In front of many officials, Ang Lee announced that they would head south two months after their arrival in Guangzhou. In other words, they would only head south after their training had matured. However, in reality, they would not wait that long. At most, Ang Lee would personally lead the fleet south in a little more than a month.
The reason for this little lie was to deceive the eyes and ears of the pirates to achieve the purpose of raiding the pirate's lair.
In order to raid the pirate's lair, they must first find out the exact location of the pirate's lair. Only in this way could they achieve their goal.
In order to find the pirate's lair, Ang Lee's subordinates were not idle. They inquired everywhere and inquired about various situations from the mouths of merchants and fishermen. Especially the merchants, they asked where they were attacked. After accumulating the information, they could roughly infer the location of the pirate's lair.
"Assistant Minister Li, after day and night investigation, the merchants were recently attacked in this area, less than a thousand miles south of Yazhou. In the middle of this area, there is a small group of islands. The pirate's lair may be in this group of islands."
One of his subordinates had found some results and reported.
Ang Lee looked at the map and nodded. "You have worked hard. The islands in this area are very small. The largest island is no more than three thousand mu. The pirate's lair should be here."
"Three thousand mu? How does Assistant Minister Li know so clearly? "
His subordinate was suddenly stunned.
The islands in the south of Yazhou did not have much practical value in this era. The imperial court would not waste manpower and material resources to rule this worthless island. Moreover, pirates had always appeared in this area. It was difficult for ordinary people to get close. Therefore, almost no one knew the specific situation of this island. However, Ang Lee said that it was three thousand mu, which was indeed very surprising.
Li An did not answer his subordinate's question. There was no need for him to answer. The reason why he knew so much was because of his impression from later generations. That area was the Xisha Archipelago, and the main island of the Xisha Archipelago was about three thousand mu in size. That was why Li An knew so much about it.
"Big Brother, the pirate's lair closest to the Tang dynasty has been found. When should we take action?"
Li Feiyu had the intention to attack immediately.
"There's no hurry. We've only been in Guangzhou for a few days! We must first train our troops well before we can win the battle. "
Ang Lee was not in a hurry.
"Big Brother, we are such excellent soldiers and horses. We still need to undergo training! If you go out now, you can win in one battle. "
Li Feiyu said.
"Don't worry. Continue to train the troops. In addition, collect more information. In addition to the pirates closest to the Tang dynasty, we also need to collect information on the pirates farther away. In addition, we also need to investigate the situation of the countries along the way."
Ang Lee said calmly.
"Yes, Big Brother. Fei Yu understands."
Just as Ang Lee was paying close attention to the news about pirates, the Pirate King White Wolf, who was entrenched a few hundred miles south of Cliff Province, was as irritable as thunder.
The spies hidden in Guangzhou had already seen the troops under Ang Lee's command and learned that Ang Lee was leading the troops south to exterminate the pirates. This made him very angry and furious.
"Since ancient times, a strong dragon can't suppress a local snake. The imperial court actually wants to exterminate us. Humph, since they've forced me into a corner, I'll go all the way and exterminate them all."
White Wolf roared.
"My King, you didn't see it! The troops dispatched by the imperial court this time are too strong. We can't beat them! "
A small minion said with a twitch of his mouth.
"Bastard, you're boosting the morale of others and diminishing our own prestige. We've been dominating here for more than a hundred years, but we've never been exterminated by the imperial army. They have less than ten thousand troops. There's nothing to be afraid of."
White Wolf was furious. Since his grandfather's generation, this group of pirates had been gathering here to rob passing merchant ships. Moreover, they had been besieged by the imperial court's navy. In the end, relying on their familiarity with the terrain and the bravery of the pirates, they were able to turn misfortunes into blessings and defeat the imperial army every time.
"My King, are you going to fight the imperial army? I'll go. "
A tall and sturdy man with an axe at his waist aggressively asked for a fight.
This fool had never seen the imperial army's formation, so he was naturally full of confidence. If he saw the strength of the Tang dynasty's troops, he would probably be scared to the point of wetting his pants.
"Capture the ringleader first to capture the bandits. Take a few dozen of our brothers to Guangzhou and kill the commander of the imperial army. Show him our power first and let him know how powerful we are."
