Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Sixteen warships sailed upstream, moving slowly northwestward like a city wall, leaving the Wu soldiers in the coastal camps dumbfounded.

Guanqiu Jian stood on the top deck of the fifth warship, taking in the entire situation and the state of the Wu army camp.

This is a medium-sized ship built by the Imperial Workshop of the Great Wei Dynasty. It can sail and carry cargo, and can carry up to 500 soldiers. It also takes into account both mobility and combat effectiveness.

Along the way, some Wu soldiers, defying orders, rowed their small boats towards the Wei warships, only to be slaughtered by the archers on the warships, who seemed to have singled them out. A few small boats that managed to get close to the warships were rammed and capsized before their soldiers could even board them.

The remaining ships panicked and fled, leaving the entire waterway to the Wei army's warships.

Objectively speaking, Sun Deng and his men only hesitated for three days after Long Bian received the news before setting out, which was not too slow. It was just that their forces were too dispersed and the vanguard and the rearguard were separated for one day during the march.

Guanqiu Jian was faster.

After capturing Xupu City, Guanqiu Jian pacified the local people and officials without committing any offenses. After only one night, the entire group quickly sailed north to Ding'an, a necessary stop on the way from Jiaozhi County to Jiuzhen. He also bribed a Jiuzhen County official with 100 taels of gold to report the military situation to the north, informing him that the Wei army had captured Xupu and was temporarily resting.

After Guanqiu Jian arrived in Ding'an, he temporarily relocated more than two thousand people in the city to the south for shelter, while preparing ambushes and pontoon bridges. He never expected that Shi Song and Huang Gai would be so foolish and unprepared, and that he would be ambushed in a way that resembled a classic military strategy.

Since the enemy was like this, Guanqiu Jian did not think twice. The next morning, he crossed the river and attacked them, and won a great victory. After the great victory, Guanqiu Jian only executed the officers in the army. He collected the weapons and leather armor of the remaining soldiers and sank them in the middle of the river. Then he drove them all to the other side and left them to fend for themselves.

As for the unfortunate Prefect of Rinan, Huang Gai, he was bound hand and foot and thrown onto a boat for guarding as a traitor. This man was, after all, a high-ranking official with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), and his crime of leading the entire prefecture in rebellion was grave. Guanqiu Jian planned to send him to Luoyang for public execution.

Apart from Shi Bao's two thousand soldiers, Guanqiu Jian's six thousand main force sailed up the river in tower ships, launching a surprise attack towards Sun Deng's rear army.

The ordinary soldiers of Jiaozhou had rarely seen warships, so they were terrified. But how could Sun Deng not have seen them before? Even in winter, the rivers in Jiaozhi County were wide enough for warships to sail. Guanqiu Jian's actions clearly showed that he was abandoning his own troops and heading straight for Longbian City in the rear!
Just as Sun Deng was calling on the generals to march back, before he had even finished packing up the military supplies in the camp, a messenger arrived from Chen Shi's camp, which was two miles behind him.

The envoy came not to discuss anything, but to bring news that Chen Shi was preparing to return with his troops!

On the one hand, Sun Deng was resentful of Chen Shi's wavering stance. On the other hand, as the emperor, he was different from the prefect and had no choice but to abandon Huang Fu's Hepu troops and the remnants of Shi Song's troops in his own camp, which made him increasingly passive.

As the Wei fleet gradually sailed away, Sun Deng finally managed to organize his troops to retreat, but unexpectedly, Shi Bao's two thousand troops pressed in from the rear.

Shi Song's remaining troops were a disorganized mess, and Huang Fu's Hepu soldiers were also easily frightened. These two armies together numbered about eight or nine thousand men. Sun Deng had to keep them in check and guard against an attack from Shi Bao's army in the rear, otherwise the consequences would only be more disastrous.

Meanwhile, Chen Shi's troops retreated swiftly, each carrying dry rations and abandoning their supplies, causing Sun Deng to become clearly separated from Chen Shi's forces.

From Ding'an to Zhuyuan County upstream, it was about forty li. Guanqiu Jian stopped briefly outside Zhuyuan County. Just after sending someone to take Zhuyuan City, he encountered the envoy sent by Chen Shi.

"Your subordinate pays respects to Lord Guanqiu! Prefect Chen has sent me to inquire after your health!" A young messenger in his early twenties knelt before Guanqiu Jian, kowtowing repeatedly.

Guanqiu Jian quietly scrutinized the man's face, and after a long while, he said in a deep voice, "I recognize you. You are called Chen Li, aren't you? When Chen Shi came to Panyu to see me before, he brought ten attendants with him, and you must have been one of them."

Chen Li grew increasingly flustered, not daring to raise his head, and replied, "My name is Chen Li, and I am a cousin of Prefect Chen. I trouble you, Lord Guanqiu, to remember my name."

"Enough with the nonsense!" Zhu Yi drew his sword and held it to Chen Li's neck, asking sternly, "What business does the traitor Chen Shi have with you here? If you're just here to bother me with nothing important, I'll cut off your head first!"

