Chapter 435: Terror at the Imperial Farm (Part 2)

Li Yu allowed the farmers at the imperial farm to harvest wheat for the sake of reputation, but Changsun Quanxu was quite anxious. Li Bi had repeatedly warned him to strengthen defenses. He knew the emperor had offended many people by reforming the land system, and those powerful officials would surely not give up easily. They would take every opportunity to deal with Li Yu. Moreover, this inspection of the imperial farm was Li Yu’s first overseas trip since ascending the throne—perfect opportunity for those who hated him deeply.

Changsun Quanxu dared not be careless. He increased the number of sentries, forbidding farmers from entering within 100 steps of the walls to harvest wheat. He also ordered all the imperial guards to stay awake at night to ensure the safety of the imperial farm buildings.

Even so, Changsun Quanxu remained uneasy. He sent out over a dozen cavalry units to patrol the area around the imperial farm.

It was gradually approaching the first watch of the night, yet the farmers in the wheat fields continued to work hard. It seemed they were determined to work through the night. After several hours with no changes, Changsun Quanxu grew somewhat relaxed. He sat on his couch, dozing off. Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps outside jolted him awake.

“What’s the matter?” he asked irritably.

“General Changsun, there’s something unusual in the wheat fields.”

“What’s unusual? Come in and explain.”

A soldier entered and bowed. “Over two hours ago, the sentries noticed a large group of people harvesting wheat in the field on the east side of the imperial farm. But after two hours, those people were still there harvesting, yet the area of wheat harvested hadn’t increased at all.”

Changsun Quanxu was also puzzled. What were these people doing if not harvesting wheat? Why gather together in the middle of the night?

“Prepare a horse for me. I want to go and check it myself.”

……

In the darkness, Li Chengning and his men continued to wait for their chance. Unbeknownst to them, they had already been noticed by the sentries inside the walls. Just as they could see figures moving in the watchtowers, the sentries could equally see people harvesting wheat in the fields. At first, the sentries might not have noticed their strange behavior, but as time passed, their mistakes became apparent—why wasn’t the area of wheat harvested increasing?

Perhaps due to his own nervousness, Li Chengning failed to realize their flaws. He continued to wait. Lin Sheng’s report told him that there would be a major patrol at the second watch, with about a thousand soldiers leaving the imperial farm buildings for inspection. By then, only two thousand soldiers would remain inside. This was the moment Li Chengning had been waiting for.

At that moment, the sound of horse hooves could be faintly heard in the distance, growing louder as if someone was approaching. A group of soldiers came toward them, led by a general on horseback, who stopped when they were still about a hundred steps away.
“Who are you?”
Li Chengning’s heart pounded nervously as he gripped the spear shaft so tightly his hands sweated. He recognized the voice—it was Changsun Quanxu. He gave a signal to the men beside him, who immediately replied, “I’m a villager from Wangwu Village who cuts wheat here. This wheat field belongs to us.”
In the darkness, Changsun Quanxu couldn’t see their faces clearly. Most of them were hidden among the wheat stalks, which covered their clothing. Yet he still sensed something was wrong—other villages sent men, women, and children, but here there were only men, all seemingly strong.
Increasingly suspicious, he ordered his soldiers, “Go and check it out!”
A dozen soldiers rushed forward along the field ridges.
Realizing they had been exposed, Li Chengning resolved to act boldly. “Prepare the arrows!”
Two hundred archers slowly drew their bows. The soldiers got closer, now only thirty steps away. “General, this isn’t right!”
One of the soldiers spotted their weapons. Li Chengning shouted, “Shoot!”
Two hundred bows were raised in unison, aiming at the soldiers and Changsun Quanxu a hundred steps away. Arrows were fired simultaneously. The powerful arrows pierced through the wheat as two hundred arrows whizzed toward their targets. The dozen soldiers were caught off guard and fell to the ground screaming. Changsun Quanxu was shocked. Instinctively, he bent over in his saddle, dodging two deadly arrows, but his horse wasn’t so lucky—it was hit by three arrows at once. With a loud neigh, the horse fell sideways, throwing Changsun Quanxu into the wheat field. His three hundred men also took numerous arrows, with cries of pain filling the air.
“Charge! Kill them!”
Li Chengning shouted and charged forward with his spear, followed by his five hundred men. At that moment, the shrill sound of bells rang from the watchtower. “Assassins! Assassins!” the sentries cried out.
Changsun Quanxu climbed out of the wheat field. The thick stalks had saved his life, but an arrow had pierced his ear, causing blood to flow. He had never suffered such a heavy loss and was furious. But he quickly regained his composure. These were assassins aiming to kill the emperor, not him. If he died here, who would lead the Imperial Guards in defense?
“Bad! Withdraw immediately to the imperial palace.”

