Li Longji was still unwilling to believe that the King of Nanzhao, Pi Luoge, would betray the Tang Dynasty. After all, since the founding of Nanzhao, it had always been loyal to the Tang Dynasty. Every new king who succeeded the throne could not wait to express their loyalty to the Tang Dynasty and accept the official conferment of the Tang Dynasty. Pi Luoge himself was also unwavering in his alliance with the Tang Dynasty and assisted the Tang Empire in fighting against Tibet.
It was precisely because of this that Li Longji boldly supported Pi Luoge to unify the Six Zhao, so that his little brother could be stronger and better contain the Tibetan Empire in the west.
Although Nanzhao was far less powerful than the Tang Empire, the Tang Dynasty seemed to be inseparable from Nanzhao. Li Longji regarded Nanzhao as a safety barrier in the south of the Tang Dynasty, and he was unwilling to believe that Pi Luoge would do anything to harm the Tang Dynasty.
In Li Longji's view, these groundless accusations were mostly made by the remnants of the Five Zhao. Their purpose was to sow discord between the Tang Dynasty and Nanzhao, so that it would be easier for them to restore their country.
Of course, Li Longji was more or less worried. After all, Zhangchou Jianqiong was a steady person. If he did not have enough worries, why would he take the risk to submit a memorial?
Li Linfu cupped his hands respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, this subject has just returned from Nanzhao's Second Prince and has learned the purpose of the Nanzhao delegation's visit. It is to ask for Your Majesty's order to suppress the rebellion in Cuandi. The King of Yunnan's loyalty can be seen by the sun and moon."
Li Longji was not shocked when he heard this. After all, the Nanzhao delegation came at the critical moment of the rebellion in Cuandi. Other than asking for orders to suppress the rebellion, what other important matter could it be? In other words, this was already expected.
"The King of Yunnan is a foreign subject that I rely heavily on. I absolutely do not want to believe that he has anything to do with the rebellion in Cuandi. I'm afraid that Zhangchou Jianqiong has been deceived by the remnants of the Five Zhao."
Li Longji said with great certainty.
Li Linfu heard this and nodded gently. "Your Majesty is wise. Commander Zhangchou may have been deceived by the remnants of the Five Zhao. However, Commander Zhangchou recommended Li Xiaowei in his memorial to be in charge of dealing with the Cuandi rebellion. It seems that Li Xiaowei also knew about this. Perhaps Li Xiaowei was also deceived."
"Zhangchou Jianqiong recommends Ang Lee to be in charge of suppressing the rebellion."
Li Longji frowned.
Li Linfu was greatly astonished. The Emperor had not even finished reading the memorial before throwing it out. He actually did not know that Zhangchou Jianqiong had recommended Ang Lee to quell the rebellion.
"Right Prime Minister, since Nanzhao's diplomatic mission has arrived in the capital, Ang Lee should also be back. I want to ask him personally and see what he knows. Oh right, Ang Lee should still be in the Imperial City. I want to ask him now."
Li Longji admired Ang Lee very much. Since this matter involved Ang Lee, he naturally wanted to ask Ang Lee clearly.
Li Linfu rolled his eyes and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, when we first entered the Illustrious Virtue Gate, Li Xiaowei quietly left the group. I did not know where he went. When I came out of the Honglu Guild Hall, I found that Li Xiaowei was not by my side. I asked my subordinates and found out that he had already left. He is definitely not in the Imperial City now."
"What this Ang Lee? How rude."
Li Longji looked angry on the surface, but he was actually concerned about Ang Lee. He paused and said softly, "Forget it. Since he ran away, I am not in a hurry to see him. Right Prime Minister, tell me about the conditions offered by the King of Yunnan."
In Li Longji's view, if Pi Luoge was willing to send troops to quell the rebellion of the Tang dynasty, there must be conditions.
Li Linfu said respectfully, "Your Majesty, the King of Yunnan did not put forward any conditions. He only hopes that Your Majesty can give him a chance to show his loyalty. The King of Yunnan is willing to lead the troops of Nanzhao to quell the rebellion of Cuandi for the Tang dynasty and share Your Majesty's worries."
After saying that, he raised his eyes and secretly looked at Li Longji from the corner of his eyes.
"What? The King of Yunnan is willing to lead the troops of the country to quell the rebellion of Cuandi? And he did not put forward any conditions to me?"
Li Longji could not believe his ears. No matter how loyal Pi Luoge was, he should not lead the troops of the country to quell the rebellion of the Tang dynasty unconditionally. After all, no matter how loyal a person was, he would still have his own selfish motives. Pi Luoge did this just to show his loyalty.
"Your Majesty, the Second Prince of Nanzhao said very clearly that the King of Yunnan is deeply indebted to Your Majesty. It was Your Majesty's support that allowed him to complete his great wish of unifying the Six Zhao. The King of Yunnan has always wanted to repay Your Majesty. Now, the opportunity to quell the rebellion of Cuandi has come. This is the time for the King of Yunnan to show his loyalty."
