RPAGF Chapter 524 Meditation
Chapter 524 Meditation
Chapter 524 Meditation
In Beijing, the square in front of the Forbidden City was packed with people. Tens of thousands sat silently on the ground, pleading with Zhu Youjian to release Wang Wenzhou.
After the petitioning groups from various regions arrived in Beijing, they would go to the palace to petition under the guidance of their respective organizers.
Liu Rushi was still dressed as a Confucian scholar. She stood on the high platform and delivered a passionate speech.
"People, Wang Wenzhou and Wang Qingtian have been unjustly imprisoned. We have all come here spontaneously to implore Your Majesty not to listen to the slander of treacherous officials and to release Wang Qingtian. Since becoming an official, Wang Qingtian has been loyal to the emperor and loved his country, and has been wholeheartedly devoted to the people. But there are some villains who just want to make trouble for him and have even slandered him as colluding with foreign enemies."
I suspect some of you may not know that Wang Qingtian and the Tartars not only had a national feud, but also a personal vendetta! Three of Wang Qingtian's wives and concubines were assassinated by Tartar spies. With such deep-seated hatred, how could Wang Qingtian possibly collude with foreign enemies?
Who exactly is slandering Wang Qingtian? As far as I know, the former Minister of War, Zhang Fengyi, was incompetent and foolish, which led to the Tartars' invasion of the capital. In order to shirk responsibility, he falsely accused Wang Qingtian of colluding with foreign enemies.
Wang Qingtian is innocent! Release Wang Qingtian! Punish the treacherous and wicked Zhang Fengyi!
Liu Rushi raised her arms and shouted.
"Wang Qingtian is innocent! Release Wang Qingtian! Punish the treacherous villain Zhang Fengyi!" In an instant, tens of thousands of people shouted in unison.
In the crowd not far away, Wang Chengen shook his head with a wry smile. Wang Wenzhou was just a mad dog; his wives and concubines, when they went mad, were even more so. Such malicious words were practically an attempt to kill Zhang Fengyi!
Wang Chengen waved his hand and ordered, "Wu Ying, take some men and invite Liu Rushi into the palace. Tell them that the Empress has invited her to a banquet."
"Your subordinate obeys!" Wu Ying quickly clasped his hands in greeting.
Wu Ying was a head of the Eastern Depot. He quickly led several Eastern Depot agents to the platform.
Wu Ying cupped her hands in greeting and said, "Madam Wang, please come with us."
Liu Rushi frowned and asked in a cold voice, "Who are you? I am Liu Ai, a scholar. How did I become Lady Wang?"
Wu Ying quickly replied, "I am Wu Ying, a head of the Eastern Depot. I am here by order of the Empress to invite Lady Wang to the palace for a meal."
"You've mistaken me for someone else!" Liu Rushi turned to leave.
"Madam Wang, please wait!" Wu Ying waved her hand, and several agents from the Eastern Depot jumped onto the high platform, intending to forcibly take Liu Rushi away.
"What the hell! Where did this arrogant fool come from!" Jiang Zhenghe roared, and immediately ordered, "Protect Mr. Liu!"
A dozen or so Imperial Guards quickly ascended the high platform and surrounded Liu Rushi.
"Hmph!" Wu Ying snorted coldly, took out her waist token, and said in a cold voice, "Who dares to obstruct the Eastern Depot's investigations?"
"Oh!" Jiang Zhenghe walked up to Wu Ying, glanced at her waist tag with disdain, and sneered, "What a big mouth you have! You're just a small-time boss, yet you dare to be so arrogant?"
"Slap!" Jiang Zhenghe raised his hand and slapped Wu Ying across the face.
"How dare you!" Wu Ying shouted, drawing his sword.
Wu Ying's subordinates immediately drew their weapons.
Jiang Zhenghe's men also drew their weapons, and the two sides faced off in a tense standoff.
Jiang Zhenghe took out his waist token and said coldly, "Mr. Liu is a distinguished guest of our Embroidered Uniform Guard. You little coward, go cool off somewhere else. If you want to invite Mr. Liu, have your Grand Eunuch come in person."
