My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

Half an hour later, Xiao Heng's entourage arrived at the city of Tan County and saw the city gates wide open in the distance.

An elderly man dressed in the official robes of the Jin dynasty was seen leading dozens of officials, waiting quietly outside the city gate.

Xiao Heng was quite surprised. Pengcheng had been besieged for half a year, and most of the land north of the Huai River was in ruins.

There were still Jin dynasty officials in Tan County who had not fled south, and they came out of the city to welcome them with such solemnity.

Not daring to be presumptuous, he immediately raised his hand to stop the procession and dismounted.

After straightening his dust-covered armor, he led Han Yong and several other team leaders forward on foot.

Just a dozen steps away, the white-haired old official had already bowed deeply.

"Xu Lin, Magistrate of Tan County, respectfully welcomes the General!"

The people behind him also bowed in unison.

Xiao Heng quickly stepped forward to return the greeting. The Xu family of Tan County in Donghai was a prominent clan in the area, and the Xu County Magistrate in front of him was probably the representative figure of the Xu family in this region.

This family did not leave with most of the southward-migrating gentry, but chose to stay in their homeland.

"Magistrate Xu, please rise quickly. I am merely a military supervisor and dare not claim the title of general!"

Xiao Heng sighed, saying that it takes immense courage to stay in such a chaotic situation.

Xu Lin straightened up, glanced at the team behind Xiao Heng, and said slowly.

"The Northern Army, having fought valiantly, lifted the siege of Pengcheng and repelled the Di barbarians in the north. The old man and the people of Tan County have long awaited this victory, and have come here to welcome them. Some simple food has been prepared in the city; please, Commander and soldiers, enter the city to rest your horses!"

Xu Lin's words were neither humble nor arrogant, expressing both respect and hospitality as a host.

Xiao Heng was puzzled. He himself was not even sure about the news from Pengcheng, so how did this person know it?

He remained expressionless and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Xu, the county magistrate, is well-informed; how did he learn of the good news from Pengcheng?"

Xu Lin was puzzled upon hearing this, and hurriedly took out a document from his sleeve and handed it to Xiao Heng.

The above is Xie Xuan's governor's seal, which ordered all officials and people of Donghai Commandery to retreat south.

The person in charge of receiving the officials at Sikou was none other than Sun Wuzhong.

Xiao Heng calmly returned the document to Xu Lin.

"I see. Governor Xie is indeed far-sighted. So, what are Magistrate Xu's plans now?"

Xu Lin shook his head as he looked at Xiao Heng.

"I am in a difficult position. It is understandable that the people are reluctant to leave their homeland. However, Tan County is now isolated here, with few soldiers and generals. As a mere civil official, I am truly unable to protect the entire county!"

Xiao Heng also understood that there were many reasons why these people stayed; most of them would become refugees if they went to the south where they had no land to cultivate.

Moreover, Fu Jian's policies were quite good; these people living near the border would not leave unless absolutely necessary.

"I deeply appreciate Magistrate Xu's good intentions, but this is not the place to talk. Let us enter the city first and then discuss this further!"

"..."

Inside Tanxian County, lights were scattered.

The simple hospitality from the villagers, consisting of only coarse grains and hot soup, brought a long-lost warmth to the weary soldiers.

Xiao Heng was also respectfully invited into the county government office by Xu Lin and others, thus finding a decent place to stay.

That night, back in his quiet residence, Xiao Heng fell into deep thought.

During the day, Xu Lin's "Welcome, General!", the expectant eyes of the people of Tan County, and the trust that Han Yong, Captain Liu, and others had placed in him recently...

All of this was like a jar of potent liquor, slowly fermenting in his heart.

The taste of power, even if it's just a tiny bit, is enough to make one's heart race.

Looking back, all I did on my journey was run away, and in the end, I was welcomed into the city as "the king's army"...

"go back?"

Xiao Heng muttered to himself, "I'll probably go back to being Sun Wuzhong's 'Butler Xiao' again."

Unfolding the map, Xiao Heng's gaze fell upon Pengcheng, finally settling on the area around San'a and Xuyi.

Next, this will be the main battlefield for the Northern Army. I don't think I'll get any military merits if I go back. The next major battle won't be for several years.

His current location in Tanxian County is in an extremely delicate position!

"If... if Huainan is in chaos, and I'm in the rear, is there anything I can do?"

Tan County was the seat of the prefecture in Donghai, and further east was the location of Qu County (now Haizhou District, Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province)!

After much deliberation, Xiao Heng made up his mind. He decided not to go back. Instead, he would hide and wait until the two sides started fighting in San'a.

