Chapter 693

On the other side, Zhu Jun also ordered Sun Jian and the others to disarm all the surrendered Huang Jin soldiers and detain them on the riverbank.

The two Han armies, separated by a river, each went about their own business as if they were strangers.

"General, how should these surrendered soldiers be handled?"

Sun Jian, having rounded up all the Huang Jin soldiers, brought Bo Cai's head to Zhu Jun's side.

At this moment, the thousands of surrendered soldiers who had been rounded up were kneeling on the riverbank, awaiting the verdict of their fate.

Zhu Jun looked at Bo Cai's head with eyes full of malice.

Zhu Jun had been defeated by Bo Cai in his first battle and was subsequently reprimanded.

Now, taking revenge could also be considered washing away his past shame.

"Behead all the surrendered soldiers."

Zhu Jun said with a fierce look: "There are still scattered rebel soldiers in various parts of Yingchuan, and our forces are insufficient. If we let these rebel soldiers go, they might stir up a rebellion again."

"If we were to imprison them, it would require a large amount of grain and fodder."

Hearing Zhu Jun's order, Sun Jian nodded.

Huangfu Song, standing to the side, frowned slightly upon hearing that Zhu Jun intended to execute all the surrendered soldiers.

But after hearing Zhu Jun's reasoning, Huangfu Song, though frowning, did not speak further.

The thousands of Huang Jin soldiers kneeling on the riverbank did not yet know that their final judgment was imminent.

Countless hollow eyes looked at the reddish Xunshui River and the corpses floating downstream on the river surface.

Sun Jian, executing Zhu Jun's order, led Han Dang and Cheng Pu, along with soldiers holding heavy crossbows, to the rear of the surrendered Huang Jin soldiers kneeling on the riverbank.

The moment the command flag was raised high, the heavy crossbows were leveled.

"Fire!"

Following Sun Jian's order, the command flag fell, and the dense volley of crossbow bolts instantly harvested the surrendered soldiers kneeling at the edge of the river channel like mowing grass.

Corpse after corpse fell directly into the river channel, dyeing the already crimson river water even more blood-red.

On the west bank,

Qu Yi, Gao Shun, Cao Cao, Cao Ren, and others, who were rounding up surrendered soldiers, were all stunned when they saw this scene.

And those Huang Jin soldiers who had been rounded up also opened their eyes wide with terror as they watched this scene.

Zhu Jun, on the riverbank, clad in armor and pressing his hand on the hilt of his sword, looked coldly at Qu Yi, Gao Shun, and the others on the opposite bank.

That look was full of provocation.

It was exactly the same as Sun Jian's just a moment ago.

And the Huang Jin soldiers rounded up by the Liangzhou army at this moment all looked at the Liangzhou army behind them with pleading eyes.

Cao Cao looked at Zhu Jun with a furrowed brow.

The words Bo Cai had spoken before he died seemed to echo in his ears once again.

These people, they just wanted to live.

Were they wrong?

Perhaps they were.

They shouldn't have gathered to rebel, shouldn't have attacked cities, shouldn't have plundered everywhere.

However, they really just wanted to live.

Other than that, there didn't seem to be any other reason.

"Pass the order down: no soldier is to kill those who have surrendered, and no one is to kill surrendered soldiers to claim military merit," Cao Cao said with a dark face.

After Cao Cao's order was issued, those surrendered Huang Jin soldiers looked at Cao Cao with grateful eyes.

On the opposite bank, Zhu Jun said with a disdainful, cold voice: "Mere womanly kindness."

As time passed, Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song, having finished cleaning up the battlefield, began to order the main army to cross the river.

Bo Cai's army had already been annihilated, and the Huang Jin army in Yingchuan was now leaderless.

The task of cleaning up the remaining rebel soldiers would not require Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun; the county troops of each county could slowly clean them up.

Zhu Jun, having taken Bo Cai's head, rode his horse and slowly crossed the river.

"Brother Yizhen, the primary credit for defeating Bo Cai should belong to you, Brother Yizhen."

Zhu Jun looked at Huangfu Song beside him and said: "In this pacification of the rebellion, this battle is your primary credit. You can present Bo Cai's head to the imperial court to claim merit."

