Three Kingdoms: Conquer Wu from Maicheng with Cavalry and Swords, Don't Fall Behind

Yi Ji, courtesy name Jibo, was a renowned scholar from Jingzhou. He was fair-skinned and refined, with intelligent glints in his eyes. He initially served under Liu Biao, but later joined Liu Bei, where he was known for his quick wit and eloquence.

The turmoil began in Jiangling, and he was ordered by Guan Yu to go south to investigate.

"My lord, Ji Chang and I traveled south to gather intelligence and rally the defeated soldiers. Later, the Wu ruler personally arrived at Jiangling, and his army was formidable. We discussed and decided to lead the defeated soldiers to retreat to Yidu."

Yidu is strategically located at the exit of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, controlling the western part of Sichuan and Chongqing and connecting the eastern part of Jingzhou and Xiangyang. It is a vital choke point connecting Yizhou and Jingzhou, and its strategic position is of paramount importance.

The reinforcements from Bashu to aid Jingzhou had to pass through Yidu. Guan Yu, in order to retreat to Bashu, also needed to pass through Yidu or take the mountain path to Shangyong.

The previous governor of Yidu, Meng Da, was ordered to go north to seize the three counties of Shangyong. He attacked Fangling from Zigui, burning, killing and looting along the way. Even the governor of Fangling, Kuai Qi, died in the chaos of the battle.

Fearing that Meng Da would be unable to control the situation, Liu Bei sent Liu Feng to advance eastward through the Mian River waterway in Hanzhong to launch a pincer attack, forcing Shen Dan, the governor of Shangyong, to surrender with his troops.

When Guan Yu launched his northern expedition against Jingzhou, he ordered Liu Feng and Meng Da to send troops to assist them in capturing Xiangfan in one fell swoop. However, the two refused to send troops, citing the remoteness of Shangyong Mountain City and the fact that they had only recently submitted to the Guan Yu regime.

Qi Ye had a general understanding of the plot, after all, he was a veteran Three Kingdoms player. The strategy of retreating to Yidu, while not absolutely correct, was certainly not flawed.

Yi Ji's expression changed slightly, and he said in a tight voice:

"Who could have imagined that Sun Quan would appoint Lu Xun as General Who Pacifies the Borders ahead of time, leading his army to march straight into Yidu? The newly appointed Prefect of Yidu, Fan You, had no trusted confidants and abandoned the city, fleeing immediately!"

"Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the city officials and local tribal chiefs surrendered one after another."

Upon hearing this, everyone became even more respectful, secretly glancing at Guan Yu at the head of the table, not daring to utter a sound. An aura of majesty and solemnity filled the entire hall.

Guan Yu scoffed inwardly, "Fan You is a useless liar; he deserves to die!"

Yi Ji hesitated for a moment, then continued:

"Commanders Zhan Yan and Chen Feng were entrusted with a critical mission and vowed never to retreat or surrender. Ji Chang and I discussed it and decided to hand over the command of the troops to them. Ji Chang went to Shu to request reinforcements from Chengdu. I went north alone to report back to you, my lord."

"I had only been away from Yidu for a short time when I heard that Lu Xun had launched a pincer attack by land and water, cutting off Zhan Yan's retreat. The morale of the defending troops collapsed, Zhan Yan disappeared without a trace, and Chen Feng was captured."

Qi Ye thought of the morale system in "Gods of the Three Kingdoms" and couldn't help but complain in his heart. He had only killed 10% of the enemy, and even famous generals couldn't withstand the pressure and fled.

Zhan Yan was an unknown figure, and having taken over a defeated army, his morale was undoubtedly low. His opponent was a genius like Lu Xun, making defeat inevitable.

Yi Ji remained silent for a moment before continuing his report:

"The powerful clans of Zigui, including Wen Bu and Deng Kai, were grateful for your kindness and gathered several thousand barbarian soldiers to resist the Wu army. Later, as I traveled north, I learned that you were in Maicheng, so I immediately came to join you."

Qi Ye couldn't help but sigh, the Han Dynasty was not lacking in righteous men. It was regrettable that many of these righteous men died young. Their stories often began with great tenderness and ended in tragedy.

Even with a vast and beautiful land, nothing can uphold the oath made in the Peach Garden.

In the early stages, Zhang Fei squandered his family fortune for his brothers' cause; in the middle stages, Guan Yu gave up high-ranking official positions and generous salaries for the Han Dynasty; in the later stages, Liu Bei gave up the entire kingdom for his brothers. Perhaps this is the romance of the Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period.

