Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Gan Ning's face was filled with pride. He paused for a moment before he shouted, "I captured the fleeing Yuan Shu and his advisor Yang Hong!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire audience erupted in excitement. Sun Ce, surprised and delighted, strode forward and grabbed Gan Ning's arm. "Xingba, seriously? You've accomplished something truly remarkable!" Zhou Yu's eyes also gleamed with delight, and he clapped his hands in admiration, "Brilliant! With these two, Yuan Shu's forces will never again be a force to be reckoned with!"

Ma Chao's eyes lit up with relief, and he patted Gan Ning on the shoulder. "Xingba, well done!" Gan Ning's smile widened as he continued, "At the time, I saw several small boats escaping stealthily. I suspected something was amiss, so I led the Jinfan Battalion in pursuit. Yuan Shu and Yang Hong, realizing the situation was dire, tried to put up a last-ditch effort, but the brave men of the Jinfan Battalion fought bravely and easily captured them!"

Shamoke screamed with excitement and hugged Gan Ning: "Good job, Gan Ning, you are in the spotlight now!" Everyone gathered around and praised Gan Ning.

Sun Ce immediately ordered: "Bring Yuan Shu and Yang Hong here! I want to see what this old villain looks like now!"

After a while, Yuan Shu and Yang Hong were brought in. Although Yuan Shu's hair was disheveled and his clothes were tattered, he looked disheveled, but there was still a hint of arrogance in his eyes, and he did not look dejected at all.

Sun Ce stepped forward and looked at Yuan Shu, his eyes filled with mockery. "Yuan Gonglu, look at you now. In the past, you provoked wars everywhere, easily provoked disasters, and caused unrest among the people of the world."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu snorted coldly, unyieldingly retorting, "Hmph, you're making it sound as if Sun Ce and Ma Chao are any different from me. In these troubled times, who isn't vying for power and profit?"

Ma Chao's expression was stern. He took a step forward and spoke loudly, "Yuan Gonglu, you and I are very different. We are dedicated to protecting our country and its people. We put the safety of the people first, and we strive to maintain peace and prosperity for our people."

Sun Ce also straightened his body, his eyes firm. "Indeed, only when the government is stable can the people be free from the suffering of war. Unlike you, who only care about your own selfish desires and disregard the people of the world."

Yuan Shu curled his lips in disdain: "It sounds nice, but the winner is king and the loser is the enemy."

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce was stunned for a moment, then threw his head back and burst into wild laughter. His laughter echoed throughout the main ship and lasted for a long time before he stopped. He looked at Yuan Shu and said word by word, "You still don't understand. In this world, only those who win the hearts of the people can win. You have lost the hearts of the people, and your fate today is doomed!"

Yuan Shu raised his head, his eyes filled with disdain, and shouted at the top of his voice, "I fell into your hands today, but it's only because I'm inferior in skill. Why bother with the affairs of the world! Don't think you're the only ones who are upright and kind. I, Yuan Shu, come from a distinguished family and have been taught by famous teachers since childhood. I studied the Four Books and Five Classics and am proficient in the Six Arts of a Gentleman. Don't you think I don't have the world in my heart? If I don't care about the world and only seek pleasure, living a carefree life as a rich man will be enough. Why bother fighting for half my life!"

Sun Ce frowned, his gaze fixed on Yuan Shu. "If you had the whole world in your heart, you wouldn't have stirred up conflict everywhere just to expand your power, leaving countless people homeless. To be a learned scholar without following the right path is useless."

Ma Chao shook his head slightly, a hint of regret in his tone. "Your background and knowledge are your advantages, but you use them to satisfy your own selfish desires. A true concern for the people is to provide food and clothing when they are hungry and cold, and to bring peace during times of war, not to create chaos."

Yuan Shu's face turned pale after hearing this, but he still stubbornly argued: "In troubled times, if you don't take the initiative, you will be swallowed up by others. I just want to find a way out!"

Sun Ce laughed in anger, his laughter filled with sarcasm: "Seeking a way out? You are seeking a path to power for yourself! Look at the people you rule, and then look at the land we protect. The people's choice is the best judgment of us!"

Yuan Shu's face flushed red, veins popping in his neck as he roared at Sun Ce and Ma Chao, "What do you mean by scheming for power? Without power, how can we change this upside-down world? Don't try to pressure me with such high-minded principles! How could this court's corruption be the fault of me, Yuan Gonglu? Since the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling, corruption has led to the displacement of the people and the intensification of chaos. The world cannot be rebuilt without destruction. Back then, Zhang Jue's words, 'The blue sky is dead, the yellow sky must be established. The year is Jiazi, and the world will be blessed,' were so well received that they resonated with the world. Doesn't this prove that the Han Dynasty is doomed? Don't you all wave the flag, always saying you're doing it for the people. I'm seeking power and territory, but how can the people be safe if I don't break this rotten world?"

Sun Ce's expression was stern. He stared directly into Yuan Shu's eyes without flinching and refuted him harshly, "Breaking the corruption doesn't mean you can act recklessly! You provoked wars, devastated countless lives, and countless civilians perished in the flames of war. You keep saying you're doing it for the people, but all they've received is suffering! Even though the Han Dynasty is on the decline, that's no reason for you to bring disaster upon the world!"

Ma Chao's face was heavy. He sighed slightly and spoke slowly, "There are many ways to change the world, not just fighting violence with violence or separatist warfare. If you truly care about the people, you should appease the refugees, develop agriculture, and rectify the government, rather than dragging them into endless war."

Yuan Shu remained stubborn, stiffening his neck and roaring, "You talk lightly! Without sufficient power and territory, how can we appease the refugees and rectify the administration? It's nothing but empty talk!"

