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Ang Lee's words were a warning to Nanzhao. At the same time, he also expressed his loyalty to the Tang Empire and his opposition to any forces that harmed the interests of the Tang Empire. Even if Nanzhao was a vassal state loyal to the Tang Dynasty, it could not annex the provinces of the Tang Dynasty. This was Ang Lee's political bottom line.
Yu Chengjie was not very interested in Cuandi. The one who wanted to annex Cuandi was his father, Piluoge, the talented and bold Lord of Nanzhao. Therefore, when Ang Lee said this, Yu Chengjie did not reject it. Instead, he felt that his father was too greedy.
A few years ago, Yu Chengjie's father, Piluoge, unified the Six Zhao with the support of the Tang Empire. This greatly increased the strength of Nanzhao and made it a powerful country in the south of the Tang Dynasty. However, people's greed never stopped. After unifying the Six Zhao, Piluoge was no longer satisfied with the small land around Erhai. He then turned his eyes to Cuandi, intending to annex Cuandi and further expand Nanzhao's territory to gain more benefits.
"Haha, Captain Li, you worry too much. Nanzhao doesn't dare to ask for the provinces of the Tang Dynasty. My father just can't stand the Cuandi Clan rebelling against the Tang Dynasty and wants to share the burden of the Tang Dynasty Emperor. That's all."
Yu Chengjie naturally would not tell the truth. He just casually gave a perfunctory answer.
Ang Lee did not expect Yu Chengjie to tell him frankly. After all, they had known each other for less than two hours. He smiled faintly and said, "That's good. Second Prince, why don't we continue drinking?"
"Drink, drink, drink until we're drunk."
Yu Chengjie rarely relaxed. He drank and talked with Ang Lee to his heart's content until dusk. Only then did he return to the post house.
There were hundreds of Tang Army soldiers and hundreds of Nanzhao warriors in the post house. Ang Lee did not have to worry about Yu Chengjie's safety. After sending Yu Chengjie back to the post house, he took Kun Xiong and Fei Yu to visit Jiannan Military Governor Zhangchou Jianqiong.
"Kun Xiong, Fei Yu, what did Yu Chengjie's followers say?"
"Big Brother, these people are very tight-lipped. They said nothing other than polite words."
Ang Lee nodded gently. "These followers are very cautious. However, Yu Chengjie said a lot. You wait here. I'll go visit Marshal Zhangchou Jiannan Military Governor Zhangchou Jiannan.
”
"Yes, Big Brother."
The last time Li An passed through Yi Province, he had paid a visit to Zhangchou Jianqiong's residence. Because of this, the servants in the residence all recognized Li An and immediately ran to inform Zhangchou Jianqiong.
"Li Xiaowei, Alang invites you in."
Ang Lee nodded and walked into Zhangchou Jiannan's residence.
"Li Xiaowei, how have you been?"
Zhangchou Jiannan greeted him with a smile.
Ang Lee quickly clasped his fist and bowed. "Ang Lee pays his respects to Marshal Zhangchou. I came in a hurry and did not prepare a gift. I hope Marshal Zhangchou can forgive me."
"Ah, Li Xiaowei coming to visit this old man is already the best gift. There's no need to be so formal. Come, please come in."
Zhangchou Jiannan was full of smiles. He did not mind that Ang Lee came empty-handed.
Ang Lee followed Zhangchou Jiannan to the main hall.
"In this trip to Dongnu Province, Li Xiaowei wiped out twenty thousand Tibetan soldiers and personally killed Tibetan Prince Lang Zhidu. You also dug out the spies who colluded with Tibet. You have made a great contribution to the Tang dynasty. Once we return to Chang 'an, His Majesty will definitely reward Li Xiaowei, haha."
"Thank you for your praise, Marshal Zhangchou Jie. Li An was just lucky. However, the map that Marshal Zhangchou Jie gave me also played a huge role. If not for the map, I wouldn't have been able to figure out the situation around the East Woman Kingdom so smoothly."
Zhangchou Jianqiong was overjoyed to hear this, grinning from ear to ear. He naturally understood that Li An was just trying to flatter him. The reason they had obtained such a huge victory was mainly because of Li An's outstanding ability, not because of the map. However, for Li An to be so considerate of his feelings was something that made him happy.
"Marshal Zhangchou Jiannan, I heard that the major clans in Cuandi have all rebelled against the Tang dynasty. They even killed the Tang dynasty's city builder, Zhu Lingqian. What is the situation like?"
After exchanging some pleasantries, Ang Lee went straight to the point and asked about the situation in Cuandi.
Zhangchou Jiannan's expression was grave as he sighed. "I won't hide it from you, Li Xiaowei. The situation in Cuandi is very dangerous. King Cuangui, Cuan Chongdao, and the others have all rebelled. The entire East and West Cuandi have raised their flags and are a great threat to the stability of the southern part of the Tang dynasty."
"It's actually that serious?"
