Chapter 430: Awakening the Common People
"Your Majesty!"
After the others had left, Concubine Jiang and the two children hurriedly bowed.
Chu Hongyu waved his hand for them to rise. "No need for formalities. What matter brings you here?"
Concubine Jiang went straight to the point. "Your Majesty, that Heavenly Maiden is the Tao Concubine of the Xie family!"
Chu Hongyu wrinkled his small nose. He couldn't recall which Tao Concubine she meant at first, but he knew of the Xie family.
"She is Xie Shikang's birth mother!" Xie Xian added. "I remember her scent. It's definitely Tao Concubine!"
Chu Hongyu's fingers abruptly stilled. "Thank you for telling me. Keep this matter strictly confidential. I must return to the palace now."
He turned and left immediately, followed swiftly by his eight study companions.
The group returned to the palace the same way they had left, arriving before evening.
Chu Hongyu went to Kunning Palace to find Yun Chu. After dismissing all the palace attendants, he said, "Mother, that Heavenly Maiden is the Tao Concubine of the Xie family!"
"What?" Yun Chu was startled. "Is this true?"
Chu Hongyu recounted how he had slipped out and encountered Concubine Jiang.
"You..." Yun Chu looked at him. "Didn't I tell you last time not to sneak out of the palace again? These are troubled times. Whether you fall into the Regent's hands or Prince Cheng's, you'll face serious consequences. Don't do this again, understand?"
Chu Hongyu stuck out his tongue. "I understand, Mother."
Yun Chu's expression grew more severe. "If there's a next time, don't call me Mother anymore."
"I really won't sneak out again!" Chu Hongyu raised his hand to swear. "If there's a next time, I'll..."
Yun Chu pressed down his hand. "Enough. Jue Ge'er has been looking for his older brother for a long time. Go inside and play with Jue Ge'er."
Chu Hongyu breathed a sigh of relief and hurried into the inner chamber to play with his younger siblings.
Yun Chu summoned Qiutong. "Send someone posthaste to Jizhou. Have all members of the Xie family arrested and force them to hand over Xie Shikang. If the Xie family resists, don't hesitate to execute a few if necessary. Use the fastest means to bring Xie Shikang back to the capital!"
Qiutong cupped her hands. "Understood. I'll personally handle this mission!"
Yun Chu gave her the Token and had her take a hundred covert guards to Jizhou.
Jizhou wasn't far from the capital. Normally, a carriage would take a day, while riding would only take half a day. With express delivery, they could reach their destination before Hai hour if they departed now.
Meanwhile, Yun Chu had court officials prepare porridge overnight with antidote mixed in.
At daybreak, numerous tents were set up at the West City gate, beginning orderly porridge distribution.
Though those affected by the drug had their minds clouded, the basic human needs for food and drink remained. Having heard about the porridge distribution from the children Chu Hongyu had sent yesterday, many people came with their families to queue for porridge.
Yun Chu stood atop the West City gate wall.
After most people had consumed the porridge, she finally appeared and spoke. "Citizens, please quiet down."
Her appearance immediately drew everyone's attention.
Even without her luxurious attire, her peerless beauty alone was enough to capture all eyes.
"Who is that woman?"
"How can you not know? With the young emperor newly enthroned, the most noble woman in Great Jin can only be the Empress Dowager."
"Heavens, the Empress Dowager is so young.""Gentlemen, you are all commoners from the vicinity of Ningzhou, I presume." Yun Chu's voice was gentle, like a murmuring stream. "You have your own homes, farmland, and foundations in Ningzhou. Why have you come to the capital, a hundred miles away?"
This question left the crowd bewildered.
Indeed, why had they abandoned their peaceful lives in Ningzhou to inexplicably follow others to the capital?
Moreover, along the journey, their dry provisions had long been exhausted. They survived day after day by digging for wild vegetables and gnawing on tree bark. Such hardship made them wonder how they had persevered, and even more incomprehensible was why they had willingly uprooted their entire families from their homeland to travel so far...
Upon careful reflection, they simply couldn't fathom the reason.
"Regardless of why you came, it is time for you to return." Yun Chu sighed. "Look at the children beside you—they have grown thin from hunger. Look at the elderly among you—their illnesses have worsened... Can that so-called Sweet Dew truly cure all ailments? You have been drinking it daily throughout your journey, consuming so much of it. Have you truly been freed from sickness and pain?"
The crowd lowered their heads to examine themselves—ragged and tattered, their clothes in disarray.
Even the poorest among them had never been so destitute.
Many were still coughing and sniffling. If the Sweet Dew were effective, they should no longer be coughing...
"If you continue to linger in the capital, your homes in Ningzhou will be seized, your farmlands taken, and all your foundations will be utterly destroyed..." Yun Chu gazed at the crowd. "To live is simply about food, clothing, shelter, and travel. Now, you eat poorly, dress poorly, and have no place to reside. Is this the life you desire?"
The crowd awoke as if from a dream.
Such simple logic—why had they been so blind to it these past days?
"Let's go, let's go! We must return quickly. I have three pigs in my pen—they must have escaped by now in my absence!"
"My family raised a flock of chickens—oh heavens, they must have been stolen."
"I think I forgot to lock my door when I left. My four-courtyard estate... Hurry, let's go back!"
"I have a neighbor still waiting there for the Sweet Dew. I must bring her along."
"Yes, yes! My elder brother is still over there..."
Lord Xiang raised his voice: "Everyone has been starving for so long. Before you leave, let us provide you with a bowl of thick porridge to give you strength for the journey home."
Before long, the commoners gradually dispersed.
However, the number of people who came on the first day was not large—only four or five thousand.
By the second day, approximately seven to eight thousand arrived.
Yun Chu used the same method to persuade the commoners to return to their homes.
After drinking the porridge, the people regained their judgment. Without much persuasion, they immediately set off with their families to return home...
"This method by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager is excellent." Chief Li exclaimed in admiration. "In this way, within ten days, all the commoners will likely disperse, and Cheng Wang will no longer be a threat."
But just then, a guard rushed in to report: "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, it's terrible! Countless commoners are ramming the city gates at Chengtian Gate!"
Chengtian Gate was the main gate of the capital. The over two hundred thousand people brought by Cheng Wang were camped outside Chengtian Gate, where the Heavenly Maiden bestowed the Sweet Dew.
Yun Chu's expression darkened.
She boarded her carriage and arrived at Chengtian Gate in less than half an hour. Chu Hongyu, having heard the news, also came.Mother and son ascended the steps, reaching the top. Gazing into the distance, they saw crowds of commoners swarming beyond the city walls.
Approximately two to three thousand people, wielding rounded logs, charged toward the capital's gates in successive waves. The gate, however sturdy, could not withstand such relentless battering.
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