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Since Ang Lee dared to cooperate with Luo Dahu, he was not afraid that Luo Dahu would play tricks. In his mind, a nobody like Luo Dahu was just a target to be used. The initiative was completely in his hands. As long as Luo Dahu dared to play tricks, it would be easy to get rid of him.
"Wuyang, is Luo Dahu's real purpose of finding us really as simple as he said?"
Li Feishou Yu's face was full of doubt.
Ang Lee smiled softly. "Luo Dahu is a loyal subject of Deng Shizhao. He is thinking about how to avenge Deng Shizhao. Helping us is just a pretense. His real purpose is revenge. However, Peluoge's deployment of troops to Cuan made him keenly aware of the subtle contradiction between Peluoge and the Tang dynasty. This is what he can use."
"You mean this kid wants to provoke the Tang dynasty to fight against Nanzhao?"
Li Feishou Yu frowned slightly.
Li An nodded and said, "Ever since I gave them a way out last time, he should have sensed that I was dissatisfied with Nanzhao. This time, he learned that the Tang court had sent me to pacify Cuandi, and that Piloge is moving troops to Cuandi at this time. Is this not a great opportunity to sow discord between us?"
"Luo Dahu is just a martial artist. I didn't expect him to be so scheming. It seems that I have underestimated him."
"No matter how scheming he is, how can he escape from our hands? We are just using each other. Why should we care too much about each other's purpose?"
Ang Lee smiled softly and walked back to the post house.
Early the next morning, under the leadership of Li An, a troop of more than three thousand men and horses left Yi Zhou City, and rushed towards Lu Zhou, which was thousands of miles away. Yu Chengjie, under the protection of three hundred men and horses from Yi Zhou, headed towards Taihe City in Nanzhao.
Li An had to pass through Jian Zhou, Zi Zhou, and Rong Zhou before he could reach his destination, Lu Zhou. This journey was really not easy to travel. There were winding roads, dense forests, crisscrossing rivers, and a climate that was so hot that it could make one go crazy.
These obstacles caused the speed of the troops to slow down again and again. They were much slower than before, and the number of soldiers who fell ill was much higher than expected. There were even cases where some of them died from illness. This left Li An somewhat helpless.
"Big Brother, this damned weather in the South is really torturous. Even if we don't wear clothes, we can't stand the heat. The soldiers are covered in armor and are already dying from the heat. Don't talk about fighting, the heat is enough to kill people."
Li Kunxiong complained as he took off his armor and hung it on the back of his horse.
"Yes, Big Brother, the further we go, the hotter it will get. if this continues, more soldiers will die.. we have to think of a way."
Li Feiyu wiped the sweat from his forehead with a helpless expression.
Ang Lee had already ordered the team to slow down twice. Now, they were moving as slow as a tortoise. If they slowed down again, it would deviate too much from the original plan. However, if they continued to move forward like this, many soldiers would fall sick and die on the road.
"It's fine. Why don't we let the soldiers rest during the day and march at night? It might be better this way."
Li Feiyu suggested.
Ang Lee shook his head gently: "It is cool to march at night, but the roads here are rugged and complicated. If we can't see the road clearly and fall into a ditch, how can we survive? The losses will be much greater than if we march during the day."
"But marching like this is not a solution. The soldiers have no fighting power now, and many of the workers who transport the weapons and armor have fallen sick. Luzhou City is more than three hundred li away."
Li An frowned and pondered for a long time. Then, he said seriously, "The reason why the soldiers are exhausted is because they are not used to the climate in the south. They are not acclimatized to the climate in the south. Secondly, the transportation is inconvenient. The burden on every soldier is very heavy. Furthermore, the burden on the civilians is even heavier.
"How do we reduce the burden? Do we have to abandon all the weapons and armor?"
"That won't do. These are the resources the imperial court gave us to recruit soldiers. We can't abandon them.
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Li An heaved a sigh of relief. "We have to hire the local people to transport the supplies for us. Although it will cost a lot of money, it can reduce the number of deaths of the soldiers and increase the speed of the troops."
"Big Brother, that's a good idea. The local people are used to the climate. They are the most suitable people to transport the resources for us. It won't cost much."
"I agree. Hire the local people to transport the resources."
Ang Lee nodded: "Good, let's do it. Guangcheng, Erniu, you take some soldiers and contact the local people along the way. Offer them a high price to help transport the resources."
"Yes, General."
