"Commander Zhao,"
"There are 257 officials of Han detained in this prison. All of them have now been brought out," said a captain responsible for guarding the prison.
Outside the prison stood more than 200 individuals dressed in Han official attire. Once high-ranking officials of the Han, many wielding significant power, they now found themselves reduced to mere prisoners, their futures uncertain.
As Zhao Feng glanced at the prisoners, he noticed their faces reflected a mixture of desolation and fear of the unknown. Shackles bound their hands and feet.
"Are their families not being brought along?" Zhao Feng asked after a brief observation.
"Their families total in the thousands and will be dealt with later. If these people pledge allegiance to Qin, their families may be spared. If they remain obstinate, their families will likely be enslaved," the captain replied.
Zhao Feng nodded in understanding. These individuals were to be escorted to Xianyang, where their fate would be determined.
It was straightforward.
Those with abilities might be retained. Those deemed useless would suffer possibly being enslaved along with their entire families.
"Zhang Han," Zhao Feng called out loudly.
"Commander!"
Zhang Han quickly stepped forward.
"Is everything ready?" Zhao Feng asked.
"Fifty prisoner carts have been prepared, and General Wei has also allocated provisions and water for five days," Zhang Han reported.
"Good. Load all prisoners onto the carts," Zhao Feng commanded.
"Understood."
Zhang Han retreated to give orders. Soon, soldiers began driving the prisoners onto the carts.
"Commander Zhao," the captain of the prison suddenly spoke up again.
"Yes?" Zhao Feng turned to him.
"There's one thing you need to pay special attention to."
"Please elaborate."
The captain pointed at one particular individual among the prisoners. Zhao Feng followed his gaze and immediately recognized the man.
It was none other than Han Fei, who had nearly taken his own life outside the Han royal palace a few days earlier.
Though now a prisoner, Han Fei's demeanor was unbroken, his bearing noble. Yet, his eyes betrayed a desire for death, showing he had no intention of surviving.
"Han Fei, a royal of Han," Zhao Feng said slowly, a slight smile on his lips. "What about him?"
"General Li specifically instructed that among all these prisoners, anyone can die but not Han Fei."
The captain continued, "Since his imprisonment, Han Fei has barely eaten or drunk anything. His body is extremely weak. If this continues, he might not make it to Xianyang or even survive the journey."
"You must ensure his survival. If Han Fei dies during the transfer, the general will hold you responsible."
Hearing this, Zhao Feng nodded and clasped his hands in thanks. "Thank you, brother, for the reminder."
"Commander Zhao, you're too kind. You're the hero of our army. If not for you breaking the city, how could we have this victory?" The captain responded courteously.
By this time, all prisoners had been loaded onto the carts.
"Reporting to the commander!"
"All prisoners have been loaded, and the five battalions are assembled, ready to depart at any time," Zhang Han reported.
"Move out," Zhao Feng ordered.
"Understood!"
Zhang Han relayed the command. Soon, Zhao Feng's 4,000 elite soldiers, clad in armor and wielding weapons, formed up along both sides of the 50 prisoner carts. The convoy moved out of the city in an orderly fashion.
As the convoy advanced, Zhao Feng's gaze landed on Han Fei inside one of the carts.
"Han Gongzi Fei," he mused to himself. "Known in history as Han Feizi, the one who synthesized the doctrines of Legalism."
"This alone is enough to prove his extraordinary talent."
"If history follows its course, once Han Fei is delivered to Xianyang, he will remain imprisoned and eventually be killed by his former classmate, Li Si."
"But why would Li Si, already a prominent Nine Ministers official, fear Han Fei so much?"
Zhao Feng pondered as he studied the legendary figure in front of him.
Having lived in this world for so long, Zhao Feng had long since ceased to view himself as an outsider. The legendary Han Feizi, once only a name in history books, was now a living person in his reality.
"History records names. I wonder how future generations will write about me."
"Or perhaps, with my ability to collect attributes, I might achieve immortality and witness the cyclical nature of history firsthand," Zhao Feng thought to himself.
Time passed quickly.
By nightfall, Zhao Feng and his troops had left Xinzheng and arrived in Yangcheng.
"Order the troops to rest for the night. Light campfires, distribute provisions and water to the prisoners and allow them to disembark from the carts. We'll continue tomorrow," Zhao Feng instructed.
"Understood!"
The military officers immediately set about executing the orders.
Zhao Feng found a spot to sit down, took out some rations, and began eating.
"Zhao, my boy!"
Just as he started, Wei Quan approached, sitting beside him unceremoniously.
"Hey, why are you more anxious than I am?" Zhao Feng retorted, smiling wryly.
"Come on, I'm just excited for you." Wei Quan grinned. "Who could've guessed? A logistics soldier with no interest in power has become a famous warrior and commander!"
"You know as well as I do."
"I never wanted this. I was forced into it," Zhao Feng replied a hint of nostalgia in his tone.
Wei Quan chuckled. "Right, your first merit was to save me, killing a Han captain in the process. The second time, you were chased by Han forces, defended yourself, and ended up killing their general."
"Are you implying I'm just lucky?" Zhao Feng asked, feigning annoyance.
"If this isn't luck, what is? You don't realize how many soldiers idolize you now."
Zhao Feng shrugged, too tired to argue. "Maybe luck is a part of strength, after all."
Wei Quan smiled knowingly. "You've changed, though. I can tell you're not the same as before."
"Now, you're pursuing power."
Zhao Feng met his gaze and said with determination, "You're right, Wei. This world isn't fair. To protect my family, I need power."
Unspoken was his greater ambition, kept hidden even from his closest confidant. For Zhao Feng, power was merely a step toward securing his ultimate future.
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