Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

That thirty thousand Wuhuan soldiers surrendered out of fear of Zhao Yun and the White Horse Cavalries seemed almost laughable.

But considering the speed of Paris's surrender, one can only say that human nature is often like this, which only highlights how tenacious these Wuhuan people actually were.

And having been completely awed by the might of Zhao Yun and the White Horse Cavalries, how could these Wuhuan people still have the confidence to look back south?

If this were said aloud, not only would Li Ji not believe it, even Zhang Fei, who had come along, would laugh.

If these Wuhuan people had even a shred of backbone, they wouldn't have surrendered in the first place, so what else is there to say?

'Just dogs with broken spines...'

Li Ji looked at those Wuhuan people with disdain and indifference, thinking to himself.

'Furthermore, letting these Wuhuan people go back might continuously spread the terror of this place, gradually making the Wuhuan afraid to harbor any more covetous or opportunistic thoughts towards the Great Han.'

These words completely persuaded Gongsun Zan, so even though Gongsun Zan was still somewhat unwilling, he gave Li Ji face and, according to Li Ji's plan, escorted these Wuhuan prisoners back to Ji County.

When Li Ji and Gongsun Zan led the soldiers back, they were undoubtedly greeted by cheers from countless You and Yan citizens.

Only the You and Yan citizens who lived in the borderlands knew what the consequences would be if the Hu people broke through Ji County, and Li Ji, Gongsun Zan, and the others who defeated the Wuhuan and achieved this great victory saw their prestige in Ji County skyrocket.

Even Liu Yu personally led a group of officials from the government office to welcome them outside the city gate, his expression full of excitement and emotion.

Previously, until Li Ji led his troops out of the city, Liu Yu had not held much hope for Li Ji's mission, only wanting to take advantage of the rain to launch a surprise attack and then successfully withdraw back into the city, which would already be a great achievement.

Unexpectedly, Li Ji had broken the Wuhuan camp in just half a day, beheading more than forty thousand, and somehow even managed to bring back the cavalry that should have been far beyond the borders, ultimately capturing the thirty thousand Wuhuan people who were fleeing in panic.

"I have not failed Lord Liu's trust, the head of Wuhuan King Qiuliju is here."

Liu Yu, deeply incredulous of the head that Li Ji personally presented, opened it and looked at it himself before finally confirming it.

"Zikun, does this mean that You Province will no longer suffer from Wuhuan raids?" Liu Yu asked with some excitement.

Li Ji's eyes were bright, and his tone was also a bit more impassioned as he replied. "As long as You Province has the White Horse Cavalries, we can guarantee that the Wuhuan will not dare to violate the might of Han for at least ten years."

White Horse Cavalries?

Liu Yu was not very clear about the meaning of this name, but this did not affect the excitement in Liu Yu's heart, and after calling out "Good, good, good" three times.

Liu Yu bowed deeply to Li Ji in front of countless people, saying.

"The world has a national treasure in Li Zikun, the fortune of You Province, the fortune of the Great Han!"

This scene surprised many of the officials who were following behind Liu Yu.

It should be known that Liu Yu's status was quite extraordinary. He had previously served as the Director of the Imperial Clan in the court, and now he was also the governor of You Province, a powerful regional official.

In terms of reputation, status, and prestige, Liu Yu was undoubtedly the most prominent member of the Han imperial clan in the world. Even Liu Yan was a notch below Liu Yu.

And Liu Yu's public praise of Li Ji not only represented his personal identity but even represented the Han imperial clan as a whole.

It could be predicted that as this matter spread, just like Xu Shao's evaluation of Cao Cao, Liu Yu's praise of Li Ji would inevitably raise Li Ji's reputation to a new level, and even the title of "National Treasure" would become Li Ji's recognized name by the world.

"I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it!"

Li Ji, who had also not anticipated this scene, quickly declined modestly, saying.

"The victory in this battle is primarily due to the generals who were not afraid of death. I only offered a few suggestions, how can I deserve such high praise?"

However, before Li Ji could finish speaking, Liu Yu grabbed Li Ji's wrist and said.

"For the remaining matters, Zikun might as well discuss them later. I have already prepared a celebration banquet in the mansion. The urgent matter now is to celebrate Zikun's achievements, to celebrate the achievements of the generals, and also to celebrate the achievements of You Province and the Great Han!"

Immediately, Liu Yu pulled Li Ji towards his carriage without explanation, insisting on sharing the ride with Li Ji on the way back to the government office to highlight Li Ji's merits.

Li Ji, unable to refuse, hesitated slightly before suggesting in Liu Yu's ear.

"Why doesn't Lord Liu invite General Gongsun onto the carriage as well? This would not only commend General Gongsun's achievements in traversing the borderlands but also show the various Hu beyond the border that the officials under your command are harmonious, making the Hu even more afraid to offend You Province."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yu couldn't help but glance at Gongsun Zan, who had a blank expression.

Liu Yu actually admired Gongsun Zan's staunch attitude towards the Hu people. Wasn't that the epitome of a warrior? Liu Yu believed that the conflict between him and Gongsun Zan was merely a disagreement in political views.

Otherwise, with Liu Yu's status as the governor of You Province, he could have removed Gongsun Zan from his position as Colonel of Cavalry with a single word, without even having to report to the court for approval first.

And Liu Yu understood that Li Ji was generally trying to mediate the conflict between himself and Gongsun Zan but also felt that what Li Ji said made a lot of sense.

