"Let me see your solo dance one more time!" Lu Xuan whispered in her ear.
"Mmm..." Xu Hezi let out a soft, almost imperceptible moan. Then, shyly, she straddled Lu Xuan's waist...
..............
Once the Lantern Festival was over, Cui Qi officially started working there.
The Lüben Battalion was originally a unit under the Crown Prince's Guard. However, this time, it has been separated into its own forces. This is because a special organization is about to be established. This organization is called the Jing'an Division.
Because in the Western Regions, the war god Wang Zhongsi (called Wang Zongsi in the TV series) was relentlessly pressing the Turks. The Turks, exhausted from dealing with the situation, began to resort to unorthodox methods. Turkic spies frequently appeared in various places. The imperial court also responded by establishing the Jing'an Division, which oversaw all banditry and defense in the Western Capital. It could be considered Chang'an's international intelligence agency, a combination of the CIA and FBI of the Tang Dynasty (this agency is said to have actually existed historically).
If the Turks wanted to turn the tide, they naturally needed to target Chang'an, the heart of the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, the more important responsibility of the Jing'an Division was actually to guard Chang'an, but with an emphasis on intelligence.
As the capital's intelligence agency, the Jing'an Division naturally needed its own armed forces. The Lüben Battalion was one of its directly subordinate units. Since the Lüben Battalion originally belonged to the Crown Prince's Guard, the Jing'an Division was clearly aligned with the Crown Prince. With such a powerful organization under the Crown Prince's control, some felt that he seemed to have gained considerable power. Only Lu Xuan understood that this power was far from enough to defeat Li Linfu.
Moreover, while the Jing'an Division has high authority, it also carries heavy responsibilities, making it not a particularly suitable position for the Crown Prince. However, Lu Xuan's plan also required an independent agency with such high authority, so he did not interfere.
Cui Qi is the brigade commander of the Lüben Battalion. Adding another person would be a piece of cake. Xiao Si has been learning swordsmanship since childhood, so his skills are certainly up to par; he only lacks discipline. But in the army, with Cui Qi looking after him, there shouldn't be any major problems.
Upon its establishment, the Jing'an Division immediately displayed a domineering and forceful style. All the military watchtowers on the streets were requisitioned. At the same time, a large number of watchtowers, each over ten meters high, were built. Together with the original military watchtowers, these buildings were collectively called watchtowers.
Throughout Chang'an, each ward had two or three watchtowers. These were used normally to monitor for bandits and fires. In case of emergencies, the watchtowers could also be used for remote communication.
To this end, the Jing'an Division developed a special set of flag signals. They used drumbeats and the flickering of lanterns to convey complex messages. In this way, news from any location in Chang'an could be quickly transmitted to the Jing'an Division headquarters, where a decision would be made and then rapidly relayed to soldiers in various regions.
This device was clearly modeled after the beacon fires used on the border. However, it was far more sophisticated and complex. Each watchtower required at least three military officers proficient in flag signals to be on standby. The sheer cost shocked Lu Xuan. Only an oddity like the Jing'an Division could afford to procure such a system.
Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Jing'an Division, the Crown Prince and Li Bi were attempting to gather elites from various departments, compile military intelligence from all sides, and conduct strategic analyses. Inside the headquarters, there was also a huge warehouse, piled high with files from all sectors of Chang'an, from the Six Ministries to the two counties. This allowed for easy access and facilitated the analysis and screening of various situations using the Grand Archives Technique.
With the framework assembled, the next step was to fill it with flesh and blood. Jing'an Sili naturally began recruiting talented individuals. Lu Xuan was among the first batch of candidates.
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Chapter Sixty: Xiao Gui... Long Bo
As mentioned earlier, the Jing'an Division is a department where promotions are fast, but so are taking the blame. Lu Xuan had hesitated about it, but he ultimately agreed. The reason was simple: the Jing'an Division could obtain any files he wanted immediately, even secret military intelligence from the Western Regions, so he had to go. As a modern person, he knew the importance of intelligence better than anyone else.
The Crown Prince and Li Bi were clearly overjoyed at Lu Xuan's joining their ranks. In their previous meetings, they had already begun to regard Lu Xuan as a reclusive sage. Moreover, most of the suggestions Lu Xuan offered concerned the people's livelihood, which greatly enhanced the Crown Prince's reputation among the populace. Based on this alone, the Crown Prince knew he had to give this man a significant position.
Therefore, upon joining the army, Lu Xuan was immediately appointed as a captain, commanding two brigades. One was Cui Qi's Brigade of the Vanguard, and the other, also borrowed from the Crown Prince's Guard, was called the Tiger Vanguard. This brigade had no commander and was directly under Lu Xuan's command. However, another intention was equally clear: it was the Crown Prince's way of guarding against Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan completely understood this tactic. If the Crown Prince was truly caught off guard, he would have to flee the next day.
Such a large organization naturally required a significant number of clerical staff. The Jing'an Division drew a large number of clerks from the Six Ministries to form its auxiliary team. It took nearly two months to complete the entire system. And it was at this time that the Jing'an Division faced its first real mission.
