Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

Li Ji's words, coupled with the scrutinizing look in his eyes, made Wei Yan feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and it seemed that he had been completely seen through in an instant.

'Why does Marquis Guoshi know about this?'

This was Wei Yan's first reaction.

After all, Wei Yan was previously just a small city gate official, and the surprise attack on Wuxian County had not happened long ago.

Logically speaking, the news should not have reached Chaisang yet.

Previously, the identity that Wei Yan revealed to Sun Ce did not mention such sensitive details.

Wei Yan's face changed constantly, and for a moment he didn't know how to answer.

Li Ji was also not in a hurry, looking Wei Yan up and down, wanting to see what Wei Yan would do, and by the way... to knock Wei Yan into shape.

In fact, no matter how Wei Yan answered, Li Ji would not do anything to Wei Yan, and would choose to accept Wei Yan.

However, this was based on political considerations.

As one of the generals of Jingzhou, and having been valued by Liu Biao for his great contribution in the surprise attack on Wuxian County, accepting Wei Yan would stabilize the hearts of many people in Jingzhou.

But Li Ji also felt that Wei Yan was a talent. The surprise attack on Wuxian County was not simple. Leading three thousand people into the mountains and being able to successfully lead the large army out to surprise attack Wuxian County was something that even Li Ji was quite surprised to hear.

It should be known that even in later generations, with various well-equipped hikers, a group of three to five people traversing mountains and jungles would encounter countless accidents and dangers.

What's more, Wei Yan probably didn't even have a compass in his hand, relying entirely on his personal talent to lead a surprise force across mountains and jungles to find and attack Wuxian County.

Amazing!

This was Li Ji's first reaction when he learned of this information.

In Li Ji's impression, the last person to do something similar was Huo Qubing, who crossed the vast grassland to achieve a precise strike.

What small path?

That was completely Wei Yan's excuse. In fact, there was no so-called small path at all.

Where there are no people walking, where would there be a small path?

Therefore, if the 50,000 Yizhou troops were not bait, Wei Yan's move would probably be enough to make him famous in history.

However, just like Zhou Yu's judgment of Wei Yan's face, Li Ji could also see it.

Of course, Li Ji would not completely believe in physiognomy, so he deliberately knocked Wei Yan into shape to test whether Wei Yan's character was worthy of being reused.

As Wei Yan gradually calmed down, he noticed Li Ji's scrutinizing gaze, and feeling that his head was still on his neck, he understood that Marquis Guoshi did not really think he was a spy, otherwise he would not have specially summoned him here.

What's more, even Liu Biao is dead, what spy is there to talk about?

What troubled Wei Yan was how to answer Marquis Guoshi next?

Argue…

Almost instantly, Wei Yan rejected this idea.

Could he deceive the rumored Marquis Guoshi with a few words?

Impossible, absolutely impossible.

'In that case, it's better to be frank... If Marquis Guoshi can value me, he will naturally reuse me. If he doesn't look up to me, he probably won't take me down because of it, so as not to ruin his reputation.'

Thinking of this, Wei Yan's heart gradually settled down. He pursed his lips, which were unknowingly a little dry, and under the faint pressure, he opened his mouth.

“A good bird chooses a tree to perch on. I, Yan, do not claim to be a world-class genius, but I also have some skills.”

“The former master, Liu Jingzhou, I originally thought that his single-handedly entering Jingzhou would lead to some achievements, and thought he would be a wise lord, but I didn't expect him to be superficially impressive but rotten inside, having only ambition but not virtue, not knowing how to reward and punish fairly, and not reusing talents.”

Speaking of this, there was obviously more dissatisfaction in Wei Yan's tone.

“Oh? Is the talent you are talking about yourself?” Li Ji asked with a smile.

“I dare not!”

Wei Yan said that he dared not, but his expression was somewhat proud.

“It's just that I made a great contribution in the surprise attack on Wuxian County, but Liu Jingzhou not only did not reward me, but instead sent me to the rear army. Such actions are really difficult to convince the public.”

This was also Wei Yan's biggest dissatisfaction with Liu Biao.

The surprise attack on Wuxian County can be said to be a feat that Wei Yan risked his life for, in order to gain Liu Biao's appreciation and reuse.

As a result, after capturing the 50,000 Yizhou troops, Liu Biao was kind on the surface, but in reality, he threw Wei Yan into the rear army, and instead appointed Cai Mao as the vanguard. How could this not make Wei Yan feel resentful?

It should be known that at that time, Yizhou had no resistance forces on the surface, and wherever the vanguard went after entering Bajun, they surrendered at the sight of the wind, which was almost equivalent to getting a lot of military merit for nothing.

In Wei Yan's view, those military merits should have been his, not toiling in the rear army to command and transport grain and grass.

However, in this era that promotes foolish loyalty, Wei Yan's move undoubtedly violates the way of loyalty.

But Wei Yan already had some thoughts of breaking the jar, so he simply raised his head to look directly at Li Ji and said. “After all, not everyone is as lucky as Marquis Guoshi, being able to meet a wise lord like Uncle Liu Huang as soon as they enter officialdom.”

“I can hardly deny this.”

Li Ji replied with a smile.

The encounters of Yue Fei and Zhuge Liang in the original trajectory perfectly illustrate the importance of choosing a lord.

If Yue Fei and Zhuge Liang were switched, it might be Zhuge Liang who would be writing Man Jiang Hong in prison.

Li Ji could also easily guess the reason why Liu Biao deliberately suppressed Wei Yan, and it could even be regarded as human nature.

Wei Yan was, after all, just a general who suddenly emerged. Liu Biao was not familiar with him at all. Whether it was out of the idea of tempering him or examining his character, this was all normal.

Compared with Wei Yan, what if Cai Mao's ability was slightly inferior?

At least Liu Biao knew Cai Mao inside and out, and was not worried that Cai Mao would threaten him after he grew stronger.

But it was not necessarily the case for Wei Yan, who was not familiar with him, to hold military power.

So, the three points of “knowing people”, “using people”, and “trusting people” sound simple, but they are by no means easy to do.

In reality, would an ordinary person with 100,000 deposits dare to take out 90,000 to manage for an outsider?

Obviously, Liu Biao didn't dare.

Cao Cao, who appointed members of the Cao or Xiahou clan to military power in the original trajectory, did not dare either.

On the contrary, Liu Bei and Liu Chan, these two father and son, dared very much.

Not to mention the taboo of “meritorious service overshadowing the master.”

As for Li Ji's answer, which was somewhat indistinguishable in emotion, Wei Yan calmed his mind and said frankly.

“The lord chooses the minister, and the minister also chooses the lord. I have never done anything to betray my lord, and I have also repaid my former lord, Liu Jingzhou, with the merit of the surprise attack on Wuxian County. After my former lord, Liu Jingzhou, has lost his power, what's wrong with me having the intention of choosing another wise lord?”

“If Marquis Guoshi has any objections to me, I will take my leave.”

After saying that, Wei Yan cupped his hands and made a gesture of turning around to leave.

At this moment, Li Ji knew that Wei Yan was testing himself, but he still spoke to retain him.

“Wenchang, please stay.” (End of this chapter)