Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

After a fierce battle, Sun Ce emerged like a god of war, wielding his spear like a dragon. Each strike carried the force of thunder, leaving Huang Zu helpless. Under Sun Ce's swift attack, Huang Zu retreated step by step, his helmet and armor askew. Finally, Sun Ce captured him alive with a single, sharp thrust of his spear. Huang Zu was bound, his hair disheveled, his face a picture of terror and dismay.

Sun Ce's eyes blazed with fury, and he raised his bloodstained blade, his teeth chattering as he threatened to slay Huang Zu right then and there. Just then, Cheng Pu lunged forward, grasping Sun Ce's arm tightly and urgently intervening, "Young Master, wait! Killing him now won't appease my hatred. It would be better to ask him for your body." Sun Ce's eyes nearly blazed, and he shouted, "Huang Zu, where is my father's body?" Huang Zu, recklessly laughing, his voice piercing, "Sun Jian's body has been sent to Xiangyang for meritorious service. You can't even get it!" Sun Ce trembled with rage, his forehead veins bulging. He raised his blade again, ready to strike, slicing Huang Zu to pieces. Cheng Pu again urged Sun Ce, his voice brimming with anxiety and urgency, "Young Master, don't be impulsive. Keep him alive; we can trade him for your body."

Sun Ce suppressed his raging rage, his chest heaving violently. He glared at Huang Zu fiercely, as if he wanted to engrave his image on his mind. Then, he returned to his camp with the captured Huang Zu. He immediately summoned his men. The atmosphere in the tent was solemn, and everyone's faces were gloomy.

Everyone gathered together, discussing how to retrieve Sun Jian's body. Huang Gai and the others were perplexed, unable to come up with a good plan. Just then, Huan Jie stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Young Master, generals, I am willing to travel to Xiangyang as an envoy to negotiate with Liu Biao. I will fulfill my mission and retrieve General Sun's body!" Sun Ce looked at Huan Jie, his eyes filled with gratitude and trust.

Huan Jie traveled day and night to Xiangyang. After arriving in Xiangyang, Liu Biao met him at the governor's residence.

As soon as Huan Jie entered the mansion, he felt an oppressive atmosphere. He saw that in front of the lobby, brothers Cai Mao, Cai Zhong, and Cai He had been waiting for a long time. A sword array was set up on the ground, and hot oil was boiling in the blazing frying pan. The heat was rolling and frightening. Cai Mao crossed his arms, his eyes were unfriendly, and his face was fierce. He said viciously: "Hmph, you little military officer, how dare you come here and act so presumptuously!" Cai Zhong followed up: "That's right, Sun Jian and his son offended Jingzhou and deserved to die. You still want to exchange your bodies for your bodies? It's just a dream!" Cai He even threatened directly: "If you know what's good for you, get out of here quickly, or I'll let you taste the power of this mountain of swords and frying pan!"

Faced with this terrifying scene, Huan Jie showed no fear. He held his head high, his chest puffed out, his gaze sweeping across the three men with determination, and responded with neither servility nor arrogance: "Generals, I have come here only to seek peace and preserve the bond between father and son. I hope you will prioritize the greater good and refrain from such cruel actions."

Cai Mao sneered: "Hmph, how dare you speak such arrogant words!" Then he signaled his men to push Huan Jie towards the sword array and the oil pan.

Huan Jie remained calm and undaunted, declaring, "I have come for peace. If you insist on forcing me, I will not regret my death, but if this matter were to become known, it would damage the reputation of Jingzhou and even Lord Liu's prestige!"

Cai Mao and the others were momentarily overwhelmed by Huan Jie's imposing manner and hesitated, so they had no choice but to let Huan Jie go and allow him to go to the main hall to meet Liu Biao.

Huan Jie, neatly dressed, walked resolutely to Liu Biao's main hall. He paused, straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and calmed his nerves before striding in with his head held high. Liu Biao sat in the main seat, his expression serious, his gaze scrutinizing and majestic. The flickering candlelight in the hall cast a shadowy, uncertain expression on his face.

Huan Jie saluted Liu Biao with neither servility nor arrogance, then, with a firm gaze, stated his purpose directly: "Lord Liu, our lord, Sun Ce, was young and promising, loyal and brave, but he has suffered a great disaster. Now that Huang Zu has been captured, we only seek to exchange him for General Sun Jian's remains to preserve the bond between father and son. Currently, the two sides are engaged in war, the flames of battle rage, and the people are displaced and suffering untold. If we could stop the fighting now, it would be a blessing for the people of Jingzhou."

Liu Biao narrowed his eyes slightly, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair. He said in a deep voice, "Humph, Sun Jian's death was his own fault. Why should I agree to your request?"

