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

Chapter 136 Li Xiang: Should I go deliver it?

The shadowy figure, its head hidden and tail exposed, moved hastily, its waist bulging with oil-soaked hemp rope, clearly an object for starting fires.

The man walked quickly, looking furtive, clearly eager to rejoin his unit after successfully committing arson.

Wang Xuance's earlier deduction has been confirmed: the three fires in the neighborhood were not accidental, but a carefully planned scheme by someone with ulterior motives.

"—Can we capture him alive?"

Li Xiang lowered his head, thought for a while, and asked in a low voice.

Judging from the location of the arson, the target was most likely Li Chengqian, the father who was imprisoned here.

Could it be that they intend to use the fire to lure away the guards and carry out an assassination?

Historically, Li Chengqian passed away not long after being deposed.

Historical records suggest he died in despair. But witnessing this conspiracy firsthand, Li Xiang couldn't help but ponder:

Could it be that the early death recorded in historical records is actually a lie?

Li Er's integrity was so poor that he seemed to have altered even the daily records of the emperor's activities, and the Xuanwu Gate was completely changed beyond recognition.

Historical records from the Zhenguan era are really not very credible.

In short, now that the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light, the more information we have, the more initiative we will have.

This lone arsonist is the best entry point to find out the other party's background.

"----able!"

While Wang Xuance and the Lu family guards were still hesitating, Liu Zhi only thought for a moment before responding in a low voice.

Unlike the helpless look that always appeared in his eyes, Liu Zhi's gaze was now focused, his hand firmly gripping the sword at his waist, his back slightly hunched, like a tiger about to devour its prey.

He was a seasoned veteran of the Tang army, having served alongside Li Jing and Su Dingfang in raids on the royal court beyond the Great Wall. He was also selected for the Imperial Guard, making him one of the elite among elites.

His gaze swept quickly across the alleyway and then he glanced at the lone sentry ahead, having already ascertained the true situation of the surroundings.

Under the cover of the wall and the night, Liu Zhi moved as lightly as a raccoon, landing silently, and crept forward little by little along the shadows.

The only sound in the alley was the soft rustling of the night wind through the withered grass. He blended seamlessly into the darkness, and even the arsonist a few steps away was completely unaware of the murderous intent silently approaching from behind.

Once the distance was sufficient, Liu Zhi suddenly launched his attack!

His figure shot out like an arrow, his long arms flying, and before the other party could raise his hand to draw his knife, he raised his hand and stabbed the arsonist with the knife and sheath together.

"what!"

The arsonist had barely turned around, startled by the sound of the blade cutting through the air, when the scabbard slammed into his mouth like a hammer blow, instantly shattering several teeth.

Liu Zhi tripped him with a quick step. Before the thug could even cry out in surprise, he was slammed to the ground. In the struggle, the dagger slipped from his hand and fell to the ground, and the flammable oil from his waist also scattered all over the ground.

"You dog! Still dare to struggle!" Liu Zhi directly twisted the man's hands behind his back, and then slashed the man with a scabbard.

The idiom "looking for teeth all over the ground" suddenly felt real.

"Wow, that's amazing!"

Li Xiang's eyes lit up; this was the first time he had ever seen such a clean and stylish real-life brawl in the Tang Dynasty.

No, that's not right. This is the first time this has happened in both lifetimes combined.

This made him look at Liu Zhi, this cowardly old man who had been bugged by him, in a different light.

Liu Zhi had already subdued the man, and the others quickly stepped forward, covering his mouth and nose to prevent him from shouting warnings.

Li Xiang also came to help, and the group dragged the person into a dark alley.

"Who sent you to set the fire? What is your real objective? Tell me the truth immediately!" Li Xiang demanded in a deep voice.

The person on the ground was unable to move, his eyes filled with fear, but he clenched his teeth tightly and remained silent despite being questioned several times, only desperately twisting his body to resist.

Liu Zhi squatted down, picked up the short knife that had fallen to the ground, and ran his fingertips over the blade and its markings. Suddenly, his expression turned serious.

He handed the weapon to Li Xiang and whispered, "Your Highness, this is a standard military sword."