Changsun Quanxu turned and ran. These men in black were highly skilled fighters—undoubtedly elite assassins. If they managed to infiltrate the imperial palace, the consequences would be disastrous. Protecting the emperor was of utmost importance! He didn’t care about his reputation either and started running at full speed, with his subordinates following closely behind. Seeing these soldiers run so fast, Li Chengning sneered, “Running like rabbits!” “Stop chasing them! Climb over the wall and enter the palace!” At his command, five hundred elite soldiers rushed toward the high walls of the imperial palace. The walls were about thirty feet tall, thick and wide, with extremely smooth surfaces, making it difficult to climb. But these men in black had received special training. They took out grappling hooks and threw them at the walls. The hooks caught hold of the top of the wall, and the five hundred men climbed up like monkeys. Arrows rained down from above. The soldiers of the Yulin Army, hidden inside the walls, were well-prepared. They had sentries in all four corners. Since only assassins were present on the east side, the Yulin Army had hidden two thousand troops there, waiting for the assassins to arrive, while the other thousand surrounded the Peony Tower. The men in black had underestimated their opponents. In the eyes of ordinary people in Chang’an, the Yulin Army consisted of sons from noble families, dressed in fine clothes, tall and strong, appearing to be mere showy guards. But in reality, they were as good as nothing, only interested in pleasure-seeking. In actual combat, they were utterly incompetent. This had become a common belief among the people of Chang’an during the reign of Li Longji and was deeply ingrained in their minds. But Li Yu’s Yulin Army was different. Part of it consisted of soldiers from the Shuofang Army. Back then, Changsun Quanxu had taken control of some of these Shuofang soldiers at the Qinggangling camp. These soldiers later joined the Yulin Army and the Wanqi Camp. During this eastern tour, Li Yu didn’t want to make a grand show, allowing only three thousand men to accompany him. Li Mi suggested that Changsun Quanxu select elite soldiers for protection. Thus, these three thousand Yulin soldiers were not from noble families but were all elite members of the Shuofang Army, equipped with practical weapons designed for killing. The men in black hadn’t expected the Yulin Army’s arrow barrage to be so fierce. Within moments, over forty of them were killed or wounded, falling from the wall amidst screams. The rest were suppressed and forced to jump back into the wheat fields. By then, Li Chengning had also calmed down. He remembered the plan he had devised earlier: if discovered, they should disperse and enter from all sides, with the Peony Tower as their target. He immediately ordered, “Disperse! Enter from all four sides. Target is the Peony Tower.”

The 500 men had already been divided into ten squads, each with 50 members and its own leader. Their tasks had been assigned in advance. Seeing that a frontal attack was ineffective, the 500 men immediately dispersed and climbed over the walls to enter the courtyard from four directions. This time their attack was successful. The Imperial Guards had to split up to deal with them, so the arrow rain was not as dense as before. Continuously, men in black jumped into the courtyard and fought fiercely with the Imperial Guards soldiers. Some set fire to piles of straw, and soon flames shot into the sky.

