Chapter 4: New Death, New Rise; Capturing the False Emperor Again

Shecheng.

Roars of battle erupted everywhere as Gu Xiao led his thousands of troops in a fierce assault on the city before them.

Indeed, Gu Xiao now commanded over two thousand soldiers.

These troops were given to him by Liu Xiu after their friendship, along with substantial grain supplies.

Though the two had parted ways.

Liu Xiu had never once suggested withdrawing these troops.

The lands of Hebei were now wildly chaotic.

The Three Kings of Hebei each held their own territories, each with their own thoughts and ambitions.

Gu Yi did not intend to make a loud stir this time, given his limited forces.

Moreover, this directly affected whether Liu Xiu could escape safely from the Gengshi regime—he would make no unnecessary changes.

What Gu Yi needed to do was first establish himself in Hebei.

Secure a stable city!

Roars of battle rose again; such a small city, unprepared and undefended, stood no chance against Gu Xiao, this brute.

Hmm. Yes.

Gu Xiao was indeed a brute.

This was Gu Yi's assessment over this period.

If this old ancestor of his could back the right man, he might make a decent general.

As for commanding an entire army as a supreme commander,

He lacked the capability.

Yet brutes have their own advantages; Gu Yi could compensate for Gu Xiao's weakness in strategic vision and handle the planning for him.

The rest? Leave it to Gu Xiao to charge ahead!!!

The three armies roared continuously.

Gu Yi watched over it all like a god; as time passed, the gates of Shecheng finally broke.

Gu Xiao immediately led his troops in a full charge inside.

Originally, Gu Yi had intended to seize Yuancheng instead of Shecheng.

According to historical records, once Liu Xiu arrived in Hebei, Liu Lin would proclaim Wang Lang emperor in Handan.

Yuancheng was a key city under Handan Commandery.

Its geographical position was extremely critical.

Once Liu Xiu rose in Hebei, the Merit of subduing Wang Lang would naturally fall to Gu Xiao.

But unfortunately, Wang Mang and Wang Zhengjun were both from Yuancheng.

At their insistence, Yuancheng had become far stronger than before—this small force could never take it.

Thus, Gu Yi ultimately chose Shecheng.

Compared to Yuancheng, Shecheng was less significant.

But it had its advantages: compared to the difficulty of seizing Yuancheng, Shecheng was far easier.

Most crucially, in this time of chaos, seizing a small city would not draw much attention.

Gu Yi had already planned this well.

During this period, he could quietly act as a minor warlord.

As long as he didn't go too far, he would attract no significant notice.

Indeed, after Gu Yi restricted his troops from targeting local magnates, peace instantly settled over Shecheng.

When this news spread, it caused no major impact.

In Handan, Liu Lin and Wang Chang merely sent a single letter.

Urging Gu Xiao to surrender to them.

This was typical of the era; to them, Gu Xiao—with so few troops—was merely a local magnate.

A single letter was enough to persuade him to surrender.

Precisely because of this,

Gu Xiao settled firmly within Shecheng.

He continuously trained his troops, recruited more men, gathered intelligence, and closely monitored the entire realm's movements.

Indeed, the Battle of Kunyang utterly shattered the fate of the Xin dynasty.

Upon hearing the news, especially that meteorites had fallen to aid Liu Xiu at Kunyang, Wang Mang was deeply shaken.

He held a grand ceremony of weeping to heaven.

Seeking divine aid to quell the rebellions.

But all was already destined.

September—

The Green Forest army stormed Chang'an; Wang Mang fled to Jiantai under the protection of Wang Yi, then was slain by rebel Du Wu.

His head was hung in Wan Market; dozens of soldiers fought over his corpse, tearing it apart.

The Xin dynasty was utterly extinguished.

October—

Liu Xin, the Grand General of Valor of the Xuan Han, defeated and killed Liu Wang in Runan; all counties under his command surrendered.

Emperor Gengshi, Liu Xuan, planned to move the capital to Luoyang, bestow princely titles widely, and issue edicts across the realm.

Seeking to persuade all regional lords to surrender.

At that moment, the whole world trembled!

No one expected Wang Mang would meet such an end.

No one imagined the Gengshi regime had ambitions to unify all under heaven.

But to think that mere edicts could make these men lay down their power—that would mean the world was no longer a time of chaos.

Rumors sprang up everywhere at once.

Finally, under this tense situation,

new news arrived.

Emperor Gengshi appointed Liu Xiu as General Who Breaks the Enemy, acting as Grand Commandant, to pacify Hebei.

Upon learning of this,

Gu Yi knew: the opportunity had come!

