Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

Chang Xi's allegiance to Yuan Shu was driven by a desire for wealth and status, not a genuine willingness to die for him.

"General Chang, are your forces insufficient? No matter, no matter."

Ji Ling said with a smile. "This general will allocate three thousand soldiers for General Chang's use. I wonder if that will be enough to capture the North Gate of Pengcheng?"

"Enough! Enough!!!"

Chang Xi was overjoyed and quickly agreed.

"However, this general has a word of warning. If General Chang fails to capture the North Gate or has other plans, don't blame this general for being impolite."

Ji Ling warned Chang Xi in a tone that was neither too loud nor too soft, causing Chang Xi to feel a chill.

The three thousand soldiers allocated to Chang Xi were both for him to use in attacking the city and to monitor his movements.

If Chang Xi wanted to escape, these three thousand soldiers would likely turn their spears on him at the first opportunity.

However, as things stood, Chang Xi was not annoyed by Ji Ling's threat.

On the contrary, Chang Xi looked grateful, determined to capture the North Gate of Pengcheng no matter what, so that Zang Ba and the others would kneel before him, weeping and wailing in fear and anxiety.

To cooperate with Chang Xi, Ji Ling also directed the Yuan army besieging the other three city walls to exploit the weaknesses of the Pengcheng defenders.

This was both to help Chang Xi contain the defenders within the city, and because Ji Ling had not completely placed his hopes on Chang Xi.

If Chang Xi was telling the truth, then whether or not he succeeded in attacking the North Gate, Ji Ling was confident that he could break through Pengcheng today by exploiting those weaknesses.

The only difference would be that the losses would be heavier.

After a brief reorganization and command, the Yuan army launched another attack on Pengcheng.

This time, as soon as the two sides made contact, the three city walls of Pengcheng were almost entirely in a state of emergency, as if the Yuan army was completely aware of the true weak points of the city's defenses.

"Could it be that the commanding general of the Yuan army has been replaced? Why does it seem like they completely understand where the weaknesses are?"

Sun Guan, who had been ordered by Zang Ba to stay on the East City Wall, watched as the Yuan army continuously surged towards a corner of the city wall where defensive supplies were insufficient and could not be replenished in time, and which was mostly guarded by wounded soldiers with weak combat power. His face turned pale.

"Quick, quick, block them! No matter what, we can't let the Yuan army gain a foothold! Quickly beat the drums to notify General Zang Ba to come and support us!"

However, before the drums signaling an emergency on the East City Wall could sound, Sun Guan heard the drums on the West and South City Walls ringing out almost simultaneously.

This startled Sun Guan, and his expression changed drastically…

As the sound of drums suddenly rang out from the direction of the North City Wall as well, Sun Guan almost lost his grip on the steel saber in his hand.

This undoubtedly meant that Pengcheng was in a state of emergency on all four sides and was about to fall.

… …

At the same time.

Ten miles outside of Pengcheng.

After Zhang Fei led four thousand cavalry to Pengcheng, he followed Li Ji's instructions and did not enter the city.

Instead, after meeting with Zang Ba and the other generals at the city gate, Zhang Fei led the cavalry to camp outside the city.

Contrary to what Zang Ba and the others believed, Zhang Fei was not simply watching Pengcheng being forcibly attacked from the sidelines.

During this time, Zhang Fei's cavalry and the cavalry under Ji Ling's command were engaged in small-scale skirmishes centered around Pengcheng.

After Li Ji eliminated Cao Cao's cavalry, thereby completely seizing the initiative, Zhang Fei undoubtedly tasted the sweetness of this matter.

Therefore, Zhang Fei had been constantly eliminating the scouts sent out by Ji Ling during this period, and even personally took to the field at times, in order to make Ji Ling as much of a "blind man" and a "deaf man" as possible.

Of course, in Ji Ling's eyes, Zhang Fei seemed to be constantly harassing him, and was also constantly putting pressure on him with his cavalry, making him feel apprehensive and afraid to attack the city.

After Zhang Fei eliminated a considerable number of scouts under Ji Ling's command.

In order to avoid the brunt of the attack, Ji Ling naturally had to shrink the scouting range of his scouts to between five and six miles around the city, just enough to guard against the possibility of Zhang Fei charging into the formation.

If the newcomers were cavalry, Ji Ling could also mobilize his cavalry to counter them.

If the newcomers were truly a large-scale infantry force, it would be enough for Ji Ling to mobilize his army to retreat or form a battle formation to wait, and there would be no risk of being ambushed.

At this moment, Li Ji, who had also arrived outside Pengcheng and joined forces with Zhang Fei, frowned as he listened to the latest battle situation in Pengcheng that the scouts had learned.

Originally, in Li Ji's judgment, Zang Ba should have been able to hold out for this day.

But what Li Ji had not expected was that there would be internal strife within Zang Ba's forces. It was one thing for Chang Xi to lead his confidants to abandon the city and flee, but he actually turned around and defected to Ji Ling.

"Selling out one's master for personal gain is truly despicable…"

Li Ji said with some displeasure.

The scouts stationed around Pengcheng simultaneously heard the alarm drums from the four city walls, which was enough to prove that Chang Xi must have betrayed them and revealed Zang Ba's defensive arrangements in the city, otherwise such a situation would not have occurred.

"I thought that guy had a treacherous and fickle look on his face, and he actually did such a disloyal thing! How hateful! If he falls into my hands, I'll have him taste my big feet!"

Zhang Fei also cursed with a look of resentment.

However, in addition to displeasure, Li Ji felt more of a sense of irony.

In Li Ji's plan, Zang Ba only needed to lead his troops to hold out for another hour until sunset to pass the test.

At that time, not only would Liu Bei accept Zang Ba, but even the many Mount Tai bandits under Zang Ba who had made contributions would also be accepted.

In other words, Zang Ba and the others were only one step away from shedding their identities as bloodthirsty Mount Tai bandits and completely going ashore.

Not to mention enjoying endless wealth and glory from then on, but even if some Mount Tai bandits intended to disarm and return to their fields, Liu Bei would allocate fertile land and houses so that they could live and work in peace.

As a result, at this critical moment, Chang Xi actually defected.

This gave Li Ji the feeling that Chang Xi had entered the palace to become a eunuch for one or two years, and then joined the Kuomintang in 1949.

Immediately, Li Ji looked up at the sky, deduced for a while, and said.

"How can there be perfection in the world? Small details have changed, but the overall situation has been set. Let's start lighting the fire for this urn."

At Li Ji's order, the fifteen thousand infantrymen lined up behind him began to march towards Pengcheng, ten miles away, while the four thousand cavalry led by Zhang Fei were divided into two wings to protect them.

Ten miles… not far!

Just as Ji Ling was stepping up his attack on Pengcheng, finally completely occupying the South City Wall, and opening the South Gate of Pengcheng with a bang, preparing to command the army to enter the city.

A muffled and impassioned drumbeat faintly entered Ji Ling's ears from behind.

Ji Ling first subconsciously thought it was an illusion, and then suddenly turned his head to look at the direction from which the distant drumbeat was coming.

"Report!!"

At this moment, a scout hurriedly came to report, shouting loudly.

"General, there are enemy troops behind us…"

Ji Ling couldn't help but kick the scout to the ground, cursing angrily.

"I heard it all, do I need you to report it?"

Even…

Ji Ling looked up, his pupils shrinking, looking at the flag that appeared first in the distance—[Li]! (End of this chapter)