Chapter 119: Trump Card
While Lu Yun was receiving special training in Lu Ward, the disaster victims in the Capital City caused trouble again.
No one knew who had prematurely leaked the Court of Judicial Review’s judgment result. When they heard that Gao Guangning was merely deducted a year’s salary and not even removed from his position as Minister of Works, the disaster victims were all stunned!
They still clearly remembered how, back at the Xuanhui Gate, the Initial Emperor had been thunderously furious, swearing to root out the vermin of the Imperial Court and give the common people justice. How could it be that in the blink of an eye, it was all being brushed under the rug like this?
At this time, those well-informed people indignantly told them that this was fundamentally not His Majesty’s intention, and His Majesty the Emperor was still being kept in the dark by corrupt officials!
The common people suddenly realized, filled with righteous indignation, and cursed the corrupt officials as deserving death for protecting each other!
“We must let His Majesty know, otherwise we’ll just be letting the corrupt officials off cheaply, and His Majesty will be saddled with the bad name of an incompetent ruler!” In the gathering places of disaster victims throughout the Capital City, people began agitating as if by prior agreement.
The disaster victims already hated Gao Guangning, who had brought ruin to their families, with a burning hatred, and had been bitterly hoping day and night for the Imperial Court to give them justice. At this moment, already seething with rage, they surged like a swarm toward the Tianjin Bridge at the slightest incitement.
The Tianjin Bridge was guarded day and night by Imperial Guards, who did not permit unnecessary people to pass. Seeing those guards clad in golden armor, the disaster victims couldn’t help but feel intimidated. But the leaders shouted loudly: “What are we afraid of? We’re not here to cause trouble!”
“Exactly, we’re here to report to the Emperor, they won’t make things difficult for us!”
The crowd continued forward and were indeed stopped by the guards, who sternly shouted at them: “All of you, stop! What are you doing?!”
“We’re here to beat the Drum for Reporting Grievances!” several leaders among the disaster victims answered righteously. The so-called Drum for Reporting Grievances, also called the road drum, was hung outside the palace gates by emperors of past dynasties, allowing the common people to beat it to appeal grievances and bring cases to the Son of Heaven’s ears.
After the founding of This Dynasty, traditional Chinese attire was restored, and naturally the ancient system was followed by setting up such a large drum outside Ziwei City. But whether intentionally or not, the Drum for Reporting Grievances was placed north of the Luo River, so people south of the Luo River who wanted to beat the drum had to cross several bridges over the Luo River.
And the bridges over the Luo River were without exception guarded by troops, making it extremely difficult for ordinary commoners to cross the river.
“So many people beating the drum?” The Imperial Guards guarding the bridge looked at the dense crowd of commoners and swallowed, saying: “Do all of you have grievances?”
“That’s right!” The disaster victims shouted: “We all have grievances!”
“No! So many people can’t pass!” The Imperial Guards wanted to follow convention and block them south of the Luo River.
“Let them pass!” Unexpectedly, at this moment, a majestic voice rang out behind the Imperial Guards. Looking in the direction of the voice, they saw that the speaker was Huangfu Kang, Commander of the Imperial Guards. This imperial family general responsible for guarding Ziwei Palace had ‘happened’ to patrol through this area.
“Commander…” The leader of the bridge guards couldn’t help but say awkwardly: “If so many people pass and trouble breaks out, what then?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take full responsibility.” Huangfu Kang said indifferently, turning his gaze to the disaster victims and smiling at several old men at the front: “Gentlemen, we met at the Xuanhui Gate back then, didn’t we?”
“Yes, yes, General has a good memory, it was us few.” Seeing Huangfu Kang, the several old men felt greatly reassured and said: “Back then His Majesty said that if there was any matter, we could come to beat the drum outside the palace at any time—does the General still remember?”
“Did you hear that?” Huangfu Kang glanced at the leader and said in a deep voice: “His Majesty permitted them to come!”
At this point, how could the bridge-guarding Imperial Guards block them anymore? They hurriedly cleared the way, allowing the disaster victims to cross the Tianjin Bridge in a vast throng.
.
Inside Changle Palace, Great Xuan Grand Tutor Xiahou Ba was reporting to the Initial Emperor the Three Judicial Offices’ conclusion on the Gao Guangning case.
The Initial Emperor sat upright silently on the golden dais, stroking the jade ruyi scepter, his face showing little anger but rather a faint trace of sarcasm.
Xiahou Ba was long accustomed to this; whenever the Initial Emperor encountered something unpleasant but couldn’t vent it, he would put on this punchable expression.
