Chapter 0031 Encountering Cen Wenben on the Road
Yichuan City is relatively small, otherwise, it would not have been annexed by Songyang County. Li Yu and Yang Ruoxi led a dozen guards into Yichuan City. It can be seen that the atmosphere in the city is quite tense, probably due to the influence of hundreds of cavalry.
But Li Yu still felt traces of the troubled times here. At the city gate, if Li Yu and Yang Ruoxi had not been dressed luxuriously and had a dozen guards around them, it would probably cost a certain price to enter the city.
"Ruoxi, there is a restaurant in front, why don't you go and stay there for a while." Li Yu glanced at the city gate. Dozens of soldiers were standing there lazily. They didn't look like soldiers at all. There was a restaurant just ten steps away from the city gate. There was a flag flying on it, and the word "Zui Weng" could be faintly seen. The restaurant had two floors, and there were quite a few people inside. It seemed that Zui Weng Restaurant was still famous in Yiyang County.
Yang Ruoxi nodded. She was wearing a white cloak that covered her face, but she had a graceful figure and her movements were graceful and appropriate. One could tell at a glance that she was not from an ordinary family.
"Hey, sir, please take a seat on the second floor." When the waiter saw Li Yu and his friend downstairs at Zui Weng's building, he hurried over to greet them. He received so many people every day that he had already developed a pair of sharp eyes. Naturally, he knew that Li Yu and his friend were not ordinary people, so he quickly welcomed them to the second floor.
Although the second floor is known as an elegant seat , it is actually just covered with mats. There are not many people on the second floor, or even very few. Li Yu and Yang Ruoxi chose a seat by the window and sat down. He waved his hand and asked a soldier to go down to inquire about the news. He looked at the city gate not far away, thinking about how to open the city gate at night and reduce the losses of his men.
" Yichuan is close to Luoyang and is an important transportation route. At this time, the sun is high in the sky, but there are not many people on the street." Yang Ruoxi looked at the street and said thoughtfully.
"The chaotic times are coming, and the people are suffering. It's hard for them to survive. They are all managing their own small plots of land. How can they really come to the county town?" Li Yu shook his head and said, "Although this is a major transportation route, there are many bandits now. There are many mountain lords. If you want to come out and walk, you need a certain amount of strength."
"It's natural that this will happen when a tyrant is in power." Yang Ruoxi bit her teeth. Like her father, Yang Ruoxi also disliked Yang Guang.
"Someone in the world will overthrow him sooner or later, and some people will even help you and me to get revenge." Li Yu shook his head and said, "There are too many heroes in the world, and too many people want his head. I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to kill him ourselves."
"How dare this brother to slander the emperor behind his back?" A clear voice was heard, and then the mat was lifted up, and an elegant-looking scholar walked in.
Li Yu looked at the other person, waved his hand, asked the guards to retreat, and said with a bow: "May I know your name, sir?" He saw a hint of wisdom in the eyes of the young man in front of him. This was not an ordinary person.
"My name is Cen Wenben, nice to meet you, General Li." Cen Wenben's face was full of smiles.
"Cen Wenben?" Li Yu's face changed. The name Cen Wenben was not simple. Li Yu knew it clearly. This person was a rare wise man in the late Sui Dynasty and early Tang Dynasty. He remembered that he had watched a TV series called "The Long Song of Zhenguan" before. It introduced Cen Wenben in detail. He and Changsun Wuji were together and were known as their rivals.
Of course, in Li Yu's opinion, Changsun Wuji's ability is definitely not as good as Cen Wenben. The reason why Changsun Wuji has the upper hand is due to his identity. He is Li Shimin's brother-in-law and has followed Li Shimin for a long time. Li Shimin naturally trusts this person, which leads to Changsun Wuji's official position far above Cen Wenben.
I didn't expect to meet such a wise man here? I must not let him go. He glanced at the two guards not far away. The two guards nodded and stood guard on the stairs.
"Mr. Li, do you know me?" Cen Wenben looked at Li Yu curiously. He didn't expect that Li Yu actually knew him.
"I have heard of your reputation. Only a wise man like you can guess Li Yu's identity at once." Li Yu made an invitation gesture and said with a smile: "But aren't you afraid that Li Yu will kill you in anger?"
"The general is extremely intelligent. If you kill me at this time and in this place, I'm afraid your plan will be difficult to implement." Cen Wenben shook his head and said, "In comparison, the general will definitely not do it."
"How did you know the general's true identity?" Yang Ruoxi couldn't help but ask curiously. Li Yu was also surprised.
Cen Wenben smiled and said, "It's not surprising to say that. Yichuan is very small. The general and his wife are a perfect match, just like the bright moon in the sky. No one in Yichuan can compare to them. They must have come from outside. I came from Luoyang, so I know more. The Duke of Chu led an army to attack the tyrant. Although he was defeated in Hongnong, there was a rumor in the Eastern Capital that someone led hundreds of cavalrymen to attack Yuwen Shu's camp at night, killing Yuwen Shu and forcing him to flee in panic. Hundreds of cavalrymen seized Hongnong, swindled Hancheng, and forced a crossing of the Luo River. When I entered Yichuan, I heard that a group of cavalrymen passed Yichuan today but did not enter. I knew that the general must have entered Yichuan from Yiyang."
"I didn't expect that I, Li Yu, would have such a reputation." Li Yu laughed dumbly, shook his head and said, "Fortunately, Mr. is not Yuwen Shu, otherwise, my situation would be bad." He didn't expect that Cen Wenben could know and Yang Ruoxi's identities through some clues. He is worthy of being a wise man of the time.
"I am ignorant and cannot compare to the general. It is not easy to kill our way from Hongnong to Yichuan and now we are going deep into the city to seize the boats that ferry the river. I don't know how many good fighters Yuwen Shu has under his command, but only the general can trample the allied camp on horseback. Just for this point, there are very few people in the world who can do this. From Hongnong to Yichuan, the series of plans are enough to make people amazed." Cen Wenben sighed repeatedly.
Li Yu just shook his head, but Yang Ruoxi on the side showed joy on her face. She praised Li Yu as if she was praising herself, which made her very happy.
"Li Yu is young, it is not easy for him to achieve this. All this is relying on the fact that the news of the defeat and death of Duke Chu has not spread. Once it spreads, Li Yu and his 400 brothers will be the target of public criticism. Even Li Yu doesn't know how long he can hold on." Li Yu shook his head and soon smiled: "But don't worry now. I have met the smartest person in the Sui Dynasty. Mr. Cen, what do you think ?" He needed a literati. He had to admit that Li Jing was good at fighting, but he lacked a strategist to help him make up for the loopholes.
