Chapter 114: Sun Ce Driven Mad with Rage [Please Subscribe]

Taishici, who was in charge of the ambush, felt quite bewildered when he suddenly received the order to withdraw. However, immediately afterward, he received word that Chu Feng had summoned him, which filled his heart with an ominous premonition.

A short while later, along the path of the retreat, Taishici spurred his horse forward and looked at Chu Feng with curiosity. "General, why the sudden withdrawal? And for what reason did you summon me?"

"Hmph, Taishici! My lord has treated you with the utmost sincerity, a level of favor we have never seen before. Yet, instead of repaying this loyalty, you feigned surrender to my lord, plotting to lead him to his death. What a cold-hearted wretch you are!" Zhao Fan immediately jumped out and rebuked him.

"My lord, I told you long ago that this man is an ungrateful wolf who can never be tamed. How could he ever know the meaning of gratitude?" Gan Ning added, his expression one of utter disdain.

Taishici’s mind went blank. Had he been exposed? He glanced left and right; Sun Jing was indeed missing. Could it be that the leak had come from Sun Jing’s side? That was most likely the case; otherwise, how would Chu Feng have known about the feigned surrender? And for him to suddenly abandon the plan at the final hour, it seemed Sun Jing had been too hasty.

"My lord, this man conspired with Sun Jing. Had we not discovered it in time, we would surely have fallen for his trap. I suggest we execute him to bolster the morale of the army!"

"Yes, kill him! Give the brothers an explanation!"

The crowd chimed in one after another, sounding quite gleeful. Taishici trembled; it was certain that Sun Jing had exposed him.

"Insolent! Do you need to remind me how to act? Are you trying to overstep your bounds?!" Chu Feng glared at the generals who were clamoring to kill Taishici and shouted at them.

Hearing this, Taishici felt a wave of guilt. He truly had no way to repay the kindness Chu Feng had shown him. Even now, with his betrayal exposed, Chu Feng still shielded him. This left him feeling unbearably ashamed. He only regretted that he had not come to know Chu Feng sooner; had he, he would surely have served him with all his heart.

"It is I who have betrayed the General's trust. As a warrior, one serves his own lord. The generals are right; I deserve to die. Perhaps, in another life, I would be willing to charge into battle at your side," Taishici said, bowing his head with his hands clasped.

Having said this, Taishici lifted his chin and whispered, "To die under the command of a general such as you is a form of release. Come, do it!"

Chu Feng displayed a pained expression—the look of one who had been deeply wounded, beyond the reach of words. He looked at Taishici for a long time before finally saying, "Go!"

"My lord, you cannot let him go!" the generals shouted in unison, their voices filled with murderous intent.

"A great man born into these chaotic times should wield his sword to achieve unparalleled feats. You and I have shared a connection; go now. If we meet on the battlefield another day, I shall surely take your head!"

Chu Feng finished speaking and turned his horse around. At the same time, he shouted, "Taishici is my close friend. No one is to cause him trouble. Anyone who defies this order shall be executed!"

His voice held resolve, regret, and, above all, a deep sense of reluctance. In terms of acting, Chu Feng had reached a level of perfection; his performance was flawless.

"Ugh!"
"Hmph!"
The generals were furious, turning away in resentment.

They even went so far as to plead again for Taishici’s execution. Taishici could faintly hear Chu Feng reprimanding his officers, a sound that struck deep into his heart.

This only deepened Taishici’s guilt. However, as each served their own lord, and since Chu Feng had let him go, he said nothing more and returned to camp alone.

***

"My lord, you just let him go? If he doesn’t return, won’t all our efforts be in vain?" Zhao Fan asked, frowning.

"Rest assured, he will return. And even if he doesn't, we haven't lost anything, have we?" Chu Feng said with a light chuckle.

"My lord, if you ask me, we should have just killed him!" Gan Ning curled his lip, failing to understand why Chu Feng had gone to such great lengths for a surrendered general.

"Heh, that is where you are wrong!"

"Sun Ce has many fine generals under his command. If Taishici can be won over, then when Sun Ce is defeated and killed, his officers will be more likely to come under my command, will they not?"

"Furthermore, when this matter spreads, the world will know that I, Chu Feng, treat surrendered generals with absolute sincerity. Why should I worry about having no one to join me? And how many will still be willing to fight to the death against me?"

