Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

"Zi Yi, why are you doing this!" Sun Ce steadied himself, his voice full of anxiety and heartache, "Since I have already promised to take in your brother, why are you seeking death? Do you think that I, Sun Ce, am the kind of person who will kill all the surrenderers?" After saying this, he ignored the pain in his arm, held the spear across his body, and looked at Taishi Ci with helplessness and earnestness on his face.

Seeing his "strategy" exposed, Taishi Ci couldn't help but feel a bitterness. He looked at Sun Ce, his eyes filled with guilt and even more emotion, but his determination to be loyal to Liu Yao was as firm as a rock, unshakable. "Bofu, I, Taishi Ci, will remember your kindness. But I can't be both loyal and righteous. Since I'm receiving a salary from Liu Yao, I can't live in disgrace."

Taishi Ci's face was determined. He suddenly drew the long sword with a cold gleam from his waist and roared like a bell: "General Sun, I entrust my life to you today. You must not break your promise. You must treat the brothers behind me well!" After that, he turned his wrist and was about to commit suicide with the sword.

At that moment, the air seemed to be sucked out of the air, and the surrounding clamor faded into a blur of background noise. Seeing this, Sun Ce's eyes narrowed, his heart lurched, and a surge of rage shot through his head. Without time to think, he cursed, "You idiot fellow! You are so foolish!" At the same time, he exerted force with his arm, hurling his spear like an arrow from a bow.

The spear, engulfed in a whirring sound, struck Taishi Ci's sword with unerring precision. A resounding clang echoed like the tolling of a bell, and the sparks from the metal clashing were dazzling. The immense momentum caused Taishi Ci to lose control, stumbling and nearly falling. He steadied himself and looked at Sun Ce with astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief, as if he couldn't believe Sun Ce would actually try to stop him.

Sun Ce was terribly anxious and leaped from his horse without hesitation, completely ignoring the sharp sword in Taishi Ci's hand. He rushed to Taishi Ci's side in three or two steps, and with his hands like iron clamps, he grabbed the stunned Taishi Ci and pulled him off the horse.

Taishi Ci, consumed by suicidal thoughts, harbored no intention of harming Sun Ce. A careless move led Sun Ce to drag him to the ground. Before he could react, Sun Ce rained down blows, hammering and kicking him. Sun Ce tugged at Taishi Ci's armor, roaring in frustration, each word laced with anger and heartache: "What a scoundrel! Your parents raised you with such hardship, was it easy? Now the country is in dire straits, the people struggling in dire straits. Instead of devoting your life to the country and comforting its people, you're willing to give up your life for a treacherous villain like Liu Yao. It's truly ridiculous!"

With that, Sun Ce clenched his fists and delivered two powerful punches to Taishi Ci's face. These two punches were so powerful that Taishi Ci's head tilted, and a trace of blood instantly flowed from the corner of his mouth. However, Taishi Ci silently endured it all, offering no resistance. He simply raised his head and looked at Sun Ce with a face full of pain, his eyes filled with confusion and struggle. It seemed that Sun Ce's words had touched Taishi Ci, and he was experiencing a fierce ideological struggle within himself.

The soldiers behind Taishi Ci watched their general's fierce battle with Sun Ce with apprehension. Their gazes followed Taishi Ci's figure closely, their hearts in their throats. Every clash of weapons felt like a heavy hammering on their chests.

Seeing Taishi Ci risk his life to secure their lives, and then determined to die in the service of Liu Yao, the soldiers felt a mixture of emotions. Remembering Liu Yao's two cruel abandonments, anger surged within them. Had it not been for Taishi Ci's unwavering charisma, the army would have long since fallen apart. Furthermore, they also remembered the kindness and care Sun Ce had shown them during their temporary stay under his command.

Now, witnessing the entanglement between Taishi Ci and Sun Ce, and listening to Sun Ce's earnest persuasion, the soldiers could no longer hold back. They dropped their weapons one after another, making a clanging sound that was particularly clear on the battlefield. Then, with heavy steps, they came behind Taishi Ci and knelt down in unison with a plop.

An older soldier, his eyes red, spoke in a trembling voice, "General Taishi, you've sacrificed so much for us. Liu Yao treated us so cruelly, yet you were willing to die for him. We simply cannot bear it. General Sun, the one across from us, is a rare wise leader. He's been kind to us before, and now he's offering us a sincere invitation. How about we surrender?"

The other soldiers also echoed, their shouts filled with helplessness, earnestness and expectations for the future: "General, surrender, we can't let you die for us in vain!" "Yes, General, by following General Sun, maybe you can do something practical for the country and the people!" These words echoed on the battlefield and hit Taishi Ci's heart hard.

Sun Ce grabbed Taishi Ci's collar, with veins bulging on his arms. He twisted his body hard, pointed at the group of soldiers behind him, and shouted, "See? Your brothers are devoted to you and love you so much, but can you really have the heart to abandon them? You keep saying that you have loyalty in your heart, but tell me, what exactly is your so-called loyalty? Is it to die in vain for a treacherous villain?" Taishi Ci was lifted up, his feet off the ground, his face flushed. Hearing this question, his lips trembled, but he remained silent, his eyes full of struggle and confusion.

