Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 112: Traitors blocking the road

"The Grand Protector has issued an order, which shall be sent to Kyoto!"

"It is forbidden today. Anyone who violates the order will be executed!"

The cavalry galloped, and the sound of horse hooves was heard.

The flag bearer holds the flag and signals the night watchman to stop making noise!
The Lu family army was stationed in the alleys of Kyoto, with a guard post every few dozen steps and patrol battalions interspersed.

The flags are flying!

The people heard the news and took action, and those who were sensible stayed indoors for fear of being affected.

The vendors also hurriedly packed up their stalls, not daring to stay for a moment.

The streets are empty, except for a pair of eyes quietly peeking out from the buildings.

The ever-changing world of Kyoto can be seen right before your eyes.

The Dali Temple, Jinwu Guard House, the Ministry of Justice Prison, and even important areas of various government offices have all been ordered to be guarded by the generals of the Lu family army.

In front of Hongwenguan!
Two white-haired old men stood side by side with complicated expressions in their eyes.

The Hongwenguan was a creation of the late Emperor Daqing after he ascended the throne. Two hundred thousand volumes of books were gathered in the Hongwen Hall. The hall was established to store classics and also as a place to recruit talents.

It is the place where the royal books are stored and also the place where the emperor recruits literary talents.

See!

A young general in heavy armor sat astride a tall horse, surrounded by a thousand elite soldiers, and they surrounded the Hongwenguan.

He lifted the reins lightly, his voice steady and powerful, penetrating the crowd:
"The Grand Guard has ordered that Kyoto is under lockdown today. Please go back and do not disobey the order!"

His eyes were gloomy. If the military advisor had not ordered to treat these scholars politely, he would have rushed into the house long ago.

How could they be allowed to stand outside the door?

Two old men at the door.

One is Du Jing, the current director of Hongwenguan and also the Grand Secretary of the court.

The other old man was Zou Lin, the old man playing chess that Lu Chen met in the temple.

Zou Lin, a former Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy, was not only a fellow townsman of Du Jing, but also a fellow Jinshi graduate, so the friendship between the two was quite deep.

This time, Zou Lin had just arrived in Kyoto and wanted to rest for a while, so he went to Hongwenguan to find a place to stay and reminisce with old friends. However, he did not expect the situation in Kyoto to change suddenly.

As soon as we entered Kyoto, the whole city was under martial law, and no one was allowed to leave or enter!
Du Jing and Zou Lin exchanged glances.

Du Jing was about to speak when he saw Zou Lin shaking his head slightly, signaling him with his eyes to remain silent.

In this situation, arguing with those generals wearing armor and holding heavy troops is indeed like

"When a scholar meets a soldier, he can't explain his reasoning clearly!"

Behind the two men, a group of Confucian scholars gradually gathered. Among them were talented people from the Jiangnan water towns and talents from all over the world. They were all recruited here by the Hongwenguan because of their unique insights into current affairs, literature or other aspects.

The Hongwenguan not only provided them with generous salaries, but also arranged comfortable accommodation for them, so that these scholars could concentrate on studying, freely exchange ideas, and discuss state affairs.

Being able to enter the Kobunkan, one is highly respected in Kyoto and is known as a "scholar".

What's more, if one is talented, he can be recommended by the Grand Secretary and become a scholar of the Eastern Palace or a scholar of the Hanlin Academy.

Feng Long was among this group of Confucian scholars. He, Zou Lin and Zou Shuning crossed the river and came to Beijing, and stayed in the Hongwenguan.

What he didn't expect was!

Here he also met two acquaintances.

Two fat and thin scholars in the dilapidated temple of Yuetang River.

The fat scholar was good at calligraphy, while the thin scholar was good at painting. Because of their special talents, both of them were hired as direct scholars by the Hongwenguan.

After Zou Lin discovered the two people, he felt quite relieved. He didn't expect that the two people he met by chance in the temple also had extraordinary accomplishments.

In contrast, Feng Long seemed rather gloomy, with a hint of displeasure in his eyes.

The fat and thin scholars greeted him, but Fenglong ignored them.

now.

The young general sat on his horse, holding a whip, and spoke in a calm tone with unquestionable majesty:
"Please return to the palace. The Grand Protector has ordered that Kyoto be under martial law."

There was a hint of warning in his words.
"As long as everyone complies with the arrangements, we can ensure that everyone will be safe and sound."

After hearing this, Zou Lin's face remained calm. He had heard about the strict military discipline of the Lu family army and knew very well that they were not the kind of people who would kill innocent people indiscriminately.

Du Jing's expression was extremely complicated, his face fluctuating between blue and white. He was dissatisfied with the general's arrogant attitude - even important officials in the court had to be courteous to him.

Moreover, as the director of Hongwenguan, he felt it was his responsibility to speak out and set the record straight.

