Almost Had My Share of Surrender

A few days ago.

At the outpost built on the mountain pass.

The Barrier Commandant continuously listened to the incoming reports.

"Report! Lord Barrier Commandant, General Chen Xiong was slain on the spot by the Prince of Love of Cloud Capital."

"Report! Lord Barrier Commandant, the Prince of Love of Cloud Capital has thrown open the gates of Wusheng Pass and marched out to a decisive battle with the imperial army."

"Report! Lord Barrier Commandant, the Prince of Love of Cloud Capital was routed by the imperial army in less than a single bout, and he himself has been captured."

"Report! Lord Barrier Commandant, the imperial army has occupied Wusheng Pass."

"Report! Lord Barrier Commandant, the imperial envoy, Duke Ren Tianye, has announced the abolition of the love-first principle within Cloud Capital and has issued back pay to all our comrades at Wusheng Pass."

"Report! Lord Barrier Commandant, Duke Ren has entered Guanxiang Town, dealt with Zhang Guifang and her son, and strictly forbidden the love-first doctrine."

...

Piece by piece, every message struck like a thunderbolt above the Barrier Commandant's head, leaving his mind rumbling endlessly.

He grew increasingly numb.

"It is over, it is all over. The imperial army is advancing far too fast. With Wusheng Pass gone, our tiny outpost is nothing but meat on their chopping block. They could take us at any moment."

The Barrier Commandant anxiously paced around his room every day.

He had no idea what to do.

Now that Ren Tianye had stationed himself in Guanxiang Town, pointing his spearhead directly at them, there was not much time left to think.

At this moment, a man walked in from outside. It was the Barrier Commandant's subordinate, the Beacon Commander in charge of the signal fires. Like him, his face was full of gloom, though a sharp glint now flickered in his eyes.

"My Lord, we cannot just sit here and wait for death. Otherwise, when Ren Tianye's great army arrives, won't our hundred or so men be trampled flat in an instant?"

"The way I see it, we either surrender."

"Or we run away immediately."

The Beacon Commander's two suggestions were exactly what the Barrier Commandant had been agonizing over. Should they surrender? Or should they run?

If they ran, they would likely be held accountable by Cloud Capital.

But if they surrendered, his wife was not in Guanxiang Town at all. Once he surrendered, it would likely implicate his wife, putting her under Cloud Capital's butcher knife.

"My Lord, could it be that you are still considering that wife of yours? Have you forgotten that you were forced to marry her? With her three-hundred-pound weight, she is like a small mountain. When has she ever not made you miserable? How many times have you complained to us?"

"Also, have you selectively forgotten what she is like at home? She is inherently lazy, arrogant, and willful. Back then, if it weren't for the rule that one couldn't be promoted without love, you would probably have rather died on the battlefield than choose her, right?"

"Besides, all these years, you have had to write her all sorts of love letters. Do you not feel sick just thinking about it now?"

The Beacon Commander's words hit the nail on the head, instantly making the Barrier Commandant shudder. Thinking about it, it was absolutely true. If he had not been forced into such a corner by Cloud Capital's absurd military regulations, how could he have been taken advantage of by that woman?

He had clearly just bumped into her by accident, yet she forcefully slandered him for defiling her. Under military law, he was ultimately forced to marry that fat woman.

What, after so much time had passed and he had grown numb, had he forgotten his initial unwillingness and anger?

Gritting his teeth, he said, "You are right. In that case... we surrender!"

"We will surrender together."

"A sincere surrender."

Pausing, the Barrier Commandant asked, "What about you? Are you surrendering with me?"

"Of course!" the Beacon Commander said resolutely. "According to the news we received, Duke Ren's army is not like our Cloud Capital's army."

"They prioritize military merit, abide by the law, and focus on the livelihood of the people."

"Moreover, they pay their troops in full."

"If we join Duke Ren's army, we can steadfastly go into battle to kill enemies and build our careers, and we will never have to endure this dog-shit love ever again."

Pausing again, the Beacon Commander's eyes brightened. "Not just me, everyone is yearning for the Duke's army. It is just that since you, the Barrier Commandant, have not spoken, everyone is too afraid to violate military orders."

The Barrier Commandant nodded and said, "If that is the case, then what more is there to say? We surrender. We absolutely must surrender!"

Just as the two of them made up their minds, they heard a commotion outside the mud-brick house. There seemed to be a faint sense of crisis. Having been stationed at the outpost all year round, they had a very high sense of danger and immediately became alert.

Both men gripped the hilts of their swords and quietly crept toward the door.

Just as they reached it, they saw the door let out a loud boom and instantly shatter into pieces.

Outside the door, nearly a hundred soldiers from within the outpost, each holding a weapon, with sharp eyes and an imposing aura, came rushing in.

This looked no different from a mutiny.

Frightened, the Barrier Commandant immediately shouted, "What are you all doing?"

"Could it be that you disagree with surrendering to Ren Tianye?"

"Are you trying to threaten me with swords?"

The Beacon Commander was also terrified, his legs trembling. However, he forced himself to suppress his fear and said loudly, "What are you doing? We are comrades from the same camp, after all. Even if you disagree with surrendering to Ren Tianye, we can discuss it. Is there a need to draw weapons?"