Li Linfu said, adding fuel to the fire.
Li Longji nodded gently, but he still had some doubts in his heart. He did not believe that there would be such a good and loyal minister in the world. If Pi Luoge had put forward some conditions, he would have felt at ease. But Pi Luoge did not put forward any conditions. This made him faintly feel that Pi Luoge might have other motives. Did Zhangchou Jianqiong really find out something?
Thinking of this, Li Longji gently shook his head and did not want to continue thinking about it. After all, he really could not lose Nanzhao. Even if Pi Luoge really had other motives, as long as it was not a full-out rebellion, he was willing to compromise appropriately to maintain the stability of the southern mountains.
"Your Majesty, right now, the main forces of the Tang dynasty are concentrated in the west and north. We are really powerless in the south. Since the King of Yunnan sincerely wants to share Your Majesty's worries, why don't we completely hand over the responsibility of quelling the rebellion of Cuandi to the King of Yunnan? This way, the Tang dynasty can focus on dealing with the Tubo in the west and the Turks in the north."
Seeing that Li Longji was hesitating, Li Linfu spoke again.
"The Right Chief Minister also feels that the King of Yunnan is loyal."
Li Longji had some doubts in his heart. However, in order to jointly deal with the Tubo strategic needs, Li Longji was more willing to believe in Pi Luoge.
"Your Majesty, Nanzhao has been loyal for four generations and has never betrayed the Tang dynasty. I believe that the King of Yunnan is loyal to Your Majesty."
Li Linfu insisted.
He knew that Li Longji was unwilling to believe that Nanzhao rebelled. He also knew that Nanzhao did not have the guts to challenge the Tang dynasty and did not dare to fall out with the Tang Empire.
Li Longji nodded slightly. "The rebellion of Cuandi is getting more and more intense, giving me a headache. I am very gratified that the King of Yunnan is willing to share my worries. The Second Prince of Nanzhao has just arrived in Chang 'an today. Let him rest for a day. I will officially summon him tomorrow afternoon."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will inform the Second Prince of Nanzhao later and let him be prepared tomorrow."
"Good."
"I will take my leave."
Seeing that Li Longji was tired, Li Linfu tactfully retreated.
"Bring it up."
After Li Linfu left, Li Longji gestured for the eunuch to bring Zhangchou Jianqiong's memorial back to him. Earlier, he had been so angry that he hadn't finished reading the memorial. Now, he wanted to take a good look at it and see what exactly was going on.
####
Ang Lee left Yan Zhenqing's residence and rode his horse straight to the Imperial City. He had calculated that Yu Chengjie should have settled down by now. Perhaps someone would think of him. Therefore, he had to rush over as soon as possible.
"Wuyang, where did you go?"
As soon as he entered the Imperial City, Ang Lee was bumped into by Yan Zhenqing.
"Uncle!"
"It's fine. Your journey to the East Woman Kingdom has rendered great service to the Great Tang, and your uncle is very gratified. But why did you leave on your own after entering the Illustrious Virtue Gate? Did you really think that no one would notice you?"
Yan Zhenqing reprimanded him sternly.
"What's wrong, Uncle? Did someone notice that I left secretly?"
Ang Lee asked knowingly.
Yan Zhenqing frowned. "After the Right Chief Minister came out of the Honglu Guild Hall, he found that you were not with the group. He specifically asked his subordinates. It's not a big deal. All the ministers know that you sneaked out. Tell me, where did you go?"
"Uncle, I …"
Ang Lee stuttered. He could not possibly tell Yan Zhenqing about his private meeting with Yan Ruyu.
"Alright, come with me quickly. The Crown Prince wants to see you."
Yan Zhenqing was too lazy to ask for the reason. He turned and walked into the Imperial City.
Ang Lee got off his horse and followed Yan Zhenqing closely.
"Uncle, why does the Crown Prince want to see me?"
Ang Lee could not help but ask curiously.
Yan Zhenqing shook his head lightly. "The Crown Prince did not say, and I did not ask. However, it is probably related to the Cuandi incident. In the past month, the most important thing in the court is the Cuandi rebellion."
"What does the Cuandi rebellion have to do with the Crown Prince? Can he make the decision?"
"Wuyang, be careful with your words."
Yan Zhenqing turned and glared at Ang Lee.
The Crown Prince did not change his residence. It was still the Imperial Palace's side courtyard. As for the Eastern Palace, it had not been occupied for many years. It was probably overgrown with weeds.
Ang Lee stood at the entrance of the side courtyard and sighed in his heart.
"Officer Li, the Crown Prince has asked for you to enter."
Li Jingzhong, who had an extremely ugly face, slowly walked out.
Ang Lee lightly nodded. After exchanging a glance with Yan Zhenqing, he walked in alone.
"This lowly Ang Lee pays respects to His Highness the Crown Prince."
Ang Lee respectfully bowed.
Li Heng waved his hand and softly said, "Officer Li, in these months in Dongnu Province, you have made great contributions to the Tang dynasty. This prince represents His Majesty in congratulating Officer Li in advance."
