The rebellious grandson of Emperor Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty: Please, Your Majesty, be called Cro

Chapter 134 A Dark and Windy Night, Killing the Crown Prince

Thump, thump, thump, thump————

As the setting sun cast its golden glow, the afterglow enveloped the entire city of Chang'an. The deep, resonant sound of the evening drum echoed through the vermilion walls and palaces, reverberating throughout the streets and alleys.

The Tang Dynasty law was strict. After the evening drum sounded, the entire city was immediately under curfew. All the gates of the wards, streets and alleys were locked and sealed, and no idlers were allowed to wander around.

Therefore, on all the streets of Chang'an, the people along the streets hurried back to their homes, fearing that they would violate the curfew law.

The gates of Longqingfang were already half closed, but at that moment, a procession of carriages and horses was hurrying toward Longqingfang.

Upon seeing this, the guard on duty raised his hand to stop his subordinates from lowering the gate, and gave them a special grace period. The carriages and horses were allowed to enter the ward just as the last drumbeat faded away.

Once the carriages and horses had come to a stop, the leading military officer frowned slightly, stepped forward, and reprimanded in a stern voice, "Hey, you merchant, the drumbeat is about to sound, why don't you let your carriages and horses move a little faster!"

"Why are you rushing into town so late? Aren't you afraid of breaking curfew!"

The leading merchant had a simple, unassuming appearance and wore an ordinary brown cloth shirt. Upon hearing this, he immediately bowed and kowtowed, his expression respectful and hurried, repeatedly apologizing: "Sir, please forgive us. We are a merchant caravan from out of town, and this is our first time in Chang'an. We are unfamiliar with the laws of the capital and do not know the rules of the evening drum and night curfew."

"I was only thinking about getting to the city, but I forgot about the curfew in Chang'an—it was an unintentional violation."

Having said that, the merchant bowed and presented a neatly formatted verification document with both hands. This was an official document used by merchants in the Tang Dynasty for customs clearance, lodging, and identity verification. The document was complete with all the characters and seals, and there were no flaws.

At the same time, he subtly clenched his fingers and quietly slipped a small string of copper coins into Wu Hou's palm, the movement discreet and swift, leaving no trace.

When Zhuge Liang touched the copper coin with his fingertips and weighed it roughly, his expression softened slightly.

"Alright, it's understandable that they're unfamiliar with the rules since they're new to Chang'an."

"You may all go and rest. Remember, you may not enter or leave the market until the morning drum sounds at dawn tomorrow. During curfew, carriages and horses are strictly prohibited from moving about." Considering the copper coin, the Marquis gave a few instructions.

Longqingfang was a sparsely populated area with few residents, including officials, gentry, and locals. The streets and alleys were quiet and deserted. However, it had a prime location, being adjacent to the bustling East Market.

Therefore, many merchants from other places prefer to rent courtyards in Longqingfang for temporary storage, as the rent is much cheaper than in the East Market.

Therefore, these garrison commanders were already used to seeing merchants driving into the wards.

Even on ordinary days, they rely on the tributes from these foreign merchants to make a living.

"Thank you for your leniency, sir. I will certainly keep the law in mind!"

The merchant thanked him repeatedly, then turned and waved to the drivers of the caravan, urging them to drive the carriages into the secluded streets and alleys of the neighborhood.

With a loud crash, the heavy gate slammed shut. The wooden bolts locked, cutting off all light from the streets and alleys.

Several carriages slowly made their way along the quiet alley, avoiding the main street and houses, and headed straight for an empty courtyard deep inside.

The courtyard was deserted and surrounded by high walls. After confirming that no one was around, the merchant carefully pushed open the gate and drove all the carriages and horses into the courtyard.

The gate closed tightly again. The sun had set, and all was silent, as if no carriage had ever come here.

"Come out, all of you."

As the gate closed, the previously humble and respectful merchant leader instantly lost his flustered demeanor, all the merchant's affability vanished from his eyes, leaving only a cold and stern expression.

At his command, rustling sounds immediately arose from the tarpaulins covering the wagons, which looked no different from ordinary cargo wagons.

A group of burly men emerged from the carriage, all with fierce expressions and ruthless eyes.

"So easy to sneak into Longqing Ward." The leading merchant looked at the darkening sky and the faint outline of the imperial city in the distance, and muttered to himself.

A man in a short brown robe stepped forward quickly, bowed, and lowered his voice, saying, "Deputy General Zheng, all twenty brothers from the Imperial Household Department have entered the ward. Sentries have been set up around the courtyard. What should we do next?"

Zheng Huai'an stood with his hands behind his back in the center of the courtyard, looking up at the secluded little courtyard on the west side of the courtyard, separated by two courtyards.

"No rush."

"Everyone shall rest on the spot, eat dry rations, drink water and rest. No noise, no whispering, and no leaving the courtyard without permission. Wait quietly for the third watch gong to sound, and we will start the operation on time."

The soldiers all bowed their heads, responded in a deep voice, and dispersed to sit in the courtyard and under the eaves, resting in silence.

The evening breeze swept through the high walls, swirling up the fallen leaves on the ground. Zheng Huai'an clenched his fists, and suddenly the words he had spoken in the back room of the Prince's mansion half a day earlier flashed through his mind.

