Han Ji

An old Taoist priest knelt down and trembled before Liu Bei.

"We, the sinners... beg the general... to spare the people of this city!"

Liu Bei glanced at Zhang Jiao on the wooden couch.

He had seen that face countless times in portraits; now, its eyes were wide open, and it died with its eyes wide open, unable to close.

"Bury him," he said, handing the box back to him. "Bury him along with the body. No grave, no tombstone."

The old Taoist priest was stunned, then kowtowed repeatedly, crying out, "Thank you, General! Thank you, General!"

Guan Yu whispered, "Brother, this man is a notorious bandit; his head should be sent to the capital."

"Death absolves all debts." Liu Bei turned around. "He wreaked havoc on the world when he was alive, but now that he's dead, let him rest in peace."

As I walked out of the prefectural governor's residence, the rain stopped.

The setting sun peeked through the clouds, casting a crimson glow on the blood-soaked street.

On the top of Guangzong City, the banner of the Heavenly General was cut down and thrown off the city wall.

A Han flag was slowly raised.

When Lu Zhi rode into the city, the entire city knelt down.

That night, the good news was sent to Luoyang by express courier.

Over eight months, they fought across thousands of miles, killing and capturing more than 300,000.

The ringleaders of the Yellow Turban Rebellion have been executed.

News of the fall of Guangzong City reached Yangcheng on the third day.

Yangcheng was much smaller than Guangzong, with low city walls and a garrison of less than 20,000. Zhang Bao had been trapped there for three months, with no food or reinforcements, and his soldiers could only drink a bowl of thin porridge each day.

Zhu Jun besieged the city with great patience. He did not launch a direct attack, but instead conducted daily drills outside the city, beating drums and shouting slogans, and occasionally sent small teams to launch feint attacks to deplete the defenders' arrows and morale.

Zhang Bao attempted to break through the encirclement several times, but was driven back by a hail of arrows.

On the tenth day of the tenth month, Zhang Bao was inspecting the city wall when he suddenly saw a cloud of dust rising from the official road to the south.

A troop of cavalry galloped in, the riders holding aloft a black flag with a large commemorative character for "victory" embroidered on it.

He was a messenger who brought good news.

The cavalry bypassed Yangcheng and headed straight for Zhu Jun's camp. Moments later, a deafening cheer erupted from Zhu Jun's camp.

Zhang Bao's heart sank.

His trusted confidants scrambled up the city wall, their faces deathly pale: "General Guangzong... Guangzong has fallen! General Tianzong... has passed away!"

Zhang Bao's vision went black, and he only managed to stay upright by grabbing the edge of the stack.

"Big brother!" he murmured.

"The government troops are celebrating in their camp, saying... saying Yangcheng is next!" The confidant's voice trembled. "General, what... what do we do?"

Zhang Bao looked at the endless military camps outside the city, and then at the emaciated soldiers inside the city.

It’s over.

He knew it was all over.

With his elder brother dead, the spirit of the Yellow Turbans dissipated. Even if he could continue to defend the region, for whom would he be defending it?

"Go," he said hoarsely, "and summon Yan Zheng."

Yan Zheng was Zhang Bao's most valiant general and his confidant. He came from a hunter's family, was exceptionally brave and fierce, but also had a violent temper.

A moment later, Yan Zheng arrived. He was not tall, but he was as strong as iron, and he had a scar on his face that ran from the corner of his eyebrow to the corner of his mouth.

"General."

"Yan Zheng," Zhang Bao looked at him, "how many years have you been following me?"

"Three years," Yan Zhengdao said. "I've been following the general since the uprising at Julu."

How have I treated you?

"Your kindness is as heavy as a mountain."

Zhang Bao nodded, took out a jade pendant from his pocket, and stuffed it into Yan Zheng's hand: "Take this with you. Tonight, break through from the east gate. Go to Xiaquyang to find Zhang Liang and tell him that Yangcheng cannot be defended, so that he can make plans as soon as possible."

Yan Zheng was stunned: "General, then you..."

"I can't leave." Zhang Bao smiled bitterly. "Zhu Jun is keeping a close eye on me. If I make a move, the whole army will collapse. You're skilled in martial arts; you might have a chance to sneak out at night."

"I won't leave!" Yan Zheng knelt down. "If I'm going to die, I'll die with the general!"

"Foolish!" Zhang Bao shouted, "If you live, you can still leave a spark for the Yellow Turbans! If you die, there will be nothing left!"

Yan Zheng's eyes were red, and he remained silent.

Zhang Bao softened his tone: "Yan Zheng, I'm begging you. Take this jade pendant with you. When you see Zhang Liang, tell him that the three of us brothers have done right by the Way of Peace."

