Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

Chapter 110: This Edict Must Be Accepted

The Great Han is not yet finished…

Jia Xu's thinking and ideas fully demonstrate what it means to disrespect the imperial court. In Jia Xu's eyes, the court is probably not even as good as a rag.

Now that the court's remaining power is still present, Jia Xu's first reaction is to eliminate the envoy.

This made Li Ji want to slow down a bit, lest he be led astray by Jia Xu.

In Li Ji's memory, the last person who played this kind of game so rampantly should have already started reincarnating in another world.

Moreover, this approach seems to be full of loopholes…

Eh, maybe not.

Li Ji thought for a moment, and this approach, seemingly rampant and reckless, is actually in a blind spot of thinking.

After all, the envoy came to Wu Commandery to announce the promotion edict. On the surface, both Li Ji and Liu Bei can be considered beneficiaries, with no motive to kill the envoy at great risk.

On the contrary, given the chaotic internal strife of the imperial court, there are countless forces and suspicious individuals who might want to prevent Li Ji from entering the central government.

Precisely because it seems that the envoy was killed in Wu Commandery, Liu Bei, as the governor of Wu Commandery, seems to be inextricably linked, which puts Liu Bei in an invincible position. No one would really judge that it was done by Liu Bei or Li Ji.

'Jia Wenhe, truly worthy of the name 'Poisonous Counselor'. This seemingly clumsy and crude plan has taken all parties' reactions into account.'

'And if the envoy is killed in Wu Commandery, the imperial court will inevitably reprimand Liu Bei, and Li Ji's promotion will undoubtedly be called off.'

However, although this plan is good, Li Ji feels that the possibility of it being fully implemented successfully is extremely low.

For no other reason than Liu Bei would not approve of this matter.

Although Liu Bei completely delegates power to and trusts Li Ji, Liu Bei is by no means a foolish ruler. It is almost impossible to mobilize troops to surround and kill the envoy without Liu Bei's knowledge, and then let Jiang Qin bear such a crime, supporting Jiang Qin to dominate the Yangtze River as a river bandit.

Let alone the combination of Liu Bei and Li Ji, even with Liu Shan and Zhuge Liang, Liu Shan would not be unaware.

With Liu Bei's thinking, once he knows, he will definitely not agree to such actions that are almost tantamount to rebellious subjects.

Subsequently, Li Ji used the "Strategy Simulator" to judge Jia Xu's suggestion.

【"Assassinate the Envoy": This is a seemingly rampant and reckless strategy, but in reality, it incorporates the calculations of all forces.

The essence is to hide oneself in a "blind spot", and then further raise bandits to build self-respect, block the Yangtze River, and then control the south of the Yangtze River, in order to achieve hegemony.】

【Measuring all known information…

Calculating based on the reaction of the Liu Bei Group…

Calculating all possible interference or unfavorable factors…

Judgment passed as a feasible strategy…

Current success rate: 12.3%.】

Li Ji: …

Immediately, Li Ji felt that the "12.3%" success rate was largely based on Li Ji being able to find ways to hide it from Liu Bei.

It's just…

Li Ji glanced at Jia Xu, who seemed like a gentle gentleman in front of him, and knew very well in his heart that once this plan was adopted, it would be handing a handle to Jia Xu.

Jia Xu's plan seems to be helping Li Ji, but in reality, it is probably more for self-preservation.

As long as Li Ji adopts this plan and implements it, Jia Xu's position will be as stable as Mount Tai, and he can threaten Li Ji at any time.

'Zikun, you wouldn't want your lord to know that you secretly plotted to murder the envoy and raised bandits to build self-respect, a series of things that are no different from rebellious subjects, would you?'

“Wenhe's plan is inappropriate. Ji is unwilling to enter the imperial court because he knows his own abilities are insufficient. If he stays in Wu Commandery, he can better display his strengths and benefit the people, but he must never do such a rebellious act of murdering the envoy.”

Li Ji said with a righteous air, causing Jia Xu, who had the demeanor of a gentle gentleman, to roll his eyes involuntarily.

Liu Bei might believe that Li Ji's integrity and morality would be so noble, but Jia Xu knew very well that Li Ji's moral bottom line was not a thin line at all, but a huge thick line drawn with a jar of ink.

Jia Xu delved slightly into Li Ji's heart and found that Li Ji's heart had no morality at all, but all bottom lines.

That bottom line is so thick that it covers the scope from moral saints to chaotic national thieves. Li Ji's morality is constantly jumping up and down within that thick bottom line.

‘What self-knowledge of insufficient ability, I’m afraid my thoughts have been seen through…’

Jia Xu thought secretly, and couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

After all, Jia Xu still has a handle held by Li Ji, but Jia Xu believes that he does not have a tight enough grip on Li Ji's handle. It would be even more secure if he could have a little more grip.

“Then Xu will have no other choice…”

Jia Xu made a gesture of spreading his hands, and reminded.

“However, if Zikun refuses directly, I’m afraid the imperial court will think that the lord and Zikun have ulterior motives, intending to secede from one side, and then find an excuse to remove the lord from his position as governor of Wu Commandery.”

Without Jia Xu's reminder, Li Ji also knew that this was the real problem.

Before Emperor Ling collapsed, and before the last remaining power and fig leaf of the Great Han Dynasty had been completely torn down, and wiped his butt and threw it on the ground to rub back and forth.