At that time, the candlelight in the secret room was dim. Uncle Zheng Renze stood to one side, while Prince Wei Li Tai sat in the main seat. His fat face had lost its former gentle and refined appearance, and his fierce aura and terrifying aura were palpable.

He entered alone to pay his respects, and before he could even stand up, Li Tai looked directly at him, getting straight to the point without any beating around the bush.

"Zheng Huai'an, I aspire to accomplish great things; will you assist me?"

Zheng Huai'an raised his eyes, first looking at his uncle, then at the scrutinizing look on the King of Wei's face.

He immediately knelt on both knees, his back straight, and without the slightest hesitation kowtowed, replying in a deep voice: "This humble general has received the favor of the King of Wei; my honor and my loss are intertwined. Your Highness, whatever your command, this humble general will obey even unto death!"

He was originally a deputy general in the Prince of Wei's personal affairs office, promoted by the prince himself, and his personal honor and disgrace depended entirely on Li Tai. Moreover, he was a concubine of Zheng Renze, and even within the clan, he had to rely on Zheng Renze for support.

With his two powerful backers seemingly having already made their plans, Zheng Huai'an had absolutely no choice.

Upon hearing this, Li Tai slowly nodded, and then revealed his entire plan: "I am determined to follow the example of the Xuanwu Gate Incident and lead troops into the palace tonight to force my father to issue an edict establishing me as the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty."

Zheng Huai'an was greatly shocked at the time, but he still obeyed orders without the slightest fear.

Then Zheng Ren stepped forward slowly and instructed him, "Your Highness's uprising in the palace poses a great threat not to the imperial guards inside, but to those outside the palace."

"Although a large army is stationed in Chang'an, the Prince of Wei, being His Majesty's beloved son, is not among those on guard."

"On the contrary, if a general raises a flag of opposition and leads a large army into the capital after the deed is done, that would be the real trouble. And the only one qualified to raise a flag is someone like Your Highness, who is qualified to inherit the throne."

"In Chang'an, only the deposed crown prince and the Prince of Jin can use this banner. The Prince of Jin is also in the palace; as long as we enter the palace, we can take control of him."

"The deposed crown prince, Li Chengqian, was being held captive in a separate courtyard on the west side of Longqingfang."

"If someone were to use Li Chengqian, who is imprisoned here, as a banner to raise an army outside the capital and command all troops to come to the emperor's aid, it would be difficult to deal with."

"Your mission is to eliminate the deposed Crown Prince, Li Chengqian!"

As he recalled this, a cold glint flashed in Zheng Huai'an's eyes.

My uncle's plan was meticulous. Before curfew, he arranged for them to infiltrate Longqing Ward. Once curfew was in effect and all the wards of Chang'an were closed, Longqing Ward would become a dead zone unaffected by the outside world.

This group shouldn't be too large, otherwise it will attract attention. But it doesn't matter.

The deposed Crown Prince Li Chengqian was guarded only by a few dozen imperial guards. These guards were ordinary soldiers, without heavy armor or powerful crossbows.

In Longqing Ward, only a few dozen ordinary martial arts officers and rogues were stationed.

During curfew, only the Imperial Guards patrolling outside the ward are allowed to wear armor. These Imperial Guards, even if permitted to carry swords, would never wear armor while staying in Longqing Ward.

They brought with them a full twenty suits of armor, all of the finest quality gleaming armor. They also carried military-grade longswords and crossbows, all hidden in the wagons.

It's important to understand that in a head-on confrontation, a single armored warrior is capable of scattering dozens of unarmored individuals. This is why armor is so valuable.

If used properly, these twenty armored soldiers are enough to ravage the entire Longqing Ward before the Imperial Guards outside the ward can discover them!

As for how to proceed, Zheng Huai'an had already made a meticulous plan: at midnight, he would first set fire to the ward to distract the Wuhou and the Bad People, and then create chaos in Longqing Ward.

Attracted by the commotion, he led his men into the villa where the deposed Crown Prince Li Chengqian was imprisoned and slaughtered Li Chengqian and his entire family.

With the death of the deposed Crown Prince Li Chengqian, the generals in Chang'an City will be leaderless after losing their banners.

Even with a million-strong army, no general would dare to defy the world by not leading his troops into the imperial city.

Then King Wei's great cause can be accomplished!

Remembering the words of His Highness the King of Wei: "If this succeeds, you will become my Yuchi!", Zheng Huai'an suddenly felt a surge of heat throughout his body.

He too was a military man, yearning for fame and fortune, and to be immediately ennobled. Today, the King of Wei's military remonstrance is just like the Xuanwu Gate Incident of the past—who doesn't know that those generals who followed His Majesty to the Xuanwu Gate Incident all later wielded great power and became extremely wealthy and powerful?

"Lift the tarpaulin, brothers, put on your armor and fix your weapons!"

"only!"

The carriage's canopy was lifted, and Zheng Huai'an looked at the armor and longswords gleaming coldly beneath it, a sinister yet excited smile spreading across his face:

The road to fame requires stepping stones.

And Zheng Huai'an's stepping stone began with the head of the deposed crown prince Li Chengqian!