Yan Zheng gripped the jade pendant tightly, kowtowed three times, and then got up and left.

At midnight, Yan Zheng, accompanied by thirty personal guards, quietly slipped down the east city wall.

They rappelled down with ropes, lay prone in the grass after landing, and waited for the patrol team to pass before crouching down and groping eastward.

Just as they were about to slip out of the encirclement, a fire suddenly appeared ahead.

Dozens of torches were lit simultaneously, illuminating an open space. In the center of the open space, Zhu Jun stood on his horse, sword drawn, coldly watching them.

"Yan Zheng," Zhu Jun said, "I have been waiting for you for a long time."

Yan Zheng felt a chill run down his spine, drew his sword, and roared, "Charge out!"

Thirty men rushed towards the government troops.

Arrows rained down from all sides, and his personal guards fell one after another. Yan Zheng swung his sword to parry the arrows and charged toward Zhu Jun, but he was tripped by a tripwire and fell. Before he could get up, several spears were already pressed against his throat.

Zhu Jun dismounted and walked up to him.

"Zhang Bao wants you to go to Xiaquyang?"

Yan Zheng gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Zhu Jun searched his pocket and took the jade pendant out, looked at it, and put it into his sleeve.

"Take it back."

Yan Zheng was tied up like a rice dumpling and taken back to the camp.

Zhu Jun did not return to his own tent, but went to the military supervisor's camp, where another person was imprisoned: Sun Jian.

Sun Jian, courtesy name Wentai, was a native of Wu Commandery and was in his early thirties. He was appreciated by Zhu Jun for being the first to scale the city walls during the Battle of Wancheng and was transferred to Zhu Jun's command as an assistant military officer. He was brave and fierce, but also had a violent temper. A few days ago, he was punished by Zhu Jun with confinement for pursuing fleeing soldiers without authorization.

When Zhu Jun entered the tent, Sun Jian was dozing against the wall.

"Wendai."

Sun Jian opened his eyes, stood up, and clasped his hands in greeting: "General."

"Your confinement is now over." Zhu Jun sat down. "I'm giving you a chance to atone for your sins."

"Please give your orders, General."

Zhu Jun tossed Zhang Bao's jade pendant to him: "Tonight at midnight, take this to Zhang Bao. Tell him that Yan Zheng has been captured and has confessed that he intended to send an envoy to request reinforcements. If he opens the city gates and surrenders, I can spare his life. If he refuses, we will attack the city tomorrow and leave no one alive."

Sun Jian accepted the jade pendant: "This humble general obeys the order."

"Remember," Zhu Jun stared at him, "only persuade him to surrender, do not use force."

"This subordinate understands."

At 11:45 AM, Sun Jian rode alone to the east gate of Yangcheng, raised his jade pendant, and shouted a message.

The soldiers guarding the city wall dared not make a decision on their own, so they reported it to Zhang Bao.

When Zhang Bao climbed the city wall and saw the jade pendant, his expression changed.

"Where is Yan Zheng?"

"They're in my camp," Sun Jian announced loudly. "General Di Gong, Guangzong has fallen, and General Tian Gong has passed away. Yangcheng is an isolated city; how many more days can it hold out? General Zhu respects you as a hero and is willing to give you a way out: open the city gates and surrender, and you can save your life."

Zhang Bao remained silent.

The night wind made the torches flicker.

After a long silence, he finally spoke: "Is Zhu Jun really willing to spare me?"

"General Zhu's word is as good as gold."

Zhang Bao laughed, a chilling laugh: "Spare me? I, Zhang Bao, have roamed eight provinces, killing countless government troops. Would the court spare me? Even if Zhu Jun were willing, what about those eunuch faction members in Luoyang? What about the upright officials? They'd love to tear me to pieces!"

Sun Jian frowned: "General."

"Go back and tell Zhu Jun," Zhang Bao interrupted him, "I, Zhang Bao, would rather die standing than live on my knees!"

Having said that, he turned and left the city.

Sun Jian returned to camp and reported. Zhu Jun, upon hearing this, simply said, "What a pity."

The following morning, Zhu Jun ordered a general offensive.

Catapults breached the eastern city wall, and government troops swarmed in. Zhang Bao led his personal guards in a desperate battle, fighting and retreating until they finally reached the prefectural governor's residence.

The mansion was empty, with only a few dozen old subordinates remaining.

"Gentlemen," Zhang Bao said, sword in hand, covered in blood, "we will die together today, and on the road to the Yellow Springs, we will be brothers again!"

The crowd raised their knives: "We'll die together!"