My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

Inside the tent, Xie Xuan listened calmly to the reports from the generals about the situation at the front.

Before him lay not only a map, but also a document that had just been delivered from Jiankang.

A moment later, when Sun Wuzhong stepped forward and explained his strategy of "feigning an attack on the city to force Peng Chao to return and relieve the siege of Pengcheng," only a few ripples appeared in the tent.

Liu Laozhi even said that this strategy was too conservative, as the decision to defeat the Qin army was made before the Northern Army set off from Guangling.

Xie Xuan remained silent after hearing this, his gaze still fixed on the suffocating encirclement surrounding Pengcheng on the map.

Chief Secretary Yin Zhongkan keenly sensed the dissatisfaction and anxiety hidden in this silence.

He picked up the document from Jiankang but did not read it aloud. As the chief secretary of the general's office, he understood the commander-in-chief's feelings all too well.

But when faced with the generals in the tent, he could only briefly describe the pressure the current court was under.

"Xiangyang has fallen, and the imperial court is now questioning the defenses of Huaibei. If Pengcheng fails this time, the morale of Huaibei will collapse..."

But these generals all came from humble backgrounds, and whether the court was in a good or bad situation, they were all the same.

They joined the army mainly for military merit, but now Yin Zhongkan's use of court rhetoric has made some people in the tent dissatisfied.

Liu Laozhi directly interrupted Yin Zhongkan.

"Chief Secretary, stop with the nonsense, how should we fight this battle?"

"All of you generals have been waiting for three months!"

"To attack or to retreat!"

"..."

Seeing this, the others echoed his sentiments, while Sun Wuzhong pondered why Xiao Heng's strategy was not working.

Yin Zhongkan was speechless for a moment after being asked the question, and glanced at Xie Xuan, who was still silent.

He gritted his teeth and decided to read aloud the document that verbally questioned the Northern Army.

Xie Xuan finally raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the generals, then he stood up and turned to the map of Huaibei behind him.

At this moment, his heart was colder and heavier than the air in the tent.

This is no longer a simple military contest.

From the day his uncle sent him to Guangling to establish the Northern Army, he carried the future of the entire Xie clan of Chenjun on his shoulders.

The loss of Xiangyang may seem like a setback for the Huan family, but the pressure on the court is greater than ever before.

Pengcheng must not be lost, at least not in Xie Xuan's hands, by abandoning it or by winning a Pyrrhic victory that leaves him unable to fight any longer; that would be a political catastrophe.

But he knew the current situation better than anyone else: the new recruits were untrained, their armor and weapons were incomplete, and their naval force was just beginning to take shape.

How can such a force be used to directly defeat Peng Chao's tens of thousands of Hu cavalry, who are not experienced in long battles?

A deep sense of powerlessness, mixed with the anxiety of having to win, swirled within him.

At this moment, after the general finished venting his frustrations, Zhuge Kan suddenly said something.

"Perhaps we should give Sun Sima's strategy a try!"

Gao Heng then spoke up.

"Commander Sun, could you explain again in detail how to get the main Qin army to return to defend?"

Sun Wuzhong was somewhat flustered at this moment, as he had already seen that the commander-in-chief Xie Xuan's gaze was also directed at him.

Before he could respond to the two, Xie Xuan spoke first.

"Commander Sun, how accurate is your finding regarding the location of the city's defensive equipment?"

Xie Xuan's question stopped the other generals from asking any further questions, and Sun Wuzhong hurriedly stepped forward respectfully.

"This humble general has personally investigated and confirmed the truth; I dare not conceal anything!"

Xie Xuan returned to the main seat and pondered for a moment.

"This strategy can indeed relieve Pengcheng's immediate predicament! However, when you offered your strategy in Guangling a few months ago, it was swift and decisive, even involving a lone army deep into enemy territory. Why is today's strategy more capable of maintaining the status quo than making any significant advances?"

Upon hearing this, all eyes in the tent turned to Sun Wuzhong's face.

Sun Wuzhong was shocked. He recalled how confident Xiao Heng's calm gaze had been. How could his own words have been so flawed? Now, General Xie had seen through him. The pros and cons were weighed in an instant. He decided to confess. Whether it succeeded or not, he would still have contributed. This time, he would let that kid have it easy.

"The Commander-in-Chief is wise, and I dare not conceal anything! This strategy is indeed not my doing alone. It was something I overheard a fellow townsman talking about, and he said that instead of attacking what they must defend, we should attack what they must plan for, wait for them to tire themselves out, and perhaps achieve a complete victory. Not only can we lift the siege of Pengcheng, but we can also severely damage one of their troops and demonstrate our military might!"

