Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator.

Immediately, a hint of glee flashed in Xiahou Lan's eyes, his face stern and solemn, as he replied.

"Yes."

This caused the smiling expression on Guo Jia's face to vanish instantly, and he moved his buttocks to the spot furthest away from Xiahou Lan.

However, Xiahou Lan's eyes shifted, staring directly at Guo Jia.

This time, Guo Jia seemed to finally feel apprehensive, which made him settle down for the time being.

Zhuge Liang's gaze swept back and forth between Guo Jia and Xiahou Lan, realizing that these two senior brothers of his were quite interesting characters.

The "Grand Military Exercise" was actually located just outside the north gate of Wu County. To avoid unnecessary waste, the viewing platform wasn't built from scratch. Instead, it was set up on the city wall north of Wu County.

Moreover, to enhance the local people's sense of cohesion and pride, this "Grand Military Exercise" didn't restrict the local populace from watching.

However, the common people's viewing area was in a designated zone outside the city walls.

By the time Li Ji's carriage arrived at the north gate tower, most of the invited representatives from the aristocratic families had already arrived, and the sight of the common people outside the city was a sea of heads.

"Truly audacious…"

Having witnessed the Yellow Turban Rebellion firsthand, Sima Lang felt a strange sense of dread as he looked at the tens of thousands of people gathered outside the city to watch the ceremony.

"Is the Marquis of the State unafraid that someone with malicious intentions might take the opportunity to incite the people, leading to chaos?"

Once tens of thousands of people rioted, it would be an enormous destructive force, and it might even be possible to take advantage of Wu County's unpreparedness to directly breach the city.

Listening to Sima Lang's low-voiced concerns, Sima Yi's deep and thoughtful eyes shifted as he shook his head and said.

"With such popular support, who would cause chaos?"

These words slightly stunned Sima Lang, who recalled what he had seen and heard in Wu County during this time. The people's words about Liu Bei and Li Ji were almost entirely praise and respect.

Sima Lang had even deliberately tried to reveal a bit of disrespect towards Liu Bei in his words to an old farmer. At that time, the old farmer had brandished his hoe, threatening to bury Sima Lang in the ground, scaring Sima Lang into being even more cautious in his words and actions in Wu County afterward.

"Yi-di sees things clearly. With the hearts of the people in hand, why fear popular unrest?"

There was an unavoidable sense of sighing and emotion in Sima Lang's tone.

After all, looking at the prefectures and counties throughout the land, in Sima Lang's opinion, the popular support in Wu County was the greatest. In this chaotic world, wasn't this a kind of spectacle?

As the designated auspicious hour approached, Liu Bei, who had been resting inside the city tower, led Li Ji to the highest point of the tower.

"Dong, dong, dong!"

The rousing sound of drums rose, quickly silencing the originally noisy crowd gathered outside the city. Countless gazes began to converge in Liu Bei's direction.

Even though the people below the city tower couldn't clearly see Liu Bei's face due to the distance, the eyes that looked toward Liu Bei were filled with respect and fervor.

For six years, Wu County had continuously received homeless refugees, which meant that refugees made up a much larger proportion of Wu County's population than the local population.

And those refugees knew best who had shone the light of benevolence upon them in their hunger and cold, giving them houses to live in, fields to cultivate, clothes to wear, and food to eat, until they were now living in peace and contentment.

It was precisely because they had lost everything that they knew how precious everything was now.

Suddenly, before Liu Bei could speak, someone shouted, "Imperial Uncle Liu, please accept my bow…"

In an instant, it was as if a dam had burst, releasing the pent-up emotions of countless people grateful to Liu Bei, who all followed suit, shouting, "Imperial Uncle Liu, please accept my bow."

Immediately, countless people outside the city, like wheat bending in a field under an autumn breeze, bowed deeply and knelt down toward the city tower.

This scene stunned countless representatives of the aristocratic families on the city tower.

Even a slight understanding of Wu County was enough to know the extent of its popular support.

But the fact that countless people spontaneously knelt down and paid their respects to Liu Bei had already exceeded everyone's imagination.

At this moment, Zhuge Liang's usually clear and profound eyes were blazing. The hearts of the people! This was the will of the people!!!

Sima Yi's eyes were somewhat dull. He believed that human nature was inherently evil, that people would eat each other when starving, and that humans were no different from beasts. But this scene seemed to greatly impact Sima Yi's understanding.

Liu Bei's eyes were unconsciously filled with tears. He was so moved that he was somewhat at a loss for words, and he stammered to Li Ji beside him.

"Zikun, Zikun, look at this… this, Bei… how can Bei be worthy of such a great salute from the people? Bei has only done what a local official should do…"

For some reason, a smile appeared on Li Ji's face, and his eyes revealed gentleness.

The people are not plants or trees; they are water, and they are fish.

The people are always the first to feel the changes in the water's temperature, but they are often powerless to jump out.

Therefore, the people will inevitably support those who truly cherish them with benevolence, and not those who treat them like plants and trees, trampling and harvesting them at will.

"Lord, quickly tell the people to rise."

Li Ji softly reminded Liu Bei, who was also deeply moved.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Realizing this, Liu Bei immediately said loudly. "Everyone, please rise quickly. You mustn't give such a great salute."

Immediately, a hundred-man team, following Liu Bei's instructions, repeated the message in unison, so that the words could be clearly heard by everyone.

However, in response to Liu Bei, were the somewhat chaotic and seemingly grateful replies from the people below.

It was chaotic, and it was impossible to hear clearly…

But Liu Bei clearly felt the simple gratitude that each person wanted to express. They had nothing of value, and it seemed that they had nothing to repay Liu Bei's life-saving grace, except to express their gratitude in this way.

Afterward, Liu Bei repeatedly and kindly urged them three times before the people gradually stood up from the ground.

This scene, seen in the eyes of the other aristocratic family representatives on the city tower, made them feel dry-mouthed and cold-backed.

With such popular support in hand, who could defeat Liu Bei in this land of Wu County?

For a time, some of the Yangzhou aristocratic families who had come to watch the ceremony inexplicably lowered their heads, ashamed and afraid of being noticed by others.

With the people protecting him in this way, not to mention the "Anti-Wu Allied Army" being defeated in Yangxian, it was likely that even if they really broke into the hinterland of Wu County, these people would spontaneously organize to resist the "Anti-Wu Allied Army."

From the beginning, the "Anti-Wu Allied Army" had no chance of success.

Within Wu County, countless people probably only knew Imperial Uncle Liu, and not the Son of Heaven.

After Liu Bei finally managed to control this sudden change, he reorganized his words and said loudly.

"Since the traitor Dong Zhuo disrupted the country, heroes have gathered to jointly punish him. However, the imperial authority is increasingly collapsing, the order of the nine provinces no longer exists, and the Han Dynasty seems to be declining…" (End of Chapter)