Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

Chapter 109: Your subject was just preparing for a desperate battle…

What else is important if this isn't?

Li Ji was almost dumbfounded by Liu Bei.

For Liu Bei, who was based in Wu Commandery, this was a truly important strategy with significant implications.

"Zikun, take a good rest. Put aside all work matters and spend this festive season with me…"

Liu Bei spoke with an extremely complex tone, making Li Ji, who subconsciously wanted to interpret it, feel like it was a pie chart.

Three parts heartache, three parts reluctance, three parts joy, and one part sadness…

Perhaps even King Goujian of Yue, watching the Yue queen return unsteadily from the Jin envoy, wouldn't be so conflicted?

"My lord, is there something important happening?"

Li Ji asked tentatively.

"Nothing, nothing."

Liu Bei forced a smile, making Li Ji feel even more certain that something was wrong, and that Liu Bei was deliberately hiding it.

'So, it's something related to me?'

Li Ji narrowed his eyes slightly, not pressing Liu Bei further, but instead, while walking with Liu Bei towards the city gate of Wu County, he recounted his observations from the field trip. His observations included not only the terrain of various places, but also an understanding of the customs and conditions of the local people.

Here, Li Ji had to mention something.

When staying in Wu County, because the cook was sent by the Mi family, Li Ji didn't feel much.

But when he actually went to various places in Wu Commandery for inspection, sometimes replenishing supplies in the city or tasting the craftsmanship of the people, Li Ji suddenly realized what a culinary desert was.

Clearly the ingredients were all good, but it was magically unpalatable…

Liu Bei escorted Li Ji all the way to his residence, instructing Li Ji to rest well, before leaving with a complex expression.

Li Ji watched Liu Bei leave, and also noticed the seemingly meaningful, amused smile on Jia Xu's face as he followed. This made Li Ji even more certain that something had happened.

'Could it be… that my lord has arranged a blind date for me? Speaking of which, it seems that there is also a custom of 'blind dates' for marriageable men and women during the Lantern Festival in this era, so he urged me to come back?'

Li Ji secretly guessed, feeling a headache coming on.

Women?

That would only affect the speed of thinking.

Li Ji couldn't adapt to the custom of arranged marriages at all, and fortunately, this body had no parents in this era, which saved him some trouble.

Otherwise, according to the customs of this era, it was common for women to marry between the ages of twelve and sixteen, and being over sixteen would be considered a late marriage and a leftover woman.

It's just that, for Li Ji to marry someone under the age of sixteen, Li Ji felt that he was too criminal and couldn't get over that mental hurdle.

In this aspect, Li Ji still quite supported the "Wei Wu legacy" – mature women are…

Ahem!

Li Ji quickly dismissed this thought, then whispered a sentence to Xiahou Lan, before returning to the residence to take a bath and change clothes.

By the time Li Ji finished washing up and came out, Xiahou Lan had already invited Jia Xu to the study.

Jia Xu, with the demeanor of a gentle scholar, was holding one of Li Ji's collection of books and browsing it carefully. Seeing Li Ji sit down in front of him, he then spoke.

"Zikun invited me over, is there something important to discuss?"

"Even if there's nothing, can't I have a chat with Wenhe?"

Li Ji responded, feeling even more suspicious.

With Jia Xu's personality, after he returned to Wu County, how could he not quickly dump the government affairs on Li Ji in order to escape, but instead be so leisurely?

Immediately, Li Ji and Jia Xu started chatting idly, neither of them revealing their hand first.

Li Ji was sure that Jia Xu was waiting to see some fun at his expense. Once he took the initiative to ask, Jia Xu might take the opportunity to dig a hole.

But Jia Xu was also not in a hurry. He couldn't let Li Ji take the initiative to speak first, and then sign some unequal treaties of compromise. Anyway, even if this dragged on, at least he could see some fun.

In the end, Li Ji, who was already quite tired, really didn't have the patience to slowly grind with Jia Xu like this anymore, and instead shouted loudly at Xiahou Lan, who was guarding outside the study.

"Mingzheng, please trouble you to invite your brother over here as well."

Jia Xu heard this and said with a smile. "Zikun, if you ask Jichang, Jichang must have been instructed by the lord not to tell you."

"That's fine, after Jichang is called, I will separate Jichang from his confidants, and then personally ask Jichang's confidants. I expect those confidants will not be specifically instructed to hide anything."

Li Ji replied calmly.

"Truly troublesome…"

Jia Xu shook his head, understanding that many people in Wu County knew about this matter, and as long as Li Ji was willing to spend some time to personally confirm it, it would inevitably be impossible to hide it from Li Ji.

Immediately, Jia Xu cupped his hands at Li Ji and said.

"Congratulations to Zikun on his promotion. In the future, high office and great wealth will be in your hands. Please don't forget to protect me a little."

"Promotion?"

Li Ji frowned and asked. "In Wu Commandery, the County Commandant is the next position below the Prefect. How can I be promoted further…"

Speaking of this, Li Ji paused, immediately realizing something.

"That's right, the Son of Heaven sent an envoy to announce the imperial edict, recruiting Zikun to serve as an official in the central government. That is naturally a promotion."

Jia Xu said with a smile, but it made Li Ji's handsome face fall. He couldn't help but reach out and rub his somewhat swollen and tired temples, saying.

"Even with Lord Lu's evaluation, my reputation has actually reached the heavens so quickly, even to the point of having the Son of Heaven personally issue an edict to recruit me? It's a bit unexpected."

