Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator.

Meanwhile, in the direction of Tan County, Wei Yan and Pang Tong had only just arrived. They were tentatively attacking the city twice, trying to find a weakness in Tan County's defenses, but before they could really start.

The order for Wei Yan and Pang Tong to retreat quickly was delivered to them, leaving the two, who had been prepared to take Tan County at all costs, as limp as eggplants.

"Damn it! Damn it!! How could that Cao thief be... so easily defeated?!"

Wei Yan paced back and forth in the main tent, feeling like he'd just dropped his pants when the bell rang.

"Time waits for no one!"

Pang Tong sighed, his ugly face full of bitterness.

Tan County was right in front of them. After a rapid march, Pang Tong, who had studied under Li Ji, personally observed the surrounding terrain and troop deployment, and then probed Tan County day and night.

After that, Pang Tong had drafted a plan, but before it could be implemented, they were ordered to retreat.

Pang Tong, looking young and ugly, helplessly reminded him.

"General Wen Chang, stop pacing. It won't do any good. The military order has arrived. Execute it quickly."

"Don't retreat!"

Wei Yan blurted out.

Pang Tong was startled at first, then frowned and asked, "Is General Wei planning to disobey Master's military order?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the rebellious feeling that had arisen from Wei Yan's unwillingness instantly vanished. He sat down weakly and said.

"But Tan County is right in front of us! Right in front of us! If we had just three to five more days, we might have been able to take Tan County. Wouldn't this retreat be a complete waste of our previous efforts?"

Pang Tong heard this and felt regret in his heart, but not as much as Wei Yan, who was extremely focused on personal gain, as if he were being cut to the bone.

Moreover, after interacting with Wei Yan, Pang Tong had gained a certain understanding of him, realizing that what Wei Yan really didn't want to give up was the seemingly easy military功劳.

Once Wei Yan really captured Tan County, the impact on the entire Xu Province battlefield would be significant, and it could even be considered the greatest achievement.

For Wei Yan, who always openly expressed his desire for "advancement," how could the temptation not be great?

"What else can we do if we don't retreat? Master clearly stated in his letter that Cao Cao and Cao Hong are likely to retreat towards Tan County. If we don't leave, we risk being completely annihilated," Pang Tong retorted.

Wei Yan said through gritted teeth, "But if we capture the city before they return to Tan County and burn all the supplies and provisions, the Cao army will inevitably be thrown into chaos and collapse."

Seeing through Wei Yan's thoughts, Pang Tong said bluntly, "General Wen Chang, are you planning to gamble the lives of ten thousand soldiers on a possibility?"

"One general's success is built on ten thousand bones..." Wei Yan replied in a deep voice.

"At that time, Master will definitely chop off your head, even the Lord won't be able to dissuade him, I'm telling you."

Pang Tong unceremoniously poured a bucket of cold water on Wei Yan, causing the ferocity that had just appeared on Wei Yan's face to instantly disappear.

If the military order hadn't been delivered, it would have been fine, but with the military order already delivered requiring Wei Yan to retreat, Wei Yan's violation of the military order to continue attacking Tan County was undoubtedly a serious crime.

Even if he won, Pang Tong was sure that Master would definitely shed tears and chop off Wei Yan's head.

After all, Pang Tong knew very well that at Master's level, he often didn't care about a single victory or defeat in tactics, but always focused on the overall strategic height.

Therefore, even if Wei Yan won by disobeying the military order, it would be a great hidden danger to Li Ji that could affect the strategic deployment, and he might chop off Wei Yan's head to rectify military discipline and prevent others from imitating him.

Otherwise, today Wei Yan could disobey the military order and act arbitrarily for the sake of military功劳, and tomorrow Zhao Yan, Qian Yan, and Sun Yan might dare to lead a lone army and act recklessly, thinking they were right.

And Wei Yan was not afraid of others, but he really respected and feared Li Ji. Even with a belly full of unwillingness, he could only stammer for a long time before complaining.

"Are you saying that Marquis is playing with me? Before, when we and the Lord were by Marquis's side, Marquis couldn't defeat the Cao thieves, but after we separated our troops, Marquis defeated the Cao thieves with a weaker force..."

After a pause, Wei Yan muttered, "Could it be that we were hindering Marquis's performance?"

Pang Tong didn't have the habit of discussing his benefactor behind his back. He glared at Wei Yan unhappily and reminded him again.

"General Wen Chang, the matter of retreat should be done sooner rather than later, urgently rather than slowly. Please arrange it quickly."

Wei Yan left the military tent somewhat helplessly, unwilling in his heart, but his actions were still quite swift and decisive in making arrangements.

Retreat is often more dangerous than attack, and Wei Yan couldn't help but be cautious.

After Wei Yan left, Pang Tong picked up the military order sent by Li Ji, which also contained a general record of the battle report, causing Pang Tong to feel a bit of longing.

Generals like Wei Yan might only be deeply puzzled as to why Li Ji couldn't win a great victory with more troops, but instead won quickly with fewer troops, wondering if this was affecting Li Ji's performance.

But Pang Tong saw the subtlety of using troops and planning with "uprightness for engagement and surprise for victory."

When the troops were superior, Master might not have won a great victory, but he suppressed the Cao army with a righteous force, and also discerned a few flaws from which he intended to expand his advantage with a plan to tire the enemy.

Among them, he seized the fleeting opportunity and destroyed the cavalry in the hands of the Cao thieves in one fell swoop, completely establishing the initiative.

Everything up to this point was the foundation for Master's subsequent great defeat of the Cao army with a surprise attack.

It was precisely because he had seized the initiative that it was a surprise attack rather than a risky plan. Even if the surprise attack failed, it wouldn't put the army in a difficult situation from which it couldn't extricate itself. This was very different from Wei Yan's kind of gamble.

At this moment, Pang Tong clearly felt that there was still a gap between himself and Master. Perhaps when he also had the ability to win with uprightness and surprise, he would be able to officially complete his apprenticeship.

Therefore, Wei Yan only felt unlucky, but Pang Tong's first feeling was that time waits for no one.

Now that there was no one around, Pang Tong finally couldn't help but whisper a complaint about Li Ji.

'Master is too strong, not giving his disciples any chance to perform...'

The only thing that Pang Tong still found a bit perplexing was why Master would offer the dangerous strategy of going deep behind enemy lines, and the Lord seemed to tacitly choose this strategy.

Even now that he knew that Li Ji had greatly defeated Cao Cao with a surprise attack, Pang Tong still felt that there must be a deeper meaning that he didn't understand, otherwise Master shouldn't be the kind of person to take such a risky strategy of exchanging supply lines.

However, after thinking for a while, Pang Tong refocused his energy on the matter of retreat, planning how to retreat safely.

Otherwise, if Xun Yu managed to hold them back for a while and they were surrounded by the returning Cao Cao and Cao Hong, there would undoubtedly be a risk of complete annihilation.

In addition, Pang Tong, looking at the last sentence in the military order, "Leave scouts in Tan County to investigate the movements of the Cao army," was also thinking about how to arrange it properly.

(End of this chapter)