My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

In the summer of the fifth year of Jian'an (200 AD), in Jiaozhou, at the foot of Jiaozhi City.

The sun was blazing overhead, and the heat was stifling.

Zhou Yu's 50,000-strong army completely surrounded Jiaozhi City. Banners blotted out the sun, camps stretched as far as the eye could see, and horns sounded incessantly. On the city wall, Liu Bei, his face pale, gazed at the black tide below, his hand gripping his sword trembling slightly.

It's been three months.

Three months have passed since Zhou Yu's army entered Jiaozhou and now they are at the city's gates. Liu Bei has used the natural defenses and miasma of Jiaozhou to mount a series of resistances and blockades. But Zhou Yu is too formidable. He always finds weaknesses, always manages to bypass treacherous passes, and always achieves the greatest results with the least cost. Cangwu is lost, Yulin is lost, and Hepu is lost. Now, only Jiaozhi remains.

"My lord," Jian Yong rushed over, his voice hoarse, "our provisions are only enough for ten days, and our arrows are almost gone. The soldiers... their morale is low."

Liu Bei closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had long known this day would come. But he hadn't expected it to arrive so soon.

"Where is Bo Fu?" he asked.

Jian Yong said, "General Sun is currently inspecting the city walls."

Liu Bei nodded and strode up the city wall.

On the city wall, Sun Ce, clad in silver armor and wielding a long spear, gazed towards Zhou Yu's camp outside the city. His expression was calm, but beneath that calm lay an unfathomable resolve. Hearing footsteps, he turned and, seeing Liu Bei, clasped his hands in greeting, "My lord."

Liu Bei walked to his side, looked out of the city, and said softly, "Bo Fu, how much longer do you think we can hold out?"

Sun Ce was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "If Zhou Yu launches a strong attack, it will take at most three days."

Liu Bei smiled wryly: "Three days...and then what?"

Sun Ce did not answer. He knew, of course, what would happen in three days. The city would fall, the people would die, and everything would end.

"My lord," he suddenly spoke, "you may leave."

Liu Bei was taken aback.

Sun Ce turned around and looked at him, his gaze calm and firm: "Jiaozhi cannot be defended. You shall take the remaining troops and head south. Jiuzhen, Rinan, and Shi Xie's old troops may be able to hold out for a while. I will stay behind to cover your retreat."

Liu Bei shook his head: "No. We'll go together or stay together."

Sun Ce smiled slightly: "My lord, we both know that if we try to leave together, neither of us will escape. I still have eight thousand men under my command, enough to hold off Zhou Yu for three to five days. If you take this opportunity to break out to the south, there might still be a glimmer of hope."

Liu Bei looked at him, his eyes slightly red: "Bo Fu..."

Sun Ce waved his hand, interrupting him: "No need to say anything. My life was given to me by you, my lord. Returning it to you today is my way of repaying the favor."

He turned around, looked towards the north towards Shuntian, and murmured, "Father, your son has come to be with you."

Liu Bei remained silent for a long time before finally gritting his teeth and saying, "Fine. This general... will go."

He gave Sun Ce a deep look, then turned and walked down the city wall.

Behind him, Sun Ce stood on the city wall, watching him leave.

That night, at the south gate of Jiaozhi City.

Liu Bei led three thousand remaining soldiers out of the city quietly. There were no torches, no horns, only the echoing of horses' hooves in the night. Sun Ce stood on the city wall, watching the departing troops, speechless for a long time.

"General," the lieutenant whispered, "Liu Bei is gone."

Sun Ce nodded, his gaze deep and thoughtful: "It's good that they're gone. Only now that they're gone can we fight with all our might."

He turned to face the defenders on the city wall and proclaimed loudly, "Soldiers! Lord Liu Bei has broken through the siege to fetch reinforcements. Our mission is to hold Jiaozhi and await his return!"

The soldiers guarding the city walls exchanged bewildered glances; some believed him, some didn't. But Sun Ce didn't care. He only needed them to hold out for a few more days.

"Send the order to gather all the grain, provisions, and weapons in the city at the governor's mansion," he said in a low voice to his deputy. "Then, burn it all down."

The lieutenant was shocked: "General! That's our last..."

Sun Ce waved his hand, interrupting him: "Burn it. Only take three days' rations. I want Zhou Yu to know what it means to fight with your back to the river."

The lieutenant was silent for a moment, then clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes, sir!"

The next morning, at Zhou Yu's camp.

A scout rode swiftly to report: "Grand Commander! Liu Bei broke through the south gate last night and fled south! Sun Ce is leading eight thousand men to defend Jiaozhi to the death!"

