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At dawn, the sound of war drums echoed through the air as the troops of Wan Cheng took their positions. Zhu Jun stood on the central platform, holding a spear and commanding the various divisions. His voice was loud and thunderous: "All troops, listen up! 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 a way to escape, 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 a thousand five hundred elite soldiers stood in formation, each one brimming with confidence and high morale. He turned to his men and declared, "The bandits of Wan Cheng have been arrogant for too long; today they will pay the price! Follow me and let’s take their heads!"
With that, Sun Jian spurred his horse forward, charging straight toward the South Gate. The sound of his horse's hooves was like thunder as he crashed into the enemy ranks. His spear moved like a dragon emerging from the sea, piercing through a Yellow Turban Soldier, then swiftly turning to strike down another. The soldiers behind him surged forward, their battle cries shaking the heavens.
On the city walls, seeing Sun Jian's fierce advance, the Yellow Turban Army felt a surge of fear 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 feet. In mere moments, he had slain over twenty men with his spear flying left and right.
A Officer of the Yellow Turbans shouted, "Quick! Stop him! We can't hold!" Sun Jian sneered and thrust his spear fiercely, sending that officer tumbling off the wall. Without pausing, he charged into the arrow tower on the city wall, systematically killing every Yellow Turban archer who dared to resist. Blood flowed like rivers on the battlements as the bandit forces scattered in panic.
Inside the city, Zhao Hong learned of the emergency at the South Gate. With eyes wide open in fury, he mounted his horse and brandished his long spear, shouting loudly, "Sun Jian little thief, don’t be so arrogant! I’ll take your life!" He galloped fiercely toward the South Gate, heading straight for the city walls.
Sun Jian was busy clearing out remnants of enemies atop the arrow tower when he suddenly heard thunderous hoofbeats approaching. Looking up, he saw Zhao Hong charging at him with a spear raised high. With a cold laugh, Sun Jian pointed his spear and shouted, "Just in time! Take this!"
Zhao Hong thrust his long spear directly at Sun Jian's chest with a sharp whistle. Sun Jian pushed off with his feet and leaped into the air to evade this attack, soaring down from the tower. In mid-air, he swung his spear to deflect Zhao Hong's weapon and then thrust it into Zhao Hong's chest.
With a pained scream, Zhao Hong fell heavily from his horse, blood staining the stone floor of the city. Sun Jian landed gracefully and steadied himself before pulling out his spear and leaping onto Zhao Hong's warhorse. Coldly surveying his surroundings, he shouted loudly: "Zhao Hong is dead! Any bandit who does not surrender will be killed without mercy!" With that proclamation, he spurred his horse into pursuit of the fleeing Yellow Turban Army; no one could withstand his spear's wrath.
Outside the North Gate, Sun Zhong saw that chaos reigned within as drums sounded from the South Gate and soldiers lost their fighting spirit. He hurriedly led what remained of his troops through a breakout at North Gate only to collide with Liu Bei’s army. Liu Bei stood firm at the front lines with a Longbow in hand; his gaze was sharp as he quietly instructed Yun Chung and Yi De to follow him closely: "Chase them down; not a single one must escape!"
Sun Zhong was taken aback and quickly waved his sword to command his remaining troops to block their pursuers while he himself fled on horseback. But an arrow suddenly shot through the air towards his back. With a cry of agony, Sun Zhong fell from his horse. Liu Bei rode forward, drew his sword, glanced coldly at him before swiftly taking his head.
The remaining soldiers within heard that both their commanders had fallen; their morale shattered completely as they knelt down to surrender. At this moment, Zhu Jun led his forces forward to thoroughly eliminate any remaining enemies; gradually, cries of battle subsided as Wan Cheng was finally brought back under control.
After the Wan Cheng Battle, Zhu Jun led his army back to the capital, a grand procession sweeping through the lands of Nanyang, banners fluttering and the sound of hooves like thunder. Along the way, the common people lined the streets to welcome him, kneeling in gratitude for the Imperial Army's efforts in quelling the unrest. 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 decree from the court, officially appointed as General of Cavalry and concurrently Prefect of Henan, basking in glory. In the court, he passionately recounted the contributions of Sun Jian and Liu Bei, speaking earnestly. However, this outcome left Liu Bei and his companions with mixed feelings.
Sun Jian was appointed as a separate district's Sima due to his merits and was ordered to take up his post the following day. In his tent, Sun Jian beamed with joy as he frequently raised a toast to Liu Bei and the others: " Brother Xuan De, Yun Chung, Yi De! This time fighting alongside you all has truly impressed me! If it weren't for your tremendous support, how could I have achieved this honor?" He downed his cup in one go, his eyes filled with enthusiasm.
Liu Bei smiled slightly and raised his cup in return: "General Wentai is unmatched in bravery and has made remarkable contributions; it is only natural for the court to favor you. I wish you smooth sailing ahead."
Sun Jian laughed heartily and patted Liu Bei on the shoulder: " Brother Xuan De is too humble! I only regret not being able to stay longer with my brothers for a good drink. If there’s another chance in the future, I hope we can fight side by side again!"
Guan Yu stroked his beard calmly and said softly: "General Wentai has a bright future ahead; you will surely soar high. We are here to congratulate you." Zhang Fei drank heartily from his cup; although he voiced blessings, there was an undercurrent of impatience: "T General He leaves well; I, Zhang Fei, will uphold our brother's honor. We can drink together again another time!"
After Sun Jian took his leave, silence gradually enveloped the tent as even the campfire flickered weakly. Liu Bei sat at the table holding his wine cup, calm on the surface but harboring an unnoticeable sense of loss. His gaze drifted toward the distant lights as he murmured: "It is a blessing for General Wentai to fulfill his ambitions; yet we remain unrecognized by the court. I wonder when we will be able to serve our people again."
Guan Yu turned to look at Liu Bei and said steadily: "Brother, do not lose heart. The situation in the world is still uncertain; it cannot be resolved by a mere 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 wine bowl down with frustration: "Why must you hurt yourself with such thoughts? Zhu Jun has received great merit but only seeks accolades in court; what does it matter if he praises us? In the end, we are still left waiting here!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei merely sighed softly and shook his head: "Yi De, do not speak like that. Zhu Jun’s achievements are granted by the court; we are merely commoners who fought against bandits—this is already a great honor. How can we unjustly resent him?" 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 fell silent while Zhang Fei lowered his head in thought despite his dissatisfaction. Outside the tent, a cool night breeze rustled through the fabric while faint laughter from soldiers echoed distantly 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 remain patient. Liu Bei opened and read through the letter before placing it on the table with a bitter smile, murmuring to himself: "With so many affairs at court, how can Xuan De dare complain? But... how long must we wait this time?"
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