As a subject, it was extremely disrespectful for Shao Bao to deliver orders to Kyoto!
After all, Kyoto belongs to Emperor Daqing. How can we allow others to impose martial law at will?
Since ancient times, the order between the ruler and his subjects has been emphasized!

Du Jing stroked his robe lightly, with a barely perceptible hint of arrogance in his tone:

"I am the head of the Hongwen Academy and a senior scholar of the Hanlin Academy. I have been granted the grace of the Eastern Palace and listed among the scholars. I am Du Jing, with the courtesy name Zishen."

Every time he revealed an identity, his tone became more serious. That’s it!
Du Jing straightened his back, looked at the general on horseback, and said, "General, can you allow me to meet the Grand Guardian? I have a few words from the bottom of my heart that I would like to discuss with the Grand Guardian, perhaps they can be used as good advice to resolve the current situation."

"Don't let yourself be in conflict with your subjects. Since ancient times, subjects have been responsible for helping the emperor. Don't let this cause you to be cursed in history."

"If the young master is negligent, I'm afraid you, General, will also be to blame."

Upon hearing this, the young general was obviously confused by Du Jing's series of titles.

He was a general of the Lu family army, commanding thousands of elite soldiers and solely responsible for fighting.

However, he knew very little about the complex official system of the court and the world of literati and scholars, especially terms such as "Hongwenguan" and "daxueshi".

But he understood the last sentence.

The young general's face darkened slightly. He whipped his horse whip, and a sonic boom sounded in the air. He said in a cold tone:
"Young Master, even an old man like you needs to give you guidance when it comes to doing things."

"Who do you think you are!"

As soon as these words came out!
Du Jing was stunned after hearing this.

The Confucian scholars in the Hongwenguan behind were all filled with indignation.

Not to mention the young protector of Mount Zhongnan, even the loyal ministers in the court were very courteous to them, and they were even the directors of the Hongwenguan. Isn't this a slap in their faces?
"A mere young general leading a thousand men dares to be so arrogant!" Someone sneered, his words full of disdain.

Someone sneered and said, "I don't know what position a general holds. I am also the censor of the Imperial Censorate. I only need one memorial to the emperor, and the general's hat will probably fall off his head."

"I am not talented, but I am also the Imperial Envoy of the Metropolitan Censorate. I have the power to impeach all officials. Those who disrespect the law are among them!"

Someone else spoke loudly.

Everyone was talking one after another.

The voices of the Confucian scholars rose one after another, becoming louder and louder. They were not afraid of these armored and armed soldiers at all, as if in their eyes, these warriors were not to be feared at all.

They are the elites of Daqing and the pillars of the court.

This is also the reason why Daqing has valued culture over military affairs for many years. The status of scholars is extremely high, and every change of dynasty requires relying on their power to consolidate the regime.

"I don't know. Do you dare to tell me your name?" someone in the crowd asked loudly, with a hint of provocation in his voice.

After hearing this, the young general burst into laughter.

"I'm Jiang He, you can sue me if you want!"

However, this did not calm the public anger, but instead caused even greater waves.

Feng Long stood in the crowd, his heart already filled with dissatisfaction and resentment.

He knew very well Lu Chen's true identity, that he was the middle-aged man whom he met by chance in the temple.

Feng Long recalled the time when Lu Chen flew across the river and the infatuation on the faces of those women, and the jealousy in his heart burned like a raging fire.

"Lu Shenzhou, a man who usurped the imperial power, deserves to be put to death!"

Feng Long finally couldn't hold back anymore and shouted loudly.

His voice exploded in the crowd like thunder, instantly igniting everyone's emotions.

"Lu Shenzhou, a traitor!" The crowd was outraged, and their voices rose and fell, getting louder and louder.

Confucian scholars all agreed.

After hearing this, the fat and thin scholar's eyes were filled with shock and confusion.

They are not stupid people and can naturally see the current situation.

The Lu family army has entered Beijing and Kyoto has fallen into their hands.

The two looked at each other.

"How dare you?"

Just then!
Just as the crowd was getting angry, a burst of hurried horse hooves sounds came from far away, breaking the chaos at the scene.

The cavalry captain's voice penetrated the din and reached everyone's ears clearly:

"Young Master, please allow me to proceed. Everyone, please get out of the way!"

This sudden announcement shocked everyone, and they all turned to look in the direction where the voice came from.

I saw a group of cavalrymen in armor and holding spears galloping towards me and standing on both sides of the road.

Hongwenguan was originally located next to the Wumen Gate near the Imperial Palace and was the only way to enter the palace.

Du Jing's eyes lit up, as if he saw a turning point. He quickly pushed away the people around him and ran quickly to the street.

Zou Lin was unable to stop him for a moment!

Dozens of Confucian scholars also held their heads high and ran up all at once.

The huge crowd blocked the road.

(End of this chapter)