He originally intended to surrender to Wei, so why did he end up restoring Han?

Chapter 115 Ji Ling's Imminent Fate

Throughout the journey, Ji Ling pondered whether he should bravely sacrifice himself, because he was truly unsure of what Liu Bei and his men were thinking.

When he first came in, he couldn't wait to die. He even wondered if Yuan Shu would build him a cenotaph if he ever ascended the throne. Would he commemorate him and remember him? How would his family live after he was gone? Would his wife remarry?

This question remained like a boulder pressing on Ji Ling's chest.

He also wanted to write a few poems to express his determination not to defect to the enemy, but after picking up the pen, he didn't know what he wanted to write, so he had to give up in the end.

As the days went by, his suicidal thoughts gradually faded. Now, every day brought new things and new changes, and honestly, he didn't want to die anymore; he felt he hadn't yet experienced enough of the beauty of the world.

But if he were really to die, he would never wag his tail and beg for mercy.

The warden's office is a bit far from the prisoners' dormitory, and the route passes through several areas such as the playground and the canteen.

Although the sun was shining today, it only made Ji Ling feel colder.

"We've arrived. The warden is inside. You may go in."

After the guard brought Ji Ling to the door, he opened it for him.

Ji Ling stepped inside, several questions swirling in his mind. What would the warden do to him? Would he allow him to end his own life with some semblance of dignity?

To his surprise, the warden smiled at him upon seeing him and gestured for him to sit down. Ji Ling, believing his life was about to end, steeled himself and decided to show his courage, sitting boldly opposite the warden.

Seeing his expression, the warden didn't sense anything amiss and said gently, "Ah, you've come. These are the things we found on you when we captured you. Check if anything is missing."

The warden took out a cloth bag with Ji Ling's name written on it. When he opened it, he found a seal and a jade pendant, which were the things that had been taken from him. Ji Ling had thought that these had become someone's spoils of war.

However, Ji Ling didn't care about these little odds and ends. They were just useless things anyway, so she wouldn't feel bad about losing them.

However, the warden's action left him completely bewildered: "Warden, what's going on?"

"Your sentence is over. Congratulations! You're free starting tomorrow. We've also informed your family; if they haven't moved, they should receive the news soon."

The sudden news left Ji Ling dizzy. Released from prison? Could he be released too? This news was truly shocking. Logically speaking, even if he wasn't killed, he should have been imprisoned for life, or at least for several more years.

"Warden, this—how is this possible?"

Hearing Ji Ling's incredulous tone, the warden smiled and replied, "Why do you think it's impossible? This place isn't some mythical creature that can come in and naturally leave."

"During your time in the management office, you have made almost no mistakes, your reports are well written, and your understanding of mistakes is quite accurate."

"This is also thanks to yourself. In the war between Liu and Yuan, you did not do too many heinous things."

"You do bear some responsibility for the war, but you are not the principal offender, so our army can be lenient with you. As long as you do not oppose our lord again, we will remain friends."

Ji Ling suddenly didn't know what to say. Since his capture, he hadn't thought he'd have a good ending, yet now he'd been forgiven so easily. A complex mix of emotions wove together a thousand words, all of which boiled down to one sentence: "Brother, thank you."

"Brothers? Yes, we are all subjects of the Han Dynasty. Aren't we brothers under the same roof? It's normal for brothers to quarrel sometimes. As long as we correct our mistakes, we are still brothers."

The warden clearly agreed with Ji Ling's word "brother." If everyone in the world could regard each other as brothers and sisters, there would probably be no more wars.

The conversation had reached a point where the atmosphere was quite relaxed. The warden chatted with Ji Ling, talking about the Han Dynasty before the Rebellion of the Ten Eunuchs and about his hometown. After a while, the warden took out a cloth bag.

Upon opening it, I found some green dates.

"This is a specialty from our hometown, Langya. Want to try some?" After saying that, the warden picked up a green jujube and ate it himself. "Oh my, I didn't expect that after so long, the jujubes from my hometown are still so sweet."

