Chapter 392: The Prince of Qin Circles the Pillar

A bizarre scene unfolded within the vast main hall of Huaqing Palace.

Fang Xiangshi led the twelve child-assassins, pouncing on Brother Ji like fierce demons, their movements ferocious and swift.

Though Cui Qianyou was valiant, he could only block two or three of them; the rest bypassed him and pursued Brother Ji relentlessly!

They "split into multiple routes"—several child-assassins chased Brother Ji as he ran, while Fang Xiangshi intercepted from the front. Gao Lishi, unarmed, did not know what to do, worried that rushing forward would not only fail to help but instead interfere with Brother Ji's evasions.

Yet no one expected that, with his life under direct threat, the already aged Brother Ji suddenly erupted with unimaginable vitality, his movements and footsteps not the least bit inferior to the assassins'.

He ran around the pillars of the palace hall, dodging and weaving with remarkable agility! Several times he was nearly surrounded by the assassins, yet at the critical moment he slipped past.

At this very moment, the Divine Strategy Army guards outside the hall also heard the commotion and barely rushed into the hall, but the scene inside was chaotic; they had not yet grasped the situation and did not know how to act.

"Assassins! Catch the assassins! Protect His Majesty!"

Gao Lishi snatched a horizontal blade from one of the Divine Strategy Army guards and stepped forward to hack down a child-assassin who was gasping for breath. A Tang knife was not even as long as an adult's forearm; though its explosive power was fierce, it was no match for a horizontal blade in a clash.

Moreover, a child's strength was far inferior to an adult's.

By now the "Twelve Divine Beasts" had already been cut down five or six by Cui Qianyou, and the rest were all wounded. The Divine Strategy Army guards, gradually securing control of the hall, formed a circle around Brother Ji to protect him.

The situation had turned one-sided; only Fang Xiangshi was still barely holding out, but he too was wounded.

In truth, the moment Fang Xiangshi's "willow-leaf blades" were spent, this assassination attempt had already failed—what followed was merely a death struggle.

Brother Ji, panting heavily and still shaken, watched Fang Xiangshi fighting Cui Qianyou. With the help of several Divine Strategy Army guards, even though Fang Xiangshi's footwork was extremely nimble, he could not evade the edge of horizontal blades and weapons.

In the blink of an eye, the last assassin was also slaughtered. Thirteen corpses lay in the hall, each with a gruesome appearance in death.

"Sage! This slave deserves death!"

Gao Lishi hurriedly trotted over to Brother Ji, prostrated himself on the ground, and wept bitterly, not daring to rise.

Gao Lishi understood very well in his heart that this time, he was in enormous trouble! These assassins were brought in by him, led into Huaqing Palace by him. If the mastermind behind it could not be found, then Gao Lishi was currently the person with the greatest suspicion!

"Rise. Framing others to shift blame only makes it more obvious. General Gao, go investigate these people's origins thoroughly. I will show no leniency this time!"

Brother Ji, his face cold, suppressed the fury in his heart and gave Gao Lishi his orders.

At this critical moment, he rarely maintained his composure. If Gao Lishi wanted to kill him, he had plenty of opportunities; there was no need to use such a convoluted method. Blatantly bringing assassins into Huaqing Palace—would anyone truly be that stupid?

So there was only one answer: someone wanted to drive a wedge between Gao Lishi and him, the Son of Heaven!

At this moment, Brother Ji's mind raced. It seemed that once it involved power struggles and conspiracies, it was as though he had entered his element.

Then again, Brother Ji felt that although Gao Lishi would not betray him, it did not mean his competence was sufficient.

This time, Gao Lishi had clearly been negligent.

"Eh? I thank the Sage for his grace! This slave will go attend to it at once!"

Hearing Brother Ji's words, Gao Lishi was so moved that tears nearly fell. This trust alone was no small thing.

"Did Lord Cui sustain any injuries?"

After Gao Lishi left, Brother Ji looked at Cui Qianyou and asked with a face full of concern.