Yet he did not rush to meet Liu Xiu; instead, he quietly observed everything within She City, sending out scouts to gather intelligence.

Liu Xiu marched northward, and at first, progress was remarkably smooth.

He bestowed favors widely across Hebei.

He dispatched his subordinates to repeatedly overturn wrongful convictions in every commandery and county, abolished the harsh policies of Wang Mang's era, and issued a general amnesty for Hebei.

Upon reaching Handan City, Liu Lin, son of the Prince of Zhao, personally welcomed Liu Xiu and discussed with him how to resist the Red Eyebrows.

But their discord began here.

December—

Liu Lin proclaimed Wang Chang emperor within Handan City, established the Zhao Han, and put a bounty on Liu Xiu's head.

"Whoever brings me Liu Xiu's head shall be granted a fief of one hundred thousand households."

At once, turmoil erupted again across Hebei.

Liu Xiu fled Handan, heading straight north toward Zhen Ding.

"Terrible."

"Isn't this the lowest point in Liu Xiu's life?"

Gu Yi chose not to help Liu Xiu at this moment.

She City was merely a small town; if they took in Liu Xiu here, they would all likely die outright.

What made She City truly crucial was its location!

It was to become a dagger thrust straight at Handan!

At this time, Gu Yi naturally kept silent, merely continuing to send scouts to track Liu Xiu's movements.

Indeed, everything that followed unfolded exactly as history recorded.

Liu Xiu fled continuously until he reached Xindu Commandery, where he finally stabilized, gaining the support of Governor Ren Guang, and began his campaign against Wang Lang and Liu Lin.

He swiftly captured cities and expanded his power.

He also formed a marital alliance with Prince Liu Yang of Zhen Ding, acquiring over one hundred thousand troops under his command—his strength surged!

Many today believe Liu Xiu's founding of the empire was not difficult because they think his path was too smooth.

He rose to fame overnight at the Battle of Kunyang.

Sent to pacify Hebei, he quelled unrest and won the support of Hebei's aristocratic clans.

Though he endured hardships along the way,

compared to other founding emperors, his path seemed far too easy.

Similarly, precisely because Liu Xiu cooperated with the aristocrats, many criticize him as one of the chief architects of their dominance.

In truth, this need not be debated at length.

Many habitually judge past events through the lens of modern hindsight, unaware that history has always been a gradual process.

What did the aristocratic clans represent in this era?

—Talent and depth.

In today's situation, the aristocrats were the most powerful force in the world.

To unify all under heaven under current conditions, it was nearly impossible without allying with the aristocrats.

It is said this era was one where hearts yearned for Han.

But whose hearts exactly?

In the late Western Han, the imperial tax system had crushed every commoner under its weight.

Land tax, head tax, corvée labor.

All systems had long left the people with no hope of survival.

Could anyone truly miss such a Han?

Cooperate with the aristocrats!

Indeed, this could be called Liu Xiu's turning point.

But no matter how one views it, Liu Xiu's own talent cannot be ignored.

Once his power expanded, Liu Xiu immediately launched a counteroffensive against Wang Chang and Liu Lin.

At this moment, his strategic command over the entire situation fully emerged.

He fully unleashed the greatest potential of his generals, winning repeated victories.

Until he defeated Ni Hong at Julu,

the situation shifted instantly—Liu Xiu's army surged toward Handan City!

"Brothers!"

"As the saying goes: trained for a thousand days, used in a single moment!"

"The world is in chaos—this is the time for us to build merit and establish our legacy!"

"Bring peace to the realm, and secure a tranquil golden age for our families and descendants!!!"

Within She City, the three armies stood in formation, steady as mountains, deep as abysses.

Gu Xiao, clad in battle armor, was bellowing at the front of the ranks with his booming voice.

Over this period of time,

Gu Yi had been training the great army using somewhat modern methods.

Of course, many simplifications were made.

Compared to modern humans' physical condition, these people's physical fitness was indeed inferior, since what they ate was entirely different.

Although he did not know whether this approach would truly work.

But at least on the surface, these several thousand troops now looked far stronger!

"Kill!!!"

"Kill!!!"

"Kill!!!"

As soon as Gu Xiao finished speaking, thousands of troops instantly responded.

Their roars echoed like Lei Ting.

The deputy general spurred his horse forward, his face alight with excitement as he asked Gu Xiao: "General, are we marching to attack Liu Xiu?"

"Hmph!"

"I've heard the imperial army has repeatedly lost to Liu Xiu!"

"If our brothers defeat Liu Xiu now, the court will surely reward us!"

