Ang Lee thought about it again and again. He felt that there might be some powerful forces around him who were unwilling to give up. Ah Kang and Cuan Shouyu were both powerful families in Cuan Land. Moreover, Ah Kang's husband and Cuan Shouyu's father, King Cuan Gui, used to be the most prestigious family in Cuan Land. Now that the Tang dynasty's army was stationed here, were they really willing to be powerless idlers who could only receive a salary from the imperial court?
At least, Ah Kang was not such a person. From the way she deliberately approached Nan Jiyun, it could be seen that she was a woman who was unwilling to be left alone. Such a woman generally had a certain ambition or purpose.
Ang Lee always had a hunch that the leaders of these conspiracies were Ah Kang and Cuan Shouyu. Because the leaders of the powerful families in Cuan Land had suffered heavy losses, the most prestigious one was undoubtedly Cuan Shouyu. Once the Tang Army withdrew from Cuan Land, Cuan Shouyu would undoubtedly be elected as the ruler of Cuan Land. In other words, Cuan Shouyu would be the biggest beneficiary after the Tang Army withdrew.
Of course, the problem of Nanzhao could not be ignored. After all, Nanzhao had paid too much effort and price in order to get Cuan Land, but in the end, it was a wedding dress for the Tang dynasty. So, how could Pi Luoge and his ministers be willing to accept it? If they were not willing to accept it, they might contact Cuan Shouyu and then plot against the Tang dynasty to prove that the Tang dynasty was not capable of stabilizing Cuan Land. For the peace of Cuan Land, Nanzhao must be in charge.
In short, Ang Lee's current suspects were Cuan Shouyu, Ah Kang, and Nanzhao. Of course, there were also the descendants of the powerful families in Cuan Land. Only they were likely to oppose the Tang dynasty. Ordinary people in Cuan Land only needed a stable and peaceful life, and they did not care who ruled over them.
In order not to alert the enemy, Li An and Nan Jiyun both believed that this matter must be investigated secretly. They must not let too many people know about it. Even the scouts they sent out did not know the contents of their investigation. What was the purpose of this investigation? This was to increase confidentiality.
"Big Brother, are you looking for me?"
Li Feiyu strode over.
Ang Lee directly said, "Fei Yu, take some reliable brothers and keep a close watch on Cuan Shouyu and his mother. Remember, do it quietly and don't be noticed by them."
"Big Brother, why? Is there something wrong with Cuan Shouyu?"
Li Feiyu asked curiously.
Li An waved his hand and said, "I'm not sure yet, but you just have to keep an eye on them. See who they're in contact with. If a stranger comes into contact with them, immediately follow that stranger. You can't lose him or be discovered by the other party, understand?"
"Yes, big brother. Leave it to me. Don't worry."
Li Feiyu confidently accepted the mission and immediately went to prepare.
... Ang Lee thought that he could enjoy two months in Cuan Shouyu and then go back comfortably. Unexpectedly, something happened. It was God's will that didn't let him be comfortable.
.... In Nanning Province, Cuan Shouyu, the Governor of Nanning Province, was secretly meeting a mysterious guest with his mother, Ah Kuang.
This visitor was dressed in black and wore a black hat on his head, completely covering his face. No matter what angle one looked at him from, one could not see his true appearance.
He disguised himself so mysteriously because he was afraid of being recognized and bringing trouble to himself.
The mysterious guest gently took off his hat, revealed his face, and looked at Cuan Shouyu and his mother.
He was none other than Duan Jianwei, who had repeatedly contacted Cuan Shouyu and made a mess of Cuan Shouyu. Poor Duan Jianwei did not realize his political ambitions. Instead, he made a wedding dress for the Tang Dynasty army, which made him feel extremely painful.
Although after returning to Nanzhao, Pi Luoge did not execute him but removed him from his position for the sake of his brother, Duan Jianming, he blamed himself in his heart. He felt that he had betrayed Pi Luoge's trust.
For this reason, he felt that he had to take action and make the Tang Dynasty pay the price to calm his unwillingness and anger.
After careful analysis and consideration, Duan Jianwei finally chose to contact Cuan Shouyu. Although Cuan Shouyu was appointed as the Governor of Nanning Province by the Tang Dynasty, he did not have any real power. It was just a position waiting for death. For Cuan Shouyu, who was used to having real power and being able to control the fate of others, this must be a kind of loss and suffering.
Sure enough, Duan Jianwei was right. Cuan Shouyu was very dissatisfied with the Tang Dynasty for making him lose his power. The Tang Dynasty used his reputation to give him a high position to stabilize the people of Cuan Shouyu, but did not let him have real power. What a waste!
