Wu Dama's eloquent speech swayed the gathered citizens, who began to point fingers at the Gu family, listing their supposed wrongdoings.
Among the crowd, a significant portion had previously benefited from Luo Muchen's kindness. Stirred by Wu Dama's instigation, they became agitated and surrounded Gu Yefeng and the Old General Gu.
"Since the Gu family committed such heinous acts, then the elder brother and elders of the demoness Gu Qianying should be held responsible for the massacre of the Luo family. We act on behalf of heaven, we avenge the kind Luo family! Let's capture the eldest son of the Gu family and the Old General Gu and throw them into the pig cages!"
A furious voice from the crowd proposed.
"Yes! Throw them into the pig cages and avenge the kind Luo family!"
The crowd, emboldened, surged forward.
Within the throng, a man watched Gu Yefeng and the Old General Gu being attacked by the masses. A smug smile played on his lips. He then glanced at Wu Dama, who was still vociferously scolding with her hands on her hips, and exchanged a look with her.
Moments later, the man pushed through the crowd, attempting to leave. Just then, a group of people approached from nearby. A woman in red, her face veiled, was followed by several figures in black robes.
"Look quickly, who is that!"
"The demoness, Gu Qianying has returned! It's her!"
"Run, the demoness is going to kill people!"
Some in the crowd, having heard of the demoness Gu Qianying's massacre of the Luo family, were terrified of her. Her arrival sent the timid scattering and fleeing.
However, a minority, fueled by the righteous anger over the tragic deaths of Luo Muchen's family, remained. Unfazed by danger or Gu Qianying, they continued to surround Gu Yefeng and the Old General Gu, intending to deliver justice.
"This sect leader takes responsibility for her actions. I did not massacre the Luo family, nor am I one to kill innocent people."
Wuzi, disguised as Gu Qianying, spoke in Gu Qianying's tone, even mimicking her voice. Her young lady was currently in the palace, and she needed to escalate the situation here to buy her time. Wuzi's height, build, voice, and demeanor were remarkably similar to Gu Qianying's.
As Gu Qianying's closest family members, Gu Yefeng and the Old General Gu noticed the anomaly in the woman in red as she approached. They exchanged glances, a silent acknowledgment passing between them.
"You say you didn't kill them? Hmph! The facts are before us, and you still want to quibble?" Wu Dama, hands on her hips, blustered.
As Wu Dama continued her tirade, several more people emerged from the crowd. Among them were a middle-aged couple, followed by a young man and woman.
"They... aren't they the Luo couple, Master and Madam Luo?"
Someone in the crowd exclaimed in surprise, pointing at the approaching figures. Others were equally astonished.
"We are members of the Luo family. Our family was indeed on the brink of annihilation, but the one who committed evil in our home was not the Gu family's eldest daughter, Gu Qianying. On the contrary, it was the Gu family's eldest daughter, Gu Qianying, who saved my wife, myself, and our young daughter." Master Luo's rough voice commanded attention as he stood among the crowd.
His words stunned everyone.
"How is that possible? What is going on?"
Confused and disbelieving that the Luo couple was alive, someone in the crowd voiced their bewilderment.
From the two behind the Luo couple, a young woman in a pink dress glanced at the man beside her and then walked towards Master and Madam Luo. Facing the crowd, her voice was slightly softer than Master Luo's.
"I am Miss Luo, Luo Xuefei. Everything my father has said is true. That day, I was trapped in the manor. I personally saw that person's appearance, and it was not the Gu family's eldest daughter, Gu Qianying." As she spoke, Luo Xuefei pointed at Duan Xifeng standing beside her.
"This is Young Master Xi, a close friend of the Gu family's eldest daughter, Gu Qianying. Gu Qianying entrusted him with the task of rescuing me. I was thrown into a dry well and thought I would not survive." Recalling the terror of that moment, Luo Xuefei began to cry. Duan Xifeng offered her a handkerchief. She hesitated, then looked up at him, accepting the handkerchief with a blush.