White Wolf glared and roared.
"Yes, my King. Rest well here. I'll pick a few brothers with good skills to go."
The burly pirate turned around and went to prepare.
White Wolf had been a pirate for decades and had developed a domineering personality. Moreover, he had always stayed in his lair and rarely went out to see the outside world. Therefore, his personality was even more arrogant.
At this moment, he had learned that the imperial army would go south to wipe out the pirates in two months. He felt that he should be able to kill the commander of the imperial army within two months and make the imperial army go south without a commander. In this way, he would have the upper hand.
Ang Lee's days in Guangzhou were very comfortable. Whether it was training the troops or collecting all kinds of information, there were subordinates in charge of the specific things. He only needed to listen to the reports. It was very relaxing.
If he didn't find something to do, the relaxing days would inevitably be boring. Fortunately, there were dozens of young and beautiful girls in the big house where Ang Lee lived. These were enough for Ang Lee to enjoy.
When Ang Lee was free, he would hug the beauties and eat delicious food. He felt so good and cool.
"Big Brother, something is wrong recently. Some strangers always appear around the house. I don't know what they want."
Li Feiyu received the report from his subordinate and immediately rushed to tell Ang Lee.
"Strangers? Who can they be? "
Ang Lee frowned slightly.
"Big Brother, for your safety, do you want to increase the number of guards?"
Li Feiyu asked.
"There's no need. Withdraw some of the guards! In this way, if they want to assassinate me, they will do it. "
Ang Lee intended to lure the snake out of its hole.
"Big Brother, how can we guarantee your safety?"
Li Feiyu was worried.
"You can ambush in the surroundings. As soon as I give the signal, immediately surround and catch all the assassins."
Ang Lee said calmly.
"Big Brother, isn't this too risky?"
"It doesn't matter. This risk is worth it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Big Brother won't be assassinated so easily."
Ang Lee said confidently.
"Well, since Big Brother said so, then I can't say anything. I will choose the best guards to stay by Big Brother's side."
Ang Lee nodded and said, "Well, let's do it. By the way, how is the training of the soldiers? Can they go to battle?"
"Big Brother, the soldiers are training very hard. They can fight long ago. Moreover, they are getting more and more skillful."
Li Feiyu answered happily.
Ang Lee nodded and said, "That's good. I lied to everyone and said that I would go south in two months. But in my heart, I hope that I can go south in a month. If everything goes well, Big Brother can change this decision and go south earlier."
"That's great. The soldiers can't wait. They are looking forward to going south to suppress the bandits as soon as possible."
Li Feiyu said with a smile.
"These boys are anxious to make military contributions!"
Ang Lee saw through the soldiers' hearts at a glance. The equipment of the Tang dynasty's army was getting better and better. The soldiers rarely died and were rarely injured. Every time they fought, as long as they killed the enemy, they would get good military contributions and rewards. It was a good opportunity to make a fortune. Naturally, the soldiers were impatient. If the pirates' equipment was more advanced than the Tang dynasty's, half of the soldiers would die in a battle. It was estimated that the soldiers would not be so enthusiastic. A large number of deserters might appear.
"Haha! Big Brother already has enough military contributions. But the soldiers are still hoping to get more for themselves through military contributions. How can they not be anxious about such a good opportunity? "
Li Feiyu said with a smile. His official position was not low, but it was much lower than Ang Lee's. If he did not take advantage of this southern expedition to get promoted, he would feel sorry for himself.
"Everyone knows that pirates are soft persimmons. Big Brother will satisfy you. After returning to the capital, you can wait for your promotion!"
Ang Lee said with a smile.
"Big Brother, I'll arrange it right away. Let's give them a taste of their own medicine."
Li Feiyu said excitedly.
Ang Lee did not care whether there were assassins or not. The guards around him and the large number of soldiers in the distance were enough to protect him, so he could enjoy himself without worry.
Ang Lee's method was good. After the pirates found that the guards were relaxed, they began to prepare to take action.
There were more than 30 pirates, all of whom were burly men. After putting on their night clothes, they immediately divided into three groups and quietly approached Ang Lee's courtyard, ready to assassinate him.
Along the way, they didn't even encounter a single patrolling yamen runner. Very smoothly, they approached Li An's courtyard.
