The Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Tan, intercepted Guo Jia's...

Chapter 113 Sun Bofu, Public Enemy of the World

An hour later, Zhao Yun's breathing stabilized.

The military doctor exclaimed with delight, "The bleeding has stopped!"

It seems my Ferghana horse didn't die in vain; it's good that Zhao Yun was able to save it.

Zhao Yun also looked at Yuan Tan with a deeply moved expression.

He even killed his beloved mount for his own sake. Following such a lord is truly worthwhile.

Seeing Zhao Yun looking at him with emotion, Yuan Tan also sighed that killing his horse was truly worthwhile.

However, to be fair, the skill level of our own military doctors is really low.

Even stopping the bleeding couldn't be done.

It seems I'll have to find Hua Tuo when I get back.

Yuan Tan then got up, his legs were numb.

He went to the river, washed his hands, and cleaned away the blood.

Jia Xu followed.

"Wenhe, how could Sun Ce have seen through the ambush at Bowangpo?" Yuan Tan asked, suppressing his anger, without turning around.

Jia Xu remained silent for a moment:

"Xu interrogated the captured Jiangdong scouts. Sun Ce originally planned to ambush the lord at Bowangpo."

Yuan Tan paused.

"He originally intended to ambush us in that forest. However, he didn't expect that our ambush troops would be positioned exactly where his ambush troops were supposed to be."

Jia Xu's voice was calm.

"It's purely a coincidence."

Yuan Tan was stunned, then laughed, shaking his head with a laugh:

"So, he ambushed me, I ambushed him, and we ended up running into each other?"

"Yes."

"Destiny".

Yuan Tan let out a breath.

"However, his main force has been defeated, and Yan Liang should have arrived in Moling by now. Sun Bofu... is now a defeated dog."

"But when a tiger is on its deathbed, its retaliatory attack becomes even more ferocious."

Jia Xu said.

"Then don't give him a chance to retaliate."

Yuan Tan dried his hands.

"Wenhe, take stock of the battle losses and deal with the prisoners. Register the names and hometowns of all our fallen soldiers and transport them back to Linzi. I want to build a 'Hall of Heroes' outside Linzi to enshrine the memorial tablets of our fallen comrades. We will offer sacrifices to them in all four seasons and let them enjoy the incense forever."

A glint of light flashed in Jia Xu's eyes:

"Our lord is wise. This move will bolster morale and boost the army's spirits."

This old fellow can offer emotional value, but his flattery skills are clearly inferior to Fengxiao's.

"besides,"

Yuan Tan added,

"The pensions for soldiers who died in battle will be doubled. The government will be responsible for supporting families with elderly members and children. Those with children will be given priority for enrollment in state schools and workshops."

"promise."

Not long after Jia Xu withdrew, more than a dozen soldiers escorted Jiang Qin forward.

"Report! My lord, enemy general Jiang Qin has been captured alive by us. General Lou Ban is still searching for Sun Ce."

Jiang Qin was bound hand and foot, and blood was still flowing from his genitals. It seemed that he had already undergone surgery.

Don't do it again.

To avoid people constantly calling me "the cut-hanging general" (a derogatory term for someone who cuts off a penis).

Yuan Tan sat on the makeshift folding chair, looking at Jiang Qin:

"General Gongyi, I have long admired you."

Jiang Qin remained silent, staring straight ahead.

"Sun Ce has fled, and his fate is unknown. Jiangdong is probably in grave danger at this moment."

Yuan Tan said slowly,

"Is it worth it for the general to die for such a lord?"

Jiang Qin spoke, his voice hoarse: "Kill me if you want."

"Sun Ce, for his own personal vendetta, sacrificed tens of thousands of Jiangdong men. For a couple of women, he gambled away his entire empire." Yuan Tan leaned forward. "Is such a lord worthy of your death, Jiang Gongyi?"

Jiang Qin finally looked at Yuan Tan, his eyes sharp as knives: "Sun Bofu treated me as a national hero, and I repaid him with my life. As for whether his actions were right or wrong, it is not for you, an outsider, to judge."

"A national hero?" Yuan Tan laughed. "Then why didn't he take you, his national hero, with him when he fled?"