Inside the imperial mansion, cries of battle and the sound of fire filled the air. The noise could be heard ten miles away. The farmers harvesting wheat had already fled back to the village in terror. There was no one left in the vast wheat fields. But west of the mansion, on the road ten miles away, there was a massive army stretching for miles. Leading them was a general—Meng Yun, the commander of the Jinwu Guard. After betraying Li Qingan in Hexi, he was highly regarded by Li Yu. Now he had become the most powerful general in Chang’an, commanding the largest army.

Meng Yun stared coldly at the mansion, remaining unmoved on his horse, as if Li Yu’s fate no longer concerned him. At that moment, a horse slowly approached. On it was a middle-aged man in green robes. The moonlight illuminated his face—it was Emperor Li Heng, the retired emperor.

Seeing him arrive, Meng Yun quickly bowed in greeting. Li Heng waved his hand, telling him there was no need for formalities. After staring for a while, he asked, “Do you think they will succeed?”

Meng Yun shook his head. “The 3,000 Imperial Guards brought by Changsun Quanxu are elite troops from Shuofang, highly combat-effective. But these assassins are not a military force. Though they may seem skilled individually, they are actually a ragtag group with no understanding of tactics or discipline. Relying solely on bravery, such people may be fierce for a while but cannot hold out. Once their momentum is broken, they will surely collapse. Your Majesty, please wait patiently—results will be known within half an hour at most.”

Li Heng smiled slightly. “General Meng truly deserves to be called an experienced general. Your insight is sharp and your vision is far-reaching!”

Meng Yun’s face turned slightly red as he quickly said, “Your Majesty is too kind. I am ashamed!”

Li Heng nodded in approval. “General Meng, there’s no need to be modest. Even Li Qingan suffered a great loss at your hands and still harbors resentment. That only proves your exceptional ability. I won’t be wrong about you. Please rest assured, I will definitely keep my promise!”

Although Meng Yun felt guilty toward Li Yu, thinking of the promise given by Li Heng filled him with enthusiasm. All thoughts of loyalty to the emperor were forgotten. Gritting his teeth, he said, “I am willing to serve Your Majesty wholeheartedly!”

Li Heng’s eyes narrowed in laughter. Wang Gong’s subversion tactic was indeed powerful. If Meng Yun hadn’t been recalled to the capital, he really wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything significant.

“Then let’s calm down and take another look. When the time comes, we’ll step onto the stage and perform.”
Li Heng’s gaze once again fell on the imperial villa illuminated by flames, his eyes filled with complex emotions—perhaps a trace of reluctance. But as those flames transformed in his eyes into a supreme throne, into the position he longed for, that trace of reluctance vanished, replaced by cruelty and indifference. He murmured to himself, “You can’t blame me. You said you were willing to give me the throne, but you failed…”
Behind him, Meng Yun watched Li Heng’s somewhat emaciated shoulders, sighing inwardly. The bond between father and son could become so weak, so fragile in the face of the throne. It seemed not everyone could desire that position—at least Meng Yun couldn’t. All he could do was sigh. At that moment, Li Heng turned around and said, “General Meng, leave the rest to you. I won’t appear again.”
“Rest assured, Your Majesty. Our plan is flawless. Changsun Quanxu is a smart man; he knows what to say and what not to say.”
Li Heng nodded slightly. He slowly retreated beneath his flag, its shadow enveloping him, as if he had disappeared entirely.
…
Fifty thousand troops silently entered the wheat fields and headed toward the imperial villa. In moments, the vast army surrounded the villa. Meng Yun did not order an attack; he merely surrounded it, waiting for the final moment.
Fierce battles raged within the villa’s walls. As Meng Yun had predicted, although these men in black were highly skilled individually, they lacked coordination, fighting alone. The Yulin Army, though slightly less skilled, fought in perfect harmony, compensating for each other’s weaknesses, and managed to hold their own against the men in black. With three times as many soldiers and powerful archery, the men in black began to struggle. The thirty-some assassins who had reached near the Peony Tower were surrounded by hundreds of soldiers. After several clashes, they were all slaughtered, not a single one surviving.
All the lights in the Peony Tower were extinguished. More than a hundred of Li Yu’s guards surrounded the building tightly, as if facing a formidable enemy. Li Yu himself stood sideways behind a window, watching the distant battle. He was more concerned about the residences of Li Bi and Li Yan, who lived in the Lotus Tower, about a hundred steps away from the Peony Tower and closer to the battlefield. More than two hundred soldiers surrounded the Lotus Tower, effectively blocking the assassins’ advance.

