The mistress has no feelings, why do you provoke her?

The blazing sun made the already restless atmosphere even more tense.

Seeing the people's anger rising like a tide, they forcefully blocked the Imperial Guards' path.

The leader of the Imperial Guard, mounted on a tall horse, had a grim face and wide, angry eyes. He suddenly roared, "Do you all want to rebel?"

His voice was booming, and he thought that by invoking imperial power, he could scare these unarmed people into scattering like birds and beasts.

However, reality dealt him a heavy blow.

The people showed no fear whatsoever; on the contrary, they seemed to be united by an invisible force, becoming even more cohesive.

They were like rocks rooted in the earth, firmly guarding the road, and the Imperial Guard's iron hooves could not advance an inch.

As time slowly passed, the situation became increasingly out of control.

More and more people joined, starting as a few dozen people, quickly growing into a group of hundreds, and eventually reaching several thousand.

They surrounded the Imperial Guards in layers, like an impregnable fortress, leaving no room for escape.

The commander of the Imperial Guards looked at the vast sea of ​​people and was so terrified that he almost fell off his horse.

"My lord, what should we do? The people have completely surrounded our troops, and it will be difficult to even return to report now." The lieutenant leaned closer, his voice trembling slightly.

The leader gritted his teeth and asked urgently, "Can we break out of the city and go outside to get reinforcements?"

The lieutenant glanced cautiously at the agitated crowd and shook his head helplessly: "Sir, I'm afraid it will be difficult. These people have great respect for the old general. Now that we have angered the masses, if it causes a riot, the situation will be completely out of control."

The leader's face instantly showed panic. He took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm: "You're right. Right now, we can only wait for the people to disperse before making any plans. Give the order to raise the shields, and under no circumstances should their lives be taken."

Who would have thought that being ordered to arrest criminals would lead to such a desperate situation? It's unheard of.

The lieutenant respectfully responded and quickly relayed the order.

The Imperial Guards immediately formed a circle, shields facing outwards, creating a solid defensive line.

The people, holding farm tools and with eyes full of anger, stood in confrontation with them, none of them willing to leave first.

For a moment, the two sides were deadlocked, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder that could explode at any moment.

From noon until sunset, the people showed no sign of leaving.

The Imperial Guard leader was sweating profusely with anxiety; if he failed to complete the mission, he would be the one to lose his head.

Unfortunately, the area was surrounded like a water bucket, making it difficult to even send a message.

Inside the palace.

Crown Prince Xiao Yin was sitting upright in the main seat of the study, gently waving his folding fan, but his face showed no sign of anxiety.

He sent the Imperial Guards to arrest the people from the two prefectures, but after waiting and waiting, the Imperial Guards did not return to report.

Unable to contain his irritation, he casually summoned a palace servant and said coldly, "Go and find out for me what exactly the Imperial Guards are up to!"

The palace servant responded and walked out of the hall.

Before long, the palace servant hurriedly returned. Before even stepping into the study, he shouted, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened!"

Xiao Yin's eyes, which had been slightly narrowed, widened instantly, his brows furrowed deeply, and he sternly rebuked, "What exactly happened? What kind of behavior is this, all this panic!"

The palace servant was panting heavily, her chest heaving. She took several deep breaths before finally catching her breath and stammering, "Your Highness, those unruly commoners have surrounded the Imperial Guards! They're stubbornly preventing the Imperial Guards from going to arrest the person!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yin felt a surge of anger rush to his head.

He jumped up from his seat and slammed his folding fan onto the table next to him with a loud "smack".

His eyes widened in fury, and he roared through gritted teeth, "This is outrageous! Do these unruly commoners want to rebel? A few lowly people dare to obstruct the Crown Prince's decree! Kill them and see if they dare to be so presumptuous again!"

Having said that, he was about to give an order.

Upon seeing this, Eunuch Fu, who had been serving him cautiously, was greatly alarmed. He hurriedly stepped forward and stretched out his hands to stop him, saying, "Your Highness, you mustn't!"

Xiao Yin turned his head sharply, his eyes filled with vigilance as he looked at Eunuch Fu. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he questioned, "Eunuch Fu, what do you mean by this? Could it be that you're in cahoots with those troublemakers?"

Although Eunuch Fu betrayed Emperor Wen, Xiao Yin still didn't trust him.

He was vigilant in every way and very wary of Grandpa Fu.

This old man served two dynasties and, although he was a eunuch, he held some influence in the court.

Xiao Yin had no choice but to endure it and keep him here for the time being.

Eunuch Fu's heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward, kneeling on the ground with a thud. His face was full of respect and fear as he said urgently, "Your Highness, this old servant is loyal to you and has no other intentions! But this matter must not be acted upon lightly."

Think about it, if we rashly order the killing of those troublemakers at this moment, it will surely arouse the people's anger, and I'm afraid these people will completely rebel.

The situation is already delicate; if an uprising breaks out now, the world will be in chaos.

"And with your imminent ascension to the throne, this turbulent situation is extremely detrimental to your great cause!"

Grandpa Fu's words were reasonable, well-founded, and logical.

As Xiao Yin listened to Eunuch Fu's words, his face, which had turned red with anger, gradually calmed down, and his furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

He paced slowly around the room, his mind racing with thoughts, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find a perfect solution.

The thought that those people from the Prince of Nanyang's Mansion and the General's Mansion were still at large made him feel uneasy, as if he were being scratched by a cat.

Eunuch Fu carefully observed Xiao Yin's expression. Seeing his hesitation, he mustered his courage and stepped forward, saying softly, "Your Highness, the people from the Prince of Nanyang's Mansion and the General's Mansion won't be able to leave the capital anytime soon. The most urgent task right now is to disperse those troublemakers who are blocking the Imperial Guards and get the Imperial Guards to withdraw first, so as to prevent any further complications."

Xiao Yin stopped and looked at Eunuch Fu, asking eagerly, "Oh, Eunuch Fu, do you have any good ideas? Tell me quickly."

Eunuch Fu bowed slightly, a fawning smile on his face, and said respectfully, "To be honest, Your Highness, this old servant does have a plan that may solve this urgent problem. Think about it, what these people ask for in their daily lives is nothing more than a stable life and enough to eat. If we give them enough benefits, are we afraid they won't obediently disperse?"

Xiao Yin listened and nodded slightly.

He stood there for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of Eunuch Fu's plan.

After a while, his tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and he said in a deep voice: "Issue the order that, in order to pray for the Emperor's well-being, I will release 40,000 copper coins. Distribution points will be set up in four locations throughout the city so that the people can collect them."

Say that this is my filial piety and a blessing to the people.

"I hope everyone can join in praying for the Emperor's well-being and health."

After saying that, he turned to look at Eunuch Fu, his tone carrying a hint of authority: "Eunuch Fu, you are in charge of this matter. You must handle it properly and make sure there are no mistakes. If the people still don't disperse, then we'll think of another way."

Eunuch Fu quickly replied, "Yes, Your Highness, rest assured, this old servant will certainly handle this matter well."

After saying this, he hurriedly withdrew to arrange the distribution of copper coins.