The crowd was even more astonished by her words.
"So, the Gu family's eldest daughter was doing a good deed? But... who was the one who committed evil at the Luo residence?" someone in the crowd questioned.
"Yes, who was it? Someone so ruthless."
"Pfft..."
Seizing the opportunity, Duan Xifeng unfurled a scroll hidden in his sleeve. The scroll depicted a woman in opulent attire, wearing a phoenix coronet.
"This is the culprit!" Duan Xifeng raised the scroll high, pointing at the portrait within, and spoke in a clear, cold voice. On one side of the scroll was written the woman's true name.
"Wulalana... This... this is the Empress Dowager who has been missing for days?"
Although some of the citizens had never seen the woman in the painting, her name was known to all.
"What? The Empress Dowager? How could it be her?"
The shock on everyone's faces lingered.
Following closely, another group of people emerged from the crowd. This group included elderly women, women holding children, and a slender man with a missing arm. One person from this group stepped forward to speak on their behalf.
"Some of us are the widows of Minister Guo of the Ministry of Rites, and some are the families of General Han. We have been on the run for years, and many of our family members died during the pursuit. We are fortunate to have survived." The man with the half-arm coughed twice, and someone handed him a handkerchief. He covered his mouth with it, coughed again, and when he removed the handkerchief, a patch of blood stained it. The crowd gasped.
The man seemed unconcerned, tucking the handkerchief away and continuing. "We are all people who angered Prince Guo, Nangong Cong. Nangong Cong, outwardly kind and benevolent, is in reality a hypocrite in disguise. He is ruthless, and anyone who disobeys him meets a terrible end. My family, when Lord Han served in court, saw him abuse the Empress Dowager Meng and our young Emperor, and was consequently annihilated by Nangong Cong. A fire consumed all 108 members of the Han family. I was fortunate to have been sent out on an errand by my lord that day, which allowed me to escape." His eyes welled up with tears. "Fearing that his evil deeds would be exposed, Nangong Cong sent people to slaughter my entire family of three. During our escape, my wife and our unborn child died."
At this point, the man became emotional. Others standing with him recounted their own stories. Their testimonies caused a stir among the populace. Who would have imagined that Prince Guo, who had served as regent for so many years, was such a cruel individual?
To ensure their accounts were believed, someone among the elderly, young, and women produced a blood-written document. It bore thousands of names written in blood, representing thousands of lives. These individuals had all been brutally murdered by Nangong Cong. Nangong Cong's atrocities were now laid bare, igniting the people's fury. The citizens began to curse Nangong Cong's cruelty... Nangong Cong lost the people's support.
Watching the citizens spew their curses, Duan Xifeng glanced towards the imperial palace. He wondered how his sister, Gu Qianying, was faring within the palace.
Simultaneously, Gu Qianying, who had entered the palace under the guise of a physician to visit the Palace of Longevity and Happiness, encountered no resistance and easily met with Madam Meng and the young Emperor. The Palace of Longevity and Happiness was as usual, with few guards outside. She walked in and saw Madam Meng holding the young Emperor by the bedside. Gu Qianying approached. Madam Meng and the young Emperor noticed her entrance. Madam Meng's eyes widened in alarm. She quickly set the young Emperor down.
"Qianying... hurry and leave... you don't need to save us... just go." Madam Meng pushed Gu Qianying away. Gu Qianying had arrived at the palace disguised as a female physician, and as usual, was escorted by an eunuch.
"What happened? What is going on?" Gu Qianying, seeing Madam Meng's distress, was confused. She had worn a human skin mask, and her identity should not have been exposed.
"It's dangerous here, hurry and leave..." Madam Meng, unable to explain further, pushed Gu Qianying towards the exit. Just then... with a "bang," the palace doors were shut from the outside. Madam Meng's face turned ashen. Gu Qianying, however, did not panic like her, her gaze turning cold.