Baby, don't be afraid, I'll accompany you to the heavens and the seas!

Gui Ning'an, dressed in a spring gown and with a jade-like face, held a crimson paper umbrella painted with gold, and tightly held the hand of the famous young master Luo, whose name was known throughout the capital, with her delicate, jade-like hand, which was accustomed to a life of luxury.

Qianqianluo, dressed in dark casual clothes, stared intently at the streets of the capital, her eyes darting around and her brows furrowed, at the overwhelming number of refugees begging for food.

"Aaaaaah! Don't hit the lowly people!!"

"Sir, this lowly commoner knows his mistake!!"

"I, a lowly person, kneel before you. Please stop beating me!"

Driven away by soldiers with whips, the refugees huddled back into the garbage heap, weeping and embracing each other.

Most of these refugees had cut off and eaten their own feet while fleeing south to escape famine and starvation, leaving only the other half of their feet with exposed bones.

The infected refugees, their blood oozing filthy stench, brought death to the capital city where apricot blossoms were in full bloom.

Qianqianluo's heart trembled at the sight of the tragedy. In the original book, most of these refugees were originally border people from the north.

Because the Zhang brothers colluded with the northern bandits, selling people and land, allowing the enemy to kill, burn, and plunder, the tragedy that has occurred day after day has come to this.

"Luo'er, it's alright! Heaven's justice is clear, and the Zhang family will surely be punished!"

Gui Ning'an clenched her fists tightly, holding the umbrella, and gritted her teeth, her expression one of great pain.

"It's alright, Ning'an, let's go!!" Qianqianluo turned her head away and squeezed Gui Ning'an's hand tightly.

The refugees who had fled to the capital were driven away by government troops to the desolate mountains and wilderness outside the city in no time.

Even after nightfall, the capital city is still filled with the intoxicating aroma of wine, and the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments are delightful!

The students participating in the imperial examination gathered outside the Xuanwu Gate, all dressed in plain white robes, kneeling and bowing respectfully, shouting:

In the third year of the Qingting Moli reign, we, the students of the imperial examination, dare to petition our Emperor!

"What are you playing? Huh?! Get out of here!"

The gatekeepers, who had just eaten some dinner, looked at the sea of ​​white people below the city gate and thought it was haunted. They were so frightened that they almost lost their footing and fell off the building, becoming real ghosts.

Then I realized something was wrong. Why did these ghosts still have shadows?

So, the clever soldiers whispered among themselves and received a secret report from General Zhang, finally figuring out that what was downstairs wasn't a ghost, but a group of vengeful spirits.

As soldiers under General Zhang, they naturally exhibited some of the subservient behavior of their master, and were so enraged that they immediately launched into a tirade of curses:

Damn it! You're asking for it!

Get out of here right now, or I'll tear down the graves of your ancestors for eighteen generations.

Upon hearing this uncivilized and extremely vulgar curse, the students preparing for the imperial examinations realized they had indeed knelt in the right place.

Alas! We know that Xuanwu Gate is under the jurisdiction of the Zhang family, so we have come!

We came here with absolutely no malice!

Success will put you on the list and give you extra points in the provincial examination;

Sigh, if we don't succeed, we'll be ghosts.

In short, it's all or nothing!

Keep playing, keep dancing!!

"In the third year of the Qingting Moli era, we, the scholars of the imperial examination, dare to petition our Emperor!"

"The Zhang family is full of traitors and rebels; everyone has the right to kill them!"

"They wreak havoc on the border, collude with the enemy, and betray their country; their various acts are outrageous and infuriating to hear!!"

The students taking the imperial examination wore white cloths on their heads, bowed their heads, and spoke in unison for the sake of the country and its people, vowing to fight to the death.

"This lowly commoner begs Your Majesty to strip the Zhang family of their military power!"

"This lowly commoner begs Your Majesty to strip the Zhang family of their military power!"

Outside the Xuanwu Gate, the candidates for the imperial examination, with white cloths tied around their heads and dressed in mourning clothes, kept kowtowing, the sound of their kowtows echoing outside the gate.

Outside the Imperial Palace's Hall of State Affairs.

