Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator.

With a whinny from the warhorse, similarly riddled with arrows, Guan Hai's body, pierced by a dozen or so shafts, slumped powerlessly to the ground.

“Thump!”

Moments later, when Guan Yu emerged from his camp in pursuit, he found Guan Hai lying on the ground, eyes still wide open.

“Second Brother!”

Seeing Guan Yu's arrival, Liu Bei rode out from the ranks, a hint of joy in his voice, and asked, “Are you injured?”

Guan Yu stroked his long beard with pride and replied.

“A bunch of worthless rabble; how could they possibly harm Guan?”

“That's good.” Liu Bei said, relieved.

However, Guan Yu was clearly surprised by Liu Bei's presence, and asked, “Why is Big Brother here?”

Previously, when dividing the troops north and south of Julu City, Guan Yu's assigned task was to feign an attack on Julu City, then retreat ten miles to establish a camp for about five thousand soldiers. The soldiers would then take turns resting within the camp until the evening of the second day, then, according to the plan, set up an ambush within the camp to counter any attacking enemies.

However, Guan Yu only led about two thousand five hundred soldiers.

Therefore, even though Guan Yu had taken full advantage of the terrain and the fire, and counterattacked when the Yellow Turban formation was in disarray, he could only watch helplessly as most of the Yellow Turban bandits escaped.

Unexpectedly…

Guan Yu looked at the Yellow Turban corpses scattered outside the camp gate, made a rough estimate, and was shocked.

‘I'm afraid… not a single one escaped! Guan Yu originally thought the camp was the ambush, but he didn't expect the only escape route to be the real ambush.’

“This is naturally Zikun's plan.”

Speaking of this, Liu Bei said with some pride.

“During the day, besides Yide's cavalry in the southern camp, the remaining soldiers were also resting. After nightfall, Zikun had me lead the troops around Julu City to the north under the cover of darkness, and then set up an ambush outside the camp.”

Even though Guan Yu had already guessed, he was still greatly amazed.

It would have been one thing to anticipate the Yellow Turbans launching a night attack, but to be able to use a weaker force to transfer the troops from the south to the north in time to set up a second ambush was truly ingenious.

“Mr. Zikun's plan is truly interlocked.”

Guan Yu praised.

Just then, Guan Yu saw Li Ji riding slowly towards them behind Liu Bei, and he took the initiative to cup his hands in greeting. “Mr. Zikun.”

“Yun Chang, you did well.”

Li Ji commented, then felt the strong smell of blood enter his nose, making it itch. He couldn't help but rub it and said.

“Brother Xuande, Yun Chang, quickly clean up the battlefield and repair the outer perimeter of the camp.”

“What Zikun says is right.”

Liu Bei nodded, then began to direct most of the soldiers who had just marched from the south side of Julu City to enter the camp as well.

This was both to search for any remaining Yellow Turban bandits who might be hiding in the camp, and to extinguish the fires and repair the camp.

As for outside the camp, a thousand soldiers were left with torches, inspecting the Yellow Turban corpses one by one.

To prevent information from leaking and further confuse the Yellow Turbans in Julu City, this time no one could be left alive.

Guan Yu looked again at Guan Hai lying on the ground and asked Li Ji.

“Mr. Zikun, what should be done with the body of this leader?”

Li Ji pondered for a moment and said.

“Do not damage the body. Under the cover of night, send it outside the north gate of Julu City.”

Guan Yu nodded slightly and said. “Mr. Zikun is truly benevolent.”

Hearing this, Li Ji watched Guan Yu personally dismount to collect Guan Hai's body, remove the arrows from it, and then hand it over to his guards to carry the corpse towards Julu City. He couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

Li Ji's order to return Guan Hai's body to Julu City was not due to benevolence, but merely to further intimidate Zhang Liang.

Letting Zhang Liang and other Yellow Turban leaders witness Guan Hai's corpse would make them greatly frightened and uneasy, and further instill a sense of fear and doubt about the Han army's camp outside the city.

Make the false seem real, and the real seem false.

That's all.

Li Ji shook his head, feeling somewhat bored.

The Yellow Turbans lacked talent, and even fewer were intelligent, so that even though the Yellow Turbans in Julu City had a clear advantage in troop strength, they were still being played by Li Ji.

Although Li Ji's “strategy of illusion and reality” was quite ingenious, using “arson,” “siege,” and “one-on-one duels” to distract the enemy and conceal his own goals.

However, there was undoubtedly a flaw that could not be concealed no matter what, that is, the limited number of his own troops, who simply dared not truly line up and appear in front of Julu City.

Anyone with a little brain would notice this.

Zhang Liang also noticed this obvious flaw as expected, but the interference of factors such as “arson,” “siege,” and “one-on-one duels” made Zhang Liang worry and dare not send a large number of troops out of the city for a surprise attack.

Moreover, Zhang Fei's constant provocations also led Zhang Liang to instinctively choose the north for a surprise attack, giving Li Ji the opportunity to concentrate his forces and set up a series of ambushes to swallow all the elite Yellow Turban troops who launched the surprise attack.

If Li Ji or a true strategist had been in Julu City, and had intended to test the enemy's camp, they would never have sent only one army for a surprise attack.

