In another courtyard in Pingkangfang, a Turkic wolf guard was choking Long Bo and pinning him against the wall, brandishing his curved sword in front of him.
"You betrayed us."
Long Bo said as he struggled to push his arm away.
"You betrayed me? I see you're doing just fine now."
"Still trying to argue? If it weren't for you, Ashina and the others wouldn't have died."
"Is that so? I think if it weren't for me, you wouldn't be standing here swaggering around in front of me. What do you think this place is? The vast grasslands? This is Chang'an, the heart of the Tang Dynasty. I've told you a hundred times not to show yourselves. I'll take care of everything. But they just won't listen."
Just one trip outside and you were spotted by the local thugs. The local leader of the thugs is an extremely dangerous man; he'll notice the slightest mistake and crush you like a rabbit. Do you know how much effort I had to put in to cover this up after what happened last night? Because of this, the inspection at the city gates will be even stricter once again. The arrival of the remaining personnel will be delayed by more than half a month. Do you think all of this is my responsibility?”
Cao Poyan released Long Bo indignantly. He knew the other was telling the truth. Ashina was a nobleman who rarely obeyed his commands, let alone this Tang man. He knew Long Bo often sneaked out. Moreover, the man's Chinese was poor, making him easy to slip up. Now it seemed the Tang man had indeed noticed.
"When exactly are we going to make our move?" Cao Poyan changed the subject, trying to hide his embarrassment.
“I’ve said it many times. The best time to make our move is on the Lantern Festival. There’s no curfew in Chang’an that day. Everyone will be crowding the streets. You can go out and kill as many people as you want, until your hands are sore. Only on that day will we have the chance to deal a heavy blow to the Tang Dynasty.”
"Okay, we'll believe you for now."
"Then I really have to thank you. Keep an eye on your warriors and tell them not to act rashly. If you're exposed now, you might kill a few Tang soldiers at most, and then your heads will be hung on the city wall. Be patient for a while, and then you can unleash the fire in your hearts to your heart's content."
“Quelehodo”.
“Quelehodo”.
..............
"My lord, those Turks have all been dealt with."
"Very good. Continue monitoring the others, make sure they don't cause any trouble. Also, have you located all of Long Bo's undercover agents?"
"Most of them, I guess. I've locked onto all the ones that have surfaced so far. But I don't know if there are any deeper ones."
"Watch out for these people. Eliminate them as soon as the plan begins."
Long Bo's undercover agents were unaware of Lu Xuan's plan. In a sense, they were all traitors. Of course, legally speaking, Lu Xuan wasn't much better. Just like what the master said, we are all criminals, always have been.
It's worth mentioning that Zhang Xiaojing didn't actually know the whole plan. Even Long Bo was unaware. All the details were decided upon by Lu Xuan and Li Bi. Everyone else only knew a part of it.
Tonight, Lu Xuan is hosting a small gathering at his home. Zhang Xiaojing, Li Fushan, Cui Qi, Chen Yunqiao, and others have come for drinks. Because of the previous campaign to wipe out the Turks, Zhang Xiaojing had informed the Imperial Guards in advance, allowing Chen Yunqiao to share some of the credit. Maintaining relationships in the court always requires some sacrifice. Moreover, the Imperial Guards hold a very important position in Chang'an. Chen Yunqiao is also one of the people Lu Xuan is trying to bring into the fold.
"I've said it before, knowing Brother Lu is my good fortune. Every time I deal with Brother Lu, I benefit from it. Of course, I also have to thank Brother Cui and Brother Zhang for their help."
The Imperial Guards knew nothing about the Turkic affairs, and if they hadn't participated in the encirclement and suppression, it would have been another dereliction of duty. Fortunately, Lu Xuan had informed him in advance, allowing him to prepare. It was only right to offer some polite words in response. Cui Qi was initially somewhat dissatisfied with the division of credit, but since the other party kept calling him "brother," he accepted it.
At this moment, Lu Xuan stood up and took out an exquisite jade pot from the side. He poured a cup of wine into everyone's cup.
"Everyone, have a taste. This is wine that His Highness the Crown Prince just sent over, as a celebration for our victory."
Upon hearing Lu Xuan's words, Cui Qi and Zhang Xiaojing naturally took it for granted. Strictly speaking, they were now both working for the Crown Prince. However, Chen Yunqiao was somewhat bewildered. He then realized that this drinking party was not as simple as it seemed.
Chen Yunqiao was originally a Lieutenant General, a mid-to-upper-level official in the Imperial Guard. However, he wasn't quite at the level to truly make decisions. After all, there were various military advisors, generals, and senior generals above him. But his rank was also quite special. That is, a Lieutenant General was the highest-ranking officer leading night patrols. Higher-ranking officers generally wouldn't patrol the streets. Everyone understood, since high-ranking leaders usually stayed in their offices.
Chen Yunqiao barely hesitated before grabbing his wine cup and downing it in one gulp. At this point, he wasn't sure what might happen if he didn't drink it. Besides, for a mid-level officer like him, having the Crown Prince's favor was already a good result. He did want to ride on the Right Chancellor's coattails, but his rank was too low; he didn't even have the qualifications to buy a ticket.
Having drunk the prince's wine, everyone is naturally in the same boat. This allows for the limited disclosure of some information.
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Chapter Seventy-Two: Undercurrents
As the weather gradually turned colder, the fighting on the front lines began to subside. The climate was even harsher in the western border regions. Unless under exceptional circumstances, the Tang Dynasty generally would not launch an offensive during the dead of winter.
The easing of the fighting at the front seemed to have calmed the Turks down considerably; at least for the time being, there were no major disturbances.
The Jing'an Division remained ostracized by the entire court. However, Zhang Xiaojing's intelligence network had penetrated every corner of the city. The Jing'an Division's control over Chang'an had not weakened; on the contrary, it had become more refined and sophisticated.
Since the annihilation of that group of Turkic wolf guards, Chang'an has entered a period of peace and stability. At least on the surface.
In the Right Prime Minister's residence, Li Linfu casually sipped a cup of tea, while his steward listened attentively.
"What moves has the Crown Prince made lately?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Crown Prince's residence has been peaceful recently, and even the Jing'an Division has quieted down."
"Is that so? The Crown Prince's scheming is indeed a bit hard to fathom."
"Master, there's a small problem at home."
"speak."
“A few days ago, a steward in charge of the servants in the manor died, and I was the one who executed him.”
"You're telling me about such a trivial thing?"
"Yes, it was originally a small matter. It was just because he stole things from the manor. However, when the servants were cleaning his room today, they discovered some things that cannot be said."
"Just say what you have to say. What's so unspeakable?" Li Linfu was getting impatient. This old steward was a long-time resident of the household. Lately, he'd been quite inefficient, so Li Linfu was considering replacing him.
"Yes... this manager seems to have connections with the Turks..."
"Pfft..." Li Linfu immediately spat out all of his tea.
"What did you say? You had an affair with a Turk? The steward of the manor?"
"Yes, a secret letter was discovered. It seems to be a messenger sent to prepare weapons for the group of Turks who were wiped out a few days ago."
Li Linfu felt a chill run down his spine from his tailbone to the top of his head. He ostracized his colleagues and suppressed his political enemies. Although he had never killed a single person with his own hands, the number of people who died indirectly at his hands was probably more than those who had fought countless battles.