Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

However, while a treasure like the Red Hare was priceless to a valiant general, it was ultimately just a minor episode.

After deciding on the Red Hare's fate, Guan Yu instructed Zhou Cang to take the horse down to be well-fed and cared for, so that he could slowly tame and train it in his leisure time, until their hearts were connected.

Presently, with the battlefield completely cleared and all losses and spoils calculated, Guan Yu formally convened a military council to discuss the matter of Lü Bu.

Through this battle, the army led by Lü Bu suffered considerable losses. More importantly, Lü Bu's injuries were severe, and even with timely treatment, he would likely need several months of recuperation.

Coupled with the approaching cold weather, the main points of discussion were whether Lü Bu's army would retreat, and how the Han army should arrange its defenses and respond.

Among them, the matter of Lü Bu's army certainly retreating received unanimous approval from everyone.

Zhao State's backbone was only one person: Lü Bu, whose reputation for martial valor was renowned throughout the land.

Now that Lü Bu was injured, the impact on Lü Bu's army was unimaginable, and retreat was the only option.

Therefore, the choice facing Guan Yu was whether to pursue the victory and attack Chenliu Commandery, or to prioritize stability and defend the border.

On this matter, the generals in the army held differing opinions, each with their own reasons.

Prioritizing stability was in line with the Prime Minister's established grand strategy for the Northern Expedition.

Before the Prime Minister led the main force to quickly swallow Qing Province, the attitude towards Zhao State should be mainly defensive, not seeking merit but avoiding mistakes, to ensure that the territory was not lost and the people under their rule were not affected by the disasters of war.

But Lü Bu suffering heavy injuries was a golden opportunity that was hard to come by in a decade.

If they could take advantage of the situation to advance into Chenliu Commandery and capture a few bridgeheads, then when the Prime Minister devoured Qing Province and concentrated his forces to destroy Lü Bu in the future, the role that those bridgeheads could play would undoubtedly be enormous.

For a time, Guan Yu was somewhat uncertain and hesitant, and finally turned his gaze to Jia Xu, who was leisurely drinking tea.

As they spent more time together, Guan Yu became increasingly respectful of Jia Xu, both for his unassuming and non-competitive demeanor and for his admiration of Jia Xu's endless strategies.

For example, the ambush set for Lü Bu this time seemed simple, but in reality, it accurately grasped Lü Bu's arrogant heart, believing that no one could敌him.

In the previous ten or so major and minor battles, because Huang Zhong and Sha Moke were not allowed to attack, Lü Bu believed that the only two fierce generals in the Han army were Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, which led to this crucial victory.

"Military Advisor Wenhe, what do you think, should we defend our territory or pursue the victory?" Guan Yu asked.

Jia Xu smiled and put down his teacup, his seemingly honest and harmless eyes observed Guan Yu's expression, and he already had a conclusion in his heart.

Guan Yu himself was actually inclined to pursue the victory and continue to expand the results…

However, Jia Xu's attitude was exactly the opposite.

Guan Yu had fought fiercely with Lü Bu's 150,000 infantry and cavalry for more than a month with 200,000 infantry and cavalry. Although it seemed that each had their own victories and defeats, in fact, they mostly relied on the advantages of terrain and logistics.

The elite cavalry that Zhang Fei had spent several years building was not weak or small, with as many as 30,000.

However, the Bing Province Wolf Cavalry under Lü Bu's command was truly one of the strongest troops in the world. The 30,000 Han cavalry were repeatedly suppressed and beaten by the Bing Province Wolf Cavalry, and suffered the heaviest losses among the various units of the Han army.

Moreover, the Han army had been fighting fiercely for more than a month. Even if they won a great victory, they were actually exhausted. In addition, winter was approaching, and the remaining combat time was limited…

More importantly, it was true that Lü Bu was seriously injured, but there were many capable generals under his command. The Bing Province Wolf Cavalry had not been defeated, and even had no heavy logistical burden.

In his own territory of Yan Province, Lü Bu could summon a lot of troops with a single order.

"Why are you crying, Military Advisor?"

Jia Xu inadvertently dipped his index finger in the tea, covered it with his sleeve and wiped it on the corner of his eye to make it look more real, and then said.

"Please forgive me for laughing, Marquis. I was momentarily emotional, because I suddenly thought that as fellow Jing Province people, all six commanderies of Jing Province can be blessed by the Great King's benevolence, but only the northern part of Nanyang Commandery has been lost for many years, repeatedly falling into the hands of bandits, but has never been recovered, so that the local people have been in dire straits for many years."

"Whenever I think of this, I feel a lot of sadness and pity in my heart."

After a pause, Jia Xu cupped his hands and said.

"Now that Lü Bu is seriously injured and is about to retreat."

"In my opinion, advancing into Yan Province may have many obstacles, but it is expected that Lü Bu will not have time to take care of the northern part of Nanyang Commandery. Is it not a great opportunity to take advantage of the situation to recover Nanyang Commandery and unify Jing Province?"

As soon as this statement came out, many of the generals in the military tent showed signs of interest.

Especially the generals led by Guan Yu, a considerable part of them were from Jing Province.

Guan Yu had been stationed in Jing Province for many years, and he had a deep affection for Jing Province. The failure to fully occupy Nanyang Commandery that year was also one of Guan Yu's regrets that he could not let go of.

More importantly, the northern part of Nanyang Commandery happened to be sandwiched between Yingchuan Commandery and the southern part of Nanyang Commandery. Just send a messenger to Jing Province to mobilize troops, and Guan Yu can send a partial division south to jointly attack the northern part of Nanyang Commandery from the north and south.

And most of the generals in the tent also expressed their support, and said one after another.

"Marquis, this matter is promising, this is indeed a great opportunity to send troops to Nanyang Commandery."

"If we can make Nanyang Commandery return to the Great Han, it would also be a great achievement."

"The unification of Nanyang, from a geographical point of view, can also add a direction to threaten Sili, and its value is no less than attacking Yan Province and seizing a few bridgeheads."

After thinking for a long time, Guan Yu quickly made a decision. While preparing to contact Jing Province to jointly attack the northern part of Nanyang Commandery, he also sent letters to Liu Bei and Li Ji to inform them of his plan to take advantage of the opportunity to regain Nanyang Commandery.

The great victory report that Guan Yu had won a great victory and Lü Bu was seriously injured was sent to Shouchun, which greatly excited and delighted Liu Bei, and ordered that it be publicized in the newspaper, to share the joy with the people.

Regarding Guan Yu's proposal to request a battle to send troops to regain the entire territory of Nanyang Commandery, Liu Bei's attitude was quite cautious. He summoned a group of civil and military officials who stayed in Shouchun to discuss it for a long time before determining that it was feasible, and then he made a decision.

Of course, if possible, what Liu Bei wanted to hear most was Li Ji's advice.

However, Li Ji had now led his troops deep into Qing Province, and the back-and-forth transmission of letters would have missed the opportunity.

Therefore, although Liu Bei felt uneasy in his heart, after listening to the advice of all parties, he made a decision with great courage.