Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator.

The express messenger sent back by Wei Yan was clearly a trusted personal guard, subtly singing Wei Yan's praises.

"Rest assured, Governor, General Wei is searching Yingchuan County with the family genealogy to ensure that not a single one of the eight hundred and ninety-three people in Yingchuan County is missed."

"However, Xun Yu, Xun You, Xun Chen, and other members of the Xun clan are not in Yingchuan and could not be captured. Please forgive me, Governor."

Li Ji was momentarily at a loss for words upon hearing this.

He had sent Wei Yan with a thousand cavalry to capture people in Yingchuan, but he hadn't expected Wei Yan to capture nearly nine hundred people. No wonder he was so late in returning to the camp.

With so many prisoners slowing down the march, how could they possibly be fast?

Besides, even if the Xun family was one of the top aristocratic families in the Han Dynasty, could they really have so many clansmen?

Curious, Li Ji went to the camp gate to wait for Wei Yan, and soon saw a large, dark mass of people slowly approaching in the distance.

Li Ji glanced over and, after confirming that Wei Yan's cavalry hadn't suffered any significant losses, focused his gaze on the large group of Xun clansmen being escorted.

There were quite a few people, roughly approaching nine hundred at a glance.

The Xun clansmen were bound at the wrists in groups of five with ropes, and everyone looked weak. Many of the Xun clansmen wearing scholar's robes even had a lot of blood-soaked whip marks on their bodies.

Evidently, some of the Xun clansmen had enough backbone to resist, resulting in them receiving many lashes before finally becoming obedient.

The triumphant Wei Yan dismounted early and came before Li Ji to salute, saying.

"Governor, I have not failed my mission. The Xun family genealogy is here. Except for a small number of Xun clansmen who are not in Yingchuan County, everyone is here. Please inspect them, Governor."

As Wei Yan spoke, he quickly had his personal guards push forward a small cart of bamboo slips, saying. "These are the Xun family's genealogy bamboo slips from over the years."

"Thank you for your trouble, Wen Chang."

Li Ji said and then casually picked up a roll of bamboo slips placed on top.

The last thing recorded on the bamboo slip was a baby less than a month old.

"This one too?" Li Ji asked.

"Yes."

Wei Yan replied affirmatively. "This subordinate personally verified each person's identity after capturing them, cross-referencing them with the family genealogy. Everyone still listed in the Xun family genealogy has been apprehended."

Hearing this answer, Li Ji suddenly felt that what he was holding in his hand was not a family genealogy at all.

It was clearly the Book of Life and Death in the hands of a judge of the underworld.

Originally, Li Ji had wanted Wei Yan to bring back the Xun You's direct descendants within three generations, but he hadn't expected Wei Yan to do such a thorough job, capturing the entire Xun clan according to the genealogy.

Presumably, Xun Yu had not anticipated Liu Bei's determination to issue the "Proclamation for the Protection of the People," and the Xun family had completely not expected that Li Ji would actually dare to move against them. Therefore, most of the Xun clansmen were still in Yingchuan County, resulting in them being captured in one fell swoop.

Immediately, Li Ji weighed the bamboo slips in his hand, and while lamenting the inexplicably arrogant tradition and persistence of the aristocratic families, he said.

"Wen Chang, you've done a good job."

Instantly, Wei Yan's jujube-red face gained a bit more color.

The Xun clansmen, who had been driven like cattle and sheep all the way from Yingchuan County to the city of Ruyang by Wei Yan, were already dazed and disoriented from the journey.

Until the Xun clansmen standing at the front heard the rude and rebellious Wei Yan unconsciously reveal a strong respect in his tone, which was a change from his usual brutality.

As those Xun clansmen raised their heads and saw Li Ji, their eyes revealed completely different expressions.

One Xun youth, whose eyebrows and eyes could not hide his arrogance and domineering nature, suddenly opened his mouth and angrily cursed.

"Li Ji, you are supposed to be a scholar, yet you actually humiliate us in such an uncivilized manner by sending people to mistreat us. Are you really not afraid that my Xun family will call upon the aristocratic families of the world to denounce you?"

In an instant, apart from Li Ji's expression remaining unchanged, not only did Wei Yan's face change drastically, but even a middle-aged man standing next to the Xun youth couldn't hide his panic and angrily shouted.

"You rebellious son, shut your mouth!"

"Father, what are you afraid of Li Ji for? He's just a poor man who rose to power through the chaos of war…"

"Shut up!"

The middle-aged Xun man was both anxious and angry, wanting to stop him, but his hands were tied. In his urgency, he immediately interrupted the youth by heavily bumping his forehead against him.

Immediately, the middle-aged Xun man hurriedly bowed towards Li Ji, saying.

"My son is unruly, please calm your anger, Marquis."

However, the anger in Wei Yan's eyes did not subside, and instead, he turned to Li Ji and pleaded. "This madman dares to be disrespectful to the Governor, please allow me to kill him."

Li Ji raised his hand to stop Wei Yan and walked to within five steps of the middle-aged Xun man.

This distance was neither too close nor too far, allowing both sides to clearly see each other's expressions.

"Do you recognize me?" Li Ji asked.

The middle-aged Xun man respectfully replied. "Your portrait, Marquis, has long been widely circulated, and you once passed through Yingchuan with the Imperial Uncle Liu. I admired you and had the opportunity to gaze upon you from afar."

Li Ji chuckled and corrected him.

"I'm afraid it wasn't admiration, but rather spying, or even watching a joke, right?"

"Watching the joke of this Marquis and my lord being repeatedly snubbed while visiting the aristocratic families in Yingchuan."

These words were spoken lightly.

But to this middle-aged Xun man, who held considerable power within the Xun clan and was treated with courtesy even by a prefect of a commandery, it felt as if an iceberg was pressing down on his back.

His whole body was cold, and he even had some difficulty breathing.

Li Ji looked at the pale and flustered expression of this middle-aged Xun man, and was slightly disappointed in his heart.

Sure enough, even the Xun family could not have everyone be as intelligent as a demon, comparable to Xun Yu.

Even if the Xun family possessed the best educational resources of this era, there would still be no shortage of mediocre people.

Li Ji looked at this man, one of the people in charge who he had not been able to meet when he visited the Xun family with Liu Bei, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of being in another world.

Clearly, it hadn't been that long ago.

But now, Li Ji didn't even have the desire to know this person's name.

Moreover, Wei Yan's eagerness to capture all of the Xun clansmen had somewhat exceeded Li Ji's expectations.

However, Li Ji did not have any intention of blaming Wei Yan.

He had captured them, so be it. What could be done?

In the past, if the Xun family, famous throughout the Han Dynasty, had been treated in this way, the retaliation and rejection from the aristocratic families would have been enough to make it difficult for Liu Bei and Li Ji, who were trapped in Wu County, to move forward.

But now, Liu Bei's great undertaking was about to be completed. Under the Yellow Turban rebellion, the aristocratic families of Yuzhou were struggling to protect themselves, let alone with the righteousness of the "Proclamation for the Protection of the People" in hand, and the undisputed fact that Xun Yu had secretly promoted the breaching of the Yellow River.

Whether it was in terms of words or weapons, no one would dare to criticize Li Ji for taking down this once infinitely glorious aristocratic family.

"However, you are mistaken to ask me to calm my anger. I will not be disturbed by the words of fools…"

After a pause, Li Ji swept his gaze over the seemingly miserable Xun clansmen in front of him, and said.

"What you should be begging for is the forgiveness of the innocent people who have lost their homes and families due to the Yellow River flood."

(End of chapter)