Li Longji stopped his horse from a distance and dismounted. He quickly walked towards Yang Fan, cupped his fists, and greeted, "Great General!"
Yang Fan smiled and cupped his hands. "Your Highness, was the journey smooth?"
Seeing Yang Fan's extremely calm expression, Li Longji miraculously calmed down. He nodded at Yang Fan, and his smile became much more relaxed. Yang Fan said cheerfully, "Alright, let's go to the Forbidden Court now."
The political power in the imperial court had been purged by the Zetian dynasty and Li Xianchao, and was now cleaner than ever. The Wei faction was outshining the rest, and Li Longji had no support at all. Under such circumstances, Yang Fan and Li Longji had no choice but to be cautious. Today was the day of the coup, and very few people knew about it beforehand.
There were dozens of them, and they were too obvious a target to enter the barracks. If they attracted the attention of others, the coup would probably be aborted. However, as the leader of the coup, Li Longji couldn't leave the barracks. Given the current communication conditions, he couldn't remotely control them.
Therefore, they chose the Imperial Gardens Supervisor as the "former enemy command center of the coup." The Imperial Gardens Supervisor was stationed at the north of the palace, and there was only one non-military organization among them — the Imperial Gardens Supervisor.
There were hundreds of gardeners in the Imperial Gardens Supervisor, who were responsible for the maintenance of the flowers and plants in the royal gardens and palace. The Imperial Gardens Supervisor was located close to the north wall of the palace, and on its left and right were the barracks of the Imperial Gardens Supervisor and the Imperial Gardens Supervisor.
The name of the Imperial Gardens Supervisor was Zhong Shaojing, who had long been bribed by Xue Chongjian. However, his official position was too low, and he couldn't play any other role in this coup. His biggest role was to provide a safe and convenient command center for Li Longji. Therefore, even he didn't know about today's coup.
The Imperial Gardens Supervisor's gardener often saw Xue Chongjian drinking with Supervisor Zhong. Today, he came again with dozens of people in hunting gear. He thought that Xue Chongjian had returned from a hunting trip and couldn't return to the city. Therefore, he didn't suspect anything and enthusiastically let them in.
Xue Chongjian led everyone to Zhong Shaojing's residence with ease. After knocking a few times on the door knocker, a woman's voice could be heard asking, "Who is it?"
Xue Chong gave a simple reply. The woman said, "Ah! So it's Young Master Xue, please wait a moment! "
Xue Chongjian turned to Li Longji and said, "This woman is Supervisor Zhong."
Everyone waited in front of the door for a while, but no one opened the door. Li Longji couldn't help but be vigilant. Xue Chongjian shouted a few more times. This Director Zhong was not a high-ranking official, and there were only two entrances to the house. He should be able to hear them clearly from inside the house, but there was no reply.
Li Longji stealthily grasped the hilt of his sword and threw a glance at Wang Maozhong and Li Yide, instructing in a low voice, "You guys spread out and see if there's an ambush!"
Seeing that Xue Chongjian was unable to knock on the door, Wang Maozhong was so nervous that his face turned pale. As soon as he heard Li Longji's order, he immediately gestured to Li Yide and led a few people to scatter in all directions. Pretending to be calm, he secretly observed the situation.
Li, and said. Li, Xue Longji., Fan, and, and. and,., Li Li Li.
Li Longji glanced at the gardeners who were strolling around the forbidden garden and said in a low voice, "That won't do. There are still a few hours before we make our move. There are several hundred people in this forbidden garden. Once someone notices that something is wrong, we won't be able to control so many people."
Xue Chongjian cursed, "That Old Zhong! What is he up to?"
In the main hall of the Zhong Residence, Zhong Shaojing is standing upright with his forehead drenched in cold sweat.
At this juncture, he is afraid.
His heart is indeed on Li Tang's side. In addition to Xue Chongjian's friendship with him, he has the mentality of a gentleman dying for a bosom friend. In addition, he also has the desire to bestow his wife and son to him. Hence, he agreed to serve the Prince of Lin Zi.
However, he did not know that today is the day of the crisis. He also did not know that his residence will be under the command of the King of Lin Zi and was not mentally prepared.
Just now, when Madam came to report the news, Zhong Shaojing hurriedly went to the front hall and peeked through the crack of the door. Looking at the attire and expressions of the people outside, he knew that the day has finally come.