As the assassins’ attack was blocked by the soldiers, Li Yu’s anger gradually flared. He certainly knew who had sent these assassins—those damned fools had resorted to such despicable tactics against him. Li Yu sneered. Good! Those fools had given him the perfect excuse to seize their homes and lands by force.

At that moment, Yao Silang brought over a bowl of chilled bird’s nest porridge, a habit of Li Yu’s. Every night, upon waking, he would drink a bowl of it. Li Yu nodded and pointed at the table, ordering him to place it there. He wasn’t in the mood to eat yet. Yao Silang set down the porridge and stepped back, standing by the wall once again. Suddenly, loud footsteps came from the staircase. The guard stationed there shouted sharply, “Who’s there?”

A soldier replied loudly, “General Changsun commands me to inform the emperor that General Meng Yun has led an army of 50,000 troops here. General Meng Yun said he received word that someone intended to harm the emperor, so he rushed here to protect him.”

This news left Li Yu momentarily stunned. Something seemed off. Without his orders or imperial seal, how dare Meng Yun deploy troops on his own? This wasn’t a trivial matter—it involved control over military power. Li Yu was extremely displeased. In severe cases, this could even be considered rebellion. But calling it rebellion meant there would be no reason to do so. Even if Meng Yun was acting to save the emperor, he still had to be punished severely. It was a matter of principle—he could never tolerate any general deploying troops without permission, not even once.

Yet his worries eased. The arrival of 50,000 troops meant the assassination attempt had completely failed. He tried to see into the distance, but in the darkness, he couldn’t see what was outside the imperial estate. Li Yu forced himself to smile tolerantly and let out a soft sigh.

He sat down and casually picked up the bird’s nest porridge. The white porcelain bowl was still cold, offering a refreshing contrast to the hot summer night. In high spirits, he began eating the porridge spoon by spoon. By the wall, Yao Silang’s pupils shrank to thin lines. He was so nervous he could hardly breathe, his legs trembling, and his teeth clacking together.

“Silang, what are you afraid of?” Li Yu asked, noticing his abnormal behavior with a smile.

“Your servant… Your servant is afraid of the assassins,” Yao Silang stammered.

“Useless wretch. Those assassins are nothing but fools. Do you think I can be assassinated so easily?”

Li Yu sneered disdainfully, finishing the last spoonful of bird’s nest porridge. Nodding, he said, “Hmm! Today’s bird’s nest is good. Though its taste is a bit off, it’s well-chilled. I enjoyed it greatly.”

“Your Majesty, would you like another bowl?”