Zhou Yu frowned and looked at the map: "Where did Liu Bei escape to?"

The scout reported, "Heading towards Jiuzhen."

Zhou Yu pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Order Zhang Liao to lead the navy south along the coast to intercept Liu Bei. Order Zhang Fei to lead the infantry in pursuit, and make sure to block Liu Bei at Jiuzhen. Yuwen Chengdu—"

Yuwen Chengdu stepped forward: "Your subordinate is here!"

Zhou Yu looked at him, his gaze deep: "Sun Ce is yours. Capture him alive."

Yuwen Chengdu clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes, sir!"

At sunrise, beneath the walls of Jiaozhi City.

Yuwen Chengdu led ten thousand elite cavalry, arrayed below the city walls. Astride his Red Hare, wielding his phoenix-winged gilded halberd, he looked up at the silver-armored figure atop the city walls and proclaimed loudly, "Sun Bofu! The imperial army is pressing in, and Jiaozhi, this isolated city, is difficult to defend. The Grand Commander has ordered that if you open the city gates and surrender, your life will be spared!"

Sun Ce stood atop the city wall, sneering, "Yuwen Chengdu, your father also died at the hands of Ji Xuanyuan. Why are you willing to become Ji Xuanyuan's lackey? I would rather die than surrender!"

Yuwen Chengdu's expression remained unchanged; he simply said, "Then I must offend you."

He raised his phoenix-winged gilded halberd and swung it down fiercely.

"Attack the city—!"

Bugles sounded, war drums thundered. Ten thousand elite cavalry surged towards the city walls like a tidal wave. Squadrons were erected, arrows rained down like locusts. From the city walls, logs and stones tumbled down, and scalding oil poured out. Screams, battle cries, and the clang of metal echoed through the sky.

Sun Ce personally supervised the battle, and no one could stop his spear. He was covered in blood, but he still gritted his teeth and refused to retreat.

"General!" The lieutenant rushed over, his face covered in blood. "The brothers can't hold on much longer! The food and weapons are all burned, there are no reinforcements, no supplies..."

Sun Ce stabbed an enemy soldier who had climbed onto the city wall with his spear, and hissed, "We must hold on, even if we can't! Hold on for one more day, and that's one more day!"

The lieutenant, with tears streaming down his face, turned and charged back into the battle.

Three days and three nights.

On the walls of Jiaozhi, corpses piled up like mountains, and blood flowed like rivers. Of the original eight thousand defenders, less than three thousand remained. Sun Ce was covered in wounds, an arrow in his left arm and a knife wound in his right leg, yet he still stood atop the wall, leaning on his spear.

"General!" The lieutenant staggered in, "Brothers... we're almost all gone..."

Sun Ce gazed at the vast, dark mass of troops below the city and suddenly smiled. In that smile lay bitterness, sorrow, and a hint of relief.

"Pass down the order," he said, his voice hoarse, "open the city gates. I intend to... break out."

The lieutenant was taken aback: "General, which way should we break out?"

Sun Ce did not answer. He simply gripped his spear tightly and strode down the city wall.

The city gates were wide open, and Sun Ce led his last eight hundred cavalrymen into Zhou Yu's camp.

He didn't head south or north, but charged straight towards the central army—where Zhou Yu's command flag was.

Eight hundred cavalrymen, like a sharp dagger, plunged fiercely into the enemy ranks. Arrows rained down like locusts, and swords and spears lashed out like a forest. Men around him fell one after another, but Sun Ce did not turn back. In his eyes, there was only that commander's banner.

"Sun Bofu is here—!" he roared hoarsely, his spear sweeping across, none could stand in his way.

But just then, a crimson figure blocked his way.

Yuwen Chengdu.

He rode on Red Hare, his halberd adorned with phoenix wings and gilded ornaments. He looked down at Sun Ce from his vantage point, his gaze calm and serene.

"Sun Bofu," he spoke, his voice low but clear enough to reach Sun Ce's ears, "you have no way out. Surrender."

Sun Ce sneered: "Yuwen Chengdu, you think you've won?"

He spurred his warhorse and thrust his spear straight at Yuwen Chengdu!

Yuwen Chengdu's expression remained unchanged as he lightly parried with his phoenix-winged gilded halberd.

"clang!"

Sun Ce felt a tremendous force surge through him, and his spear nearly slipped from his grasp. He gritted his teeth and steadied himself, thrusting again, only to have it parried once more. The third thrust, the fourth thrust… each one was easily deflected by Yuwen Chengdu. Meanwhile, the web of his own hand was already cracked, and blood flowed down the shaft of his spear.

Ten.