Ji Ling also picked up a green jujube, put it in her mouth and took a bite. The sweet taste slowly permeated Ji Ling's heart, making her recall her old home in Langya, which was somewhat vague in her memory.

Ji Ling's initial wariness had vanished, and she began to actively inquire about the warden's personal information: "Is the warden also from Langya?"

The warden's tone remained gentle, showing none of the sternness he displayed when criticizing Chang Xi: "Yes, our whole family has lived in Langya since ancient times, so we can be considered Langya people. However, due to the war, our family was scattered."

"To be honest, I originally wanted to escape to Jiangdong to avoid the war, but the war between Sun Ce and Liu Xun made it impossible for me to cross the Yangtze River, so I ended up stopping here in Xuzhou."

"I see." Ji Ling nodded thoughtfully, then continued to inquire, "Does the warden plan to bring his family over later?"

"Well, my brothers are all in Jingzhou right now, and I feel it's not right to leave them there all alone. The future of Jingzhou also seems a bit dangerous."

The warden didn't say much on the topic, and Ji Ling knew not to pry into everything, so she didn't ask any further questions.

Seeing the awkward silence, the warden changed the subject and asked Ji Ling about her future plans: "By the way, have you thought about what you want to do after you get out?"

Ji Ling shook his head with a mixture of joy and bewilderment. He still felt a sense of unreality; he couldn't even speak properly, let alone think about the future.

The warden shook his head. Ji Ling's value was beyond that of ordinary people, and the higher-ups were not willing to release him to add a young and strong laborer to the world.

The people above had their eyes on Ji Ling because he had once led the Northern Army of the Imperial Court, was familiar with the training methods and battle formations of regular troops, and was especially familiar with the tactics against Cao Cao. These were all valuable experiences that Xuzhou lacked at the moment.

Therefore, the warden's current task is to try his best to win over Ji Ling and make him an instructor at the military academy.

The warden was a smart man. He knew that given Ji Ling's temperament, he would most likely be unwilling to surrender to Liu Bei directly. Even if forced, Ji Ling would probably only go through the motions. Only by using gentle methods could Ji Ling truly demonstrate his abilities in teaching the trainees.

"That won't do. Yuan Shu has been buried for a long time now. If you go back to Huainan, you'll probably have a hard time. If we let a prisoner reform but don't give him a chance to participate in a new life, wouldn't that be a dereliction of duty on our part? Do you want me to introduce you to a job?"

"No need, no need. You've already gone to so much trouble. I plan to make some plans about work after I bring my family from Huainan over."

The warden nodded. Ji Ling had been imprisoned here for almost a year, and counting the time he spent in the dungeon before that, it had been at least two years. It was understandable that he hadn't contacted his family for so long. Especially since Ji Ling had given away all 40,000 troops for nothing, Yuan Shu hated Ji Ling to the core.

Yuan Shu, a cruel and ungrateful man, would not treat Ji Ling's family kindly out of consideration for Ji Ling's past service to him. It was only because Yuan Shu suddenly died and subsequently descended into chaos in Huainan that Ji Ling's family escaped persecution. Even so, Ji Ling's family now lives in dire poverty and desperately needs financial support.

"Okay, I understand now. How do you plan to bring them over?"

"Walk there?"

The warden stared wide-eyed at Ji Ling in astonishment and said, "You mean you're going to walk across the no-man's land of Huainan?"

"That area suffered a once-in-a-century drought last year, and all the people have fled! There's no one for miles around. Are you really going to go through here?"

Ji Ling agreed. The mortality rate seemed a bit high if they walked back like that, and dying like that would be too shameful. It was only slightly better than some powerful emperor marching in the sweltering heat, going into a river to bathe because he couldn't stand the heat, and accidentally drowning himself.

"I think you should contact your family first to let them know you're safe and not worry. Then find some work here to earn some money and try to find a caravan to pick up your family."