The soldiers who had rushed in suddenly froze.

The one leading them was especially stunned.

Soon after, he threw his gleaming longsword to the ground with a loud clang, and took the lead in shouting, "We are willing to follow you, My Lord, and surrender to Duke Ren."

With someone taking the lead, the men following behind also followed suit, throwing their longswords to the ground, instantly kicking up a chorus of clanging sounds.

Then they shouted together, "We are willing to follow you, My Lord, and surrender to Duke Ren!"

Phew!

The Barrier Commandant and the Beacon Commander both let out long sighs of relief.

Fortunately, these men still valued their camaraderie.

However, in the very next instant, their minds raced, and they suddenly realized something, making them look at each other.

Both saw terror and fear in the other's eyes.

More accurately, it was lingering dread!

An intense lingering dread!

It caused their clothes, which had not been soaked in cold sweat just a moment ago, to become drenched in an instant.

Damn it, that was close!

That was really close!

If they had been just a damn step slower in deciding to surrender, it would not have been a matter of whether they wanted to surrender, but whether they would even be alive to be part of the surrender!

"How perilous!"

Both of them felt this way in their hearts. As a result, the Barrier Commandant, who was originally so weak he could barely speak, gritted his teeth and roared, "Pack your bags immediately and prepare all the ledgers in the outpost! We will..."

"...go to the Duke in person to surrender!"

"We absolutely cannot wait for the Duke to come looking for us before we surrender!"

The crowd roared in agreement. In the next second, everyone pulled out their already prepared bags and shouted one after another, "Lord Commandant, we are ready. Let us go."

"That is right, there is no time to lose. Commandant, Beacon Commander, let us set off immediately."

"I can hardly wait. Once we get to the Duke's place, we will not have to suffer this torment of love anymore, and we will get full pay. Just thinking about it gets me excited."

"I really wish I could grow wings and fly over to the Duke."

...

The Barrier Commandant and the Beacon Commander looked at each other again, their hands and feet growing even colder.

Too close, too close. It was really a damn near thing.

He quickly forced himself to stand up.

First, he ordered a man to ride ahead on a fast horse, carrying a white flag to surrender to the Duke and prevent any misunderstandings. The main force would follow immediately without a single moment of hesitation.

Then, the barrier guards and the Beacon Commander did not even bother to grab their personal belongings. They hurriedly set off with about a hundred men, marching out in a great rush.

The messenger who rode ahead did not make it to Ren Tianye. Instead, he ran into Wang Ming first. He immediately explained the situation, and though Wang Ming was surprised, he was more than happy to accept.

He asked, Where are your men?

Reporting, General, they are right behind me. I rode a horse so I made better time, but their marching pace is not slow either. If we wait just a little while, they will definitely catch up in less than two hours.

Wang Ming nodded, Let us go and receive them.

The great army of two thousand men set out once more, marching mightily forward.

At that very same moment, behind a mountain col, a troop of soldiers lay in ambush like ghosts. Their leader, Zhang Shi, wore an expression of pure excitement.

Finally, we have finally flanked into position.

I have finally flanked them!

Once it gets dark, I will let the whole army know just how formidable I am. Wang Ming... will have to respectfully address me as General from now on!

The more Zhang Shi thought about it, the happier he felt. He immediately dispatched a trusted soldier, whispering his orders, Go find the Duke right now and arrange to attack Wusheng Pass tonight.

Once the signal flare goes up, I will immediately launch a surprise attack from behind. Even if Wusheng Pass is a natural fortress, it must belong to the Duke tonight.

Yes, sir!

The soldier was about to head out, but the moment he poked his head out, he shrank back in terror. General, there are people, there are people...

Looking at their uniforms, they seem to be from Wusheng Pass. No, they are the men from that pavilion commandant outpost.

Zhang Shi was also stunned. He lay flat to take a look and saw about a hundred men running madly in the direction of Wusheng Pass, as if they were in a footrace.

It was as if everyone was terrified of falling a single step behind.

Why does this scene feel so familiar...

Zhang Shi frowned, and the memory of the time he and Wang Ming were at Sifang City involuntarily surfaced in his mind. He then muttered, Why are they running like that?

Are they abandoning the barrier outpost?

Before he could make sense of it, he saw another group of soldiers appear at the foot of the distant mountain. Zhang Shi was much more familiar with this group. The uniforms they wore were exactly those of the troops the Duke had brought to quell the rebellion.

They numbered roughly two thousand men.

However, these two thousand men left Zhang Shi completely bewildered.

That is not right. How did our troops end up here?

Is not Wusheng Pass blocking the way?

Wait, the man leading them looks like Wang Ming!

Damn it, it is Wang Ming!

What is Wang Ming trying to do? Why did those men from the Wusheng Pass barrier rush over only to kneel before him? Does he dare to collude with the enemy?

No, it is not treason, it looks like...

Zhang Shi's expression shifted drastically. At that moment, a sudden flash of realization hit him, and his eyes widened in shock.

Damn it, those men from the barrier have surrendered to Wang Ming. They have even raised a white flag!

If the men from the barrier have surrendered, then Wusheng Pass...

Holy crap, you have got to be kidding me!