After all, it was true that Gongsun Zan had contributed to this great victory over the Wuhuan by sweeping away many Wuhuan settlements beyond the border, drawing away eighty thousand Wuhuan soldiers.

Furthermore, maintaining good relations with Gongsun Zan on the surface would be more beneficial for You Province to deter the various Hu beyond the border.

Therefore, after hesitating for a moment, Liu Yu spoke to Gongsun Zan in a gentle tone. "I wonder if Bogui would be willing to board my carriage and ride with me?"

Gongsun Zan was slightly stunned and subconsciously wanted to refuse, but after noticing Li Ji's subtle gesture, he calmed down slightly and analyzed the situation. He also understood that he should not refuse Liu Yu's kindness because of his personal preferences.

"Then I will accept your kind invitation."

Gongsun Zan immediately cupped his hands and agreed, then followed and boarded Liu Yu's carriage.

In the carriage, Liu Yu, Li Ji, and Gongsun Zan stood almost side by side in front of the many citizens of Ji County, and under Li Ji's mediation, Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan had a rare and pleasant conversation.

At least, with the threat of the Wuhuan almost completely resolved, there was essentially no irreconcilable conflict between Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan.

At the subsequent celebration banquet, there was also a scene of joy and harmony, with many military officers and officials drunk on the spot.

The next day, after Liu Yu woke up from his hangover, Li Ji took the initiative to visit as if he had timed it perfectly, privately advising Liu Yu on how to deal with the thirty thousand Wuhuan prisoners, and presenting Liu Yu with a detailed account written on a bamboo scroll.

After reading it, Liu Yu was unable to recover for a long time, holding Li Ji's hand and repeatedly praising him.

"This bamboo scroll can be completely named 'The Strategy for Settling the Wuhuan', which can guarantee at least ten years of peace in You Province. Zikun, did you write this all night last night?"

All night, naturally not.

For Li Ji, who had secretly run it through the "Strategy Simulator", there was no need to think about the details bit by bit. It only took a few shivers to write it all down.

However, Li Ji would naturally not directly tell the truth but smiled gently and politely, saying.

"All for the sake of the people."

"Good, all for the sake of the people. Zikun is truly a national treasure."

Liu Yu's eyes were full of appreciation, and he couldn't help but flip through the bamboo scroll in his hand repeatedly.

The content within the bamboo scroll naturally included more than just the part where Li Ji had persuaded Gongsun Zan earlier. Taking the elimination of Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun by Tadun as a prerequisite, the Wuhuan prisoners could be redeemed, and the redemption conditions also required the Wuhuan to hand over a large number of Han Chinese slaves and warhorses.

In addition, there was also a lot of information on how to use the White Horse Cavalries to deter the Wuhuan, the conflict between Qiuliju's two sons, Tadun and Louban, and the loss of prestige from Tadun's failed assassination of Gongsun Zan this time, and so on.

Then, the Wuhuan tribe, which had originally begun to tend towards unity, would be internally divided and gradually fall under the control of You Province.

Upon seeing the content, Liu Yu immediately knew that Li Ji must have attainments in politics, strategy, diplomacy, people's livelihood, and so on. Otherwise, he would never have been able to write this bamboo scroll, which started with the Wuhuan prisoners and then targeted the Wuhuan in all aspects.

There was not a single word of "kill" in the bamboo scroll, no bloody words, but if the content of this bamboo scroll were implemented for three to five years, Liu Yu was sure that the Wuhuan would probably never be able to turn over again, completely reduced to dogs with broken spines guarding the gate for the Great Han.

Suddenly, Liu Yu realized something and asked urgently.

"This strategy is excellent, concerning ten years of peace in You Province. Why doesn't Zikun stay in You Province and personally promote it? I am willing to entrust it to Zikun completely, without ever questioning or interfering."

"Lord Liu, it's not that I'm unwilling, but it's really impossible."

Li Ji's face was full of embarrassment, saying.

"I was ordered by my lord to go to Yingzhou to investigate the tribute paid by the W倭国 to Emperor Guangwu in those years. However, halfway there, I saw the Wuhuan plundering Han land. In an emergency, I acted according to circumstances and deployed the entire army to resist the Wuhuan, which has already violated my duty as a subordinate."

"Fortunately, my lord is generous and benevolent, and he has not blamed me. Instead, he has repeatedly sent people to deliver food and supplies to avoid any unexpected needs. Therefore, what I want now is to repay my lord's trust, and I can't wait to go to Yingzhou immediately to complete my lord's mission."

"And now that the war in You Province has been initially settled, and only Lord Liu and General Gongsun need to cooperate with each other, according to my deduction, the overall situation has been decided. Therefore, there is no use for me to stay in You Province. I should quickly go to Yingzhou and then return to Wu County as soon as possible."

It could be said that Li Ji would seize every opportunity to brush up Liu Bei's impression in front of Liu Yu.

There was no other reason than the fact that there were many benefits to be gained.

In the long run, in the event that the Great Han collapsed and the current emperor's bloodline was cut off, Liu Bei's revival of the Han Dynasty, on the point of "Who will be the emperor", Liu Yu's attitude could almost represent the attitude of the Han imperial clan as a group.

Therefore, since he was not considering getting rid of Liu Yu and supporting Gongsun Zan to fully control You Province.

Therefore, the best plan for our lord is to befriend Gongsun Zan, maintain a good relationship with Liu Yu, and try to mediate the conflict between Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan, so that the entire You Province secretly becomes a force supporting Liu Bei.

Only when Liu Bei becomes powerful and moves north to the Central Plains will he see the benefits of laying this groundwork in You Province. (End of Chapter)