Sun Ce laughed heartily, his laughter filled with disappointment and disdain for Yuan Shu. "You still refuse to repent! Power is a means, not an end. You've put the cart before the horse, and all you do is satisfy your own ambitions. Yet you vainly try to whitewash it with the guise of righteousness. How ridiculous!"

Ma Chao's brows arched, his eyes blazing with anger. He pointed at Yuan Shu and sternly shouted, "Don't try to use such grandiose excuses to justify your actions! To put the matter in context, you resorted to any means necessary to achieve victory, digging up the Gan River and causing countless deaths. The corpses floating on the surface of the river are irrefutable proof of your crimes!"

Yuan Shu's face was distorted, almost insane, as he roared, "Xiaoci is Daci's traitor! These civilians died today so that there will be fewer deaths in the future! Why are you, Ma Chao, pretending to be a loyal minister and a good general? And you, you are at odds with the emperor over a woman and are even trying to bully him. How can you explain this?" He then turned his spearhead towards Sun Ce, "And you, Sun Ce, you dared to kill relatives of the Han royal family. Do you still have eyes for the Han court? We are nothing but birds of a feather. Why are you mocking me?"

Sun Ce's face darkened, and he took a step forward, radiating a fierce aura. "I killed the Han royal family because they were plotting rebellion and endangering the country. I was eliminating this evil for the Han Dynasty! This is completely different from your actions of killing innocent people!"

Ma Chao took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He said in a deep voice, "The story behind my affairs with the Emperor is complex and by no means what you've distorted. It was a private matter between us. But everything I did was for the sake of world peace; I never had any selfish motives. And you, using 'to prevent future deaths' as an excuse, committed such a cruel and inhumane act. Heaven cannot forgive you!"

Yuan Shu scoffed, his face full of disdain: "It sounds very high-sounding, but it's just that the winner is king and the loser is the enemy. When you sit in my position, you may not do better than me!"

Sun Ce laughed in anger, with a cold light flashing in his eyes: "You still don't repent! Today I will make you pay the price for your evil deeds, and also comfort those people who died in vain!" After that, he waved his hand and signaled to take Yuan Shu away.

Yuan Shu was being escorted, yet he still maintained a startling degree of arrogance. His neck was stiff, his face filled with resentment and resentment. Suddenly, he looked up to the heavens and let out a sharp, wild laugh, then he swore, "Hmph! I've been defeated by you today, but don't think that all is well now! The aristocratic families of the world are intertwined and interconnected, how can you easily shake them? My Yuan family has had three officials for four generations, and our students and former officials are spread across the world. How could they sit idly by and watch our Yuan family suffer? After my death, those heroes loyal to our family will surely avenge me and tear you, a bunch of rebels, into pieces!"

His eyes were wide open, and his red eyes were full of madness. He stretched his neck and roared with all his might: "Just wait! When you die in the future, see who will cry for you! You are rebelling against the aristocratic family and violating the old system, but you are just digging your own grave. By then, your heads and bodies will be separated and exposed in the wilderness. No one will collect your bodies, and you will only become food for wild dogs! And I, even if I die, there will be countless people who sigh for me. What can you compare with me!" After that, he struggled violently, as if trying to break free from his restraints, and rushed towards Sun Ce and Ma Chao, with a distorted expression on his face that was almost hideous.

Just as Yuan Shu was shouting and cursing wildly, Yang Hong, who had been dejected and silent, suddenly trembled. As if mustering great courage, he suddenly raised his head and shouted loudly: "Everyone, wait! Don't hurt my master, please listen to me!"

His shout immediately attracted everyone's attention. Ma Chao raised his hand to signal the escorts to stop, and everyone's eyes turned to Yang Hong. Yang Hong's forehead was covered with sweat, his hands were trembling slightly, but his eyes were full of determination.

He first bowed to Yuan Shu, then turned to Ma Chao, Sun Ce, and the others, clasping his hands and saying, "Men, today we have been defeated. We are at the mercy of others. But as the saying goes, it is better to resolve a feud than to create one. We can talk about everything; there is no need to kill us all."

Ma Chao's expression was stern, his gaze like a torch as he stared directly at Yang Hong. He said coldly, "What is there to discuss? Yuan Shu is attempting to secede from the Han. He is a traitor to the Han. The Han and the traitor cannot coexist. How can there be any reconciliation?"

Yang Hong swallowed hard, feigning composure as he spoke eagerly, "General Ma, listen to me. Although Yuan Gonglu has been defeated, he still holds some power and resources. If you kill him now, these forces will surely fight back desperately, and there will be another devastating loss of life. But if you can sit down and discuss things properly, perhaps we can turn hostility into friendship. Not only will you avoid further trouble, but you will also gain a lot of help."

Sun Ce frowned, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, and he subconsciously glanced at Ma Chao. Yuan Shu, on the other hand, was furious, shouting at Yang Hong, "Shut up! You coward! You dare to beg for mercy? Even if I die, I, Yuan Gonglu, will never bow to these people!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce's temper flared up. His thick eyebrows arched, his eyes blazing with rage. He pointed his halberd at Yuan Shu and shouted, "Ha! You old bastard! You're about to die, and you're still pretending to be a hero! You just spoke so arrogantly, and now you're scolding your own advisors. Do you really think I dare not kill you? If that's the case, there's no need to say anything more. Take him out and execute him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers on both sides rushed forward like wolves and tigers, picked up Yuan Shu and dragged him out. Yuan Shu struggled desperately, kicking his feet and still cursing: "Sun Ce, you dare to kill me! You will not die a good death! My Yuan family will not let you go!"