Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

Chapter 30: Three Routes

What do I think?

If possible, I'd like to lie down and think.

Experiencing such a long march for the first time in his life, Li Ji felt like his butt was about to turn into a zombie.

Don't ask, just assume it's cracked.

Moreover, in order to maintain his usual image, Li Ji had to maintain that nonchalant demeanor.

At this moment, Li Ji completely understood why Zhuge Liang had to get himself a four-wheeled cart, and why Guo Jia died from overwork on the march.

It's not that Boss Cao was too beastly, but that traveling is difficult!

As Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei stared at him with their six eyes, looking like they were waiting to hear some profound insight, Li Ji took off the water bag hanging on his warhorse, first moistened his throat, and then put the bamboo slip in his hand into his bag.

Then, Li Ji walked to the Jizhou map and looked at it.

However, this map was extremely crude, with only a rough division of Jizhou's counties and the main roads, barely enough for merchants to use.

Jizhou governs nine commanderies and kingdoms in total: Wei, Julu, Changshan, Zhongshan, Anping, Hejian, Qinghe, Zhao, and Bohai, truly the heart of the Central Plains.

Although Li Ji understood the terrain of later generations, he also understood that after a long period of terrain changes, there was almost no reference value.

For example, the ancient Jiuze—Dalu Ze—which is now quite famous in Julu County, has completely disappeared in the terrain of later generations in Li Ji's memory.

In addition, the lack of information on the Jizhou battlefield meant that even if Li Ji wanted to use the "strategy simulator," it would be meaningless. The only thing he could slightly refer to was the general trend of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in his memory.

"According to Prefect Liu Yan, at the end of February, the Emperor appointed Lu Zhi as the North General of the Household, leading the five schools of the Northern Army to advance into Jizhou and engage in a fierce battle with the heretical Zhang Jiao at Guangzong as the main battlefield."

"With the ability of the North General of the Household, even if his strength is far inferior to the Yellow Turban bandits, I expect that he will not be defeated by the Yellow Turbans; otherwise, Cheng Yuanzhi and Deng Mao would not have needed to go north to Youzhou, trying to open up a new battlefield."

"Therefore, the North General of the Household must have the upper hand, and has firmly blocked the main force of the Yellow Turban bandits in the area from Guangzong to Julu, making it difficult for them to advance into Sili."

Li Ji slowly spoke his thoughts, causing Liu Bei and Guan Yu to nod from time to time, deeply agreeing.

Zhang Fei couldn't help but pat Li Ji on the shoulder and said.

"Hahaha, Mr. Zikun, my opinion is the same as yours. Speak quickly, speak quickly, continue to speak, and see if we have all thought of the same thing."

Li Ji was almost staggered by Zhang Fei's strength, and he almost didn't fall directly to the ground.

Seeing this, Liu Bei hurriedly reprimanded.

"Yide, don't be reckless, don't interrupt Zikun's train of thought."

Zhang Fei pouted, feeling that what Li Ji said was indeed close to his own thoughts.

Li Ji was not surprised by Zhang Fei's statement.

After all, anyone with a little talent as a general could have analyzed the previous analysis.

"Brother Xuande, now that we are located in the northern part of Zhongshan State and want to join forces with the North General of the Household as soon as possible, there are generally only three marching routes."

Li Ji raised three fingers and said.

"Zikun, please speak," Liu Bei said.

"The first route: is to go from north to south in Zhongshan State, directly attacking the rear of Julu County;"

"The second route: is to bypass Julu County from Zhongshan State to Anping State, first avoiding Julu County, and then advancing to the side of Julu County;"

"The third route: is just the opposite of the second route, going from Zhongshan State to Changshan State, and then going straight south, which can also reach the side of Julu County."

As Li Ji spoke, he drew three lines on the map with his fingers, and concluded. "In essence, it is one direct insertion and two detours."

Zhang Fei scratched his head and asked in a muffled voice. "What's the difference between this direct insertion and detour?"

Li Ji said in a deep voice. "The benefits of direct insertion are obvious. It saves marching time, and speed is of the essence. It uses a surprise force to directly attack the hinterland of Julu, the Yellow Turban bandit's base camp."

"But the risk is also quite huge. Once we run into the main force of the Yellow Turban bandits, or if we cannot win a decisive victory and capture Julu in a short period of time, our mere six thousand men are likely to be trapped in Julu County, making it difficult to break out of the siege."

Liu Bei thought for a while and said.

"The risk of this plan is unimaginable, and we know nothing about the strength of the defending army in Julu, so it should not be used."

Li Ji's inner thoughts were actually similar.

Directly attacking the Yellow Turban bandit's base camp Julu in a state of complete ignorance is purely a gambler's behavior.