Once the door is opened, he will be on the same boat as the Prince of Xiang. Thinking about the consequences of failure, especially with the example of Crown Prince Li Zhongjun's failed rebellion, Zhong Shaojing suddenly felt an inexplicable panic.
He is only a lowly official in charge of the gardens and is responsible for taking care of the flowers and grasses. How can he remain calm when faced with such a major event? For a moment, Zhong Shaojing's heart was in turmoil and he could not make up his mind.
Zhong Shaojing's wife, Madam Xu, has always been deeply in love with her husband. She did not hide the fact that her husband is seeking refuge with the King of Lin Zi. Looking at her husband's expression, she understood that the King of Lin Zi is going to start a rebellion tonight.
Seeing her husband's unwillingness to make up his mind, Madam Xu went to him and gently called out, "Husband!"
"Ah?" Zhong Shaojing regained his senses and looked at his wife in a daze.
Madam Xu solemnly explained, "Husband has an agreement with the King of Lin Zi. Even if you turn them away today, if they fail, do you think that Husband can escape death? Even if you sacrifice yourself for the country, the deities will secretly protect you. At this point, Husband must not hesitate any longer! "
Listening to his wife's advice, Zhong Shaojing carefully thought about it and agreed with her reasoning. Actually, from the day he agreed to serve the King of Lin Zi, he is already on the same boat as the Prince of Xiang and can no longer leave.
Zhong Shaojing gritted his teeth and affirmed, "Wife is right. Your husband will go and welcome the Prince!"
Outside the courtyard, Li Longji and the rest have been waiting for Zhong Shaojing for a long time. Knowing that something unexpected has happened, they are stuck in a dilemma. Not to mention Xue Chongjian, Liu Youqiu and the rest, even Li Longji's face is somewhat pale.
Even the usually calm and composed Yang Fan could not help but frown, thinking to himself, "Could it be that this is an unfavorable start and before the rebellion can be launched, the halberds will sink into the sand?"
At this moment, the door bolt clanged loudly and the courtyard doors opened. Standing at the entrance, Zhong Shaojing squeezed out a smile and loudly exclaimed, "Aha! I am taking a bath. Sorry for making Young Master Xue wait. Please, please, please come in! "
This group of people has been standing at the entrance for a long time and many of the gardeners have started to notice them. Some of them are even whispering to each other. Now that Director Zhong personally came out to welcome them, these people's suspicions were dispelled and they dispersed.
Li Longji secretly heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly instructed a guard beside him, "Go and call Yi De and Mao Zhong back!" He then followed Xue Chongjian into the courtyard.
Zhong Shaojing's house has only two entrances and the courtyard is not small. In the spacious courtyard, there are chickens and ducks and a few plots of vegetables, giving the atmosphere of the countryside.
After the courtyard doors are closed, Xue Chongjian reported to Zhong Shaojing, "Director Zhong, our uprising will take place tonight! This is the Prince of Lin Zi. Hurry up and pay your respects! "
Zhong Shaojing saw a handsome young man dressed like a guard nodding and smiling at him. He hurriedly kneeled on the ground and greeted, "Zhong Shaojing pays his respects to Your Royal Highness!"
Looking at his expression, Li Longji can tell that the bathing is just an excuse. However, this is a matter of life and death and it is normal for him to be conflicted. Since he is willing to open the door, it means that he is ultimately on his side.
Therefore, Li Longji didn't expose him. He just went forward to help him up and comforted him, "Director Zhong is loyal to the country and has a high sense of righteousness. Our Li family will never forget your loyalty. If we succeed, we will definitely reward you generously!"
Zhong Shaojing also knows that the reason he gave earlier is not very credible. Moreover, Li Longji's words are sincere and without any intention of deceiving him. Zhong Shaojing felt ashamed and did not dare to continue the conversation. He passionately invited everyone into the courtyard.
Just as Li Longji was about to follow Zhong Shaojing into the courtyard, Li Yi De suddenly barged in with a few guards. Seeing Li Longji, he reported, "Royal Prince, Wang Maozhong is missing!"
Li Longji was shocked and hurriedly questioned, "How can he be missing? What has happened to him? "
Li Yi De's expression is a little strange. He stammered, "He … someone saw him just now. He led a horse and quietly left the Forbidden Park Supervisor's gates."
"What?"
