Chapter 3, Only Death!

However, upon further reflection, if I were a general leading troops, I could attempt a "curve to save the country" strategy, feigning submission to the Hu and then finding an opportunity to stab him in the back—similar examples abound during the period of the Two Jin and Sixteen Kingdoms, and it is unlikely that one would be left with a notorious reputation. But I am merely a civil official; even if I were to surrender to Shi Le, he would likely spare my life only to keep me by his side as an advisor. What opportunity would I have to stab him? Should I try to use a dinner knife to stab him during a banquet? But I am merely a civil official; even if I were to surrender to Shi Le, he would likely spare my life only to keep me by his side as an advisor. What opportunity would I have to stab him? Should I try to use a dinner knife to stab him during a banquet?

The person who previously provided the explanation was also unsure whether it was out of good intentions or malice, and whether it was an opportunity for mockery. The following statement is certainly an act of flattery: "Li Ling surrendered to the Xiongnu, and the Chanyu married him to a princess, bestowing upon him the title of king. With the prestige of a king, known throughout the realm, how could Li Ling possibly compare? The Han state must certainly value the king, and perhaps there is even hope for a royal title."

The sky gradually darkened, and the officials of Jin huddled under the walls, whispering to one another, speculating about their futures. Each person kept their distance from Pei, ensuring that there was no one within five feet of them.

Upon hearing the phrase "to escape death," Pei's facial muscles involuntarily twitched—should he agree to him? Should he attempt to "rescue the country through indirect means"?

After driving away Pei Gai, Shi Le could not help but slam the table fiercely, and then turned to his henchman Kong Chang, asking: "People like Wang Yifu and others, in my years of wandering the world, I have never seen such shameless individuals—should we really let them live?" Kong Chang curled his lip and replied: "They are all nobles of the Jin state, and they will never serve me, so why not just kill them all?" Shi Le hesitated and asked: "But Pei Lang is different from them; should he also be killed?" Kong Chang raised an eyebrow and said: "If Pei wishes to be a martyr, then let him become one, as the saying goes, 'to seek benevolence is to obtain benevolence'..."

Upon hearing these words, Shi Le could not help but become furious, his thick eyebrows standing upright, his eyes wide open, and he shouted loudly: "Take him out!" The two Hu soldiers from earlier rushed forward and forcibly dragged Pei Gai out of the main tent. ... Pei Gai still wanted to angrily retort: "I can walk by myself, why bother with the trouble?" However, ultimately he was exhausted, and before he could utter the words, after struggling a couple of times, he found himself outside the tent...

Well, it truly is a case of "indulging to the point of death". Having spent two days in this world, I can reluctantly close my eyes without any regrets.

Shi Le nodded, but after frowning and thinking for a while, he lowered his voice and said: "Wang Yifu is ultimately a renowned scholar in the world, along with those nobles of the Jin state; we cannot allow them to see blood..."

Shi Le fixed his hawk-like gaze on Pei Gai, narrowing his eyes slightly, and continued to ask: "Now, your army has been defeated by me, the state is in turmoil, and it is evident that it is on the verge of collapse. I inquired about the reason, but Wang Taiwei said it was none of his business—what does Lord Pei think?"

Wang Yan pretended to stroke his beard and said: "As long as I can preserve the remainder of my life, that is sufficient; how could I dare to have such extravagant hopes..."

... ...

Shi Le slightly frowned and patiently continued to persuade, "The ruler of Jin has lost virtue, and the world is in chaos. I raised my troops from the time of the late emperor (Emperor Liu Yuanhai of Han) to comply with the will of heaven and to punish the wicked for the sake of the people. Although you and your father have benefited from the Jin court, Duke Cheng has devoted himself to the country, yet he has been harmed by treacherous individuals, which can be considered a repayment of the Jin ruler's grace. Young Pei, you are still in your youth, with a long future ahead of you. Do you not cherish life? Why are you so resolutely unwilling to submit to me?"

After Pei had driven Wang Yan away, he was exhausted and could not help but feel his legs give way, causing him to fall to the ground. Immediately, he faintly heard these conversations nearby, which left him both amused and exasperated; he truly wished he could rush forward and take a bite out of that bastard Wang Yan.

If we speak of exceptions, there are only three individuals: Zhang Hua, Pei Wei, and Jia Mo. During the time when Jia Nanfeng wielded power, the three of them jointly governed, barely maintaining eight years of peace. However, compared to the renowned ministers of previous and subsequent dynasties, these three are merely ordinary politicians, at best comparable to Feng Dao of the Five Dynasties, who, under the coercion of nobles and warlords, could only strive to ensure that the bureaucratic system did not completely collapse.

Pei glanced at the white-faced man sitting next to Shi Le, who appeared to be around fifty years old and whose attire was relatively neat, and thought to himself that this must indeed be Wang Yan. He then shifted his gaze back to Shi Le and said loudly: "Wang Yan has misled the country and caused chaos in governance, while the nobles merely occupy their positions without contributing. We are all incapable and lacking in strategy, leading us to this point. The nation is in decline; who among the meat-eaters can escape blame!"

