Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator

This once again indirectly confirmed that there was indeed a heavy ambush in the dense forest.

It was not until the next day when Yuan Shao carefully commanded his entire army to form a battle formation and slowly advance into the dense forest that he discovered that the traces left in the dense forest did not look like an ambush by heavy troops at all.

But such repeated delays had already bought Gongsun's army two days.

Yuan Shao wanted to pursue Gongsun's army, but it was too far away. He had to give up pursuing Gongsun's army and instead began to capture cities and territories in Jizhou.

The disastrous defeat in the battle of Jie Bridge had completely frightened Han Fu.

Some Jizhou officials and generals who were dissatisfied with Yuan's domineering behavior were still spontaneously trying to resist Yuan's army. Han Fu took the seal and went to Yuan Shao to surrender in an attempt to survive.

This also meant that Gongsun Zan had just retreated to Youzhou when Yuan Shao almost took over all of Jizhou and became the true lord of Jizhou.

As soon as Jizhou fell into Yuan Shao's hands, Yuan Shao sent people to Bingzhou in the name of Bingzhou Governor to seize power, and on the other hand he prepared a large army and tried to take advantage of the situation to attack Youzhou.

However, when Yuan Shao reorganized the troops under Han Fu and led an army of 100,000 to Youzhou.

Yuan Shao had just learned from reports from a large number of scouts that during the one-year standoff at Jie Bridge, Liu Yu had continuously moved people from the southern part of Youzhou and adjacent to Jizhou to the north to raise horses and cattle.

Even a large number of Youzhou cities and towns adjacent to Jizhou were burned down by Liu Yu after the Battle of Jie Bridge.

By the time Yuan Shao noticed this, the areas adjacent to Youzhou and Jizhou had been fortified and cleared for hundreds of miles.

At this point, Yuan Shao and his advisers felt like they were at their wits' end.

Without the support of cities or towns, even if Yuan Shao's army could march through this hundred-mile plain step by step, how could they ensure the logistics and supplies under the harassment of the Youzhou cavalry who came and went like the wind?

Just when Yuan Shao was having a headache, the result of the Battle of Jie Bridge spread throughout the Han Dynasty.

Before this result appeared, people generally favored the White Horse General Gongsun Zan, and were more likely to estimate how long Yuan Shao could last without being defeated.

What no one expected was that Yuan Shao won a great victory and occupied Jizhou in one fell swoop.

Not only did Gongsun's army suffer heavy losses, but if Zhao Yun had not come to his rescue in time, Gongsun Zan himself would have almost lost his life at Jie Bridge and had to retreat to Youzhou in embarrassment.

The pattern of the dispute between Yuan and Liu, two hegemons and many strong states, seems to have taken shape.

In the eyes of the world, there is the hidden danger of Jiaozhou behind the two states of Jing and Yang, and behind the two states of Ji and Bing, it is also necessary to pacify Youzhou. Only in this way can Yuan Shao and Liu Bei truly conquer the Central Plains without any worries.

Moreover, Yuan Shao's victory also had a huge impact on the situation in the Central Plains.

When Liu Bei in Shouchun learned the result of the Battle of Jie Bridge, he couldn't help but show a look of sadness on his face.

About 50,000 Youyan men died on Jie Bridge.

How could Liu Bei, a fellow townsman, not feel sad?

The entire process of the Battle of Jie Bridge was recorded clearly down to every detail in the report sent back by Guo Jia.

In this regard, Li Ji could only sigh that Gongsun Zan's defeat was not unfair.

Yuan Shao's men were united and everyone was willing to sacrifice their lives for him. In the face of adversity, Yuan Shao's performance was remarkable and he fully deserves the reputation of "a role model for the world" that is now widely praised.

In contrast, Gongsun Zan was too arrogant. He relied on his military superiority and the fact that he was on a plain which was advantageous for cavalry, and never took Yuan Shao, who had a weaker military force, seriously.

However, the battle of Jie Bridge made Qu Yi and Zhao Yun famous.

Qu Yi led 800 soldiers to resist the Baima Yicong, while Zhao Yun fought back and forth in the chaos and rescued Gongsun Zan.

"Alas, Bogui's life is not in danger, which is a blessing in disguise. I hope that after this battle, Bogui will be less arrogant and impatient."

After analyzing the Battle of Jie Bridge, Liu Bei could only sigh like this, and then spoke to Li Ji.

