Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 15 Everyone must die.
"what!"

Taishi Ci looked up in surprise and saw that the banner with the character "Liu" fluttering on the city wall had been replaced with the glaring character "Yuan".

At the crenellations of the city wall, archers stood in formation, all aimed at him, the tips of their arrows gleaming with a chilling light.

"How could this be? This..."

Taishi Ci's knuckles were white from gripping the spear so tightly. He still vividly remembered the scene before his departure, when Liu Yao personally helped him up in the Agao Hall in Nagqu, held his hand tightly, and, against all odds, entrusted him with all the elite troops, saying: "I will fight to the death, and my life is in your hands."
Who would have thought that overnight, the situation would change so drastically? Taishi Ci narrowly escaped death and was now in such a sorry state, while Liu Yao had lost Qu'a and his fate was unknown.

"This humble general underestimated the enemy and acted rashly, thus endangering our lord."

Yuan Shu narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the figure standing proudly with his body taut below the city walls, and chuckled softly.

Why is Ziyi so late?

He raised his wine cup slightly in a gesture, and a cloud of dust rose up all around, accompanied by the thunderous sound of horses' hooves from all directions.

Seeing that their forty-eight riders were surrounded by ten thousand troops, everyone panicked, but Taishi Ci remained calm and fearless, looking up at Yuan Shu.

"Where is my lord, Liu Yao?"

Seeing his white robe stained with blood, exuding the aura of a renowned general, Yuan Shu had no reply, but nodded and said, "Good warrior, would you like to drink some wine?"

As he spoke, a rider on horseback came out of the city and threw a pot of wine at Taishi Ci.

"We would not even shy away from death, so how could we dare not?"

Ci raised his hand to take it, filled the pot to the brim, and threw it on the ground.

"Truly a brave warrior! Ziyi, are you willing to surrender to me?"

"I have been ambushed and am no match for your skills! Kill me or torture me as you please, what makes you talk about surrendering?"

Seeing his loyalty and righteousness, Yuan Shu didn't say much. He only ordered his soldiers to escort one person to the city wall. In the flickering firelight, he saw a terrified face, which was none other than Liu Yao!

All that could be heard was his timid voice, trembling as he cried out:

“Ziyi, surrender. Lord Yuan has promised that he will spare my life if you surrender. Do not act rashly.”

"Should our lord endure this humiliation?"

Below the city, Taishi Ci saw that Liu Yao, who had been angrily rebuking his ministers in Qu'a not long ago, had fallen to such a state in just one night. He felt both ashamed and angry at Liu Yao's lack of self-control.

“A true man dies when he should, what is there to fear? Why should you, my lord, beg him?”

When Liu Yao heard this, he almost wanted to curse. I didn't feel insulted at all!
They had advised me to surrender before, but you, Taishi Ci, insisted that you could fight. I really believed your lies. If I had known I couldn't win, I would have surrendered instead.

"Taishi Ziyi, why don't you surrender? Do you really want to take my life?"

"My lord, this..."

His sharply defined face was filled with conflict, as loyalty and integrity weighed against each other in his heart. Just then, Yuan Shu shook his head and sighed.

"Well done, Taishi Ziyi. I won't force you today. If you can defeat this great general beside me, I will let you and Liu Yao leave."

"Is this true?"

"You have no joke!"

"it is good!"

Taishi Ci had no time to care about Yuan Shu's overstepping of bounds; he simply stood with his spear at the front of the battle line, shouting, "Come and fight!"

Yuan Shu looked at Xu Chu beside him, "Ziyi is proud and unwilling to submit. Can Zhongkang win him over?"

Seeing that Yuan Shu had placed such trust in his martial prowess in this first battle at Yuan's camp, entrusting him with such an important task, Xu Chu also wanted to show his worth and gave a respectful bow.

"Rest assured, my lord. If you wish to release Liu Yao, I, Chu, will bring you my head!"

Before long, Taishi Ci saw a "Xu" character at the front, and the leader rode up on horseback. He was imposing and had a broad back and a thick waist. Who else could it be but Xu Chu?

"The general will be named!"

"I am Xu Chu, Xu Zhongkang, under Lord Yuan's command! Enough with the words, today I will make you dismount and surrender!" Before the words were finished, a cold light flashed, and a large sword made entirely of fine iron, exuding a heavy and oppressive aura, rushed straight at his face.

"Well done!"

