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

Chapter 118 (Not good, recommended to skip) Hua Xin's escape, Lujiang Uprising

There's no need to dwell on the past. If we keep reminiscing about it, Sun Ce will come and join us in the reminiscing.

Taishi Ci wiped the blood from his face and planted his twin halberds on the steps: "My lord, do not panic! I have another plan. Sun Ce's army is likely small in number because they are launching a surprise attack on the city. I will lead you out of the city!"

Taishi Ci had fought Sun Ce for several years and knew Sun Ce and his men's methods all too well. For Sun Ce, as long as Hua Xin was captured, the rest of Yuzhang Commandery could be pacified with a simple proclamation.

Therefore, Sun Ce's strategists would never give them a chance to escape. Most of the key roads in the city would be ambushed, and at this point they had even begun to try to control the city gates!

"My lord! It will be too late if we don't leave now!" Taishi Ci knelt on one knee, his wounds still bleeding, his voice hoarse, "As long as you can escape, this humble general is willing to fight to the death to cover our retreat!"

Hua Xin did not answer. He stood up and sat upright at the table, his fingers constantly rubbing the bronze seal engraved with the four characters "Prefect of Yuzhang". His sideburns were messy, but his spine was still straight, and his eyes were filled with struggle.

"Ziyi, get up." His voice was very calm: "I am the Prefect of Yuzhang, personally appointed by the Emperor of the Han Dynasty. I receive the Han's salary and guard the Han's land. Now that the city is about to fall, if I abandon it and flee, how am I any different from those Yellow Turban rebels who collapse at the mere sight of me?"

"You lead your soldiers to break through the encirclement; I will stay here and perish with Nanchang City."

"My lord! Times have changed!" Taishi Ci suddenly looked up, his eyes red-rimmed. "Do you think staying here will preserve your integrity? Who is Sun Ce? If he captures you, he will tie you up under the city walls and force all the counties to surrender! Of the six counties of Yuzhang—Nankang, Poyang, and Luling—which one will resist after you've been captured? In less than three days, the entire Yuzhang will be flying the Sun family's flag!"

For Taishi Ci, he simply couldn't imagine what it would be like for his superior to become a gatekeeper.

"No! I am the prefect appointed by the court. How can I just flee in such a panic? Don't worry about me being coerced by Sun Ce. I have already committed a capital offense for failing to protect this region. Now I will die to repay His Majesty."

To Taishi Ci's surprise, the most difficult part of the operation was not the subsequent escape, but rather persuading his superior to retreat.

Historically, Hua Xin surrendered without a fight because he knew he couldn't defeat Sun Ce even if he resisted. Here, however, Hua Xin had poured countless efforts into Yuzhang to achieve its current prosperity, only to have it all destroyed by Sun Ce. This heavy blow left Hua Xin feeling utterly despondent. Therefore, at this point, Hua Xin was reluctant to leave.

"My lord! It is easy to die for one's principles, but difficult to preserve one's benevolence!" Taishi Ci interrupted mercilessly, pointing outside the prefectural government office, and said earnestly, "You may die and preserve your reputation. But then what? Sun Ce can still send out a proclamation and pacify Yuzhang, and the flames of war will engulf the entire region! The people of the entire prefecture, the rice paddies of the ponds, will all be reduced to ashes! My lord, do you intend to use death to evade your responsibility to protect the land and its people?"

"I—" Hua Xin stammered, her whole body trembling violently. Using death to escape responsibility was, in a sense, a form of suicide out of guilt. But suicide out of guilt sounded far worse than martyrdom, and Hua Xin found it hard to accept.

Seeing this, Taishi Ci softened his tone, but became even more earnest. He knelt on one knee, clasped his hands, and said, "My lord, please forgive my rudeness! Today's retreat is not for survival, but for the sake of the world! By retreating to Chaisang, relying on Liu Bei, and joining forces with Huang Zu's navy, we can contend with Sun Ce, preserve the vitality of Yuzhang and the Han Dynasty! When we return one day, we can rebuild the jars and pots that have been broken today! But if our foundation is broken, we will have nothing!"

"This... never mind." After a long while, Hua Xin finally relented, and Taishi Ci also showed his first smile after a night of fighting. Although the situation was critical, at least it was no longer deteriorating.

Persuading Hua Xin only secured a chance of survival. To turn that chance into reality, they needed to fight their way through Nanchang City.

Taishi Ci knew that since Sun Ce was determined to win, there must be an ambush inside the city. He chose the most unexpected route: instead of heading straight for the nearest south or east gate, he would instead cut in the opposite direction, using the city's complex alleyways to circle around to the northwest towards Zhangmen. That was not the main direction of attack, and its defenses were probably the weakest.