With a slight slash of his right hand, Zhu Yi cut a gash on the back of Chen Li's neck with the blade of the ring-pommel sword. Blood oozed from the wound and dripped onto the ground, leaving Chen Li almost completely limp.

Chen Li said with a sob in his voice, "Reporting to the magistrate, reporting to Lord Guanqiu! Prefect Chen said that yesterday Lord Guanqiu defeated the forces of Prefect Shi and Prefect Huang as if divine soldiers had descended from the sky. Everyone in the army was terrified. Prefect Chen would never dare to oppose Lord Guanqiu!" "Oppose me?" Guanqiu Jian snorted lightly.

Zhu Yi raised the knife in his hand, quietly changed direction, and gently struck Chen Li on the back of the neck with the back of the blade. Chen Li immediately collapsed to the ground, trembling like a leaf.

Seeing Chen Li's state, Zhu Yi immediately squatted down, grabbed the man by the collar, and shouted sternly, "Let me tell you, Chen Shi now only has two paths to take: either surrender or die!"

They actually surrendered?

Chen Li was overjoyed and begged for mercy repeatedly, indicating that Prefect Chen was willing to surrender.

Guanqiu Jian then spoke up, saying, "Chen Li, go back and tell Chen Shi that I will be waiting for him in Zhuyuan City. He should know my temperament after three years as the governor of Jiaozhou. Although I am magnanimous, if he does not arrive before sunset, don't blame me for not accepting him!"

"Yes, yes," Chen Li replied repeatedly.

Upon hearing Chen Li's words, Chen Shi hesitated and struggled to make a decision. Just as Chen Shi was caught in a dilemma and only wanted to protect himself, news arrived from the rear that Sun Deng was urging him to quickly seize Zhu Yuan City and build a camp. This finally made Chen Shi's mind more resolute.

This wasn't Sun Deng's first group of messengers today. The previous three groups either rebuked Chen Shi for retreating first, or criticized him for not carrying supplies, or urged him to march...

Chen Shi had already lost faith in Sun Deng.

Guanqiu Jian's words made him believe it to some extent.

With so many soldiers at his disposal, and the local area always needing governance, coupled with Guanqiu Jian's consistently perceived image as honest, kind, and almost pedantic among officials throughout the state... all of this made Chen Shi feel that it was worth a try.

Finally, with an hour left before nightfall, Chen Shi rushed to the outskirts of Zhu Yuan City. General Sima Shi, the commander of the army, personally greeted him, offering kind words and reassuring words before leading Chen Shi to the county government office within the city.

As soon as Chen Shi saw Guanqiu Jian, before he could even pay his respects, more than ten armored soldiers rushed forward from both sides and captured Chen Shi and his three attendants.

Chen Shi was extremely astonished. He looked at Guanqiu Jian, who had a cold face, and then at Sima Shi, whose expression had just changed. He asked in a shrill voice, "My lord! My lord! I have already surrendered, why have you captured me!"

Guanqiu Jian remained silent, standing with his hands behind his back, coldly staring at Chen Shi's face. Sima Shi then walked up to Chen Shi and said sternly:
"The Imperial Court has granted the Governor of Jiaozhou and General Guanqiu the authority to act on behalf of the emperor. Now, Chen Shi, the Prefect of Jiaozhi, has disregarded the nation's benevolence, rebelled, seized power, and harmed the people. His crimes are unforgivable, and his entire family should be executed. Now, by order of the Governor of Guanqiu, Chen Shi is to be executed here to uphold the law of the nation!"

"Execution!"

After saying this, an armored soldier next to Sima Shi drew a sword from his waist, held the hilt with both hands, and swung it down with great force, instantly beheading Chen Shi.

His head rolled to the ground, and crimson blood gushed out. When Chen Shi's head came to a stop, his eyes were still wide open, as if he were asking Guanqiu Jian and Sima Shi why they had broken their promise.

Sima Shi and Chen Shi locked eyes for a moment, then quickly looked away. Sima Shi then ordered his armored soldiers to kill Chen Shi's three attendants as well, and then bowed to Guanqiu Jian, saying:
"General, there is still an hour before nightfall. Chen Shi's remaining troops are leaderless, and their officers have all joined the rebels. Many of them are also Chen Shi's clansmen, so it is difficult to persuade them. Why not send troops to attack them as a punishment?"

Guanqiu Jian nodded, pointed at Pu Zhong, and calmly said, "General Pu, lead your two thousand troops, and I will give you another two thousand soldiers. Charge at the rebels outside the city! Those who do not surrender can be killed as a warning to others!"

"Your subordinate obeys! General, please wait for me to return to the army." Pu Zhong clasped his hands in response and then strode out.

Within about fifteen minutes, Pu Zhong led his troops out of the city in single file, arrayed in formation, and charged southward, the shouts of battle filling the air. (End of Chapter)