Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator.

Chapter 129: Innate Talent for Governance

During Li Ji's feigned illness and recuperation, he not only completed the Wu Commandery Water Conservancy Plan, but also meticulously reviewed the entire development plan for Wu Commandery's next phase from beginning to end.

However, due to Liu Bei's previous refusal to allow Li Ji to attend the yamen for roll call or handle government affairs, Li Ji could only meticulously organize the plans involving all aspects of Wu Commandery.

Taking advantage of this time, he first held a small meeting with Liu Bei to exchange ideas.

This discussion unknowingly extended until curfew, but neither party showed any signs of fatigue; instead, they were in a state of great excitement.

The feeling that Wu Commandery seemed to be changing little by little under their governance, and that it was gradually moving towards a better future, with everything looking promising, undoubtedly made both Liu Bei and Li Ji feel quite exhilarated.

For Wu Commandery, this was a new year.

For Liu Bei and Li Ji, this pair of like-minded rulers and ministers, it would be an even newer year.

Previously, Li Ji had always felt that the description of "heart-to-heart talk" was somewhat exaggerated, but when he truly calmed down and exchanged ideas with Liu Bei, looking forward to the future direction of Wu Commandery, time truly flew by unnoticed.

When both parties felt quite tired, Liu Bei and Li Ji did not return to their respective residences, but simply found a side room in the yamen to sleep in.

At the same time.

Zhang Fei, who was waiting in Li Ji's residence, scratched his messy beard with some anxiety, feeling that something seemed wrong.

"Why hasn't Mr. Zikun returned to the residence yet?"

Zhang Fei glared, waiting all the time.

Until he kept glaring, and unknowingly fell asleep.

The next day.

Li Ji got up in the yamen, simply washed up and tidied his appearance, and then leisurely entered the yamen's main hall for roll call.

However, when Li Ji walked into the main hall, he found that the atmosphere inside seemed a bit strange.

Small braziers were placed all around the main hall, dispelling the damp and cold air of Wu's winter, bringing some warmth to the hall.

Jia Xu was leisurely sipping hot tea, treating the mountain of bamboo scrolls in front of him as if they were nothing, and even seemed to completely ignore Zhang Fei, who was sitting opposite him with wide eyes.

Besides, Gu Yong, who was shrinking in an inconspicuous corner of the main hall, seemed to know nothing, as if he hadn't realized anything, sitting there like a muddle-headed mascot.

As Li Ji stepped into the main hall, he immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Especially Zhang Fei, who almost immediately got up and walked towards Li Ji, looking as if Jia Xu had fooled him again early in the morning.

"Cough cough…"

Li Ji coughed lightly, and before Zhang Fei could speak, he took the lead and said sternly. "Yide, why are you still here?"

"Ah?"

Zhang Fei was immediately somewhat at a loss.

I waited in Li Ji's residence all night, and only rushed to the yamen early in the morning to settle accounts with Jia Xu, and now…

I shouldn't be here, then where should I be?

This short sentence almost overloaded Zhang Fei's CPU, and he subconsciously thought that he had made some mistake again.

"The lord got up early in the morning to work on important matters, and is precisely lacking manpower. Ji thought that Yide had also gone to help early on," Li Ji continued.

"Is there such a thing?"

Zhang Fei asked urgently, and was instantly completely distracted, asking about Liu Bei's whereabouts and hurriedly running out of the main hall.

Seeing this, Gu Yong, who was hiding in a corner pretending to be confused, couldn't help but feel a little pity for Zhang Fei.

I'm pretending to be confused, but you are truly simple and honest…

Gu Yong, who had arrived at the yamen early for roll call, had learned the general course of events from their conversation when Jia Xu came to question Zhang Fei.

Poor Zhang Fei was like a spear, being used as a weapon by Li Ji and Jia Xu to poke each other to find trouble.

Now that the trouble between Li Ji and Jia Xu has eased, this spear will be instantly thrown to the lord's side to settle the matter.

Moreover, in the rhetoric that Li Zikun used to fool Zhang Fei, every sentence didn't mention "the lord is looking for Zhang Fei," but every sentence was mentioning "the lord is looking for Zhang Fei."

It perfectly avoided the problem of falsely conveying the lord's orders, and perfectly conveyed the meaning that the lord was looking for him to Zhang Fei.

'The so-called art of language, Li Zikun has mastered it…'

Thinking of this, Gu Yong couldn't help but shrink his head, not only because this position sitting in the corner of the main hall was a bit drafty, with the cold wind directly drilling into his neck, but also because he didn't want Li Ji to pay too much attention to him.

However, when the truly honest person left, only three gentlemen were left in the main hall.

Jia Xu and Gu Yong were both "Eight Gentlemen of the Wei and Jin Dynasties," not to mention that Li Ji was even more of a pure and kind gentleman who was concerned about the country and the people.

However, how could Li Ji, who cherished gentlemen, ignore Gu Yong?

Li Ji immediately went over and pulled Gu Yong up, pressed him into the seat next to Jia Xu, and said, "Yuantan, why are you sitting so far away? Come over to Wenhe's side, it's the warmest place here."

"Thank you, County Vice-Magistrate Li, for your concern," Gu Yong replied, seemingly somewhat delighted.

"Yuantan, why don't you call Ji by my courtesy name, but instead call me by my official title?" Li Ji asked.

"My teacher Cai taught me that public is public, and private is private, and one should not mix public and private affairs. Therefore, during working hours after roll call, one should naturally call you by your official title," Gu Yong replied with an honest and straightforward expression.

