With November approaching, Chang'an is also beginning to winter. This year's winter seems full of coldness. The temperature drops sharply overnight. The cold style is cold. Not many pedestrians on the street have put on thick clothes and fur coats. The last few yellow leaves on the big tree are finally pulled off by the cold wind, dancing in the wind, making the streets of Chang'an look bleak and cold.

Although it was revealed from many channels that the Tang King would officially receive the Sui Dynasty's mantra at the beginning of next year, there was no festive view on the streets of Chang'an, but there was a bit more murderous aura.

The business of Zhongnan Restaurant in East City, Chang'an is not very good. There are only a few drinkers sitting on the second floor, but there are more than a dozen old guests sitting on the first floor, talking loudly about the current situation. Although the drinkers on the second floor are not willing to listen, their noisy voices still clearly spread throughout every corner of the restaurant.

"What's impossible!"

An old man shouted loudly to a scholar with an angry face: "You are ignorant and thought others were like you. Li Shuliang was obviously dead, and his body was transported back with an ice coffin. The superiors wanted to hide it, but can this kind of thing be hidden? Chang'an had already spread all over. Luo Yi in Youzhou was destroyed, Li Shuliang's 30,000 troops were destroyed, and even the famous general Qu Tutong was defeated at Tumen Pass. It was a great humiliation of the Tang army!"

"Mr. Wang Huaigong can't say that. Victory and defeat are common among military strategists! Hebei is originally Zhang Xuan's territory. If the Tang army wants to seize Hebei, there will be fewer victory and more defeats. If you ask Zhang Xuan to lead his army to attack Bingzhou, the result will definitely be the same, so I'm not surprised."

"You are not surprised that it is useless. Look, the whole Chang'an has become cold these few days, and the people in the officialdom are uneasy. Is it a coincidence that many officials of the court have asked for sick leave in the past two days?"

"It was the cold wind that suddenly came! Of course there were many patients."

"Bad! If you insist on thinking about it like this, we have no need to chat. Forget it, I will continue to drink!"

The quarrels on the first floor were one after another, but the second floor was always quiet. In the corner by the window, a middle-aged man sat, ordered a pot of wine and a few plates of side dishes, pouring and drinking by himself, but his ears were high. He could hear the conversation on the first floor clearly, and finally he couldn't help but sigh softly.

The middle-aged man was about 47 or 8 years old, with a high eye and a fair nose and fair skin. It can be seen that he must have been a rare handsome man when he was young. This person was Xiao Yu, who had served as the Minister of the Inspectorate of the Great Sui Dynasty.

Since the end of Yang Guang's siege in Yanmen County by the Turks, Yang Guang has begun to purge the senior officials of the court, including Su Wei, Fan Zigai, Wei Xuan, Xiao Yu, etc., who were dismissed or demoted, and Xiao Yu was demoted to the prefect of Hechi County.

Xiao Yu and Li Yuan had a very good personal relationship. Just a few months ago, Xiao Yu received a handwritten letter from Li Yuan, inviting him to serve as the Minister of Rites. Although Li Yuan showed sincerity in the letter, Xiao Yu was still a little hesitant. After all, the emperor was still in Jiangdu. Although Li Yuan made the King of Dai Yang You the emperor, everyone knew the essence of Li Yuan usurping the throne and seizing power.

So Xiao Yu did not agree to Li Yuan immediately, but just used the excuse of being unwell and needed to recuperate for several months. Until the establishment of the New Sui Dynasty some time ago, the world was shocked. Xiao Yu also received a handwritten letter from his sister, Queen Xiao of the Great Sui Dynasty, and sincerely hoped that he would come to the New Sui Dynasty to become an official so that the Xiao family would not be absent from the new court.

Of course, Xiao Yu understood that this was actually Zhang Xuan who used the name of Queen Xiao to invite him. On the one hand, he controlled Guanlong and Li Yuan, while on the other hand, Zhang Xuan, who occupied Hebei and Shandong, should he go where he should go? It was really difficult for Xiao Yu to make a decision.

At this time, a middle-aged drinker walked up to Xiao Yu, folded his fists and smiled and said, "In the cloth merchant Shi Wenshun of Pengcheng County, I have been watching the husband drink alone these two days. Can you talk?"

Xiao Yu smiled slightly, "I know Shi Lin, the largest businessman in Pengcheng County. What is the relationship with Brother Taiwan?"

The middle-aged drinker was shocked and hurriedly said, "It's my father, sir."

