Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

Chapter 27: The Embroidered Uniform's Hidden Path

Among them, the main resettlement work was handled by Jian Yong, ensuring the basic accommodation and food for these young boys and girls.

Fortunately, this Peach Garden was extremely large, and Li Ji had already done some basic planning in advance, allocating a portion of the Peach Garden.

Jian Yong's job was mostly following the plan, and under the guidance of carpenters and others who had been hired in advance, he worked with the young boys and girls to build a simple wooden house that could withstand the wind and cold.

As for Li Ji, he set up a table and examined and registered each young boy and girl's name, origin, family situation, personality, abilities, and so on.

This task was not heavy, but it required great patience, and after Li Ji examined each person, he would add a brief evaluation.

In addition, because ordinary people often gave their children nicknames, such as Stone, A Niuwa, Er Gou'dan, and so on.

Especially the name Gou'dan, if you just shouted it nearby, there would be at least a dozen responses.

Therefore, in order to facilitate management, Li Ji also sorted them with unique numbers based on the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, such as Jia 01, Ding 99, Hai 55, and so on, which just happened to sort out the more than two thousand young boys and girls.

Even so, it took Li Ji three full days to slowly register all the young boys and girls, and he used as many as twenty-two bamboo scrolls, each scroll registering one day of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches series.

Jian Yong, who had also been very busy for these three days, finally sorted things out a little and asked with some doubts.

"Master Zikun, I don't understand, why are you asking so meticulously?"

Li Ji vaguely said.

"It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him fish. Brother Xuande cannot raise these children forever. Therefore, according to the differences of individuals, we can teach students in accordance with their aptitude and enable them to be self-reliant."

"I see."

Jian Yong praised and threw himself back into his busy work without thinking too much.

Because Li Ji only carried out information registration and there was only one scholar, Jian Yong, in the entire manor, almost all the trivial arrangements fell on Jian Yong.

In Li Ji's eyes, the bitterness between Jian Yong's eyebrows not only did not dissipate, but became more and more intense.

Moreover, Li Ji didn't really tell Jian Yong the truth. It was true that he wanted to teach these children in accordance with their aptitude, but Li Ji's real goal was to gradually build an intelligence gathering agency with them as the core by cultivating this group of loyal children.

For Li Ji's unique "Scheme Simulator", there was nothing more important than intelligence.

As long as there was enough intelligence, even if a large number of trajectories were changed in the future, the "Scheme Simulator" could firmly grasp and deduce the general trend of the world.

Compared with the other lords who had rich family backgrounds and wide connections, Liu Bei needed to set up an intelligence gathering agency early, otherwise, Liu Bei would be infiltrated by the spies of the other lords, and even misled by various false information without knowing what was going on.

As Li Ji truly began to grasp the basic information of these two thousand children, Li Ji once again used the "Scheme Simulator" to deduce the feasibility of this idea.

【You won a great victory in the first battle with the Yellow Turban bandits, and you have gained a lot. Your promising future lord, Liu Bei, has also gained a certain amount of capital to rise.】

【However, you are very clear that Liu Bei's capital is still far behind compared with the Yuan brothers of the Four Generations and Three Dukes, and even compared with Cao Cao.】

【In your eyes, the biggest gap is that there is almost a dimensional difference between the two sides in obtaining information.】

【The real aristocratic families are deeply rooted, with intricate connections and wide networks. Not to mention that they have a large number of channels to inquire about information, even many aristocratic families will actively exchange information in order to befriend other aristocratic families.】

【This is an irreparable disadvantage for Liu Bei, who comes from a humble background, so you began to plan how to solve the information problem.】

【For this, what you choose is...】

【Embroidered Uniform's Hidden Path】

This time, Li Ji's goal was quite clear. Even the "Scheme Simulator" did not display other options, and directly carried out the subsequent deduction based on Li Ji's ideas.

