"Tonight, Chang'an will truly be awash in blood."
"Let's just consider it the growing pains of change. No matter what, we have to go through this step. If we don't move forward, we will die. The glory of the Tang Dynasty is now only a sliver of light left. If we don't move forward now, and this last ray of light goes out and darkness comes, then it will be too late to turn the tide."
Zhang Xiaojing paused for a moment. He didn't possess the foresight of someone from a later era like Lu Xuan. He didn't know what the Tang Dynasty would become. Although he saw many problems within the Tang Dynasty, he was limited by the constraints of his time. He couldn't see that far ahead.
"Do you think it would be better for the crown prince to ascend the throne than for the emperor?"
"You want to hear the truth?"
"certainly."
"Hehe, in my understanding, the current Crown Prince Li Heng's ambition and strategic acumen are actually far inferior to His Majesty's in his youth. Therefore, he is destined not to become a great emperor on his own. But this is to be expected, otherwise, wouldn't we be out of the picture?"
"Let's hope so, otherwise the deaths tonight will have been meaningless."
"Rest assured, no one wants to continue the Han and Tang dynasties more than I do. No one hopes to see this golden age last forever more than I do. But those things won't happen on their own. We need to create them ourselves."
After that, the two fell silent again. Then Zhang Xiaojing finally asked the last question.
"What should we do if... the Crown Prince doesn't come?"
He will come...
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I'm so sorry, I forgot to mention it in a separate chapter today as the book is going on sale.
As the title says, I'm such an idiot... The book will be available for purchase at noon today. Please recommend, vote, and tip...
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Chapter Ninety: All soldiers, heed my command... (First update, please subscribe!)
The first thing to appear was a rain of arrows. Lu Xuan and the others took a step back, and naturally, guards from the Bad People, carrying heavy shields, stood in front of them.
Immediately afterwards, countless grappling hooks slid over the wall and latched onto the courtyard. The enemy forces on the perimeter launched a simultaneous attack from all angles, intending to use their numerical advantage to end the battle in one fell swoop.
However, the soldiers who scaled the city walls were attacked by countless crossbow bolts even before they landed. The Imperial City Guard was well-equipped, with plenty of crossbow bolts in its storerooms, so there was no need for them to be conserved.
After several rounds of attacks, the attackers had made no progress. A brief lull followed. Suddenly, Lu Xuan smelled a familiar scent: kerosene.
Although it wasn't the kind of potent fire oil Long Bo brought from the Western Regions, it was still definitely flammable. The crucial point was that the Imperial City Guard wouldn't leave. They were trapped inside, waiting to die.
...........
"Your Highness, we should make our move. Although the Imperial City Guard is prepared, fire and water are merciless. If we delay any longer, His Majesty may be harmed," Li Bi whispered a reminder from the side.
"No rush, let's wait a bit longer," the Crown Prince said expressionlessly. This left Li Bi feeling helpless. This Crown Prince was actually rather ambitious but incompetent. The entire plan had been devised by Lu Xuan and himself. The Crown Prince only needed to reap the rewards, but at this point, he inexplicably felt a sense of certainty. He wanted to achieve everything in one fell swoop...
Li Bi couldn't help but recall a saying that Lieutenant Li often used: "Taking too big a step can easily lead to trouble..."
Upon closer examination, it seemed that Lieutenant Li's plan contained more than one contingency plan. Li Bi even suspected that even if they didn't take action, the other side might still be able to escape.
............
The Imperial City.
Chen Xuanli stared blankly at the numerous court officials who were being chased and scattered.
"Where is His Majesty? I'm asking you, where is His Majesty?" He grabbed a minister and roared at him. Perhaps his madness frightened the minister, who then regained some composure.
"His Majesty escaped. That captain named Lu Xuan protected His Majesty and escaped. But those bandits chased after him."
Chen Xuanli's heart, which had just settled down, was now in suspense again.
Where did they go?
No, I don't know.
Just then, a subordinate suddenly ran over to report.
"Report..." The other party didn't speak directly. Instead, he stepped forward, leaned close to Chen Xuanli's ear, and whispered a few words.
Chen Xuanli's expression immediately changed.
"Mobilize all forces and head to the Imperial City Guard. If any obstruction is encountered, kill without mercy."
When Li Bi received the news of the Dragon Martial Army's movements, he looked up at the Crown Prince. He saw a regretful expression on the other's face.
"Let's do it," Li Heng said softly.
Li Bi breathed a sigh of relief. Although there had been some twists and turns, things were finally back on track.
Cui Qi, who was standing nearby, had already spurred his horse forward.
"The Crown Prince's Guard is here! You traitors and rebels, surrender now!" Hundreds of cavalrymen launched a surprise attack from behind, catching the besieging rebel army completely off guard.
The label of "traitor" carried considerable threat in this era. Moreover, many lower-ranking soldiers were completely unaware that they were besieging the emperor. For a moment, they were thrown into chaos and utterly bewildered.
"Don't believe their rumors. The Emperor has already returned to the palace. It's the Crown Prince plotting a rebellion. Shield formation, defend against the enemy..." A Right Valiant Guard general hurriedly shouted, trying to calm the troops. But Cui Qi's elite troops had already reached them.
In the courtyard, Zhang Xiaojing heard the shouts outside and finally breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced back at Lu Xuan, only to find that the other man didn't react at all. He couldn't help but admire Lu Xuan's composure.
Little did people know that while Lu Xuan appeared calm and collected on the surface, he was actually somewhat flustered inside. The timing of the arrival of the Lu Ben Camp was clearly a bit late. This indicated that the Crown Prince was definitely hesitant. Fortunately, the final result wasn't too bad.
"Gather everyone, open the door, and attack the rebels from both sides."
Faced with the cavalry charge and the sudden attack from behind by the villains, the enemy in front quickly collapsed. In the distance, a troop of cavalry escorted several people as they charged in.
Before even entering the gate, the prince tumbled and scrambled off his horse, shouting as he did so.