Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

The next moment, Liu Zhang, who had been sprawled on the ground, suddenly sprang up with an agility that belied his size, rushing towards Li Ji in three steps, shouting excitedly.

“Mr. Zikun!!!”

Li Ji took a step back subconsciously, and Xu Chu, whose vision was blocked, even placed a hand on the hilt of his saber, thinking it was an attack.

Fortunately, Li Ji recognized him after a moment, barely discerning Liu Zhang's former features from his round silhouette.

“Jiyu?”

Li Ji asked with some uncertainty.

“Mr. Zikun, it's me…”

At this moment, the excitement in Liu Zhang's heart was almost beyond words.

Seeing Li Ji, it was as if Li Ji was emitting light.

However, Liu Zhang ignored his current weight and the fact that he had barely moved his body for more than half a year.

As a result, when he tried to take a big step across the steps, his stride was much smaller than he had imagined, and he stepped into empty space…

Right in front of Li Ji's eyes, he performed an unexpected faceplant, falling right in front of Li Ji.

“Bang!”

The commotion made Li Ji's mouth twitch slightly. His mind raced, and he forced back a smile, covering for Liu Zhang, saying.

“Jiyu, why such a grand gesture?”

However, to Li Ji's surprise, Liu Zhang not only did not take the opportunity to get up, but instead stretched out his hands and directly hugged Li Ji's leg, crying and saying.

“Mr. Zikun, you must save me! That dog thief Liu Biao kidnapped me to this place, imprisoning me in this small space and tormenting me day and night… I cannot bear the humiliation and will dash my head against the ground and die here…”

Li Ji looked at Liu Zhang's round and plump figure, and it was really difficult to associate daily torment with this physique.

However, seeing Liu Zhang's tearful and snotty, collapsing appearance, Li Ji could only offer some words of comfort.

After a good venting, Liu Zhang belatedly asked.

“Why is Mr. Zikun in Xiangyang? Could it be that you came specifically to rescue me?”

Immediately, Li Ji signaled Xu Chu to help, forcibly helping Liu Zhang up, and then explained the situation in detail.

When Liu Zhang learned that Liu Yan had been feigning illness from beginning to end, using him as bait to send him under Liu Biao's nose, and had taken his three dearest brothers back to Yizhou early on.

The expression on Liu Zhang's face seemed to be written with the four words “filial piety,” his face twisted with excitement at the good news of his old father's miraculous recovery.

However, when Liu Zhang learned that Liu Yan had vomited blood and fainted in public due to the destruction of the Bazhong plank road and had fallen ill, the whole person clearly laughed in extreme grief, slammed the table, and shouted.

“Good!”

Feeling the gazes cast by the surrounding people, Liu Zhang paused slightly and added.

“Good… sadness, why is my father so sickly? What if he accidentally overcomes the illness… No, I mean, it's best if my father can't overcome the illness…”

Li Ji couldn't help but rub his forehead, then spoke to smooth things over, saying.

“It seems that Jiyu is mentally unstable under this great joy and sorrow, so his words are repeatedly inaccurate.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

Liu Zhang responded, and then, after reacting, frowned and said.

“My father is now lying in bed, and my three brothers are away all year round. I'm afraid they don't know how to serve my father. I want to return to Yizhou quickly to fulfill my final filial duty. I wonder if Mr. Zikun can help me?”

Fulfill filial duty?! (Crossed out!)

Compete for the inheritance.

Even in front of Li Ji, Liu Zhang now almost unreservedly revealed his true intentions, and his hatred for Liu Yan was overflowing.

And this was precisely Li Ji's purpose.

How to digest Jingzhou as quickly as possible was the focus at the moment.

Regarding matters within Yizhou, Li Ji wanted to intervene directly but was unable to do so.

Regardless of whether Liu Yan could survive this ordeal, sending Liu Zhang back to Yizhou to stir up the waters and further weaken Yizhou, which was caught in internal strife, in the short term was the most beneficial approach.

After Li Ji pondered for a while with a hesitant look on his face, he said.

“Jiyu, you and I have known each other for many years, and the lord also regards you as a nephew… ”

Li Ji inherited this from Liu Bei, or perhaps only gained three parts of Liu Bei's shadow, but the sincere concern revealed was enough to move Liu Zhang, who had just experienced a low point.

“Yes, Zhang naturally knows…”

Liu Zhang said, wiping away tears, with a bit of a sob in his voice.

“When I was imprisoned here, I was constantly regretting that I didn't listen to Uncle Liu's words, that I wasn't cautious enough, so that I still fell into the trap of the dog thief Liu Biao.”

“Who treats me well, who treats me like a pig or a dog, Zhang has already seen clearly.”

At the end, Liu Zhang couldn't help but look up at Li Ji, and then his gaze swept towards Zhang Song on the side.

This made Li Ji's figure lean back slightly involuntarily.

Liu Zhang's look at Zhang Song… was not quite right, was it?

In the past, Liu Zhang quite disliked Zhang Song's ugly appearance, so much so that he turned a blind eye to Zhang Song's talent?

Liu Zhang and Zhang Song had been imprisoned together for half a year, and they had even developed some kind of bond?

Li Ji's thoughts wandered for a moment, and then he continued in a gentle voice.

“Now that Jiyu understands this principle, then why bother returning to Yizhou and getting involved in that vortex? Why not return to Wu County with me after some time? The lord can also guarantee Jiyu a lifetime of wealth.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhang was even more moved.

Li Ji was by no means simply drawing a pie for Liu Zhang, wanting to win over Liu Zhang with the care that Liu Zhang lacked.

If Liu Zhang was unwilling to return to Yizhou, Li Ji would never force Liu Zhang.

Putting aside other things, when Wu County massively received refugees in the past, Liu Zhang mediated and sent a lot of grain to Wu County, greatly alleviating the urgent need, and Liu Bei and Li Ji both remembered Liu Zhang's favor.

Furthermore, if Liu Zhang stayed in Wu County from now on, he could have another justification when he wanted to conquer Yizhou in the future.

Therefore, whether Liu Zhang returned to Yizhou or not, for Li Ji, the difference was only a small profit or a big profit.

“Mr. Zikun's kindness, Zhang appreciates it.”

Liu Zhang got up with some difficulty and bowed, saying. “But what should be Liu Zhang's, I will never shrink back from.”

Li Ji was silent for a while, and asked. “So, Jiyu is determined to return to Yizhou?”

“Yes…”

After a pause, Liu Zhang said with a deep gaze. “If Zhang is fortunate enough not to die at the hands of his brothers, he will definitely repay the kindness of Imperial Uncle and Mr. Zikun in the future.”

“Alas.”

Li Ji sighed helplessly, saying. “Since Jiyu is determined, Ji will not say more. Jiyu should rest well first. After some time, Ji will send someone to escort Jiyu back to Yizhou.”

Liu Zhang nodded with some excitement and gratitude, and then limped to his feet and walked towards the room to rest.

Under this great joy, great sorrow, and great anger, Liu Zhang was obviously not as calm as he appeared on the surface, and his mind was so tired that he could barely hold on.

After Liu Zhang walked away, Li Ji turned his gaze to Zhang Song, who was forcibly enduring his silence. (End of this chapter)