The night is already deep, tens of thousands of people have gathered outside the gate of the White Jade Palace, looking out from the palace wall, in addition to the black pressed human heads, there are all kinds of lanterns and torches shaking, countless scholars and people kneeling on the ground facing the palace wall and bowing to the ground, more people crying loudly outside the palace wall, asking the official family to take back their lives, and never ask for peace from the barbarians in humiliation because of temporary distress. The cry of the people shook the sky and spread far into the deep palace.

Zhao Ke was restless, and ordered people to close all the doors and windows of the dormitory, but the cry could be heard through the thick curtains, and he paced back and forth, muttering words in his mouth, and he didn't know what to say. Tong Guan waited beside him, his face was respectful, but his right eyelid jumped and jumped. No matter how favored he is, he is just a eunuch, and he is worried that the official family will be angry with the common people, so he will be imprisoned and punished. Tong Guan asked himself that in addition to knocking on the ground in private, there was no trace of domineering in front of the courtiers, how could the people outside the palace still count the crime of sending the envoy to sue for peace to his head, thinking of this, he couldn't help but be a little indignant: "Who did it, so that the Sprinkle family would not die well?" He made too many enemies in the court, and at this time, he figured out one by one from the beginning, and every time he remembered someone, Tong Guan regretted that he didn't get rid of it earlier.

"Who instructed these people to make trouble?" Zhao Ke stopped and suddenly asked.

Tong Guan had a flash of inspiration in his mind, and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty forgives your sins, if you talk about power, except for Prime Minister Zhao Cheng, it is Shao Shumi." Among the Taixue, the number of students in the science club is the largest. He repeated the word "Lishe" in his heart, and a fierce color flashed in his eyes. If it weren't for the instigation of these corrupt Confucians, how could there be so many scholars and ordinary people making trouble, they made the case when they first exposed it, and their hatred with Tong Guan was also the deepest. Even if the envoy sent to seek peace has nothing to do with Tong Guan on the surface, he will be involved, and the three of them will become tigers, and only those who kill people with spit stars are as corrupt as Lishe!

"Lysée?" Zhao Ke's eyes were complicated, and he remembered the oath of "not killing scholars and ministers" in the Taimiao, the official family was silent for a moment, and then ordered: "Deng Su, the waiter of the Ministry of Rites, persuaded the Tai students and scholars to leave the palace gate. After Xiaohuangmen went down to deliver the decree, Zhao Ke breathed a sigh of relief, although Deng Su was unfavorable last time, there was no doubt about this person's loyalty to the king.

At this time, there were two sudden "dong dong" sounds, like winter thunder.

Zhao Ke shuddered and frowned: "Who is beating the drum!" Tong Guan also looked surprised. The matter of sending envoys to negotiate peace is the official family's decision, and the scholar beating the drum is tantamount to reprimanding. This drum is not played casually. During the Kaibao period, the people who entered Beijing knocked on the drum city and said that the tribute was fraudulent, and Taizu established the palace examination system, and since then, the Jinshi can call himself the protégé of the Son of Heaven. According to the old system of the ancestors, what the drum beater said and did had to be decided by the official family, and even the prime minister could not overstep his authority. However, if you do not follow the permission of the Dengwen Drum Inspection Institute, those who go straight to the Dengwen Drum are very likely to face heavy fines, for example, there was a royal guard who beat the drum for military salaries, and as a result, Taizu was extremely angry and killed dozens of people; On the pretext of playing military aircraft, the scholar Li Shicheng was good at beating the drums, and as a result, he was dispatched 3,000 li; Some small people who were framed by corrupt officials in the state and county beat the drum to redress their grievances, and as a result, they were sent back to the original state and county for disposal. Whether it is a political dispute or a grievance, beating the drum is to put the opponent and oneself in a desperate position, and even the official family has no way to escape.