"High!"

Li Ji gave Gu Yong a thumbs up, as if he couldn't completely understand Gu Yong's subtext, but praised him greatly instead.

"As expected of a highly talented student who has been praised many times by Duke Cai, and even personally given his coming-of-age ceremony, and given the courtesy name 'Yuantan.'"

"County Vice-Magistrate Li, you flatter me. Furthermore, I am also very grateful for County Vice-Magistrate Li's importance, which has allowed Yuantan to take the position of 'Recording Clerk,' and be able to contribute to the elders of Wu Commandery," Gu Yong said.

After a pause, Gu Yong asked. "I just don't know how I should specifically assist County Vice-Magistrate Li in recording and transmitting matters on weekdays?"

However, Li Ji treated Gu Yong's repeated hints about the "Recording Clerk" position as if they were nothing, and directly said, "It just so happens that Wenhe has another transfer order and will be leaving Wu County to perform official duties, so please trouble Yuantan to conduct a handover with Wenhe, and spend more effort handling these government affairs on weekdays."

After Li Ji finished speaking, Jia Xu and Gu Yong almost simultaneously stared at Li Ji, revealing a bit of resentment in unison.

What Jia Xu was thinking was: So you found a tool person, that's why you let me leave Wu County to be exposed to the wind and sun?

What Gu Yong was thinking was: The tool person is actually myself? I'm just a small Recording Clerk!

Looking at the mountain of bamboo scrolls, Gu Yong couldn't pretend anymore at this moment, and hurriedly protested. "County Vice-Magistrate Li, in terms of reason, I am not qualified to handle these government affairs."

"During work, we don't talk about reason, we talk about rules," Li Ji replied with a smile.

"According to the rules, I am also not qualified," Gu Yong retorted.

Li Ji's smile became even more refined and gentle, and he gently patted Gu Yong's shoulder, saying. "Within the yamen, Ji's rules are the biggest rules. Obey the arrangements of superiors. Yuantan, don't say or do things that affect unity."

This sentence completely killed the argument, and even blocked Gu Yong's retreat of slacking off.

Don't do things that affect unity…

That is to say, if Gu Yong affects unity, then the consequences will be very serious.

If it were more colloquial and easier to understand, Li Ji would have almost leaned on Gu Yong's back and whispered in his ear: Yuantan, you wouldn't want your clansmen…

"Yes, County Vice-Magistrate Li."

This year, Gu Yong was only sixteen years old, the age of coming-of-age, and he was honored by the famous Li Zikun, entrusted with heavy responsibilities, placed with high hopes, and (willingly) exhausted himself for his arm…

Afterwards, Jia Xu, looking like he had suffered a dumb loss, conducted a series of government affairs handovers with Gu Yong, especially a large number of tedious official documents related to resettling refugees, which accounted for almost 70%, making Gu Yong seem to start having bloodshot eyes at a young age.

Li Ji was also standing aside watching the entire handover process, and after Jia Xu finished the handover, Li Ji said.

"Yuantan, work hard, and don't blame Ji for not helping you…"

Immediately, Li Ji picked up three volumes of bamboo slips that were not suitable for Gu Yong to handle, and then left about three hundred volumes of bamboo slips surrounding Gu Yong at the desk, and pulled Jia Xu to the other side of the main hall to drink tea.

Ever since Li Ji once mentioned to Liu Bei that he liked to drink stir-fried tea, after arriving in Wu Commandery, Liu Bei specially ordered a blacksmith to make an iron pot according to what Li Ji said.

Therefore, after Li Ji experimented more than a dozen times, he finally got his wish and obtained stir-fried tea, and it was almost instantly promoted from the yamen.

Now, not only Li Ji, but even Liu Bei, Jia Xu, Jian Yong and other officials have abandoned the complicated process of boiling tea with various spices, and instead chose to brew tea.

"Sucking sound ~ ~ ~"

Although Li Ji and Jia Xu were sitting quite far away from Gu Yong, Gu Yong could still clearly hear the sound of sipping tea, and the fragrant and rich tea aroma unknowingly drifted to Gu Yong's nose, making Gu Yong's bloodshot eyes seem even redder.

'What famous all over the world, worried about the country and the people Li Sanqian, don't fall into my hands someday…'

Gu Yong turned grief and anger into motivation, and buried his head in constantly reviewing, treating Li Ji and Jia Xu's inaudible whispers as if they were nothing.

"Zikun, where did you dig up this young man? He can review government affairs so quickly on his first try, a promising talent."

Jia Xu took another sip of tea, chewed the tea leaves casually, and commented.

Li Ji smiled without saying anything.

Gu Yong's reputation as the Prime Minister of Eastern Wu may not be as great as Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of Shu Han.

But he was, after all, the man behind Sun Quan, serving as Chancellor for nineteen years. He rarely made mistakes, deeply understood the art of self-preservation, and even in his old age, he managed to die peacefully under Sun Quan's rule. His level and ability were, to put it simply, 'if you know, you know.'

In Li Ji's view, Gu Yong could be completely regarded as having a 'natural talent for administrative affairs'. Gu Yong, who deeply understood the Doctrine of the Mean and the art of playing dumb, was most suitable for handling the large amount of complicated and trivial administrative affairs caused by the resettlement of refugees.

Moreover, with Gu Yong's help, Li Ji would be able to free himself from those complicated and trivial administrative affairs and put more energy into other major matters.