knife

Chapter 340 Assassination Plot
(My back injury has just healed, so I really can't sit for long periods. I'll focus on maintaining regular updates first, and I'll catch up on the backlog later. I won't accept interest payments, and some people are even trying to take out high-interest loans, which is absolutely unacceptable.)
Linghu Zhishu happily hummed a little tune as he packed his luggage.

After a day of consideration, Tang Xiaofeng finally agreed to his request.

In Linghu Zhishu's view, this was still an indecisive move. Given the current situation, there were actually very few options left.

What's the point of thinking about it so much?

Survival is the top priority, and then we can think about other things on that basis.

In this respect, He Zudao is a perfect example.

Every decision this person makes is astonishing, allowing him to climb back from the brink of failure time and time again. Although he is sometimes covered in wounds, he always manages to survive.

Having escaped from seemingly hopeless situations multiple times, he accumulated a wealth of experience, which earned him even more trust from his subordinates.

While the Linghu clan marched towards Luoyang and Chang'an, He Zudao was striding south.

In Linghuye's view, the biggest rival in the South in the future should be He Zudao.

However, in Linghu Zhishu's view, Li Dachui from outside the pass posed a greater threat.

Because He Zudao was in the south, he was subject to more and greater constraints.

Whether it's local gentry, prominent families, wealthy merchants, or the Southern Chu army that has been eyeing Xiangcheng, all will make He Zudao's path very difficult.

Unless he surrenders to Southern Chu.

However, in doing so, He Zudao would lose the support of the Qin people, and from a strategic perspective, it's really hard to say which is better.

Given He Zudao's nature, he would not have taken this step unless absolutely necessary.

If this person were willing to humble himself and act subserviently, he would not have left when the Linghu clan's army advanced towards Luoyang, but would have welcomed Linghu Ye's arrival.

He Zudao now has the capital to sit at the table.

How vicissitudes life is!
A few years ago, when the Linghu clan was plotting their struggle for supremacy, they never considered Li Dachui or He Zudao.
In the blink of an eye, the original powerhouses fell one after another, while these two rose like the rising sun, and soon became so dazzling that it was impossible to look directly at them.

This journey to Sichuan was fraught with hardship, and although it ultimately ended in failure, if we can bring back Tang Xiaofeng and his elite troops, it will be a worthwhile trip.

Moreover, after returning, he finally had his own people under his command.

Tang Xiaofeng and his group were their natural allies.
This will give him a greater voice within the Linghu Group.

In the past, everyone claimed to be in a high position and powerful, and to be the warlord's confidant.

But all the power came from my uncle.

When your uncle doesn't want you anymore, a single word can make you lose everything.

Things will be different from now on.

This is the biggest gain from this trip.

Just like Li Guohua, although his surname is Li, he has always been the number two figure in the Linghu Group.

Because he possesses power that belongs to him.

He was more of a close ally of his uncle than just a subordinate.

The sound of drums boomed in my ears; it was Tang Xiaofeng striking the drum to gather the generals.

All officers of the rank of colonel and above were summoned to discuss the Beitou matter.

This is what Tang Xiaofeng said to Linghu Zhishu.

Being far from home and not knowing when they would return, such a significant matter naturally required communication and discussion with the officers to reach a consensus.

Of course, this gathering of people also has another meaning.
That means anyone who is dissatisfied or unwilling can be arrested and dealt with on the spot.

It eliminates all destabilizing factors in one go.

"Seventh Brother, bring me a bottle of that monkey wine that Tang Xiaofeng gave me yesterday. Let's have a few drinks!" Linghu Zhishu said with a smile.

The new group of several people walked up the high steps to the highest point of Jianmen Pass, where they could overlook the magnificent scenery of the entire Jianmen Pass. It was also the most dangerous and important place in Jianmen Pass.

The highest-ranking officer's command post was located here, which was also where everyone discussed military matters on a daily basis.

More than a year ago, Tang Xiaofeng came here and replaced the newly appointed garrison commander of Jianmen Pass. The newly appointed commander did not have many complaints.

He was also involved in the fact that Sichuan had been accumulating strength over the years, waiting for an opportunity to spy on the Central Plains.

Given the strategic importance of Jianmen Pass, it's understandable that the Tang family wanted to personally control it.
Of course, more importantly, he and Tang Xiaofeng were also friends for many years.

He had no reservations about being Tang Xiaofeng's deputy.

However, times have changed, and now the two are finally going their separate ways.

Moreover, Tang Xiaofeng will die by his own hand.

Quanxin turned his head and glanced at Li Dachui behind him, his eyes filled with an even stronger sense of strangeness.

He watched helplessly as Li Dachui transformed himself into Quan Rui's likeness right in front of him, while Quan Rui stood beside him at that moment.

Two almost identical Quan Ruis gave Quan Xin a firsthand experience of the highest level of disguise in the world. Especially when Li Dachui's bones cracked and his body, which was a head taller than Quan Rui, shrunk to the same height as Quan Rui, he could hardly believe his eyes.