If we win, we will defeat the Yellow Turban bandits in one battle, and naturally it will be a great achievement. From then on, we will become the most handsome guy in the Han Dynasty and leave our name in history, capable of pacifying the million Yellow Turban army that swept across the eight states of the Han Dynasty with our own strength.

However, if there is a slight mistake, a mere six thousand people may not even make a ripple when buried in Julu. It is typical of traveling thousands of miles from Zhuoxian to Julu to deliver heads.

"Mr. Zikun, then what are the differences between these two detour routes?" Guan Yu asked.

"These two routes, one goes east into Anping State, and the other goes west into Changshan State."

Li Ji first pointed to Anping State on the map and said.

"The seat of government of Jizhou, Xindu, is located in Anping State, and it is also the city in Jizhou that the Yellow Turban bandits first captured at the beginning of the turmoil, and Guangzong is also located in the southernmost part of Anping State."

"Therefore, if we choose to enter Anping State, we do not yet know whether the North General of the Household has recovered Xindu. Otherwise, it will be difficult to go south all the way."

"But if the North General of the Household has recovered Xindu, our entry into Anping State will allow us to join forces with the North General of the Household as quickly as possible."

As Li Ji's words fell, a look of hesitation appeared on the faces of Liu Bei and Guan Yu.

The key to entering Anping State is which side controls the capital city of Xindu. If it is in the hands of Lu Zhi, the North General of the Household, that would naturally be excellent.

But once the Yellow Turban bandits still occupy Xindu, then Liu Bei's desire to join forces with Lu Zhi will be blocked by Xindu, and with a force of six thousand men, it may be difficult to capture Xindu.

At that time, once the Yellow Turban bandits have completely reacted, they will inevitably do their best to prevent Liu Bei from leading his troops to join forces with Lu Zhi.

"Then it seems that the best choice is to enter Changshan State?" Zhang Fei muttered.

"If we choose Changshan State, the advantage is that there are many mountains, which makes it easier to hide the marching route, and if we successfully go south all the way to the Gaoyi area, the distance from Julu City is only about fifty miles!"

"At such a distance, warhorses can gallop quickly and arrive in an instant, even if the soldiers march quickly, it will only take half a day to reach the rear of Julu."

As Li Ji's finger pointed between Gaoyi and Julu City on the Jizhou map, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei's expressions all changed, and they inexplicably felt a surge of excitement.

Feasibility, very high!

Following Li Ji's train of thought, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei focused their eyes on Gaoyi and Julu on the map, only feeling that a huge temptation suddenly appeared in front of them.

However, Liu Bei, who was the most calm, took the lead in calming down and asked. "Zikun, if we enter Changshan State, what are the disadvantages?"

Li Ji thought for a while and said.

"As for the disadvantages, Changshan State may have many mountain roads, making marching difficult, far less easy for large-scale marching than on the plains, and if we want to occupy Gaoyi and launch a surprise attack on Julu, we must try our best to hide our tracks along the way."

In Li Ji's few words, the disadvantages seemed to be nothing more than that, but in fact, Liu Bei was well aware of the difficulties.

Especially the marching problem, the problems caused by many mountain roads are extremely difficult. The actual distance required for marching on the rugged roads will often increase by three to five times, which is very normal.

Under such circumstances, we also need to avoid the Yellow Turban bandits noticing the trail and reporting it to Julu as much as possible.

After thinking for a long time, Liu Bei looked at Li Ji and asked.

"Zikun, which marching route do you think we should choose?"

Li Ji did not speak, but pointed directly to Changshan State.

"Good!"

Li Ji's action was like the final weight that tipped the scales. The hesitation in Liu Bei's eyes disappeared, and he said.

"Then we will enter Changshan State from Zhongshan State, go south all the way, and head straight for Gaoyi! May the ancestors of the Great Han bless me, Liu Xuande, to put down the Yellow Turban Rebellion as soon as possible, and return a stable world to the millions of people in the world."

Immediately, the soldiers who had just rested for a while set off again under Liu Bei's order, heading all the way towards Changshan State in the west.

Zhang Fei personally led the Eighteen Yanyun Riders and thousands of cavalry to serve as scouts, further expanding the scope of reconnaissance, and beheading the Yellow Turban bandits who approached along the way.

In the absence of a specific map of Jizhou, the march could only be based on direction, occasionally asking people for directions and constantly correcting the direction before successfully entering Changshan State, and then suddenly turning around and continuing to advance south all the way.

As we entered Changshan State, the march became even more difficult.

Initially, it was extremely narrow, only allowing one person to pass. After walking dozens of steps, it was also difficult. Later, a hundred people went ahead to enter, and then we walked, and then it suddenly became clear.

This sentence describes the difficulty of marching.