Chu Feng shook his head and chuckled. In his view, he was not just aiming for Taishici, but for thousands of other "Taishicis." Although Cao Cao had let Liu Bei go out of an appreciation for talent, he had also attracted countless great minds in return. There is always a trade-off.

Hearing this, the generals sighed in admiration. The vision—their boss’s vision was simply much greater than theirs; he thought much further ahead.

Beside him, Lu Meng nodded, having learned a valuable lesson, but then added, "My lord, I have a strategy. I do not know if I should speak of it."

"Let’s hear it!"

"My lord, the third watch has passed, and Sun Ce’s army is exhausted. If you launch a surprise counter-attack, you will certainly be able to break their camp in one stroke and inflict heavy damage on the enemy!" Lu Meng said with narrowed eyes.

"A counter-attack?" Chu Feng raised an eyebrow. He looked back at Lu Meng and smiled. The idea was indeed excellent, as it was something hard to guard against. If he remembered correctly, Jia Xu had used this very tactic to defeat Cao Cao. Simply put, it exploited the human tendency to rely on conventional thinking. If they struck back at the fifth watch, Sun Ce’s army would certainly be fast asleep.

"My lord, this is attacking where they are unprepared and taking them by surprise. However, the force for this battle must not be noisy. We only need three thousand elite troops to storm the camp, while the rest remain on guard outside," Lu Meng suggested.

"Haha, excellent, excellent."

"Hurry and pass the order: attack the camp at the fifth watch. Zhao Fan, you lead the main assault. Gan Ning, you come with me to handle the slaughter. Remember, keep this strictly confidential."

Chu Feng decided immediately, as he also believed the plan was viable. Still, as it was a camp assault, he had to be cautious. He just wondered what Sun Ce's mood would be like when the time came.

***

Meanwhile, inside the Sun army camp, listening to the reports from his scouts, Sun Ce was furious. "Why? Why did Chu Feng suddenly withdraw? Can anyone tell me why he withdrew?"

How could Sun Ce not be angry? He had racked his brains and made extensive preparations to ambush Chu Feng, and just as they reached the final step, he was told the enemy had withdrawn. What was the meaning of this? It was like being interrupted at the most exciting moment—utterly infuriating.

The generals all hung their heads. At that moment, Zhou Yu strode in, his expression equally grim. "My lord, has Chu Feng withdrawn? Could someone have leaked the plan?"

Sun Ce scowled, remaining silent. Just then, a general arrived at the camp gate with Sun Jing. Seeing Sun Jing, Sun Ce asked urgently, "Uncle, why have you returned? What happened? Why did Chu Feng withdraw so abruptly?"

"If I hadn't come back, I wouldn't have made it back at all!" Sun Jing said angrily.

"What exactly happened?" Sun Ce pressed.

"Hmph, it’s all that Taishici’s doing!"

"In just a few days, he was bought off by Chu Feng. Just as we were about to attack the camp, he sent a message to Chu Feng explaining the situation, and that is why Chu Feng withdrew." Sun Jing became angrier the more he thought about it; they were so close to success, and it had all been ruined by that man.

"Ziyi?" Sun Ce was astonished and immediately denied it. "Impossible! Ziyi is a man of chivalry and has a deep friendship with me. How could he betray me?"

"Bofu, these are things I saw with my own eyes. Do you think I am lying to you?" Sun Jing snapped. If it weren't for their arrangements, Taishici wouldn't have been able to ruin things.

"This..." Sun Ce found it hard to believe. He felt he had treated Taishici well; why would he betray him?

Zhou Yu sighed softly. "My lord, one can know a person's face but not their heart. Furthermore, Chu Feng is a descendant of the Yuan clan; it is only natural that Taishici would be swayed to surrender."

Sun Ce remained silent for a long time. Finally, he said in a deep voice, "Order all units to stand down and rest. We shall withdraw to Wuxi on an auspicious day and wait for Cao Cao to strike Chu Feng in a pincer movement."

"Understood!" the generals nodded. They had been busy all night and hadn't even caught a ghost; it was laughable.

Zhou Yu simply took a deep breath. Withdrawing to Wuxi was a strategy he had already decided upon. With morale currently low, there was no point in holding this position; it would be better to reorganize the army and await the joint effort with Cao Cao.

Immediately, the units began to retreat. They hadn't tasted blood tonight, so there were many complaints, and the soldiers were grumbling. Before long, Taishici also arrived outside the camp.