Meanwhile, Li Linfu checked the time and decided to set off. He was a man of both speed and caution. No matter how much power he held in the court, being careful was always the right thing to do. Especially tonight, with so many people and so many things to do, to prevent any accidents, he mobilized over a hundred Right Valiant Guards and gate guards. Later, these same Right Valiant Guards would escort him to the capital.
Just as Li Linfu set off, Long Bo also received the news. Previously, Li Linfu had drastically changed the number of servants in his household, allowing Zhang Xiaojing to plant many spies. Now, these people were proving useful. Although they couldn't pry into Li Linfu's private life, his departure was impossible to conceal. The guards on the watchtowers in Pingkang Ward, all men of the Crown Prince, had already used flag signals to quickly relay the message.
After translating the flag signals, Long Bo turned to one of his subordinates and said...
"Tell the Turks that they can take action now."
.................
Lu Xuan followed the eunuch into the imperial city and waited below the Hua'e Xianghui Tower. The eunuch turned and handed Lu Xuan a silver fish-shaped pouch.
"Captain Lu, you wait here. Tie the silver fish pouch to yourself. When the Emperor comes out, you will be the first to ascend the tower. After that, civil and military officials will follow in order. There will be attendants to guide you. Remember not to wander off or break the order. Keep the silver fish pouch safe. It will be retrieved later."
In the Tang Dynasty, only high-ranking officials of the fifth rank or above were entitled to wear the silver fish-shaped pouch. Lu Xuan, a low-ranking official of the seventh rank, naturally wasn't qualified. However, due to the special circumstances tonight, he was given the pouch, which temporarily granted him the privilege of walking within the imperial city. That was how it was in ancient times; the imperial city was not a place one could move about casually. Even officials were not allowed to move about at will.
Lu Xuan obediently tied the silver fish pouch to his waist. Looking around, he saw dozens of court officials already waiting. As the lowest in rank, Lu Xuan naturally wouldn't be approached. His position was special; he had never attended court. He wasn't very familiar with most of them. Apart from a few officials who favored the Crown Prince nodding in acknowledgment, the rest ignored him. Lu Xuan was quite content with his leisure.
He looked around. This was, in retrospect, his first time approaching the legendary Hua'e Xianghui Tower. Lu Xuan casually strolled a few steps, memorizing the surrounding layout. In the distance, he could see some craftsmen making final checks.
However, those people were all tall and walked with a steady gait, unlike ordinary craftsmen. It seemed that the Ants had infiltrated quite well.
At this moment, a troop of Dragon Warriors arrived and began clearing the area of craftsmen. They were clearing the area for the sage to ascend the tower.
Lu Xuan avoided the Dragon Warriors, looked up at the sky, and saw that night was approaching.
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Chapter Eighty: Night Falls, Murderous Intent Appears
For some reason, Li Linfu kept feeling his right eyelid twitching. If Lu Xuan were here, he would probably tell him, "A twitching left eyelid means good fortune, a twitching right eyelid means bad luck. This is an ominous sign."
Once outside, Li Linfu boarded the carriage. A group of Right Valiant Guards surrounded him as they began to head towards the Imperial City. The western side of Pingkang Ward was nearly deserted. Most people were now concentrated on the rear side, towards the Imperial City. Li Linfu's entourage only needed to cross two streets to reach the Imperial City.
Just as the group of over a hundred people entered the second street, the sounds of fighting suddenly came from ahead.
Li Linfu's heart skipped a beat, and without thinking, he said, "Return to the manor." He seemed to instinctively sense the approaching danger and wanted to avoid it.
But then, the sounds of hacking and slashing came from behind. Li Linfu peered through the crowd and saw that the sounds were coming from a group of ferocious-looking Turks. Clad in armor and wielding swords, they attacked from both sides, trapping Li Linfu's troops in the street. The well-equipped Right Valiant Guard soldiers were utterly helpless against these Turks.
In just a dozen breaths, Li Linfu's troops were forced to retreat and were trapped in the middle of the street. The screams of the Right Valiant Guards echoed in his ears, and Li Linfu, unusually, began to panic. After all, this kind of hardcore, real-world combat was not something he was good at dealing with.
From afar, Li Bi, atop the watchtower, witnessed the utter fragility of the Right Valiant Guard. He couldn't help but sigh. Once upon a time, the Right Valiant Guard was an elite force within the army. But now, they had decayed to the point of being utterly powerless against these elite Turkic troops.
He turned to Cui Qi beside him and said.
"Commander Cui, keep a close eye on the situation below. If the Right Valiant Guard can't hold on, go and help him. Li Linfu can't be allowed to die right at the start of the game."
"Yes, sir." Cui Qi led the Brigade on guard. Li Bi watched for a while, sighed, and turned to leave.
............
Inside the imperial city, only a low, resonant drumbeat could be heard. Lu Xuan knew this was the signal for the emperor's arrival. At this time, the eunuchs around the emperor rarely shouted at the top of their lungs, "The emperor has arrived!" or anything like that. The civil officials would consider it undignified.
