369 Listening to the Drum
“This sound is…” Yu Youyao’s face turned pale. She suddenly lifted the curtain of the carriage and instructed anxiously, “Go back to the residence immediately…”
As soon as she finished speaking, chaotic voices sounded on Chang An Street—
“It’s the drum. Someone has sounded it…”
“Oh my god, someone beat the drum…”
“Unless it’s a serious grievance, we can’t beat the drum. What happened…”
“Let’s go and take a look…”
“Dong, dong, dong…” The drumbeat resounded throughout the capital.
Yu Youyao pursed her lips tightly, and her thin body trembled slightly. She endured it again and again, but in the end, she still lifted the curtain. The commoners on the streets rushed forward, and the crowd ran towards Chang An’s right gate.
It was noisy and messy.
Emperor Gaozu ordered the drums to be placed outside the right gate of Chang An in the capital. He ordered the six divisions to take turns to listen to the drums.
Anyone who hit the drum for no reason would be punished with 30 strokes of the paddle. If they did not die, they could immediately go straight to prison and be personally handled by the emperor.
If anyone obstructed them, they would be treated as traitors.
Due to the rule of 30 strokes of the paddle, the commoners did not dare to make a scene. If it weren’t for a serious grievance, no one would dare to beat the drum. After all, it was still unknown if their lives could be saved after 30 strokes of the paddle.
Therefore, ever since the Great Zhou Dynasty was established, there had not been many times when the drum had sounded.
However, there were a few times it happened. Every time, it was a bloodbath.
When Emperor Gaozong was in power, there was a flood in Jiangnan one year. An official in Jiangnan beat a drum in the capital and reported that the eunuchs from the Ministry of Works and the supervisors were greedy for money to repair the river. There was a flood in Jiangnan, and the dam burst, causing countless casualties…
Emperor Gaozong personally handled this case and appointed the imperial envoys. He gave them the imperial sword and allowed them to be executed first before reporting. In the end, this imperial sword was used in the capital, Jiangnan and even the deep palace. More than 300 court officials, eunuchs, and nobles were killed until blood flowed like a river, killing everyone in the court.
In addition, anyone who heard the drum and reported secrets and valued relationships would be sealed.
Therefore, in addition to “claiming innocence”, there were also important and confidential reports.
Even though very few people beat on the drum, no one in the court dared to be negligent. They were afraid that they would delay important matters and their heads would still be cut off.
Yu Youyao did not expect to encounter this on her rare trip out. Her hands trembled as she lowered the curtain, and her face could not help but turn pale.
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