"Fortunately, Zikun had predicted that something might go wrong in the battle of Jieqiao, and ordered Liu Youzhou to fortify the southern part of the city and clear the fields in advance, thus slowing down Yuan Benchu's momentum to seize the opportunity to attack Youzhou." "Otherwise, if Yuan Benchu ​​really occupied Youzhou, Bingzhou, and Jizhou, and with Yuan Gonglu and Cao Mengde in the Central Plains to support him, half of the Han Dynasty would have changed to the Yuan family in an instant."

As he spoke to the end, Liu Bei became more and more shocked.

Yuan Shao's victory exceeded everyone's expectations, but it did not exceed Li Ji's expectations.

More importantly, in the eyes of the world, Yuan Shao could now compete with Liu Bei for hegemony across the Central Plains.

However, from Liu Bei's point of view, Yuan Shao's victory was also a hundred benefits for Liu Bei with no harm at all.

During the campaign against Dong Zhuo, Gongsun Zan still secretly respected Liu Bei as his superior. However, as Gongsun Zan gradually gained the upper hand over the area north of the Yellow River, he increasingly ignored Liu Yu and Liu Bei.

Once Gongsun Zan defeats Yuan Shao and controls the three states of Ji, Bing and You, who is more powerful, Liu Bei or Gongsun Zan?

By then, not only would Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan become enemies, but the maritime trade that had lasted for many years would also be interrupted, and Jingyang would no longer be able to continue purchasing large quantities of war horses and oxen.

On the contrary, although Yuan Shao had won, Li Ji's moves made it difficult for Yuan Shao to attack Youzhou, which had already cleared the area in advance.

It not only preserved Youzhou and maintained maritime trade, but also invisibly weakened Yuan Shao, making it difficult for Yuan Shao to occupy Youzhou in the short term.

However, Li Ji shook his head at Liu Bei's praise, stood up and walked to the giant Han sand table in the hall, and answered humbly while slowly inserting the small flag representing Yuan Shao in Ji and Bing states.

"We just went with the flow. Gongsun Bogui was too arrogant. Although his army was strong, it was not enough to determine the outcome of the battle. It was normal for him to suffer such a defeat."

The outcome of a military war cannot be determined simply by measuring the paper data of both sides.

It is true that the Battle of Jie Bridge was a victory of the weak over the strong, but compared with the four major comeback battles of the Battle of Guandu, the Battle of Chibi, the Battle of Hefei, and the Battle of Yiling, there is nothing surprising about it.

Especially in the Battle of Hefei, Sun Shiwan's army of 100,000 was defeated by Zhang Liao's 800 elite troops, which not only affected the overall situation of the time, but also established the eternal reputation of "Jiangdong Jerry".

The sins committed in this present age will last for thousands of years.

This world is often just a makeshift group that pops champagne at halftime.

Therefore, even though Gongsun Zan's military force was stronger than the original trajectory under Li Ji's influence, he still suffered a great defeat, which did not surprise Li Ji at all.

After Li Ji replaced the small flags of Ji and Bing states, he stroked his sleeves with his left hand, pointed toward the north of the Yellow River with his right hand, and said.

"My lord, the situation north of the Yellow River is clear. Han Fu surrendered voluntarily out of cowardice, but the Black Mountain Army, Youzhou, and Bingzhou Xianbei are holding him back. Even if Yuan Shao takes over Jizhou and Bingzhou in the short term, he will not be able to move south to the Central Plains within one or two years."

Immediately, Li Ji pointed at Yanzhou Road again.

"But the battle of Jieqiao was decided by one point. The battle for Yanzhou... we need to add Yuan Shao's side, and it will become a four-way battle."

"Moreover, Yuan Shao should know that in the short term, it is better to stabilize the rear and not to get involved in the Central Plains, so Yuan Shao is very likely to choose to support Yuan Shu to seize Yanzhou."

"Qingzhou Cao Cao is only separated from Jizhou by a river. Cao Cao may not dare to fight with the two Yuans, so he can only choose to give up Yanzhou."

Liu Bei's horizons suddenly opened up when he heard this, and he said, "So, soon, Lu Bu will fight with the two Yuans for Yanzhou?"

"No."

At this moment, Li Ji waved his hand and said.

"The two Yuans must know that fighting with Lu Bu will only give our army an opportunity to attack the rear of Yuzhou, so the two Yuans may choose to use their advantage to make Lu Bu give up Yanzhou."

Having said that, Li Ji thought for a moment and then pointed towards Nanyang.

"Here, Nanyang may be ceded to Lu Bu." (End of this chapter)