At that time, the Wuling Mountains were still a natural barrier between the north and the south.

If people from the inland want to enter Lingnan, south of the Five Ridges, there is no straight "tunnel". They can only go to Fujian and Zhejiang first, then along the coast to Guangcheng, and then to other prefectures and counties.

Chen Duan did not dare to go directly to Luozhou, Yuezhou and other Lingnan hinterland areas, so he occupied Guangcheng first.

This place seems to be the "throat" and "heart" of Lingnan, where we can attack or defend.

Gu Heng and Gu Qingcheng, both the grandfather and granddaughter, agreed with Chen Duan's choice.

Moreover, for Chen Duan and Gu, each side can avoid conflicts in a short period of time by operating independently.

Yes, in a short time!

Because Chen Duan will not stay in Guangcheng forever.

He should have the same ambition as Gu Qingcheng!

After Chen Duan arrived in Guangcheng, he wrote a letter to Gu Heng, who was far away in Luozhou, proposing to visit Lord You'an in person.

Well, Gu Heng was an important official of the previous dynasty after all, and he also occupied Lingnan, so he was considered a local tyrant.

Chen Duan had just arrived, so it was only natural for him to pay his respects.

However, Gu Heng did not want to see Chen Duan.

Gu Heng was the Minister of the Central Secretariat of the previous dynasty, and Chen Duan was the Prince of Liang of the new dynasty.

In Gu Heng's eyes, Chen Duan was a traitor.

Of course, this is just an excuse on the surface. The real reason is: Gu Heng doesn’t want Chen Duan to see the brand new Luozhou and Yuezhou, and doesn’t want his granddaughter to be "exposed" in advance!

The granddaughter has ambition and the strength to match her ambition.

But she was still too small, a phoenix that had just grown feathers.

If you want to soar into the sky, you still need time to grow.

Chen Duan, on the other hand, is a vicious wolf.

If he were to witness the changes in Luozhou and other places, and see the strength of Gu's Wu Fortress, he would definitely be apprehensive, and then—

Facing Chen Duan, Gu Qingcheng and even the entire Gu family may not lose.

But if such trouble can be avoided, it is best to avoid it.

"Three more years! Sanniang should be even more powerful."

By then, people like Chen Duan will no longer be a threat to Sanniang.

Gu Heng was only thinking about his granddaughter, so he refused Chen Duan's visit on the grounds of "being unwell".

As for Chen Duan, after arriving in Guangcheng, he immediately wrote a letter to Gu Heng, which was more of a test.

If Gu Heng agreed, he would come to test the waters;

Even if Gu Heng refused, Chen Duan would not be angry.

He is a newcomer and needs time to find his feet.

Now, several months have passed, and Chen Duan has successfully occupied the entire Guangcheng with his soldiers.

Even the governor of Guangcheng was forced to retreat to the interior on the pretext of "avoiding the hurricane."

The hurricane season has passed, and it is now the middle of winter, but the Governor of Guangcheng has still not returned.

The Governor of Guangcheng: ...What are you doing back? To continue watching that warrior, the King of Liang, show off his might?

Woohoo, his sea caravan!

Woohoo, his money!

They were all taken over by that rude soldier!

Why would the Governor of Guangcheng be willing to serve as an official in Lingnan, a place of exile, isn't it for the prosperity and wealth of Guangcheng?

As soon as Chen Duan arrived, he relied on his power and force to seize things.

Without any property or money, the governor of Guangcheng could only take his savings of many years and was "forced" to leave Guangcheng.

If the imperial court were to investigate, the reasons would be readily available: King Liang was overbearing, and I had no choice but to retreat.

The governor of Guangcheng dared to bet that the court would not really pursue the matter.

What the hell is there to pursue?

King Liang had been "exiled" to Lingnan. Even if he had committed a serious mistake and needed to be punished, where else could the emperor "exile" him?

Is it the farther Yazhou?

It's impossible!

Therefore, Lingnan and Guangcheng can only fall into Chen Duan's hands.

"However, Lingnan is no longer the Lingnan of the past. There is still the Gu family."

"I just don't know who is stronger, Gu or Chen Duan!"

The governor of Guangcheng was forced to leave, and he could do nothing about Chen Duan, so he could only use this method of spiritual victory to comfort himself.

He was even prepared to have tea and watch a play in the prosperous and stable coastal cities of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

And soon, the "big show" began.

Chen Duan, who successfully occupied Guangcheng, wrote another letter to the Gu family in Luozhou and sent an invitation.

But this time, the person he invited was not Gu Heng, but the "long-famous" Gu Qing.

"...Chen Duan, 23 years old, married Wang. Four years ago, Wang died of complications during childbirth..."

After receiving Chen Duan's invitation, Gu Qingcheng began to learn more about Chen Duan's situation.

Looking at the news sent back by the "caravan", Chen Duan gradually formed a more three-dimensional image in Gu Qingcheng's mind -

He was born into a military family, but he admired aristocratic families.

He tried every possible means to marry the daughter of the impoverished Wang family, but before he could improve his "genes", his wife died.

He commands a large army, yet is feared by his cousin.

He had to leave Jiankang, but he was able to burn his boats and choose Lingnan.

Of course, Gu Qingcheng knew that Chen Duan’s coming to Lingnan had something to do with her.

The fact that the Gu family was able to take root in Lingnan and build a considerable family business will naturally "encourage" other ambitious people.

Chen Duan is just one of them, and the most powerful one.

"King Liang! Chen Duan!"

Holding a stack of documents, a gleam of light flashed in Gu Qingcheng's dazzling eyes...