"It seems that Zikun has miscalculated something."

Jia Xu said.

"Now, with the destruction of the Wu Commandery bandits between the palms of your hands, and after the large-scale recruitment of refugees, Zikun's reputation is not just an empty name, but is already a wise and virtuous minister and strategist known throughout the country."

Being reminded by Jia Xu, Li Ji immediately understood what he had neglected during this period.

Previously, Li Ji only considered the issue of the Wu Commandery aristocratic families from a military and political perspective, judging that the Wu Commandery aristocratic families could not be completely exterminated no matter what, otherwise there would be endless troubles even if it was done cleanly.

However, the Wu Commandery aristocratic families were inherently deeply rooted!

Not only would the Wu Commandery aristocratic families intermarry with each other locally, but they also had their respective influences in the central government.

Therefore, the slaughter of 70% of the Wu Commandery aristocratic families by the Yellow Turbans and local bandits was undoubtedly a major event that shook the court during a period when the Yellow Turbans were initially suppressed and hymns of praise for the Son of Heaven were sung throughout the country.

What's more, the Prefect of Wu Commandery was Liu Bei, who had risen to fame during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, coupled with the previously proclaimed strategy of "governing the world with one commandery", which made Wu Commandery extremely eye-catching.

As a result, the subsequent joint riot of the Wu Commandery bandits, with the madman Yan Baihu calling himself the "Virtuous King of Eastern Wu" and claiming to have 50,000 soldiers under his command, was naturally quickly noticed by the Son of Heaven and the public officials.

When the court heard of Yan Baihu's rebellion, it was already considering who to choose as a general to go to Wu Commandery to quell the rebellion.

Overnight, Yan Baihu and his so-called 50,000 bandits were instantly wiped out. This undoubtedly proved once again the ability of that Li Ji, who was praised by Lu Zhi as "perhaps no one in this era can match him."

In addition, unlike other prefectures and commanderies that regarded refugees as a scourge, Wu Commandery continued to recruit and settle a large number of refugees, which was even more of a political correctness, greatly appreciated by the Son of Heaven.

After Jia Xu unhurriedly said these things, which he had inquired about from the mouths of many envoys sent by important ministers or aristocratic families, Li Ji's face could be described as extremely ugly.

In this period before the arrival of the chaotic world, before a large number of heroes and famous ministers had taken office, Li Ji further realized how conspicuous he was.

In the end, Jia Xu did not forget to tease him. "Congratulations to Zikun for receiving the Son of Heaven's great favor. Your future prospects are limitless."

"Don't mess around…"

Li Ji waved his hand, scolded with a smile, and said. "So that's why my lord's reaction was so strange?"

"That's right, the envoy arrived in Wu County one step ahead. After discovering that you were not in Wu County, he went to the northern part of Wu Commandery to find you to announce the imperial edict. Therefore, the lord sent twelve letters in a row without receiving a reply, and even thought that Zikun had already entered the capital with the envoy to meet the emperor."

Jia Xu replied.

Twelve letters?!

Li Ji was greatly shocked by this number.

Yue Fei received twelve golden plaques, and I'm receiving twelve letters here first?

"I only received one letter. The subsequent messengers probably didn't find my whereabouts."

Li Ji explained helplessly.

Jia Xu was not at all surprised by this result, and continued to say.

"Zikun should accompany the lord for the festival, and then you can pack your bags and wait for the envoy to return to Wu County to announce the Son of Heaven's edict and go to the capital to meet the emperor."

"You must know that when the lord learned that Zikun was valued and recruited by the Son of Heaven, he was both melancholy and delighted, and repeatedly worried that after this farewell, there would be no day to see Zikun again."

At this, the corners of Li Ji's mouth couldn't help but twitch slightly, and a thought subconsciously floated in his mind:

Your subject was just preparing for a desperate battle, why did Your Majesty surrender first?

Li Ji had no interest in serving under Emperor Ling Liu Hong, but was quite interested in Liu Bei, the Zhaolie Emperor of the original trajectory.

Moreover, the current government is controlled by eunuchs and empress's relatives. Not to mention that one Li Ji goes in, even if ten Zhuge Liangs are thrown into the court together, they would have to first massage the Ten Attendants' legs and pour tea before they have a chance to show their talents.

"Wenhe was recommended as a Filial and Incorrupt official and recruited as a Gentleman, so why did you abandon your post and leave?"

Li Ji retorted to Jia Xu, expressing that he had no interest in serving as an official in the court, and then said. "Wenhe understands the situation best, is there any way to avoid this trouble?"

"This matter is easy."

Jia Xu said indifferently.

"Didn't Zikun send back a group of river bandits before? Now that group of river bandits has been subdued by the lord, and everyone is willing to die for the lord."

"Therefore, Zikun can order Jiang Qin to take the opportunity to intercept and kill the envoy, then flee to the Yangtze River and continue as a river bandit. Zikun can then secretly support him with money, food, and weapons."

"In this way, not only can Zikun be free from worry, but even in the future, when Jiang Qin leads the river bandits to grow strong and dominate the Yangtze River, he can also blockade the Yangtze River, allowing our lord to stand in an invincible position."

???

Li Ji.

After listening to Jia Xu's advice, a term subconsciously surfaced in Li Ji's mind: Burning the Qins with fire...!

It's all thanks to you, Jia Wenhe!