The warden's words were clearly heartfelt, because that was also his intention.

He glanced at Ji Ling's face; she was already deep in thought. The warden knew that saying too much might offend Ji Ling, so he stopped there and changed the subject again: "Take your personal belongings back. When you get back, pack what you need to take. After breakfast tomorrow, you'll go through a check here and then you can leave. Don't worry about work; go back and think it over carefully."

Ji Ling nodded as if waking from a dream, bowed to the warden, and turned to leave.

Unlike when she left, when Ji Ling returned, her steps were light and powerful, as if she had suddenly become several years younger.

The walls that used to seem so high and oppressive now look quite beautiful, like soldiers standing guard for him.

The sunlight felt warm on her skin, and Ji Ling even felt a little hot. Perhaps spring came earlier this year than usual, Ji Ling thought to herself.

As soon as Ji Ling opened the cell door, Wang Si and Chang Xi stood up and looked at him. They pondered one deduction after another in the room, only to refute them themselves. Finally, the two went directly to Ji Ling's room, wanting to ask him face-to-face what had happened. However, considering that Ji Ling's journey was likely fraught with danger, they ultimately just looked at him silently.

Ji Ling was surprised that his two friends would be waiting for him in his room, so he went up to them and gave each of them a bear hug.

Before the two could even begin to ask questions, he started talking to himself: "Changxi, although you have no real skills and don't respect anyone, thinking you're someone important, you actually have no opinions of your own. You believe whatever others say."

"But I admire you for being willing to stay here as a prisoner to support your boss. I hope you can continue to do so in the future."

Upon hearing this, Chang Xi's eyes widened, ready to erupt. Ji Ling's words had somewhat broken his defenses. However, Ji Ling didn't look at him anymore, but instead turned to Wang Si and said, "Wang Si, I hope you can change your temper in the future. Everyone here knows each other, and they all give in to you when there's a dispute. But outsiders might not necessarily go along with your wishes."

"Although I still don't really support your idea of ​​writing, and you don't look like someone who can write well, since you have this idea, go for it boldly and don't care too much about what others think."

"That bastard!" Wang Si's lips twitched incessantly. He was also about to lose his temper, but Ji Ling's behavior today was really strange, so Wang Si held back.

Ji Ling was unaware that his heartfelt advice was completely ignored by others.

After he finished speaking, he walked around the room twice, as if trying to memorize everything. Seeing the lockers where his personal belongings were kept, he turned around and said, "Take everything from my locker. I won't need it anymore, so consider it a keepsake."

"Ji Ling, what are you doing—"

This sounds more like an explanation of one's last possessions—

What's wrong with Ji Ling? She went to the office and came back like a different person. Just now she was arguing with them, but now she's completely subdued.

Ji Ling had no idea what others were thinking. He was just a little happy, but he was afraid that if he showed it too much, he would offend the two of them. He bit his lip and finally said what was on his mind: "I'm leaving."

"What?"

Ji Ling's words immediately made the two of them exclaim, "Leaving?" This meant that Ji Ling was going to—

If Wang Si and Chang Xi only had some suspicions when they saw the guards suddenly take Ji Ling away, Ji Ling's words now confirmed their suspicions:

Ji Ling is going to be executed.

Ji Ling, standing to the side, sighed and said, "What is destined to happen will happen eventually. When a person's time comes—"

"Is the appointed time approaching?"

Ji Ling, who was interrupted, was not annoyed. She glanced at the two of them and continued, "—You can be reborn and embrace a new life."

Changxi and Wang Si both choked up a little. They had been friends for so long, and although they argued every day, it didn't affect their friendship.

How can one not feel sad when someone is about to pass away suddenly?

Wang Siqiang, feigning composure, asked, "How much time do you have left?"

"Oh, that means until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Wang Si and Chang Xi exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes. Was Liu Bei's method of execution as swift and decisive as their army's?

You mean you'll just kill him right away if I say so?!

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