Although Ang Lee already knew some things, he was still shocked when he heard it from Zhangchou Jiannan. He continued, "Marshal Zhangchou Jiannan, rumor has it that the major clans in Cuandi rebelled against the Tang dynasty because the Tang dynasty built a city in Nanning Province. This made them feel uneasy."
Zhangchou Jiannan's lips curled into an imperceptible sneer. "On the surface, that seems to be the case. However, I keep feeling that things aren't that simple. I'm afraid that someone is stirring up trouble behind the scenes."
Ang Lee frowned. "So you seem to have discovered something, Marshal Zhangchou Jiannan?"
Zhangchou Jiannan shook his head and said helplessly, "I didn't discover anything. I just feel that this matter is too strange. There are too many things that don't make sense."
"Don't make sense?"
Ang Lee was startled. "What are you referring to, Marshal Zhangchou Jiannan?"
"First, Nanning Province is the Jiannan Province of the Tang dynasty. There's nothing wrong with the Tang dynasty building a city here. The major clans in Cuandi have already submitted to the Tang dynasty and have even been conferred titles by the Tang dynasty. Even if they're worried about the Tang dynasty building a city, they won't immediately start a rebellion. This reaction is a little too fast and a little too extreme. "Second, there are many major clans in Cuandi, and they all have conflicts with each other. However, this rebellion is unusually united and can actually act as one. This shows that there's a thread that connects these major clans who usually have conflicts with each other, twisting them into a rope and uniting them to resist the imperial court of the Tang dynasty."
Zhangchou Jiannan seriously expressed his doubts and secretly had a premonition.
Hearing this, Ang Lee felt that Zhangchou Jiannan's words were very reasonable. Cuandi was the Jiannan Province of the Tang dynasty. The Tang dynasty built a city in Jiannan Province in order to better govern this place. As long as the major clans in Cuandi didn't have the intention to rebel against the Tang dynasty, there was no need to worry that the city built by the Tang dynasty would threaten their safety.
In addition, the major clans in Cuandi were not unified tribes. These major clans could immediately move in unison against the Tang dynasty, so there must be someone with outstanding ability mediating among them. Otherwise, it would be very difficult for all the clans to move in unison. As for who the mysterious person behind this was, it was difficult for Zhangchou Jiannan and Ang Lee to figure out.
However, both of them more or less had some premonitions in their hearts. For now, they could only have premonitions.
"Marshal Zhangchou Jiannan, there should be a third suspicious point. Perhaps …"
Zhangchou Jiannan was slightly stunned and looked at Ang Lee in surprise. "Captain Li, please say it."
Ang Lee pondered for a moment and said seriously, "The rebellion in Cuandi was originally an urgent matter for the imperial court of the Tang dynasty. However, the King of Yunnan was in a hurry to send his son to Chang 'an City and proposed to lead the army to pacify Cuandi to share the burden of the Tang dynasty. This seems somewhat unreasonable. Even if the King of Yunnan was loyal to the Tang dynasty, he didn't have to be so active."
There were only interests in the dealings between countries. All actions were driven by interests. If he couldn't get huge benefits in return, how could Pi Luoge use his own army to meddle in Cuandi's affairs? As long as one had a clear mind, they could see the essence behind Pi Luoge's initiative to volunteer.
Hearing this, Zhangchou Jiannan grinned. "Captain Li and I have the same thought. The King of Yunnan's initiative is indeed a bit abnormal. However, we don't have any evidence at the moment. This matter is limited to you and me talking about it here. Don't talk about it outside."
"This subordinate understands."
Zhangchou Jiannan nodded lightly. After thinking for a moment, he said, "This official will continue to send people to investigate the matter in Cuandi. What Captain Li needs to do is to ensure that Yu Chengjie safely arrives at Chang 'an City. Whether the conspiracy behind Cuandi is Nanzhao's doing or not, nothing can happen to Yu Chengjie."
"Don't worry, commander. This subordinate knows what to do."
Ang Lee had received Li Longji's imperial edict. Naturally, he would do his best to protect Yu Chengjie's safety. Moreover, Ang Lee still hoped that Yu Chengjie would succeed the throne of Nanzhao. How could he not do his best to protect him?
Of course, Ang Lee also saw deep worry in Zhangchou Jiannan's furrowed brows. This worry was about the current situation and caution about Nanzhao.
"Commander Zhangchou must be worried about how to deal with the Cuandi rebellion once it is discovered that Pi Luoge is related to it."
Zhangchou Jiannan was slightly taken aback. He stared at Ang Lee. "Captain Li, continue."
Ang Lee smiled faintly. "Commander Zhangchou Jiannan hopes that Cuandi's rebellion has nothing to do with Nanzhao. Because if Cuandi's rebellion is caused by Nanzhao, our Tang dynasty will be in a very passive position."
