Shen Qian sneered: "Becoming a marquis or general? You have quite the appetite. Tell him that as long as he cooperates in taking Jiannan, a military governorship of Yuzhou will be within his grasp."
"yes."
"What about other aspects?"
"General Tang's men have infiltrated various prefectures in batches. So far, we have contacted 27 officials and generals, of whom 15 have clearly expressed their willingness to act as inside agents, 8 are hesitant, and 4 have refused."
A subordinate handed over a list. "The four who refused have been dealt with according to plan."
Shen Qian took the list and saw that four names had been marked with a red cross, meaning that the four people had "died unexpectedly".
What about inside Chengdu city?
"Of the six major families, three have already secretly pledged allegiance. What they care about most is whether their family farmland and shops can be preserved."
"We have made a promise as instructed by the Grand Commander: as long as we cooperate, we will not only be safe, but we will also be granted the privilege of distributing tobacco, fine salt, coal, ironware and other commodities in the future."
Shen Qian nodded in satisfaction.
Zhao Muyun's move was very clever.
The most important thing for these powerful families in Jiannan is their family interests.
The combination of military threat and the lure of profit is something few can resist.
"What's going on with Yang Yan?"
"He had just transferred Wang Ping back to Chengdu and placed him under house arrest, and then sent his strategist Pang Qing to Xijing, which seemed to indicate his intention to negotiate."
Shen Qian raised an eyebrow: "Pang Qing? I've heard of him. He's Yang Yan's trusted advisor. Sending him here is both a test and a gesture of goodwill."
He pondered for a moment: "Send a message to the commander-in-chief, reporting the progress. Also, have our men keep a close watch on Pang Qing along the way."
"clear."
After his men left, Shen Qian walked to the window, lifted the corner of the curtain, and looked outside.
The direction of the military governor's residence was brightly lit and heavily guarded.
But Shen Qian knew that was just a facade; the fortress of Jiannan was already decaying internally under their erosion.
He took out a secret letter from his pocket, written in Zhao Muyun's own handwriting:
"Shen Qian, in the matter of Jiannan, winning hearts and minds is the best strategy."
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