Huan Jie continued calmly, "Lord Liu, General Sun was at fault, but he paid the price with his life. Sun Ce is young and full of vigor. If he becomes your mortal enemy over this incident, he will retaliate with all his might. Jingzhou will then face no peace. Furthermore, General Huang Zu is your most capable general. If he dies in this incident, it will be your loss as well. It would be better for both sides to take a step back and make peace. Wouldn't that be a good thing?"

Liu Biao's heart wavered as he listened to Huan Jie's words. His brow furrowed, and he fell into deep thought. On the one hand, he truly did not want to ignite a lingering feud with Sun Ce and provoke further war; on the other, he was deeply concerned about Huang Zu's life.

At this time, brothers Kuai Yue and Kuai Liang approached. Kuai Yue said, "My lord, Huan Jie is right. The situation is complicated now, and making an enemy of Sun Ce is not the best strategy." Kuai Liang also advised, "My lord, Huan Jie is not without reason either. If the situation can be resolved peacefully, it will also be a good thing for Jingzhou."

Liu Biao sat in the main seat, remaining silent as he pondered the pros and cons. Finally, persuaded by the brothers Kuai Yue and Kuai Liang, Liu Biao weighed the pros and cons and slowly said, "Well, I'll do as you say and exchange Sun Jian's body for Huang Zu."

When Sun Jian's body was returned, Sun Ce looked upon his father's cold form, overcome with grief and tears streaming down his face. His body trembled, and he clutched his father tightly, as if trying to warm him back up. But he knew this was not the time to grieve. He slowly stood up, wiped the tears from his face, and his gaze became resolute. He vowed to carry on his father's unfinished work.

Now that Sun Jian was dead, Sun Ce, overcome with grief, decided to return to Changsha after handling his father's funeral. However, he hadn't anticipated the delays of several days, caused by negotiating with Huang Zu and waiting for the return of his father's body, which gave Liu Biao an opportunity. Liu Biao wasn't truly withdrawing from the war, having already secretly arranged for Han Xuan to lead a large force to take over Changsha.

Sun Jian had taken most of Changsha's troops with him when he set out on his expedition, leaving the city defenseless. Han Xuan's army, approaching the city, launched a ferocious attack like a flood. At this critical moment, the young general Wei Yan stepped forward.

Wei Yan, longsword in hand, eyes wide, roaring, charged at the enemy. His clothes were already stained with blood, yet he showed no sign of fatigue. He swung his sword like the wind, each blow carrying a fierce momentum, and the enemy fell wherever he struck. But the enemy surged forward like a tide, wave after wave. Wei Yan's body was covered in wounds, but his fighting spirit remained high.

After a bloody battle, Wei Yan finally broke through the encirclement and found Sun Ce's mother, brother, and sister. They were hiding in a corner, terrified. Wei Yan anxiously asked, "Madam, Changsha has fallen. Where should we go?" Sun Ce's mother was at a loss and said in panic, "I don't know. Now we can only seek refuge with Sun Ce's uncle." Without hesitation, Wei Yan led them through a bloody battle, protecting them all the way out of the encirclement.

On the other hand, when Sun Ce returned to Changsha full of fatigue and hope, as soon as he appeared, he was faced with Han Xuan's army's strict defense and fierce attack.

Sun Ce's hair stood on end with rage, spear thrust out, and he leapt upon his horse, charging straight at the enemy camp. A senior general galloped out and engaged Sun Ce in combat. The general possessed immense strength, wielding his heavy weapon, each blow carrying a whirring sound. Sun Ce responded calmly, his spear dancing like a silver snake, and the battle with the general was a close one.

The two sides' weapons clashed, sparks flying. Sun Ce unleashed his full might, his spear skills sharp and his moves varied. The general showed no sign of weakness, relying on his immense strength and rich combat experience to repeatedly neutralize Sun Ce's attacks and launch fierce counterattacks.

After dozens of rounds, Sun Ce began to feel his strength wearying, but he gritted his teeth and persevered. Despite being at a disadvantage, Sun Ce's gaze remained resolute, his posture erect. He searched for weaknesses, attempting to turn the tide of battle. However, ultimately, exhausted from days of fighting, Sun Ce was no match for the great general and was forced to retreat.

At this time, Sun Ce looked at the predicament in front of him with grief and anger in his heart. He knew that he was shouldering the heavy responsibility of revitalizing the family, but the current situation was so difficult.

Sun Ce frowned, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth as he asked Huang Gai, "Who is this man so brave that I am completely helpless?" Huang Gai gasped for breath and replied solemnly, "Young Master, this man is Huang Zhong, a general under Han Xuan."

Sun Ce felt a little discouraged upon hearing this. He had thought his martial arts and courage would allow him to handle the situation, but he hadn't expected to encounter such a formidable opponent. He gazed at Huang Zhong's imposing figure in the distance, his thoughts racing. This was just one of Han Xuan's generals under Liu Biao, and he already faced such a formidable challenge. Now his mother and siblings were nowhere to be found, leaving Sun Ce unsure what to do next.