Chapter 214: Breaking the Enemy's Plans [Subscription Request]

royal palace.

The morning light appears.

In front of the ancestral temple, all officials gathered and the troops were in full force.

Envoys from various parties who came to watch the ceremony also showed up one after another.

They were all observing the Yanzhou troops who had taken over the palace defenses and were standing around.

Zhang Liao stood in armor in the square outside the ancestral temple, waiting to greet Cao Cao.

In a side hall of the imperial palace, Concubine Dong walked in.

Her father, Dong Cheng, was pacing anxiously with a worried look on his face.

"Father, are you waiting for news?" asked Concubine Dong.

Dong Cheng's eyes were full of bloodshot: "Since last night, some of the people and arrangements we arranged have lost contact one after another."

Concubine Dong was surprised and asked, "Father, are you saying that Yanzhou has already arrested someone before we even started?"

"Ah."

Dong Cheng looked uneasy: "This shows that our arrangements have not been concealed from Yanzhou. From today on..."

After today...disaster is imminent.

A hint of coldness flashed across Concubine Dong's eyes: "At this point, only if Cao Cao dies can we be safe, what is there for father to hesitate about?
He killed someone in the court that day, how cruel he was, if he didn't die, we would have to die. Besides, he despised Your Majesty, so he deserved to die."

"So that Father knows, I have made some arrangements."

Dong Cheng was surprised and asked, "You?"

"Don't worry, father. If he wants to use Your Majesty, he won't touch me easily. If something really happens, I have ways to protect myself." Concubine Dong said hatefully.

Outside the ancestral temple, the emperor and Fu Shou appeared side by side, only Cao Cao was missing.

----

"The governor is gone."

Guo Jia came out of a side hall in Cao's mansion and yawned.

He and Jia Xu followed Cao Cao to Luoyang and had their own missions.

The two of them had to eliminate all spies and assassins who had infiltrated Luoyang and anyone who posed a threat to Yanzhou.

In the face of important matters, Guo Jia temporarily put aside his plan to deal with Jia Xu.

The two of them worked together, Jia Xu was responsible for one line and Guo Jia was responsible for another, and they each worked hard.

Guo Jia came out to take a breath and returned to the hall.

There were more than ten clerks working busy in his palace.

These people were carefully selected, each with their own strengths, and they assisted Guo Jia in screening information.

Prior to this, Xi Zhicai was responsible for the population census and registers in various parts of Yanzhou.

Wherever the war was fought and which prefecture was occupied by Yanzhou, Xi Zhicai would immediately count the population and issue verification certificates (identity certificates).

Yanzhou's population census density and detail may be the highest among all states at this stage.

The head of a pavilion was a grassroots official position during the Qin and Han dynasties, responsible for the public security of a pavilion, the management of the foreign population staying there, and the negotiation of civil disputes.

Based on the experience of later generations, Cao Cao set up minor officials under the village head to be in charge of the population in the area.

Neighbors should recognize each other and report strangers in a timely manner.

Such strict and detailed population screening, coupled with the verification system, is intended to guard against spies.

It has been nearly half a year since Yanzhou conquered Sizhou.

Two population censuses have been conducted in Luoyang and its surrounding areas.

The spies sent by various parties entered Luoyang as early as two months ago, after receiving the news that the emperor was going to move the capital eastward.

In other words, most of the spies have been concentrated in Luoyang in the near future.

With the timeline, Guo Jia and Jia Xu began to investigate.

Merchants who have recently entered Luoyang and the population that has migrated here are all screening targets.

This is a job that involves an unimaginable amount of information.

But for people of Jia Xu and Guo Jia's level, it is not difficult.

Guo Jia had only been in charge for three to five days, but he had already found many useful clues during the investigation.

When some seemingly confusing news was sent to Guo Jia, he could quickly identify the useful one.

Two days ago, an official brought news that a traveling merchant was leading an old donkey carrying goods into Luoyang. He was checked and verified by the city gate captain, who recorded the information and let him into the city.

This is a very ordinary piece of news.

But when Guo Jia saw this, he immediately ordered his men to target the traveling merchants who drove donkeys into the city.

The spy from Yanzhou took advantage of the opportunity that the donkey was staying overnight to check it, and sure enough, he found a problem inside the horseshoe under the donkey's hoof.

Its interior is hollow and can store and transmit messages.

After entering the city, the other party pretended to buy and sell goods, and who he met and how he communicated during the process were found out.

Using similar methods, Guo Jia has eliminated several hostile spies lurking in Luoyang.

Today the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven begins.

Luoyang seems to be normal, but in fact, beneath the calm, Yanzhou is engaged in fierce battles with people from various parties who have sneaked into Luoyang, both verbal and physical fights.

After a while, Guo Jia came to the next room.

Jia Xu was also busy.

The two of them touched the news in their hands.

Jia Xu: "We have dug out quite a few people in the past two days. But the most important one on my side has not been caught yet. He should be a death squad sent by Jizhou, codenamed 'Lonely Soul'. He always acts alone and has no contact with the upper and lower lines."

"I also found out that Dong Cheng contacted a group of people and wanted to assassinate him."

"Who are you trying to assassinate? The governor?" Guo Jia laughed.

Jia Xu looked a little serious: "Not a governor, or more precisely, not just a governor."

Guo Jia put away his smile: "Emperor?"

Killing the emperor might be easier than dealing with Cao Cao.

Other states and counties cannot use it, and Yanzhou is not allowed to hold the emperor hostage!

Jia Xu: "Dong Cheng is just a pawn pushed out by others. All parties are making moves in secret."

Guo Jia said, "This morning, Dian Wei asked me for information about a suspect and asked the governor to help us catch the spy."