Zhang Guangcheng and Erniu took the order and led some soldiers to recruit the local workers.
"Big Brother, as long as we can recruit enough local workers, we can let the workers from the capital go back. Especially those who are sick. We can't let them suffer with the team."
"That's right, Big Brother. Those sick soldiers should stay here for the time being. We can go to Luzhou after their condition is stabilized."
Ang Lee nodded in agreement. He looked at one of his subordinates and ordered: "Let the sick soldiers and workers stay here. Leave a hundred soldiers from the capital to protect them."
"Yes, General."
Zhang Guangcheng and Erniu were quite efficient. In just half a day, they had recruited more than a thousand local workers. Of course, this was also because Ang Lee's offer was attractive to the local people. That was why they could recruit enough workers in such a short time.
The mountain people who lived in the south worked in the mountains all day long. They were stronger and adapted to the climate. Therefore, it was easy for them to transport the same resources.
After handing over some of the weapons and armor to the mountain people, the pressure on the workers in the capital was greatly reduced. Some of the weaker soldiers even took off their armor and handed it to the local workers to carry.
Of course, other than recruiting more than a thousand workers, they also recruited livestock raised by the local workers. These livestock roamed the mountains all year round. Not only were they adapted to the terrain and climate, but they were also very good at carrying. They were much better than the war horses of the Tang Army.
Just by spending a small sum of money, the burden on the army had been greatly reduced. Li An was very satisfied, and naturally, the soldiers and workers under his command were even more satisfied. Even the local mountain people who had been recruited to do manual labor were very happy, because they would be able to receive a considerable amount of remuneration.
Although the environment was still bad, the burden on their bodies was lighter. This allowed many of the soldiers and workers who were still in good health to be able to carry on. Moreover, when they saw the calmness and steadiness of the mountain people, they were more or less encouraged. Once a person's spirit was lifted, their body would also be much better.
As the team continued to move forward, more and more mountain people were willing to join in the transportation of resources. Of course, because the number of people needed was not too large, Ang Lee asked his subordinates to recruit the strongest ones. This way, he could get the best labor for the same amount of money.
Since hiring the mountain people to transport the resources, the speed of the entire team had increased significantly. Moreover, the mountain people were more familiar with the terrain. They knew how to proceed in the face of heavy rain and fog. When the soldiers were not feeling well, they could even act as doctors. This brought great convenience to the entire team.
Just as Ang Lee was about to arrive at Luzhou, the Second Prince of Nanzhao, Yu Chengjie, successfully arrived at Taihe City. He was immediately summoned to the palace.
"Father, I'm back."
Yu Chengjie bowed respectfully to Pi Luoge.
"Chengjie, are you tired after such a long journey?"
Pi Luoge asked with concern.
"Thank you for your concern, Father. I'm not tired."
Yu Chengjie's heart was as happy as if he had eaten honey.
"Chengjie, you said in the letter that things were going smoothly. However, I heard that the Tang dynasty has already asked Ang Lee to lead the army to quell the rebellion. They also asked Nanzhao to support them in the south. What's going on? Why didn't you say it clearly in the letter?"
After greeting him, Pi Luoge asked sternly.
Yu Chengjie explained calmly, "Father, you don't know. This is actually what happened."
After Yu Chengjie's explanation, Pi Luoge finally understood. He muttered to himself, "The Emperor of the Tang dynasty has always been concerned about his reputation. This is within my expectations. However, the treasury of the Tang dynasty is empty. This is really surprising. Could it be that the rich Tang dynasty can't afford the consumption of war?"
"Father, this is absolutely true. The imperial court of the Tang dynasty has already issued treasury bonds in the capital. The treasury is definitely empty."
Yu Chengjie said with certainty.
"The Tang dynasty is fighting everywhere. There are hundreds of thousands of troops in the west and north. It's not impossible for the treasury to be empty."
Pi Luoge nodded in agreement and looked at Yu Chengjie, "Chengjie, you said that the Emperor of the Tang dynasty asked Ang Lee to quell the rebellion in Cuandi for the sake of his reputation. At the critical moment, he still needs to rely on Nanzhao. However, this is what Ang Lee said himself. How can you be sure that this is true?"
"Father, Ang Lee only led 600 troops. I heard that he only recruited 3,000 troops when he went to Cuandi. How can such a small number of troops quell the rebellion in Cuandi? If we want to quell Cuandi, we still need the troops of Nanzhao."