Xue Chongjian, Zhong Shaojing, and the others paled. Xue Chongjian anxiously tugged on Li Longji's sleeve and said in fear, "This is bad! San Lang, let's go!"
Li Longji was dragged two steps away by him. Suddenly, he grabbed the other's wrist and stood firmly in place. Xue Chongjian anxiously asked, "San Lang, what are you doing?"
Li Longji's brows furrowed and he lightly shook his head. "We can't leave!"
Xue Chongjian stamped his feet. "Why can't we leave? If we don't leave now, when Wang Maozhong leads House Wei's troops here, we won't be able to live."
Zhong Shaojing was so frightened that his teeth chattered. He said in a trembling voice, "Yes … yes! Since they haven't arrived yet, Royal Prince, you should leave quickly. Oh! This one also has to leave with Royal Prince. Wife! Wife, quickly pack up your belongings … "
Li Longji said solemnly, "House Wei won't come to capture us."
Liu Youqiu asked in bewilderment, "How can Royal Prince be so sure?"
Li Longji said, "Wang Maozhong is a servant of my residence and has served me since he was young. I know him best. He doesn't have any ulterior motives, but he's as timid as a mouse. If I'm not mistaken, he's running for his life because Director Zhong opened the door a little late and thought that something had happened."
Li Longji laughed bitterly. "If he stays, we'll have one more helper. If he escapes, we'll just lose a pair of fists. Today is the day everyone and I will get rid of this great rebel, bring peace to the country, and reap riches and honor!
Now, all the preparations have been made. Even if Wei Dang didn't find any clues tonight, they'll definitely find something strange tomorrow. If we give up now, we'll still be unable to escape death tomorrow. Everyone, we can only fight. There's no turning back! "
Li Longji's words were sonorous, forceful, and extremely infectious. When everyone heard his voice, their fear subsided slightly, and the thought of escaping immediately lessened considerably.
Yang Fan was also secretly shocked just now, but now that he saw that Li Longji's words were reasonable, he felt a little more at ease. He then saw that Li Longji was also secretly frightened, but he was still able to force himself to remain calm and prevent everyone from escaping because of this accident. He couldn't help but admire him.
Yang Fan agreed. "Royal Prince's words are reasonable. If Wang Maozhong really is a traitor, the moment we entered the Imperial Garden, we would have already set up an ambush everywhere. Would we still wait for him to report? Wang Maozhong became a deserter because of fear. We can't let all our previous efforts go to waste! "
When everyone heard Yang Fan agree with Li Longji's words, they unconsciously believed him a little more since these two had the highest status in the group. At this moment, Xue Chongjian suddenly cried out in alarm. "Oh no! Wang Maozhong has escaped. Who's going to be in charge of contacting the ten thousand winged cavalry? "
When Li Longji wasn't in the capital, Wang Maozhong and Li Yide had been recruiting the generals for him. Li Yide was loyal and brave, but he was slow with words. Wang Maozhong, on the other hand, was eloquent and eloquent. Thus, he had always been in charge.
Tonight, Li Longji was going to seize the military power of the ten thousand cavalry and the winged cavalry, and Wang Maozhong was in charge of contacting the generals in the Imperial Army and commanding them to seize power. Who knew that he would escape at the last moment? What should they do?
Speaking of military coups, there had been three since the establishment of the Tang dynasty. Li Shimin's was the simplest and the most straightforward one. He ambushed the unsuspecting Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and Prince Qi Li Yuanji at Xuanwu Gate. It was a clean and efficient coup. The second time was when Zhang Jianzhi and the others planned the Divine Dragon Coup. Faced with a powerful empress who controlled the elite imperial army, they formulated the most sophisticated coup plan.
The third time was when Crown Prince Li Zhongjun rebelled against Emperor Li Xian. Although the coup this time was rather disorganized and the process was fraught with difficulties, he was only one step away from succeeding. If Li Xian hadn't ascended Xuanwu Gate at the last moment.
And this time, because the entire imperial court was under the control of the Wei faction, even the actions planned by dragons and phoenixes among men like Yang Fan and Li Longji were met with frequent accidents in the face of the huge disparity in strength. First, it was Zhong Shaojing who got scared at the last moment, followed by Wang Maozhong who escaped at the last moment. Both of them had important missions.
A dark cloud quietly floated over everyone's hearts. "This is not a good sign!"
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