Jia Xu was speechless and asked, "Did he ask you for a reward?"

Guo Jia did not answer but asked: "It seems that he asked you for it?" "The person he went to capture might be the soul of the dead warrior from Jizhou."

"How many donkeys do you want him to use to catch lonely souls?" Jia Xu asked.

Guo Jia was surprised and asked, "Is the donkey a unit of measurement in Yanzhou? Paying the bill with a donkey?"

----

Zhang Wu is good at using a sword and has great skills.

He had been in Luoyang for a month. At this moment, he was disguised as an old man, walking slowly on the street with a crutch.

He hid a thin sword in his wooden crutch, which was poisoned and could kill people instantly with one blow.

For more than a month, he often walked around the street in the disguise of an old man, so that the shops on the surrounding streets became accustomed to his presence, allowing him to blend into the long street without attracting anyone's attention.

He had already discovered that Cao Cao's carriage would pass through another adjacent street and enter the palace.

Zhang Wu walked step by step on the street, but his ears were alert, and all the noises from the next block were taken in by his ears.

Not long after, he came to the end of the street, squatted in the corner, and coughed softly.

On the long street next door, Cao's army had already imposed martial law.

Amid the muffled sound of horse hooves, a team turned out from the street corner, guarding the large carriage in the middle.

Zhang Wu was cheered up.

He knew that the person passing by next door was Cao Cao's carriage.

Zhang Wu has two companions who are just as skilled as him and will work with him to complete this operation.

The imperial carriage was approaching, with Cao's troops guarding it on both sides.

Zhang Wu was on the next street, calculating silently.

If he tried his best, it would take him about three or four breaths to rush into the next street.

Zhang Wu slowly stood up, tightened the wooden crutch in his hand, and began to gather strength.

But at this moment, he heard a voice: "Are you Jizhou's death warrior?"

Zhang Wu was shocked and felt a chill running from the soles of his feet to his chest.

With his skills, he didn't even notice anyone approaching.

Judging from the sound, it was right above his head.

When he looked up, he saw a person squatting on the wall on his right, staring at him, as if he had been staring at him for a while.

The other person had a big physique and his eyes were like two sharp swords.

Zhang Wu staggered back a step like a normal old man who was suddenly frightened.

The other party asked again: "Are you a Jizhou death warrior? Don't make a mistake. Jia Wenhe said that if you kill a Jizhou death warrior, you will get a donkey, and if you capture him alive, you will get two."

Without any warning, wood chips flew in Zhang Wu's hand, and a cold light flashed, and he had taken out the long sword in his crutch.

But a fist quickly enlarged in front of him.

Zhang Wu had traveled all over the world, but had never encountered such a terrifying punch.

With the punch, the whole world seemed to press down on him.

The void tightens.

Even Zhang Wu's consciousness was taken over by a fist.

The sword in his hand slowed down involuntarily.

Click!
Zhang Wu flew into the air, blood gushing out of his mouth!

"It's over. I hit you hard."

Dian Wei stood on the wall and said, "You are pathetic enough. You fell into Guo Fengxiao's trap and stepped in. The governor was not in the car at all."

Zhang Wu slowly closed his eyes and his breathing stopped.

Something unexpected also happened on the long street next door.

It turned out to be a huge tree as thick and horizontal as a siege wood. It was pushed by someone and smashed a low wall facing the street. Amidst the flying earth and rocks, it rushed towards the carriage guarded by Cao's army.

And on the giant tree, there was a figure as light as a swallow. He leaped up and swung his sword, stabbing into the car.

However, it was Xu Chu who jumped out of the car.

……

In fact, Cao Cao had already hidden his tracks and arrived at the palace.

Yin followed him, and secretly accompanied him were master and disciple Wang Yue.

The sun is rising.

Cao Cao, surrounded by Zhang Liao, came to the ancestral temple.

When they saw him appear, Dong Cheng, Wang Zifu and Concubine Dong in the queue gathered in front of the ancestral temple were all startled.

On one side of the ancestral temple in the palace, there is a three-meter-high altar for offering sacrifices to the sky.

The emperor would hold a ceremony to offer sacrifices to heaven here, inform his ancestors, and complete the relocation of the capital.

Liu Xie also looked pale, but he managed to pull himself together and said, "I would like to invite Sikong to join us in offering sacrifices to the heaven, earth and our ancestors."

According to the rules, the ceremony should first pay respect to heaven and earth, and then pay respect to the emperor, which means that the emperor is only below heaven and earth.

Then a eunuch brought up three bronze wine cups.

"I invite the Minister of Works to drink the wine together and tell the previous emperors of the Han Dynasty that the world is still peaceful and under the rule of the Han Dynasty!"

Cao Cao glanced at the wine glass, then turned his gaze to the eunuch who was serving the wine.

The other person was in his early forties, standing with his head bowed, very respectfully standing to one side.

Cao Cao asked, "Your name is Ji Ping, and you are a palace eunuch. Why are you disguising yourself as a eunuch to deliver wine?"

"Drink this wine and let me see."

Immediately, a personal soldier came up from behind, grabbed Jiping's neck before he could resist, and poured wine into his mouth.

In an instant, Jiping fell to the ground, in great pain, his face turned purple, and he soon lost his breath.

Ji Ping was one of the famous assassins in the late Han Dynasty who wanted to assassinate Cao Cao.

But Ji Ping had been targeted in the past few days, and when he just appeared, there was an entry in front of Cao Cao giving him a hint.

The emperor's face turned pale. It was obvious that the wine was aimed at him!
Cao Cao looked at Concubine Dong.

She arranged for Jiping.

He is young, but ruthless.

However, Concubine Dong did not expect that Jiping wanted to poison the emperor as well.

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(End of this chapter)