"The Jing'an Division was dismissed due to its poor performance. We must not repeat the same mistake. The Lantern Festival is a major event of the year, the busiest and most chaotic time in Chang'an. From today onwards, all officials of the Imperial City Guard will be subject to no rest. They will be on duty in shifts throughout the twelve-hour period. We must ensure that everything goes smoothly throughout the entire Lantern Festival."
The newly appointed head of the Imperial City Guard, named Song Hun, was a confidant of Li Linfu. In the original history, this man would have been eliminated by Yang Guozhong. However, at present, Yang Guozhong has not yet risen to power, and Song Hun remains an important official in the court.
Song Hun was originally an imperial censor, so it was a bit absurd for him to work in an intelligence agency like the Jing'an Division. But he had no choice; the Right Chancellor had appointed him, so he had to come. Although he had been overwhelmed by countless trivial messages these past few days, he still had to grit his teeth and bear it.
You must understand, the Right Chancellor went to great lengths to dismantle the Jing'an Division and seize that authority. If I can't protect it for him, I won't be able to stay by the Right Chancellor's side.
However, Song Hun was simply not good at this kind of work. He even felt that He Jian and Li Bi had deliberately abandoned the Jing'an Division to work him to death. What he didn't know was that his inner complaints were actually close to the truth.
At Hua'e Xianghui Tower, everyone was working overtime because Li Longji suddenly decided to double the size of the lanterns on the top floor.
After all, with the lanterns getting bigger, the various supports underneath naturally need to be changed as well.
At this moment, the lantern is covered by a huge silk sheet. It appears to be completed. The supporting structure is also largely finished. Only some reinforcement on the outside is needed to complete it. It seems the work can be finished before tonight.
However, no one knew that beneath that enormous silk covering was merely an empty frame. The lantern was never actually completed. Mao Shun had focused most of his energy on the outer supports.
After all, these supports were internally drilled and filled with dangerous substances called Western Region's fierce fire oil. He didn't trust anyone else to do it, so he personally directed a group of ants to carefully install them.
At this moment, the Turks in Pingkang Ward could no longer contain themselves and began to stir. After Lu Xuan's suppression, the Turkic Wolf Guard still numbered over a hundred. However, they were all armed with curved swords and light armor, and half of them even carried shields. They were clearly an elite force among elites.
At this moment, Longbo appeared in the courtyard where the Turks were gathered.
"Long Bo, you've made us wait, and we've waited until now. Can't we take action now?" Cao Poyan said loudly as soon as he saw Long Bo.
"Don't panic. I'm certain that tonight is your chance to act. But what's the point of you going out now? There are over a million people in the streets of Chang'an. What good will it do for you hundred or so to rush in? You'll probably be trampled into mincemeat by the crowd and won't be able to do anything."
Cao Poyan was furious and wanted to retort, but he felt speechless. He felt helpless; there was nothing he could do, the other party was telling the truth. There were simply too many people in Chang'an. So many that he felt a sense of despair. Even if they stood still and let them kill, they probably wouldn't finish them off even if they worked themselves to death. Sometimes he even wondered how they could possibly defeat such a people.
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
"We must take action. But we must choose our targets carefully. Killing as many civilians as we can on the streets will be useless unless we can sever the lifeline of this country."
"Their emperor?"
"No, the emperor of this country is old and senile, and has lost all ambition. Now, the pillar of this country is Li Linfu, the right prime minister of the Tang Dynasty. At present, more than half of the political power of the Tang Dynasty is in the hands of Li Linfu. Killing Li Linfu would be like cutting off the left and right arms of the Tang Dynasty."
"Alright, let's kill Li Linfu. Where is he now?" Cao Poyan wasn't stupid; he must have done his homework before coming. He knew Long Bo was right; Li Linfu was indeed one of the highest-ranking officials in the Tang Dynasty.
“Li Linfu’s house is just one street away. Otherwise, why do you think I would have arranged for you to be here? It’s only a quarter of an hour’s drive west from here.”
"Then let's go now."
"I told you not to rush. Li Linfu is the Right Chancellor of the current court. His mansion is at least ten times the size of this courtyard. It is also guarded by the Dragon Martial Army and the Right Valiant Guard. How can you kill him? Even if you manage to break in by chance, Li Linfu will probably have already escaped."
"This won't work, that won't work, so what do you suggest we do?" Cao Poyan was fed up with Long Bo's slow and deliberate tone and wished he could just chop him up with a knife.
"Naturally, we'll make our move when he leaves. I've received confirmation that Li Linfu will leave home at 3:10 PM to attend the Lantern Festival at the Hua'e Xianghui Tower in the Imperial City. The moment he leaves home will be your opportunity to strike. Let me make it clear beforehand: he will be surrounded by many soldiers. Be prepared."
