dognovel Chapter 1898 Do you dare to fight to the death?
Chapter 1898 Do you dare to fight to the death?
Inside the bedroom, the candlelight crackled, illuminating several faces that looked unusually pale due to the intense struggle.
Li Bi's desperate and almost roaring persuasion was like a heavy hammer that repeatedly struck the psychological defenses of Wang Yu, Zhang Tao and others.
The air was filled not only with the smell of medicine and blood, but also with a heavy pressure that concerned life and death.
There was a long silence, as if time had stood still.
Everyone was making the most brutal trade-off deep in their hearts: Should they continue to linger under Dugu Jia's high pressure, waiting for the butcher's knife that would come at an unknown time, or the tragic fate after the city was broken?
Or do you take a risk and bet your life on a gamble with a slim chance of success, just to fight for a future that might exist?
Finally, Taicang Ling Zhao Ming was the first to raise his head. Although there was still fear in his eyes, there was more of a ruthlessness that came from being forced into a desperate situation.
He was in charge of the country's granary and knew that food and grass were the lifeline of defending the city. He also knew the actual reserve situation in the city best.
"Brother Li, you are right!"
Zhao Ming's voice was hoarse with a hint of desperation: "If I just sit there and wait for death, I'm doomed! Rather than dying miserably at the hands of that vicious woman, why not... why not give it a try!"
A gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and he proposed a key idea:
"Since we are going to take action, troops are the key! But we cannot mobilize the army openly, that would be tantamount to seeking our own death."
"But I have an idea!"
Everyone's eyes were instantly focused on him.
Zhao Ming lowered his voice and said quickly, "The supply of food and grass in the city is becoming increasingly tight. All military expenses are allocated by our Taicang Office."
"I can use the excuse that the number of refugees has increased recently, and I'm afraid that unruly people or lawless people may covet the granary, so we need to strengthen the guard!"
"In the name of this, we will pledge our allegiance... no, we will mobilize the troops we can secretly control to several key barracks near the Taicang Office under the pretext of reinforcing and protecting food supplies!"
He paused and explained, "This is an important place for grain and fodder, so strengthening the guard is reasonable and will not arouse too much suspicion from the Queen Mother and her confidants."
"In this way, we can concentrate some of the power and hold it in our hands without anyone noticing!"
Wang Yu's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he immediately said, "Master Zhao, this is a brilliant plan!"
"After the troops have gathered, the next step is how to approach and control the city gate! Breaking in by force is definitely not an option; we must outsmart them!"
He followed Zhao Ming's line of thought and deduced, "We can wait for the right opportunity! Every morning or evening, a fixed team will collect food from the Taicang Office and transport it to various military camps and government offices."
"We can choose a moderately sized grain transport team whose route passes through the city gate of our target city!"
Weiwei Zhang Tao had also made up his mind at this moment. His face was trembling as he added murderously:
"Yes! When the grain transport team comes to collect the food, we will use the excuse of assisting with the escort or temporary recruitment to have our people change into their uniforms and blend in with them."
"Or maybe we could just... take control of that grain transport team and completely replace them with our own!"
He gestured with his hands, as if he had already seen the scene: "Then, we will disguise ourselves as a normal grain transport team and march towards the city gate in a swaggering manner!"
"The soldiers guarding the gate will see that these are the daily grain transport vehicles, so their vigilance will certainly not be as strict as it would be against the enemy!"
"Wait until we reach the city gate, and take advantage of the handover or inspection..."
Zhang Tao made a sudden and aggressive gesture, with a fierce gleam in his eyes:
"We'll suddenly strike, with lightning speed, taking out the officers guarding the gates and the soldiers in key positions, seizing control of the city gates. Then... open the gates and lower the drawbridge!"
This plan, with each link connected to the next, is still full of variables and risks, but it at least provides a seemingly feasible path!
It took advantage of the defenders' habitual thinking about internal operations and the routine of food and grass transportation to conceal real military operations.
Li Bi lay on the bed, listening carefully to everyone's additions and improvements, and finally a nearly hideous smile appeared on his pale face.
The pain seemed to have eased a lot.
He knew that everyone was united and the direction was clear!
"Good! Good! Lord Zhao, Lord Wang, General Zhang, you have all thought it through carefully. This plan is feasible!"
Li Bi's voice was filled with suppressed excitement and determination: "Let's act according to this plan!"
"Master Zhao, you are fully responsible for the mobilization of troops. You must be cautious and not let any news leak out!"
"Sir Wang, you are meticulous and responsible for selecting the target grain transport team, understanding its movement patterns and personnel composition, and preparing replacement uniforms and necessary disposal plans."
What Li Bi meant by "dealing with it" naturally refers to how to quietly control or eliminate the people in the original grain transport team.
"Master Zhang!"
Li Bi looked at Zhang Tao and said, "Once the operation begins, the crucial task of seizing the city gate, clearing the obstacles, and opening the city gate will be handed over to you and your dedicated soldiers!"
"We must be swift and decisive! We must complete everything before the other defenders can react!"
"Brother Li (Lord Li), don't worry!"
Zhao Ming, Wang Yu and Zhang Tao responded in unison. Now that they had made the decision, they no longer hesitated, with only a ruthless determination in their eyes.
Li Bi finally looked at the other officials and said, "My colleagues, you must cooperate within your respective responsibilities and do your best to create chaos, or make some noise in the direction of other city gates to distract the defenders and buy us time!"
After arranging all this, Li Bi took a deep breath and revealed the most critical and dangerous part of the plan:
"As for contact with the Chu army outside the city..."
He paused, his eyes becoming deep and solemn: "This matter will be handled by me personally!"
"I will try to contact the Jinyiwei in the city as soon as possible and inform Emperor Chu of our plan and time of action!"
"Only by cooperating inside and outside can we ensure that nothing goes wrong!"
He looked at everyone, his tone filled with a final warning and admonition: "This matter concerns our lives and property, and the survival of our family!"
"From now on, no one is allowed to have any other thoughts, and no one is allowed to reveal even a single word!"
"All actions must be kept strictly confidential and carried out according to plan! Success or failure depends on this!"
"We understand!"
Everyone responded solemnly, their faces filled with the determination to fight to the death.
The conspiracy was set, and a fatal attack on Chang'an's city defense from the inside out quietly began in this bedroom filled with the smell of blood and medicine.
Li Bi endured the severe pain, his eyes burning with the flames of revenge and desire for the future.
He knew there was no turning back.
Or, he could step on the corpses of Dugu Jia and the Han Dynasty to ascend to a new level of power.
Otherwise, it will be completely destroyed along with this isolated city.