Wu Ying glanced at Jiang Zhenghe's waist badge: Commander of the Northern Garrison. No wonder he was so arrogant; this man certainly had the credentials to back it up. The Commander was a high-ranking official, second only to the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
"Hmph!" Wu Ying snorted coldly and said, "Lord Jiang, please wait a moment, I will go and invite the eunuch right away."
After Wu Ying finished speaking, he instructed his subordinates not to let Liu Rushi go, and then hurriedly went to report to Wang Chengen.
Jiang Zhenghe frowned, walked up to Liu Rushi, and whispered, "Madam, we must leave this place quickly. If Eunuch Wang comes to invite you, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you."
Jiang Zhenghe dared to protect Liu Rushi so boldly because he had no other choice. Ever since he followed Wang Wenzhou to Liaodong, he had labeled himself as Wang Wenzhou. Moreover, his position as the governor of the Northern Garrison was also obtained for him through Wang Wenzhou's connections.
Whether it's to repay a debt of gratitude or for his own future, Jiang Zhenghe has to stand on Wang Wenzhou's side and do everything he can to rescue him.
However, if Wang Chengen were to come in person to demand the release of the person, and Jiang Zhenghe refused, it would be tantamount to rebellion. Wang Wenzhou hadn't rebelled yet, but if he did, he would be the one to die.
Liu Rushi smiled slightly and said softly, "It's alright, I was just thinking of catching up with the Empress."
"Pfft..." Jiang Zhenghe was completely dumbfounded. Madam! How come you're becoming more and more like Lord Wang? He's crazy, and you're like that too? You know that although the Emperor hasn't launched a full-scale manhunt, everyone from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Eastern Depot, the Western Depot, and the Six Doors is looking for you and wants to arrest you!
At this moment, Wang Chengen arrived in a hurry. He cupped his hands in greeting and said with a smile, "This humble servant greets Madam Wang."
"Pfft..." Wu Ying was completely dumbfounded. What was Wang Chengen's status? He was the head of the Eastern Depot, the emperor's most trusted eunuch. How could he be so respectful to Wang Wenzhou's concubine?
"Phew..." Wu Ying breathed a sigh of relief. He was still very scared. Fortunately, he had acted with great restraint. Even though he had been slapped by Jiang Zhenghe, he hadn't tried to save face on the spot. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have been able to keep his head.
Liu Rushi smiled slightly, cupped her hands in greeting, and said, "Eunuch Wang, you jest. I, Liu Ai, am a man. How could I be Lady Wang?"
Wang Chengen was both amused and exasperated. "Madam Wang, can't your family members get down to business? Are you a man? If you were a man, how would that lecherous man in your household have slept with you?"
“Mr. Liu, the Empress has sent me to invite you to the palace for a meal,” Wang Chengen said respectfully.
Liu Rushi shook her head and said meaningfully, "My husband doesn't allow me to eat at other people's houses. He says that if you eat someone's food, you're obligated to do so. Most of the time, when someone invites you to dinner, it's not for anything good. They either want your money or your body. Since ancient times, banquets have always been fraught with danger. How about this, please ask the Empress to let her leave the palace, and we can just find a restaurant to eat at."
Actually, Liu Rushi didn't want to enter the palace because she thought Wang Wenzhou was afraid that the children would be slept with by Zhu Youjian. Wang Wenzhou repeatedly ordered the children that no matter when or what, they were absolutely forbidden from entering the palace.
"Bang bang bang..." Just then, several loud explosions rang out from the crowd.
"Help!"
"what……"
"Woooo..."
The crowd, which had been sitting quietly, suddenly erupted into chaos. Cries for help, screams, and sobs filled the air.
Looking from afar, Liu Rushi saw a horrific scene: wounded people with severed legs lay on the ground, clutching their broken legs and groaning loudly. There were also terrified civilians running and shouting for help.
Suddenly, a group of masked men appeared in the crowd. They were armed with swords and knives and were slashing at anyone they saw, shouting as they did so: "Unless Wang Qingtian is exonerated, the people of the Ming Dynasty will never have a day of peace."