Chapter 17

This is the Yuntai Pavilion? I wonder if the portraits of the Yuntai Twenty-Eight Generals were destroyed by the fire? As a military enthusiast, there was no place in Luoyang that Li You yearned for more than the Yuntai Pavilion.

The Yuntai Twenty-Eight Generals refer to the twenty-eight most meritorious and capable generals who assisted Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu, in unifying the empire and reviving the Han dynasty. Under Liu Xiu's leadership, they fought in Kunyang, defeated Puyang, cleared Longyou, and pacified Bashu, ultimately reestablishing the Han dynasty, which had been overthrown.

Later, Emperor Ming of Han, Liu Zhuang, following the example of his ancestor Emperor Xuan of Han, who had the portraits of the eleven meritorious officials painted on the Qilin Pavilion, had the portraits of the founding generals painted on the southern wall of the Yuntai Pavilion. Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, who later had the portraits of the twenty-four meritorious officials painted on the Lingyan Pavilion, was also inspired by this.

Although Feng Yi, Cen Peng, and the other twenty-eight generals are not as famous as Changsun Wuji, Yuchi Jingde, Li Jing, and Qin Qiong in later generations, their achievements and talents were no less impressive. In contrast, among the eleven meritorious officials of the Qilin Pavilion, apart from Zhao Chongguo, who captured the Xiongnu king, there were few renowned generals.

Cen Peng displayed his military genius during the battle against Qin Feng, using various strategies. He first gathered his troops at night, declaring that he would "attack Xishan the next day," but secretly crossed the Mian River and defeated Qin Feng's general Zhang Yang at Atou Mountain. Then, he directly attacked Qin Feng's base at Liqiu, defeating the garrison. Qin Feng hurriedly returned to rescue, but Cen Peng and the other generals had already set up camp on the mountain. Qin Feng and Cai Hong launched a night attack, but Cen Peng, who was well-prepared, repelled them, forcing Qin Feng to retreat and Cai Hong to be killed.

The other generals also had their own classic battles, and later generations even deified them as the legendary Twenty-Eight Constellations, saying that Liu Xiu was destined by heaven, so heaven sent these excellent generals to assist him! Cen Peng was associated with the Tail Fire Tiger, and Feng Yi, who was equally famous, with the Dipper Water Leopard.

In the past, when discussing military matters on forums, Li You had always been fascinated by the Yuntai Pavilion and the Lingyan Pavilion, two ancient Chinese military memorials. He never imagined he would see the real thing today! After saving the palace from the fire, Li You, accompanied by Guan Sheng, was led by an elderly eunuch to this place.

"Lord Han, please look, these are the portraits of the twenty-eight generals painted by the artists of the past!" After seeing Li You's attention fully focused on the portraits, the eunuch tactfully stepped aside.

Li You suppressed his excitement and began to examine the portraits, starting with the highest-ranked General Deng Yu of Gao Mi and ending with General Liu Zhi of Changcheng. There were also four other generals—Wang Chang, Li Tong, Dou Rong, and Zhuo Mao—who, though not among the Yuntai Twenty-Eight, had their portraits here as well!

These portraits were created by masters, with bold and powerful lines and vivid expressions. The aura of countless battles leaped off the paper, and even after nearly two hundred years, Li You could still feel the desolate sounds of war and the flashing of swords, evoking a sense of being among tigers.

"A true man should be like this!" Guan Sheng, who was behind him, couldn't help but clap in admiration. He came from a noble family but never received the trust of the court, unable to display his talents on the battlefield, which inevitably made him feel depressed. Seeing the illustrious generals like Feng Yi and Cen Peng, he couldn't help but yearn for such achievements.

"General Guan, your slaying of Hua Xiong at the Fenshui Pass will also be recorded in history!" Just that this version of history you may not have the chance to see!

Hmm? Li You suddenly felt the tiger talisman on his chest heat up. In a hurry, he left the room where the portraits were enshrined and went to a corner of the stairs to take out the talisman.

"Host has come into contact with a special item that carries the spirits of the Yuntai Twenty-Eight Generals—portraits of the Yuntai Twenty-Eight Generals. Inspired by the great generals, the host has gained insight, now rewarded with +16 in leadership, +16 in martial prowess, and +7 in strategy. The host's current stats are: leadership 25, martial prowess 21, strategy 18, and politics 12!" The voice of the tiger talisman echoed in his mind!

Is there such a good thing? Li You was overjoyed, realizing that this was the special item the tiger talisman had mentioned that could enhance personal abilities! He never thought that his visit to the Yuntai Pavilion would yield such unexpected results! He quickly asked, "If I go to the Tang dynasty next and enter the Lingyan Pavilion, will I get similar rewards?"

"Your previous stats were too low, so you received such a high boost this time! The next time you encounter a similar item, the boost will be relatively limited!" the tiger talisman explained calmly.

I understand, it's like playing an online game; at the beginning, leveling up is always fast, but as your level increases, the experience needed to level up also increases! Li You guessed.

Hmm, why did I get 16 points in leadership and martial prowess? Is there any reason behind this? Oh, I get it, there are portraits of the Yuntai Twenty-Eight Generals in the Yuntai Pavilion, plus four other generals. The tiger talisman probably gave me 0.5 points in leadership and 0.5 points in martial prowess for each of the Yuntai Twenty-Eight Generals, totaling 14 points in leadership and 14 points in martial prowess. The other four generals, who were slightly less renowned, provided half the reward, totaling 2 points in leadership and 2 points in martial prowess, so I received 16 points in leadership and 16 points in martial prowess.

As for strategy, it's probably because these generals had different styles and were not all strategists, so the reward was slightly less.

A white light enveloped the entire Yuntai Pavilion, and thirty-two light points of varying sizes flew out of the room where the portraits of the Yuntai Twenty-Eight Generals were kept, circling Li You and then entering his chest.

Li You felt warm and comfortable, as if he were soaking in hot water. His mind became clear, and the fatigue from the day's labor disappeared.

"Reward complete!" The white light faded, and the tiger talisman became cold again, as if nothing had happened. The eunuch and Guan Sheng in the portrait room remained silent, apparently unable to see the miraculous scene.

If I go back in and look again, will I get more rewards? Li You, unwilling to let go, quickly re-entered the portrait room. He felt lighter and more agile, probably due to the increased martial prowess.

Guan Sheng, seeing Li You again, was also startled. Why did his temporary lord seem like a different person after a short trip, with a more imposing presence?

Eager to gain more rewards, Li You didn't notice Guan Sheng's change. He almost pressed his eyes against the paper to examine the thirty-two portraits again, but unfortunately, the tiger talisman showed no reaction this time.

Sigh, it seems to be a one-time effect! Li You regretfully left the portrait room and leaned on the railing, looking into the distance. The increase in martial prowess also improved his eyesight, allowing him to see the distant fire and the stars in the sky clearly even at night.

Hmm? What is that? When Li You's gaze swept over a corner of the palace, a strange light caught his attention!

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