Just then, the book in his mind suddenly moved, and Xiao Heng hurriedly immersed his consciousness into it.

[Achievement Completed: Foothold]

[Historical Impact Assessment: You have gained public recognition from the local power structure and acceptance from a portion of the population. Your presence here has become a small but certain variable in this historical moment.]

[Actual control and stable occupation of the county-level administrative unit: Tan County (temporary)]

[Reward: 100 History Points]

Xiao Heng was stunned by this sudden information and reward.

This is more than what he gained from risking his life to change a single battle!

1 point for relaying orders, 5 points for offering advice in the tent, 12 points for organizing a defensive battle...

He knew that his points increased as he became more "involved" in history.

At this moment, he had only "gained a foothold" in a small town and gained nominal control, but his points were soaring exponentially!

"Occupy a state? This isn't asking me to sit at the table... it's asking me to overturn the table and start my own!"

Xiao Heng hesitated to think further, a thought he had had since his first use of a simulator.

But in subsequent simulations, he died at least eight or ten times.

This is the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a time when powerful clans ruled the land.

Who am I?

You want to establish a separate regime now? You're asking for death!

Following the old path of Beifu is safe, but the upper limit is no more than becoming the next Liu Laozhi, and perhaps even less than He Qian...

100 points for a city! That's too tempting.

"Looks like I can't overturn the table for now... but I'll have to pick the biggest piece of meat in my bowl first!"

The fervor in Xiao Heng's eyes faded, replaced by an unusual calmness.

Looking at the 100 points he had just received, he didn't hesitate at all and focused his mind on the grayed-out [Explore] function.

[Start the exploration]

The book shimmered with golden light, but instead of the usual text, a blurry image emerged.

The painting depicts the profile of a young scholar writing at his desk, exuding a calm and composed air.

The edge of the image shows land, the East China Sea!

There was also a clear "Xu" character that glowed slightly.

[Successful Exploration]

You have glimpsed key figures connected to the historical potential of this era.

[Exploration feature enters cooldown period: 30 days]

徐？

The Xu family of Donghai?

Xiao Heng tried hard to recall, and suddenly a person came to mind.

"Xu Xianzhi, Liu Yu's trusted minister who entrusted the care of the young emperor!"

Xiao Heng was completely flustered; it really felt like he was playing a strategy game.

There was no reason to go back this time, even if it meant disobeying military orders; this man had to be kept firmly under control.

The Fei River... the collapse of the Former Qin Dynasty... that was the moment when the world was truly reshuffled.

Before that, they had been building up their strength by leveraging the influence of the Northern Prefecture.

Xu Xianzhi was the first seed.

Soon, many names came to mind: Liu Yu, Liu Muzhi, Tan Daoji...

Xiao Heng's eyes changed as he firmly remembered these people.

I picked up paper and pen; I needed to write a letter to Sun Wuzhong. That guy should be promoted to general this time...

"To Sima Sun (personally):"

"After being ordered to escort the rear, Heng traveled to Lanling. Fortunately, his soldiers fought bravely and defeated three thousand Di and Qin cavalry on the way. However, he also suffered heavy losses. He originally intended to rest and regroup in Lanling before welcoming Sima, but the situation changed suddenly."

Xiao Heng omitted the part about capturing Deng Jing, knowing that this matter could not be left out, as it would likely become a handle for others to use against him if it were found out.

"Near Lanling, we have discovered the vanguard banners of Murong De's troops. Judging from their cavalry, which stretches as far as the eye can see, they number no less than five thousand! Furthermore, there are elite cavalrymen carrying the banners of the Imperial Guards patrolling the area. These are Fu Jian's personal troops, no small force. Judging from the direction of their advance, they do not seem to be heading towards our remaining troops, but rather directly south!"

"Heng's troops are exhausted and may not be able to withstand the enemy's attack. In order to preserve his strength, he has abandoned Lanling and retreated to Tanxian in Donghai. However, the enemy cavalry is pursuing him closely and relentlessly. In order to avoid getting burned and affecting the main force of the Northern Army, Heng has decided to lead his troops eastward tomorrow to retreat to Quxian and defend the city. This may draw away some of the pursuing troops and relieve some of the pressure on the southern front."

"If you receive this news, Sima, please take precautions immediately. Murong De and the Imperial Guards have arrived together; their ambitions are not small, and they may be heading straight for the Sikou camp! Heng is trapped behind enemy lines, and communication is difficult; his return date is uncertain. We can only do our best to maneuver. I hope you will not worry about him, Sima, but be careful in all matters, and I look forward to our early reunion!"

Xiao Heng bows respectfully!

After writing, he carefully blew the ink dry, sealed it, and sent it away overnight.

......