bookrandom Chapter 1879: Asking for help, the Jinyiwei took action!
Chapter 1879: Asking for help, the Jinyiwei took action!
Dugu Jia stared into Liu Xiang's eyes and spoke word by word:
"Hold on. There's still a glimmer of hope. We might even turn defeat into victory, saving our lives and the foundation of the Han Dynasty!"
"And run away? Although the world is vast, there is no place for my mother and I to stay!"
"With Chu Ning chasing you and forces everywhere taking advantage of you, how long can you escape? In the end, you'll just die, and it'll be an even more humiliating death!"
Although Liu Xiang was cowardly, he was not stupid.
After listening to his mother's analysis, although the fear on his face did not completely disappear, his eyes finally showed a bit of thought and... a hint of hesitation.
Indeed, if the main force of the Chu army was tied down on the eastern front, the pressure on Chang'an would be much less.
Holding on, it seems... is really more reliable than fleeing aimlessly.
"But...Mother,"
He was still hesitant: "What if...what if Chu Ning ignores the eastern front and attacks with all his strength? Or...what if Li Jing's offensive weakens?"
Dugu Jia's eyes flashed with coldness, and he sneered, "So, we can't just wait passively! We must take the initiative to create trouble for Chu Ning so that he can't focus on the west!"
She turned and walked towards the imperial desk, spread out a bright yellow silk cloth, picked up the imperial brush, and while writing quickly, she said to Liu Xiang:
"You must immediately draft a personal letter for me to the Tang Emperor, Li Shiming!"
"No, I will write it myself! In the most earnest and urgent tone, tell him that Liu Xiu is dead and Chu Ning is about to march west. This is a godsend opportunity for the Tang Dynasty to seize Chu territory and weaken its power!"
"Please ask him to strictly order Li Jing to intensify the offensive at all costs! It would be best if we could break through the Chu army's defenses in one fell swoop and march straight into the heart of Wei!"
"As long as the pressure on the eastern front is great enough, the siege of Chang'an will naturally be lifted! At that time, our Han Dynasty is willing to form a permanent alliance with the Tang Dynasty and share the benefits of Chu!"
Her writing is swift, her words earnest and seductive, and she analyzes the interests clearly.
After writing, she took out the empress dowager's seal that she carried with her and stamped it solemnly.
"Somebody come!"
Dugu Jia summoned an absolutely loyal and trusted guard and handed him the sealed letter.
"Send this letter as quickly as possible by carrier pigeon to the capital of the Tang Dynasty and personally deliver it to His Majesty the Emperor!"
"Remember, this letter concerns the survival of the Han Dynasty. It must be absolutely safe!"
"I obey my orders!"
The guard took the letter as if it were a treasure and quickly left.
Watching the guard's disappearing back, Dugu Jia let out a long breath.
She looked at Liu Xiang again, her tone unquestionable: "Now, do you understand? Defending a city doesn't mean sitting back and waiting to die, but rather using defense as an attack and waiting for the opportunity!"
"Put aside your tears and cowardice, and act like a descendant of the Liu family! We must fight this battle, and we must win!"
Liu Xiang looked at his mother's resolute and even somewhat ferocious face, finally gritted his teeth, and nodded heavily:
"Your Highness... Your Highness understands! Everything is up to you, Mother!"
Although his voice was still not loud enough, at least he no longer mentioned escaping.
Dugu Jia felt a little relieved, but the worry between his brows did not diminish in the slightest.
She knew this was just the beginning of a bigger storm.
Late at night in Chang'an City, the hustle and bustle and lights of the past were gone, replaced by a dead silence and omnipresent panic.
The devastating bad news of the day and the Queen Mother's iron-blooded order were like two huge rocks weighing on everyone's heart, especially those officials and aristocratic families at the center of the power vortex.
In the dead of night, the back doors or side doors of some mansions were knocked silently.
The visitors were not regular customers, but uninvited guests wearing night clothes and with blurred faces.
They were like ghosts in the dark night, avoiding the patrolling soldiers and finding their target accurately.
Wang Yu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was sitting in his study, sighing and groaning at the flickering candlelight, with a worried look on his face.
The news of Liu Xiu's defeat made him shudder with fear, and the Queen Mother's insistence on the order made him feel like he was trying to stop a chariot with a mantis arm.
Just then, there was a very slight "knock knock" sound coming from the study window.
Wang Yu was startled and asked in a low voice, "Who?"
A deep and unfamiliar voice came from outside the window: "Sir Wang, an old friend asked me to deliver a letter home."
Wang Yu hesitated for a moment, but still opened the window carefully.
A dark figure slid into the room like a civet cat, moving swiftly and silently. The person was shrouded in black, revealing only a pair of gleaming eyes.
"Who are you?" Wang Yu subconsciously took a step back and put his hand on the weapon at his waist.
The man in black did not answer. Instead, he took out an unsigned letter from his pocket and placed it on the desk. His voice was calm but carried a chill:
"Sir Wang, I'm sure you've heard about what happened in Hongdu and Kunyang. A building is about to collapse, and a single tree can't hold it together."
"Chang'an will fall in a matter of days. The Queen Mother and her son's stubborn resistance will only lead to the death of the entire city."
Wang Yu's face turned pale instantly, and he immediately understood the identity of the person who came - a spy from the Chu State, the legendary Jinyiwei!
The man in black continued, "My Majesty is magnanimous and will only punish the ringleaders, leaving the accomplices alone."
"Because of Lord Wang's reputation, I have been specially ordered to come and remind you: Find a way out for yourself and your family as soon as possible."
"If you remain stubborn and refuse to change, when the city is broken, everything will be destroyed, and it will be too late to regret."
After saying this, the man in black disappeared from the window without waiting for Wang Yu's response, as if he had never appeared.
Wang Yu stood there in a daze, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.
He picked up the letter with trembling hands and opened it. It was empty except for a small, strangely shaped token with a vague mark of the word "Chu" engraved on it.
This is both a warning and a proof... perhaps it can save your life?
Similar scenes took place that night in the residences of many officials and heads of aristocratic families in Chang'an City.
Guanglu Dafu Li Bi, Weiwei Zhang Tao, and several key figures who were in charge of part of the city’s defense or food supply all received similar "visits" and warnings.
These dignitaries who usually act high and mighty, faced these elusive men in black in the secret study or inner room of their own homes, felt the cold murderous intent and unquestionable threat, and were all frightened out of their wits.
They knew clearly that this was no empty threat.
The Jinyiwei of Chu State had already infiltrated Chang'an. Now that the army was approaching, these hidden forces began to surface and launched a final battle to win the hearts and minds of the people.
Panic spread rapidly among these top powerful circles like a plague.
After the man in black left, Wang Yu paced back and forth in the study like an ant on hot pot, unable to calm down at all.
After much deliberation, he finally gritted his teeth, changed into casual clothes, and quietly slipped out of the mansion through the back door under the cover of night, heading straight to the residence of Li Bi, the Guanglu Doctor, who was a close friend of his and also one of the Nine Ministers.