He used others to stabilize Cuan Shouyu, but he should not have any power. Moreover, his personal freedom was restricted. Cuan Shouyu's remorse could be imagined. Wasn't he a proper puppet?
In the world, no one was willing to be a puppet, because being a puppet meant being controlled by others forever. Such a life was worse than death and was very boring. The life of a puppet was meaningless. This had long been recognized by the world.
Cuan Shouyu, who was unwilling to be a puppet, and Duan Jianwei, who was unwilling to lose, could be regarded as the same kind of people. After they contacted each other, they hit it off and quickly reached a consensus to oppose the Tang Empire.
In order to express his sincerity and win Cuan Shouyu's trust, after the second letter, Duan Jianwei personally went to Nanning Province to meet Cuan Shouyu and his mother. In order to prevent being recognized, Duan Jianwei carefully dressed himself so that no one could recognize him.
"Shouyu is very touched that Mr. Duan can come in person. Shouyu knows that Mr. Duan is very wise. With Mr. Duan's guidance, the conspiracy of the Tang Dynasty will not succeed."
Cuan Shouyu flattered him.
"Since Mr. Duan is here, don't leave, and don't leave here. There are people of the Tang Army outside. I'm afraid it's not safe."
Ah Kang was more considerate. He asked Duan Jianwei not to go out casually in case he met someone he knew. After all, many people in the Tang Army knew Duan Jianwei. Moreover, Duan Jianwei had been active in Cuan Shouyu for more than a year, so more people in Cuan Shouyu knew him. Every time he appeared in public, the risk of being recognized increased, which would destroy the whole plan.
Duan Jianwei nodded and said, "Madam, you are so considerate. Since I'm here, I won't leave. I will serve the commander-in-chief wholeheartedly and force the Tang Dynasty to leave Cuan Shouyu."
Cuan Shouyu said with a smile, "Shouyu certainly believes in Mr. Duan. However, in your opinion, once the forces of the Tang Dynasty leave Cuan Shouyu, how will the situation in Cuan Shouyu develop?"
The implication was that once the Tang Dynasty withdrew, what kind of actions would Nanzhao take? Would they take the opportunity to annex Cuan Shouyu to fill the vacancy caused by the departure of the Tang Dynasty?
Duan Jianwei said with a smile, "You're right, commander-in-chief. Although I've been dismissed by the Emperor, based on my understanding of the Emperor over the years, the Emperor is interested in Cuan Shouyu. If the Tang Dynasty really escapes, the Emperor will certainly not stand by and watch. However, Cuan Shouyu is vast. No matter how big the appetite of Nanzhao is, it can't swallow it. At most, it can swallow the area of Kun Province, which is hundreds of miles away from Nanzhao. So, commander-in-chief, you don't have to worry too much. Moreover, as long as you gradually gather troops and horses, why should you be afraid of Nanzhao? Moreover, commander-in-chief is the owner of Cuan Shouyu. If Nanzhao attacks you, it will be unrighteous.
If the commander-in-chief fights against the Tang Dynasty, it will be unrighteous. "Cuan Shouyu was persuaded and said," You're right, sir. I've made up my mind to never be a puppet of the Tang Dynasty. Cuan Shouyu is the heritage of my ancestors. Why should I give it to the Tang Dynasty? No matter if I succeed or fail, I'll try my best. Even if I lose my life, I won't hesitate. "
"I'm willing to work together with commander-in-chief to make the Tang Dynasty unable to gain a foothold in Cuan Shouyu. There's no time to lose. Let's study the specific plan together."
Duan Jianwei was eager to study the plan.
Cuan Shouyu nodded, took out a map, and discussed with Duan Jianwei how to set up an ambush to wipe out all the officials sent by the Tang Dynasty.
Because the conversation was very congenial, they discussed for more than two hours before stopping. As Duan Jianwei went to the guest room to rest, Cuan Shouyu stood up and stretched.
"Mother, this Duan Jianwei has made a mess of Cuan Shouyu, but now we still have to trust him. I really don't know whether it's a good thing or a bad thing."
Cuan Shouyu looked helpless.
We're using Duan Jianwei. After all, this person is very good at planning, and the details of the plan are very well thought out. We need such a talent. Moreover, he has a foundation in Nanzhao, which will be helpful to us in the future. Of course, he's from Nanzhao after all. We have to use him, but we also have to guard against him. We can't be led by the nose by him. "
"Yes, mother, I understand. We have to use him and guard against him."
Cuan Shouyu nodded.
