Chapter 1955

Fear spread through the crowd, and some began to retreat subconsciously.

But more people... did not take a single step back, especially the hot-blooded scholars of Changancheng and the commoners who had received his grace, who were completely enraged by this "suppress on the spot" edict!

"Muddled! This is destroying our own Great Wall!"

"Chancellor Gao's merit is witnessed by heaven and earth! To end up like this today, we do not accept it!"

"We will prove our resolve with death! We will offer our blood to the Emperor! Your Majesty, open your eyes and look!"

"A year ago, if it weren't for Chancellor Gao, Great Chu would have slaughtered Changancheng long ago. This life of mine was saved by Chancellor Gao; so be it, today I will return it to Chancellor Gao!"

The cries of grief and indignation rose one after another; the crowd not only did not retreat, but actually had a tendency to surge forward!

For a moment, the situation was on the verge of spiraling out of control; the crowd's anger soared to the heavens, and the Han Lin scholars in the front row even puffed out their chests, facing the cold arrowheads and blade edges directly.

This scene left Zhang Ping and Zhang Shou stunned.

Were these commoners crazy?

For the sake of a stranger, they didn't even want their own lives?

They could not understand.

"Lunatics, all lunatics!"

Zhang Shou cursed inwardly.

Seeing this scene, Li Long felt completely numb.

His palms were covered in sweat as he looked at the indignant crowd, who were ready to face death, and then at the murderous army formation behind him, waiting only for his command.

He knew that with just one gesture from him, this place would immediately turn into a slaughterhouse!

But... he could not afford the consequences!

Wu Zhao would also bear the infamy of the ages!

Chi Potian took a deep breath; he himself did not fear death, but so many scholars and commoners could not die in vain.

But at this moment.

He couldn't control it either!

Clip!

Clip-clop!

Just at this critical moment, when the air was frozen to the extreme, Li Long's hand was almost raised, and the bowstrings in the hands of the front-row Imperial Guards were about to be released.

Outside the crowd, the crisp sound of horse hooves rang out clearly, from far to near.

"Who?! How dare you ride a horse on Zhu Que Street! Are you looking for death?!" Zhang Shou was extremely nervous, and upon hearing the sound of hooves, he instantly flew into a rage.

But when he looked up.

The next second.

Zhang Shou's pupils shrank.

Among the crowd, one voice after another rang out.

"Chancellor Gao!"

"Chancellor Gao!"

"It's Chancellor Gao who has come!"

The crowd parted like a tide, instantly splitting in two, creating a straight, wide passage from the very back of the crowd, leading directly to the center of the death zone where both sides were in a standoff.

At the end of the passage, a man on a horse rode slowly toward them.

Gao Yang was not wearing his official robes, but only a simple, clean green shirt, yet he seemed to be draped in an invisible, boundless radiance; his expression was calm, yet it made some commoners nearly shed tears.

He rode his horse to the very center of the death zone and pulled on the reins. The horse snorted, a sound that was exceptionally clear in the deathly silence.

His gaze swept calmly over the forest of blades and spears ahead, over the glinting cold arrowheads, over Li Long's nervous face, over Zhang Ping and Zhang Shou's astonished expressions, and finally landed on the scholars and commoners whose faces were flushed with excitement and fear.

"Put away your blades."

"Lower your arrows."

"The blades of Da Qian should be used to cut down foreign enemies and barbarians, to protect our mountains, rivers, and people! Pointing them at your own fathers, brothers, and fellow countrymen, and at your own hot-blooded scholars—what kind of behavior is that?"

"With me here today, there will be no chaos! Everyone, put them down!"

Gao Yang's voice was not loud, but it carried a strange power of penetration.

Zhang Shou wore a sneer.

Did you, Gao Yang, still think you were the Living Yama of before, who held immense power and was second only to one in all of Da Qian?

You are now nothing but a commoner; what are you putting on airs for?

Who would listen to you now?

But the next instant.

Almost the moment Gao Yang's gaze swept over them, the crossbowmen in the front row, who had been tense with their fingers on the triggers, seemed to have their strength drained by an invisible force, and they subconsciously and slowly lowered their crossbows.

Following that, the second row, the third row—just like dominoes being pushed over, one after another, row after row.

Those Imperial Guards holding spears and horizontal blades also seemed to have received a silent order, their tense arms relaxing, their blades drooping.

No orders, no hesitation—it was entirely an instinct engraved into their very bones!

At this moment, Zhang Shou was dumbfounded.

He looked at Gao Yang, who stood at the absolute center of the crowd, using the power of one man to make the Imperial Guards and the commoners bow their heads in unison!

His mouth hung open, his face full of astonishment.

Even though this bastard had resigned, could he still put on such a show?