Not to mention launching surprise attacks on both the north and south camps at the same time, they would at least have arranged for subsequent troops to be ready to support Guan Hai.

“Truly, a general's incompetence dooms the entire army.”

Li Ji muttered to himself, and did not stay long in this area full of bloody air. Instead, he tugged on the reins and led the ten guards who were protecting him to a higher ground, quietly waiting for Liu Bei and Guan Yu to clean up the battlefield.

This busy work lasted until the end of Yin Shi (3-5 AM) before the Yellow Turban bandits' corpses were all dealt with, and the outer perimeter of the camp was hastily repaired.

At least, judging from a distance, it was impossible to tell that this camp was actually just an empty shell.

Then, taking advantage of the darkness before dawn, except for leaving a hundred people to maintain the superficial operation of the camp, Liu Bei and Guan Yu led all the soldiers to Bo Luojin on the east side under the cover of night.

At this moment… the beginning of Yin Shi on the fifth day of the fifth month!

There were still eight hours before the agreed-upon Xu Shi (7-9 PM), which was enough for Liu Bei's troops to reach Bo Luojin in time, and to reorganize and rest on the way in preparation for the great battle.

So far, everything was consistent with the results predicted by Li Ji in the “Strategy Simulator.”

…

In Julu City, after Guan Hai led his troops out of the city, Zhang Liang and many Yellow Turban generals waited quietly for news in the council hall.

However, the excessive worries during this period, coupled with a series of changes, had kept Zhang Liang from closing his eyes almost since the granary was attacked.

As a result, as they waited, Zhang Liang and the Yellow Turban generals unknowingly fell asleep in the council hall.

When Zhang Liang suddenly woke up, he looked up towards the door and found that the morning sun was slowly rising outside the door.

At this moment, Zhang Liang was shocked and quickly asked the Yellow Turban warriors guarding outside the door.

“Has General Guan returned?”

“Not yet.” The Yellow Turban warrior replied.

Zhang Liang asked again. “Has General Guan sent scouts to report?”

“No news either.”

In an instant, Zhang Liang was filled with fear and speculation, and shouted repeatedly. “Then quickly send out scouts to investigate?!”

“Yes, General Rengong.”

Immediately, Zhang Liang, overwhelmed with worry, ignored the reactions of the other Yellow Turban generals and went straight to the direction of the north gate tower with his guards.

Normally, Guan Hai led the elite Yellow Turban troops out of the city for a surprise attack at Zi Shi (11 PM - 1 AM). Even if there were more changes and a hard night's battle, they should have returned by Yin Shi (3-5 AM) at the latest.

However, it was now Mao Shi (5-7 AM), so why was there still no news?

Just then, a Yellow Turban warrior came from the direction of the north gate and rushed to Zhang Liang to report.

“Reporting, General Rengong, General Guan has been found…”

Hearing this, Zhang Liang breathed a sigh of relief, and his originally hurried footsteps slowed down. Before the Yellow Turban warrior finished speaking, he interrupted.

“Then quickly go and invite General Guan to come here.”

The Yellow Turban warrior looked at Zhang Liang blankly.

“What are you still standing there for?”

Zhang Liang frowned and scolded, then turned and returned to the government office.

However, after Zhang Liang returned to the government office and waited for a while, Guan Hai still did not arrive. He became a little impatient and was about to send someone to urge him when.

Two Yellow Turban warriors were seen carrying a long object covered with a yellow cloth into the council hall and placing it in the council hall.

Zhang Liang and the Yellow Turban generals present looked at the object covered by the yellow cloth and frowned.

“What is that?”

The Yellow Turban warrior who reported quickly knelt on one knee and said nervously, stuttering. “That… that is… General Guan Hai's… Guan Hai's… we brought… the corpse.”

Zhang Liang frowned as he listened and asked directly. “Are you saying that this is the corpse that General Guan brought back?”

The Yellow Turban warrior was stunned for a moment, then nodded repeatedly.

“Then where is General Guan?” Zhang Liang asked again.

Hearing this, the Yellow Turban warrior pointed to the yellow cloth.

Zhang Liang was so angry that his blood was surging, and he had no choice but to ask helplessly.

“I know that this is the corpse that General Guan brought back, what I am asking is… where is General Guan?”

The Yellow Turban warrior, whose face was flushed with redness from being questioned, simply lifted the large piece of yellow cloth.

In an instant, everyone was shocked!

“General Guan!!??”

Everyone present looked at Guan Hai, who had been opened with more than a dozen holes, their heads were almost buzzing, and no one came back to their senses for a long time.

Zhang Liang staggered visibly, suppressing the fear in his heart as he pressed for answers.

"Who brought General Guan's body back? What about the other followers who participated in the surprise attack with General Guan?"

The Yellow Turban Warrior who reported shook his head repeatedly and said,

"Only… Only General Guan…"

At that moment, everyone fully realized that last night's raid not only resulted in Guan Hai's death, but also the complete annihilation of the entire six thousand elite Yellow Turban soldiers, with no survivors.

For a time, the Yellow Turban generals in the council hall were almost all terrified and pale.