Xiahou Ba ignored the Initial Emperor’s displeasure, reported the situation methodically, then said in a deep voice: “The Chancellery, after deliberation, finds no bias in the Three Judicial Offices’ handling and can accept this result. What does Your Majesty think?”
After Xiahou Ba finished, the Initial Emperor did not respond for a long time, so he coughed and said in a deep voice: “Your Majesty!”
“Hehe…” The Initial Emperor then came back to his senses and smiled faintly at Xiahou Ba: “Grand Tutor, have you heard any noise?”
Xiahou Ba couldn’t help but frown; from his years of experience, the Initial Emperor was probably about to stir up something again. The Old Grand Tutor thus replied dully: “This old minister is aged and hard of hearing, heard nothing.”
“Listen carefully.” The Initial Emperor cupped his hand by his ear, striking a listening pose.
“…” Xiahou Ba had no choice but to concentrate and tilt his ear, and sure enough, he heard the sound of drums coming from afar.
At this time, a young eunuch ran in to report: “Your Majesty, someone is beating the Drum for Reporting Grievances!”
“Drum for Reporting Grievances!” Xiahou Ba’s pupils contracted; he sensed the aura of a conspiracy.
“Drum for Reporting Grievances? How rare.” The Initial Emperor, however, said with interest: “These years, thanks to the Grand Tutor’s tireless efforts, Great Xuan has lost nothing on the roads by day and left doors unbarred at night—We had almost forgotten such a thing existed.”
Xiahou Ba pretended not to hear the sarcasm in the Initial Emperor’s tone and said in a deep voice: “This old minister will go see who is beating the drum and what grievance they have that couldn’t be reported through the proper offices, instead disturbing Your Majesty like this?!”
“Ah,” but the Initial Emperor waved his hand, signaling Du Hui beside him to help him up: “Since We’re idle anyway, how about We and the Old Grand Tutor go up to the city wall to see who is beating the drum.”
“Yes…” Xiahou Ba couldn’t stop the Initial Emperor and could only agree.
Thus, the monarch and his minister did not summon a carriage, only bringing Du Hui and a few guards, sat in carried sedans leaving Changle Palace, passing through the front hall to the city tower at Ying Tian Gate.
Seeing His Majesty and the Grand Tutor arrive on the city tower, the Imperial Guards there hurriedly knelt to pay respects.
The Initial Emperor waved his hand and said indifferently: “You all stand aside, don’t make a fuss.”
The Imperial Guards immediately retreated to the side, leaving only Du Hui attending the Initial Emperor and Xiahou Ba.
“Let’s take a look.” The Initial Emperor beckoned to Xiahou Ba and looked down from the battlements on the city wall.
Xiahou Ba also looked down as instructed; though he had some mental preparation, he was still startled. He saw that outside Ziwei City, on the wide plaza, at least ten thousand disaster victims were kneeling densely packed, with more continuously gathering from the direction of Tianjin Bridge.
“Is this a rebellion?!” Xiahou Ba couldn’t help but flare up in anger. “What are the bridge-guarding Forbidden Army doing, letting them come over?!”
“Grand Tutor, calm down,” the Initial Emperor said expressionlessly: “Don’t you see all these common people kneeling on both knees? Have you ever seen people rebelling on their knees?”
“This, Your Majesty…” Xiahou Ba furrowed his brows tightly and said: “No matter the purpose, gathering a crowd outside the Son of Heaven’s palace is a grave offense against Under Heaven!” He then said in a deep voice again: “This old minister will order officials to disperse them first, then investigate their grievances!”
“Old Grand Tutor,” the Initial Emperor hadn’t expected Xiahou Ba to react this way and couldn’t help but grow angry too: “We are the Son of Heaven, and outside are all Our subjects. When children suffer wrongs and cry to their parents, would parents drive them away without distinguishing right from wrong?!”
“This old minister is considering for Your Majesty…” But Xiahou Ba showed no sign of yielding. He had already guessed what medicine the Initial Emperor was selling in his gourd. Nothing more than using the people’s sentiment to suppress him, so he chose to stand firm.
“You’re considering for yourself!” Seeing him so obstinate, the Initial Emperor finally grew truly furious, snorted coldly and said: “Mouthing consideration for Us, but it’s all selfish motives at work. It was precisely because We trusted you all that millions of subjects were displaced!”
When the Initial Emperor got serious, Xiahou Ba had no choice but to kneel and beg forgiveness, saying dully: “This old minister does not know why Your Majesty says this?”
“You’re still playing dumb when you know perfectly well!” The Initial Emperor flung his sleeve, and a thick account book landed on Xiahou Ba. “Look at it yourself!”