In just ten exchanges, Yuwen Chengdu brought down his halberd, and Sun Ce could no longer hold onto the spear; the shaft flew out of his hand. He fell from his horse and crashed heavily to the ground.

Several soldiers rushed forward and pinned him down.

Sun Ce struggled, roaring hoarsely, "Kill me! Kill me!"

Yuwen Chengdu dismounted, walked up to him, looked down at him with a complicated expression.

"Tie him up. Escort him to Shuntian."

"promise!"

Shuntian, the Yan Mansion.

A few days later, Sun Ce was taken to Shuntian.

Ji Xuanyuan sat in his study, a victory report sent by Zhou Yu spread out before him. After reading it, he remained silent for a long time before handing the report to Guo Jia.

"Fengxiao, look! Sun Ce has been captured."

Guo Jia took the document, glanced at it, and said softly, "My lord, Sun Ce is Xiang Yu's sworn brother. If we kill him, I'm afraid..."

Ji Xuanyuan waved his hand, interrupting him: "I know. I don't want to kill him either."

He stood up, walked to the window, looked out, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "But if he is willing to surrender, I will not treat him unfairly. If he is unwilling to surrender..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Guo Jia understood what he meant.

The Jinyiwei prison.

Sun Ce sat in his cell, disheveled and covered in wounds. His hands were chained and his feet were shackled, but his back was ramrod straight and his eyes were piercing.

The cell door opened, and Ji Xuanyuan walked in.

Sun Ce raised his head, looked at him, and sneered, "The Duke of Yan has personally come to visit me in prison. What merit do I, Ce, possess to deserve this?"

Ji Xuanyuan stopped in front of him, looked down at him, and said calmly, "Bo Fu, your father and I were old acquaintances. Back in Luoyang, the four of us swore an oath before the Luo River to support the Han Dynasty. Your father was a hero, and I have always respected him."

Sun Ce gritted his teeth: "Respect? You killed him, and you still talk about respect?"

Ji Xuanyuan shook his head: "I did not kill your father. He was harmed by the powerful families of Jiangdong. I simply failed to save him."

Sun Ce was taken aback.

Ji Xuanyuan continued, "I'm not here today to argue with you about these things. I only ask you one question—are you willing to surrender?"

Sun Ce stared at him, his gaze sharp as a knife: "I will not surrender."

Ji Xuanyuan's expression remained unchanged: "Don't you think about your men? If you surrender, I can spare their lives."

Sun Ce sneered: "If they surrender, that's their prerogative. I will not surrender."

Ji Xuanyuan was silent for a moment, then said, "Don't you think about your younger brother Sun Quan? If you surrender, I can let him inherit the Sun family's legacy."

Sun Ce shook his head: "Quan has his own path. I can't interfere with that."

Ji Xuanyuan looked at him, his gaze complex: "Bo Fu, you are a hero. I do not wish to kill you."

Sun Ce smiled. In that smile, there was relief, sorrow, and a hint of inexplicable liberation.

"Lord Yan, I know you mean well. But my father died at your hands. If I surrender, how can I face my father in the afterlife?"

He paused, then said, "I only ask one thing of you, Lord Yan."

Ji Xuanyuan nodded: "Go ahead."

Sun Ce said, "My subordinates are all brothers who have followed me for many years. They were just following orders and have not committed any serious offenses. I beg the Duke of Yan to show mercy and spare their lives."

Ji Xuanyuan remained silent for a long time before slowly nodding: "This general agrees to your request."

Sun Ce bowed deeply: "Thank you, Lord Yan."

Ji Xuanyuan turned and walked out of the prison. Behind him, Sun Ce sat in the darkness, his face calm.

That night, at the Yan Duke's residence.

Ji Xuanyuan sat alone in his study, a cup of wine laid out before him. It was poisoned wine, prepared for Sun Ce.

Guo Jia entered and said softly, "My lord, Sun Ce would rather die than surrender. Xiang Yu has already sent someone to plead for his life."

Ji Xuanyuan shook his head: "I have already given him a chance. If he does not surrender, I cannot let him live."

He picked up the cup of wine and handed it to Guo Jia: "Take this to Sun Ce. Tell him that I respected him as a true man and am seeing him off on his final journey."

Guo Jia accepted it, remained silent for a moment, and then turned and left.

The Jinyiwei prison.

Sun Ce took the cup of wine, glanced at it, and smiled slightly.

"I appreciate Lord Yan's kindness."

He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

A moment later, his body began to tremble, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Yet he still stood tall, his eyes blazing.

"Father..." he murmured, "your son has come to be with you..."

His hand slowly fell to his sides.

In the summer of the fifth year of Jian'an, Sun Ce died in Shuntian at the age of twenty-six.