"In the military?"

Everyone was taken aback. If they were just ordinary assassins or outlaws, they would never possess weapons issued by the government army.

This matter is clearly more dangerous than expected!

In Li Xiang's mind, various guesses flashed by like lightning.

Military connections? Is the one who's going to make the move Li Er? Li Er wants to kill Li Chengqian?

Has Li Er finally been driven to the brink by the criticism? Has he broken down? Has he finally remembered that he should have some sense of shame?

Moreover, Li Chengqian was indeed one of the destabilizing factors for the future of the Tang Dynasty. It's quite reasonable for Emperor Taizong (Li Er) to want to secretly eliminate both Li Chengqian and his rebellious grandson, isn't it?

Should I avoid the crowd when delivering it?

But what if it wasn't Li Er?

Li Xiang's heart was filled with great emotions.

Everyone looked astonished, and the situation fell into an eerie silence.

However, before the silence could dissipate, the faint sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from afar. Wang Xuance frowned.

"During curfew, carriages and horses are strictly prohibited within the ward. How much more so now that a fire has suddenly broken out?"

"It seems—something is amiss," Lu Zhaolin said.

Everyone focused their attention again, hearing the sound of horses' hooves getting closer, interspersed with the crisp sounds of armor plates colliding and iron rings striking each other.

It pierced the night clearly as it approached from afar.

"They're armored soldiers!" Liu Zhi's expression changed drastically.

Wang Xuance felt a sense of relief, but then his heart sank again: he had initially thought it might be a secret order from the palace, that His Majesty was about to take action in secret. If that were the case, the Imperial Grandson and the deposed Crown Prince would surely die.

But the presence of armored soldiers indicates that this was not His Majesty's doing. If His Majesty wanted to take action, he would never have used such a large force.

But—they actually deployed armored soldiers?

Having been through many battles, Liu Zhi knew better than anyone the vast difference between armored soldiers and unarmored men. Ordinary servants and guards were only allowed to carry short weapons and were not permitted to wear heavy armor. In the face of fully armed elite soldiers, they were almost powerless to fight back.

He had originally thought that protecting the imperial grandson alone might lead to unforeseen circumstances. It would be better to quickly take the imperial grandson back to his comrades.

With enough manpower, even if they cannot extinguish the fire, they can at least kill any potential assassins.

But if the opponent is armored soldiers—

He looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with anxiety, and urged in a low voice, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The other side has elite armored troops; this is definitely not a simple private fight or assassination."

"This place is extremely dangerous; we absolutely cannot stay here any longer. We must leave immediately! If we delay any longer and are discovered by the armored soldiers, we will face certain death!"

"Then, what about His Highness the Crown Prince?" Lu Zhaolin asked anxiously.

"The situation is urgent!"

Liu Zhi bit his lip and looked in the direction of the residence where the Crown Prince was imprisoned.

There, flames flickered, but no shouts of battle rang out. They probably hadn't yet realized an armored night attack was imminent.

"Your Highness, please find a secluded place to hide with your two sons. I must hurry back to warn them! And have the brothers hide the Crown Prince!"

Wang Xuance suddenly grabbed Liu Zhi's arm. "The enemy is coming on horseback. No matter how fast you are, can you outrun a galloping horse?"

"Could it be that you intend to shout a warning after getting away from His Highness? In that case, His Highness might be alerted."

"However, if you make a sound, it will surely attract the enemy's attention and you will be pursued. Are you trying to draw the armored cavalry away from His Highness?"

Liu Zhi's face stiffened, and he remained silent.

Li Xiang glanced at Liu Zhi, then listened to the approaching sound of horses' hooves and the clanging of armor plates in the night, his face turning grim.

"Stop talking." He looked at Liu Zhi, then at the thug on the ground, his face filled with terror, with arson weapons scattered everywhere.

"These people have already laid a trap; they are clearly determined to succeed."

Even if you are willing to issue a warning, it may not be possible to divert their attention.

He looked at Wang Xuance and Lu Zhaolin.

"Brother Wang, Brother Lu, I have an idea—"

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