Chapter 107: Li Ru

"Li Ru, how do you explain that?"

Dong Zhuo looked at Li Ru, who was riding beside him, and asked.

Li Ru pondered carefully.

Dong Zhuo and Hua Xiong were both from military backgrounds, so their focus on Duan Yu was more on his personality and courage.

This was a preconceived notion.

After all, Duan Yu's impression on Dong Zhuo from the beginning was that of a brave archer who shot tigers.

But as a strategist, his focus was naturally different.

Although this was only their second meeting, and they hadn't spoken much or exchanged much,

He still observed Duan Yu's meticulous thinking.

"Lord," Li Ru said after organizing his thoughts: "Lord, do you know what Young Master Duan whispered to me at the end? Do you know what he said?"

Dong Zhuo shook his head: "I was just about to ask."

Li Ru smiled and said: "Lord, you and Miss Yi have been worried, worried that Young Master Duan didn't know the key to this bandit suppression."

"But I believe Young Master Duan already understood it in his heart."

"How so?" Dong Zhuo raised an eyebrow curiously.

Li Ru took a deep breath and said: "Lord, Young Master Duan said four words to me at the end."

"Lure the snake out of its hole!"

"Ah?" Dong Zhuo was stunned.

Lure the snake out of its hole?

What does that mean?

"Lord, according to my deduction, the reason Young Master Duan refused Miss Yi's kindness was not because he didn't want to rely on Miss Yi at all."

"The key reason is that Young Master Duan didn't want to alert the enemy!"

Li Ru narrowed his eyes and said: "We deduced at the Lord's mansion that this bandit suppression was abnormal, but we didn't know where the key problem lay."

"And Young Master Duan had already discovered this point."

"The reason he refused Miss Yi was for fear that the Jinyang Magistrate would notice."

"Although Miss Yi didn't reveal the Lord's identity, Young Master Duan must have guessed that Miss Yi was from an official family."

"If the Jinyang Magistrate learned of Miss Yi's help, he would definitely be on guard."

"In that case..."

When Li Ru reached this point, even Hua Xiong, who was driving the carriage, understood.

His expression was extremely surprised.

Dong Zhuo was the same.

His expression, besides shock, was just shock.

"This kid... this kid's thinking is actually this meticulous?" Dong Zhuo couldn't believe it.

Li Ru, riding on his horse, bowed to Dong Zhuo: "Lord, having such a worthy son-in-law is truly the Lord's blessing."

"This Duan Yu is externally firm and internally gentle, with courage and strategy combined in one; he is truly a rare talent."

"If the Lord has this person's help, it will be like adding wings to a tiger."

Dong Zhuo's eyes flickered.

Li Ru's evaluation of Duan Yu could not be higher.

Over the years, coming all the way from Liangzhou, he considered himself to have gathered some people around him.

But to say someone was talented in both civil and military affairs—I'm afraid there was no one.

Liangzhou was a borderland, and there were few scholars.

Generals were fierce, but very few understood strategy.

"Duan Ziyi... you kid really gave me quite a few surprises," Dong Zhuo said with a smile.

East of Jinyang City.

After entering the city, Duan Yu went straight to an inn in the east of the city.

Originally, Duan Yu could have stayed at the city's post station, but due to the abnormalities in this bandit suppression, he didn't plan to stay there, to avoid falling for some secret methods, such as tampering with food.

"Shopkeeper, prepare twelve rooms for me."

After walking into the inn, Duan Yu placed a gold cake weighing one jin on the counter.

The shopkeeper, who was looking down at his accounts, looked up and saw the gleaming gold on the counter, immediately putting on a smiling face.

"Alright, guest, twelve rooms; I'll have them ready for you immediately; please rest a moment."

The shopkeeper touched the gold cake on the counter and smiled: "If you check out, there will naturally be a refund."

Duan Yu nodded upon hearing this, called the group he brought to sit in the hall first, and ordered: "Meat and millet, serve plenty; no wine."

Five or six people sat around a table.

Duan Yu called Tie Shitou and Wang Hunu to a separate table.

This was the first time Tie Shitou and Wang Hunu had stayed at an inn.

They were poor in the past, and even if they stayed overnight in Jinyang, they mostly just found a broken house or slept in the wild.

Staying at an inn was something they didn't even dare to imagine.

Most of the youths in the village were the same, so after sitting down, their eyes couldn't stop looking around curiously.

After sitting down, Duan Yu took out another jin of gold from his bosom and placed it in front of Tie Shitou and Wang Hunu.

With Dong Yi's gift from last time.

Duan Yu wasn't as cautious with money anymore.

Tie Shitou and Wang Hunu looked at the gold Duan Yu placed in front of them, scratching their heads in confusion as they looked at Duan Yu.

"Big Brother Duan..."

Duan Yu waved his hand to interrupt Tie Shitou: "Shitou, take a few people to the market later to buy some grain."

"Prepare enough for three days per person," Duan Yu said.

"Ah?" Tie Shitou was stunned, then asked: "Big Brother Duan, didn't Bandit Suppression Officer Liu say the county government would provide the grain and grass? Why do we have to spend our own money?"

Duan Yu shook his head and didn't explain to Tie Shitou.

Some things couldn't be explained clearly.

But in short, he didn't trust that group of people in the Jinyang county government now.

Better safe than sorry; if things were truly as he expected, this trip into the mountains to suppress bandits would definitely not be smooth.

"Go prepare; don't ask about the rest," Duan Yu said.

"Oh."

Tie Shitou nodded in agreement.

"Also, don't go out if there's nothing to do; just stay in the inn. If anyone disobeys orders, they will be sent back to the village directly."

After saying this, Duan Yu stood up.

"Go do your work; I'm going to the county government."

With that, Duan Yu walked out of the inn.

Outside Jinyang City, West Camp.

The thousands of troops Dong Zhuo brought from Liangzhou were stationed here.

Including three thousand commandery soldiers, a total of four thousand people were stationed in the camp.

In a side tent of the main camp on the east side.

Niu Fu, dressed in armor, sat upright in the camp.

Besides Niu Fu, several others were seated below him on the left and right.

A thin, pale-faced young man dressed in black robes and wearing a scholar's crown sat to Niu Fu's lower left.

And three generals sat to Niu Fu's lower right.

Niu Fu, with a face as dark as iron, kept a straight face.

"Li Ru just sent a letter saying the Lord wants us to lead troops to accompany Duan Yu, the Patrol Officer of Wucun Township, into the mountains and protect him in secret."