Chapter 119 The Conspiracy (3)

“It’s dark.”

“It’s dark.”

Different men, uttering the very same lines, conveyed the very same message even though they spoke with contrasting tones and styles.

Song Jiao was the first to step out the entrance.

Liu Dazheng crouched before a boy. There was a moment of hesitation from him before he quickly broke into a warm smile. “Wait for my return, Liu Xiaohei,” he said.

“I’m not Liu Xiaohei,” snapped the boy crossly, “I’m not Liu Xiaohei!”

“But you can’t even remember your name when I found you,” Liu Dazheng remarked indifferently, “I have to call you something.”

“Then anything else but Liu Xiaohei! The name is terrible!” Liu Xiaohei complained and said loudly, “What terrible taste!”

“Well, your complexion is dark. The name suits you, at least that’s what I think. Anyone who hears the name will know it’s you. Let’s stick with it then. It’s easy for you to remember too. You’ll never forget your name again,” Liu Dazheng explained and said earnestly, “Moreover, what are we men talking about taste for?”

Liu Xiaohei fell silent. He gave a moment of thought before he grumbled, “That may be so... Still, I feel something’s not right.”

Li Zhen squatted down in front of Rui Mengmeng and helped her tidy a whisk of hair that hung at her front. Minutes passed in silence and they said nothing. In the end, Li Zhen merely scratched his head, looking at her shyly.

“Go on then. I’ll behave myself,” Rui Mengmeng said to him in an assuring tone.

Li Zhen nodded his head gravely.

For that very instant, Li Zhen was like a little boy while she was behaving like an elder.

Li Zhen got to his feet. Li Ye looked at him and remarked, “You don’t have to go.”

“My powers may be undependable. But my place is beside you, Your Highness, especially in such critical times.”

Li Ye placed a hand on his shoulder gratefully. He looked over at Liu Dazheng, who was still in a somber discussion with Liu Xiaohei about his name. “It’s time to go,” said Li Ye.

They began moving, followed by the two children who sent them out of the door before watching them leave. Rui Mengmeng hugged herself, looking composed and unperturbed.

Liu Xiaohei merely sighed heavily. “Something tells me that Liu Dazheng is out tonight to handle something serious. I just hope he’ll be safe.”

Rui Mengmeng shot him a glare. “A child like you can feel that ‘something’?” She muttered as she turned and began walking back indoors.

“What?!” Liu Xiaohei barked indignantly, chasing behind her, “What makes you think I don’t know! Are you jealous?! Hey, stand where you are!”

“Heh heh heh.”

...

Soldiers flooded into the Changle Gate of the Imperial Palace and quickly lined up into two columns just after the gate. The first column snaked up the passage and manned the parapets of the Palace walls while the second column marched deeper into the palace complex.

Li Maozhen and Wang Jian were standing just aside, watching as the two columns of soldiers detaching and moving towards their stations, their expressions blank and unconcerned. When the square was emptied, Li Maozhen bowed to his colleague and said, “I’m going to the Xuanwu Gate.”

Wang Jian returned the gesture, reminding him, “Through thick or thin!”

Li Maozhen cast him a glare and muttered, “If we die, let it be that we perish together!”

Wang Jian hissed and said angrily, “Touch wood!”

“You were the one sniveling about like a girl!”

“How dare you, Song Wentong?! A girl?!”

They separated and Li Maozhen quickly hurried to the Xuanwu Gate where he ordered his men to follow him up the steps to the gate. He was due to relieve the commander of guards that was due to go off duty.

When everything was complete. He observed the retreat of the guards from the previous shift, taking in their movements as the raspy stomp of their boots slowly drifted farther and farther away. Li Maozhen struggled to maintain his placidness. His heart was thumping fast. Finally, when the din of the marching soldiers was completely gone, he could finally heave an easy breath.

He stood at the top of the gate, looking intently into the darkness of the forest outside with a hand on the hilt of his saber.

Everything was eerily silent that even the birds and bugs were hardly singing their nocturnal tunes. Li Maozhen could vaguely hear his own heart beating. The flames in the pans that illuminated the gate were crackling angrily under the starry sky with cinders trying vainly to claw at Heaven. The uneasy stillness sent a chill up his spine as if the darkness of the night itself was a ravenous beast seeking to engulf everything whole, making him tighten his grip on his weapon.

...

Deep inside the patch of forest, Li Ye was standing under the tree with his back to its trunk. His eyes were shut for a moment of respite and concentration while he kept a tab of the time.

He had waited long for this day. A success in his plans would see Li Yan rising to the throne immediately and he would be able to leave Chang’an City to the vassal state while still maintaining control of the military. This would allow him more freedom and flexibility to prepare against Huang Chao.

The Dragon Qi in him stirred, absorbing all other natural energies that were drawn into him.

Since his defeat of Li Keyong and Wei Baoheng, Li Ye had grown more adept in the methods of enhancing his own powers. He would hope to be bestowed a land when Li Yan became Emperor, a domain of his own where he could tap into the natural energies within the domain to increase his powers. There would be a need for judicial reforms and stimuli to upkeep his domain.

The Dragon Qi in him was the sign of a Hidden Dragon within him. Only from an army, the local officials and the people of his own could generate enough natural auras and lucks that he could tap into to strengthen his Dragon Qi, the mark of his eligibility to attain kingship.

Just three days before, he had successfully reached Level 6 of the Qi-refining Stage.

“Duke Wang’s men are here,” Song Jiao reported suddenly. Behind her was an old man in robes of grey.

“My name is Wang Jing, Your Highness. At your service,” greeted the elder man.