These words shocked everyone in the tent.

Xie Xuan leaned forward slightly and pressed for an answer.

"Fellow townsman? Are you one of my soldiers?"

"Reporting to the General, this man is none other than Xiao Heng, the Halberd Bearer!"

Sun Wuzhong dared not delay and hurriedly reported back.

At this moment, Chief Clerk Yin Zhongkan returned to his desk and quickly searched through the documents. Soon, he handed a list to Xie Xuan, who nodded after reading it.

Yin Zhongkan understood immediately and gave instructions to the guards beside him.

"Summon Xiao Heng, the Halberd Bearer, to enter the tent immediately!"

At this moment, fifty paces outside the tent, Xiao Heng was holding that familiar long halberd, but his mind was on his upcoming appointment as the Chief of the Planning Office.

The tent flap was lifted, and a black-armored guard standing with his hand on his sword strode out, his gaze sweeping over the guards standing solemnly in front of the tent.

Seeing someone suddenly appear, Xiao Heng subconsciously looked up and his heart skipped a beat, his neck instinctively shrinking back.

He recognized the man!

In the previous simulation, when he rashly stormed into the tent to offer his sacrifice, this man drew his sword without hesitation and slashed horizontally...

Seeing that the new recruit seemed to glance at him, Xiao Heng quickly lowered his eyes and fixed his gaze on the three steps in front of him, feeling a bad premonition.

"All the important figures in the army have gone in, so why send out personal guards?"

However, before Xiao Heng could react, he heard footsteps and the sound of armor clashing coming straight towards him, finally stopping half a step in front of him.

"Are you Xiao Heng?"

These words struck Xiao Heng like a thunderbolt, leaving him with a head full of questions.

"What's going on? Did Sun Wuzhong betray us? This didn't happen in the previous simulations!"

Xiao Heng quickly suppressed the pounding in his chest.

He looked up, his face showing surprise and nervousness despite his best efforts to remain composed.

"Exactly!"

The guard's face showed no extra expression; he simply stepped aside and said nothing more than that.

"Governor Xie, please come into my tent. Follow me."

Seeing the guard's polite manner and hearing that it was Xie Xuan, Xiao Heng's tense nerves relaxed slightly, but then tightened even more.

I was thinking of using a simulation, but I gave up on it.

He loosened his grip on the halberd and gently placed it on the designated wooden frame in front of the tent.

As the cold halberd fell from his hand, he subconsciously wiped the cold sweat that had seeped into his palms onto his coarse military uniform.

Then, straightening his slightly stiff back, he solemnly clasped his hands in greeting to the guard: "Yes, sir!"

One step, two steps... He followed behind his personal guards, heading towards the tent he had longed to enter countless times.

At that moment, he could hear his heart pounding wildly.

You can also faintly hear whispers coming from inside the tent; clearly, everyone is talking about him.

After entering the tent, Xiao Heng restrained his curiosity to an extreme degree.

Following the most respectful etiquette in the military, they bowed their heads, clasped their hands, and saluted towards the head of the seat, their movements meticulous.

"Handling Xiao Heng greets the Commander-in-Chief, the Chief Secretary, and all the generals."

Out of the corner of his eye, he etched the scene inside the tent into his mind.

First was Sun Wuzhong, who was standing in the empty space in the center of the military tent. At this moment, he turned his head slightly to look at himself.

Although Xiao Heng did not look up directly at him, he could clearly sense how complex that gaze was.

Beyond Sun Wuzhong, sitting upright behind the main table, was undoubtedly Xie Xuan.

Even for him, a mere halberd bearer, this was the first time he had ever met Xie Xuan.

He wore a simple dark blue casual robe with soft armor on top, but he wasn't fully armored. Yet he still exuded the air of a scholar.

His face was younger than Xiao Heng had imagined, around thirty years old, with fair skin, clear eyebrows and eyes, a straight nose, and a well-defined jawline. At this moment, he was looking down at the maps and documents spread out on the table, without any obvious joy or anger on his face.

Beside Xie Xuan was the chief clerk, Yin Zhongkan, whom he had seen many times.

He always has a deadpan expression and looks at everyone with a wary eye.

On both sides of the tent stood the core generals of the Northern Army in order.

The first person on the left, the one as burly as a mountain, is Liu Laozhi, who is currently squinting slightly, openly sizing up Xiao Heng.

Standing beside Liu Laozhi was a general who appeared relaxed; it was He Qian.

As usual, he wore an almost indifferent expression, seemingly uninterested in the scene before him.