Jiang Qin's face turned pale, and he gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Hmph, you're asking for it.

Believe it or not, I'll kill you.

However, it would be too much of a waste to kill you like this.

I lost so many soldiers.

"Alright then," Yuan Tan leaned back on the couch, "let's make a bet. If I capture Sun Ce, I'll personally escort you back to Jiangdong and treat you with courtesy as you leave the country. If I fail to capture him..."

He paused, then his smile deepened: "You'll come back to Linzi with me and live the life of a wealthy man, how about that? I won't force you to surrender, you'll just be my guest."

Jiang Qin stared at Yuan Tan, as if trying to see through his thoughts.

After a long pause, he coldly snorted, "If my lord is captured, there is no point in me living."

He thought for a moment, then burst into laughter:

"Haha, but you definitely won't be able to catch the lord. He's already escaped. Don't waste your time."

Yuan Tan chuckled, "Do you think Sun Ce, knowing your personality, would come to your rescue if he knew you were a guest here?"

Jiang Qin's pupils contracted.

"If he comes to my rescue, I'll wait for him in Linzi, like catching a turtle in a jar," Yuan Tan said calmly. "If he doesn't come... then he's disregarding the loyalty of his subjects. At that time, let's ask the heroes of the land: is such a lord worthy of our loyalty?"

Even if Sun Ce escapes, I will still make sure he is utterly disgraced.

He should be forever nailed to the pillar of historical shame.

Doesn't he like to collude with Lü Bu?

Lu Bu's act of withholding the imperial seal already makes him a traitor, and Sun Ce's collusion with him makes him a traitor as well!

Then I will petition the court and make you a pariah.

I'm sure Cao Cao would be quite pleased to see you end up like this!

Hahahaha.

Jiang Qin trembled all over, not from fear, but from being consumed by rage.

He hissed, "Yuan Xiansi! You have such a vicious mind!"

"Warfare is based on deception. Politics is based on destroying the mind."

Yuan Tan stood up, walked up to Jiang Qin, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Gongyi, take good care of yourself and recover well. I'll keep the house in Linzi for you."

He turned to his personal guard and said:

"Make room for General Jiang separately, and serve him the best wine and food. He is a guest, so don't neglect him."

"promise!"

Jiang Qin was led into a tent. Before leaving, he glanced back at Yuan Tan with murderous intent.

Jia Xu approached and whispered, "Does our lord truly intend to use Jiang Qin as bait?"

"The bait must be laid, the net must be spread." Yuan Tan looked towards Jiangdong, "But Sun Ce may not take the bait. Although he is sentimental, he is not stupid. Having been defeated to such an extent, his first thought is to survive and seek revenge, not to save people."

"Then why, my lord...?"

"Jiang Qin is the obvious bait. There's also the hidden bait."

Yuan Tan's voice turned cold.

"Wenhe, submit a memorial to the Emperor, drafting a proclamation. It states that Sun Ce has colluded with the traitor Lü Bu, plotting rebellion. Now defeated and fleeing into the wilderness, he is feared to bring disaster to the region. We request that all the lords of the realm join forces to capture him."

Jia Xu gasped in shock:

"My lord, this... this is going to drive Sun Ce to the brink of despair and make him an enemy of the world."

"Since he's escaped, I'll make sure he has nowhere to run."

Yuan Tan's eyes were deep and unfathomable.

"Jiangdong has just fallen, and his old troops have scattered. Now that he's wanted by the whole country, where can he go? Join Liu Biao? Would Liu Biao dare to harbor an enemy of the world? Join the Yue tribes? Then he'll truly become a bandit."

He paused:

"I want him to die completely, politically and morally. Even with the might of a tyrant, he will have nowhere to stand and will be nothing more than a stray dog."

Jia Xu remained silent for a long time, then bowed:

"Xu, go and do it right away."

Jia Xu withdrew. Yuan Tan walked to the riverbank and watched the river flow eastward.

In the distance, soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield and collecting the corpses.

The surrendered soldiers were being held captive, their heads hanging low in dejection.

Further away, in the mountains and forests, Lou Ban was still pursuing Sun Ce.