【This embroidered uniform is not for returning home in glory, but for the Embroidered Uniform Guard.】

【You intend to refer to the self-contained military and political intelligence gathering agency—the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to set up an Embroidered Uniform Division, cultivate the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and then send them to various states and counties as hubs for intelligence work, and if necessary, they can also carry out reconnaissance assassinations, spread rumors, instigate rebellion, sabotage, etc.】

【In this chaotic world, these are all orphans without support, so you value die-hard loyalty first to avoid leakage of information.】

【To this end, you have formulated a series of 'brainwashing' arrangements, instilling in them from an early age that they must be loyal to the Embroidered Uniform Division no matter what, and that their lives in this chaotic world are like duckweed, nurtured by the Embroidered Uniform Division, and they should repay the Embroidered Uniform Division with their lives.】

【In this era of extreme loyalty, this series of mental controls allows the Embroidered Uniform Division to guarantee absolute loyalty as you wish.】

【However, what makes you a little helpless is that individual qualities and talents are different. Even if they receive the same education, there will inevitably be a huge difference in ability.】

【Therefore, in the early stage of establishing the intelligence network, more than half of the Embroidered Uniform Guards were sacrificed in a very short period of time.】

【However, the sacrifice and trial of more than half of their companions also provided valuable experience and lessons for the more excellent Embroidered Uniform Guards.】

【In the end, under your command at all costs, you quickly and successfully established an intelligence agency spread across the thirteen states of the Han Dynasty, continuously providing a large amount of intelligence information to the Embroidered Uniform Division, making many lords suffer from headaches, and also allowing you to take full advantage of the information.】

【Conclusion: Intelligence information is an important existence that can easily change a war, and even the general trend of the world, at any time.】

【You deeply understand this point, and the Embroidered Uniform Division you established allows you to sit in the government office, but control countless eyes and ears in the world, becoming a dark sword hanging over everyone's head in secret.】

【However, since ancient times, those who play with intelligence have always found it difficult to see the light.】

【Although Liu Bei has always maintained trust in you, it has also made countless colleagues deeply hate, deeply fear, and deeply fear you, making countless colleagues subconsciously respect and fear you.】

【You have also become an isolated minister!】

【Your life is brilliant, but after Liu Bei, who has always trusted and protected you, passes away, future generations will inevitably pay the price for this.】

【And before you die, what appears in your mind is the faces of those two thousand children who respect and love you like a father and brother, feeling ashamed of the more than half of the children who died in the establishment of the Embroidered Uniform Division.】

Li Ji carefully read the last piece of information deduced, and his heart inexplicably felt a little blocked and uncomfortable.

After using the "Scheme Simulator" many times, Li Ji gradually came to more rules!

In the process of deduction, the personality simulated by Li Ji is absolutely rational, and all actions will not care about any emotions, morals, ethics, and will only act in a way that maximizes efficiency and benefits.

The final conclusion is often some subtle reminders based on Li Ji's thoughts, feelings, and values.

For example, in the final conclusion, it even bluntly stated that what appeared in Li Ji's mind before his death was actually the faces of those children.

This is enough to show that Li Ji may undoubtedly be deeply trapped in the guilt of those children for the rest of his life!

This fully reveals one point: as a strategist, setting up plans must be worthy of one's conscience, otherwise, once there is no conscience, then setting up plans will be more efficient and impeccable.

Li Ji touched his conscience...

'Ah ha, still there! How hateful.'

Li Ji exhaled lightly, self-mockingly said a sentence, and then re-interpreted the deduced content carefully again.

This is also Li Ji's habit, and Li Ji also knows that in the process of deduction by the "Scheme Simulator", it will often reveal some places that Li Ji in a normal state easily ignores and are difficult to calculate.

Suddenly, Li Ji noticed a word—"passed away"!

In an instant, Li Ji couldn't help but show a smile and said in a low voice.

"That is to say, the 'Embroidered Uniform Division' is of great importance. Once the intelligence network is perfected, even with Liu Bei's current abilities and conditions, with Li Ji's assistance, Liu Bei can at least claim the title of emperor."

It was just that this information was still a bit vague, and it was not clear whether this claim to the title of emperor was to establish a country in a corner like the Three Kingdoms, or to complete a unified empire again.

However, Li Ji saw his subsequent ending, and soon couldn't laugh anymore.

Although Liu Bei has always maintained absolute trust and protection for himself, it will not be like the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the Ming Dynasty, who would be beheaded by Zhu Yuanzhang for no reason.

But after Liu Bei passed away, he and his children and grandchildren would have to split apart.

Li Ji suspected that he might not split apart if he still controlled the Embroidered Uniform Guard before his death, but after the Embroidered Uniform Guard was handed over to others after his death, even his corpse might split apart.