"Listen, there are singing and dancing inside."
"Haha! Even at death's door, he's still having fun. This Li guy is no different from the other officials. "
"There must be quite a few beautiful girls inside. When the time comes, we'll snatch a few and bring them back to have some fun for a few days."
"Okay, let's kill the dog officials first and then snatch a few beautiful ones."
"Stop talking and do it."
After more than 30 people gathered together, they immediately climbed over the wall and entered the courtyard, quietly approaching the inside.
By this time, their whereabouts had already been exposed. The five hundred Dragon Martial Army soldiers had already surrounded the courtyard.
"Assistant Minister Li, come, open your mouth."
A beautiful girl about fifteen or sixteen years old peeled a grape and gently stuffed it into Li An's mouth.
"Open your mouth, there's so much information!"
Ang Lee could not help but feel a little dirty as he smiled at the beauty in his arms.
"Information? Assistant Minister Li is always saying words that we don't understand. "
The little beauty had become familiar with Ang Lee and dared to say anything bold.
"This information! He's … "
Before Ang Lee could finish, the sound of fighting came from outside. Soon after, the door to the main hall was kicked open. Five or six men in black rushed in, and there were even more outside.
"Ah …"
The ten-some beauties were scared out of their wits and immediately scattered, leaving Ang Lee alone in the main hall.
"You're Ang Lee?"
The leader of the men in black called out.
"That's this official. You came in the end!"
Ang Lee said indifferently.
"Haha! You're alone. Today will be the day you die. "
The leader of the men in black roared with laughter.
"How foolish. Don't you think that things are going too smoothly?"
Ang Lee rebuked.
"What do you mean?"
Hearing this, the black-clothed men all looked around.
"How foolish. You've been surrounded. Hurry up and surrender! Perhaps this official can spare your lives. "
Ang Lee calmly said.
"Hmph, who knows if you're telling the truth? Don't try to trick us. Brothers, kill him!"
The leader of the men in black roared.
"Men!"
Li An shouted when he saw the five or six black-clothed men moving.
"Roar …"
More than a dozen elite guards, armed with swords, shields, and crossbows, abruptly rushed out from behind the screen and surrounded Li An in the middle. They aimed five or six crossbows at the men in black in the room.
After the sound of a cannon, more soldiers from the Dragon Martial Army charged in. The roofs and walls were filled with soldiers from the Dragon Martial Army, and the men in black were completely surrounded.
"Crap, this is a trap. We've been surrounded."
"There are several hundred soldiers. We can't beat them. What do we do?"
"Don't surrender. Carve out a path and charge out."
The leader of the men in black ignored the lives of his companions and gave the order to break out.
The men in black had already been surrounded, and it was impossible for them to break out alive. Breaking out was a suicide mission. Soon, more than half of them were killed, and the rest were injured.
"Don't come over, or I'll kill her."
The leader of the men in black grabbed a little beauty who was running around and placed a blade on her neck. It was as if he could kill her with just a little bit of force.
Ang Lee rubbed his chin and smiled. "You're just holding a lowly servant hostage. Do you think this official cares about the life of a servant? Haha! "
"Put down your weapons and surrender immediately!"
The Dragon Martial Army general shouted.
The remaining men in black threw down their weapons and stood there in a daze.
The leader of the men in black had no choice but to let go of the servant and surrender. He was already injured and couldn't escape.
"You're all pirates, right? You're the subordinates of the White Wolf King. "
Ang Lee guessed.
"How, how did you know?"
The leader of the men in black was shocked.
"Heh, if I didn't even know that, why would this official set up an ambush for you? This official has planted people in your king's subordinates, so this official knows you all very well. "
Ang Lee spouted nonsense.
"So there's a traitor. No wonder we failed. Damn traitor!"
The leader of the men in black said angrily.
"This is a letter that this official wrote to your king to persuade you to surrender. Go back and tell your king to surrender as soon as possible. Otherwise, the day when the Heavenly Might descends will be your doomsday."
Ang Lee handed a letter to the leader of the men in black.
"What? You want to let me go?"
The leader of the men in black was shocked.
"You're just a small fry. What's the point of capturing you? You're more suitable to be the messenger."
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