I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 319: Wumen Crying
Even snow can't stop my burning heart!

Yu Changde walked more firmly, stood straighter, and held his head higher.

Behind him, more than twenty upright officials, more than one hundred students of the Imperial Academy and famous scholars looked at Yu Changde's back as if they saw Mount Tai, and could not help but follow his footsteps.

The sound of footsteps, like the sound of rain, seemed particularly loud in front of the dim Meridian Gate.

The Fengchensi soldier guarding the gate heard the sound and looked to see a group of people coming. There were more than twenty officials in the front, two or three of them were wearing scarlet robes, and the rest were wearing blue and green robes. There were about 130 to 40 people behind them, wearing Confucian clothes. They should be students of the Imperial College.

The sergeant immediately reported to the military academy on duty.

The military academy led his men out from the left door and quickly went to meet them.

"stop!"

Yu Changde held his head high, with an aura of authority that could not be defied, and shouted, "Get out of the way!"

The military school said sternly: "This is the Meridian Gate. Soldiers, civilians, officials and common people are not allowed to act rashly here. Those who violate the prohibition will be arrested immediately and handed over to the Fengchensi!"

Yu Changde said solemnly: "We are going to submit a memorial and petition the emperor!"

"Officials should submit their documents at the various government offices, and common people can go to the Tongzhengshisi or the Metropolitan Procuratorate! Don't cause trouble in front of the Meridian Gate!"

The military academy won’t give in!
"Ridiculous! You warriors, dare you block the way for speech? Aren't you afraid of being drowned by the spit of the world?"

Yu Changde's beard puffed out as he roared angrily.

The officers and soldiers of the Fengchensi were all transferred to Beijing in turn from the "meritorious" troops in the nine borders and the southeast who fought against the Japanese pirates.

The military academy on duty today was transferred from Shanxi Town, Datong Mountain. They crawled out from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood. They are not afraid of such bluffing at all.

"This is the Meridian Gate! Behind it is the Forbidden City, the inner palace where the emperor resides. Our army has been ordered to serve as the guard. Only those with valid badges can enter at the appointed time.

"Other people, please do not disturb us! If you dare to break in, don't blame us for arresting you for trespassing and plotting rebellion!"

Yu Changde's head was buzzing after hearing this. It was a wrong decision!
He originally wanted to replicate the Zuoshunmen Incident, but in the end he couldn't even enter the Wumen Gate.

Since Zhu Yijun came to power, the bad habit of lax security has been changed. The six ministries, five temples and two academies have been taken over by the Jinyiwei Yiwei Division, and the Wumen, Zuoshunmen and Wenyuan Pavilion have been taken over by the Fengchen Division.

The waist badge is specially made. Ordinary officials need a "pass" that is renewed every month to enter and exit. There are fingerprints on it. The Yiwei Division and Fengchen Division keep a copy of the file. Once there is any doubt, the fingerprints will be compared immediately.

With such security in place, there would no longer be such incredible phenomena as things getting lost in the Cabinet, the six ministries and other government offices, or even people running into the palace to beat people.

Yu Changde and others were so focused on the public outrage that they forgot the most important point: how to enter the Meridian Gate!
It's really a scholar making trouble. It will take him three years to achieve anything!
No matter how Yu Changde and others argued, the military academy would not give in. Without a badge and a "pass", you could not enter the Meridian Gate. If you dare to break in, they will arrest you!

It’s over. Am I going to die before I even accomplish my goal?
What a bad start!
Yu Changde exchanged glances with several leaders and stepped aside to discuss.

The law does not prohibit officials, civilians, soldiers or civilians from staying in the Meridian Gate, except for those who illegally carry weapons, armor, bows and crossbows.

Seeing Yu Changde and others retreat, the military school waved his hand and retreated to the front of the Meridian Gate with the officers and soldiers of the Fengchensi.

"What should we do, Lord Yude?"

Yu Changde also felt that it was a difficult problem, "Let's work together."

"Some officials will go through the Meridian Gate to enter the Cabinet. Should we follow them in?"

"It's impossible to sneak in. The inspection is very strict. They check the badges and passes one by one. If there are any suspicious people, they will even search them to prevent them from bringing in prohibited items."

"How did you know?"

"I have a colleague working in the cabinet."

"Why didn't you tell us earlier? We are all trapped here."

Yu Changde looked at the Meridian Gate and asked thoughtfully, "Everyone, this place is not far from the Forbidden City. If we cry loudly here, can the emperor hear us?"

“You should be able to hear it!”

"Then we will submit a petition at the Meridian Gate and cry out for remonstrance!"

"it is good!"

Everyone looked solemn and lined up. Yu Changde stood at the front, followed by officials arranged according to their rank. Then the line at the Imperial College became a bit chaotic. Everyone wanted to be at the front, but no one would give way to others.

After much shoving and jostling, two officials standing behind Yu Changde finally came over and mediated, and finally the team was able to line up properly. "Line up like this, no more chaos allowed."

The official gave a few instructions and quickly returned to his seat.