Li Longji did not wear a dragon robe, but instead wore a robe that combined elements of both Han and non-Han styles, seemingly to show that he was down-to-earth and wanted to share the joy with the people that night.
Beside him stood a Taoist nun dressed in a Taoist robe. Night had fallen, but the imperial city was naturally well-lit, and Lu Xuan could barely make out the nun's features.
Despite being prepared, Lu Xuan still had to say that a woman who could captivate a rather ambitious emperor and cause him to neglect his morning court duties was indeed quite remarkable.
Tai Zhen Dao Ren, who would later become Yang Yuhuan, was the kind of woman who could be etched into one's mind at first glance, unforgettable. Words like "beauty that could topple kingdoms" and "peerless charm" could all be used to describe her beauty. But if you look closely, you'll find that these words are all missing something.
In modern terms, Yang Yuhuan possessed a face that was both innocent and alluring. Not the kind of face used by modern internet celebrities after countless photo editing processes, but a natural blend of innocence and sensuality, exuding captivating charm. A normal man would instantly feel a strong possessive urge upon seeing her, because she was simply too alluring. Yet, at the same time, you wouldn't dare harm her, because she was so exquisitely beautiful.
It was this contradictory and complex attraction that gave her an addictive allure for men. Lu Xuan glanced around discreetly and saw more than one lecherous old man secretly watching the Daoist nun Taizhen under the dim moonlight. Heh...
Li Longji was clearly in a great mood tonight, disregarding the formalities of court etiquette and cheerfully greeting his ministers. Then, accompanied by the Daoist nun Taizhen, he headed towards the Hua'e Xianghui Tower. However, after taking a few steps, he remembered something.
"Where is Li Linfu? I haven't seen him."
"Your Majesty, perhaps there were delays on the way. Tonight, the people are crowding the imperial city, making it difficult to enter and exit. Many officials have been delayed."
"Hahaha, then we won't wait any longer. Let's go first." With that, he took the lead and ascended the stairs. The officials followed in turn. Lu Xuan, naturally, was at the very back. He scanned the ministers in front of him one by one. There were both civil and military officials. However, none of them were allowed to carry weapons. His sword had been taken away by a young eunuch.
Finally, it was his turn. Led by a servant, Lu Xuan began climbing the stairs. The Hua'e Xianghui Tower was quite tall, about ten stories high. The group of old ministers all climbed until their backs ached. But there was no other way; this was an imperial favor, something others would kill for. They had to keep up, even if it meant exhaustion.
As Lu Xuan walked, he observed his surroundings. The entire Hua'e Xianghui Tower was surrounded and supported by a massive bamboo frame. After all, when the tower was originally built, there was no intention to place a giant lantern with a diameter of twenty meters on top.
Around the bamboo frame, many 'craftsmen' were still busy. It seemed that the Longwu Army's attempt to drive them away had not worked. Although he was a commoner, Mao Shun, as the chief designer of the lantern festival, still held a very high position. With him vouching for them, those cowardly soldiers remained downstairs.
Outside the imperial city, a deafening roar of cheers had begun to erupt. The last two pleasure boats were engaged in their final showdown outside the city. Only the victor would be allowed to enter the imperial city and perform for the emperor beneath the Hua'e Xianghui Tower.
As the court officials ascended the tower one by one, the ants below exchanged glances and began to slowly approach the Dragon Warriors who were on guard around them.
Around the building, there were more than fifty members of the Dragon Martial Army on guard. The number wasn't large, mainly because tonight was a joyous occasion for the emperor and his people, and Li Longji didn't like having his surroundings heavily guarded. These fifty men were only kept because Chen Xuanli strongly insisted on their presence. Otherwise, Li Longji would have only left a few palace guards.
The veteran soldiers of the Ants silently pried open some hollow bamboo tubes in front of them and reached in to grasp the horizontal swords hidden inside. Others, using their bodies as cover, quietly assembled hand crossbows. However, they did not act immediately, but waited silently for something.
At this moment, the singing and dancing outside the imperial city ceased, and countless people began chanting the name of a newly crowned courtesan. Clearly, someone had won. The deafening cheers engulfed the entire imperial city. And at that very instant, almost all the ants acted simultaneously, attacking the nearest Dragon Martial Army soldiers.
These Dragon Martial Army soldiers usually guarded the imperial city and rarely had the opportunity to engage in real combat. Even though General Chen Xuanli was a capable commander and had not neglected training, these Dragon Martial Army soldiers, lacking practical combat experience, were still no match for the battle-hardened veterans that Long Bo had recruited from all over the border regions.
Amidst the thunderous cheers, the sound of crossbow bolts whistling through the air was suddenly interrupted.
In the darkness of night, a murderous intent suddenly arose.
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Chapter 81 Pressing Closer
The battle ended in a few breaths. Thirty-odd ants against fifty Dragon Martial Army soldiers—a crushing defeat. Almost all the Dragon Martial Army soldiers craned their necks, eager to see who had won. The ants' assassins struck at that very moment.