One day later, Nan Jiyun received news from the informant again. The informant was ready to attack the officials of the Tang Dynasty. The date of the attack was one day later. Time was very tight.
Then, the scouts sent by the army also found the unusual situation in Cuan Shouyu. Dozens of people gathered together inexplicably. Moreover, they were very vigilant against outsiders and basically did not let outsiders get close. At first glance, it was obvious that they were plotting a conspiracy.
The combination of these two situations was enough to prove that the Cuan Shouyu, who were unwilling to admit defeat, had begun to carry out the anti-Tang plan. Their first step was to kill the officials sent by the imperial court of the Tang Dynasty to Cuan Shouyu, which would make the imperial court of the Tang Dynasty worried and angry.
Ang Lee and other generals were responsible for protecting Cuan Shouyu. Once these officials were killed in Cuan Shouyu, Ang Lee and other generals would inevitably be punished by the imperial court. Moreover, the imperial court would reconsider whether it was cost-effective to turn Cuan Shouyu into a formal county, how feasible it was, and how much the people of Cuan Shouyu hated the Tang Dynasty. All these would be reevaluated because of the killing of the officials of the Tang Dynasty.
Therefore, Ang Lee would never allow such a thing to happen. There was no room for negotiation.
"General, they have begun to take action. Our army must immediately dispatch troops. Otherwise, once a large number of officials are killed, we will not be able to explain it to the imperial court."
Nan Jiyun looked at Ang Lee and said seriously.
Li An nodded and said, "You are right, we should indeed take action as soon as possible. However, our actions must not arouse the enemy's vigilance. Otherwise, if we let these people escape, it will be very troublesome in the future. This time, we must catch these traitors in one fell swoop. First, send two elite reconnaissance teams to receive the officials. With them, even if there are thousands of traitors, they will be powerless. In the evening, you will personally lead a thousand troops to reinforce them. I estimate that you should be able to make it in time for the show to start."
"Yes, General. I understand. This is the preparation."
Nan Jiyun took the order and left. As soon as she went out, she met Li Feiyu face to face. She nodded and strode away.
"Fei Yu, how is it? Is there any movement in Cuan Shouyu?"
Ang Lee asked.
"Big Brother, there is indeed something wrong with Cuan Shouyu. Yesterday, a strangely dressed stranger entered Cuan Shouyu's residence."
Li Feiyu reported.
"Who is this man? Have you found out?"
"No, this man has not come out since he entered Cuan Shouyu's residence. I have sent people to keep an eye on him. As soon as he appears, I will report it immediately."
Ang Lee nodded approvingly and said, "Well, it seems that there is something wrong with Cuan Shouyu. No wonder. He used to be the son of King Cuan, the most prestigious noble family in Cuan Shouyu. Now he has been reduced to a puppet of the Tang dynasty. He must be very unwilling in his heart."
"Big Brother, what should we do now? Keep an eye on Cuan Shouyu and his mother?"
"Yes, that's it. At present, we have no better choice but to keep an eye on Cuan Shouyu and his mother because we don't have enough evidence."
Ang Lee had no choice but to make this decision. After all, without conclusive evidence, they could not arrest people casually. Moreover, once they arrested Cuan Shouyu and his mother, it would be tantamount to beating the grass and alerting the enemy. Once the rebel forces in Cuan Shouyu fled in all directions, it would be very difficult to catch them in the future.
And those rebel forces in Cuan Shouyu would inevitably be unfavorable to the Tang dynasty in the future. The safety of the Tang dynasty officials scattered in various cities could not be guaranteed. In this way, the strategic rear of the Tang dynasty would be unstable, which would be very harmful to the Tang Empire.
The reconnaissance team was the most elite unit in the army, and every soldier was very powerful. A reconnaissance team of 110 people, in a head-on confrontation, was completely capable of defeating a regular army of more than a thousand people. If they were to deal with loose soldiers and stragglers who were not too well-organized, these reconnaissance team soldiers would not be afraid even if they encountered thousands of people.
After receiving the order to protect the officials of the Tang dynasty, these elite warriors were immediately ready to go. They set off in two groups and left Nanning Province from two different city gates to avoid attracting the attention of some people.
After the sun set, all the city gates of Nanning Province were closed, and the connection between the inside and outside of the city was suddenly cut off. It was at this time that Nan Jiyun personally gathered 1,000 soldiers and gathered them in the city gate.
After the soldiers and horses were gathered, the city gate opened again. Nan Jiyun led the army of 1,000 soldiers out of Nanning Province and rushed north. After the last soldier left the city gate, the city gate was closed again. To be continued.
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