Qi Ye was reading "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" when he came to the line "Oh, heavens, how cruel you are to me!" He could no longer continue reading.

Yi Ji suddenly trembled all over, cupped his hands and bowed deeply, saying:

"Now, war rages across the land, corpses lie strewn in desolate alleys. Elderly people lean against walls awaiting death, children cry in despair, starving. The living scavenge for survival, the dead lie exposed to the elements, feeding the wolves. Only you, my lord, can save the people from their dire straits!"

Guan Yu's eyelids drooped slightly, revealing a hint of disdain. Times had changed; with his lord's assistance, he was confident he could avert disaster. Even if he couldn't, death would be his only option.

Everyone present fell silent. Such a vast region as Jingnan lacked even a single capable civil or military official to lead the charge. They either surrendered at the first sign of trouble or crumbled at the slightest provocation. If someone had managed to establish a foothold, the situation at Maicheng wouldn't be so dire.

Upon hearing this, Wang Fu's mood darkened, and he asked in a cold voice, "Is there any news of the two traitors, Fu Shiren and Mi Fang?"

With a slight bow of grief, Yi Ji began to speak in a gentle and detailed manner:

"Fu Shiren was surrounded by Wu troops, cut off by both land and water, and lost contact with Jiangling. The terrain of Gong'an was on the tip of Wu's tongue. Yu Fan broke through his psychological defenses with just a few words."

"Fu surrendered and was brought into the newly established Fuxi Camp by Lü Meng. His former troops of more than 3,000 were reorganized according to the Jiangdong military system, still under Fu's command. Sun Quan went to Jiangling, personally received him, and granted him two counties of Fengyi."

The military system of Eastern Wu was unique; both the troops and fiefs belonged to the generals. Sun Quan was a powerful vassal state, with all his subordinates under his command. Generals held both military and political power and had a great deal of autonomy.

Qi Ye murmured, "In the end, Fu Shiren still didn't get a title. What was he after? If Gong'an and Jiangling had just held onto even one of them, Brother White would never have succeeded."

The affairs of heroes are truly unpredictable, with too many elements of chance.

He smiled calmly and typed back: "Fu Shiren, put the bid for the first prize!"

Guan Yu has a special skill: any enemy marked will be killed instantly, and his martial prowess will automatically increase by 1000%. Even Yan Liang cannot withstand a single blow from him.

Guan Ping, with his sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, exuded heroic spirit, his face revealing a stubborn determination: "Father, we've lost the army and the city. When will you ever change your stubborn, arrogant, and ultimately disastrous habit?!"

A silent chill swept through the entire venue.

Wang Fuduan's solemn expression faltered, and he couldn't help but swallow hard, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Zhao Lei had a gaunt face and a calm gaze, and he couldn't help but keep a close eye on Guan Yu's every move.

Liao Hua lowered his head, as if he had suffered a serious injury, his ears involuntarily perking up, determined to hear everything clearly.

Since taking command of Jingzhou, Guan Yu had never suffered such an "insult." In Jingzhou, his word was law, and no one dared to disobey him. He glared at his filial eldest son, his anger simmering as he awaited what was to come.

Zhou Cang screamed hysterically, "Tanzhi, our lord is seriously wounded and has been fighting the enemy all night without sleep. Those scoundrels outside the city are still gathering. Can't you say what you have to say another day?!"

Guan Ping forced himself to calm down and stared at the head of the table.

Qi Ye stared at the screen with great interest. He shared the same feeling as Guan Ping: after Lü Bu's death, Guan Yu looked down on everyone, becoming arrogant beyond measure.

No matter how famous a minister or general is, they often become more stubborn with age; even the greatest emperors of all time have a few dark secrets to their name. Yet, it is often these very people, so stubborn and fanatical, who achieve great things.

Guan Ping now sensed Chen Lin's predicament—a situation where the arrow was on the bowstring and had no choice but to be released; the accusation of filial impiety had been placed upon him. He took a deep breath and cleared his thoughts:

"Father has always looked down on Mi Fang and Fu Shiren, even making harsh remarks that they should be punished, which has instilled deep fear in the two men. The loss of Jingzhou is Father's fault!"

Qi Ye asked himself honestly, if he had a boss who put pressure on him, he would definitely quit. A worker earning a meager salary doesn't need to work so hard.

The problem is that Mi Fang and Fu Shiren are considered middle-level managers in the group. Without a firm stance and the ability, who would dare to give them important positions?