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At dawn, the sound of war drums echoed thunderously as the troops of Wan Cheng took their positions. Zhu Jun stood atop the central platform, holding a long spear and commanding the various divisions. His voice boomed like rolling thunder: "All troops, heed my orders! The South Gate will be attacked by General Sun, the North Gate will be led by Mr. Xuan De, and I will personally lead the charge at the West Gate. The East Gate is intentionally left open to give the Bandits an escape route, but ambushes are set; not a single one shall escape!"
The soldiers responded in unison, their battle cries soaring into the sky. Sun Jian rode his horse in front of the South Gate, behind him stood fifteen hundred Elite Troops in perfect formation, each one exuding confidence and high morale. He turned to his men and shouted, "The Bandits of Wan Cheng have been arrogant for too long; today they will pay the price! Follow me into battle and take their heads!"
With that, Sun Jian spurred his horse forward, charging straight for the South Gate. The sound of his horse's hooves was like thunder as he crashed into the enemy ranks. His spear danced like a dragon emerging from the sea, piercing through a Yellow Turban Soldier and swiftly turning to strike down another. His soldiers surged in behind him, their battle cries shaking the heavens.
On the city walls, seeing Sun Jian's fierce advance, the Yellow Turban Army felt a surge of panic and hastily began shooting arrows in defense. Sun Jian dismounted and leaped up onto the wall, sweeping his spear to knock two guards off their posts. In a matter of moments, he had killed over twenty men with his swift strikes.
An Officer of the Yellow Turbans shouted, "Quickly stop him! We can't hold out much longer!" Sun Jian sneered and thrust his spear forward, directly impaling that officer and sending him tumbling off the wall. Without pausing, he charged into the arrow tower on the city wall, systematically eliminating the resisting Yellow Turban archers. Blood flowed like a river on the battlements as the Bandit Army scattered in retreat.
Inside the city, Zhao Hong learned of the crisis at the South Gate and furiously mounted his horse, brandishing a long spear as he shouted, "Sun Jian, you little thief! Do not be so arrogant; I will take your life!" He galloped fiercely toward the South Gate, heading straight for the city walls.
Sun Jian was busy clearing out remnants of enemy forces when he suddenly heard thunderous hooves approaching. Looking up, he saw Zhao Hong charging at him with his spear raised. With a cold smile, Sun Jian pointed his spear and called out, "Just in time; take this!"
Zhao Hong thrust his long spear directly at Sun Jian's chest with deadly precision. Sun Jian pushed off with his feet and leaped into the air to evade the attack, soaring down from the city tower. In mid-air, he swung his spear to deflect Zhao Hong's thrust and then retaliated by stabbing it into Zhao Hong's chest.
Zhao Hong let out a terrible scream as he fell heavily from his horse, blood staining the stone pavement below. When Sun Jian landed, he had already regained his balance. He pulled out his spear and leaped onto Zhao Hong's warhorse, casting a cold glance around before shouting loudly: "Zhao Hong is dead! Any Bandit who does not surrender shall be killed without mercy!" With that proclamation, he spurred his horse into pursuit of the fleeing Yellow Turban Army, where none could withstand his spear.
Outside the North Gate, Sun Zhong saw that chaos reigned within as sounds of war drums echoed from the South Gate and morale among his soldiers plummeted. He hastily led what remained of his troops to break through from the North Gate but ran straight into Liu Bei's army. Liu Bei stood at the front lines with a Longbow in hand; his gaze was piercing as he quietly commanded: "Yun Chung and Yi De, follow me in pursuit; let not a single one escape!"
Sun Zhong was taken aback and quickly waved his sword to direct his remaining troops to block Liu Bei's forces. As he himself fled on horseback, an arrow suddenly shot through the air towards him. With a cry of agony, Sun Zhong fell from his mount. Liu Bei rode up swiftly, drew his sword, cast a cold glance at him, and swiftly took off his head.