"Your father and I only met one time. My surname is Xiao, from Danyang County, please sit down!"

Xiao Yu asked the famous wealthy businessman in Pengcheng County to sit down and said, "I heard that Yu Culture and I am in Pengcheng County, I don't know what the situation is?"

Shi Wenshun sighed, "Yu Wen and his troops plundered food in Pengcheng County and Xiapi County, but the Wagang Army did not move. It was really incomprehensible to watch Yu Wen and his plundering methods resolved the food desperate situation. Even I, a businessman, knew that we must not let our opponents recover. I really don't know what Zhai Rang thought."

Xiao Yu smiled and said, "Maybe the Wagang Army has its own difficulties. They have just failed to attack Luokoucang and have not recovered yet. Or maybe they are afraid of Yu Wen and the Xiaoguo Cavalry, or the Wagang Army wants to use the method of dragging the Yu Wen and the army to defeat themselves without fighting. In short, the Wagang Army will not not understand the minimum tactics."

"Maybe so, we are outsiders, and it's hard to guess the real reason."

Speaking of this, Shi Wenshun lowered his voice and said, "What do you think of this Hebei war?"

Xiao Yu smiled faintly, "There are many rumors outside, and there are all kinds of statements. I don't know the facts and I really can't comment."

"To be honest, I just came from Wei County, Hebei. In fact, I know very well what happened in Hebei. To be honest, it is really frustrating."

"Who is frustrating who?"

"Chang'an is frustrating!"

"Oh - how can you live like this?" Xiao Yu felt a little curious.

"The Youzhou Army has been destroyed, and Li Shuliang will go deeper alone. In the end, the entire army will be destroyed. Li Shuliang also died. I really don't understand why the King of Tang did not attack Luoyang, but instead provoked powerful enemies."

After all, Shi Wenshun was a businessman, and he was relatively simple to see the problem and was not thorough enough. However, Xiao Yu knew very well that Li Yuan had actually taken a good move. He took advantage of Zhang Xuan's south to intercept Yu Wenhua and the rest of the troops strictly guarded Qingzhou to prevent the Wagang army from taking advantage of the situation and entering Qingzhou. At this time, Zhang Xuan did not care about Hebei. Li Yuan's move was just right. As long as he walked steadily, Zhang Xuan would be passive step by step. Unfortunately, a good move was stinking by Li Jiancheng.

"Maybe the establishment of the new Sui Dynasty put too much pressure on the Tang King!"

Xiao Yu smiled, and he thought about it and asked again: "Brother Shi is going to Hebei recently?"

"Mr. Dissatisfied said that my caravan will go to Qingzhou tomorrow. This time I am coming to Chang'an to purchase some Western Regions goods. I think there may be sales in Qingzhou."

Xiao Yu hurriedly said, "Can I go on the road with Brother Shi's caravan? I also plan to go to Qingzhou."

"No problem, a small matter."

Shi Wenshun smiled enthusiastically and said, "I live in Ping'an Inn in East City. I will set off at dawn tomorrow morning and walk to the east gate to leave the city. Mr. Xiao will either wait for me outside the east gate or come to the inn to see if the teacher is convenient for him."

Xiao Yu thought about it and said with a smile: "Then I will wait for Brother Shi outside the east gate."

At this moment, a fierce scolding came from the lobby downstairs, "No objection to the court is allowed, and those who dare to object to the court will be arrested!"

The drinker in the lobby on the first floor was silent. At this time, a bartender ran over to Xiao Yu and whispered: "It's the inner guard that is here, be careful that disaster comes from the mouth."

Xiao Yu felt a little disgusted. He knew that this was the inner guard army established by Li Yuan two months ago. In order to search for spies hidden in Chang'an, it has gradually become a surveillance for the people.

Xiao Yu was also afraid of being recognized by the inner guards, so he stood up and smiled at Shi Wenshun and said, "I have something important to do, so let's take a step first. See you tomorrow morning."

Shi Wenshun also quickly stood up and saluted, "I must wait for Mr. Xiao."

Xiao Yu paid for the wine and then left the stairs at the back door. Just as Xiao Yu left, more than a dozen inner guard soldiers walked on the second floor under a captain and said to several drunkards on the second floor in a stern manner: "Check the identity and no one is allowed to leave!"

Shi Wenshun suddenly became interested in Xiao Yu's identity and actually left before the soldiers of the inner guards went upstairs. It seemed that he was quite worried about being recognized by the inner guards. So who was this person? He actually knew his father, a middle-aged man named Xiao.
Chapter completed!