Fiancée Stolen by MC, I Trip Them up-Chapter 366 - 268: Every Man for Himself When Disaster Strikes!

Chapter 366: Chapter 268: Every Man for Himself When Disaster Strikes!

There are no walls impervious to the wind.

Conversations similar to those between Wang Huairen and Wenyuan occurred among many noble families within Shengjing City.

In large noble families with thriving populations, the more people there are, the more gossip there is.

Soon, the news of the monster invasion and the Great Xia Zhao Clan’s plan to evacuate spread throughout Shengjing City.

After moving supplies for several days, Zhao Yi, exhausted in mind and soul, was resting in the Crown Prince’s Mansion when suddenly, a racket arose outside.

Zhao Yi frowned, "What’s going on?"

Soon, Huang Ying came in from outside.

As soon as she entered the door, she said loudly, "Master, many commoners are kneeling at the gate, pleading to see you."

Hmm?

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yi was momentarily puzzled, then quickly understood.

Judging by the time, the news should have spread by now.

Indeed, Huang Ying said, "Leading them are several officials from the Imperial Censorate. They claim to be demanding justice for the people and beg you to take these commoners with you."

Imperial Censors?

Zhao Yi queried in confusion, "Why are people from the Imperial Censorate involving themselves in such matters?"

On the side, Linglong, hearing this, explained, "According to the evacuation plan formulated by Miaoyin Zhenren and General Zuo Luo, initially, only the Xuanzhen Temple, Imperial Clan Court, Iron Armor Army, and Armor-Breaking Army were arranging the departure. Those censors probably fear being abandoned, so they are using public sentiment to pressure Your Highness."

Zhao Yi immediately lost interest and waved, saying, "You handle it. Implement the pre-established plan without wasting too much time."

Linglong bowed respectfully, "Your servant obeys."

Having said this, she walked quickly toward the door.

Outside the Crown Prince’s Mansion.

Where the Vermilion Bird Avenue was usually bustling with traffic, now it was densely packed with kneeling people.

Perhaps knowing that the crucial moment of life and death was approaching, those people’s faces were pale with fear and anxiety, and they looked toward the Crown Prince’s Mansion both angry and anxious.

The anger came because of the monster’s arrival; the Great Xia Zhao Clan, after consuming the people’s resources for a thousand years, now intended to secretly escape when crisis loomed.

The anxiety stemmed from the fact that if even the Zhao Clan was planning to flee, the upcoming monsters must be extremely dangerous.

If the Zhao Clan did not take them, it would truly be a dead end for these people.

Thinking of this, some of the timid ones broke into tears on the spot.

"Crown Prince, save us!"

"The court must not abandon us!"

"My Li Family has been loyal and faithful through the generations to the Zhao Clan; the Zhao Clan cannot treat us like this!"

"The court may leave, but it must take us with you, or else we’ll hang ourselves here on Vermilion Bird Avenue!"

In an instant, the front of the Crown Prince’s Mansion was filled with wails, echoing through Shengjing City.

In front of the crowd, four middle-aged civil officials in green official robes stood silently.

The four stood at the entrance of the Crown Prince’s Mansion, with eyes observing their noses, noses observing their mouths, mouths observing their hearts, and their expressions remained indifferent.

They neither responded to the cries behind them nor exchanged a glance, as if all this had nothing to do with them.

When Linglong came out of the Crown Prince’s Mansion, she happened to witness this scene, and her brows furrowed immediately.

She first glanced at the kneeling commoners, then cupped her fists toward the four green-robed censors and said, "I am the Chief Historian of the Crown Prince’s Mansion. Gentlemen, may I speak with you privately?"

Hearing this, the four motionless individuals finally reacted.

The leading Zhang Qian said expressionlessly, "There is nothing that cannot be said to people. Chief Historian, the commoners merely seek an explanation; any command from His Highness should be given here."

With these words, the surrounding commoners echoed.

"Yes, say it here!"

"Is the Crown Prince trying to bribe these four gentlemen?"

"Is there really a monster? We have the right to know the truth!"

