Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

"What's wrong with you! Bringing me tea this hot? Are you trying to scald me to death?!"

Back home, Zeng Qian angrily smashed several teacups and vented his anger on the servants in the mansion.

The servants were so frightened that they immediately knelt on the ground, trembling uncontrollably: "Master, please calm down, we will go and prepare tea again right away!"

"Go away~"

Zeng Qian shouted angrily, dismissed the servants, and sat alone at the table, sulking.

At this moment, another servant came to report: "Master, Young Master Mu, Lord Liang, and Lord Zhao are requesting an audience outside the mansion."

Zeng Qian's eyes turned cold: "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and invite them in. Do you want me to go myself?"

"Yes, sir."

"return!"

"Does the master have any further instructions?"

"Aren't you going to let someone clean this place up?!"

"Yes, sir."

After a cup of tea, Mu Changge, Zhao Yuanli, and Liang Youxin sat down in the main hall of the Zeng residence.

Mu Changge spoke first: "Lord Zeng, I have heard about what happened. It is all my fault that you have been implicated. Alas."

Zhao Yuanli also said, "Brother Zeng, all the prominent families and powerful clans in the capital have heard that you have been dismissed from your position as the Prefect of Jingzhao, and they all feel that it is unfair to you."

Liang Youxin: "We have come to your residence today only to ask Lord Zeng what his plans are next?"

"Ugh……"

Zeng Qian let out a sigh, feigning helplessness.

"Since assuming the post of Prefect of Jingzhao, I have always been diligent and conscientious. It is only recently, in order to ensure His Majesty has a good wife, that I have neglected my duties somewhat."

For such a trivial matter, His Majesty intends to dismiss me from my post. I am truly resentful.

Admittedly, I was indeed wrong, but wasn't what I did all for the sake of the Great Chu's empire? How could Her Majesty... alas—"

At this point, he sighed helplessly, as if he were extremely aggrieved.

Mu Changge cupped his hands and stood up abruptly: "My lord, if all else fails, I will go and speak frankly to His Majesty that I will no longer be the emperor's son-in-law. Perhaps then His Majesty will allow you to be reinstated!"

Zeng Qian shook his head with a wry smile: "It's no use. His Majesty already harbors resentment towards me. Whether you become the emperor's son-in-law or not, he will dismiss me from my post as the Prefect of Jingzhao."

Zhao Yuanli: "Brother Zeng, besides you, who else is qualified to serve as the Prefect of Jingzhao? In short, I absolutely do not recognize anyone else but you!"

Liang Youxin: "Brother Zeng, we have been planning for the sake of the nation for so long, how can we give up now?"

More than half of the prominent families and scholars in the capital support Brother Zeng!

Zeng Qian: "Gentlemen, what's going on here...?"

Zhao Yuanli and Liang Youxin suddenly stood up and bowed to Zeng Qian in unison.

"Brother Zeng, the will of the people cannot be defied!"

"The Empress has been misled by treacherous officials. We must set things right and restore order to the court!"

After saying this, the two of them knelt down on one knee at the same time, their eyes filled with determination.

Mu Changge watched this scene, not understanding for a moment what they were trying to do.

Seeing that the foreplay had gone on long enough, Zeng Qian immediately stepped forward to help the two up: "Gentlemen, please rise quickly. Since this is the will of the people..."

Even if it costs me my life, I will set things right and save the people from their dire straits!

Mu Changge was speechless, wondering what this meant. What did it mean to save the people from dire straits?

The next moment, all three of them turned their gazes to him.

"My lords, what brings you here?"

"Young Master Mu, at this point, this is the only way forward."

Zhao Yuanli said, "Lord Zeng was suppressed by His Majesty because of your matter. If you cannot become the son-in-law of the Great Chu Emperor..."

Not only Lord Zeng, but all the aristocratic families in the capital will suffer unprecedented suppression. Therefore, now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to take another extreme measure.

We'll use every means to help you rise to the position of the emperor's son-in-law!

Before Mu Changge could ask, Liang Youxin said, "If you cannot become the emperor's son-in-law, everything we have done these past few months will have been in vain. How can you face us?"