Pei sneered coldly and said: "As you say, the ruler of Jin has lost virtue, and the various vassals are killing each other. I am ashamed to benefit from such a Jin dynasty! Yet you all, under the pretense of divine will, ravage the Central Plains, destroy the fields, and slaughter the common people. I cannot fathom how much innocent blood has been shed upon your blades. If the ruler of Jin leads beasts to devour men, you are but a facade of humanity, while your hearts are truly those of wolves and tigers! Now, with the enmity between the Hu people and China as deep as the sea, even if I die, I will die as a human. How could I possibly submit to beasts and become a pawn for tigers?"

Let us begin by recalling the Pei family to which this body belongs. The Pei family of Hedong is indeed one of the prominent aristocratic families during the Wei and Jin dynasties, having produced numerous high-ranking officials and dignitaries. My father, named Pei Wei, was a renowned philosopher of the Western Jin dynasty and a minister of equal stature to Zhang Hua; my grandfather, named Pei Xiu, was a famous geographer in ancient history. I am the second son, and it seems there is an elder brother above me—Wang Yan just mentioned him—whose courtesy name is Daowen. What was his given name again? My father, named Pei Wei, was a renowned philosopher of the Western Jin dynasty and a minister of equal stature to Zhang Hua; my grandfather, named Pei Xiu, was a famous geographer in ancient history. I am the second son, and it seems there is an elder brother above me—Wang Yan just mentioned him—whose courtesy name is Daowen. What was his given name again? Was it Pei Song or Pei Chong?

Pei diligently organized his thoughts, sitting in meditation for an entire day. Occasionally, he opened his eyes to observe his surroundings and saw Wang Yan and others, driven by hunger, shamelessly pushing someone out to beg for food from Hu. Shi Le, however, remained remarkably composed; despite having already made up his mind to eliminate these useless individuals, he still sent someone to bring clear water and coarse flatbreads.

If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have come back! ... Oh, there is no such thing as "if I had known" in this world, and at that time, this body was not under my control either

It was thus decided that under the cover of darkness that night, all the captured officials and dignitaries of the Jin Dynasty would be executed, while the princes and nobles would be buried directly by toppling the walls, which could be considered a plan to grant them a complete corpse.

I did not expect that today Shi Le would say: "The late Duke of Julu was a person I have always respected..." Pei Gai Xin remarked that such a person is merely a general pulled from a file, truly not worthy of respect. Fortunately, the soul has been exchanged, so he cannot be considered his true father; otherwise, he would likely turn red with embarrassment on the spot

In terms of governance, one could compare him to Feng Dao; however, when it comes to being an official and maintaining integrity, he cannot even catch up. ... Feng Dao, after all, managed to have a good ending, while Zhang Hua and Pei Wei ultimately fell victim to the knives of ambitious individuals ... . ... Jia Mo was comparatively fortunate, as he passed away from illness due to his grievances a few years earlier.

Pei Gai also felt his stomach churning, so hungry that he could hardly sit upright. However, he was unwilling to beg for food to survive, facing the shameless expressions of those well-dressed beasts—those people looked at him as if he were a madman, or even a corpse, trying to keep their distance from him as if he were the only one the Hu people would ultimately kill, as if getting close to him would inevitably lead to death, and as long as they avoided him, they could ensure their own survival

Upon hearing these words, Shi Le was momentarily taken aback, then he twirled his mustache and laughed heartily towards the sky. Once he had laughed enough, he turned to the visibly embarrassed Wang Yan and sternly exclaimed: "What Pei Lang said is indeed true. How could a young man like you, who has risen to prominence in court, gained fame across the land, and holds a position of authority, claim to have no interest in officialdom and never think of becoming an official? With the world in such turmoil, how can you still have the face to say you are not involved in this matter?" He immediately ordered his subordinates to drive Wang Yan and the others out of the tent.

Wang Yan and others could not understand what Pei Gai was saying, but they were still frightened by his wide-eyed, spitting demeanor, causing them to stagger back. Immediately, the crowd began to discuss among themselves: "Pei Wenyue is truly insane..."

The battle between heaven and man occurs in an instant. Pei struggled to break free from the desire for life and loudly replied: "I will never surrender, only death awaits!"

Pei had never imagined that two thousand years ago there would be a young bureaucrat with the same name as his own, but he did have some impression of his deceased father before his time travel. Essentially, the legacy left to him by Emperor Jin, Sima Yan, consisted entirely of a group of bureaucrats who were both corrupt and incompetent—of course, there were also many ambitious princes whose abilities were utterly mismatched with their ambitions—who only knew how to plunder the wealth of the people and eliminate rivals, and who could hardly propose any correct strategies for governing the state.