'It seems that even if the Embroidered Uniform Division is really established, I can't personally manage it...'

Li Ji thought silently, subconsciously thinking about who could help him manage the Embroidered Uniform Division.

As for whether there would be a loyalty problem with others managing the Embroidered Uniform Division, Li Ji was not worried at all.

After all, the core members of the Embroidered Uniform Division, who are scattered in various states and counties as important hubs, are always these children in front of them. As long as the die-hard loyalty of these children is guaranteed, they can secretly monitor whether the person managing the Embroidered Uniform Division has any other thoughts.

In addition, Li Ji's heart was inevitably a little blocked by the fact that the deduction content showed that half of the cultivated children had paid for their lives in the early stage of establishing the Embroidered Uniform Division.

Li Ji naturally understood matters of national importance; sacrifice was inevitable. However, when he thought of the simulation, where he would completely capture the hearts of these children, be seen as a father figure, and then coldly push them to their deaths wave after wave...

Perhaps Li Ji, maintaining absolute rationality in the "Strategy Simulator," could do it, but the real Li Ji felt immense mental pressure just imagining it.

"It seems my idea itself has great significance and feasibility. The problem lies in how to establish it more securely and find a suitable manager..."

Li Ji tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, muttering to himself.

Within the "Strategy Simulator," there was no direct indication of anyone else taking over the Embroidered Uniform Guard in his place, indicating that under the known conditions, there was no better solution than him directly managing the Guard for maximum efficiency.

However, regarding the number of children sacrificed, there seemed to be plenty of room for mitigation.

'If I remember correctly, when I initially registered the children, quite a few were, in my initial assessment, too cowardly, timid, lacking initiative, or slow to react. These were clearly unsuitable for direct dispatch to serve as vital intelligence hubs in various prefectures and counties.'

'And in the simulation, I coldly dispatched all the children, obviously turning a considerable number of them into sacrifices for establishing the intelligence network?'

Li Ji's furrowed brow relaxed slightly, and he felt a sense of direction and ideas forming in his mind.

In this way, he only needed to slow down the construction of the initial intelligence network to some extent, and arrange alternative roles for those children unsuitable for being dispatched as intelligence hubs, which should avoid unnecessary sacrifices.

'But who should I find to take the blame and manage the Embroidered Uniform Guard in my stead?'

Thinking of this, Li Ji's gaze unconsciously turned towards Jian Yong, causing Jian Yong, who was diligently writing something, to inexplicably feel a chill run down his spine, instinctively tightening his legs.

However, Li Ji quickly shook his head, dismissing the idea.

Jian Yong was an honest gentleman with outstanding interpersonal skills and average abilities. It wasn't that Li Ji didn't trust Jian Yong, but rather that Jian Yong probably didn't have the ability to manage the Embroidered Uniform Guard well.

'Forget it, even teaching the children will take at least a year or two. Not to mention actually starting the construction of the intelligence network, it will take even longer to completely establish the Embroidered Uniform Guard.'

'At worst, if I really can't find a suitable candidate to directly manage the Embroidered Uniform Guard by then, I'll just put in more effort and cultivate someone myself to specifically manage the Guard.'

Thinking this way, Li Ji's unconsciously furrowed brow completely relaxed. He then took out a rough plan he had previously made for the Embroidered Uniform Guard and, based on the information gleaned from the simulation, carefully revised it.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Liu Bei had finally completed the aftermath work at Daxing Mountain, not only properly handing over the Yellow Turban rebels to the officials as much as possible but also burying the many corpses to prevent the occurrence of plagues.

Li Ji also received news that Liu Bei, leading six thousand soldiers, including the temporarily recruited Yellow Turban militiamen, was expected to return to Zhuo County at dusk.

However, it was only midday when a travel-worn Liu Bei, accompanied by Zhang Fei, appeared at the Peach Garden, walking towards it with a face full of joy and anticipation.

Li Ji, leisurely sipping tea and reading a book under the Peach Garden, unintentionally looked up and saw Liu Bei standing in front of him. Li Ji inexplicably felt a guilty conscience, as if he had been caught slacking off by his superior, and subconsciously said:

"Brother Xuande, why have you returned at noon?"

"I deeply missed Zikun."

Liu Bei replied, his eyes seemingly glistening with tears.