My Realistic Simulation Game

Chapter 263 Dead Ends Everywhere
Before Qin Yuan could react, a light screen appeared in front of him.

[You are Shi Dakai, who joined the rebellion at sixteen and was enfeoffed as a king at twenty, making him the youngest "Wing King of Five Thousand Years" in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.]

[You were a decorated general, a hero of the Western Expedition, who once drove Zeng Guofan to commit suicide by drowning.]

But after the Tianjing Incident, the Northern King slaughtered your entire family, and the Heavenly King became extremely suspicious of you. In the eighth year of the Xianfeng Emperor's reign, you were twenty-seven years old, and your heart had turned cold.

[You see it clearly: staying in Tianjing means either being killed by your own people or dying a miserable death. Our paths diverge, so we cannot work together.]

You, Shi Dakai, are a man of integrity and upright character; you chose to leave. A single notice reveals the grievance of being forced to abandon one's loyalty.

[What you didn't expect was that over 100,000 elite Taiping soldiers chose to follow you, not the Heavenly King.]

At this moment, you are no longer Hong Xiuquan's subject, but the commander-in-chief leading a large, isolated army. The road ahead is uncertain, but your resolve to rebel against the Qing remains unwavering. However, Nanjing (Tianjing) has completely become a thing of the past.

At this moment, you are leading an army of 100,000 men, besieging Quzhou, Zhejiang. The siege has been prolonged and has reached a stalemate. A slight misstep could result in the annihilation of your entire army.

You are Shi Dakai, please begin your game.

[Note: This game has no quests. The game world is open, and players can engage in any activity they wish: vie for supremacy, implement reforms to save the nation, or cultivate land and await changing times. You are free to choose your path within the game. Time flows at a different pace in the game compared to a year in the outside world.]

"The slightest carelessness could lead to total annihilation?"

Qin Yuan was startled when he saw this message.

"It wasn't 1857, it was 1858."

The eighth year of the Xianfeng reign was 1858.

Amidst the dizzying sensation of adjusting, the general's anxious urging voice rang in her ears again, even clearer than before.

"Your Highness, the Qing reinforcements are growing ever stronger, and our supplies are running low. Should we fight or retreat? Please make a swift decision, Your Highness!"

Qin Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, completely taking control of the body and the situation before him.

The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and the booming of cannons. As far as the eye could see, there were rows of fortified camps and, in the distance, the Quzhou city wall, which had stood firm like a rock and had stood for so long without being breached.

Tens of thousands of troops were trapped under the city walls, unable to advance or retreat. The scene was far more real and brutal than any film or television work.

He looked down at the person who spoke, and the fragments of Shi Dakai's memory in his mind quickly pieced together, allowing him to recognize the person.

Yu Zian had been following his old brother since Jintian, Guangxi.

A brave and skilled general.

Previously stationed in Fuzhou, Jiangxi, he repeatedly defeated the Xiang Army and was a capable individual.

He broke through the siege of Fuzhou in May and led his troops to join me.

Qin Yuan did not answer immediately; he needed time to process the remaining memories of this body and the grim situation before him.

He had expected to appear when the Tianjing Incident broke out in 1857, but instead it jumped directly to 1858, a critical moment when he led his troops out of Tianjing and became bogged down in the Zhejiang battlefield.

"Let Yuanzai, Hengrong, and the others come over for a meeting. The Qing demons won't be able to break through our camp anytime soon."

Qin Yuan forced himself to calm down and gave the order in Shi Dakai's usual calm tone.

He needs the advice of his key advisors and generals, and even more so, he needs time to sort things out.

"Yuanzai" refers to Zhang Suimou, the chief strategist, while "Hengrong" refers to Chen Hengrong, the close general and right assistant commander. Both were core figures in Shi Dakai's group.

Before long, the two quickly entered the rather simple central command tent.

Chen Hengrong, the most impatient of them all, immediately clasped his hands in greeting as he entered, saying, "Your Highness! We can't continue fighting this Quzhou city like this!"

"We left Anqing in March and have been besieging Quzhou for nearly four months. Our soldiers are exhausted and our supplies are running out. If this drags on any longer, we may be the ones who are wiped out!"

Qin Yuan listened silently, his memories of the battle becoming clearer and clearer.

Shi Dakai initially chose to besiege Quzhou as a springboard to seize the wealthy lands of Zhejiang, obtain supplies, and open up a new situation.

He adopted a long-term siege tactic, dividing his troops to occupy surrounding prefectures and counties, attempting to starve the defending army to death.

However, Quzhou was well-defended, and Zhejiang Governor Zhou Tianshou resisted fiercely, leading to a stalemate in the battle.

Even more critically, Qing reinforcements were pouring in from all directions. Among them were Zhou Tianpei's and Ming Antai's troops from the Jiangnan Grand Camp approaching from the west, Zhang Yunlan's troops from Zeng Guofan's Xiang Army system having also entered Zhejiang, and local militias constantly harassing supply lines.

