Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

After Li Ji tidied his clothes, he allowed Sun Ce to bring Taishi Ci in.

However, as soon as Sun Ce walked in, he knelt down on the ground, a look of shame on his face, and said.

“Ce is ashamed of Teacher's trust, please punish me, Teacher.”

Li Ji frowned slightly and asked, “Bo Fu, what is the matter? And in what way have you let down my trust?”

Sun Ce lowered his head and said shamefully.

“My hasty advance in Qingzhou led to the Yellow River flood and a great defeat, this is the first offense;”

“I was ordered to protect the young master and Duke Xiang, but we were trapped by the wind and snow halfway, putting the young master and Duke Xiang in danger, and causing Teacher to worry and rescue us, this is the second offense.”

“With these two crimes, Ce really has no face to see Teacher again, please Teacher, cut off my head…”

Before Sun Ce could finish speaking, a teacup was thrown over, hitting Sun Ce's forehead, interrupting his remaining words.

“Foolish!”

Li Ji scolded angrily.

“Not to mention that the Yellow River disaster and the heavy snow are both natural disasters, which cannot be resisted by manpower, and are not crimes of war.”

“Even if you make a mistake for a while, you should never have the idea of taking your own life, this is what a coward would do.”

“If everyone imitates this behavior, the generals in the world will all commit suicide after defeat, the Great Han Dynasty would have been destroyed long ago, what are we talking about restoring the Great Han Dynasty?”

These words made Sun Ce's face turn red.

And Li Ji, in the end, shouted with some anger at his lack of ambition.

“Get out!”

Sun Ce lowered his head, not daring to look directly at Li Ji, and quickly walked out.

However, just as Sun Ce reached the door, Li Ji remembered something and spoke again.

“Come back.”

Sun Ce hurriedly walked back and said. “What are your instructions, Teacher?”

Li Ji stared and said.

“Raise your head! A true man born into this world should have a strong backbone. Didn't you, Sun Bo Fu, claim to be a fierce tiger since you were a child? Why have you lost that spirit now?”

“Yes! Teacher!”

Sun Ce replied loudly, raising his head.

Immediately, Li Ji's gaze fell on Taishi Ci, who was standing beside Sun Ce, and he asked.

“Is this gentleman beside you Taishi Ci of Donglai?”

Taishi Ci, who had finally found a chance to speak, quickly saluted.

“Taishi Ci of Donglai, greets Your Lordship.”

“I know your name. This time, Bo Fu and his soldiers were able to survive from near death, and even successfully block the Yellow River breach in the end, all thanks to your assistance…”

Speaking of this, Li Ji got up and cupped his hands towards Taishi Ci in a salute, saying.

“Please accept a salute from me, to express my gratitude.”

Taishi Ci was so startled that he subconsciously dodged, wanting to step forward to help Li Ji up, but was afraid of offending Li Ji, and became at a loss, waving his hands repeatedly and saying.

“I dare not accept Your Lordship's great gift. Even if it were someone else, they would definitely try their best to stop Cao's treacherous actions that would enrage both Heaven and people. This is a matter of duty.”

“What a good 'matter of duty', if everyone was like this, how could the world be in such chaos?”

Li Ji first praised, and then sighed with some emotion.

And Sun Ce took the opportunity to recommend Taishi Ci to Li Ji, which was also Sun Ce's main purpose for seeking an audience, besides asking for punishment.

However, Taishi Ci stated that he would rather be Sun Ce's family general than leave Sun Ce for wealth and honor.

This made Sun Ce try his best to persuade Taishi Ci, but even in front of Li Ji, Taishi Ci still insisted on being Sun Ce's family general.

Obviously, this was not the first argument between Sun Ce and Taishi Ci.

This made Li Ji even wonder if Zhou Yu, who was originally inseparable from Sun Ce, was not here because he couldn't bear to see the existence of this “third party” Taishi Ci?

Even though Li Ji quite admired Taishi Ci, he would naturally not force him since Taishi Ci only wanted to be Sun Ce's family general.

Whether Taishi Ci was Sun Ce's family general, or became a general under Li Ji's command, the meat was still rotting in the pot, there was no difference.

And Li Ji specifically called Sun Ce back, naturally had other instructions, that was to let Sun Ce carefully settle the generals and soldiers in the army, and hold a banquet to thank the many colleagues and powerful families for their search.

Moreover, Li Ji also asked Sun Ce to release news to the outside world, that Li Ji would also attend this banquet at that time.

Sun Ce was somewhat puzzled by this, not understanding the deep meaning, but he still kept Li Ji's instructions in mind and went down to make arrangements, and set the banquet for three days later.

