Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

The next morning, all the officials of Yunzhou gathered at the south gate to welcome the courier from Taiyuan Prefecture. Huangfu Changshui led the officers of the garrison camp in armor as a ceremonial guard, giving Zhang Jingwei enough face.

Zhang Jingwei stood there, his body trembling constantly, as if controlled by an invisible force. Huangfu Ling, observing this, softly comforted him, "Don't be nervous, it'll be quick! It's just six bows and twelve thanks, and the lines are simple." However, Zhang Jingwei shook his head repeatedly and said anxiously, "I'm really not nervous, I just suddenly felt an urgent need to pee, but the teacher wouldn't let me go to the restroom!"

Just then, the sound of rapid horse hooves approached from afar. Everyone turned to look and saw Wang Ergou rushing in from the city gate on a fast horse. He looked panicked and terrified.

Before Wang Ergou even grasped the reins, he shouted, "Master, something's not right!" Zhang Jingwei's heart tightened, and he quickly asked, "What's wrong?" Wang Ergou took a deep breath, tried to calm himself, and replied, "This is...this is too much!"

After hearing this, Zhang Jingwei couldn't help but frowned and asked in confusion: "What pomp? Wasn't this pomp arranged by my father-in-law?" He thought to himself that Wang Ergou was talking about the ceremonial guard arranged by Huangfu Changshui.

Wang Ergou quickly waved his hands and explained, "No, no, no, I'm not talking about the grand display in the city. I'm talking about the grand display when the official notice was delivered. It was simply terrifying! There were heavily armored cavalry, infantry armed with shields and spears, and hundreds of guards surrounding them. This kind of display doesn't seem like something Taiyuan Mansion could put on."

Zhang Jingwei was completely bewildered, not understanding the deeper meaning. He couldn't help but ask again, "What? I still don't understand!" Lu Hui, who had been standing silently nearby, suddenly changed his expression. He took a step forward and anxiously asked, "What? Are there any eunuchs holding up signs?" Wang Ergou nodded hurriedly and replied, "Yes! And there are quite a few!"

Lu Hui's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief as he shouted, "This is impossible! It would only be a dragon chariot that would be so grand!" Liu Yanzhi, standing by, frowned and pressed on, "Have you seen a yellow umbrella?" Wang Ergou trembled with fear and stammered, "I don't know what a yellow umbrella is, but there is indeed a large, tightly closed umbrella!" Liu Yanzhi's heart tightened, and he muttered to himself, "What if it's a real dragon chariot..."

Lu Hui shook his head vigorously and said firmly, "There is absolutely no such possibility! If the dragon chariot traveled to our Yunzhou, how could you and I not receive any news in advance?" Liu Yanzhi asked anxiously, "Then how long will it take to arrive here?" Wang Ergou estimated and replied quickly, "In my opinion, it will arrive in less than an hour!" Lu Hui thought for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Let's wait and see for now!"

Time ticked by, and after about an hour, the deafening sound of horse hooves resounded through the sky, followed by the crisp clanking of armor clashing against each other. These sounds, coming from far and near, reached the ears of everyone present with incredible clarity.

At that moment, Huangfu Changshui stood steadily atop a high city wall, taking in the distant scene. He took a closer look, his expression suddenly changing as he exclaimed, "They are indeed the Imperial Guards! Come, quickly inform all the soldiers in the city that if they hear the gong sound, they must kneel and salute immediately. Remember, don't look up!"

The team outside the city slowed down a bit.

Some people outside the north city came over to join in the fun, and the infantrymen quickly held their spears horizontally to keep them two feet away.

The enormous carriage slowly stopped, its curtains gently lifted, and two men emerged. They quickly unrolled a blood-red carpet, and without hesitation, unrolled it from the city walls to the front of Zhang Jingwei and the others. The red carpet stretched out like a giant, flaming dragon, its movements serpentine and majestic.

At this moment, Lu Hui quickly stepped forward, his face filled with respect and doubt, and cautiously asked, "Sir, I'd like to ask, is this the dragon chariot that the emperor rides?" However, before he could respond, one of the men laying out the blankets suddenly turned around and shouted in a voice as shrill as a woman's, his face filled with impatience, "Stop talking! When you hear the gong, just kneel down quickly. If you say another word, you'll lose your head!"

Before he could finish his words, a deafening gong roared through the air. Then, a leading officer, clad in three layers of heavy armor and clutching a sharp sword, shouted at the top of his lungs, "Raise the parasols! Everyone, kneel and salute!" His roar was like thunder, chilling and chilling.

Only nine gongs and drums were heard, followed by three whipping sounds.

"Hurry, everyone, kneel down!" Lu Hui shouted anxiously. Suddenly, everyone knelt down in panic. All the officials and clerks in Yunzhou, including the onlookers, stopped and knelt, without exception.

Zhang Jingwei stood there, looking somewhat bewildered. Seeing this, Liu Yanzhi, who was standing beside him, lowered his voice and said to him, "Jingwei, time is running out. It's too late to teach you etiquette. Just follow what I say, and don't make any mistakes!" With that, Liu Yanzhi leaned forward and knelt respectfully in the direction of the carriage.

When the Huangluo umbrella is opened, a bead curtain made of white jade beads is revealed. The umbrella cover is a red satin background with a gold dragon pattern carving. The umbrella cover is at least six feet long and looks majestic.

At this time, a narrow table was lifted out of the cart and placed on the red carpet. An old man with white hair and a black hat got out of the cart slowly, holding a scroll on his head. He knelt down slowly and placed the scroll in his hand on the stand on the table.

Zhang Jingwei stretched out his finger and cautiously poked Liu Yanzhi, who was kneeling not far ahead, and asked in a low voice, "Teacher, is this the supreme imperial edict?"

However, at this moment, an officer with a serious face and holding a long whip suddenly glared and shouted: "Silence!" Then, he swung his arm, and the long whip drew an arc in the air like a snake, with a sharp sound of wind, and fell heavily less than an inch away from Zhang Jingwei, raising a cloud of dust.

Zhang Jingwei was so frightened by this sudden scene that his entire body trembled. His face turned pale, his lips trembled slightly, and he dared not make a sound. Huangfu Changshui, standing nearby, couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for his friend, silently praying in his heart: God bless, please don't let anything go wrong!

Meanwhile, two thin officials were quietly carrying the narrow table and slowly making their way towards the city. Their steps were light and cautious, as if they were afraid to disturb the scrolls on the table. Behind them, Huang Luosan followed closely.