"By the Sage's protection, your humble general is unharmed."

Cui Qianyou cupped his fists in salute and breathed a sigh of relief. Like Gao Lishi, he was now terrified to the extreme in retrospect. His actions in protecting His Majesty had been almost entirely reflexive; otherwise, the outcome would have been hard to say.

Today's events were far too sudden. No one had expected that the sacrificial troupe that came to "exorcise ghosts" would turn out to be assassins in disguise.

If Brother Ji truly pursued accountability, all the guards responsible for standing watch at Huaqing Palace would die.

"Lord Cui, come with me. I have something I wish to discuss with you privately."

A cold glint flashed in Brother Ji's eyes, and he turned and walked toward the study.

Cui Qianyou followed Brother Ji to the study. The moment they met, Brother Ji asked in a low voice: "When these assassins entered the palace today, were they searched?"

He believed Cui Qianyou certainly had no connection to the assassins, but he still wanted to confirm his suspicion.

"Reporting to the Sage, your humble general is absolutely certain. When those people entered Huaqing Palace, they were searched. Moreover, your humble general personally watched on-site. The search was extremely thorough; it was absolutely impossible for them to have concealed weapons."

Cui Qianyou said with exceptional certainty.

He also found it strange. He had personally led the team conducting the body searches—so how had those people produced Tang knives? That search had been extremely thorough, almost akin to stripping off every piece of clothing to look for needles and thread.

"Hmm. Lord Cui, investigate how this group obtained their weapons."

"Understood! Your humble general will go attend to it at once."

Cui Qianyou was just about to turn when Brother Ji called him back.

"Never mind, no need."

Brother Ji waved his hand and sighed helplessly: "Someone in Huaqing Palace will take their own life very soon. If no one does, then you may go investigate at that time."

Based on his past experience with coups, after a failed assassination, the "loose ends" within Huaqing Palace would likely be cleaned up at the first opportunity.

In such matters, it often came down to "the emperor's own judgment"—whoever the emperor believed it to be, that was who it was.

Very few people were foolish enough to leave behind conclusive evidence and testimony.

"Is the Sage saying... those people obtained their weapons only after entering the palace?"

Hearing Brother Ji's words, Cui Qianyou turned pale with fright, but on second thought, he was relieved. After all, the assassins had only used Tang knives, which could be found anywhere within Huaqing Palace!

What exactly was a "Tang knife"?

To explain it in complex terms, this thing had quite a history; it could be considered a typical product of the Tang dynasty's fusion with Xianbei culture.

But to explain it simply was also very simple: when Tang dynasty men went out, they often wore a special kind of belt. The belt had many iron rings, from which common items were hung.

For example, the fish tallies commonly used by military officers, household keys, and so forth.

However, the item that was inseparable from the belt was the "general-purpose" small knife hung upon it, called the "Tang knife."

Depending on different people's needs, the length of the Tang knife also varied slightly.

The shortest was no longer than an adult's palm, while the longest did not exceed an adult's forearm.

The Tang knife was not a weapon, but a commonly used tool and ornament. For instance, every Divine Strategy Army soldier carried one, hung at the waist on ordinary days, and used on many occasions.

While walking, the Tang knife would rub against the leather belt and produce some sound.

So only when carrying out special missions where making noise was inconvenient would it be tucked away and stored.

This thing was often used to slice cooked meat and was not uncommon on the dining table.

Today, after those assassins entered the palace, they were not immediately brought before Brother Ji. After entering the palace, but before having an audience with the emperor, obtaining a Tang knife from a mole inside Huaqing Palace did not seem surprising.

The mole could have been a soldier of the Divine Strategy Army, or a eunuch in the palace.

And when entering the great hall, because they had already been searched and Gao Lishi was pressing them to hurry, this procedure was done perfunctorily—or perhaps among the soldiers conducting the inspection, there was a mole themselves. Turning a blind eye was not surprising either.

Having figured this out, Cui Qianyou suddenly felt that this assassination case was truly bottomless!