Zhangchou Jiannan looked at Ang Lee with admiration. "Captain Li is indeed a smart person. Nanzhao is an important ally of our Tang dynasty in the south. In order to deal with the threat of Tubo, our Tang dynasty greatly needs the help of Nanzhao. Once we lose Nanzhao, the situation in Jiannan will become extremely dangerous. Therefore, we cannot push Nanzhao to Tubo. However, if the King of Nanzhao is the mastermind behind Cuandi's rebellion, things will become very troublesome. If I report this to the imperial court, it will be the same as announcing the rebellion, and the Tang dynasty will have no choice but to lose an important ally like Nanzhao. However, if we ignore it, the King of Yunnan's ambition will grow bigger and bigger. In this way, even if the Tang dynasty has ten thousand li of land and mountains, it will not be able to withstand Nanzhao's encroachment step by step. Moreover, Nanzhao is too powerful and is an invisible threat to our Tang dynasty.
I am very worried. "Ang Lee took a step forward." If this subordinate's guess is correct, even if Commander Zhangchou Jiannan finds out that the mastermind behind Cuandi's rebellion is the King of Yunnan, you will definitely not report this to the imperial court. "
Zhangchou Jiannan smiled helplessly. "I can't just give Nanzhao to Tubo. As long as the King of Yunnan does not openly rebel against the Tang dynasty, I can only tolerate him for the time being. What? Does Captain Li feel that my actions are inappropriate?"
Ang Lee understood that Zhangchou Jiannan was implementing a policy of appeasement. This method could temporarily avoid huge losses, but in the long run, it was very disadvantageous. Since ancient times, there had never been a policy of appeasement that obtained the ultimate stability. Appeasement would only stimulate the other party's ambition and make them more and more bold.
However, Commander Zhangchou Jiannan seems to only see that the Tang dynasty is inseparable from Nanzhao's assistance, but you have neglected the fact that Nanzhao is even more inseparable from the support of the Tang dynasty. The King of Yunnan has unified the Six Zhao in just a few years. In the Five Zhao, there are still many warriors who intend to restore the old country. If the Tang dynasty and Nanzhao turn against each other, the remaining members of the Five Zhao will definitely seek refuge with the Tang dynasty. In this way, the country that the King of Yunnan has painstakingly built will be torn apart again. "
Zhangchou Jiannan was shocked when he heard this. He had really neglected this point. He had only considered that if the Tang dynasty and Nanzhao turned against each other, Nanzhao would seek refuge with Tubo, and the situation of the Tang dynasty would become extremely disadvantageous. However, he had neglected the fact that Nanzhao was even more inseparable from the Tang dynasty. Not long after the unification of the Six Zhao, Pi Luoge was even more inseparable from the support of the Tang Empire.
In other words, once the Tang dynasty and Nanzhao turned against each other, both sides would suffer huge losses. It would be a lose-lose situation. Neither Li Longji nor Pi Luoge wanted this to happen. Therefore, Li Longji would indulge Pi Luoge appropriately and use Pi Luoge to restrain Tubo's military strength. Pi Luoge would also not dare to openly rebel against the Tang dynasty. He could only secretly make some small moves and slightly encroach on the border of the Tang dynasty to expand his own power.
Pi Luoge's every move was a test. He first proposed the unification of the Six Zhao to test the Tang Empire's attitude towards this matter. If the Tang empire objected, he could only give up. However, the Tang empire considered the strategic needs of fighting against Tubo together and agreed to Pi Luoge's request. This made Pi Luoge very happy. At the same time, he also figured out the strategic policy of the Tang dynasty, which was to unite with Nanzhao to fight against Tubo together.
In this way, Nanzhao naturally became an important strategic chess piece of the Tang Empire. Pi Luoge used this as his basis and judged that as long as he could create a fait accompli of occupying Cuandi, the Tang dynasty's imperial court could only accept the appeasement policy in order to fight against Tubo together.
"Officer Li, what you mean is that as long as the Tang dynasty strongly opposes Nanzhao occupying Cuandi, the King of Yunnan will give in and give up occupying Cuandi."
Ang Lee smiled faintly. "Attitude can't scare the King of Yunnan. Only by taking practical action can we put an end to Nanzhao's thoughts of encroaching Cuandi."
Although all of this stopped at the hypothetical stage, Ang Lee and Zhangchou Jianqiong both knew that Pi Luoge was a hero with great political ideals. The rebellion that happened in Cuandi was most likely related to Pi Luoge.
Zhangchou Jianqiong looked at Ang Lee with interest. He felt more and more that Ang Lee was a rare talent. At such a young age, he could see the problem so clearly. He was even better than him, who had been in the officialdom for decades. He even doubted Ang Lee's age. This young man with extraordinary knowledge was really only in his teens. How could such a young man have such brilliant knowledge?
Of course, Zhangchou Jianqiong would never dream that Ang Lee came from the future and had a certain understanding of history. Naturally, he saw the problem more clearly than the people of this era.
"Officer Li, how do you plan to take practical action to stop Nanzhao from encroaching Cuandi?"
Zhangchou Jianqiong asked. To be continued.
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