The night was as dark as ink, and the tall walls of Jinyang City cast heavy shadows in the moonlight.
The city gates had long been closed, and the torches on the city walls flickered, illuminating the tense and tired faces of the patrolling soldiers.
There was an invisible oppression in the air, like the dead silence before a storm.
Xiao Cheyun was like a clever cat, moving through the familiar alleys under the cover of night.
He was followed by two trusted guards.
All three of them were wearing dark night clothes and moved swiftly, making almost no sound.
A drainage culvert under the city wall, a hole in the wall that had been neglected for a long time, or even a side door opened by bribing a disgruntled low-ranking officer...
Xiao Cheyun took advantage of his familiarity with the city and the convenience secretly provided by his old subordinates to sneak into the martial law city again without any danger.
The situation in the city was worse than he had imagined.
It was curfew at the moment and there were no pedestrians on the streets.
Only the "patrol" of Xiao Lie's trusted confidants rode past on horseback.
Armor clanged, swords were drawn half a foot, and eyes scanned the empty streets and closed doors and windows fiercely.
Anyone returning home late would be immediately shouted at and questioned, and any hesitation could result in them being arrested as a "spy."
The once bustling streets now look like a ghost town after dark.
Xiao Cheyun’s first stop was an inconspicuous blacksmith shop in the west of the city.
The shop owner was his distant cousin, and also an old craftsman who was responsible for repairing military equipment in the army during the Jin King era.
Because of his upright character and unwillingness to curry favor with Xiao Lie, he was expelled from the military camp.
“Ding…ding…ding…”
The rhythmic sound of blacksmithing came from the shop, which was a signal of safety.
Xiao Cheyun signaled two guards to stand guard outside, and he slipped into the shop.
In the light of the furnace fire, the old blacksmith saw Xiao Cheyun and was startled at first, then excited. He lowered his voice and said, "Nephew! You...you are really back! There are rumors outside that the prince..."
"The prince is fine!" Xiao Cheyun confirmed, then took out the sweat-soaked and wrinkled manifesto from his arms, "Uncle, take a look at this."
The old blacksmith was not very literate, but the words in the manifesto such as "Xiao Lie colluded with the Northern Di", "set an ambush to murder the prince", and "outrageous to both humans and gods" still hurt his eyes.
He was trembling with anger, and slammed the tongs down on the chopping block. "Xiao Lie, that bastard! The late king treated him well, yet he dared to betray his master and invite a wolf into his house!"
"Uncle, it's useless to just be angry."
Xiao Cheyun held his shoulder and said, "What we need now is action. You have many old acquaintances in the army and are well-informed about local news. Help me contact those old brothers who are still loyal to the Yin family, as well as those knowledgeable people who are worried about the Tartars ravaging the city after it falls."
"Tell them that the Crown Prince has found the Prince and, with his banner high, will arrive in Jinyang soon! We need to prepare inside the city and coordinate with the outside world!"
The old blacksmith nodded heavily, a fire in his eyes. "Don't worry! My old bones are still useful! I know who to trust, and where that bastard Xiao Lie's weak spots are!"
Xiao Cheyun felt a warm feeling in his heart, and after saying a few more words, he said goodbye to the old blacksmith.
"Nephew, do you have any news about your cousin?" the old blacksmith suddenly asked.
"she..."
Xiao Cheyun looked bewildered. "We've lost contact with her since the Crown Prince abdicated and ascended the throne. Once we take back Jinyang, I'll plead with the Crown Prince and get some information from His Majesty."
"I'm just asking!" The old blacksmith said with a sad face, "Ever since she was sent to the palace, I've considered this daughter gone!"
"I will take this matter to heart!" Xiao Cheyun promised.
He also wanted to know about his cousin's situation.
She was extremely beautiful and had a natural charm. When Prince Jin saw her occasionally, he felt like he had found a treasure and was reluctant to keep her, so he presented her to the old emperor as a concubine.
Later it was discovered that Prince Jin wanted Xiao Cheyun's cousin to be an insider and pass on any news from the old emperor.
As the prince suddenly abdicated and ascended the throne, there was no news from her.
......
In the next few days, Xiao Cheyun was like a ghost, active in the shadow of Jinyang City.
He quietly spread the seeds through the old blacksmith and a few other absolutely reliable people.
In a dilapidated land temple in the south of the city, he met several centurions who had been deprived of their military power and were full of resentment.
The flickering candlelight illuminated their angry faces.
"General Xiao! We brothers have had enough! Xiao Lie has excluded dissidents, appointed personalities, withheld military pay, and now he even dares to collude with the Tartars! We can't tolerate this anymore!"
"That's right! Since the Crown Prince and the Prince are still here, Jinyang City cannot be named Xiao!"
"But... Xiao Lie controls the most elite troops and city defenses. We are short-handed, so if we fight head-on..."
Xiao Cheyun glanced at everyone and said in a low and powerful voice: "Don't worry! What we need is internal and external cooperation!"
"Brothers, you all still have some trustworthy veterans under your command, right? Those scattered throughout the city defenses, guarding the granaries and arsenals, or even those frustrated in Xiao Lie's personal army... quietly contact them all!"
"They don't need to show up immediately. We just need to open the city gates at the critical moment, or create chaos and let our reinforcements in! Or, at least remain neutral while we take action!"
He took out the secret order signed by Yinji in the name of the crown prince and the promise of a promotion of three levels after the success and distributed them to everyone.
"This is the prince's token and promise! You are all heroes for the recovery of Jinyang!"
Similar secret meetings took place constantly in the backyard of a teahouse in the north of the city, a warehouse in the East Market, and even in a dilapidated fishing boat anchored on the Fen River.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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