Chapter 56: As Long as Liu Chen Lives, the Realm Will Know No Peace

Xu You’s words fell like a stone cast into stagnant water, stirring up desperate and ferocious ripples in everyone’s hearts. The anger in the hall, previously suppressed by sheer fear, suddenly found an extreme outlet and boiled over.

"Master Xu speaks the absolute truth!" A lean-faced official with sharp eyes sprang to his feet. He was Linghu Sheng, a captain in charge of a section of Chengdu's city gates, holding a modest amount of real authority. "This action by Liu Chen has cut him off from the world! If he can frame Elder Qiao today, tomorrow he can leave the rest of us without a burial site! This is no longer a political dispute; it is a battle of life and death!"

"Precisely! Once he spreads his wings and implements his so-called New Deal, he will inevitably plant his cronies and strip us of our power and status. When that time comes, they will be the butchers and we will be the fish on their chopping block!" another chimed in, his face contorted with ruthlessness.

So-called hatred is ultimately rooted in self-interest. With the Liu family seated in Shu, northern powerhouses could march south at any moment. After a round of slaughter, the Liu family would naturally suffer, but the aristocratic clans of Shu would follow them into ruin.

Although Liu Chen had recently defeated Zhong Hui, the interests of Shu's aristocratic clans had been harmed during the course of the reforms. Look at the cabinet of five: apart from Xi Zheng, there was not a single man of Shu origin among them.

Among the Ten Armies of Great Han, few grand generals were natives of Shu. They were either founding veterans or men from Jingzhou, with only a handful from Shu—or at the very least, men unfamiliar to them.

"Only by making him vanish abruptly can we crack this deadlock! Despite his merits, this arrogant prince who bullies his father and frames high ministers must not be tolerated!"

Public sentiment surged, and the intent to kill permeated the air. It seemed that only Liu Chen's blood could wash away their current humiliation and terror, and reverse a situation that appeared utterly overturned.

Qiao Zhou sat in his armchair, listening to these increasingly explicit discussions of regicide, his body trembling uncontrollably. His rheumy, aged eyes swept over faces distorted by agitation and fear, and a profound sorrow mingled with deeper dread rose in his heart. He slowly closed his eyes, as if to shut out the suffocating atmosphere. After a long while, he waved his hand as though expending his last ounce of strength, his voice dry and weary:

"This old man... is old. I only wish to guard my ancestral property and preserve my wretched life in these chaotic times." He paused, his breath weak. "Whatever you... whatever you intend to do, this old man knows nothing of it, nor will I partake. After today, unless summoned by His Majesty, I shall claim illness and stay within, passing my remaining years in quietude... My lords, take care of yourselves."

This was a definitive severance and a tacit approval. He did not endorse it, but neither would he stop it; he foresaw the danger, yet chose to flee. He extricated himself, leaving a blurred space for Xu You and the others while clearing himself of future culpability.

Qiao Zhou dared not go further. He had already received a warning from Liu Chen, which was proof enough that the man would not kill him. Yet if he were to participate, regardless of the ultimate outcome, escape from death would be impossible.

Did they truly believe the Heavenly Strategy Army garrisoning Chengdu was made of paper? Zhuge Chong and Deng Zhong both owed their survival to Liu Chen; whoever dared to assassinate Liu Chen would surely provoke an irreconcilable blood feud.

Qiao Zhou was old; if not for his own reputation, he at least had to consider his children and grandchildren.

Having received this near-explicit hint of approval, Xu You and his cohorts shed the last traces of hesitation in their eyes. They exchanged glances, seeing only resolute and ruthless determination in each other's gazes.

"Take care, Elder Qiao!" Xu You was the first to cup his hands, his tone resolute. "We do this for the lineage of Yi Province and for the foundations of the Han dynasty, driven to take this perilous path! Once it is accomplished, we shall return to plead our guilt before Elder Qiao!"

With that, he cast no further glance at Qiao Zhou, who seemed to have aged another ten years in a single instant. He turned and, leading the core group of officials, strode out of the oppressive hall.

The heavy wooden doors opened and closed once more, sealing off the inside from the outside, as though officially casting a conspiracy out from its nest.