Li Ji couldn't even ride a horse, he could only walk on foot. The branches and knots of the trees along the way were overgrown, and it was extremely difficult for Li Ji and Liu Bei to walk in front together.

Later, Li Ji retreated to the middle of the team, and the people in front first opened up the road, constantly widening it with manpower, and then it was not so difficult for Li Ji to walk.

The difficulty of marching was several times greater than on the plains, and the speed dropped sharply.

What was even more desperate was that after entering Changshan State and then heading south all the way, Liu Bei and Li Ji were completely unaware of their specific location due to the lack of a specific map, and could only move forward all the way following the direction.

Until, a plain appeared in front of us again!

"We're finally out!"

With Liu Bei's perseverance, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as he looked at the plain in the distance.

"Zikun, Yunchang, Yide, come, come and take a look."

Liu Bei, who often led the way, taking the initiative to open up paths, happily shouted towards the rear.

Instantly, Li Ji's spirit was lifted, and he quickly walked to Liu Bei's side, squinting his eyes to look at the distant plains.

"Wait, there are several columns of smoke rising over there."

Zhang Fei's thunderous voice rang out, drawing everyone's attention to the direction he was pointing.

Guan Yu stroked his long beard, narrowed his eyes, and said.

"Faintly, I can hear sounds of fighting and miserable cries."

Li Ji then opened the Ji Province map and, after making a rough judgment, said, "If this isn't Yuanshi, the seat of Changshan Commandery, it's Zhending."

"Let's go take a look."

Liu Bei had already made his decision at this moment, and impatiently led the way towards the plains ahead.

Subsequently, after all the soldiers had entered the plains and were reorganizing, the losses from just marching through the mountains amounted to over three hundred men. A pre-battle attrition rate as high as 5% caused Liu Bei's face to twitch uncontrollably upon hearing this news.

Zhang Fei, who was also serving as a scout, quickly returned with information.

Ahead was a small county town called Zhending, and approximately three thousand Yellow Turban soldiers were plundering the surrounding area.

"Go around, or suppress the bandits?"

Liu Bei asked with some hesitation. Clearly, Liu Bei was more inclined to suppress the bandits, saving the local people from being plundered, but he was also afraid of ruining his grand plan.

Li Ji, sensing the inquiring but somewhat embarrassed look in Liu Bei's eyes, suggested.

"In the plains, the Yellow Turban bandits have no horses. Just have Yide lead the cavalry to scatter and block their escape routes, and the possibility of the Yellow Turban bandits escaping is very small. Moreover, your Excellency's troops also need a good rest, and Zhending is a good choice."

With Li Ji's support, Liu Bei no longer hesitated and quickly ordered Zhang Fei to lead the cavalry to intercept the bandits in the surrounding area, then he and Guan Yu personally led troops to suppress them.

With Liu Bei's side having the advantage in numbers and initiative, the result was predictable!

Li Ji didn't even intend to approach the battlefield, but instead stayed behind with five hundred soldiers to protect the supplies, take a break, and carefully consider the next course of action.

Half an hour later, Zhang Fei returned to Li Ji's side, his body half-covered in blood, as if he had experienced a hearty and satisfying battle. As a result, Zhang Fei no longer had the depressed mood from the previous march, and shouted loudly at Li Ji.

"Mr. Zikun, the battle is settled! Big Brother has also confirmed his identity with the magistrate of Zhending, and has arranged a room for you to rest in."

"Thank you, Yide."

Li Ji responded and also eagerly headed towards Zhending County, then quickly washed up until he no longer had that sour and smelly odor on his body, only then did he feel like he had come back to life.

"Knock knock knock!"

Just as Li Ji was soaking in the wooden tub, relaxing his body and muscles with his eyes closed, a knock sounded on the door, followed by Liu Bei's voice, carrying a hint of excitement.

"Zikun, are you done washing up?"

"Just a moment."

Li Ji quickly got up and changed into a scholar's robe before opening the door.

To Li Ji's surprise, Liu Bei still looked somewhat disheveled, but his rather tired face revealed a hint of excitement.

"Brother Xuande, is there some good news?" Li Ji asked with some surprise.

Liu Bei replied. "Indeed, there is good news! I, Bei, encountered a talent in Zhending who will definitely be a great help to your plan, Zikun."

Instantly, Li Ji's heart couldn't help but skip a beat, and a name subconsciously surfaced in his mind.

Zhending!

Talent!

Could it be that Liu Bei really possesses some kind of "strong luck", so that as soon as he entered Zhending, he caught that man, the man who could charge in and out of the entire Tiger and Leopard Cavalry seven times.

Liu Bei also stepped aside, revealing the person behind him.

A burly physique, a resolute face that seemed to have weathered many storms, and a strong bloody aura emanating from his body…

'This man…'

Li Ji's slightly excited expression faltered.

"I am Xiahou Bo!"