Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator.

“General!!”

The door was violently kicked open the next moment, the loud noise startling Chunyu Qiong from his sleep, causing him to instinctively sit up, his hand reaching for where his weapon usually lay.

Instead, he grasped something soft and warm.

“Ouch!”

The dancer cried out in pain, but dared not struggle or resist.

Only when Chunyu Qiong saw that those who had barged in were his trusted personal guards did his tense expression relax slightly, and he questioned them.

“What is all this panic about?”

The guards first saw Chunyu Qiong, who resembled a black bear on the bed, then noticed the dancer, who was as fair as white jade, and quickly lowered their heads to avoid eye contact, reporting.

“General, it’s bad, enemy troops have entered the city.”

“What?”

Chunyu Qiong’s entire expression changed drastically, and he then noticed the faint sounds of chaotic shouts, killings, and wails coming from outside.

Chunyu Qiong was valued by Yuan Shao, and he was not without ability. He could be considered a veteran of the battlefield.

The government office was located in the center of Liyang City. For the sounds of fighting to reach this place, it meant that it was not as simple as one city gate being breached, but rather that the entire city was about to fall.

Where did these enemy troops come from?

Who are they?

As this question surfaced in Chunyu Qiong’s mind, he kicked the dancer off the bed, enduring the discomfort of his hangover, and began searching for his weapon on the bed.

He couldn’t find it…

After searching for several breaths, Chunyu Qiong couldn’t remember where he had left his weapon while drinking last night.

Logically speaking, Chunyu Qiong asked himself, even when drunk, he wouldn’t let his weapon leave his side.

Hearing the sounds of fighting outside the government office getting closer and closer, Chunyu Qiong didn’t dare delay any longer. He quickly got up, threw on a robe, snatched a Han sword from a guard, and rushed out.

When Chunyu Qiong rushed out of the government office gate and looked towards the west, he discovered that the enemy troops were about to attack the government office, and those enemy troops were actually wearing Yuan army uniforms, with only a black scarf tied around their foreheads to distinguish them.

This was also why, after Xiahou Yuan attacked Liyang City, the entire Liyang City garrison was in chaos.

Without unified command, the Liyang City garrison saw that the attacking side also looked like the Yuan army.

This caused some of the garrison, even those with the ability to resist, to be hesitant and unsure of what was happening.

Upon seeing this, Chunyu Qiong understood that the situation in Liyang City was over. The enemy troops about to attack the government office would definitely not give him the opportunity to regroup his forces and drive them out.

“Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!”

Chunyu Qiong made a decision without hesitation, climbed onto a warhorse led by a guard, and hurriedly fled towards the east gate.

Chunyu Qiong’s embarrassing posture was completely seen by Xiahou Yuan in the distance.

With Xiahou Yuan’s ability, he could have already commanded his troops to break through the government office, but he was stopped by Xi Zhicai.

Only after watching Chunyu Qiong leave did Xiahou Yuan speak.

“Now, can Mister Xi explain why we should let Chunyu Qiong leave?”

Chunyu Qiong was, after all, a renowned general under Yuan Shao, and his martial prowess was quite famous in Ji Province. Now, he was the main general stationed in Liyang.

Capturing or killing Chunyu Qiong would be a great achievement.

Xiahou Yuan was not a greedy person, but even if he followed Xi Zhicai’s advice and let Chunyu Qiong escape, he hoped to get a proper explanation from Xi Zhicai.

Xi Zhicai smiled and said.

“General, do you know that some people are more valuable serving under the enemy than being captured or killed?”

“Hmm?” Xiahou Yuan didn’t quite understand.

Xi Zhicai said meaningfully, “For example: Cao Bao.”

With this analogy, Xiahou Yuan suddenly understood.

When Cao Cao attacked Xu Province, he was able to break through Langya and Donghai counties like a hot knife through butter. If one were to credit the greatest contribution, Cao Bao would undoubtedly be the one.

The Xu Province soldiers were not weak, and could even be described as powerful.

After all, it was the place where Emperor Gaozu and King Xiang of Chu started their armies four hundred years ago, and the folk customs were also fierce.

But it was precisely with Cao Bao’s help that Cao Cao was able to repeatedly inflict heavy damage on the Xu Province soldiers, causing their morale to plummet again and again, and they no longer had any fighting spirit in the face of the Cao army.

“But Cao Bao and Chunyu Qiong are not comparable. Chunyu Qiong's use of troops and martial prowess cannot be underestimated.”

Xiahou Yuan gave an objective evaluation.

After all, being able to be reused under Yuan Shao's talent-rich tent, Chunyu Qiong was naturally not a useless person. Chunyu Qiong was merely careless and negligent, and also addicted to alcohol and pleasure.

“That’s precisely why Chunyu Qiong is more valuable to let go.”

Xi Zhicai said meaningfully.

If Chunyu Qiong was a useless person like Cao Bao, Yuan Shao would definitely not reuse him like the helpless Tao Qian, and would definitely kill Chunyu Qiong directly.

But Chunyu Qiong still had some ability, which meant that he might be severely punished by Yuan Shao, but he would also have a chance to be reused by Yuan Shao.

In this way, it might become a flaw during the subsequent struggle between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao.

Xi Zhicai stared at the direction Chunyu Qiong left, understanding that capturing Liyang City only cleared an obstacle for Cao Cao to quickly occupy the southern part of Ji Province, but the real crisis was still the subsequent Yuan Shao's crazy counterattack.

Letting Chunyu Qiong leave was looking at a possible opportunity in the future.

‘I hope it’s useful…’

Xi Zhicai sighed inwardly, then continued, “What I said just now is one reason, the second is that there are also more than 10,000 soldiers in Liyang City. If they stubbornly resist, it will inevitably cause great losses to our army.”

“And with Chunyu Qiong, as the main general, fleeing, the entire Liyang garrison’s will to resist will inevitably collapse completely.”

“Troops are especially important to the Lord. Being able to reduce some losses will give the Lord a greater chance to face Yuan Shao in the future. This is not comparable to capturing a Chunyu Qiong.”

Xiahou Yuan was greatly impressed and said, “Mister Xi is right.”

With Xi Zhicai’s explanation, Xiahou Yuan understood what to do next.

Immediately, at Xiahou Yuan’s command, the Cao army shouted loudly.

“Chunyu Qiong, don’t run!”

“Chunyu Qiong, don’t run!”

For a time, the entire Liyang City almost constantly echoed with this voice.

If Chunyu Qiong could stand up at this moment, then these voices would naturally not affect the morale of the Liyang garrison, but would instead boost the morale of the Liyang garrison.

In Xi Zhicai’s eyes, perhaps reducing thousands of casualties and seizing an opportunity was more important than Chunyu Qiong’s head;

But in Chunyu Qiong’s eyes, his own life was naturally more important than a mere Liyang City.

The fall of Liyang City was a foregone conclusion, and Chunyu Qiong would naturally not do any useless work.