"Hmph, the eagles of the grasslands fear no enemy. The soldiers of Chang'an are weak and powerless, utterly vulnerable. Just as you said, we, Shen Zheng, will take action immediately."
"very good......"
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Chapter Seventy-Nine: Night is Approaching
At Lu Xuan's home, Li Bi was also present. The Crown Prince, of course, was not there. He would be attending the lantern festival that evening. However, just as Lu Xuan and Li Bi were discussing some details, a messenger suddenly arrived from the palace with a message.
"Lu Xuan, the Crown Prince's Guard Commandant, shall enter the Hua'e Xianghui Tower to enjoy the lanterns at 5 PM tonight."
This imperial decree left both Lu Xuan and Li Bi completely bewildered. The Hua'e Xianghui Tower was only so big. Those who could ascend it with the Emperor tonight were all high-ranking officials and those most favored by the Emperor. Someone of Lu Xuan's rank wouldn't even be considered close.
It's likely that Li Longji, for some reason, remembered this barbarian from the Western Regions and casually called him over.
Lu Xuan glanced helplessly at Li Bi. Li Bi understood immediately; at this point, anything could happen, and with Lu Xuan absent, he would need to improvise.
"Lieutenant Lu Xuan, don't delay any longer. It's said that you'll arrive at 5 PM, but you must be there by 3 PM to wait in the capital. The imperial edict was issued an hour ago, but there were too many people on the streets, which caused the delay. It's already early 3 PM now, we need to set off immediately."
“Alright.” Lu Xuan didn’t say anything more. He put on his light armor, grabbed his sword, and followed the eunuch out the door. As for Lu Xuan carrying a sword, that was normal. Most military officers carried swords when they went out. Anyway, they would need to remove their swords when they went upstairs.
Just as the eunuch said, there were simply too many pedestrians on the streets. With such a massive crowd, all it would take was scattering a handful of money on the ground and shouting, and a riot would erupt instantly, easily resulting in hundreds of casualties in a stampede. In a sense, the sheer number of people was even one of the city's weaknesses.
Two Dragon Martial Army soldiers led the way, but they still stumbled and staggered along. However, the Dragon Martial Army's reputation still held sway. Most people gave way, and the two finally arrived at the Imperial City before midnight. No matter how large the group, a certain distance in front of the Imperial City was always strictly forbidden.
The crowd gathered around, waiting to see which flower boat would ultimately win and enter the imperial city to perform for the emperor. They also awaited the moment when night would fall and the giant lantern of the Flower Calyx Pavilion inside the imperial city would be lit. At that time, using that giant lantern as a reference, all the lanterns throughout Chang'an would be ignited, transforming Chang'an into a city that never sleeps.
At this moment, tensions suddenly rose within the Imperial City Guard (formerly the Jing'an Guard).
"Lord Song, we have just received news that there seem to be Turks active in Pingkang Ward."
Song Hun was taken aback for a moment.
"Pingkang Ward...that's the Right Prime Minister's residence?"
"Exactly."
Song Hun was immediately alarmed. Regardless of whether the news was true or false, the Imperial City Guard had now received the message. If he failed to react and alarmed the Right Chancellor, his career would likely be over.
"Pass on my order: withdraw one hundred men each from the Dragon Martial Army, the Golden Guard, and the Right Valiant Guard, and immediately proceed to Pingkang Ward to protect the Right Prime Minister's residence."
"My lord, today is the Lantern Festival. Whether it's the Dragon Martial Army, the Golden Guard, or the Right Valiant Guard, everyone is extremely short-handed. If we draw more men now, we won't have enough on our side."
"I don't care about all that. No matter what, we absolutely cannot let the Right Chancellor be alarmed. If all else fails, we'll send a team from the capital in the name of the Right Chancellor."
The subordinate hesitated, wanting to speak but ultimately obeyed. Song Hun, on the other hand, began to feel uneasy. As soon as the Lantern Festival began, the entire city of Chang'an was plunged into a sea of revelry. However, this revelry was a disaster for the soldiers of the Dragon Martial Army, the Golden Guard, and the Right Valiant Guard within Chang'an. For intelligence agencies like the Imperial City Guard, it was an enormous burden.
Various dubious reports kept coming from the watchtower. Verifying these reports would require dispatching a large number of people to handle the massive crowds. Failing to verify them would result in dereliction of duty should anything go wrong. Song Hun couldn't help but lament his momentary lapse in judgment, accepting such a position. The Imperial City Guard seemed to wield immense power, but the work was far beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.