Qiao Zhou sat alone in the vacant, dim hall, listening as the sounds of carriages and horses outside grew distant, eventually fading into the silent alleys.

A candle sputtered and popped, its flame casting light upon his ashen and complex face. He sighed deeply, a sigh filled with the crushing helplessness of an irreversible fate and profound anxiety for the future.

Leaving the Qiao estate, Xu You did not disperse the group. Instead, with a subtle glance, they tacitly turned toward another nearby, more secluded courtyard provided by a major Yi Province clan. Trusted guards had long since secured the premises to ensure absolute safety.

Inside the inner chamber, brightly lit, the atmosphere was even more intense and murderous than at Qiao Zhou's residence. With the final restraints cast aside, the intent to kill was like a drawn blade, its cold light piercingly bright.

"My lords, Elder Qiao has given his tacit consent; we have no retreat!" Xu You said in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over the dozen or so core members present. These men either commanded private armies within their clans or held official posts in the city that allowed them to facilitate their plans. He gave a cold snort. "Liu Chen must die, and sooner rather than later! We must not allow him to successfully form the cabinet and implement his New Deal; once his foundation is secure, we will never be able to shake him!"

"Indeed, look at the trail of blood Liu Chen left from Hanzhong to Chengdu. It's not just land surveying; he's also auditing the population. If this continues, our hidden populations will be dragged into the light as well," someone said viciously.

"If Liu Chen does not die, the realm will know no peace!"

These men now both hated and feared Liu Chen, terrified that his next blade would fall upon their own necks.

"Lord Xu, tell us what to do! We shall all follow your lead!" Linghu Sheng eagerly chimed in.

A cold gleam flashed in Xu You's eyes as he lowered his voice: "Liu Chen's prestige is currently at its zenith, and with His Majesty's permission to carry out reforms, he will inevitably frequent the palace precincts, the Prince's residence, and inspect various government offices. Yet, after all, he has only recently seized supreme power, and his loyal guards may not yet be thoroughly established everywhere. This is our opportunity!"

He walked over to the desk, dipped his finger in tea, and roughly traced the general routes from the palace gates to the Prince of Qin's residence and the main government offices.

"Let us observe first. Although Liu Chen is cautious, he has been overwhelmed with affairs lately. There will come a day when he leaves the palace late and his guards and retinue are few. We shall target these familiar routes he takes; some of the alleys are relatively secluded—ideal places to strike."

"How many loyal death-sworn men and reliable private soldiers can our respective families mobilize immediately?" Xu You looked toward the men present who held military power.

A burly military officer pondered for a moment. "On short notice, for men who are utterly reliable and dare to do this deed, my family can provide one hundred and thirty."

"My family has over seventy stalwart retainers."

"I can supply fifty..."

The men quickly calculated, managing to assemble nearly a thousand desperate men. Within the city of Chengdu, this force, prepared for a meticulously planned ambush and assassination, was staggering.

"Good!" Xu You slammed his fist into his palm, overjoyed. "The numbers are sufficient! But we cannot make a frontal assault against his entourage; that is courting death. We must set an ambush, striving to strike true on the first blow and then fleeing a thousand miles!"

Linghu Sheng chimed in, "Among the Western Gate guards under my command, several men are my own kinsmen—they are reliable. I can arrange for them to be on duty the night of the operation or to provide convenience, ensuring at the very least that the gates will not be closed immediately after the incident, giving the death-sworn men a chance to slip away."

"Brilliant!" Xu You praised. "We will also need powerful bows and fierce crossbows! Ideally, we should acquire a few military-grade crossbows—long-range and devastatingly powerful. No matter how formidable Liu Chen's martial prowess may be, he will not escape being pierced by a hail of arrows!"

"Military crossbows might be difficult to procure, but hard bows used for hunting tigers and heavy arrows kept in private stashes can be cobbled together somehow."

Speaking over one another, the men quickly shaped a crude yet vicious plan: mobilize the death-sworn private soldiers of each family, arm them with powerful bows and stiff crossbows, and wait for the opportunity to assassinate Liu Chen.