With both leaders slain within the city, morale among the remaining soldiers shattered completely as they knelt in surrender. At this moment, Zhu Jun's forces surged forward to completely eradicate any remaining enemies; gradually, cries of battle ceased both inside and outside as Wan Cheng was finally brought back under control.
After the Wan Cheng Battle, Zhu Jun led his troops back to the capital, a grand procession sweeping across the lands of Nanyang, banners fluttering and horse hooves thundering like thunder. The people along the way lined the streets to welcome them, kneeling in gratitude to the Imperial Army for restoring order. Zhu Jun sat solemnly atop his warhorse, silent amidst the cheers surrounding him. Behind him rode Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, who appeared particularly subdued.
Upon returning to the capital, Zhu Jun received a royal decree appointing him as General of Cavalry and Prefect of Henan, basking in glory. In the court, he passionately recounted the contributions of Sun Jian and Liu Bei, speaking earnestly. However, the outcome left Liu Bei and his companions with mixed feelings.
Sun Jian was appointed as a deputy general due to his achievements and was ordered to take up his post the next day. In the camp, Sun Jian smiled broadly, frequently raising his cup to toast Liu Bei and the others: "Brother Xuan De, Yun Chung, Yi De, your bravery in battle truly impresses me! If it weren't for your strong support, how could I have achieved this honor?" He downed his drink in one go, his eyes filled with enthusiasm.
Liu Bei smiled slightly and raised his cup in return: "General Wentai is unmatched in bravery; it is only natural for the court to value your contributions. I wish you a smooth journey ahead."
Sun Jian laughed heartily and patted Liu Bei on the shoulder: "Brother Xuan De is too modest! I only regret not being able to stay longer and drink with you all. If there’s another chance in the future, I hope we can fight side by side again!"
Guan Yu stroked his beard calmly, his gaze steady as he said softly: "General Wentai has a bright future ahead and will surely soar high. We shall toast to your success." Zhang Fei drank heartily; though he offered blessings, there was an undercurrent of impatience in his voice: "It’s good that you’re leaving. I, Zhang Fei, will uphold our brother's honor here; we can drink together again another time!"
After Sun Jian took his leave, silence gradually fell over the camp; even the campfire seemed weary. Liu Bei sat at the table holding his cup, a calm demeanor masking an unnoticeable sense of loss. His gaze drifted toward the distant lights as he murmured: "It is a blessing for General Wentai to realize his ambitions; yet we remain unvalued by the court. I wonder when we will be able to serve the people again."
Guan Yu turned to Liu Bei and said steadily: "Brother, do not lose heart. The situation in the world is still uncertain; it cannot be resolved by a single decree from the court. Though the Yellow Turbans have been quelled, chaos still lingers. Your talents will one day be recognized."
Zhang Fei slammed his cup down with frustration: "Why must you hurt yourself with such thoughts? Zhu Jun has gained great merit but only seeks accolades in court; what does it matter if he praises us? In the end, we are left here waiting in vain!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei merely sighed softly and shook his head: "Yi De, do not speak like that. General Zhu's achievements are granted by the court; we are mere commoners who fought against bandits—what great honor that is! How can we unjustly blame anyone?" He paused for a moment, still gazing into the distance with a heavier tone: "Yet beneath the court's glory lies the suffering of the people; it weighs heavily on my heart."
Guan Yu remained silent while Zhang Fei lowered his head in thought. Outside the tent, a cool night breeze rustled through the canvas walls; faint laughter from soldiers could be heard in the distance but failed to dispel the gloom hanging over these three brothers.
Days later, Zhu Jun sent word to Liu Bei's tent stating that there had been no specific appointments from the court yet and asked Liu Bei to be patient. After reading the letter with a bitter smile, Liu Bei placed it on the table and murmured to himself: "With so much business at court, how can Xuan De dare complain? But… how long must we wait?"
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