Chapter 0072: Cunning
Watching everyone leave, only Li Yu and Cen Wenben were left in the hall. Li Yu looked at Wu Yunzhao's departing back and said, "What do you think of this person, sir?"
"I'm afraid he hasn't yet integrated into our beggar army." Cen Wenben thought for a while and said, "I'm afraid it will take some time."
"Sir, just say directly that he is not convinced of me, and even has the intention of setting up his own faction." Li Yu smiled indifferently: "He is from a famous family and has great martial arts skills. He is only staying with me now because of the situation. If we give him this person a chance, he will probably leave our Beggar Army, right?" A child of a noble family like Wu Yunzhao would not stay under someone else's command for long, even if his family was destroyed, especially a ragtag army like Li Yu's.
"Then find a way to make this person sincerely surrender." Cen Wenben said with a smile: "No matter how capable a person is, he can't fight alone. Wu Yunzhao is very skilled in martial arts, but he is nothing in front of a large army. Besides, instead of worrying about this person, the general should be careful of the powerful families in the city."
"Sir, do you think they will definitely rebel?" Li Yu frowned and said, "We have already spared their lives. Aren't you satisfied? They don't have many people in their hands! Do they have enough opportunities?"
"Under the general's military power, the possibility of rebellion is relatively small, but they will definitely not cooperate." Cen Wenben shook his head and said, "As long as there is a chance, they will definitely attack the general. The possibility of internal and external cooperation is very high. Although the general did not take their lives today, they will definitely not be willing to accept it. Moreover, if my guess is correct, after the general kills those local tyrants, the next step is to confiscate their property and divide the land among the tenants in exchange for the support of the people."
"That's for sure. I won't touch other people's land, but why can't we touch the land of the remaining people? If possible, we can get some soldiers and horses, and replenish the six battalions." Li Jing said without hesitation.
"What about a gentry like Mr. Gu Lao? He has quite a few tenants in his mansion. How could they be happy to see that others could get a share of the land? There would definitely be riots at that time. What would the general do then?" Cen Wenben shook his head.
"Then according to your opinion, what should we do about this matter?" Li Yu was stunned and couldn't help asking. He really hadn't considered this.
"That depends on the general. If the general wants to take Fangcheng for himself and make it his base, he should threaten these aristocratic families. If they don't want to, he should kill them, take their gold and silver, divide their food and grass, and even sell their land and industries. This way, the aristocratic families in Fangcheng can take over these lands and shops in exchange for money or food, and then distribute them to the people. Maybe it will bring reputation, and he won't be disliked by these powerful families." Cen Wenben suggested.
Li Yu thought for a moment and said, "Fangcheng is too close to Luoyang and Wancheng. It's not a suitable place. I decided to go to Yangzhou. Fangcheng will come back sooner or later."
"In that case, let's choose the latter. It will not offend those powerful families, and it will also leave a good impression on the people." Cen Wenben said: "However, before that, the general should go to see Mr. Gu. This old man is not simple. I just saw that everyone in Fangcheng looked at Mr. Gu and talked to him."
"Sir, what you mean is that I should go meet this old gentleman. This old gentleman is the only one in this Fangcheng who wants to swallow up those people's land and shops ?" Li Yu immediately understood what Cen Wenben meant.
"That's right." Cen Wenben nodded.
"Then let's go meet him now." Li Yu slapped his thigh. It was very difficult to find such a win-win situation. As for whether there would be any negative impact in the future, Li Yu did not consider these things, because he was not qualified to consider these things now.
A huge mansion appeared on Fangcheng South Gate Street. The old man got off the carriage, and his sons Gu Mingcai, Gu Mingjun and Gu Mingjie led people to greet him.
"Father, I heard that the rebels have entered the city? I'm still worried about you!" Gu Mingcai asked in a low voice: "I heard that the county magistrate is dead!"
Old Master nodded and said, "He was beheaded by Yunzhao. Hehe, I didn't expect his real name was Wu Yunzhao. His whole family was killed. In order to escape the court's pursuit, he changed his name. I didn't expect that he would join the Beggars' Army now."
"Father, isn't it said that the leader of the Beggar Army is a devil who has killed countless people? Why?" Gu Mingjie said curiously. He almost wanted to ask why his father was not killed.
"Hehe, this beggar Li Yu is not simple, and is definitely not just a simple rebellion." The old grandfather walked while laughing, "He has a big plan. He knows exactly who should be killed and who should not be killed. He kills people openly. Three days later, he will hold a public trial at Caishikou. Hehe, Cai Laosi and his gang do all kinds of evil on weekdays. The people of Fangcheng hate them to the core. If they have a chance to take revenge this time, won't they flock to them? As for Li Yu, his reputation is not enough. The most important thing is that all the money and food from the confiscated property fell into his hands. This man should not be underestimated."
"So great?" The three sons were stunned. They did not expect that the old grandfather who started from scratch would respect Li Yu so much.
"Father, what should we do?" Gu Mingjun couldn't help but say, "This man has killed many people in the past. If he occupies Fangcheng now, our Gu family will be the first to bear the brunt. If things go wrong, we will be unlucky too."
Old Master allowed his two sons to support him as he entered the hall and sat down. The servant beside him brought him some tea. He took a sip and said, "Fangcheng has no strategic location to defend, and it is too close to Luoyang and Wancheng. It is not a place to stay for a long time. Therefore, I am sure that Li Yu will not stay here for a long time. However, one thing is certain, he wants to make a fortune here. This is the most important thing."
"Hmph, no matter what, rebels are rebels, bandits are bandits. Father, I don't think we can stay in Fangcheng any longer. Why don't we leave here?" Gu Mingcai snorted coldly. So what if Li Yu had a strong army? After all, he was just a group of bandits. Gu Mingcai had been in Fangcheng for three generations and was considered a wealthy family in Fangcheng, but he really didn't take Li Yu seriously!
"Stupid, leaving Fangcheng now is courting death, isn't it? He has more than 10,000 troops under his command, and has defeated the imperial army repeatedly. If he really comes to kill us, our entire Gu family will surely be killed." Grandpa glared at his son. This man must know the times and his position. To go against Li Yu would mean certain death. Grandpa Gu disdains to do so, and dares not to do so.
Poor Gu Mingcai has been in charge of the Gu family for many years, but now he was also taught a lesson by Grandpa Gu.