"Your Highness, as a subject of the Tang dynasty, Ang Lee only did what he should do. Sharing His Majesty's worries is the duty of a subject. Ang Lee does not dare to claim credit."
Li Heng faintly smiled. "Officer Li is too modest. Right, this prince called Officer Li over to ask about the matter of Cuandi. In his letter to His Majesty, Marshal Zhangchou recommended Officer Li to quell the rebellion in Cuandi. I believe that he must have known that Officer Li understands the situation in Cuandi, so he wrote that memorial."
Ang Lee did not hide anything. He immediately told Li Heng everything he knew and answered all of Li Heng's questions.
Li Heng was generally very satisfied with Ang Lee's answers and even praised Ang Lee.
"Li Jingzhong, go and bring this prince's jade thumb ring. Officer Li has made great contributions to the Tang dynasty. This prince wishes to reward Officer Li."
Li Heng looked at Li Jingzhong and ordered.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Li Jingzhong bowed and slowly left the room. When he walked out of the door, he glanced back and revealed a strange smile.
Li Heng watched Li Jingzhong leave. After he left, he turned back to Ang Lee and asked, "Officer Li escorted Nanzhao's Second Prince all the way to Chang 'an. I presume that you have a good understanding of Nanzhao's Second Prince?"
"It's only been a month, so I don't know him very well. However, I have a general understanding of the situation."
Li Heng nodded and stared into Ang Lee's eyes. "Officer Li, what do you think the Nanzhao's Second Prince feels about the Tang dynasty? Will he be loyal to the Tang dynasty?"
Ang Lee immediately understood that Yu Chengjie must have sent someone to contact the crown prince. Otherwise, the crown prince would not be so concerned about Yu Chengjie.
"Your Highness, forgive me for being so bold. Nanzhao's Second Prince's ability is average, but it is precisely because of this that he is the most beneficial to the Tang dynasty. Nanzhao's First Prince is not the King of Nanzhao's biological son. This Second Prince is the most qualified successor to Nanzhao."
Ang Lee boldly expressed his opinion.
Li Heng nodded. "Officer Li is right. Since ancient times, the succession of the throne has always been done by the First Prince, not the First Prince. If an adopted son succeeds the throne, wouldn't it be a mess? However, the King of Yunnan seems to have the intention of letting an adopted son succeed the throne."
Ang Lee shook his head and said, "That's not necessarily the case. Isn't the King of Yunnan sending the Second Prince to Chang 'an to test the Tang dynasty's attitude? As long as the Tang dynasty fully supports the Nanzhao's Second Prince, the King of Yunnan might change his mind."
"Officer Li is right. This prince knows what to do."
Li Heng waved his hand and signaled Ang Lee to be silent.
"Your Highness, the thumb ring is here."
Li Jingzhong walked in with an ugly expression on his face.
Li Heng looked at Ang Lee and said, "Officer Li, this thumb ring has been with this prince for many years. However, this prince has always been reluctant to use it. Today, I will give it to you as a souvenir."
Ang Lee did not refuse. Instead, he respectfully said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness."
Li Heng lightly nodded his head in agreement.
"I will take my leave."
Ang Lee respectfully took his leave and slowly exited the room.
Yan Zhenqing did not leave. He was waiting in the pavilion outside. When he saw Ang Lee come out, he hurriedly went up to greet him.
"You're fine. What did the Crown Prince say?"
Ang Lee took out the thumb ring that Crown Prince Li Heng had given him. He faintly smiled and said, "The Crown Prince gave me a thumb ring. However, he wasn't willing to use it himself."
Yan Zhenqing frowned, "I mean, what did the Crown Prince say to you?"
Ang Lee smiled and said, "Uncle, there are too many people here. Let's go back and talk about it."
"Heh, you brat."
Yan Zhenqing scolded with a smile.
###
In the Right Prime Minister's Residence, Li Zhonglin was counting the gifts. These gifts were all sent by the Second Prince of Nanzhao. His purpose was naturally to please Li Linfu. He wanted Li Linfu to support him in inheriting the title of King of Yunnan.
"Alang, the Second Prince of Nanzhao is really generous. He actually gave us so many gifts. It seems like Nanzhao is not poor at all."
Li Zhonglin said with a smile.
Li Linfu stroked his beard and said softly, "Compared to Nanzhao's vast territory, these gifts are nothing."
Obviously, Li Linfu was well aware of Yu Chengjie's purpose in pleasing him.
"Alang means that the Second Prince of Nanzhao wants to inherit the title of King of Yunnan. This is his true purpose in coming to Chang 'an City."
Li Linfu gently nodded his head, "Although the King of Yunnan has an eldest son, it is said that this eldest son is not his biological son. He is merely an adopted son. In terms of status, he does not have the right to inherit the title. Therefore, the Second Prince cannot sit still. He wants to seek the support of the Tang dynasty to replace the King of Yunnan."
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