However, just as they rushed out of the burning streets and entered the relatively open western market, a clear and melodious copper bell rang out in the night.

"Taishi Ziyi, Zhou Yu has been waiting here for a long time!"

The once silent houses on both sides were instantly illuminated by torches, reflecting the cold arrows of countless archers. Zhou Yu, dressed in a brocade robe, sat calmly on his horse in the middle of the street, his expression serene, as if he had already anticipated their demise. He lightly raised his riding whip, like a musician about to strike the conductor's baton.

"Form ranks! Guards, advance! Fight to the death!" Taishi Ci's pupils constricted sharply as he roared, his spear already in hand.

He knew that hesitation at this moment would mean total annihilation.

Taishi Ci's personal guards raised their shields, protecting Hua Xin's carriage in the center. Like a small boat in a storm, they struggled forward. With each step, someone was struck by an arrow and fell, their blood quickly staining the bluestone slabs red.

Taishi Ci, like a streak of black lightning, broke away from his main force and charged alone towards Zhou Yu! He was going to take a gamble, executing the classic decapitation tactic. If he could disrupt Zhou Yu's command structure, the ambush would crumble!

"Protect the general!" The valiant soldiers beside Zhou Yu swarmed forward.

Taishi Ci wielded his twin halberds like a black dragon emerging from the sea, slashing, cutting, sweeping, and chopping with each strike accompanied by a sharp, piercing whistle. He carved a bloody path through the crowd, heading straight for Zhou Yu! His only goal was to force Zhou Yu to retreat, even if it was just one step, as that would create a gap in the formation!

Zhou Yu frowned slightly, clearly not expecting Taishi Ci to dare to counterattack his master even in such a disadvantageous situation. His guards rushed forward desperately, swords and spears raised, trying to stop this god of death.

Just as Taishi Ci was locked in combat with Zhou Yu's guards, the real danger came from the flank and rear!

"Taishi Ci! Prepare to die!"

A loud shout, like a thunderclap, rang out! Sun Ce! He had actually come personally from the main attack direction! He knew Zhou Yu's plan was ingenious, but with a fierce general like Taishi Ci, only his personal intervention could ensure victory.

Sun Ce's army surged like a dragon, his long sword slashing down towards Taishi Ci's back with the force of splitting mountains and cleaving peaks! This strike, imbued with all his anxiety and rage, was faster than the eye could perceive.

Zhou Yu had ambushed them from the front, and Xiang Yu was chasing them from behind!

In a flash, Taishi Ci displayed the full potential of a top-tier warrior. At the critical moment, he abandoned his suppression of the enemy in front of him, exerted force from his waist and abdomen, and twisted his entire body at a large angle on his horse, changing his hand halberd from a forward slash to a rear parry!

"clang-!!!"

A deafeningly loud bang exploded!

Swords and spears clashed, sparks flying like fireworks! Taishi Ci felt an irresistible force coming from the halberd shaft; his tiger's mouth instantly split open, blood gushing out, and his entire right arm felt numb and on the verge of breaking. His warhorse neighed in agony, its hooves buckling, nearly collapsing to its knees.

"That scoundrel Sun Ce—what strength!" Taishi Ci leaned back on his horse, suppressing the metallic taste rising in his throat, and uttered in a hoarse voice. This hard-fought battle made him clearly aware of the gap between himself and Sun Ce, who was in perfect condition.

"Taishi Ci! Why resist stubbornly? Why not submit to me and work together to achieve great things!" Sun Ce reined in his horse, his eyes burning with both admiration for heroes and a determination to succeed.

Taking advantage of the brief moment while he was speaking, Taishi Ci suddenly kicked the horse's belly. The injured warhorse unleashed its last bit of strength, not charging towards Sun Ce, but instead ramming past two enemy soldiers blocking its path and rejoining its own crumbling circular formation.

"No need. The Han Dynasty has generals who would rather die than generals who surrender."

"Walk--!"

He didn't turn back, roaring furiously, pointing one finger towards Zhangmen. The remaining soldiers unleashed their last bit of courage, braving the arrows, and used their bodies to break through the slightly relaxed encirclement caused by Sun Ce's arrival.

"Chase!" Sun Ce's face darkened, and he swung his long sword forward.

But it was Taishi Ci's desperate charge and brief conversation that bought Hua Xin's carriage a precious few dozen breaths of time. By the time Sun Ce and Zhou Yu's troops regrouped and pursued them, Taishi Ci and his party had already broken through Zhangmen Gate and disappeared into the boundless darkness outside the city.

Sun Ce reined in his horse beneath the city gate, gazing at the darkness that had swallowed Taishi Ci's retreating figure, and did not order a further pursuit. He knew that with the waterways crisscrossing the city and the night so dark, a complete success was unlikely.