In the conference room, Li Bi gave a brief introduction to the mission.
"In the Western Regions, General Wang has won a series of victories and has forced the Turks back hundreds of miles. We have received a secret report that a group of Turkic wolf guards have disguised themselves as a caravan and intend to infiltrate Chang'an to kidnap General Wang's daughter in order to coerce him."
The soldiers are fighting desperately on the front lines; naturally, we must guard their rear. This matter must be handled properly. Those Turks must be completely eliminated in one fell swoop, lest they resort to desperate measures and harm Miss Wang. Commander Cui, Colonel Lu, please give your opinions.”
"I'm a rough man; this kind of problem-solving isn't for me. You guys come up with the solutions, just tell me how to do it," Cui Qi said readily, directly stating that he wouldn't do it. This kind of person is exactly the kind of soldier, or rather, tool, that Shangguan likes best.
"How precise is our intelligence on those Turks?"
"That's far from enough. We can only confirm that they will arrive in Chang'an in about two months. But we know nothing about the specifics. It seems that they have a mastermind guiding them in this operation. Their actions are completely different from before. So far, we have only obtained a vague clue."
“Tens of thousands of people enter and leave Chang’an every day, more than half of whom are Hu people. Finding the Turks among these people is a huge task. Moreover, it is not appropriate for our Jing’an Division to get involved in this matter. After all, the Jing’an Division has too great a reputation, and it would probably scare people away from eight zhang away.”
"That's right, so I've already dispatched more than ten spies. They are all well-known brokers in Chang'an. At the same time, I've reminded the Imperial Guards at the city gates to strictly investigate passing foreign merchants. In this way, those foreign merchants who come from afar, regardless of whether they are new or old, will need to find those brokers to smooth things over before entering Chang'an. If we encounter any of them, we can control the situation."
“Very good. However, there are still loopholes. When merchants from the Western Regions come to Chang'an, they will constantly hire grooms and swordsmen along the way to supplement their manpower because of the long journey. They may not know each other’s backgrounds because they are paid to do the same thing. If those Turks break into smaller groups and enter in multiple caravans, and the caravans themselves are not problematic, then Li Sicheng’s plan will inevitably have flaws.”
At this time, Li Bi was newly in charge of the Jing'an Division and clearly lacked experience. However, this man was a child prodigy of the Tang Dynasty, a future prime minister in plain clothes. His learning and adaptability were naturally top-notch. In just a few breaths, he adjusted his strategy.
"This plan has a flaw. I've put the cart before the horse. Their target is Wang Yunxiu, but our real focus should be on her. We should be relaxed on the outside but tight on the inside, setting up a trap for the Turks to fall into."
............
In Chang'an, at Lu Xuan's tavern. It's worth noting that Lu Xuan's taverns had now spread throughout Chang'an, sponsored by the Jing'an Division. Inspired by Lu Xuan, this chain of taverns was now expanding to the surrounding areas. These taverns would then function not only as money-makers, but also as fixed safe havens and communication points for the Jing'an Division and even the entire Tang Dynasty's intelligence system.
Xiao Gui, or rather Long Bo, entered one of the private rooms. Inside, Lu Xuan was already waiting.
"A group of Turks will arrive in about two weeks. But they won't all be under my control. The Turks have also sent a high-ranking official to oversee another plan. I don't know the specifics."
“I know they want to kidnap Wang Zhongsi’s daughter, Wang Yunxiu. We’ve already made plans for this, so you don’t need to worry about it. Just continue with the plan.”
"Understood. The first batch of Turkic warriors will arrive around July. After that, they will arrive once a month until December, totaling two hundred men. Two thousand catties of Western Region fire oil. The Ants will all enter Chang'an before September and then lie in wait."
Don't doubt that the entire plan took so long. For a group of non-Han people to carry out a terrorist attack in the Tang capital, less than a year of preparation time was actually quite rushed. If it weren't for the repeated defeats on the Turkic front, they might have chosen to lie low for much longer.
"No, we can't do that. The ants have come in too early. Let them come in after the twelfth lunar month."
"Why? By arriving in Chang'an early, we can familiarize ourselves with the environment as quickly as possible. That way, we can complete the mission more effectively."
"You've overlooked one issue. Chang'an is different from where they used to live. Have you considered what kind of psychological changes would occur if they lived in this city for a few months?"
Xiao Gui suddenly realized. The prosperity of Chang'an was indeed unlike anything he had ever seen before. If he stayed here for too long, perhaps this superficial prosperity would truly erode some of his originally firm beliefs.
"I understand." He nodded, acknowledging Lu Xuan's meaning.
Their conversation was extremely brief. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Xiao Gui disappeared from the tavern. After he left, Zhang Xiaojing went into the room.
"How does it feel to see an old comrade-in-arms?" Lu Xuan asked softly while fiddling with his teacup.
"He's changed, changed a lot. I'm almost afraid to recognize him."
"Anyone who goes through what they go through will inevitably change."
"Captain Lu, I want to know, did Xiao Gui...?" Zhang Xiaojing was interrupted by Lu Xuan before he could finish speaking.