"Here……"

For a moment, Mu Changge panicked, feeling as if she were in the eye of a storm.

"Young Master Mu."

At this moment, Zeng Qian spoke up.

"You can't back down from this now. Just imagine, what if you're stripped of your qualifications as the emperor's son-in-law?"

Whether Shu Yingwen or Shen Lang is elected, will you still have a good life? Leaving aside Shen Lang, there's the matter of you bullying Shu Yingwen in the palace...

We've also heard rumors that if Shu Yingwen becomes the emperor's son-in-law, do you think he might seek revenge against you once he gains power?

After a moment's thought, Mu Changge immediately asked, "My lords, what should I do?"

Zeng Qian sneered: "Now that things have come to this, the only way is to use public opinion to force His Majesty to compromise."

……

"Fellow villagers, please wait and hear what we have to say!"

The next morning, in the busiest commercial district of West Street, a group of scholars stood on a high platform, shouting loudly at the passersby.

Scholars were still highly respected by the common people in the Great Chu, and his voice instantly gathered a large crowd of people.

"The current empress is licentious and tyrannical, persecuting loyal officials and bringing shame upon the nation. We, as commoners of the Great Chu, should do our duty to speak out for the people!"

"Lord Zeng was loyal to the Great Chu and served diligently for twenty years, yet he was dismissed from his post because of some trivial matters. This has truly chilled the hearts of us scholars."

"Your Majesty, what are your intentions in treating such meritorious officials this way? Where is justice?"

"When the Empress chooses a son-in-law, she prioritizes the virtuous and capable. However, Your Majesty acts perversely and favors only the disloyal minister Shen Lang!"

"Who is Shen Lang? He is a henchman of the Jingwei Guard, ruthless and vicious. I wonder what methods he used to bewitch His Majesty?"

This has caused His Majesty to be extremely averse to Young Master Mu, who was saved from imminent death. Let me ask you this:

If a virtuous and talented man like Young Master Mu cannot become the son-in-law of the Emperor of Great Chu, then who can?

"Could it be that we really want to let a vicious and wicked person like Shen Lang rise to power overnight and wreak havoc on the common people?"

In any era, Confucian scholars have always been so passionate. In the late Qing Dynasty, there were the Six Gentlemen of the Hundred Days' Reform, and in the Beiyang government, there were the May Fourth Movement youth groups.

They are all doing their best to uphold the dignity of the country in their own ways, with the common goal of making the people of this land prosperous and confident.

However, history has also shown that passionate Confucian scholars are sometimes extremely vulnerable to being exploited by those with ulterior motives.

Their passionate and inspiring speech instantly ignited the atmosphere.

"Eliminate the traitors and clear the names of Young Master Mu and Lord Zeng!"

"If a righteous person like Mu Changge cannot become the emperor's son-in-law, are we really going to let a madman like Shen Lang bring disaster upon us?"

"Damn, we're all on Young Master Mu's side this time!"

"Anyone who doesn't support Young Master Mu will be punished by having to pay to watch female-oriented harem cultivation videos on a certain website next door."

"I declare that I am Mu Changge's dog!"

Instantly, a cacophony of voices erupted as thousands of people gathered spontaneously shouted slogans.

"Purge the court of corrupt officials, welcome Zeng Qian, support Chang Ge, and execute the traitor Shen!"

"Purge the court of corrupt officials, welcome Zeng Qian, support Chang Ge, and execute the traitor Shen!"

"Purge the court of corrupt officials, welcome Zeng Qian, support Chang Ge, and execute the traitor Shen!"

In a fit of anger, the students raised their arms and shouted:

"We, the people of this generation, should plead for the sake of all living beings. Let us come with you to the Weiyang Palace and persuade His Majesty to change his mind!"

"Let's go!"

The crowd surged forward like a tide toward the imperial city.

Similar scenes were playing out throughout Nanjing.

As the crowds gradually gathered, in just one day, more than 300,000 people joined this grand event.

A grand petition from the people has officially begun.