The drums of "Knock-" and "Knock-" were like thunder, constantly breaking through the dark and dreary night, echoing in the sky above Bianliang. Countless people who were awakened by the sound of drums pushed open their windows and looked out in fear, and their neighbors discussed: "Who is beating the drum?" "Obediently, knock it down so hard, I'm afraid I won't break the drum." "Keep knocking like this, don't say that the drums are going to be broken."

Next to the Xuande gatehouse with gold lacquer, the one-person high Dengwen drum constantly emits the sound of "dong" and "dong".

Feng Ming Zhai Ma Yuan was already full of big men, his hat was crooked to the side, the hem of his robe was tied in his belt, he held the drumstick in both hands, and kept beating the Dengwen drum.

"Knock knock-" In the interval between the drums, many people asked for their lives at the palace gate in unison.

"Get rid of the traitors! Restore Hebei! ”

"Kill the dog! Settle an old score! ”

"Please behead Zhao Qianfu to thank the world, and kill Tong Guan to comfort Hebei!"

At the end, to the rhythm of the drums, thousands of Tai students and tens of thousands of people chanted in unison, "Fight!" War! War! War! War! For some reason, Liu Wengu felt that his throat was choked, the bridge of his nose was sore, his eyes were full of tears, and a cavity of hot blood surged in his chest, as if it was about to burst. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists with everyone and shouted "Fight!" "Fight!" "Fight!" "Fight!" "Fight!"

"Dong", "Dong", "Dong" and "Dong" drums are trembling happily, and the Great Song Dynasty has never been so hearty for more than a hundred years, leaving no room for the strongest sound. At the beginning, there were many students who knelt down and cried to the palace gate to ask for their lives, after the drums were beaten, the drums and cheers became louder and louder, and soon overwhelmed the sound of the trumpet, and after the crowd of excited people accounted for the majority, many people who fell to the ground and wept bitterly also stood up, looking at this rare scene in a thousand years with excitement on their faces.

Ma Yuan is just a Confucian, but now it is the center of all attention. "Tonight is in high spirits, and the five carriages will crack in the coming day, and it will be worth it!" Ma Yuan's heart was excited, and in the cheers of the crowd, he turned the drumsticks with both hands and struck them with more force. The sound of "knock knock", "knock knock" and "knock knock" is like his young, surging and powerful heartbeat.

Suddenly, Ma Yuan's hand holding the drumstick slowly hesitated, and just five steps away, Deng Su separated the noisy crowd and appeared in front of him. The dignity of the teacher, Deng Su is known for being strict with his protégés, and often teaches Ma Yuan, Jia Yuanzhen and others to abstain from frivolity, be cautious in words and deeds, and be cautious in their actions and independence, and save themselves every day. Now that such a flamboyant attitude fell in the eyes of the teacher, even though he was in the midst of enthusiasm, Ma Yuan was also uneasy. The scholars of the Zhongli Society in the capital had the highest reputation with Deng Su, and when everyone saw him coming, they not only consciously made way of the way, but also temporarily quieted down.

Upstairs in Xuande, Tong Guan asked in surprise: "Why don't these Diao people beat the drums, do they want to crash the palace gate?" "The official family sent him to check on the situation of the disturbances in front of the drum. The excitement of tens of thousands of people made Tong Guan can't help but think of the battlefield where the two armies clashed, and swords, guns, swords, and halberds poured in. Now that the drumming had stopped inexplicably, Tong Guan was shocked.

"It was Deng Shilang who went up to persuade him." A small yellow door said in a low voice, and at this time, Tong Guan also saw Deng Su's figure. The tsunami-like scene of Shicai Mountain, because of the appearance of a little waiter, there was a temporary silence. Even if Deng Su came to persuade the people to leave the scholars by order, Tong Guan also had a sense of jealousy in his heart.