“No need, eating too much will make my stomach uncomfortable.”
Li Yu set the bowl aside, casually picked up a memorial, but put it down again. With no light in the room, it was impossible to do anything. He couldn’t help but sigh, “When will I be allowed to light a lamp?”
…
The battle inside the building was nearing its end. Despite the 500 masked assassins giving it their all, the 3,000 Yulin soldiers were like an impregnable wall—they simply couldn’t break through, leaving them utterly frustrated. By now, more than half of the masked men were dead or injured, and many had changed their targets and tried to break out. But escaping was just as difficult; as soon as they separated from the Yulin soldiers, arrows rained down like locusts, killing dozens of them at the foot of the walls.
Li Chengning grew increasingly desperate as the battle progressed. The information his elder brother had given him was wrong—these Yulin soldiers were not weak, frivolous youths who would collapse after one battle, but fierce and tough border soldiers, each fearless to the death, making their assassination attempt impossible to succeed. Li Chengning was drenched in sweat. He struggled to break free from several soldiers and quickly retreated to the back. There, he realized that out of the 500 men, less than 200 were still fighting desperately. The rest were either dead or fled, with corpses scattered everywhere. Despair overwhelmed Li Chengning. His failure wasn’t just the assassination attempt failing; his clan and family would face a massive purge. He was filled with regret but knew nothing to do.
Suddenly, Li Chengning shouted, “Retreat!”
He turned and fled first, letting those behind him hold off the arrows. As the leader fled, the masked men also turned and ran wildly, but no matter how fast they were, they couldn’t outpace the Yulin soldiers’ arrows. In an instant, arrows rained down like a storm, and nearly a hundred men collapsed in screams. Only dozens managed to climb over the walls. The Yulin soldiers rushed to chase after them, but Changsun Quanxu waved his hand and ordered them to stop, “Don’t chase!”
He had already received news that tens of thousands of Southern army troops had surrounded the imperial estate from outside. These assassins couldn’t escape. Yet Changsun Quanxu was also filled with dissatisfaction toward the Southern army. They only surrounded the area without entering to help. Even if the Yulin soldiers could suppress the assassins, what was the point of their arrival? Moreover, the fact that 50,000 troops had come filled him with confusion—were they really here to deal with just a hundred or so assassins?
…
“Whoa!” Dozens of memorials were overturned and scattered across the floor. The severe pain in his stomach was unbearable for Li Yu. He bent over, gripping the table, with large drops of sweat streaming down his forehead. His face was extremely pale.
The two eunuchs in the room were terrified and quickly supported him. “Your Majesty! Is it serious?”
“Hurry and summon the imperial physician! Go now!”

A eunuch rushed away, shouting, “The imperial physician, hurry! Something has happened to the Emperor!”
By then, Li Yu had realized it wasn’t caused by eating the cold bird’s nest porridge. His intuition told him he might have been poisoned. “Poison!” How could he have been poisoned? Suddenly, Li Yu remembered something and quickly glanced at Yao Silang. He saw Yao Silang standing by the wall, trembling with fear. They had told him the effects of the poison would take three days to show, giving him time to escape. But now…
He was so terrified he could barely stand. Li Yu saw the fearful look in his eyes—such as one would have after committing a crime. He suddenly understood and staggered forward, gripping Yao Silang’s throat with his hands, his eyes almost bleeding.
“It’s you! You did this!”
“Your Majesty, I… I was just a servant!”
Yao Silang couldn’t breathe as Li Yu strangled him. His eyeballs bulged outward. The intense pain made Li Yu nearly lose control. His face twisted as he demanded viciously, “Tell me… who told you to do this.”
“It was the… Emperor.” Yao Silang struggled desperately, forcing out those four words. He had discovered the origin of those five thousand guan in Wang Baoji’s shop and identified the real culprit who wanted to poison the emperor. It had been a way for him to protect himself, but now it was meaningless.
“Ah!”
Li Yu stepped back several times, as if struck by lightning. The pain in his abdomen vanished, replaced by an even deeper agony—a burning torment as if his internal organs were melting. But the truth brought another kind of unbearable pain: it was his father who wanted to kill him. His consciousness began to blur, blood flowing from his eyes, ears, and nose. He collapsed in front of the window, staring blankly into the distance. Tears and blood mixed together. In his final moments, his mind cleared, and he finally understood—Meng Yun had betrayed him. His father must be in the army right now.
“Father!” he cried out hoarsely before collapsing weakly against the window.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
Changsun Quanxu rushed up. He had come to check on the emperor and happened to hear Li Yu’s cry. A group of guards also rushed upstairs, hearing the emperor’s cries by the window and realizing something was wrong. At that moment, Changsun Quanxu stopped in his tracks. He slowly stepped forward, holding his breath, terrified.
Trembling, he touched Li Yu’s mouth and nose. Suddenly, he shuddered violently, fell to his knees with a thud, and cried out mournfully to the sky, “Your Majesty!”
…