The people were facing the stone tablet, and the people who were tied up and kneeling on the ground were also facing the stone tablet. Thus, no one could see their faces clearly.
Only when one person mustered up the courage to walk forward and lowered his head to take a look did he let out a cry of surprise.
"This, this looks like Assistant Minister Wei of the Ministry of Works!"
"That can't be, why is Assistant Minister Wei kneeling here?"
"Isn't, isn't that Official Han? Why is he also kneeling here?"
"Official Fang, Official Qi, Lord Wei, heavens, what is going on? Why are they all kneeling here?"
…
The people present naturally couldn't recognize all the faces of these people, but there were always some people who, due to their status, often appeared in front of the people, so it wasn't difficult to recognize them.
It was also because of this that everyone present was shocked and in disbelief.
Because all the people kneeling here were high-ranking officials and dignitaries of the capital. Who would have thought that these people, who were usually so high and mighty that they couldn't even come into contact with, were at this moment, tied up with ropes and kneeling in front of the stone tablet in the ancestral hall. Their eyes could clearly move, but their bodies couldn't move, and their mouths couldn't speak …
It was broad daylight. Could it be that he had seen a ghost?
Finally, someone noticed the abnormality. He pointed at the papers in front of these people and said to the crowd, "Look, what's written on these papers?"
Someone picked up a piece of paper and looked at it. The expression on his face was at first stunned, then gradually became one of hatred and anger. "These, these corrupt officials, they're beasts, beasts!"
Under his lead, everyone walked forward and picked up the papers that were pressed down by the stones on the ground.
"Ah, these corrupt officials are actually so daring, right under the feet of the Emperor of the capital!"
"For these things, even if they died ten or a hundred times, it still wouldn't be enough!"
"Could it be that the Heavens have shown their will and dragged out all these beasts to kneel before Lady Shuang Shuang's memorial tablet?"
"The Heavens have eyes, the Heavens have eyes!"
…
The papers in everyone's hands were densely filled with the crimes committed by these officials and nobles who were kneeling on the ground in their entire lives. Every single one of them was horrifying, and it caused one's heart to go cold just by looking at it.
They had no idea that these people, who usually looked bright and noble on the outside, were actually so dirty and dirty on the inside …
When they knelt neatly in front of the tombstone, and the crimes that they had signed and stamped were placed in front of everyone, the suppressed emotions in the hearts of the people suddenly exploded.
One of them finally couldn't take it anymore. He kicked the person closest to him, who was kneeling on the ground, and said angrily, "You … you all deserve to die!"
"Yes, kill them so that they don't come out and harm people again!"
"Kill them and get rid of the scourge for the people!"
…
After the first few people made a move, the crowd immediately became enraged. They pushed the people kneeling on the ground and started punching and kicking them.
The people kneeling on the ground were not only tied up with ropes, but their acupoints were also sealed. Other than being able to move their eyes, they could not even speak a word, let alone struggle to escape. They could only endure the rage of the crowd.
The commotion in the ancestral hall quickly attracted the attention of the people nearby.
The crowd surrounded the ancestral hall so tightly that not even a drop of water could trickle through. The people on the outside had no idea what was going on. They couldn't squeeze in, but people kept coming in from behind.
"Out of the way, out of the way!"
The bailiffs were always late out of habit. After a full quarter of an hour, more than ten bailiffs ran over from afar. They pushed through the crowd and squeezed into the ancestral hall.
"Stop, all of you stop!"
Seeing the chaos in the ancestral hall, the expressions of the bailiffs changed. Regardless of the identity of the people who were tied up and beaten black and blue on the ground, and regardless of the reason for this scene, if they continued to beat them like this, they were afraid that someone would die!
The uniformed bailiffs with weapons in their hands were still a great deterrent to the ordinary people. The crowd gradually dispersed, and at the same time, they did not forget to add a few more kicks.
"What exactly is going on?"
One of the bailiffs looked at the pitiful state of the people and felt a chill in his heart. He asked loudly.
"Sir, look at this." A commoner handed over a thick stack of paper.
After the bailiffs flipped through a few pieces of paper, his legs couldn't help but feel weak. He only managed to stabilize himself after being supported by the people behind him.
"Save, save me …"
A weak cry for help came from under his feet. The constable sensed that someone was holding his ankle. He hurriedly squatted down and asked, "Who, who are you?"
"I, I am the assistant minister of the Ministry of Works, Wei, Wei …" The assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, whose face was already swollen like a pig's head, fainted before he could finish his sentence.
The bailiffs looked at him and carefully tried to identify him for a long time, but he still couldn't see which part of him resembled the assistant minister of the Ministry of Works …
He sat on the ground with a pale face. It didn't matter if this person was the assistant minister of the Ministry of Works or not. If he wasn't the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, he could be another assistant minister or some other influential official …
It didn't matter who he was. What was important was that the sky had fallen!
He pointed outside in a panic and said, "Quick, go to the yamen and call someone. Tell Sir Ceng that something big has happened!"
At the same time, in the mansion of an official in the capital, a servant stood at the door of a room. He paced back and forth for a long time and said with some confusion, "Why hasn't Sir gotten out of bed yet? Is he not going to court today?"
He finally couldn't help but knock on the door, then pushed it open and entered. Seeing the empty bed, he said in surprise, "Where is Sir?"
Not long after, a servant hurriedly ran out of the door and went straight in the direction of the yamen.
Along the way, there were many people who were just as panicked as they were.
The capital yamen.
Ceng Shichun had actually just woken up and finished washing up. Before he could beat the drum and start the court, a bailiffs ran in from outside in a panic and said with a pale face, "Sir, something big has happened!"
Ceng Shichun frowned and said, "What is it? Tell me slowly."
The bailiffs hurriedly said, "Forty officials and nobles in the capital were kidnapped last night and were only found this morning. They were all tied up and kneeling in Lady Shuangshuang's ancestral hall!"
Ceng Shichun was startled and asked, "How many did you say?"
"Not more, not less. Exactly forty."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was already a burst of noise coming from the entrance of the yamen.
"I want to report a case. My lord is missing!"
"My Marquis is also missing!"
"My Old Master and Second Master are missing!"
…
Ceng Shichun's body swayed and he had to support himself against the wall to steady himself. More than forty officials and nobles in the capital had all been kidnapped in one night … Where did these bandits eat the heart of a bear and the leopard's gall? This was not a crime, this was clearly piercing the sky!
In front of the yamen, there was a burst of ghostly wails and wolf howls. In the great hall of the imperial palace, the civil and military officials all looked puzzled.
Without the slightest sign, the number of people in court today was nearly twenty percent less than the day before. Although the court was not empty, the crowd had indeed become much sparser.
The censors were standing in a line at the front, impeaching the officials who were absent from court for no reason. A eunuch ran in quickly from outside. Because he was too flustered, he even tripped when he stepped into the hall. He stumbled and crawled in …
He knelt on the ground and said in a panicked voice, "Your Highness, the capital governor has an urgent report!"
A moment later, the originally quiet court suddenly became an uproar.
Above the great hall, the Eldest Princess slowly stood up. As if she had thought of something, her expression changed slightly.
Wave after wave of news, with a certain ancestral hall as the center, spread within a few hours. The capital was shaken!
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