Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

"So that's how it is. Just as this old man had guessed, that Marquis Guoshi, relying on his reputation, has been hesitant to advance since arriving in Yicheng. It's all just a bluff."

Chief Clerk Yang Hong stood up, flicked his sleeves, and began to comment.

"You must know, our lord personally led an army of 200,000 southward, sweeping across Jingbei in just a few months. He was invincible, conquering dozens of cities, sweeping across thousands of miles in an instant. His might is awe-inspiring, his momentum fierce..."

"And the Marquis Guoshi only leads 60,000 troops, less than half of our lord's strength. It's only natural that he resorts to bluffing."

Yuan Shu was overjoyed, his chin unconsciously lifting slightly. He was just short of praising Yang Hong's words to his face, urging him to say more.

The others present, seeing that Yang Hong's words pleased Yuan Shu, also stood up one after another to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy and ourselves.

Before long, as everyone chattered, they were about to summarize a theory of ten victories and ten defeats when someone said:

"My lord, I have a plan to defeat that little brat Li Ji..."

This statement instantly jolted Yuan Shu, who had been listening with narrowed eyes, and he blurted out:

"The plan will not succeed; it cannot be used."

These words abruptly forced back the words that a scholar, originally seated at the end, had been about to utter. He then said somewhat unwillingly:

"My lord, I haven't even spoken my plan yet. How do you know it won't succeed?"

Yuan Shu waved his sleeve, signaling the scholar to sit down, and then said:

"Li Zikun, what kind of person is he? He will certainly not fall for a simple trick easily. Moreover, this man is most skilled at adapting to circumstances and turning schemes against their originators. If we use a trick, we might be countered by that little brat Li Ji instead."

"On the contrary, as long as I don't use tricks, but overwhelm him with righteous force, even if he has ten thousand brilliant strategies, they will be useless."

Having personally witnessed how Li Ji sowed discord between Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu, Yuan Shu carefully reviewed the events afterward, discovering that the key was that Li Ji had anticipated that Lü Bu would lead troops in a night raid to clear his name.

The powerful and influential Dong Zhuo was assassinated by Lü Bu on the city tower because of this small night raid, and the once dominant Liang army nearly collapsed.

In the campaign against Dong Zhuo, Lü Bu's bravery and Li Ji's wisdom left a deep impression on Yuan Shu.

Since then, Yuan Shu secretly vowed never to engage Lü Bu in a duel of strength, nor to engage Li Ji in a battle of wits, but rather to draw the opponent into an area where he himself excelled and then defeat them.

And what did Yuan Shu consider himself good at?

Naturally, it was his background as a member of the Yuan clan, which had produced officials for four generations, and the money, grain, and supplies he could mobilize behind the scenes.

Otherwise, given Yuan Shu's temperament, how could he have been so frustrated upon learning that Li Ji was within a hundred miles, yet still reluctantly chosen to retreat ten miles to set up camp?

Use tricks?

Not at all.

However, with nearly 120,000 troops against 60,000, Yuan Shu had confidence and assurance.

Immediately, Yuan Shu sent men to bring the maps of the vicinity of Xiangyang to the main tent and said:

"That little brat Li Ji's forces are far inferior to mine. It doesn't matter if he dares not face us head-on. If they don't come to us, what's wrong with me leading the army to them?"

"However, the marching route still needs careful planning. Everyone should put their heads together and discuss how to march, to avoid that little brat Li Ji setting up ambushes along the way, or using water or fire attacks, or getting caught in unfavorable terrain."

At this point, Yuan Shu revealed the purpose of gathering everyone for this discussion.

However, as everyone looked at the map, nearly a hundred miles south of Xiangyang was mostly flat terrain, and they really couldn't see any place for an ambush.

To set up an ambush, there must be suitable terrain...

As for water attacks and fire attacks...

However, with Yuan Shu's orders in place, everyone could only discuss it bit by bit based on the map, trying to consider all aspects.

This scene also made Yuan Shu quite satisfied.

Yuan Shu didn't expect the talents of his strategists to surpass Li Ji, but he hoped that the joint efforts of all the civil and military officials could identify and fill in the gaps, as long as they could prevent the army from falling into a trap.

Without schemes...

What is Marquis Guoshi? What is Li Ji? What is Li Zikun?

They will all have to prostrate themselves at the feet of my Yuan clan, which has produced officials for four generations!

......

Soon, the latest movements of the Yuzhou army reached Li Ji's hands.

After the two sides had confronted each other for such a period of time, Yuan Shu finally took the initiative to advance.

However, what made Li Ji somewhat annoyed was that Yuan Shu's army of over 100,000 troops was moving so slowly across the plains, only advancing about ten miles each day.

Moreover, before and after each march, Yuan Shu couldn't wait to send all his cavalry to patrol the surrounding thirty miles several times to confirm that it was safe before proceeding.

In order to prevent Li Ji from using water attacks during the rainy seasons of summer and autumn, the upstream of the surrounding rivers was patrolled every day, highlighting a feeling of being both cowardly and confident.

Faced with Yuan Shu's approach, let alone Li Ji had no intention of using tricks in the first place.

Even if he did, there was nothing he could do.

At least, strategically, sufficient caution could easily break more than ninety percent of schemes.

It's just...

"Do people really think that I, Li Zikun, only understand strange schemes?"

Li Ji mocked himself, and then, while issuing some arrangements, on the surface, the 60,000 soldiers did not make any movements, always sticking to the camp ten miles outside Yicheng.

The distance between the two sides was constantly shortening, changing by ten miles each day.

Eighty miles, fifty miles, thirty miles...

At this distance, it was a distance that could be reached by a half-day's forced march, and the cavalry could arrive in an instant.

Yuan Shu no longer advanced, but instead chose to set up camp thirty miles away, and even spent a day or two building many defensive works.

After that, Yuan Shu sent an envoy to Li Ji to request a battle.

To this, Li Ji also readily agreed and stated that he would not break his promise.

Two days later, the two armies moved slowly, advancing towards each other.

Both sides also sent out a large number of scouts to monitor the movements of the other army to confirm whether there was a trap.

The distance of thirty miles, with the two armies advancing towards each other.

Soon, they met in a plain area.

The two armies also stopped, maintaining a distance of five hundred paces.

At this moment, Yuan Shu's half-raised heart was completely settled.

Now that the two armies were facing each other in battle, and the surrounding area had long been repeatedly scouted by Yuan Shu's men, Li Ji had no chance to play any tricks.

"Victory is in our grasp, the advantage is with us!"

Yuan Shu, sitting on a gorgeous chariot, said proudly.

Immediately, under the protection of Ji Ling, Yuan Shu ordered the chariot to move forward, and then sent a fast horse to run to the front of the Yangzhou army's formation to convey the message:

"Please invite Marquis Guoshi to come out and speak."

Li Ji, who was also sitting on a chariot upon hearing this, also fulfilled Yuan Shu's wishes, and under the protection of Xu Chu, drove the chariot towards the front of the formation.

Both sides had a chariot, a warrior guard, and a chariot driver, and then met in the center of the two armies' formations.