Traveling back in time to Liu Feng, starting with rescuing soldier Guan Yu.

Chapter 124 Yu Jin Surrenders

The flames surged in the night, turning the entire camp a fiery red. The Wu army's defeat was out of control; soldiers from all camps abandoned their helmets and armor and fled wildly toward the ferry crossing to the north. Horses trampled over wounded soldiers blocking their path, and supply wagons were pushed over and trampled on by the roadside.

The cries, the neighing of horses, and the crackling sound of flames devouring timber blended together, turning this military camp, which had not long ago been shrouded in banners, into a living hell.

Surrounded by his personal guards, Sun Quan had retreated to the north gate of the camp. His golden armor was covered in dust, and his blue eyes were filled with resentment and humiliation.

Han Dang rode up, a corner of his white beard singed, and hissed, "My lord, retreat quickly! This humble general will cover the rear!"

Sun Quan gripped his whip tightly, glanced back at the sea of ​​fire, and saw the camp he had thought was already his, now turning to ashes in the flames.

He suddenly shouted sternly, "Where is Yu Jin?"

Yu Jin rode out from the routed soldiers, his face covered in gunpowder smoke, a corner of his white beard singed. He dismounted and knelt before Sun Quan, his voice hoarse and heavy: "Your subordinate is here."

Sun Quan looked at him, his gaze as cold as a knife: "I entrust you with the task of covering the rear. Lead your surrendered troops, hold the crossing, and cover the retreat of the main army. If you can retreat with the entire army intact, I will credit you with the greatest merit."

The deputy general behind Yu Jin's face changed drastically. He couldn't help but step forward to say something, but Yu Jin stopped him by raising his hand.

Hold the ferry crossing? He could use these emaciated, sallow-faced surrendered soldiers, who had been used as human shields for days, to fend off Liu Feng's ravenous forces.

Master? Let alone the greatest merit, even ten lives wouldn't be enough to save one of your lives.

This was a suicide mission, and all the generals in the tent knew it.

TA

Quan Cong stood on his horse beside Sun Quan, a faint, cold smile playing on his lips. Zhu Huan turned his gaze elsewhere, remaining silent.

Yu Jin knelt on the ground, his back trembling slightly. He recalled the military council a few days ago, in which he had questioned Quan Cong in front of all the generals, saying that if the surrendered soldiers were treated this way, how could they not harbor rebellious intentions?

Quan Cong's answer at that time still echoed in my ears: "Even if they want to rebel, what waves can they stir up?" Now, Quan Cong's sneer is the best explanation. From beginning to end, he and his surrendered soldiers were just discarded pieces in this game of chess.

Yu Jin slammed his forehead heavily on the ground, his voice hoarse and aged: "This humble general obeys the order."

Sun Quan no longer looked at him, turned his horse around, and galloped northwards surrounded by his personal guards. The tide of fleeing soldiers surged past him, and the firelight reflected on his receding figure, staining his golden armor blood red.

Yu Jin stood up, looked at the sea of ​​fire and the fleeing soldiers surging in from all directions, and remained silent for a moment.

He then mounted his horse and said to his deputy, "Order the troops to form ranks at the ferry crossing."

His voice was calm, almost numb. The lieutenant opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end only clasped his hands in obeisance and accepted the order.

The surrendered soldiers from the north gathered their remaining troops from the routed army. These emaciated former soldiers of Cao Wei managed to form a haphazard line amidst the chaos, their shields tattered and their spear shafts stained with mud and blood.

Some were coughing softly, others were tightening their loosened armor ropes with trembling hands, but no one ran away. They remained standing there, because it was the only thing they would do, and because behind them was the ferry crossing, crowded with Wu soldiers scrambling to escape, with not a single boat left for them.

When Liu Feng led his iron cavalry out of the sea of ​​fire, the sky was already beginning to lighten with the pale dawn.

The Jade Lion Horse, bathed in sweat, had its snow-white mane smoked gray by the gunpowder smoke. Eight hundred iron cavalry followed closely behind, their horseshoes striking the rammed earth with a dull thud, and the undried blood on their lances dripping slowly down their shafts.

Kou Wei led the Wancheng camp to close in from the right flank, while Deng Ai's militia encircled from the left flank. The three armies, like iron pincers, trapped Yu Jin's remnants on a riverbank in front of the ferry.

Liu Feng reined in his horse and looked around.

There were still about ten thousand surrendered soldiers lined up on the riverbank. Although their formation was scattered, it had not collapsed. Most of them were emaciated and their armor was tattered. Many of them wore old armor in the style of Cao Wei, the plates rusted and worn, which they had worn for more than a year in the Jiangling prison. Their shields were covered with old marks from sword and axe cuts, and their spear shafts were blackened by sweat. Some of them were barefoot on the cold river pebbles, their toes frozen purple.