Taishi Ci charged forward with his spear, and the two fought for over a hundred rounds without a clear victor. However, Taishi Ci was exhausted from the repeated battles, and his horse was also weak. Xu Chu was incredibly strong, and when he swung his sword down, Taishi Ci tried to block with his spear. But his horse couldn't keep up and stumbled into the middle of the formation, whereupon Taishi Ci was captured.

They brought him to the city wall, and Liu Yao, seeing this, hesitated to speak, then let out a long sigh, "Ziyi has ruined me!"

Taishi Ci was so ashamed that he almost wanted to disappear. Yuan Shu saw this, went down the steps, personally untied him, and took off his outer garment to put it on him.

Taishi Ci stepped back and refused, looking at him with surprise. "I have not surrendered yet, but Lord Yuan has humbled himself and personally untied me. Could it be that he also has the strength of Xu Zhongkang?"
Aren't you afraid that Ci might suddenly attack and capture you, allowing me and my lord to escape?"

"If Ziyi was not afraid when I offered him wine just now, why should I be afraid?"

Yuan Shu stepped forward again to untie him, his actions intimate and without any fear.

“Ziyi is a loyal and righteous man. If he loses, so be it. A true man is destined to die. Why would he compromise his integrity to live on?”

Seeing his words and actions, Taishi Ci's surprise deepened. "Today, I see that Lord Yuan is quite different from the rumors."

“What a hero Ziyi is, serving such a weak and incompetent ruler as Liu Yao for so long. It is such a pity that a hero like you, General, is buried in Qu’a.”
As the saying goes, "A bird that chooses its tree will find a good one, and a minister who chooses his lord will find a wise ruler. Ziyi, you have witnessed this today. Are you willing to surrender to me?"

Seeing that his gaze kept glancing at Liu Yao in the corner, Yuan Shu patted his back and offered words of comfort.

"Today's defeat is not your fault. Liu Yao is not a wise ruler. Even without your ambush, Taishi Ziyi, could he have defeated me?"

As he spoke, he sighed as if he were experiencing the same thing himself, "Very well, then let this fulfill your loyalty and righteousness!"
Liu Yao, a traitor, is a member of the imperial clan who has usurped power in Jiangdong. I am acting on the Emperor's orders to punish him. Although I cannot release him, I can send him to Chang'an to await the Emperor's judgment. I believe the Emperor is magnanimous and, considering his kinship, will grant him a lenient sentence.

Taishi Ci was stunned upon hearing this and looked up at him in disbelief.

"If that is truly the case, Ziyi is willing to surrender!"

“Of course it is true! How can Liu Yao’s life compare to Ziyi’s loyalty and righteousness?”

"How dare a defeated general accept such kindness from Lord Yuan? What virtue or ability do I possess to repay such kindness without sacrificing my life?"

He was the governor of Yangzhou, a member of the Han imperial family, while I was just a minor military officer in the eyes of the world.

Thinking back to his youth when he thought he could serve the country with a three-foot-long sword and martial prowess, and looking back on his journey, how could Taishi Ci not be moved by the scorn and cold treatment he suffered because of his family background?

He clasped his hands in a fist salute and knelt on one knee!

"Having spent half my life wandering, I have never met a wise ruler. Now, thanks to your kindness, I am willing to serve under your command and serve you like a dog or a horse!"

"With Ziyi's help, our great undertaking will be accomplished!"

Yuan Shu invited him to his residence and hosted a banquet, but Taishi Ci declined the invitation and bowed deeply.

"I wonder about the matter of Lord Liu being escorted to Chang'an?"

"Are you in such a hurry that Ziyi is afraid I'll lie to him and secretly harm him?"

With a chuckle, Yuan Shu waved his hand and ordered, "Set off immediately and send Liu Yao to Chang'an for trial."

"Thank you very much, sir!"

"Is Ziyi at ease?"

With Taishi Ci in tow, Yuan Shu watched from afar as his soldiers escorted Liu Yao away, his thoughts racing.

If you, Liu Yao, had been lucky enough to survive the chaos in Chang'an caused by the power struggle between Li Jue and Guo Si, you might have been able to escape eastward with Emperor Xian on his long journey of thousands of miles.

He gently spun the bronze wine cup, the reflected candlelight shattering in the ripples, and he chuckled softly.

"At that time, you, this high and mighty member of the royal family, will live like a weed!"

Everyone dies, whether tomorrow or today. In this chaotic world, what nobility do you possess compared to that commoner standing on the yellow earth, looking back in bewilderment?

(End of this chapter)