Without a sound, more than half of the Dragon Martial Army had their throats slit. By the time the rest realized what had happened, they were met first by a volley of over a dozen crossbow bolts. Then came a desperate attack from a group of battle-hardened veterans filled with hatred. They didn't even have time to send out any signals.
A moment later, silence returned. The ants, having succeeded, quickly changed into the armor and equipment of the Dragon Warrior soldiers, then opened a side gate of the imperial city and let the rest of the ants in.
Long Bo walked at the back, and at his feet was another group of Longwu Army soldiers who had been completely wiped out.
He had long seen through the city's superficiality and weakness. Seemingly impregnable, it was actually rotten to the core. The soldiers stationed in Chang'an were far too weak. In fact, apart from the Brigade of the Imperial Guard that Cui Qi had brought back from the frontier and later incorporated into the Crown Prince's Guard, there were hardly any soldiers in the entire city who had truly fought in tough battles.
"They've all gone upstairs. There are still some guards on each floor," an ant whispered to Long Bo.
"Hehe, let's go and meet some of the most powerful people in this country."
After the ants went upstairs, the Longwu Army soldiers upstairs finally snapped out of their reverie amidst the distant cheers. They didn't even realize that the soldiers before them weren't their comrades at all.
"It's time for the shift change already? I wanted to watch a little longer," a Dragon Martial Army soldier said without turning his head. However, he was met with a flash of light. Several other palace guards were also felled by crossbow bolts; silently, this floor had fallen. This precise surprise attack tactic even bore a resemblance to later special operations.
Rooftop.
Lu Xuan noticed the killing the moment it began. Unlike the court officials who were engrossed in the lantern festival, his attention was always on his feet.
When the ants started going upstairs, Lu Xuan knew that Long Bo was preparing to act according to his own will.
The original plan was for the ants to create chaos downstairs, forcing everyone upstairs to evacuate. Under the 'waiter's' direction, the crowd would split into two groups to evacuate, one of which would be a dead end...
However, it now seems that Long Bo is going to follow the original plan and confront Li Longji directly.
Hearing the approaching footsteps beneath his feet, Lu Xuan smiled slightly. Plans to change the world are never without their challenges. Fortunately, Long Bo's private actions were also part of his plan.
The footsteps beside him grew closer. Lu Xuan took a few steps back, concealing himself in the crowd.
...
Pingkang Ward. The Right Valiant Guard surrounding Li Linfu was almost entirely wiped out. Meanwhile, the hundred or so Turks suffered only a dozen casualties. This near one-to-ten casualty ratio was a stark irony of the state of military preparedness within Chang'an. Unfortunately, Li Linfu was completely oblivious to such matters. His heart pounded in his chest as the ferocious Turks drew ever closer.
Fortunately, just when Li Linfu was almost in despair, a battle cry rang out from the other side. Hundreds of soldiers, composed of the Golden Guard, the Right Valiant Guard, and the Dragon Martial Army, charged out from the other end of the alley. These were soldiers from the Imperial City Guard who had received the news and come to provide support. However, due to the congested roads, they arrived somewhat late.
First, a barrage of crossbow bolts swept across the ground, instantly felling more than twenty Turkic wolf guards. The few remaining guards, seeing reinforcements arrive, barely mustered their willpower and managed to hold on, preventing them from being completely defeated.
Cao Poyan watched helplessly as more than half of his brothers were overwhelmed by hundreds of Tang soldiers. His face was flushed, veins bulging, and his eyes blazed with fury. These were the strongest men on the grasslands, and now, before they could complete their mission, they fell on this foreign land.
He brandished his scimitar, fighting desperately. But the Tang soldiers before him only multiplied. It felt like he could never kill them all. There were simply too many Tang people.
"Retreat..." In the end, he still reluctantly shouted the order to retreat. At this time, he only had about thirty soldiers left who could fight. In this battle, seventy percent of the Wolf Guards had already died under the chaotic blades of the Tang soldiers.
Seeing the Wolf Guard retreat, the remaining Imperial City Guard soldiers dared not give chase. After all, they had relied on sheer numbers and heavy armor to overwhelm their opponents. Once the formation was broken, not a single Imperial City Guard soldier dared to face those fearless Turkic elites directly.