The situation has evolved from "besieging" to "being besieged," and the 100,000-strong army has in fact become an exhausted force stranded outside.

The strategist Zhang Suimou secretly raised his eyes.

He was initially worried that Chen Hengrong's frank advice would offend Shi Dakai, who was known for being somewhat autocratic and had become increasingly sensitive recently.

But at this moment, he saw that His Highness Prince Yi was calm and showed no displeasure, which surprised him.

After the upheaval in Tianjing, it seems that Your Highness's temperament has changed?

He then chimed in, “Your Highness, what Protector Chen said is absolutely right. Our army is currently surrounded by strong reinforcements from the outside, lacks a good strategy to break through the city from within, and is also facing a severe shortage of supplies. If we cannot take Quzhou quickly, the best course of action is to withdraw as soon as possible.”

Qin Yuan nodded, which was consistent with his judgment based on his memory and the current situation.

He looked at Zhang Suimou and asked directly, "Prime Minister, in your opinion, if we retreat, where should we go?"

Zhang Suimou was even more shocked. His Highness actually took the initiative to inquire about the retreat route? And so calmly at that?
He suppressed his doubts and quickly laid out his long-considered plan: "Your Highness, Quzhou is located at the intersection of Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi provinces, and our army has three routes to choose from."

Qin Yuan nodded: "Tell me in detail."

Zhang Suimou interjected, "The first route is to head north back to Anqing, echoing Tianjing and forming a pincer movement."

"Secondly, we can head west through Changshan into Jiangxi, passing through Raozhou, and then along the Xin River to Poyang Lake, before continuing to Jiujiang and Fuzhou. This is the route we took, and we have some connections and influence in Jiangxi."

He paused, glanced at Qin Yuan's expression, and seeing that he was alright, continued, "Finally, we headed south to Fujian."

“Fujian Province is mountainous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and there are currently troops of Yang Guozong (Yang Fuqing) active there, which can be used as reinforcements.”

"If we can establish a base in Fujian, recuperate and rebuild, and keep an eye on Zhejiang, a land of wealth and resources, then we can advance or retreat as needed, and there may be a great cause to be accomplished."

This analysis is clear and logical, with a clear distinction between advantages and disadvantages.

The chief strategist truly lives up to his title; these words must have been lingering in his mind for many days.

However, Shi Dakai was too proud in the past. After leaving Tianjing, he repeatedly ran into obstacles. The battle for Quzhou took three or four months. He was so exhausted that he ran out of ammunition and food that his troops began to hesitate.

But Qin Yuan today is not Shi Dakai.

He turned his gaze to Chen Hengrong: "Hengrong, what do you think?"

Chen Hengrong was Shi Dakai's absolute confidant, and spoke without any restraint: "Your Highness, going back to the old ways will have a huge impact on the morale of the army. Anqing is a good place, but it is too close to Tianjing. If the Heavenly King issues an edict, should we accept it or not? Should our brothers accept it or not?"

“If morale is low, the team will be difficult to lead, so we absolutely cannot go back to Anqing.”

"As for Jiangxi, although Jiujiang is a strategic point, it is too close to Hunan. That wicked Zeng Guofan is just waiting for us to walk into his trap. Moreover, once we enter Jiangxi, we will truly become bandits."

"So your idea is to go to Fujian?" Qin Yuan asked calmly.

"It can only be Fujian." Chen Hengrong calmly replied, "The best course of action is to head south to Fujian, use the mountains as a natural barrier to temporarily avoid the Qing forces, and regroup!"

"Alright!" Qin Yuan didn't hesitate any longer, stood up abruptly, and glanced at the two of them. "Pass down the order!"

"Tonight, the entire army will have a full meal and will feign a continued siege. At dawn, when the Qing forces are off guard, we will burn unnecessary supplies, lightly armed ourselves, and the entire army will turn south towards Fujian!"

Such a decisive decision was completely unexpected by Zhang Suimou and Chen Hengrong!

The two looked at each other and saw unbelievable surprise in each other's eyes.

Since the Tianjing Incident and the loss of his family, His Highness Prince Yi has often appeared melancholy, suspicious, and even somewhat stubborn. He has never been so decisive and receptive to advice as he is today.

Today, Shi Dakai seems to have really changed, as if he has returned to the wise, decisive, and charismatic young commander he was at the beginning of the Jintian Uprising!

"Your subordinate obeys!"

Suppressing their excitement, the two accepted the order in unison and quickly turned to leave the tent to make arrangements.

Watching their departing figures, Qin Yuan took a deep breath of the air thick with the scent of war.

Going to Fujian?
Haha, that's a dead end too!

(One more chapter)
(End of this chapter)