Deng Su was wearing a scarf and a hat, and he was wearing a casual suit, he slowly walked to the Dengwen drum, stretched out his right hand, and said in a deep voice: "Give it to me!" ”

"Teacher," Ma Yuan's face froze, hesitated for a moment, and finally handed over the drumstick in his hand. "Deng Shilang!" Someone shouted, "We are asking the Holy God for our life, and we must not bend our knees to sue for peace!" "Mr. Deng, as soon as the peace negotiation came out, the father and elder of Hebei who were martyred were unjustly killed!" Many scholars from the Institute of Science and Technology rushed forward.

In front of everyone's eyes, Deng Su took the drumstick from Ma Yuan's hand, and suddenly, with a backhand twitch, the drumstick "dong" hit the Dengwen drum. Everyone thought he was here to persuade him, but they were all taken aback.

Upstairs in Xuande, Tong Guan, who was hiding behind the battlements and looking down, almost fell off the city in shock.

"Three outlines and five constants, the saint is like a father, and the meaning of loyalty and filial piety is the same, so he is a loyal minister in the court and a filial son when he returns home." Deng Su said in a deep voice, "What is disloyalty? What is unfilial piety? The sages have clouds, and there are three things about unfilial piety in Yuli: it is said that Ah Yi is obedient, trapped in injustice, and unfilial. Today, the saint is deceived by treachery and evil, and there are envoys to negotiate peace, loyal ministers and filial sons, and face to face to fight in the court. Zhang Minghuan once said that scholars read the books of sages and sages, and were favored by the imperial court, only for the people of the world to abide by the word morality! Do not bend to flattery and fall into injustice. ”

While he was talking to the crowd, he beat the Dengwen drum, the drum sound of "dong" and "dong" corresponded rhythmically with the sound of the words, and the thousands of scholars below listened to it as if they were fascinated, Jia Yuan sighed in his heart: "Today I know my teacher!" "Many people in Bianliang are even more worshiped as gods. After Deng Su finished speaking, Fu handed the drumstick to Ma Yuan, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a deep voice: "Do it well!" ”

"Yes! Teacher! Ma Yuan agreed loudly. Redoubling his strength to beat the drum, Deng Su also retreated into the crowd, his face sinking and standing with the people who asked for his life. The crowd that had just calmed down once again made an overwhelming plea, and someone shouted loudly: "Negotiation of peace is absolutely impossible, the Great Song Dynasty is victorious, and the victory is overwhelming!" Someone else began to shout: "Long live my emperor, long live!" "Long live the Great Song, long live!" "Long live the Great Song, long live, long live!" This unanimous cry swept through the entire Bianliang sky like a storm!

Upstairs at the Xuande Gate, Tong Guan gritted his teeth and said: "Sure enough, he was born to make trouble, Deng Su usually seems to be docile, and even the old man was almost deceived, this is the crime of bullying the king!" Everyone in this society can be killed! He hurried back to his life.

In Prime Minister Zhao Cheng's house, as if facing a great enemy, the doors of the big and small mansions have been closed, and there are still domestic servants holding sticks and other things to guard, for fear of being hit by the troublesome people. Only occasionally did the servant who had gone out to inquire come back and let in through a small crack in the west side door.

Zhao Zhifu, the prime minister of the court, turned pale and asked, "Have all the people who made trouble at the palace gate dispersed?" ”

"Not yet," the servant lowered his head and didn't dare to look directly at Xiangye, Bingdao, "Lord Deng, the squire of the Holy Rite Department, went to persuade him, who knew that Lord Deng actually stood with the troublesome scholar and asked for his life, and now there are more and more people in front of the palace gate." Kaifeng Mansion asked the three officials to transfer troops to quell the chaos, Shao Shumi moved out of the ancestral system, and those who heard the drum and said things must be decided by His Majesty personally, otherwise it would be the crime of blocking the way of speech and blinding the official family, and he was also sent back. ”

"Shao Wu," Zhao Zhifu's eyes showed a hint of cruelty, "You want the old man's life." ”