Whenever he sees such a gaze and thinks of the other person's feelings, Pei cannot help but grin, even if it is a bitter smile

However, suddenly an overwhelming sense of sorrow surged within him, causing his nose to tingle and his eyes to redden. He reminded himself not to cry, absolutely not to cry, lest the Hu people think that he was actually afraid of death. He simply closed his eyes and once again tried to sort through the chaotic thoughts in his mind

In this era, there was no clear sense of national identity, nor was there the designation of "Han ethnicity." People generally referred to themselves by their geographical location or by the name of their state. As for Wang Yan, he could be considered a person from Jin, or a Chinese person—here, "Chinese" refers to the Central Plains. In contrast, Shi Le, as a subject of both the Hu and Han, could claim to be a Han person. Wang Yan's implication was that he wished to surrender, that he wanted to be a Han person; however, the opposing side had not yet made a clear statement of agreement. How could I be labeled a "traitor to the Han"? Wang Yan's implication was that he wished to surrender, that he wanted to be a Han person; however, the opposing side had not yet made a clear statement of agreement. How could I be labeled a "traitor to the Han"?

The Pei family originally had a considerable population, but unfortunately, many met a fate similar to that of their father during the "Rebellion of the Eight Kings," ending up in tragic circumstances. I vaguely remember that when Pei Wei died, there was an intention to execute his entire family. I cannot recall who persuaded the executioner Sima Lun at that time, but ultimately, Pei Wei's two sons were instead exiled to Fangjun. However, before they could reach their destination, Sima Lun was defeated and killed, which led to the restoration of Pei Wei's reputation, and the two brothers were summoned back.

Wang Yan was quite confused and asked those around him, "Is he cursing me as a 'traitor to the Han'? This... seems to be a misunderstanding. I am still a minister of the Han; it is impossible for me to be a traitor to the Han."

Currently, among the officials, only Pei Gai is aware of this plan without any self-interest or need for inquiry, while the others are still lost in their delusions of invulnerability. Even after Pei Gai was 'expelled' from the main tent, Wang Yan pointed at him in accusation, saying: 'You are inexperienced and have thus angered Lord Shi. If Lord Shi were to kill you, what face would I have to meet your elder brother?'

Since one has the opportunity to experience this world, how can one not observe carefully and commit to memory the historical scenes that no one in the afterlife can witness with their own eyes? ... Oh, so this is how the clothing and adornments of the Jin people are, and this is how the weapons and saddlery of the Hu people are ... ... Seeing the actual objects in use, they indeed differ from the illustrations in books and even from the artifacts housed in museums ... ... Seeing the actual objects in use, they indeed differ from the illustrations in books and even from the artifacts housed in museums ... ...

It is a pity that I no longer have such strength... However, thinking about it, since I have already made an effort, I might as well see it through to the end—after all, there is no need to hold on for too long—so I struggled to sit up straight and began to look around aimlessly.

Pei said angrily: "Disrespectful? Is etiquette meant for beasts? Is it meant for you, the dressed-up beasts?" Thinking that the eloquence was truly unsatisfactory, he simply resorted to the grammar of later generations to curse: "No one wants to be a dog, and even the traitors can't get close to their masters' scraps! I X you XXXXXX!"

Wang Yan shook his head: "The Bank of China claims it is self-reliant, how can it be compared with me? As for Li Ling, he also surrendered out of necessity after a military defeat, so he can barely be compared..."

The red sun gradually ascended to its zenith, and then slowly descended towards the west. A few Hu soldiers rushed over, shouting, and drove all the Jin officials to the base of the crumbling city wall. Pei Gai was also forced to rise, limping with his already sore and numb legs, and slowly made his way there. However, he instinctively tried to sit as far from the wall as possible. It was only after he sat down that he suddenly realized how futile this behavior was—given his status, he was destined to have his throat cut, and there was no hope of a complete corpse; what difference did it make whether he sat close or far? It was just that once he sat down, his whole body became weak, and he could no longer stand up.

Pei was so enraged that he laughed out loud: "You actually refer to the bandit Hu as 'Lord'. I truly feel ashamed to share the same sky and earth with you. Do you still care about your elder brother? I fear you have no face to confront the world!"

Immediately, someone beside reprimanded: "Wen Yue, do not be rude!"

Although he was already prepared for a generous death, Pei could not help but glance at the sky and pay attention to the movements of the nearby Hu people. Finally, he noticed that over a hundred Hu people were clearly gathering here in an organized manner, approaching from all directions. When they were about six or seven zhang away from the wall, they almost simultaneously came to a halt, and one by one, they took down their horse bows from their shoulders

When only a group of Hu people and Pei Gai remained in the large tent, Shi Le slightly softened his tone and leaned forward to ask Pei Gai: "The kings, nobles, and ministers of Jin are all inferior to your late father, and those captured by me now are also not as good as you, Pei Lang. Would you be willing to surrender to me and thus avoid death?"

Someone pretentiously explained: "I suppose Pei Wenyue intends to compare the princes to Zhong Hang, who defected to the Xiongnu, and Li Ling..."

... ...