This was also to give some of the people who were still searching outside the city time to get the news and return to the city.

Afterwards, Li Ji spent half a day with A Dou and the Li Xiang siblings, then had people open the gate of the county office, while handling government affairs in the county office, and waiting.

Just as Li Ji expected, half an hour later, someone came to report that a Taoist priest calling himself “Mr. Wujiao” was seeking an audience outside the county office.

After Li Ji had Xu Chu accompany him closely for protection, he had someone invite Zuo Ci in.

After Zuo Ci entered the council hall where Li Ji was, he took the initiative to salute.

“Zuo Ci of Tianzhu Mountain, greets Your Lordship.”

Li Ji looked up and sized up Zuo Ci, who looked like a transcendent expert, and was also calculating in his heart.

From a political point of view, Zuo Ci's previous appearance to help A Dou and Li Xiang, whether it was to show that he wanted to take Li Xiang as a disciple, or to lead the convoy to the mountain depression to avoid the wind and snow.

In essence, it was a gesture of goodwill, to show goodwill to Li Ji, and to leave a good impression in front of the promising A Dou and Li Xiang.

And when Li Ji chose to open the main gate in the county office, Zuo Ci really arrived.

All kinds of thoughts arose and died in Li Ji's mind, and then he also got up and returned a salute to Zuo Ci, saying.

“Thank you, Taoist Priest, for helping my son out of trouble in the wind and snow. Ji is here to thank you, and has prepared some gifts to express my gratitude, please do not decline.”

Immediately, Li Ji lifted the black cloth on the lacquer plate placed beside the desk, revealing neatly stacked gold bricks.

Three thousand gold.

Zuo Ci only glanced at it and understood the amount, and even understood the hidden meaning of Li Ji.

Li Ji was only thanking him from the position of a father, but this was not what Zuo Ci wanted.

With Zuo Ci's methods, what he wanted was not vulgar objects?

Zuo Ci didn't believe that the Marquis of the State wouldn't know this, but wasn't the attitude that the Marquis of the State was showing on the surface a subtle rejection?

“Thank you, Your Lordship, for the generous gift, but this poor Taoist knows that the two states of Yu and Xu have just been stabilized, and it is time to stabilize the people's hearts with money and food. This poor Taoist will trouble Your Lordship to donate these three thousand gold to the people on behalf of this poor Taoist.” Zuo Ci replied.

“The Taoist Priest is indeed concerned about the common people.”

Li Ji said with a smile, but there was a hint of killing intent hidden deep in his eyes.

The Taoists of this era were too capable of causing trouble, and being concerned about the common people was not a good word, but a way to seek death.

Zuo Ci naturally understood, and precisely because he knew this, if it weren't for the small favor he had with Li Xiang, Zuo Ci wouldn't even dare to show himself in front of Li Ji.

However, Zuo Ci had a reason why he had to show himself.

Just like how the aristocratic families were coming to an end and began to seek change, the Taoists who were developing under the influence of Huang-Lao studies were also seeking change.

In this era when true Taoism had not yet truly formed, the choices of the Taoists were completely different.

Nanhua passed on the Tao to Zhang Jiao, and Zhang Jiao used this to create the Taiping Dao, which was one path;

Zhang Lu, who inherited the Five Dou Rice Sect, chose to combine politics and religion and occupy Hanzhong County to govern himself, which was also a path;

That fellow Yu Ji chose to preach in Yangzhou, which was also a choice, and then unfortunately bumped into the Marquis of the State, and died on the spot…

And Zuo Ci, who hadn't figured it out yet, accidentally saw that Buddhism, which promoted truth, goodness, and beauty in a disciplined manner under the rule of Yangzhou, had actually survived, and suddenly found what he thought was the correct path of development.

In addition, as Liu Bei's power grew and he became the overlord of a unified world, Li Ji even used the foundation of the Taiping Dao to lay the foundation for Liu Bei's destiny, Zuo Ci couldn't help but feel anxious.

If Taoism wants to develop further, what Zuo Ci thinks is not to rebel like the Taiping Dao, nor to combine politics and religion like the Five Dou Rice Sect, and should not be like that fellow Yu Ji to develop the lower class, but should be used by the Great Han like Buddhism.

In short, that is to take the upper-class route.

That is…

Zuo Ci gritted his teeth, gave up pretending to be mysterious in front of the Marquis of the State, and said directly.

“Your Lordship, in fact, Taoism can also be used by the Imperial Uncle and Your Lordship like Buddhism.”

?!

Li Ji.

So, Zuo Ci also wants to eat imperial food? (End of this chapter)