Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 895 Personnel confirmed, full crackdown!

"That's easy to say." A fat man across from me wiped the sweat from his forehead. "There are thousands of soldiers defending Xianyang. What can we accomplish with just a few hundred of us?"

"It's not just us." A man in black, who had been silent in the corner, suddenly spoke up. "Inside Xianyang City, many people have secretly responded. Someone will come to support us when the time comes." He paused, then added, "Everything has been arranged. Weapons and armor are in place, and there are even three hundred war horses hidden throughout the city."

Outside the window, Zhao Qi, a member of the Qingyi Society disguised as a beggar, was startled. Three hundred war horses? In Xianyang City, where horse ownership was strictly controlled, this was practically impossible. Anyone capable of this was definitely not an ordinary force.

Zhao Qi made a barely noticeable gesture, and the "drunk man" in the distant restaurant nodded slightly and quietly left to report the news.

When Xiao Yuan received the news, he was having a secret conversation with the city defense captain Li Zhao.

"Three hundred war horses?" Li Zhao stood up suddenly, his face pale. "How is this possible? Horses entering and leaving the city gates are strictly recorded. How could three hundred horses be hidden in the city without a trace?"

Xiao Yuan's expression was solemn: "Unless there are also their people among the officers guarding the city."

The two exchanged glances, each seeing the shock in the other's eyes. This meant that the rebellion might not only be carried out by the open enemies, but had even infiltrated the Xianyang defenders.

"The Qingyi Society needs the authority to mobilize the army." Xiao Yuan said in a deep voice.

Li Zhao hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "I'll allocate a thousand men to your command. But be very cautious and don't alert the enemy."

After midnight, the doors of the houses were finally opened and the conspirators left one after another.

They walked very carefully, leaving in different directions after leaving the house, and occasionally looked back to see if anyone was following them. However, they would not have thought that they were being followed by not just one or two people, but a whole set of strict systems.

Each target was followed by three groups of Qingyi Society members. The first group followed closely, impersonating pedestrians returning late or night watchmen on patrol; the second group maintained a medium distance, following the target in relays along a predetermined route; and the third group monitored from a high vantage point, using a specially crafted bronze mirror to reflect moonlight and transmit signals.

This tracking method was designed by Gao Yao himself, drawing on modern police tracking techniques while incorporating the characteristics of the times. In that era of limited information flow, this kind of organized and systematic tracking was almost impossible to solve.

A tall, thin conspirator walked through seven or eight streets and alleys, finally entering a restaurant called Zui Chun Feng. The Qingyi Society members who followed him noted the location and quietly retreated into the shadows.

Another short, plump participant, after making a long detour, finally entered a private residence in the south of the city. To his surprise, the owner of the residence—a tofu vendor named Old Wang—was actually a Qingyi Society undercover agent. Within a quarter of an hour, the news had reached Xiao Yuan.

The most surprising thing was the man in black. He didn't return to his own residence, but instead headed straight for the aristocratic district in the northwest corner of Xianyang City. Most of the mansions there were the residences of the old Qin nobles. Although the Qin Dynasty had fallen, these families still retained considerable wealth and influence.

The man in black stopped in front of a stately mansion and knocked on the side door. It opened a crack, and he slipped in. In the distance, the Qingyi Society members who were tracking him gasped—that was the former residence of Zhao Gao, the Grand Coachman of the Former Qin Dynasty, now occupied by his cousin Zhao Cheng.

Zhao Cheng wielded considerable influence in Xianyang and throughout the Guanzhong region. He controlled numerous trade routes and had intricate ties with local nobles. If even he participated in the rebellion, then matters were far more complex than imagined.

When the news reached Li Zhao, it was already dawn.

Li Zhao stood atop the city wall, his expression grave. Zhao Cheng's participation in the rebellion was both unexpected and understandable. These former Qin nobles, while outwardly submitting, secretly yearned to restore their former glory. The Chu-Han conflict presented them with a golden opportunity to profit.

"It's not just Zhao Cheng," Xiao Yuan whispered. "According to the intelligence we have, at least three other major families are involved. They have set up seven strongholds in the city and stockpiled a large amount of weapons and armor."

Li Zhao turned around, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "What are you going to do?"

"We have mastered the locations and personnel of all strongholds. We recommend raiding them all simultaneously to avoid alerting the enemy." Xiao Yuan unfolded a map of Xianyang with seven red dots marked on it. "The general's one thousand men are ready and awaiting orders."

Li Zhao pondered for a moment and shook his head: "No, wait a little longer."

"Wait?" Xiao Yuan was puzzled. "The opportunity is fleeting."

"Wait until they're all exposed." Li Zhao's finger gently slid across the map. "We don't just want these pawns, we want the big fish behind them. Let the Qingyi Society continue to monitor and see who else will surface."

He walked to the desk and wrote a handwritten order: "Order the troops to break up into small groups, disguise themselves as civilians, and ambush around the stronghold. Do not act rashly without my order."

Xiao Yuan took the order and felt awe in his heart. He had to admire Li Zhao's patience and foresight. In this ever-changing moment, he was able to remain calm and wait for the best opportunity. It was no wonder that Gao Yao placed the important task of defending Xianyang in Li Zhao's hands.

For the next two days, Xianyang City seemed calm as usual. The Chu army was still attacking, and Li Zhao led his troops to defend the city. Both sides suffered losses, but neither side was seriously injured. However, undercurrents were surging secretly.

The Qingyi Society's surveillance network tightened. Every suspicious person and every possible location was brought under surveillance. More and more information was gathered at headquarters, names were added to the list, and conspiracies were uncovered one by one.

Late the next night, the most important intelligence arrived: the rebels would take action at midnight the next night. At that time, the Chu army would launch a feint attack to attract the attention of the defenders, and the rebels in the city would act in three directions: one would set fire to create chaos, one would raid the west gate, and the last would rush straight to the palace and attempt to assassinate Lu Zhi again.

Even more shocking was that the deputy general defending the city, Zhou Wang, was also involved in the conspiracy. The west gate he was responsible for defending was the key point of the rebels' breakthrough plan.

"Sure enough, there's an insider." Xiao Yuan sneered, "Now we can close the net."

Li Zhao finally nodded: "We will take action at dusk tomorrow and make sure to capture them all."

The action plan was quickly and carefully formulated. Li Zhao's 1,000 men were to be divided into seven teams, each tasked with simultaneously assaulting seven strongholds. Five hundred elite troops were also assigned to deal specifically with Zhou Wang and his cronies. The palace guards were to be doubled, and all personnel entering and leaving the palace would undergo strict inspection.

Members of the Tsing Yi Society were responsible for guiding and cooperating with military operations, while continuing to monitor suspects who had not yet been exposed to prevent any from slipping through the net.