The remaining mid- to low-ranking generals, such as Zhuge Kan, Gao Heng, and Liu Gui, were listed later.

Their gazes were more direct, filled with undisguised curiosity.

The fact that a normally inconspicuous halberd bearer was suddenly summoned to the central command tent, where the lives of tens of thousands of people were decided, was enough to spark countless speculations and associations.

Finally, Xie Xuan, seated at the head of the table, raised his eyes and his gaze fell on Xiao Heng.

"Sun Sima said that the idea of ​​leaving the city and waiting for an opportunity to annihilate the enemy originated from you. Now, please tell me your thoughts in detail."

Xiao Heng maintained his bowed posture.

The same question remains: he knows that history is the outcome.

But how could he possibly know why it was this process? However, it's not like there's no chance.

With this thought in mind, Xiao Heng's consciousness sank into his sea of ​​consciousness and opened the ancient book.

[Start Historical Simulation]

[Simulation attempts consumed: 1]

[Current number of attempts remaining: 15]

The text unfolds as usual.

Based on common sense and your understanding of the terrain, you answered Xie Xuan's question about the strategy of leaving the city undefended, explaining your ideas such as the need for a fierce feint attack and the selection of ambush locations.

Xie Xuan listened without showing any emotion, only saying calmly, "Your considerations are acceptable, but too general. A battle between two armies is not a matter of mere theoretical discussion. You may leave."

Sun Wuzhong showed a hint of regret and remained silent. Yin Zhongkan gestured for him to leave.

[You bow and leave the central command tent]

[Simulation Ended]

[Historical Participation Rate: 3%]

[Historical Points Gained: 5]

[Evaluation: You stepped into the doorway of history, but failed to leave a lasting mark.]

Five o'clock!

Xiao Heng's heart skipped a beat.

Normal simulations have never given out so many points!

Last time, I only got 1 point for sending the order, but this time, I only said a few words in the tent and my participation level increased, so the points increased fivefold!

Holding onto a sliver of hope, Xiao Heng simulated it once more.

[…Simulation ended]

[Historical Participation Rate: 3%]

[Historical Points Gained: 0]

[Warning: Repeated simulations of the same event within a short period of time will not yield new historical points.]

Unsurprisingly, the result was highly repetitive, with no points awarded.

Now he can only look at the points he just got.

A standard answer would not impress Xie Xuan.

We need to get to the core issues. These five points might be a bit of a stretch, but thankfully there shouldn't be any danger. So let's gamble on Xie Xuan.

What does Xie Xuan want? The current situation is very unfavorable for the Northern Army. As the commander, shouldn't he choose the least bad option from among countless bad choices?

Thinking of this, Xiao Heng focused his mind on the pitiful 5 history points and issued a vague command.

[What is Xie Xuan's top priority right now?]

There was no complete simulation screen; only a few fragmented, disjointed pieces of text were returned, as if the game was malfunctioning due to insufficient points.

[...court discussion...Huan...]

[...the foundation is not yet stable...and it's not just one city...]

[...The first battle must be won...]

【……family……】

Although it was vague, those few words were enough for Xiao Heng to understand.

Court discussions, foundation, initial battle to establish momentum, family! These keywords all point to political considerations!

Xie Xuan's hesitation at this moment was less due to fear of battle and more due to excessive anxiety.

He commands the elite troops of the Northern Army. If he loses this battle, he will lose not only a powerful army, but also the foundation and reputation upon which the Xie family stands.

Although he was still worried about the family's reputation, it was better than those who were living a carefree and decadent life in Jiankang City. He truly understood the heavy responsibility on his shoulders.

In Xiao Heng's view, Xie Xuan was equally aware that the consequences of a desperate, all-or-nothing battle were unpredictable.

Upon realizing this, Xiao Heng suddenly understood why history had not allowed them to jointly defend Pengcheng, but rather to relieve the siege.

But now, no one in this tent can understand this, including this chief clerk.

After gathering his thoughts, Xiao Heng spoke directly.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, the strategy of leaving the city in place is intended to attack where the enemy is most vulnerable, thus relieving Pengcheng's immediate crisis; this is only one aspect!"

He stopped abruptly there and began to observe Xie Xuan, finding that he neither reacted nor denied anything.

Xiao Heng knew, but that wasn't enough; he simply let it go.

"For our Northern Army, relieving the siege of Pengcheng is secondary; the primary objective is to establish credibility in Jiangzuo and stabilize the situation in Huaibei!"

Upon hearing the words "Lixin," Yin Zhongkan's eyebrows twitched slightly, but Xie Xuan remained seated.

