Chapter 1298

The old man, still shaken, glanced at the moat below.

At the bottom of the clear moat lay piles of white bones.

One could not tell how many were like him, having accidentally fallen in and drowned.

"Young man, thank you, thank you, this old one..." The old man looked up at Duan Yu to express his gratitude.

Duan Yu shook his head and said, "Be careful, this junior still has matters to attend to."

Filial piety was a virtue in the present day.

This action of Duan Yu's immediately drew admiring gazes from most of the people around.

But Duan Yu did not linger, for he had more important things to do.

"Old man, if you are fine, go home quickly; this place... is not safe." Duan Yu paused slightly in his steps.

The old man only thought Duan Yu meant the drawbridge was unsafe and felt no other abnormalities.

Thus, he nodded: "Thank you, young man."

Duan Yu turned his head and walked toward the city gate.

The guards at the gate, seeing someone still entering the city at this hour, impatiently blocked Duan Yu's path, reached out their hands, and said, "What are you doing? Why are you entering the city? Do you have your travel permit?"

Duan Yu nodded with a calm expression, then took a smoothly polished bamboo slip from his bosom and handed it to the soldier.

A travel permit is also called a *chuan*.

During the Qin Dynasty, it was called a *yan*.

When commoners went out and crossed counties, they needed to carry a *yan* to prove their identity and the purpose of their travel, which had to be issued by the local county office or by the village elders.

To put it plainly, it was an identity document.

Without this identity document, one could not enter the city.

When Shang Yang fled back then, he was caught precisely because he did not have a *yan* and could not pass through the checkpoints.

By the Han Dynasty, the *yan* was renamed *chuan*, often called *chuanyan*.

Without a *chuanyan*, one could not leave or enter a city.

The soldier took Duan Yu's *chuanyan*, glanced at it, and then handed it back to Duan Yu.

"Go in. There is a curfew at night; you are not allowed to walk around the city at will," the soldier warned.

Duan Yu put away the *chuanyan* and walked into the city.

"Why are there so many people from the Liangzhou Merchant Firm lately?"

The two soldiers muttered.

"Never mind them. I heard that ever since the Liangzhou Governor took office, Liangzhou has been getting better and better. That white paper and snow salt both come from Liangzhou. The masters in the city are all flocking to the goods produced in Liangzhou."

Duan Yu heard the voices coming from behind but paid no mind, heading straight for the main street after entering the Anmen.

The South Gate connected to the main street, leading to the Luomen in the north.

Not far to the west of the Luomen were the East and West Markets.

Further north, close to the city wall, were the residential wards.

This was also one of the few places in Chang'an where ordinary commoners could live.

Duan Yu arrived here, entered an alley, and stopped in front of a private residence.

As the knocking sound rang out, footsteps came from inside; someone peeked through the door crack and then opened the courtyard gate.

"Duan Yu."

Zhang Liao, who opened the door, greeted Duan Yu.

Afterward, he looked left and right outside.

Confirming that no one was following, Zhang Liao closed the door.

Inside the courtyard, several guards were standing, all with swords at their waists.

Li Ru, dressed in a black robe, sat in the courtyard, holding a teacup and blowing on the rising steam.

"Duan Yu is here." Li Ru looked at Duan Yu and greeted him.

Duan Yu nodded and stepped forward.

Then, he and Zhang Liao sat down on either side of Li Ru.

"The Marquis has sent word back, saying we can act."

After the two sat down, Li Ru set down his teacup.

He then waved his hand to summon a guard, who brought over a scroll of sheepskin map.

When the map was unfolded, a clear floor plan of Chang'an City was laid out before them.

The floor plan was drawn with extreme precision.

It included every palace in Chang'an, every alley, the East and West Markets, and all the city gates of Chang'an.