Yu Changde and others walked forward with an expression as if they were attending a court meeting.

The people behind him also followed with an expression of going to court, and followed with high spirits. After this battle, he will surely become famous and rise to prominence, and he will be able to go to court with Duke Deyu.
Unfortunately, as they walked, they saw the Fengchensi soldiers in front of them, wearing bright armor, holding swords and guns, staring at them with murderous eyes, and these people's mood of going to court turned into going to the grave.

The cordon at the Meridian Gate was twenty steps long. Yu Changde walked to twenty steps away, knelt down, and shouted, "Your Majesty! I, Yu Changde, am writing this memorial to expose the evils of the Ming Dynasty. Please, Your Majesty, clarify the government!"

He took out the memorial and read it aloud: "A memorial on the ten crimes of deceiving the emperor and harming the country in the second year of Longqing!
Now the relationship between the emperor and his subjects is not clear, the state has been seized, the treacherous party has occupied the Western Garden, and the court has been everywhere, they have used the emperor to command all officials, abused their power and harmed the country, and have been waging war and perverse actions for more than two years.

Yu Changde listed the ten major crimes of Xiyuan: failure to distinguish between the ruler and his subjects, abuse of power and harming the country, partial listening to heresy, listening to slander, alienating virtuous officials, appointing treacherous parties, favoring eunuchs, competing with the people for profits, militarism, and blocking the channels for speech.
He read the article in parallel sentences with rhythmic and passionate voice, citing scriptures and making witty remarks.

The officials and students behind him shook their heads as they listened, and some were even thinking.

If ordinary people heard such a brilliant article, they would be ashamed to the point of prostrating themselves! If it spreads, it will surely become famous all over the world, and we who participated in it will also be honored!

"An earthquake in the northwest is a warning from heaven. A hurricane in the southeast is a sign of dissatisfaction from the ancestors. Harsh politics are everywhere, and lives are in ruins. The people are living in misery, and the country is about to cease to be a country!"

Yu Changde read the last word hysterically, his voice was a little hoarse, and white foam appeared at the corners of his mouth.

He held the memorial high, as if holding a manifesto that would pierce through all darkness and bring light to the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, please read this memorial!"

The people behind shouted in unison: "We are submitting this memorial, please have a look at it, Your Majesty!"

People began to line up at the Meridian Gate's right side gate, checking their badges to get in. Many stopped to watch, pointing and talking.

Good! The more people watching, the better!

I wish all the people in the capital would come and watch.

Yu Changde turned his head and glanced at Chang'an Avenue behind him, feeling discouraged.

The wide Chang'an Avenue was surprisingly deserted with pedestrians. A few sedan chairs passed by, and the sedan chair bearers could not help but quicken their pace and disappeared in a flash.

There were also a few horse-drawn carriages, driven by their drivers, swaying by. The packhorses had no fear of the crowd, nor did they want to watch the excitement, and they walked at a steady pace without any hurry.

There are usually a lot of people here, where did they go today?
Before he had time to think about it, a group of people came out from the left side door. They were Feng Bao, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department.

He was wearing a bullfighting suit, a steel fork hat on his head, holding a whisk in his hand, and walked up with a dozen eunuchs.

He said to Yu Changde, who was kneeling on the ground, in a gentle voice: "Yu Siye, I heard that you have a memorial to submit. Give it to our family."

"Eunuch party! Get out of here!" Yu Changde shouted righteously, "We submit our memorials to the wise emperor. You, the treacherous officials of the Western Garden, have no right to interfere!"

Feng Bao's face turned cold: "Yu Changde, don't refuse a toast and then drink a penalty drink!"

Yu Changde glanced at him with contempt and recited aloud: "The heaven and earth have righteousness, which is mixed and flowing. Below it is the rivers and mountains, above it is the sun and stars. When times are tough, their integrity will be revealed, and each one will be recorded in red and blue."

Hundreds of people behind him chanted in unison, their voices shaking the sky.

After reading it, Yu Changde fell to the ground and cried: "Emperors Taizu and Chengzu, please look at me in heaven. Now Tai'a is upside down, the national treasure is stolen, and the country will no longer be a country!

Open your eyes and pray that the Ming Dynasty will soon clear up its political order!"

The people behind him also started crying loudly, their cries were deafening and there was a lot of wailing.

Feng Bao asked Yu Changde with a gloomy face: "Master Yu, do you really want to do this without caring about your life?"

Yu Changde stopped crying, straightened his upper body, turned to the more than 100 people behind him, raised his arms and shouted: "The country has nurtured scholars for 150 years, and today is the day to die for justice."

Feng Bao chuckled, quickly covered his mouth with his right hand, and waved with his left hand, signaling everyone to leave.

As he was about to enter the left side door, Feng Bao turned around and glanced at Yu Changde and the group of people behind him, who were lying on the ground crying as if their own parents had died. His eyes were chilling to the bone.

The crying continued, sometimes hoarse, sometimes sharp, sometimes sad, sometimes dry, gathering into a wave of sound, rushing straight into the sky, swaying towards the Forbidden City.

(End of this chapter)