Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

Of course, more of the noble families present were completely panicked!
If it was just a symbolic drawing of the sword, it could be said to be a bluff, intended to intimidate them and seize greater benefits from the Yangzhou family.

But blood had already been seen, and one was even chopped to death on the spot...

Nothing can make a person's eyes clearer than blood.

Some timid people from wealthy families almost subconsciously shouted "Run!" and turned around to escape to the back.

However, how could the people from the noble families, who had already been surrounded, have any chance of escape?
Faced with the elite troops of Wujun who had surrounded the noble families and were maintaining their battle formation and closing in step by step, the noble families subconsciously retreated with pale looks of despair on their faces. Pulling out the swords in their hands did not bring them the slightest sense of security.

Li Ji's resolute order, the expressionless pressing of the soldiers, and the bodies of several noble family sons who had been hacked to death on the spot because they could not retreat in time, made them realize that Li Ji was not joking.

Encircling and killing them is just the beginning, the next step will definitely be their families!

Until this moment, they truly felt what it meant to feel powerless and hopeless...

Li Ji can decide their life or death with just one word!

"crazy!!"

"How dare Liu Xuande and Li Zikun..."

"Do they really want to kill us all?"

……

A series of chaotic voices and pale faces.

The original intention of these people from noble families was to show goodwill to Liu Bei and to find out the direction of the wind from Liu Bei, but they never expected such a result.

Not to mention them, even Liu Bei had never expected this.

Liu Bei has always been quite displeased with aristocratic families, but he also knows the importance of aristocratic families...

Moreover, in Liu Bei's view, Li Ji has always been a kind, gentle and elegant gentleman, and he did not expect that he would be so murderous.

However, after being slightly stunned, Liu Bei did not intend to stop Li Ji.

All undecided matters inside or outside the home can be referred to Zi Kun.

This is Liu Bei's daily philosophy. As long as it does not involve principles and bottom lines, or Liu Bei himself has made the final decision, Liu Bei will respect Li Ji's attitude and opinions.

Perhaps Liu Bei followed the path of benevolence, but he was by no means a foolish person.

However, just as Liu Bei had begun to consider how to cooperate with Li Ji in the aftermath of a large-scale and thorough purge of some of the aristocratic families.

Li Ji used his sleeves to cover his waist and tapped Liu Bei's waist lightly with his folding fan.

Almost in an instant, Liu Bei understood Li Ji's meaning without even any verbal or eye contact with Li Ji.

That's when.

The people from the aristocratic families who were constantly retreating in the crowded crowd were about to come into contact with the elite troops of Wujun who were advancing step by step. The shining sharp blades in the hands of the elite troops of Wujun were about to really start falling on the aristocratic families of Yangzhou in large numbers.

"Wait a minute!"

At Liu Bei's command, who seemed to react suddenly, the elite troops of Wujun, who had been following orders, stopped instantly.

Immediately, in front of a large number of Yangzhou families, Liu Bei turned and spoke to Li Ji.

"Zikun, those who are in league with the traitor Dong should be killed, but I also believe that there must be innocent people who were dragged into this conspiracy. How can we let innocent people be implicated?"

"Furthermore, some noble families were forced by the county governors instructed by the traitor Dong to provide money and food. Although their actions were abominable, they can also be considered excusable."

Li Ji heard this and bowed. "My lord, since ancient times, anyone guilty of treason can be executed."

"Not right, not right..."

Liu Bei shook his head and said firmly, "If we execute everyone without distinguishing the reasons, it is against the way of benevolence and virtue. We should discuss it in detail so that the people of the world can be convinced."

After hearing this, how could the noble families who were surrounded by heavy soldiers not far away not know how to slide down the stairs and kneel down to beg for mercy?
Immediately, under the sobering rationality brought by the gleaming blades, all the noble families begged for mercy almost at the same time in a chaotic manner.

"Uncle Liu is absolutely right. The Chen family of Jiujiang was forced into this situation. I am loyal to Uncle Liu and the Han Dynasty!"

"I swear to be sworn enemies with Dong, so how could I be in league with him? It's so unfair!"

"Uncle Liu, please spare my life..."

"Uncle Liu, please give me some time. I can prove my innocence. I can prove my innocence..."

……

Listening to these grovelling pleas for mercy, Li Ji sneered in his heart.

Just now, those noble families seemed to be humbly trying to please Liu Bei, but in fact, they had not yet made clear their position as "fish meat". At present, such an attitude was barely acceptable, instead of the attitude of still making a deal with Liu Bei without fear, and unwillingly cutting off their own flesh to protect themselves.

However, the murderous look on Li Ji's face remained unchanged as he sneered.

"Being forced? What a joke!"

Immediately, Li Ji gestured to Guo Jia and said, "Feng Xiao, bring me the bamboo slips I just read on the chariot."

After Guo Jia took the bamboo slips, Li Ji threw them in front of the old man who claimed to be from the Chen family of Jiujiang, and said in a cold voice.