When disguise reaches this level, it can be described as an inhuman technique.

When Li Dachui was at the ninth rank of Xuan Yuan, he couldn't do this because although he had the most skilled master in this field, he had never systematically studied it since childhood. The process of practicing this kind of skill was too arduous and cruel.

However, once he broke through the Profound Origin Realm and reached the Innate Realm, his previous troubles were easily resolved.

There's no need for Quanxin to know the intricacies of this matter.

He simply bowed to Quanxin and said with a smile, "Father, we can set off now!"

At that moment, the eyes of Quan Quan and his son Quan Rui changed, because the voice was exactly the same as Quan Rui's.

The area was heavily guarded along the way.

There are countless examples of both overt and covert sentries.

There are absolutely no blind spots or loopholes.

Anyone who thinks they can launch a sneak attack on Jianmen Pass on a dark, gloomy night will gain nothing but casualties.

This is also why Li Dachui needed to bring him here. Without getting close to Tang Xiaofeng, even if he was a master of innate skill, he would not be able to kill him among the well-equipped elite troops.

Taking the head of a general amidst a vast army is generally just a figure of speech.

If that's true, then it can only mean that this army of ten thousand was probably a completely routed and disorganized force.

Of course, once someone steps into the council hall and gets close to Tang Xiaofeng, that person is doomed.

Moreover, at this moment, the real Quan Rui was leading the garrison of Xiaojianmen Pass around from the rear. As long as Tang Xiaofeng died, the Jianmen Pass army would be blocked from both the front and the rear, with Wu De in front and Quan Rui behind, making it impossible for them to advance or retreat. Then, Quan Xin would step in to appease them and slowly recapture the area.

Li Dachui also really liked this kind of thing—gathering all officers of the rank of colonel and above together to discuss and take the opportunity to eliminate dissidents!

Then I can wipe out all of the Tang family's core forces at Jianmen Pass with one blow, saving a lot of trouble!
A completely new identity is naturally different.

Below the steps in front of the hall, officers who arrived one after another neatly placed their weapons on the table.

Li Dachui also unfastened the knife from his waist and threw it on top.

But the brand-new car strode in confidently, and the guards at the entrance not only did not stop it, but instead bowed to welcome it.

Before the painting of a roaring tiger in the mountains and forests was the commander-in-chief's tiger desk, and the first seat on the left was naturally brand new.

He walked straight to his seat and had just sat down when officers came up to greet him in a steady stream.

Li Dachui stood behind him, looking up and down at the officers who came up to greet him.

The Jianmen Pass defense line is not a simple pass. It is a three-dimensional defense line that stretches for tens of miles in width and more than a hundred miles in depth from Xiaojianmen to Dajianmen. Tens of thousands of troops are stationed in various places. It is rare for them to convene a meeting of all officers in a year unless there is a major event. Such a gathering is extremely rare.

Therefore, many officers are not very familiar with each other, and some who have only recently taken office do not even know many others.

Those who came forward to pay their respects were not because Xin Quan was the second-in-command of the entire defense line, but because they were originally Xin Quan's subordinates or were promoted and trained by Xin Quan.

It was only a little over a year ago that the new generation gave way to Tang Xiaofeng.

Before this, Jianmen Pass had always been under the direct command of a new leader.

At that time, the entire garrison at Jianmen only numbered over ten thousand.

After Tang Xiaofeng arrived, the number of troops stationed here gradually increased, and their treatment doubled compared to before, with other subsidies also greatly improved.

After all, the Tang family's wealth and influence in Sichuan were incomparable to that of the new generation.

This method of winning over the entire army was direct and effective. In addition, the fact that Quanxin did not resist Tang Xiaofeng's rise to power enabled Tang Xiaofeng to take control smoothly.

Of course, such a smooth process also meant that there were no major adjustments to the officer system of the entire Jianmen Pass defense line.

Tang Xiaofeng simply replaced some key positions with his own people.

Quanxin is very supportive of him, so naturally he should reciprocate.

If Tang Xiaofeng were to replace a large number of people under such circumstances, he would only be asking for trouble.

But it is precisely for this reason that Quanxin has little worry about the important things he needs to do today.

As long as Li Dachui, a master of innate talent, can eliminate Tang Xiaofeng and several core disciples of the Tang family in one fell swoop, he is confident that he can suppress and control the remaining officers.

Footsteps came from the back hall, and the hall immediately fell silent. Most people stood up, turned halfway, and looked towards the back hall.

The brand-new one remained seated and motionless.

Several young guards came out first. When these guards stood on both sides of the large table, Quanxin stood up. As if they had an inexplicable tacit understanding, Tang Xiaofeng also came out from the back hall at the same time as Quanxin stood up. He walked behind the large table, first scanned everyone, and then sat down steadily.

"Greetings, General!" Dozens of generals bowed in unison.

"We're all brothers, no need for formalities, please sit down!" Tang Xiaofeng, still dressed in mourning, waved his hand.

(End of this chapter)