Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator.

Li Ji's return to Shouchun was naturally not just to lead back the generals who had fought for a long time in the Jingnan area. At the same time, he also brought a large number of civil and military officials from Jingzhou, as well as aristocratic families, to pay respects to Liu Bei in Shouchun.

Now, Liu Bei's territory spans both Jing and Yang provinces, occupying both sides of the Yangtze River, making him a regional overlord.

Therefore, even after Liu Bei moved his administrative center to Shouchun, his ambition to advance north into the Central Plains was obvious.

However, Liu Bei also needed to gather his civil and military officials to determine a strategy and further adjust internal arrangements to prepare for the northern advance into the Central Plains.

While Li Ji was leading the civil and military officials back to Shouchun, Gu Yong and Xu Sheng, who had been transferred from Shouchun in advance, were responsible for Jingzhou's political and military affairs respectively.

Whenever he thought of Gu Yong's resentful eyes, Li Ji couldn't help but smile.

Even when Li Ji had already boarded the ship's deck and was about to set sail, he seemed to feel that Gu Yong was squatting on the city wall of Xiangyang, gnashing his teeth and looking in his direction.

However, as the fleet set sail in a mighty manner, going downstream and starting to return to Shouchun, Li Ji couldn't help but feel a sense of homesickness.

Although he didn't have the poet Li Bai's lament of "The monkeys on both banks could not stop crying, my light boat has already passed ten thousand mountains," Li Ji also missed Zhao Ji, Li Xiang, and Li Xi very much.

Especially in the recent letters, Zhao Ji mentioned that Li Xi had already started talking and was at the most adorable age.

…

Not only was Li Ji looking forward to returning to Shouchun.

When the news of Marquis Li Ji's departure reached Shouchun, Liu Bei was the most delighted, asking about Li Ji's location and the progress of the welcoming ceremony two or three times a day.

However, Shouchun cannot be reached directly by the Yangtze River waterway.

The most convenient waterway requires entering Shi River from the Yangtze River, passing through Chaohu Lake, and arriving at Hefei City. Then, from Hefei, it is about two hundred miles by land to Shouchun City.

However, to Li Ji's surprise, after disembarking at the port of Hefei City.

At this place, still two hundred miles away from Shouchun, Liu Bei's carriage appeared, and Liu Bei, with a face full of excitement, jumped down from the carriage from afar, opened his arms, ran over, and shouted.

"Zikun, Yunchang, Yide…"

Unable to restrain their emotions, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei also walked quickly towards Liu Bei.

Li Ji was equally happy, but he had some restraint and did not join them directly.

However, looking at Liu Bei's sincere excitement, Li Ji inexplicably felt a little familiar, as if Liu Bei had not changed in some ways over the years.

After Liu Bei exchanged a few words of brotherly affection with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, he couldn't help but walk quickly towards Li Ji again.

Liu Bei stood in front of Li Ji, without saying anything about promotion or generous rewards, just grinning and saying.

"You've worked hard."

Li Ji was touched and bowed to Liu Bei, saying. "My lord, Ji has returned."

Liu Bei held Li Ji's elbow and said happily. "It's good that you're back. Words in a letter are short and shallow, but I miss Zikun very much."

Immediately, Liu Bei pulled Li Ji, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei to stand beside the carriage and chat.

It was not until the rest of the officials, generals, and aristocratic families who had returned with them disembarked that Liu Bei showed up and said a few words to win people's hearts.

Although Liu Bei went out of his way to meet them two hundred miles away, mainly for Li Ji, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, it was enough to make the others feel deeply moved and shocked.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Bei pulled Li Ji into the carriage and personally led the group back towards Shouchun.

However, as Li Ji boarded the carriage, the corner of his eye suddenly noticed someone who should not have been there.

Sun Ce, Sun Bofu.

According to the content previously agreed upon by Liu Bei and Li Ji, Sun Ce needed to be imprisoned until Li Ji returned, and then a good show would be put on to reassure the old Jingzhou subordinates before Sun Ce's freedom would be restored.

Therefore, after the carriage slowly set off, Li Ji asked Liu Bei with some confusion.

"Why is Bofu here?"

Liu Bei subconsciously replied. "Perhaps Bofu is also eager to see Zikun."

Li Ji frowned slightly and said.

"My lord, according to what we discussed before, shouldn't Bofu still be locked up in prison at this time? If Bofu's problem is glossed over without a suitable reason, I'm afraid it will cause criticism and make the old Jingzhou subordinates feel dissatisfied."

Everyone has selfish motives. When choosing between Liu Biao and his son and Sun Ce, Li Ji would naturally lean towards Sun Ce.

However, Li Ji also did not want Sun Ce to affect the overall situation.

Liu Bei smiled wryly and helplessly, saying.

"There is already a reason, actually."

"What reason?" Li Ji asked.

"He saved Xiang'er's life. In this case, I can't keep Bofu locked up, can I?" Liu Bei spread his hands and said.

These words undoubtedly shocked and worried Li Ji.

Subsequently, after listening to Liu Bei's detailed explanation.

When Li Ji arrived in Shouchun, he didn't even have much mind to pay attention to the huge changes in Shouchun City after the renovation, as well as the welcoming ceremony carefully prepared by Liu Bei.

After the welcoming ceremony ended, Li Ji returned to the gate of the new Marquis's mansion bestowed by Liu Bei, and only then did he realize that this new Marquis's mansion was more than ten times larger than the old one.

Zhao Ji had also brought Li Xiang and Li Xi to wait at the mansion gate for a long time.

After Li Ji got off the carriage, Zhao Ji, who had always been dignified, couldn't help but hand Li Xi, whom she was holding in her arms, to Li Qin beside her, and then walked forward a few steps, throwing herself into Li Ji's arms like a swallow returning to its nest.

Li Ji reached out and gently stroked Zhao Ji's back, lowered his head and whispered a few words of comfort in Zhao Ji's ear, making Zhao Ji rarely reveal a bit of coy girlishness.

Afterwards, Li Ji led Zhao Ji into the mansion, and Zhao Ji personally introduced the layout of the new mansion.

Li Ji also took the opportunity to give Zhao Ji the peach blossoms that he had brought back from thousands of miles away, which made Zhao Ji very happy, with a bright look on her face.

"Zhao Ji, if you like peach blossoms? After the world is stable, I will ask the lord to grant me a peach blossom manor outside Xiangyang, and then how about living in seclusion with Zhao Ji?"

Zhao Ji gently stroked the peach blossoms in her hand and said softly.

"My husband is just saying things that make me happy. The lord cannot leave her husband, and this world is afraid that it cannot leave her husband either. How can there be such days?"

After a pause, Zhao Ji raised her bright and deep eyes to look at Li Ji, and said.

"Besides, what this concubine likes is not peach blossoms, but the flowers given by her husband."

After hearing this, Li Ji only felt that his heart was about to melt, and he couldn't help but wave his hand at Li Shu and Li Qin, who were following behind him, signaling them to take Li Xiang and Li Xi away first.

"Zhao Ji, I wonder where the bedroom is?"

"Uh…"

Zhao Ji was slightly stunned, then suddenly reacted and quickly said.

"Husband, you can't, it's still daytime…" (End of this chapter)