Just how many people inside Huaqing Palace had been bought off?

"Replace all the Divine Strategy Army guards of Huaqing Palace. You will select the new retainers, and this must be done within the next few days!"

Brother Ji, his face dark, instructed Cui Qianyou.

"Yes, your subordinate will certainly attend to it swiftly."

Cui Qianyou did not dare raise any objection. Since Brother Ji had already spoken, there was no room for choice—whatever he said, went.

He had not expected so many problems lurking within the Chang'an imperial guards!

"Go, do it under the pretext of a rotation of guard duty, and do not make it public. Any soldier with connections to Chang'an or the surrounding prefectures and counties—none of them."

Brother Ji added a reminder.

"Your subordinate understands!"

Cui Qianyou accepted the order and departed.

Only when there was no one else around in the study did Brother Ji furiously flip over the desk, his eyes bulging with rage, bloodshot filling them!

Who on earth would dare carry out an assassination inside Huaqing Palace! It was simply not taking him, the Son of Heaven, seriously!

Could it be the same as last time at Cuiwei Palace?

A terrifying thought flashed through Brother Ji's mind!

If last time Li Chang still could not clear himself of suspicion, then this time, Li Chang, who was virtually under house arrest, had indeed been the first to "get to shore."

Because he had absolutely no possibility of plotting or executing it.

"If it wasn't Li Chang, then who could it be?"

Brother Ji slowly calmed down, mulling over the possible candidates in his mind. He suddenly realized that he could not depose the Crown Prince for the time being!

He had over twenty grown sons, and not a single one could be cleared of suspicion.

But this matter was also difficult to investigate, because none of the civil and military officials at court yet knew about the assassination attempt on the emperor. If he investigated with great fanfare and in the end found nothing conclusive, would that not encourage others to "follow suit"?

Brother Ji suddenly realized that this matter could not be handled rashly either!

"Someone come!"

He called out toward the door of the study.

Yu Chao'en approached cautiously, bowing as he asked, "Sage, what are your orders?"

"Go find General Gao, and tell him there is no need to investigate…"

Brother Ji said half of it, then, as if remembering something, looked at Yu Chao'en with a suspicious gaze.

"How much do you know about what happened today at the main hall of Huaqing Palace?"

Brother Ji asked casually.

"Sage, what are you talking about?"

Yu Chao'en asked back in bewilderment—he was genuinely baffled by the question.

In fact, it was precisely because Gao Lishi had gone to Chang'an to investigate the case that Yu Chao'en had been transferred over. Yu Chao'en knew absolutely nothing about the assassination attempt on the emperor by assassins in the great hall of Huaqing Palace today.

Seeing that Yu Chao'en did not appear to be feigning ignorance, Brother Ji waved his hand impatiently, signaling him to get out quickly. After the latter withdrew from the study in fear and trepidation, Brother Ji lay down helplessly on the soft cushion before the desk, feeling as though the strength had been drained from his body.

He finally understood what that mastermind behind the scenes was really trying to do!

……

Mulu City—many Tang officials called it "Maru." In any case, the name did not matter; it was all transliterated.

This city in fact had an extraordinary history and had risen very early. As far back as the Han dynasty, it was a strategic point on the Silk Road.

The Persians, the Seleucids, the Parthians, the Sassanid dynasty, and the Arabs successively ruled this region, continuously building up Mulu City.

The first settlers here were the Margianians. The Mulu City they founded was then called Erk Kala. After being conquered by numerous outsiders, Erk Kala was continuously expanded, forming a great city comprising three areas—an outer city, a city district, and an inner city—covering an area of sixty square kilometers, becoming an important node on the Silk Road of the Western Regions.

But the good times did not last. With the collapse of the natural environment and the diversion of rivers, the great desert blocking the way between Mulu City and the Parthian Kingdom no longer held even a single drop of water.

The trade routes were consequently abandoned and rerouted.

