The Three Great Han Dynasties: Awaken Liu Bei with a scolding; you weave mats and sell sandals.

"That's fine then."

Zhang Jiao nodded, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.

Zhang Liang nodded slightly, and Zhang Bao also shut his mouth, saying no more.

Then, on the appointed day...

On July 12th, the city gates of Julu County slowly opened.

Without losing a single soldier or causing further bloodshed, Zhang Jiao, the world-renowned Yellow Turban leader, along with his brothers Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao, dressed in plain clothes, slowly walked out of the city gate, willing to surrender to the Han Dynasty.

Only then was a corner of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which had swept across the land, truly quelled.

"Today, my two brothers and I are willing to return to the Han Dynasty and surrender all our Yellow Turban followers to Lord Liu's command, so that we may serve the Han Dynasty and bring peace to the world with utmost loyalty."

Zhang Jiao slowly walked out.

At this moment, however, his face was as pale as paper, and his body was so thin that he looked as if a gust of wind could blow him over. He looked like he didn't have much time left to live, and he was already at the end of his life.

……

Seeing Zhang Jiao's emaciated appearance, a trace of melancholy flashed in Liu Hong's eyes.

Zhang Jiao could have enjoyed wealth and honor by relying on the prestige of Taoism, but he insisted on taking the path of rebellion.

I suspect that in private, countless members of the aristocracy were mocking his foolishness, laughing at him for sacrificing his future for those "lowly people".

Is it really worth it?

This is a very philosophical question, but it is one that Liu Hong cannot answer at this moment.

It's because if he were in Zhang Jiao's position, he would never have done such a thing.

The surrender negotiations were quickly finalized. Late that night, outside Zhang Jiao's bedroom, Zhang Liang, Zhang Bao, Zhao Yun, and Dian Wei stood guard. Liu Hong approached him alone and softly asked the question that had been lingering in his mind: "Do you regret it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiao, after several days of recuperation, had recovered somewhat, but it was absolutely impossible for him to ride a horse and fight again for the rest of his life.

It would be an immense blessing to be able to heal this broken body. As for other matters, I have no energy to think about them for the time being.

"well……"

Zhang Jiao sighed softly, his eyes cloudy yet filled with a stubbornness. "If Lord Liu were in my position, I believe he might have done the same thing."

"I won't."

Liu Hong spoke with absolute certainty.

He has a clear understanding of himself.

He is a rather selfish person; the survival of his family and himself is always his top priority.

Even though Liu Hong gave such a straightforward answer, Zhang Jiao still smiled slightly and said with certainty, "Liu Gonghui will, he definitely will."

I can see that Liu Gong is the same kind of person as me, so he will ultimately make the same choice.

Faced with this reply, Liu Hong closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment.

After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes and gave an answer: "You really overestimate me."

If I really knew how, I should have helped you back then, instead of choosing to turn a blind eye.

I chose my family, not the common people of this world.

Even so, Lord Liu has already done enough.

Zhang Jiao gently shook his head, his voice weak yet clear: "The essence of a gentleman's conduct lies not in his words, but in his actions."

In his words, Liu Gong may have been hypocritical; but in his actions, our Taiping Sect may have been far inferior to Liu Gong.

Upon hearing these words, Liu Hong remained silent once again.

Imagine a great idealist appearing before you.

His faith was pure, his ideals were compassionate, and his methods, though perhaps radical, were not without purpose, yet the final result was utter defeat.

Failure itself is not wrong; what is wrong is what happens after failure.

He stubbornly believes that you are just like him, with the same concern for the world.

Liu Hong simply couldn't accept this belief with a clear conscience at this moment.

He can be selfish, but he must never be shameless or have no bottom line.

Take Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Liu family, for example. Although he could do many things that were considered "shameless" by the world, when it came to fighting for his life, he was a true man.

Otherwise, why would so many old brothers in Pei County follow him so wholeheartedly?

It was precisely because he did what most people wanted to do but dared not do that he was able to unite people's hearts.

Liu Hong turned and left the bedroom, his eyes now filled with a resolute look.

He stopped in front of the gatehouse and, in front of Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao, made his promise, word by word: "As long as the Liu family of Youzhou is still alive, all the Han people in the world will be subjects of the Liu family; this wish for peace will be fulfilled by the Liu family for you."

Upon hearing this, the two men trembled and then nodded emphatically.

Subsequently, a small portion of these Yellow Turban rebels chose to disband and return to their hometowns; while those who wished to stay joined the Liu family of Youzhou.

Liu Hong planned to disperse them to various military camps for reorganization and training, so that they would first understand which side they belonged to, and only then could they accomplish something truly great.

"Thank you, Mr. Liu."

Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao bowed deeply to Liu Hong, their eyes filled with gratitude and relief.

Liu Hong nodded secretly, and then left Julu County.

The day for the triumphant return to the capital had been delayed for a long time, and the palace envoys had come to urge them twice.

If he were to urge him a third time, it would be a sign of taking advantage of his favor, and Liu Hong would certainly not allow that to happen.

So every time.

He gave the eunuchs who came to urge him a large sum of money, hoping they would say a few good words for him before the emperor.

Now it seems that everything is developing as Liu Hong predicted.

The next morning, Zhang Rang came in person, his face plastered with a fawning smile: "General Liu, Marquis Weining. Otherwise, I'll just say the word: Weining has officially returned to the capital. Right now, His Majesty, the Empress, and the Empress Dowager are all waiting in Luoyang. If you, General, don't return at this crucial moment, His Majesty and the Imperial Family's reputation, and other matters, must be taken into consideration."

At this moment, Zhang Rang was genuinely concerned for Liu Hong, which is why he spoke these heartfelt words.

Otherwise, constantly asking for money is actually his usual behavior.

Liu Hong glanced at Zhang Rang a few more times and could probably tell whether he was sincere or not.

Emperor Liu Hong of Luoyang had already shown great sincerity by sending this eunuch, with whom he had a deep friendship, to the capital.

"it is good."

Liu Hong nodded. "Please let Lord Zhang know that the reason I, Liu Hong, have lingered in Julu for so long is to stabilize the people's livelihood here and for the sake of the Han Dynasty. I have absolutely no selfish motives."

"When you arrive in Luoyang in the future, please ask Lord Zhang to explain this matter to His Majesty."

Hearing Liu Hong's words, Zhang Rang, though not particularly concerned, had his eyes light up instantly when he saw the heavy gold that Liu Hong had brought him. At the same time, he couldn't help but sigh: "The General is utterly loyal to His Majesty, and His Majesty naturally knows this in his heart."

But ultimately, His Majesty also has to consider the officials in the court; his heart is filled with bitterness.