"To take Chang'an this time, we must be fast, and we must succeed in one strike." Li Ru's tone was grave: "The Marquis is buying us time to capture Chang'an, as well as Hangu, Chencang, Huayin, and other places, to open up the grain routes for Liangzhou and establish a firm foothold in Guanzhong."

"Among these, Chang'an is the most critical."

"Although Chang'an does not have many defenders, the city walls are high and thick, and the defenses are well-prepared. If we cannot succeed in one strike, I fear it would take us months to break through Chang'an with our current forces."

"In three more months, winter will arrive. If we haven't captured Chang'an by then, it will affect the Marquis's great cause."

Duan Yu and Zhang Liao looked at each other and nodded earnestly.

"I will make the arrangements now."

Li Ru used his teacup to press down a curled corner of the map and pointed to it, saying: "Chang'an has twelve gates. To the south are the Xi'an Gate, Anmen, and Fu'ang Gate; to the east are the Bacheng Gate, Qingming Gate, and Xuanping Gate; to the north are the Luomen, Chucheng Gate, and Hengmen; to the west are the Zhangtai Gate, Yongmen, and Zhicheng Gate."

"Attacking all twelve gates is clearly unrealistic; we do not have many people in the city."

"These men are already at our limit. If more people enter the city, there will be no place to house them, and it will also arouse suspicion."

"Therefore, our manpower is only enough to attack four gates."

"Duan Yu, Wenyuan, you each lead one hundred men to attack the Luomen in the north and the Anmen in the south. Once you occupy the gates, send a signal to the outside of the city, and the main army will immediately enter."

"For the east and west, I have already arranged for Cao Cao's cousins, Cao Hong and Xia Houyuan, to attack the Qingming Gate and the Zhicheng Gate."

"They will be the first to attack the Qingming Gate and the Zhicheng Gate to draw the attention of the Chang'an defenders, while I will set fires within Chang'an to attract another portion of the guards."

Duan Yu and Zhang Liao carefully memorized every word Li Ru said.

"Remember, this mission must succeed; failure is not an option."

Li Ru looked at them with an extremely serious expression and tone: "I know you have a deep relationship with the Marquis and are the people he trusts most, which is why I have entrusted the most important tasks to you. But if you fail, I will be the first to commit suicide to apologize, and you will also find it hard to escape responsibility."

"This concerns the Marquis's great cause and is of the utmost importance; not the slightest bit of carelessness is allowed."

"The Marquis is luring the imperial army in Hedong Commandery precisely to buy us time to stabilize our footing."

Zhang Liao and Duan Yu both stood up and bowed to Li Ru: "Please rest assured, Mr. Li. Even if we are crushed to pieces, we will never delay the Marquis's great cause."

"Everything for Liangzhou, everything for the Marquis!"

Li Ru, in his black robe, also stood up and tapped his left chest lightly: "For the Marquis!"

The night, like a large black net, shrouded the entire city of Chang'an.

The black of ancient times was that kind of silent, soundless black without any light.

From time to time, one could hear the rhythmic sound of patrol soldiers' boots stepping on the ground.

*Sizzle~*

At the end of an alley in the East Market, sparks lit up, then ignited a pile of dry grass that had been placed there earlier.

The flames climbed rapidly.

At the same time, dozens of such ignition points appeared on the two main streets of the East Market.

The firelight soon danced like red sprites in the night.

Li Ru, dressed in a black robe, stood on the balcony of a three-story wooden building, watching the firelight rising in the East Market.

Watching the firelight in the distance grow brighter, Li Ru stroked his chin.

"It has begun!" Li Ru chuckled.

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

"Come quickly, there's a fire!"

The shouting broke the quiet night.

In the four directions of Chang'an—east, west, south, and north—a large number of men in black, holding crossbows and *hengdao* swords, began to assemble.

In the south of the city, Duan Yu changed into armor, looking at the hundred death-sworn soldiers gathering with a cold, sharp gaze.

"For the Marquis!" ===== CHAPTER 1300 =====