Fight to the end when the military strength is 1 : 0-1.5 and do not accept the peace agreement. As long as the IQ is normal or higher, can play games, never lose.
When > ≠1.5, try to account for more interests before the peaceful negotiation.
When > ≠3.5, the earlier the peace negotiation, the better.
After all, not all battles can be fought by highly skilled players, and each NPC or soldier is not as tough as the player.
So, the outcome depends on the situation.
And, TW is definitely not 996.