"Why not take a look at the contents first?"

The bamboo slip hit the old man's forehead, causing blood to ooze out. However, the old man did not dare to show any dissatisfaction at this moment. Instead, he bent down and picked up the bamboo slip at a speed that was inconsistent with his age.

After the old man opened the bamboo slips, his expression changed drastically and his eyes became dull.

Several people from the Jiujiang family who were standing on the left and right of the old man also secretly glanced at the contents on the bamboo slips. All of them had their faces changed drastically and their pupils trembled.

The main record on it is the record of the young and strong people, money and food that the Jiujiang Chen family contributed to the allied forces against Wu. The content is so detailed that it is jaw-dropping, as if all this was done under the eyes of others.

This was also the reason why the old man from Jiujiang Chen's eyes were dull. With such detailed records like a mountain of ironclad evidence, how could Jiujiang Chen's family make excuses?

Since Li Ji had such clear and detailed records of the Jiujiang Chen family in his hands, how could he not have records of other families?
At this moment, anyone who sees the detailed records will no longer have the slightest hope of luck.

It even includes records of who the Jiujiang Chen family met with in private to discuss the attack on Wu. This is by no means something that could be collected on a whim, but it shows that the Yangzhou family's every move had been monitored from beginning to end.

Just as the noble families who saw the contents on the bamboo slips fell into despair, Liu Bei spoke again.

"Zikun, the records we have learned are one thing, but we cannot just believe one side of the story. We must not wrongly kill people who are loyal to the emperor and patriotic. We should carefully identify them one by one and at least give them a chance to defend themselves."

Li Ji fell into deep thought, his cold eyes sweeping over the group of people from aristocratic families in front of him from time to time.

Almost everyone who was swept by Li Ji's gaze felt so much pressure that their legs almost went weak, for fear that Li Ji would insist on having his own way.

After a moment, Li Ji turned around and bowed to Liu Bei. "I will follow the orders of my lord. I will handle the matter carefully and live up to your reputation of benevolence."

"So good."

Liu Bei replied with a smile, then looked at the noble families and spoke gently.

"I don't know how I have offended you all before, so that you are so hostile to me that you even formed an alliance to rebel and attack Wujun..."

After a pause, Liu Bei continued, "If I have ever violated the moral principles, you can tell me in person, and I will listen to you with an open mind."

"But the country has its own laws. It is true that you all participated in the conspiracy. I hope you can cooperate with Zikun to investigate and verify. If there is a justifiable reason, Zikun will certainly not go against my will and kill innocent people. Instead, he will only punish the main culprit as a punishment."

After such earnest words, no one could find any fault with Liu Bei.

In essence, the anti-Wu coalition was the Yangzhou nobles' act of scrambling for power and profit for their own selfish desires, regardless of the overall situation.

From the perspective of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bei was the governor of Yangzhou. The noble families under his rule gathered together to attack Liu Bei. This was an indisputable crime of treason, and it was not excessive to kill all three clans.

After Li Ji first set the tone of pursuing the case to the end and killing all the culprits, Liu Bei dissuaded Li Ji by saying that if possible only punish the main culprits and not harm the innocent, how could this not be considered benevolence?

As for completely letting the traitors go, that is simply impossible.

The end of the person who plotted treason was safe and sound. This is not benevolence, but cowardice and incompetence. It sets an example for other ambitious people that it is okay to plot treason.

After Liu Bei finished speaking, Li Ji's expression was still quite grim.

"My Lord is kind and wants to give you a chance to defend yourself, so I will give you a chance. I will wait for you in Wu County in a month to come and explain. I want to see how justifiable your case is."

"Of course, if you want to take this opportunity to escape from Yangzhou, you might as well give it a try..."

After saying that, Li Ji no longer paid attention to these people from aristocratic families who all had gloomy faces, but followed Liu Bei to meet up with Sun Ce and others who came to greet them but couldn't squeeze in at all.

Immediately, under the leadership of Sun Ce, they headed towards the nearby Yangquan County for a short rest.

As for the people from the noble families who stayed there, it was not until the army had left for a while that some of them gradually reacted.

escape?
Not to mention that Yangzhou has already been initially controlled by Liu Bei, what is more important is that the Yangzhou nobles now know that their every move is being monitored.

I am afraid that if there is any unusual movement today, war will come that night.

But one month later, how to preserve the family in Wu County is a difficult problem!
Especially when Li Ji knew in detail how various noble families participated in assisting the allied forces against Wu, there was no doubt that he was just trying to cover up and make excuses.

However, there is definitely no shortage of smart people among the Yangzhou families.

Whether it was Liu Bei or Li Ji, what they revealed in the end was: if there is a justifiable reason, only the main culprit should be executed.

The key undoubtedly lies in how to make Liu Bei and Li Ji think that it is excusable?
"Original? Reason?" (End of this chapter)