Zhou Yu rode up to his side and said softly, "Bo Fu, the troops of Yuzhang Commandery have been eliminated. Although Hua Xin and Taishi Ci have escaped, these two are now like stray dogs and are unlikely to amount to anything. The most urgent task is to stabilize Nanchang City and consolidate the gains of this battle."

Sun Ce did not answer him. He just stared silently at the dark city gate with a dejected expression, unable to utter a single word.

Zhou Yu walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "Bo Fu, we have won."

"Yes, we've finally won!"

The words were kind, but there was no smile on Sun Ce's face. For these riches, he had lost nearly a thousand men, all of whom were key members. Taishi Ci's actions had truly injured Sun Ce's army.

Hua Xin and Tai Shi Ci suffered a major economic blow and may have to spend a long time recovering. However, their personal connections were not damaged, and it was only a matter of time before they recovered.

Sun Ce's situation was different; his predicament was far worse. Although he fought a brilliant battle, he suffered heavy losses. To put it bluntly, he traded the lives of his men for so much spoils.

But in any case, he was victorious; at least his empire wouldn't collapse so soon after it was established.

Although the letter requesting help from Liu Biao reached Xiangyang unimpeded, in terms of its effectiveness, it would have been better if it had never been delivered at all.

At least that way I won't be disappointed.

Because Cao Cao once again stirred up trouble in Jingzhou, Liu Biao, as the head of the family, was well aware of his own situation: his vassals were all self-reliant and held considerable military power, completely disregarding him. The characteristics of Jingzhou can be summarized in one sentence:

They are good at maintaining the status quo, but lack ambition.

If Cao Cao really wanted to attack Jingzhou, these vassals would only provide him with all support except for military aid.

Now that Cao Cao has made his move, Liu Biao has no choice but to follow suit.

At the same time, Cao Cao's large-scale military activities made Zhang Xiu, Lü Bu, and Liu Xun very nervous, all fearing that Cao Cao was coming for them. Although Cao Cao had lost face badly when he attacked Zhang Xiu, he was still the leading warlord in the Central Plains, and he could easily crush them with a little effort.

However, Cao Cao's actions also had an unexpected consequence: Liu Xun of Lujiang mobilized a considerable amount of troops to defend against the potential arrival of a large army.

As it turns out, when you're weak, whatever you do is a mistake.

This wave of public opinion exhausted the last bit of patience the people of Lujiang had for Liu Xun, and the already heated public sentiment boiled over at this moment.

The first fire was started in a village called Shiting, west of Wancheng.

The cause was pitifully simple. Several soldiers from Liu Xun's army, tasked with requisitioning grain, barged into an old farmer's house, intending to take away the last half-sack of millet he had hidden in the stove pit—the millet he had saved to make porridge for his grandson, who was suffering from a persistent high fever. The old farmer knelt on the ground, kowtowing, blood seeping from his forehead, mingling with dirt and tears. The soldier, impatient, kicked him away, and the old farmer's head slammed heavily against the stone mill in the corner of the yard; he never got up again.

His son, whose father had just died, grabbed a wood-chopping axe and, with bloodshot eyes, chopped into the soldier's nape.

In the chaos, torches ignited the thatched roof.

The towering flames and the stench of blood did not attract a government crackdown; instead, they acted like a clarion call, igniting the despair suppressed in countless hearts. Tenant farmers whose land deeds had been confiscated for their inability to pay taxes, parents who watched helplessly as their children starved to the point of exhaustion, all stepped forward. They surged in from all directions, initially looting the weapons and food bags left behind by the grain-collecting soldiers. Then, someone hoarsely shouted, "Rob the rich people! We're all going to die anyway!"

The crowd surged like a flood bursting its banks, rushing towards a local strongman's fortified village that had once relied on Liu Xun for hoarding and speculation.

Chaos began from there.

Initially, this was merely a riot driven by the desire to survive. The refugees stormed government granaries and wealthy households, seeking only to seize the food necessary for their survival. Upon hearing the news, Liu Xun was furious, regarding it as a minor ailment, and dispatched a thousand-strong army to quell the rebellion. He believed that once the army arrived, the rabble would naturally disintegrate.

Indeed, it was just as he had thought. These starving people were no match for the army, and the unrest was quickly quelled. However, in order to establish their authority, the government troops beheaded several captured rebel leaders in front of the enemy lines and massacred the entire village, regardless of whether they had participated or not, sparing no women or children.

These people's original intention was to intimidate the people and prevent them from causing trouble. But this atrocity was like pouring water into a boiling oil pan, making the situation even more difficult to control.

The people are not afraid of death, so why threaten them with death?

When people are driven to the brink, they are capable of anything.

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