Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

Chapter 563: Advance! (Third Update)

Nearly a year had passed, and Li Ji and Yuan Shu met again, as if it were yesterday, with seemingly no changes.

Although Yuan Shu privately cursed Li Ji as a little brat, among the scholars of the time, there were not many whom Yuan Shu truly respected, and Li Ji was undoubtedly one of them.

Therefore, seeing Li Ji give him so much face by accepting the invitation, Yuan Shu, who had been reclining on the soft couch of his war chariot, took the initiative to get up and speak after seeing Li Ji's chariot approaching.

"Marquis of the State, have you been well?"

After the chariot came to a stop, Li Ji, seeing Yuan Shu's usual posture of looking down upon others with his chin raised, did not mind and returned the greeting, saying.

"Lord Yuan, your demeanor remains as impressive as ever."

"It is better today than yesterday."

After Yuan Shu said this, he had the personal guards driving the chariot move the table and canopy on the chariot to an open space on the side, with soft cushions placed on both sides.

"Please, let us share a few cups together," Yuan Shu said, stepping down from the chariot and inviting him.

"I would be honored."

Li Ji responded and also stepped down from the chariot, sitting opposite Yuan Shu at the other side of the table, which was filled with various fruits, desserts, and a pot of fine wine.

Perhaps Yuan Shu was arrogant and rude due to his family background, but he also relied on his family background to have some semblance of the Spring and Autumn period's demeanor.

After inviting Li Ji to take a seat, he treated Li Ji with considerable enthusiasm, and the two unexpectedly found themselves enjoying each other's company.

However, while Yuan Shu and Li Ji were chatting happily, Ji Ling, who was constantly tensing his body, felt somewhat bitter.

Compared to Ji Ling's already burly physique, Xu Chu was undoubtedly more robust by at least thirty percent, which made Ji Ling, who had been deeply affected by his defeat at the hands of Huang Zhong not long ago, extremely vigilant, fearing that Xu Chu would suddenly attack.

With the sunshade canopy and occasional cool breezes, Yuan Shu and Li Ji, sitting on either side of the table, were quite content.

Moreover, Li Ji was now knowledgeable and erudite, and no matter what topic Yuan Shu brought up, Li Ji could answer with a clear explanation, which allowed the two to unknowingly finish a pot of wine while drinking together.

However, as the pot of fine wine was emptied, the smile on Yuan Shu's face gradually receded, and he threw a grape into his mouth, saying.

"It is a pity that a talent like Zikun serves Liu Da'er. How about following me, Yuan Gonglu? What Liu Da'er can give you, I, Yuan Gonglu, can also give you, even more."

Li Ji's expression remained unchanged, and he slightly cupped his fist in salute, saying.

"Please do not disrespect my lord, Lord Yuan."

Yuan Shu's expression stiffened slightly, and the action of chewing the grape also paused for a moment.

The answer was already quite clear.

"Liu Xuande is truly fortunate," Yuan Shu said, changing his address.

"However, in this battle, our army's strength far exceeds yours, Zikun will undoubtedly be defeated. If you are unfortunately captured alive by me, then you will have no choice but to refuse."

"If wealth and death could change my will, I believe Lord Yuan would not think so highly of me," Li Ji replied with a smile.

"That's true..."

Yuan Shu did not deny this.

Who doesn't love a loyal and righteous person?!

If Li Ji could be easily turned, wouldn't he be no different from that three-surname slave, Lü Bu?

Why would Yuan Shu think so highly of Li Ji?

Therefore, even before Yuan Shu offered to recruit him, he knew that Li Ji would definitely not agree.

However…

Yuan Shu said with a smile.

"Even if I capture Zikun, I would not bear to use torture on you. However, even if wealth and death cannot change Zikun's will, beauties are known to be like bone-scraping knives."

"My Yuan family has raised three hundred beautiful maids, all of whom can be selected and enjoyed by Zikun. If not for being a eunuch, being worn down day by day, I fear that Zikun would not even have a moment of wavering."

…

Li Ji.

Three hundred beautiful maids; even an iron pestle would be ground into a needle.

Regardless of whether this is Li Ji's weakness, even the hardest bone would turn into soft tenderness.

Human nature cannot withstand testing, and desires cannot be triggered recklessly…

With Yuan Shu's way of playing, one beautiful maid a day for a year would probably make him forget his own surname, let alone who his lord is.

This made the corner of Li Ji's mouth twitch slightly, and he cupped his fist in salute, saying.

"Lord Yuan is joking. Moreover, the outcome of this battle is still unknown. To capture Li alive is, I fear, too early to say."

"Heh, then let us decide the victory on the battlefield," Yuan Shu said, getting up.

Li Ji also bowed in farewell before returning to his own chariot, and the two chariots traveled in opposite directions, each returning to their respective formations.

However, unlike Yuan Shu, who was full and satisfied as he lay on the soft couch of his chariot, Li Ji, after returning to his chariot, picked up a writing brush and quickly began to draw on the table.

As the distance closed earlier, Li Ji had a clearer view of the Yuzhou army's formation.

Soon, a piece of white paper was quickly filled by Li Ji, completely depicting the Yuzhou army's formation on it.

This information would not be of great significance to others.

After all, once the battle began, the formations of the various units would be constantly adjusted and changed, and would be completely unrecognizable in an instant.

Only to Li Ji…

Staring at the contents of the white paper, it was as if a battlefield map with a bird's-eye view appeared in Li Ji's mind.

Then, based on his memory and the contents of the paper, Li Ji quickly completed the Yuzhou army's formation, which was originally mostly vague.

At this moment, it was as if a chessboard had appeared in Li Ji's mind, and the chess pieces available to Yuan Shu were clearly arranged on the opposite side by Li Ji.

Immediately, Li Ji arranged his own 60,000 soldiers, like chess pieces, on the chessboard on his side.

"There is no righteous war after the Spring and Autumn period, Yuan Gonglu, this can be considered me taking advantage of you…"

As the chariot returned to the army formation, Li Ji, having completed the chessboard arrangement, couldn't help but mutter.

Even with a large number of scouts, Li Ji already basically knew the available military intelligence in Yuan Shu's hands.

However, due to the distance, Li Ji's eyesight could not completely see the arrangements beyond 500 steps during Yuan Shu's wartime military formation.

Originally, Li Ji could only wait until the two sides actually came into contact and engaged in battle before gradually discerning Yuan Shu's military formation, further laying the foundation for victory.

He did not expect that Yuan Shu still had the demeanor of the Spring and Autumn period, actually inviting him to leave the formation for a conversation before the battle…

"However, this is not a bad method, I can also emulate the style of the Spring and Autumn period more."

Thinking of this, the smile on Li Ji's face became more gentle.

After Yuan Shu returned to the army formation, he immediately ordered an attack.

In that wide and flat battlefield, the Yuzhou army, arranged in a huge formation, began to move slowly.

From a distance, the scale of the Yuzhou army's formation was fully twice as large as that of the Yangzhou army, like the comparison of a child and an adult's physique.

"Dong, dong, dong!"

The exciting drum sounds rang out.

The infantry of the Yuzhou army, lined up in front, advanced step by step towards the Yangzhou army in time with the drumbeats, displaying an impressive momentum.

Returning to the central army and standing on the chariot, Li Ji, looking at the densely packed army formation of the Yuzhou army that was beginning to advance, also uttered a single word.

"Advance!"