At this moment, Sun Ce suddenly left Taishi Ci behind and strode towards the soldiers behind him. He stood tall and straight, with a sharp gaze, sweeping across everyone's faces one by one, and said in a loud voice: "Brothers, we are not outsiders either, we are all old acquaintances. Today, whether you decide to surrender or want to disarm and return home, I, Sun Ce, swear here that I will never make things difficult for any of you. Speaking of which, I am just a brave warrior who wields swords and guns, and I don't understand those twists and turns of the big principles. However, my brother Ma Chao Ma Mengqi has taught us many times and told me about the concept of family, country and the world. Today, the court is in turmoil, treacherous ministers control the government, and the princes are separatist. The world is dark and the people are living in dire straits. In this chaotic world, no matter you are chasing "No matter who follows you, as long as he can truly do something for the people and is wholeheartedly dedicated to the people behind him, I, Sun Ce, will respect him as a true hero and a true hero! But think about it, you have followed Liu Yao for so long, is Liu Yao a person who truly works for the welfare of the people? He is just a person who abuses his power for personal gain and is greedy for power, a complete hypocrite! What we should really do now is not to fight for a certain person, or a certain prince, or even simply for the emperor, but for the millions of people behind us who are suffering! We must ensure that they have food to eat and clothes to wear, and that those foreign races with ulterior motives will not dare to covet our Central Plains land or the mountains and rivers of our Han Dynasty!"

These words resonated with such force that they echoed for a long time across the empty battlefield. The soldiers listened, some nodding slightly, their eyes reflecting thought; others clenched their fists, their faces filled with emotion. Taishi Ci, slumped on the ground, also took these words in, deeply moved. His previous, narrow understanding of loyalty and righteousness began to crumble under Sun Ce's impassioned speech.

The soldiers behind Taishi Ci had been lost and adrift in the chaotic world, bewildered by their fate and purpose. Now, Sun Ce's impassioned speech was like a ray of light, instantly illuminating their chaotic hearts. This was their first encounter with such a grand and powerful concept, and in an instant, they felt their blood boiling.

They woke up from their dreams, finally realizing that they were no cold weapons manipulated by the powerful, no insignificant pawns to be discarded at will. Instead, they were heroes capable of providing peace and security for the suffering masses, the key force that could rewrite the destiny of this troubled world. This realization fueled their inner passion, overflowing with enthusiasm.

Before Taishi Ci could even express his feelings, the soldiers behind him, unable to contain their excitement, fell to the ground one after another, pledging their sincerest loyalty to Sun Ce. Their voices, resounding in unison, echoed across the battlefield: "General Sun, today we know what a true hero is. We are willing to fight for the people!" Determination and resolve were written across their resolute young faces.

Sun Ce looked at the soldiers prostrating themselves on the ground, a hearty laugh breaking out, his heroic spirit evident in his words. He strode forward, steadily lifting several soldiers beside him to their feet with both hands, and declared loudly, "Rise, rise! Brothers, the fact that you have pledged your allegiance to me for the sake of the people of this world is proof that you too are true heroes and men of honor!"

The soldiers behind Sun Ce were also infected by the enthusiastic and passionate atmosphere. Their faces flushed with excitement. They waved the weapons in their hands and shouted in unison: "Mighty! Mighty!" The sound waves came one after another, majestic and seemed to break through the sky, shocking this chaotic world, and foreshadowing that a righteous army fighting for the people is about to rise on this land.

On the battlefield, the clamor faded, leaving only the whistling of the wind. Taishi Ci's face was filled with shame, as if all his strength had been drained away, and he collapsed to the ground. Dust stained his exhausted and confused face, highlighting the confusion and struggle within him.

Surrounded by soldiers from both sides, Sun Ce stood condescendingly, looking down at Taishi Ci. His eyes held both anticipation and a hint of reluctance, but this time, he chose silence, no longer offering any persuasion, waiting for Taishi Ci to make his own decision.

Taishi Ci sat on the ground, his mind churning. For years, he had been devoted to Liu Yao, upholding the bond of master and servant as his guiding principle, unwavering even after Liu Yao abandoned him several times. But today, Sun Ce's words were like a hammer, hammering down on the faith he had clung to for so many years, causing it to crumble. His former loyalty was instantly shaky, and Sun Ce revealed a vaster, nobler world, a fight for the common good. A more solid, indestructible tower of faith was quietly building within him.

Taishi Ci's inner conflict was torn between himself and himself, his expression shifting constantly, sometimes painful and tangled, sometimes bewildered and confused. After a long moment, his expression gradually shifted from turmoil to determination, as if he had finally found his bearings in this intense intellectual battle. He took a deep breath, supported himself with his hands, and slowly stood up. He raised his hands and carefully adjusted his disheveled clothing and armor, each movement imbued with the resolve of a broken heart to rebuild.

Then, with steady and powerful steps, he solemnly approached Sun Ce, knelt on one knee with a thud, and spoke in a firm and sincere voice: "General Sun, in the past, I only had narrow-minded selfishness in my heart, and did not understand the greater justice of the people. Today, I am fortunate to have been enlightened by you, and it is like seeing the sun through the clouds. Taishi Ci is willing to follow you from now on, serve you like a dog and a horse, and go through fire and water for the people of the world, without hesitation!"