Hearing this, the people on the street all moved aside on their own to make way for the messenger. Those with more urgent temperaments shouted loudly toward the front that Su River was in emergency.

For a time, emergency calls rose and fell throughout the capital streets.

“Hey, why don’t you tell us what happened at Su River? Could it be that the Crown Prince…”

The peddler shouted, but when mentioning the Crown Prince, someone behind him thought his words were inauspicious and shoved him forward forcefully.

“Yes, why don’t you tell us what happened at Su River? What about Xun City and Chiyang? Has the new Nanqing Emperor learned about the situation at Su River?”

The capital was blessed with outstanding people and spiritual land, so even the common people knew something about court affairs. Those with quick minds were hardly inferior to court officials. As everyone spoke one after another, the messenger’s eyes filled with astonishment.

How had this secret military intelligence become known to everyone?

“Hey, just tell us already—what happened at Su River?”

The people pushed and pulled at him. The messenger’s face turned deathly pale from being shoved back and forth until he felt dizzy. Combined with his continuous journey without rest, he now spoke in a daze: “After the new Nanqing monarch ascended the throne, he led sixty thousand elite troops toward Su River…”

With a collective cry, the people’s mouths filled with wails of grief.

“How many days ago was this news?”

“Six days…”

He had traveled without stopping, passing through eleven relay stations to rush from Su River to the capital. As for Su River’s current situation, he too did not know.

“How many troops does our court have at Su River?”

One person said, “I don’t know…”

“Less than two thousand.”

“How can two thousand resist Nanqing’s sixty thousand troops?”

“I don’t know…”

The capital’s people cried and cursed, utterly disappointed in the court. Nanqing was about to attack their doorstep, yet their Emperor still cowered in the palace doing who knows what.

“I heard Young General Ming of Duke Yingguo’s residence is mustering troops in the suburbs. Perhaps he’ll take some men over.”

“That still won’t reach ten thousand. What can be done with that?”

“Where is this happening?”

The peddler carrying his load stretched his neck: “I’ll go. I’ll go to Su River together with Young General Ming.”

“This fellow has no parents above and no wife or children below, only some strength. Perhaps when I reach Su River I can help the Crown Prince kill one or two Nanqing dog thieves.”

He tossed aside his carrying pole and said to a person with a familiar face behind him: “I trouble this sister-in-law to return my pole to my home. If I have the fortune to return from Su River someday, I’ll still need it to make a living and marry a wife.”

“Hey… hey.”

The woman was initially somewhat dazed, then stepped forward to carefully lift the peddler’s pole and hold it protectively in front of her.

“I… I’ll go with you.”

A thin youth in the crowd spoke urgently. He wore a waiter’s clothes and jumped trying to go forward, but was grabbed by a man behind him who looked like a shop owner: “Do you want to die? Even the Emperor doesn’t care about this matter—what are you going to do?”

The young waiter removed the cloth from his head and said in a youthful voice: “Precisely because the Emperor doesn’t care, I must go to Su River to provide support. If I go and can buy the court even one more day, even just one hour, perhaps reinforcements can arrive. I’m grateful for Master’s care over many years. Your great kindness, this Lai Hui can only repay in the next life.”

The youth named Lai Hui finished speaking and in a few quick steps chased after the peddler.

“I’ll go…”

“Me too…”

Some tall, sturdy men raised their heads and hands, but were firmly held back by wives, daughters, parents, or mothers behind them.

Yet there were also those whose minds were made up who quickly followed in the footsteps of the peddler and waiter.

Even an itinerant physician holding a cloth banner, who appeared to be over fifty years old, wobbled along carrying his medicine box following behind the crowd.

Before the palace gates, there were court officials and Dongning common people, cries and shouts, but not a single voice of retreat.

Ming Huaxin stood beneath the palace gates, watching the people sporadically running toward the suburbs, his eyes brimming with tears. He turned to Song Fu: “Today you will send word to Ming Chun to have him lead troops to rush to Su River.”

Song Fu’s brow furrowed slightly, but he quickly nodded.

At this point, no one cared about Emperor Wenhui’s edicts anymore.

Ming Huaxin watched the people who spontaneously brought out silver coins and rice grain from their homes, smiling faintly.

He thought that even if someday Duke Yingguo’s residence was raided and the entire family executed for defying the imperial edict, when he reached the Yellow Springs below, he could—and would dare—say he had never failed the ancestors of the Ming family.

The many scholars from Jingshan Academy also stirred restlessly. Several white-haired elders were quietly trying to pacify them. But national devastation could not extinguish the hot blood of these men, and weapons of war could not erase their soaring aspirations. Immediately some removed their scholarly robes and ran toward the suburbs.

Su Xie also wanted to step forward but was restrained by servants from the Song residence who had followed, using their belts to bind him.

Dongning had been weak for decades due to its military forces and Emperor Wenhui’s failings, but at this moment everyone straightened their backs.

“Uncle.”

Ming Xiang supported the Grand Princess as they approached from afar. Song Fu saw her and his lips curved slightly. The husband and wife exchanged a smile, hiding their affection in their hearts.

The Grand Princess took out a gold token from her bosom and handed it to Ming Huaxin, who then passed it to the general guarding the city.

“Open the gates.”

The general guarding the palace gates frowned upon hearing this: “His Majesty has issued an edict…”

The Grand Princess waved her hand dismissively: “So what? This old woman is still his imperial aunt. Even the late Emperor couldn’t stop this old woman from entering the palace, let alone one edict from that Shen Congyi.”

“Open the palace gates.”

That general was still hesitating when the deputy general behind him had already walked to the palace gates and opened them.

The Grand Princess turned to look at Song Fu: “Have them enter the palace together with me.”

Behind her, dozens of ministers stood up in unison. Mother Jiang also hastily stood and followed behind the Grand Princess. A group of scholars from Jingshan Academy also wanted to enter the palace but were blocked outside by the Imperial Guards.

Ming Xiang supported the Grand Princess as they walked at the front, with Imperial Guards accompanying them on the side.

The crowd marched magnificently and imposingly toward the palace, while Song Wan sat with Lu Youjun and others in Shang Rong’s sleeping quarters, anxiously waiting for something.

“The court ministers have entered the palace with the Grand Princess.”

Ji Rong entered Shang Rong’s sleeping quarters and reported in a low voice, also informing them that the new Nanqing Emperor was leading sixty thousand elite troops rushing toward Su River.

Qi Qingling couldn’t sit still. She stood up anxiously and paced back and forth in the room: “With Nanqing’s movements and the Grand Princess entering the palace, will His Majesty change his mind and dispatch troops?”

Shang Rong shook her head: “I don’t know.”

“So he still…”

Qi Qingling bit her teeth, filled with resentment in her heart.

Lu Youjun and Zhang Baozhen were the youngest. The two couldn’t help with much on the side, so they could only go to the small kitchen to boil water and brew tea for everyone. The two had just left the courtyard when they saw eunuchs from Dong Chang hurrying in from outside.

The two felt puzzled and followed the young eunuch into the room.

“Your Ladyships, His Majesty is bringing over a dozen Imperial Guards toward the rear palace.”

Zhao Nanzhang frowned: “What does he mean by this?”

Song Wan clutched her handkerchief and said in despair: “His Majesty has made up his mind not to see anyone. I’m afraid he won’t be satisfied until the rivers and mountains are shattered and Dongning’s nation is destroyed and families ruined.”