Chapter 66: Chaotic City

  I originally wanted to inform Xuan Yuan Wu, but thinking of Su's stubbornness and unyielding temper, I decided to wait and see, maybe tomorrow we can really find those children back.

  The next day, the people from next door came to our side to pull in people. Everyone's heart is made of flesh and blood, other things can be ignored, but who doesn't care about children's affairs, of course, they have to help.

  I dressed in ordinary people's clothes and disguised myself as a man, following the crowd to head into the city.

  It wasn't until later that I recognized Su Auntie, who had disguised herself as an old woman and was walking ahead of the crowd. No wonder Xuan Yuan's people couldn't find her; in this getup, even if she were walking down a main street, I probably wouldn't have recognized her.

  It's just her voice and those 'gloomy' eyes that I won't forget.

  They marched and chanted slogans: "Return our children! Return our children!" The voices shook the sky, the scene was grand.

  More and more people gathered, some were watching the excitement, some wanted to find a way out, and some really wanted to find the child. The long crowd filled the entire government road, and everyone followed Su's aunt to move forward.

  The large group stopped, the shouting continued, and as I looked forward along the crowd, I found that Su Aunt had actually led the crowd to the Xuan Yuan Gate of the Imperial Palace.

  "Return our children, return our children..."

  The palace? Is the child in the palace? I was shocked, suddenly thinking of Su's hatred for the imperial court. Was she avenging a 'private' grievance? Or was it really true?

  Xuanyuan dusk, Xuanyuan Qi still had some officials appearing on the city wall, looking at the crowd, the Imperial Guards on both sides of the city wall had already formed a battle array, drawing their bows and taking aim!

  No, these are all ordinary people. Don't shoot arrows at all costs. I stand among the crowd and look up at the city wall, hoping that Xuan Yuan will handle this matter calmly.

  "Return our children, return our children!"

  Aunt Su waved her hand and everyone fell silent.

  "The child is right inside the palace, just let us in and I'll be able to find the child!" Su Auntie said loudly.

  "We want to go in! We want to go in!" The crowd began a new chant.

  It's impossible for so many people to enter the imperial palace. I saw General Yang Chen wearing armor coming over from the city wall, then whispering a few words in Xuan Yuan's ear before retreating.

  If Yang Chen appears in armor, it must be a military operation. I hope these civilians won't make too much noise and hope Xuan Yuan Mu can handle this matter properly.

  The more people gathered, some ordinary people even held hoes and wooden sticks in their hands, as if they had a feeling of being on the verge of rioting.

  My wrist was suddenly tightened and I was pulled out of the crowd by someone.

  "Are you okay?"

  "It's so dangerous here, why are you still standing there stupidly?" He kept pulling me to a place with fewer people before letting go.

  "I... I just want to know, where did those babies go?"

  "Return to the palace!" Andou took me by the hand and led me towards the western gate once again.

  I pulled hard several times but couldn't pull it open, looked up to see Xuan Yuan Mu looking at the crowd on top of the city wall, shouldn't he have seen us?

  Back in the East Palace, after changing clothes, An Mingzhu asked me with a puzzled expression: "What's going on outside? I heard that the common people are going to rebel?"

  "Don't talk nonsense, how can ordinary people rebel? Even if they do rebel, can't they just close the city gate and surround the imperial palace? Isn't that asking for a beating?" I tied up my belt and headed out.

  "I'm going too!" An Mingzhu said.

  "You're a princess, many people know you."

  "Then I'll go too!" As she spoke, An Mingzhu had already changed into a palace maid's clothes.

  The two of us walked forward to the front hall, passed the front hall and then went through the five 'gates' again, which was the Xuanyuan 'gate'.

  "I heard that His Majesty is still in the imperial study, isn't he anxious?" An Mingzhu asked me in a low voice.

  "A countermeasure will come out soon, they won't let things develop further!"

  "They won't resort to force, will they?"

  I remained silent, which is what I was most worried about. In either case, if one side acts impulsively, there's a possibility of resorting to force, and even the smallest spark can be the fuse that sets off war.

  As soon as we arrived at Sanmen, we saw the old man in front of the hall hastily holding the imperial edict and rushing towards Xuan Yuan Gate.

  His Majesty has decreed that the Crown Prince must expedite a resolution to this matter and ensure that losses are minimized!

  Everything fell on Xuan Yuan Mu's head. If he handled it well, there might be no credit; if he didn't handle it well, there would definitely be blame.

  Xuanyuan also became extremely anxious and walked down from the city wall. Seeing me and Anmingzhu, he couldn't help but walk towards us.

  "What's going on?" At this time, palace maids were not allowed to appear here unless there was a special reason.

  I walked up to him and whispered in his ear, "The old lady leading the way is Su Auntie. She was stirring everyone up last night to look for the child together, and this happened this morning."

  Xuanyuan's eyes flashed with surprise, his eyebrows tightly furrowed.

  "You must remain calm, those are just ordinary civilians, their goal is only one, which is to find the child!"

  Xuanyuan nodded and walked towards the city gate. After two steps, he turned back and looked at me: "Come here!"

  He meant for me to follow him, so I followed An Mingzhu and we left the palace behind him.

  Out of the Xuanyuan Gate, there is a sea of people, as far as the eye can see.

  "Everyone, be quiet!" Xuan Yuan Mu said loudly: "I am Crown Prince Xuan Yuan Mu. The Emperor has decreed that I have full authority to handle this matter. Your children are missing, and I am anxious too. We are searching the entire city. Today, someone is inciting the people, saying that the children are inside the Imperial Palace. Does anyone have any evidence?"

  "Ah!" Old Lady Su, dressed as an elderly woman, stepped forward: "I am the witness, I personally saw the black-clothed person carrying a child enter the imperial palace, and I also know where they hid the child?"

  "We want our children! We want our children!" The common people suddenly shouted again.

  Sound after sound, wave after wave, Xuan Yuan thought about speaking out several times but didn't succeed.

  "Boom, boom, boom, boom..." Suddenly, Xuan Yuanqi on the city wall started beating the drum. Everyone heard the drumbeat and thought something had happened, so they all quieted down.

  "Everyone, don't be chaotic! Our goal is to find the child, let's listen to what the prince has to say first!" someone shouted from the crowd.

  I looked up and found it was Ando Yoru 'mixed' in the crowd.

  Xuanyuan continued, "Since someone saw the child enter the palace, and I also want to know where the child is going, I agree that you can search the palace. However, this is unprecedented, so... it's not possible for everyone to go in. I need you to choose ten representatives to follow the 'Shi' guards and conduct an orderly search. What do you think?"

  "Agreed, we agree!" someone replied loudly.

  "Yes, yes, yes..." The crowd began shouting again.