[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-101":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Overthrowing Han",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1222860,1620,"Chapter 101: The Ferry Crossing","overthrowing-han-chapter-101",101,"\u003Cp>After seeing off the envoy, Gongsun Xun immediately began preparations. A few days later, he set out from Pingcheng with his newlywed wife, servants, and guards — a party of over a hundred people in total — heading for Luoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, in these times the poor die poor and the rich die rich. If you didn't have over a thousand servants, you simply couldn't call yourself a great household. And so-called \"nobles\" who traveled long distances with dozens of carriages and several hundred attendants were truly a common sight!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention anything else, when Lady Gongsun came to Yanmen earlier that summer, although nominally it was a family visit, because she had the task of laying the groundwork for the Anli Trading Company, plus the major event of witnessing her only son's marriage, and also carried with her a faint hint of extra respect and recognition from the Liaoxi clan — at that time, it really was a full three thousand servants and several hundred carriages... At the time, it scared Lu Fan, who had stayed outside Juyang City, and Wei Yue, who had gone to receive her, out of their wits!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have to understand, these two men, who came from backgrounds of near total poverty, had never seen such imposing power before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, coming back to the present, Gongsun Xun's traveling party of just over a hundred people, most of whom were volunteer followers, with only three or five carriages among them, and whose so-called family members consisted solely of Lady Gongsun, did not seem all that exaggerated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, whether it was exaggerated or eye-catching still needed to be seen with one's own eyes to be certain... In fact, as Gongsun Xun's party traveled south, they truly caused chaos everywhere along the way. After leaving Yanmen Commandery, they aroused suspicion and alarm wherever they went, and later on, whenever they passed through a city or village, there would even be a huge crowd of children following behind and gawking!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cause of the incident, it must be said, came about like this...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the day they were preparing for the journey, the group inevitably held a farewell banquet. During it, Lou Gui suddenly thought of Mo Hugou and remarked that although that fellow was a Xianbei barbarian, he had ultimately been of great help several times, and he wondered how exactly the man had managed to slip away right under Tanshihuai's nose that day, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thereupon, Gongsun Xun, having had a few extra cups, also spoke of the circumstances when he first met Mo Hugou — the other party had traded a white horse with almost no mixed-colored hairs for a buyao crown at the Liucheng trading company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then went on to lament that although that white horse was exceptionally fine, as he roamed north, south, east, and west, whenever it came to life-and-death moments, he never thought of that horse at all, and for night battles and night raids, he often had to deliberately avoid white horses. In the end, not only was that horse left idle year-round in Liaoxi, but through all his brushes with death, he had only ridden a white horse with mixed hairs once, before the formation at Kezuitan... It was truly a waste of a heavenly gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speaker spoke without intent, but the listener took it to heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have to understand that for Gongsun Xun's trip to Luoyang, it was impossible for all his volunteer followers and officers to truly accompany him. In fact, aside from Cheng Pu, who was appointed Acting Major, and Gao Shun, who was specially promoted to Company Commander to lead the armored infantry, both of whom Gongsun Xun deliberately kept behind, for the rest, it mostly depended on their personal wishes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, between Cheng Lian and Wei Yue, Cheng Lian, because his wife was pregnant and his personality was somewhat steadier, steeled himself and requested to stay, while Wei Yue, that wastrel, wanted to go to Luoyang to see the world. It was even more so among the volunteer followers. These sons of prominent local families and sons of respectable households from Yanmen each had their own real-life circumstances. Some were attached to their hometown, some wanted to roam. So in the end, the people who followed Gongsun Xun to Luoyang totaled about seventy or eighty... Whether this number was considered high or low, no one knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regardless, with so many people leaving, mostly officers and volunteer followers, naturally many among those who stayed would be promoted or fill vacancies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, before stepping down, Gongsun Xun did indeed affix his seal to each appointment and sent the documents to Dong Zhuo, who was stationed far away in Xihe, thus giving this group of people a proper settlement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And since that was the case, setting aside the kindness Gongsun Xun had shown them over the past year or two, not to mention the comrade-in-arms bond with those who were leaving, and even less the shared life-and-death loyalty from the expedition beyond the frontier, just based on this parting favor, those who stayed also wanted to express something... It was just that Gongsun Xun did not seem like someone short of money in any way, and his trip to Luoyang was clearly a step-by-step advance toward a promising future, while those following him were plainly considered private retainers. So, no one knew how to express this sentiment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, upon suddenly hearing these words at the banquet, someone could not help but feel a stir in his heart and thought of an ingenious method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's right! When the day of