Huangfu Song smiled and shook his head in response: "Brother Gongwei is too polite. If it weren't for you, Brother Gongwei, I would still be trapped in Changshe at this moment; how could I have broken out of the siege?"

"This primary credit should belong to you, Brother Gongwei."

"However..."

Huangfu Song paused, looked at Cao Cao and the Liangzhou army on the west bank, and said: "Since Duan Yu's troops are here, I estimate that Duan Yu himself is not far from here."

"I imagine he should be here very soon."

"I am afraid Duan Yu will step in to snatch this head of Bo Cai."

"Hmph."

Zhu Jun snorted coldly: "What right does he have?"

"The imperial court ordered him to send troops to suppress the rebellion, and he has been walking from Luoyang for a month without reaching Yingchuan."

"It would be one thing if he didn't send troops to suppress the rebellion, but he even sent troops here to prepare to intercept the credit. For such actions, I will definitely submit a memorial to impeach him."

"Didn't Zishi also say he would submit a memorial to impeach Duan Yu?"

"Besides, it was we who defeated Bo Cai..."

Zhu Jun, having climbed onto the west bank of the Xunshui River, looked at Cao Cao, Qu Yi, and the others not far away and said: "How are their actions any different from those of robbers?"

Zhu Jun deliberately raised his voice so that Cao Cao, Qu Yi, Gao Shun, and the others not far away could hear him clearly.

Qu Yi had already been harboring anger, and after hearing Zhu Jun's words, he immediately gripped the hilt of his sword tightly on the spot.

Zhu Jun, mounted on his horse, narrowed his eyes and sneered: "What, you still want to draw your sword against me?"

"I assume you don't have the guts!"

As soon as Zhu Jun said this, Cao Cao's expression changed immediately.

Provocation—this was a naked provocation.

Zhu Jun was clearly trying to enrage Qu Yi.

It was one thing for Qu Yi to raise his bow and crossbow at Sun Jian before; after all, the situation was different then.

Besides, Sun Jian was just a Sima of the Auxiliary Army.

But if Qu Yi were to draw his sword against Zhu Jun, the situation would be completely different.

Zhu Jun was the Right General of the Household, an official of the imperial court with a salary of two thousand shi.

As long as Qu Yi drew his sword, it would first be a crime of disrespecting a superior and rebelling against authority.

Zhu Jun was clearly trying to enrage Qu Yi.

"No."

Cao Cao, knowing Zhu Jun's intention, immediately blocked Qu Yi, turned his head, and said: "He is trying to provoke you on purpose. You must not fall for it; otherwise, even Ziyi will not be able to protect you."

Gao Shun, standing beside Qu Yi, also nodded and pressed one hand on Qu Yi's hand, which was about to draw his sword.

"He is right."

Qu Yi took a deep breath, his eyes bloodshot as he nodded.

Zhu Jun, mounted on his horse, sneered and said: "A lowly soldier who doesn't know his place—be careful you don't lose your head."

"Let's go."

After saying this, Zhu Jun waved his hand.

Sun Jian, following behind Zhu Jun, also looked at Qu Yi with a mocking expression.

Huangfu Song, riding side-by-side with Zhu Jun, glanced at Cao Cao and the others but said nothing.

It was not until they had walked a certain distance that Huangfu Song turned his head to look at Zhu Jun beside him and said softly:

"Why does Brother Gongwei have to bicker with them?"

Zhu Jun shook his head slightly and said: "Brother Yizhen is wrong."

"Since Duan Yu had his troops wait here, it is clear that he was scheming against us from the beginning."

"His troops didn't appear early or late, but appeared at this exact moment; it is clear they have been observing our movements all along."

"If Brother Yizhen had not broken out of the siege at Changshe, Duan Yu would have kept waiting, waiting for Brother Yizhen to be defeated."

"If we don't make our stance clear, Duan Yu will think we are afraid of him."

"Giving his subordinates a little lesson today is to let him know that we are not to be trifled with either," Zhu Jun said with a cold gaze. ===== CHAPTER 695 =====