A group of important state officials, led by Grand Chancellor Gui and General Yang, had been kneeling outside the palace for quite some time.

"This old minister begs Your Majesty to exterminate the Zhang clan and rid our dynasty of this scourge forever!" Grand Chancellor Gui knelt upright, his voice deep and weary.

"Yes! Your Majesty, a report has come from the north that border people are fleeing famine south, resorting to cannibalism to survive!"

"The people are already so oppressed and impoverished, how can we, your old ministers, face the common people of this land?! Go, go face our ancestors who know this in the afterlife?!"

General Yang wept uncontrollably, his emotions so intense that he choked up and cried.

"If Your Majesty insists on not stripping this clan of its military power, this old minister will have no face to live on and will be ashamed before Your Majesty and the people!"

Having said that, General Yang's face was resolute, and he made a move to draw his sword and kiss himself!

"Father! Father, no!!"

Upon hearing the urgent news, Consort Yang immediately boarded her carriage and rushed to the front court.

Her increasingly prominent pregnant belly made it very inconvenient for her to move around, and her personal maid, Lvxiu, carefully supported her.

"Your Majesty!!!" Green Sleeves was so frightened by the sight of the Imperial Concubine, who was in a state of agitation, jumping off the carriage and running away in a disheveled state. She could only gasp and cry.

"Father, waaaaah~ Father, no, no!"

With tears streaming down her face, Consort Yang Huizhang blocked General Yang's cold blade with her bare hands, embracing her loyal and upright father, crying in a heartbreaking way!

"Zhang'er? Zhang'er? Zhang'er, what are you doing here?!"

When General Yang heard his beloved daughter's voice, he opened his eyes and discovered that the icy blade that was about to sever his neck had been blocked by his daughter's bare hands.

"Nonsense! Zhang'er, this is the previous dynasty, what nonsense are you spouting?!"

General Yang tore off the white mourning cloth wrapped around his head, and in a panic, tore the cloth into pieces, carefully wrapping them around his beloved daughter's bleeding hands.

"Your Majesty, sob sob sob, Your Majesty!!" Green Sleeve, who had rushed over, trembled all over, tears streaming down her face as she wiped her mistress's wounded hands with a silk handkerchief.

"It's alright! Father, Zhang'er is fine!"

"Greensleeves, I'm alright, don't be afraid!"

Consort Yang spoke slowly and indifferently, kneeling alongside General Yang outside the Imperial Court.

The chilling wind at midnight sharpens the pain of life.

Inside the Imperial Palace, the Emperor calmly reviewed the memorials, replying to them with a blank expression.

Kang, the Grand Eunuch, remained as steady as an old dog, saying nothing, and continued to grind ink and produce charcoal for the emperor as always.

"What's the situation outside Xuanwu Gate?!"

The emperor put down his brush and asked the encyclopedic imperial spy, Kang, with an air of authority.

"Your Majesty, the scholars participating in the imperial examination are still kneeling outside the Xuanwu Gate!"

"Hmm! Young people are hot-tempered, it's good for them to kneel more!" Qing Tingmo yawned and took another sip of the calming soup.

Kang Dajian looked at the emperor on the dragon throne, who was resting with his eyes closed, looking as if he was very tired and needed to rest.

Kang Dajian didn't know how to bring up the matter of Yang Guifei, fearing that speaking at this moment would disturb the emperor's rest.

"Zhang'er is here too?! Hmph, the entanglements between the inner palace and the court are truly astounding!" The Emperor slowly opened his eyes and impatiently tapped on the desk.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me! This old servant knows his sins!" Upon hearing this, Eunuch Kang was so frightened that he immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

"Hmph, a bunch of unruly lackeys!"

"Have the imperial guards convey my decree: the Zhang family's affairs will be decided after this imperial examination!"

"Furthermore, have someone escort the Imperial Concubine back to the Imperial Palace safely, and have the imperial physicians and guards attend to her!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! May Your Majesty be well!"

Kang Dajian, in a panic, waved his whisk, strained his voice, and tumbled out of the Chaozheng Hall, his fingers curled into a delicate gesture.