After speaking, Xiao Heng lowered his head slightly again, awaiting the verdict.

That's enough.

As for the deeper meaning, this battle was meant to be a show to those in Jiankang who were watching coldly, or even hoping for the Northern Army to fall, in order to consolidate the Xie family's power and intimidate people both inside and outside the city. That was not something a mere halberd bearer should say, nor did he need to say.

If Xie Xuanguo had foresight, he would understand this unfinished meaning.

The tent was silent, and he could feel Xie Xuan's gaze lingering on him for a long time.

After a long while, Xie Xuan's voice finally rang out, less flat and more profound than before.

"Establish trust, establish a firm stance, Xiao Heng, how old are you this year?"

"Reporting to the Governor, I've wasted eighteen years of my life!"

Xiao Heng answered truthfully.

"eighteen……"

Xie Xuan repeated himself, his gaze sweeping over Sun Wuzhong before returning to Xiao Heng.

"It's not surprising that members of the Lanling Xiao clan have some knowledge of geography, but your remarks, in terms of focus, don't seem like those of a simple halberd bearer!"

Hearing these words from Xiao Heng, the initial inscrutable meaning had faded, replaced by a hint of approval.

Xiao Heng knew he had barely passed this test.

At this point, he realized that the information Sun Wuzhong brought back probably only completed the last piece of the puzzle.

What Xie Xuan truly needed was not a groundbreaking, ingenious plan.

In Xiao Heng's opinion, this person should have been suggested by the Chief Secretary, because a hothead like Sun Wuzhong would never consider the affairs of the court.

Since Xie Xuan wanted a voice, the most important thing to do at this moment was not to be humble and fearful, but to appropriately accept the attention that came with this chance encounter.

Thus, in the brief silence that followed, with the generals in the tent displaying varying expressions due to Xie Xuan's evaluation, Xiao Heng raised his eyes, met Xie Xuan's gaze with composure, and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Thank you for your praise, Governor!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Xie Xuan's eyes.

However, Yin Zhongkan, the chief clerk standing to the side, frowned slightly.

He was in charge of the shogunate's documents and personnel, and he placed great importance on rules and regulations.

A mere halberd bearer, to be summoned by the commander-in-chief is already a great honor, yet he shows no restraint, speaking directly to the core of military and political affairs. Now, receiving praise, he accepts it with complete composure, showing no humility whatsoever...

This young man is far too arrogant and lacks self-control.

He glanced at Xie Xuan subconsciously, only to see the commander sitting calmly, the anxiety that had been building up between his brows for days gone.

This discovery instilled in Yin Zhongkan a strange sense of crisis.

At this moment, Xie Xuan stood up and suddenly sighed deeply, as if he had made up his mind.

"Xiao Heng, you may step down!"

"promise!"

Without hesitation, Xiao Heng gave a crisp and clean bow, turned around and left without any lingering.

He knew that what followed was the real core of the military council.

Deploying troops, assigning tasks, and finalizing details.

That place is no longer a place where he, in his current capacity, is qualified to listen in.

Xie Xuan's decision to have him step down was both a matter of protocol and a form of protection, temporarily removing him from the limelight and preventing him from becoming embroiled in more complex personnel and operational controversies.

I strode out of the central command tent, the cool evening breeze brushing against my face.

Xiao Heng let out a soft breath.

This time, they managed to make a small splash.

Suddenly, a message popped into my mind.

Your remarks touched upon the core of decision-making, exerting a clear influence on the course of history for the first time.

The timeline for the crucial Battle of Pengcheng has deviated, and the battle is expected to have progressed 18-35 days earlier!

[WARNING: Some historical progress has deviated significantly, reducing simulation accuracy and making unforeseen events more likely.]

Xiao Heng, who had been feeling somewhat relieved, suddenly felt terrible.

A whole month in advance? The Northern Army won't be defeated, will they?

And then he became the scapegoat?

Suppressing his turbulent thoughts, he returned to his post and stood with his halberd.

After repeated reassurances, I came to terms with it.

"How could the Northern Army, which is so strong, have been defeated?"

Soon, Xiao Heng, who was still lost in thought, saw the generals emerge from the tent.

At this moment, many people had a sense of urgency on their faces, and even quickened their pace.

Sun Wuzhong was the last one to come out.

But there was excitement on his face. He nodded after finding Xiao Heng, then quickly returned to normal and left.

Xiao Heng's heart sank slightly, and a sense of unease instantly overwhelmed him.

Nothing happened that night, but Xiao Heng didn't sleep a wink.