Li Ye looked behind him. Wang Jing had led quite a contingent of help with him. There were troops and practitioners of magic skills as well.

Li Ye nodded in acknowledgment and said nothing.

Li Yan would be attacking from the south, and with Lu Yan’s people assisting him, there would not be any problem. They needed only for the right time.

...

Tian Lingzi appeared suddenly at the Palace gates.

“I trust everything is well, Commander Song?” Tian Lingzi’s shrill voice rang suddenly at Li Maozhen’s ears.

“Everything is fine,” Li Maozhen replied conservatively. Somehow he felt better with a comrade here with him, that even Tian Lingzi’s pitched voice sounded less revolting to him than before.

They stood in silence, until Tian Lingzi uttered suddenly, “The time has come!”

At the same time, peals of crows frantically cawing with fright resounded suddenly from the darkness of the forest.

Li Maozhen felt a tingle in his mind at the recognition of the sound; the signal which he had been anxiously waiting for. Instantly he barked his orders, “Open the gates!”

His subordinate hurried downstairs to relay his orders, waving to his men below. Two troops of soldiers rushed to the gates and removed the door-bar.

The heavy gates groaned opened slowly, revealing a slit of light that parted the wall of darkness before the forest. Li Maozhen kept his eyes trained on the forest. Something in the darkness stirred, he observed, and was beginning to move towards the gates. Figures began emerging into the light and Li Maozhen recognized the armored guards of Prince An’s Manor. They were led by more than 10 practitioners of magic arts who were waving their comrades forward as they charged for the gates.

Li Maozhen could hear his heart beating.

Everything was proceeding exactly as planned.

He had been worried sick during the wait, even though everything turned out to be working smoothly. Tian Lingzi had earlier undid the magical barriers and traps that reinforced the defenses of the Imperial Palace gates, otherwise the armored guards would not be able to enter unnoticed. Li Maozhen felt a twang of relief. But this was hardly time to be comfortable! Success was still not yet at hand! He saw Li Ye amongst the army entering the gates and braced himself for a gritting outcome.

historical

...

Seriously ill, Li Cui was rarely awake and much of his time he would be in a lethargic state. Both Liu Xingshen and Han Wenyue remained at the Emperor’s Sleeping Palace at all times. For them, it was a common thing and no one would dare to complain about their disposition.

“We have to get ready. His Majesty has long been asleep.”

A few eunuchs were huddled beside Liu Xingshen and Han Wenyue who were busy going through their plot while playing chess, obediently waiting for orders in silence. There was no candle or lamp to light up the room, save for a large pearl that emitted a soft radiance that illuminated the table and the chair in the chamber.

“Our assassination attempt of Prince An failed to lure out the guardians watching him. I did not expect him to be able to overpower Song Wentong and Wang Jian by himself. What should we do now?” Liu Xingshen asked.

Han Wenyue merely shook his head, saying nothing. It was a conundrum which had troubled them for days, having bogged down the rest of their plans. They were still without proof that Li Ye was gathering the former men of Li Xian.

“We cannot let this continue! Sent someone to Prince An’s Manor!” Liu Xingshen snapped at last, slamming his chesspiece on the board.

“Infiltrate Prince An’s Manor?” Han Wenyue repeated incredulously. He shook his head. “It would be useless. Worst still, if our man is caught.”

“Coward!” Liu Xingshen remarked crossly. He stopped the game and bowed perfunctorily to his colleague, “Forget about it! I’ll go there myself one day!”

“That may be viable,” Han Wenyue remarked, his eyes twinkled.

Liu Xingshen snorted furiously. “His Majesty has been bed-ridden for quite some time. We must ascertain Prince Pu’s ability to rise to the throne. This can no longer be delayed,” he added.

Han Wenyue said nothing, merely nodding, before something dawned on him. “Do you think Prince An has noticed?”

“Noticed? Noticed what?”

“If Prince An has indeed gathered the former subordinates of Li Xian, coupled with the assassination attempt on him in Chang’an City, do you think he’ll suspect us? After all, we both are the remainders of those who were part of the Bagong Mountain conspiracy since Wei Baoheng’s death. That is reason enough for him to suspect us.”

“That may be so...” Liu Xingshen muttered, his voice trailing, “I’ll try to infiltrate his manor tomorrow. We’ll see! If he is plotting something... Hmph! I’ll put him to death at once!”

Han Wenyue made no reaction. He was still continuing his former line of thought. “Do you think he will do something, since he might have already suspected us?”

“Do something?” Liu Xingshen scoffed with contempt evident in his eyes. “What do you think he is capable of? Attacking the Imperial Palace? What can he do, even with Li Xian’s subordinates? Can he launch a coup? Does he even have the guts to do it? Unless he is deranged.”

“But what if he is collaborating with others?” Han Wenyue wondered, rubbing his chin as though he was stroking his non-existent mustache.

“You fear too much of him. He is only a boy. What do you think he can do?!” Liu Xingshen remarked disdainfully. “Instead, I’m guessing that he is now shivering with fear, keeping himself indoors, if he indeed found out that Song Wentong and Wang Jian were acting on my orders!”

“This is Chang’an City! The Chang’an City where the Regal Guards reign supreme! We are the rulers of Chang’an City, whom everyone fears and respects!” Liu Xingshen continued smugly.

He had barely finished when he felt a tingle in his senses.

Han Wenyue sensed the fluctuation of Spiritual Qi nearby. He quickly looked towards outside the window. “What the?” He gasped, “What is going on? How can there be practitioners fighting in the Imperial Palace?”