At this moment, however, Fang Chongyong looked at the sand dunes before him—no more than a hundred meters in height, yet terrifyingly numerous, layered and overlapping as far as the eye could see—and asked Che Guangqian in puzzlement, "When the Dashi army advanced, did they also cross over these sand dunes?"

This belt of sand dunes was of unknown depth lengthwise; presumably, passing through it would lead to Mulu City.

But it stretched extremely far laterally, with no end in sight—likely a hundred li at least. So bypassing it was impossible; they had no choice but to steel themselves and cross over.

Fang Chongyong pointed at the sand dunes with his riding crop, then looked at Che Guangqian again, his expression seeming to say: this is the route you led us on?

"Jiedushi, the Dashi people also crossed these sand dunes.

What the Dashi people could accomplish, we can too.

The roads are just those roads; it's only a matter of who walks them."

Che Guangqian clasped his fists in a formal salute and said to Fang Chongyong.

"Fine then!"

Jiedushi Fang sighed, unable to restrain himself from grumbling inwardly.

This road was a real pain in the ass. The sand dunes before him, though not high, were all sand and gravel, not a single blade of grass growing on them.

Who knew what lay behind the sand dunes!

Their army now truly had no way forward but in, and not the slightest room for adjustment.

Fang Chongyong suddenly recalled that historically, Gao Xianzhi had campaigned across a thousand li to launch a surprise attack on Little Bolü, and his nerve had seemingly been even greater.

Only then did he set aside his gloomy mood, pointed at Feng Changqing with his riding crop, and said, "Pass on my military order: rest in place for half a shichen. After half a shichen, prepare to cross the mountains."

"Got it!"

Feng Changqing, who was standing to one side, immediately went off to relay the orders.

Seeing Fang Chongyong looking as though he had no bottom to his confidence, Che Guangqian stepped forward and urged:

"Jiedushi, this humble general has in fact been observing as well. Here in the Western Regions, oases generally lie beneath great mountains.

This stretch of sand dunes blocks the heat waves coming from the east, and behind the dunes must surely be the city of Mulv, just as it is marked on the map."

He knew what Fang Chongyong was worried about—with these sand dunes here, if the Tang army was defeated, they would not even be able to run!

The distance of this raid could not be called especially far, but the natural environment along the way was truly harsh to the extreme—describing it as not a blade of grass growing would be no exaggeration at all.

Other than snowfall, one truly could not see a single drop of water!

Not even a small oasis, not even a tiny puddle could be seen!

"This Jiedushi understands all this. It is just that—never mind, you would not understand..."

Fang Chongyong shook his head. He could not, for the sake of military merit, lead the troops under his command into a trap.

He took out a flatbread from the bundle strapped to a camel, took small sips of a little water, and still felt as though his lungs were burning.

The air he breathed in was cold and dry; the air he exhaled was hot and dry!

Before they had rested for even a moment, He Changqi, on sentry duty in the distance, fired a signal flare into the sky!

Only in the most dire emergency would such a signal be sent! Fang Chongyong's expression shifted slightly at once, and he stuffed the flatbread he had just bitten a few times back into the bundle on the camel's back.

"Enemy attack! It is the Arab camel cavalry!"

The shout of a Tang army scout came from afar!

In truth, there was no need for him to shout, because most of the Tang soldiers who were resting had already seen, on the other side of the sand dunes, Arab camel cavalry appearing—clad in white robes, bearing black banners!

They were charging down from the top of the hill! Their speed was incomparably fast! Only the camels' charging posture looked somewhat peculiar!

"Modao squad, move forward! Do not worry about those camels, form up ranks!"

Fang Chongyong had Feng Changqing raise the commander's banner, and had Che Guangqian organize the military band to start beating the drums!

The Arabs were actually not defending the city!

Fang Chongyong could not figure out whether the other side had anticipated everything like a god, or whether their audacity stemmed from supreme skill.

But it was very clear—if they wanted to fight, then fight they would! Fang Chongyong had elite troops in hand and felt not the slightest fear!

(End of this chapter)