Yu Chengjie said proudly.
"Recruit 3,000 troops."
Pi Luoge frowned and began to pace with his hands behind his back.
"My Lord, the rebellion is imminent. Ang Lee actually wants to go to Cuandi to recruit troops. This is very unusual. Everyone knows that the training of new troops takes a long time."
His confidant Duan Jianming said doubtfully.
Yu Chengjie smiled and said confidently, "Isn't that simple? Ang Lee knows that he doesn't have enough troops to quell the rebellion. That's why he proposed to recruit troops at this time. In fact, it's to avoid war."
"Is it really that simple to avoid war? Why do I feel like there's an oriole behind us?"
Pi Luoge's eyes were full of vigilance. He felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't tell what it was.
"Father, the Tang dynasty's treasury is empty. Ang Lee's troops are weak. These are the facts in front of us. What else do you have to worry about?"
Yu Chengjie's tone was slightly anxious.
Pi Luoge stepped forward and patted Yu Chengjie on the shoulder. He praised, "Chengjie, you've worked hard this time. You've done well. Father is very satisfied. Go back and rest."
"It's my duty to share Father's worries. Father, you should also rest early."
Yu Chengjie's face was filled with excitement, and he quickly retreated.
After Yu Chengjie left, Pi Luoge looked at his confidant Duan Jianming. "What do you think the real intention of the Tang dynasty's imperial court is? Is their treasury really empty?"
Duan Jianming thought for a moment and nodded. "My Lord, if the Tang dynasty's treasury is not empty, why would they borrow money from the rich people in the world? Wouldn't this damage the prestige of the Tang dynasty? I think this should not be fake. It must be true."
"Oh, it's true. Then what's Ang Lee's intention of recruiting 3,000 troops? It's just to avoid war? "
Pi Luoge continued to ask.
Duan Jianming thought for a moment and said, "My Lord, I think this should be the attitude of the Tang dynasty's imperial court. This should be to tell the world, especially the people of the Tang dynasty, that the imperial court will not tolerate rebellion and will inevitably send an army to eliminate the rebellion."
"The treasury is empty, but they're still so arrogant. It seems that the emperor of the Tang dynasty, whom we admire, is just so-so. If this goes on, maybe in a few years, the national strength of the Tang dynasty will decline. Once we take over the Cuan land, the national strength will inevitably prosper. Under this situation, Nanzhao may have a chance to move into the Central Plains. At that time, the entire Central Plains will change dynasties, haha. "
Pi Luoge boldly looked forward to it.
"My Lord, you're right. However, only when the Tang dynasty is in turmoil and the Central Plains falls apart can we have a chance. After all, even if we get the Cuan land, the territory of Nanzhao is far less than that of the Tang dynasty, let alone the resources and people."
Duan Jianming said cautiously.
Pi Luoge nodded repeatedly and said longingly, "In fact, I don't want to move into the Central Plains. As long as the Tang dynasty falls apart, I have a chance to send troops to occupy Jiannan Road of the Tang dynasty. Of course, this depends on the specific situation. If we're not strong enough, Nanzhao can only develop slowly."
"My Lord, since the Tang dynasty's treasury is empty at the moment, and Ang Lee's recruitment is just for show, then we should immediately take action and take over the Cuan land."
Duan Jianming said impatiently.
Pi Luoge nodded and said seriously, "Come, summon Duan Jianwei to the palace."
"Yes, my Lord."
Half an hour later, Duan Jianwei, the brother of Duan Jianming, rushed to the palace and bowed respectfully to Pi Luoge.
"My Lord, since you're so anxious to summon me, is there an important task?"
Pi Luoge nodded approvingly and looked at Duan Jianwei, "Duan Jianwei, I've made up my mind to immediately take action against the Cuan land and try to take over the entire Cuan land as soon as possible."
Duan Jianwei was overjoyed and said, "Rest assured, my Lord, I will do my best to serve you and help you take over the Cuan land as soon as possible."
"Good, this is the kind of subject I like."
Pi Luoge praised and patted Duan Jianwei's shoulder and ordered, "Duan Jianwei, immediately go to the Cuan land and tell the Cuan clan that the Tang dynasty will send troops to destroy them. Also, my main force will also attack the Cuan land. Tell them to surrender obediently."
"Yes, my Lord, I understand."
Duan Jianwei was overjoyed and left with his fists clasped. To be continued.
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