"Right Prime Minister, Right Prime Minister..." Several military officers from the Imperial City Guard rushed over in a flurry. Seeing that Li Linfu was unharmed, they immediately began to lick his boots to show their loyalty.
Seeing the Turks retreat, Li Linfu breathed a sigh of relief. He took out a few pills from his pocket, swallowed them, and after catching his breath, he managed to speak.
"Back home, back home..." Going to the lantern festival was out of the question. Li Linfu just wanted to retreat to his home. He'd wait until this annoying Lantern Festival was over, then deal with those petty scoundrels one by one.
Once the Right Chancellor spoke, no one dared to object. They all crowded around him and escorted him back to his residence. More than two hundred people surrounded the Right Chancellor's residence.
However, at that moment, a violent explosion suddenly rang out at the entrance. Amidst the raging flames, more than a dozen Dragon Martial Army soldiers were thrown back by the blast wave. It was a can of heated Western Regions flaming oil that had exploded in front of the Right Prime Minister's residence.
Li Linfu, who had just regained his composure, shuddered and nearly fainted. This time, he was truly terrified.
The power struggles within the imperial court are entirely different from this kind of real, bloody battle. He could face An Lushan, who commanded 100,000 troops, without batting an eye, and subdue him like a son. But he lacked the courage to confront any Turkic soldier wielding a sharp blade. For even a common man's anger could lead to bloodshed.
"Not enough, still not enough. Pass on my order: double the number of guards in the manor."
“Right Prime Minister, today is the Lantern Festival. The guards in the Imperial City are short-handed, and I’m afraid…” Before the general could finish speaking, a teacup was thrown directly at his face.
"I said, double it. No... double it. Get it done right now. If you don't have enough manpower, bring in others from elsewhere. If I don't see any manpower within half an hour..." Li Linfu left his words unfinished, but his men dared not play word games with him. They could only grit their teeth and make the arrangements.
Currently, all the garrison troops in Chang'an are on duty and have stopped smoking. The closest to them are the Dragon Martial Army of the Imperial City. They are now under the Imperial City Guard. And theoretically, the Dragon Martial Army is obligated to cooperate with the Imperial City Guard's operations.
Having found a reason for himself, the general strode towards the imperial city.
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Chapter 82 Who Dares to Stand Aside with Sword in Hand?
On the rooftop of the Hua'e Xianghui Tower, seeing that the winner had already been decided below, Li Longji immediately ordered the giant lanterns overhead to be lit.
The servants and craftsmen hurriedly untied the ropes, preparing to light the lanterns. But then they discovered that there were no lanterns at all. There was only a huge frame on the roof. The so-called lanterns were never finished.
"Do you know how much manpower and resources it takes to build a giant lantern at this height, and how many people risk their lives to do it? So, I took the liberty of saving you this expense. Do you want to thank me, Your Majesty?"
Long Bo's sarcastic voice reached everyone's ears. Before the court officials could react, a dozen or so veterans wielding warhammers and swords rushed forward, forcing them into a corner. Then, everyone saw a thin figure emerge.
"Guards! Protect the Emperor..." the courtiers shouted anxiously. But no one came forward. The entire imperial city was filled with deafening cheers, and no one heard their cries.
"Don't bother. No one will come up. This building has been cleared out." Long Bo, carrying a horizontal sword, slowly walked up to the assembled ministers.
"How dare you! Who are you to trespass here? Do you know that this is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family?" An unknown civil official mustered his courage and shouted.
Long Bo looked up and glanced at him.
"Well, at least there's someone who dares to speak up. I'll reluctantly give you an answer."
“I am Long Bo, but you have no nine generations of my family to exterminate. I originally had an older sister, a brother-in-law, and two nephews. However, my sister was insulted to death by a local county magistrate, and my brother-in-law and his two children were burned to death. Now, I am all alone. How can you exterminate my nine generations?”
"You...you...you're that murderer from Guangwu County?" This man had a good memory; he even remembered the case from Guangwu County a few years ago. After all, it was a case of killing an official, so officials always had to be extra careful.
At this moment, Li Longji spoke.
“Since you have been wronged, you can speak out now. I will definitely give you justice.”
"justice?"