"We were born as people of Great Xia, and we shall die as souls of Great Xia. The Crown Prince must take us with him!"

At first, only a few called out, but soon many joined in, and finally, a surging wave of voices pressed toward Linglong.

Linglong’s complexion changed slightly as she looked at the four censors before her, her brows furrowing unconsciously.

These fellows are no friendlies.

However, it fits her plan precisely.

Linglong coughed lightly and said solemnly, "You are all officials of the court. Instead of alleviating the Crown Prince’s burdens, you gather the commoners to besiege the Mansion. What is your intent?"

Zhang Qian’s face remained unchanged, and Linglong’s words did not deter him.

Zhang Qian said expressionlessly, "As a censor, my duty is to seek justice on behalf of the people. What fear is there in plunging into fire and water?"

With these words, the surrounding commoners immediately cheered.

"Well said, Lord Zhang!"

"An official who doesn’t act for the people is worse than a beast!"

"Lord Zhang truly lives up to the name of ’Zhang Qingtian’!"

As if he hadn’t heard the cheers behind him, Zhang Qian cupped his hands toward Linglong, speaking humbly: "Please, Chief Historian, convey the message that the people of Shengjing City earnestly request a meeting with the Crown Prince!"

Behind Zhang Qian, the other three censors bent over simultaneously and chorused toward the direction of the Crown Prince’s Mansion: "We request a meeting with the Crown Prince!"

This shout seemed to trigger a mechanism, and in a moment, the entire Vermilion Bird Avenue boiled over.

"We request a meeting with the Crown Prince!"

"We request a meeting with the Crown Prince!"

"We request a meeting with the Crown Prince!"

The unified roar of hundreds of thousands of people converged into a surging torrent, grand and earth-shattering!

Linglong’s expression drastically changed.

She looked shocked at Zhang Qian and the other three censors, not expecting them to have stirred the people’s hearts to such an extent.

At the same time, Linglong finally understood why Zhao Yi didn’t directly declare the monster invasion to everyone.

The unknown is the greatest fear.

Zhao Yi had kept the news of the monster concealed to make people find out through various channels.

And now, like this, everyone, in their fright, begged Zhao Yi to take them away.

As Zhang Qian spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Linglong.

As the Chief Historian of the Crown Prince’s Mansion, to some extent, her words represented the Crown Prince’s stance.

Even though Zhang Qian had said lofty words earlier, ultimately, he sought only a ticket to leave with the Zhao Clan.

The rumor had already spread in the Imperial Court that a terrifying monster would invade Great Xia soon, when no one would escape death.

When the rumor first circulated, Zhang Qian didn’t take it seriously.

Only the officials of the Great Xia Imperial Court knew how profound the Zhao Clan’s heritage was.

Zhang Qian did not believe there was any monster in the world that the Great Xia Zhao Clan couldn’t handle.

That was until Xuanzhen Temple issued a summon, and the Armor-Breaking Army and Iron Armor Army began assembling toward Shengjing City.

All the evidence pointed to one thing: the Zhao Clan intended to escape.

Initially, Zhang Qian wasn’t anxious.

He served as the Inspector of the Imperial Censorate, a high-ranking official of the court.

If the Zhao Clan planned to leave, they couldn’t simply ignore him.

Yet as a month passed, seeing fewer imperial guards and resources outside Shengjing City, Zhang Qian gradually became uneasy.

The final straw was when the Patriarch of the Huai Tree Wang Family suddenly entered the palace, and overnight, the Wang Family vanished into thin air.

Along with them, several prominent families of Shengjing City disappeared.

Gradually, a rumor began to circulate in the Imperial Court.

The Zhao Clan’s evacuation would only include noble families; officials like Zhang Qian with no background, who hailed from humble origins, were deemed expendable.

Hearing this news made Zhang Qian restless, prompting him to contact other censors of similar humble origins to initiate this blockade of the Crown Prince’s Mansion.

Zhang Qian didn’t truly care about the commoners’ fates; he was proving his worth to the Crown Prince and the Zhao Clan.

After reaching a safe place, the Zhao Clan would surely need to establish a new court and require capable officials like him.

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