Liu Bei's high morality and temperament will be greatly restricted. Only after the Han Dynasty collapses can Liu Bei's identity as a member of the Han Dynasty and his ideal of supporting the Han Dynasty can play a huge advantage and quickly receive a large amount of the Great Han's legacy.

In this era, it is not a big problem for a commoner without an official position to refuse to be recruited.

However, Li Ji is already a county magistrate, and openly refusing the imperial edict is undoubtedly not acceptable.

“Difficult, difficult, difficult…”

Li Ji sighed, and couldn't think of a perfect solution for a while.

In the past, Li Ji knew that the current emperor's political ability was not low, but he was a master who coveted pleasure and indulged in wine and women, so he had never considered the possibility that the emperor would directly issue an edict to recruit him.

After all, the current emperor is not a wise ruler. Isn't the delicate beauty fragrant? He actually personally attended to the affairs of the court and personally issued an edict to recruit Li Ji, who is actually just Liu Bei's staff?

“Something’s not right.”

Li Ji thought carefully and said to himself. “The emperor’s edict must have someone behind it pushing it.”

As soon as this statement came out, Jia Xu, who had always been leisurely and content, paused, looked at Li Ji with some surprise, and said. “Zikun truly has the ability to see through the world. Without contacting other information, he has already guessed such a conclusion.”

“It seems that Wenhe really knows something.” Li Ji said.

Jia Xu's expression became serious at this moment and said.

“Regarding the emperor's edict this time, there are two good news. First, after I talked with the many envoys staying in Wu County, I found that it is indeed not as it seems on the surface that the emperor attaches great importance to Zikun. Instead, it involves the increasingly fierce struggle between eunuchs and relatives of the emperor in the imperial court.”

“Tell me in detail.” Li Ji asked.

Jia Xu slightly organized his language and said.

“Although the ban on party affiliation has been lifted, the imperial court is still roughly divided into two factions: the eunuchs represented by the Ten Attendants and the relatives of the emperor represented by General-in-Chief He Jin.”

“As for the positions of the three dukes, they are mostly held by aristocratic families, but the three dukes are only nominal positions and have no real power.”

“Therefore, aristocratic families also need to cling to General-in-Chief He Jin. Those party members who were previously released from the ban on party affiliation also intend to enter the imperial court again, and this is the case.”

Regarding this point, Li Ji nodded in agreement.

It should be known that even Yuan Shao, who is a member of the four generations and three dukes, is also under the command of General-in-Chief He Jin, which shows the great power of General-in-Chief He Jin.

It seems that the imperial court is a three-way struggle between eunuchs, relatives of the emperor, and aristocratic families. In fact, aristocratic families are attached to the emperor's relative He Jin, and the emperor secretly supports the eunuchs, thus forming an irreconcilable political struggle between the eunuchs and the emperor's relatives.

Jia Xu continued to speak.

“Since He Jin took office as General-in-Chief, the struggle between the emperor's relatives and eunuchs has become increasingly fierce and cruel, and a corner has been added to the original three forces in the imperial court, that is, the military merit faction represented by Lu Gong, the Northern General of the Center.”

“Due to the merits of pacifying the Yellow Turbans, a large number of generals and scholars were conferred titles for their merits. Not only in the central government, but also in various local areas, there are a large number of people who have been conferred titles for their military merits, and most of these people follow Lu Gong's lead.”

“It’s just that Lu Gong is upright, resolute, and principled. He does not participate in party struggles and does not care about wealth and glory. Both the General-in-Chief and the Ten Attendants have tried to win him over many times without success.”

“In this way, the Ten Attendants and the General-in-Chief naturally noticed the lord and Zikun who had made achievements in the land of Wu Commandery.”

“It’s just that compared to the lord who already has the identity of a member of the Han Dynasty, it is inconvenient for the Ten Attendants and the General-in-Chief to win him over. Considering Zikun’s ability and reputation today, winning over Zikun has naturally become the best choice.”

Hearing this, Li Ji had completely understood the twists and turns.

At this moment, Li Ji is like a weight. Perhaps it cannot determine the victory or defeat of the political struggle between the eunuchs and the emperor's relatives, but it has already reached the point where it can affect one side's advantage.

Therefore, not only are the eunuchs who are envoys eager to find Li Ji everywhere, but even the General-in-Chief and many important ministers of the aristocratic family have sent envoys, which is undoubtedly to win over Li Ji.

It can be said that the person who cares about Li Ji is not the emperor, but the Ten Attendants and the General-in-Chief!

‘‘Political struggles’ and ‘standing in line’ are really troublesome…’

It’s just a pity that no matter how annoyed Li Ji is in his heart, he also knows that this is the last game rule before the collapse of the Great Han.

While a large number of thoughts emerged in Li Ji's mind, he asked. “Wenhe, what is the second good news you are referring to?”

“That is, I have already inquired about it. The edict issued to Zikun does not specify the specific official position to be promoted, but instead asks Zikun to go to the capital to meet the emperor and then be reused.”

"Furthermore, in that imperial edict, to compensate and appease you, my lord, you will also be appointed as the Inspector of Yang Province."

As he finished speaking, a meaningful smile crept onto Jia Xu's face.

Upon hearing this, Li Ji couldn't help but stand up abruptly, exclaiming:

"This imperial edict must be accepted!"