The deputy general was thrilled; clearly, all the officers and soldiers thought the same.

Although many among them had previously followed Liu Xiu,

in this era, following Liu Xiu did not imply any deep loyalty—men of their status rarely even saw Liu Xiu.

Moreover, during this time, Gu Yi had strengthened their obedience training.

Now, these men looked to Gu Xiao as their sole leader!

"Attack Liu Xiu?"

Gu Yi froze, utterly stunned to hear such a question just as the army was about to march.

He immediately grew serious.

He replied at once: "Who told you we're attacking Liu Xiu!"

His voice cut off abruptly.

The expressions of everyone around instantly froze.

"Today's battle is to help our General destroy Wang Chang!"

"Restore the Han dynasty."

"How can our great Han have a Wang as emperor?"

Saying this, Gu Yi immediately took control of Gu Xiao and raised his weapon high.

Only at this moment

did the soldiers realize whom they were to fight.

After a brief moment of shock, they quickly understood and roared again.

The battle cries surged once more!

Gu Yi did not hesitate—he immediately led the army out across the border.

He took all his troops with him.

Originally, Gu Yi had still harbored some concerns, since this battle was to be a surprise attack.

He planned to strike while Liu Xiu drew Liu Lin's forces into attention.

If word leaked, it might backfire.

But now, Gu Yi was no longer afraid.

Even his own soldiers believed they were going to attack Liu Xiu—how much less would the people inside the city suspect?

Moreover, with Liu Xiu's army's recent prestige,

who would be so foolish as to aid Liu Lin at this moment?

This was a battle certain to be won.

For Gu Yi, it was merely a question of how great the merit!

The three armies charged out, making no attempt at concealment—their forces surged forward in full force, heading straight for Handan.

At this moment, Handan City.

Inside the Zhao Prince's mansion—now the Zhao Han imperial palace.

Wang Chang, the Zhao Han emperor, looked panicked as he turned to Liu Lin and urgently asked:

"Prime Minister, what should we do?"

"If Liu Xiu breaches Handan,"

"we will be left with no grave to bury our bones!"

He was genuinely frightened.

In truth, Wang Chang had never expected such an opportunity—he had merely boasted that he was the son of Emperor Cheng of Han, and somehow became emperor.

But his reign came swiftly and would end swiftly; now, the fall of his kingdom loomed imminent.

Liu Lin's expression was also grim.

He hadn't expected Liu Xiu to be so fierce; none of his men could stand against Liu Xiu.

"Your Majesty, do not panic."

Liu Lin sighed deeply. "My Handan City is impregnable, with abundant grain and supplies—it cannot be easily breached."

"I have long heard that Liu Xiu and Gengshi Emperor Liu Xuan are at odds."

"Liu Xuan even killed Liu Xiu's elder brother."

"Now that Liu Xiu has risen again, I do not believe Liu Xuan can sleep peacefully."

"I have already gathered troops from the four regions; as long as we hold out, Liu Xiu will surely retreat."

Liu Lin spoke with absolute certainty.

When Wang Chang heard this, his eyes instantly lit up—he seized Liu Lin's arm as if clutching a lifeline.

"Good! Good! Excellent!"

"With the Chancellor here, I have nothing to fear."

But events unfolded again contrary to their expectations.

Handan City was indeed a formidable stronghold.

Yet it could not sway the people's hearts.

Even before Liu Xiu's army reached the gates of Handan, the city's clans and commoners all began seeking to surrender.

The entire populace lived in fear.

Gu Xiao arrived in Handan under these circumstances; the city clearly had serious problems—he entered directly, flying the banner of the Zhao Han court.

When Liu Xiu arrived,

he saw the gates of Handan wide open.

Feng Yi witnessed the same familiar scene unfold once more.

Gu Xiao walked out of the city, leading a group of bound men.

This time, unlike before, he was not the one bound.

This time, it was Wang Chang, Liu Lin, and others who were bound.

──────────

"Gu Xiao possessed both courage and strategy. After the Battle of Kunyang, when the realm was still unsettled, he went into hiding in Hebei, awaiting the right moment."

When Emperor Guangwu sought to purge all rebels and restore the Han, Gu Xiao devised a brilliant stratagem and set a clever trap, capturing the false emperor of Zhao Han—his merit was immense, and all in the army praised his ability."

The Emperor commended his achievement, decreeing: "Gu Xiao braved peril and danger, capturing the chief villain; his wisdom rivals that of Liu Bang's strategist, and his valor matches that of Fubo."

————《Posterior Han Records. Biography of Gu Xiao》

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(End of Chapter)