Behind them was the Liuyang River ferry crossing, where fleeing soldiers were scrambling for the boats. The gangplank was overturned, and many people were pushed into the water and drowned. Cries and the sound of falling into the water rose and fell.

These more than 10,000 surrendered soldiers stood quietly on the riverbank, neither fleeing nor surrendering. They simply gripped their weapons and stared blankly ahead. They had nowhere to escape. The ferry behind them belonged to the people of Jiangdong, and the path to survival in front of them belonged to the Shu Han army. They were nothing.

Yu Jin stood on horseback at the front of the formation, his white beard fluttering slightly in the morning breeze. Behind him was the tattered banner bearing the character "Yu," its edges charred black, yet still stubbornly fluttering in the wind. Beneath the banner were over ten thousand numb and weary eyes, reflecting the firelight, the morning light, and the desolate figure of this old general.

"Yu Jin is here!" he shouted, his hoarse voice echoing across the riverbank, drowning out the distant sounds of battle and the clamor of the ferry crossing. "Where is Liu Feng?!"

Liu Feng dismounted, handed his spear to his personal guard, and walked alone to the front of the two armies. The morning light shone on his young face, and the bandages under his ribs showed faint traces of blood, but his steps were as steady as ever. He stopped twenty paces in front of Yu Jin and clasped his hands in a salute.

"General Yu, how have you been?" Liu Feng's voice was not loud, but every word was clear and steadily carried across the entire riverbank.

Yu Jin didn't answer, only looking at Liu Feng. This young man was more composed and sharper than he had expected. Liu Feng's finger traced the still-burning camp behind him, then pointed to the fleeing Wu soldiers scrambling for their lives at the ferry crossing. His tone was as calm as if he were stating something perfectly ordinary: "These northern lads behind you, General, have been used as human shields by Eastern Wu for days, suffering heavy casualties, running out of food, and lacking proper armor. Today, Sun Quan has ordered you to cover the rear, but not a single officer in the entire camp has stood up to say a word for you. You know perfectly well that this is using you and the more than ten thousand lives under your command as pawns. Back in Fancheng, when Lord Guan flooded the seven armies, you surrendered to save the lives of your three armies. The lives of those thirty thousand surrendered soldiers were the infamy you bore alone."

He took a step forward, his tone suddenly becoming sharp and earnest.

"What does the old general intend to do with these ten thousand-plus northern soldiers today? Let them clean up the bones of the one who abandoned you?"

Buried on this nameless riverbank?

Yu Jin's hand holding the knife trembled slightly.

Every word Liu Feng said felt like a stab to an old wound in his heart.

"I, Liu Feng, am not Sun Quan."

Liu Feng raised his voice a notch, making sure the surrounding surrendered soldiers could hear him clearly.

"If you, General, are willing to surrender, none of your ten thousand-plus soldiers will be killed or dishonored. Those who wish to stay will be incorporated into the Han army, treated the same as our soldiers, sharing the same rations, pay, and uniforms. Those who wish to return home will be given travel expenses and will be allowed to return home on their own without any difficulty. As for you, General—"

He paused, his tone softening, but becoming more somber.

"You've fought for most of your life, from the north to Jingzhou, from Cao Wei to Eastern Wu. Your military prowess shouldn't be buried in a precarious Jiangdong camp. I, Liu Feng, will reserve a place for you in Linxiang City."

The riverbank fell silent, even the distant clamor of the ferry crossing seemed to fade into the distance. A morning breeze blew from the Liuyang River, gently ruffling Yu Jin's white beard. He remained silent for a long time, so long that his adjutant behind him couldn't help but whisper, "General."

He slowly turned his head and looked at the more than ten thousand pairs of eyes behind him. They were looking at him, those old subordinates who had endured more than a year in the Jiangling prison and had been used as human shields by Sun Quan for several days, those emaciated, ragged men from the north who still held weapons and stood behind him, all of them were looking at him.

Yu Jin closed his eyes and recalled his glorious military achievements in the first half of his life, as well as the raging flood outside Fancheng that submerged the seven armies.

Then he opened his eyes, dismounted, and unfastened the ring-pommel sword from his waist, holding it flat with both hands. He had done this twice before: the first time outside Fancheng, facing Guan Yu, and the second time inside Jiangling, facing Lü Meng. Each time felt like a piece of flesh being ripped from his body. But this time, his back was straighter than the previous two times.

"I, Yu Jin, am willing to lead my 11,000 men to surrender to General Liu."