departure arrived, the troops had actually swapped out all the white horses in the camp and presented them to Gongsun Xun and the attendants traveling with him to Luoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How to put it? They weren't the so-called divine steeds without a single mixed hair, nor was there any drama about embezzling military horses. It was purely a swap, just a token of heartfelt sentiment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since that was the case, Gongsun Xun naturally accepted them with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the matter did not end there. Yanmen was a border commandery to begin with, close to the Hetao region and the grasslands, and it did not lack horses. So after hearing of this, as Gongsun Xun traveled south, prominent households and powerful families throughout Yanmen with ties to the Anli Trading Company all sent people to see him off, conveniently bringing along a few white horses to exchange for the other-colored horses in Gongsun Xun's party!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the end, even the Grand Administrator, Guo Yun, sent men to catch up with them at Yangping, the southernmost point of Yanmen, and playfully swapped in two fine white horses!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, by the time Gongsun Xun's party left Yanmen, other things aside, the mounts of his followers and volunteer attendants had all become uniformly white horses!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under heaven, could there possibly be anything more eye-catching than this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, was this something that could be arranged just by having money? Did they not see how Lu Ziheng, at every place they stopped, would lead a white horse and tell the local gentry about Gongsun Xun's loyal bravery in fighting to the death at Liucheng, and his heroic valor in burning Danhan with fire?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a heartfelt sentiment from the entire Yanmen Commandery, high and low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, as Gongsun Xun traveled south along the route through Yanmen, Taiyuan, Shangdang, and Henei, the name \"White Horse Commandant\" spread along the way, causing everyone in the Jin region to stare in amazement, each one speechless! There were even quite a few wandering swordsmen from powerful clans and respectable families who tried to follow him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Gongsun Xun mostly asked for their names, gave them some money and goods, and then persuaded nearly all of them to go back!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when it came to the tenth month, that is, noon on the first day of the tenth month in the sixth year of the Xiping era (177 AD), the first day of winter, Gongsun Xun's party finally arrived from Henei at the famous Mengjin Ferry, preparing to cross the Yellow River and head straight for Luoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mengjin Ferry was located not far directly north of Luoyang City and had always been a famous crossing on the Yellow River. Throughout the Han dynasty, both banks of this area were first-class prosperous places, densely populated, with merchants and travelers converging, and high officials and nobles coming and going without cease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon arriving here, although Gongsun Xun's party was still conspicuous, they could not casually show off. Of course, whether it was the ferry officials or other high officials and nobles preparing to go to Luoyang, seeing this group armed with blades and bows, clad in light furs and riding white horses, none of them had any intention of actively looking for trouble. The melodramatic affairs of extorting bribes or seizing horses were even more out of the question... After all, this was not a matter of wanting to or not, but a matter of whether one valued one's life!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, the situation now was simply that everyone, according to order of arrival, hired boats and prepared to cross the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that there were truly too many travelers, and high officials and nobles with over a hundred attendants were everywhere to be seen. Moreover, the wind had indeed been strong these past few days, requiring extra caution when boats came and went. So although Mengjin was a famously excellent ferry crossing, it was momentarily stretched to its limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mengjin should have a pontoon bridge built here, just like at Pujin!\" On a high ground before the ferry, Lou Gui sat astride a white horse, but with his hands tucked in his sleeves, his back hunched and neck shrunk, utterly lacking in poise. \"If it were so, why would we have to suffer like this, standing here dryly enduring the cold wind?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed,\" Lu Fan said, watching the ferry boats laboriously crossing the Yellow River, unable to help agreeing. \"Looking at the river surface here, it is not very wide, and the current is gentle. A pontoon bridge could indeed be built... It's just that, concerning the defense of Luoyang, the central authorities are surely unwilling.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That makes sense.\" Lou Gui immediately understood, then shook his head again. \"But in the end, it's still too slow!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is Zibo getting impatient?\" Seeing him like this, Gongsun Xun, who had been gazing at the river scenery earlier, reined in his horse, turned back, and teased him. \"Could it be that you're planning to go back to Nanyang and immediately lead a bunch of desperadoes to burn down my charity lodge?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where would I still have any desperadoes?\" Lou Gui could not help protesting his innocence. \"If we count from the time Lord Lu saw through me, Young Master, think how many days it has been since I returned home. How could anyone still be keeping those men for me? Although I sent letters back from Liaoxi, heaven knows how the clan members have disposed of my property and estate... I won't hide it from you, Young Master. When I go back this time, I'm still counting on borrowing your influence to seize my family property back!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd mounted on white horses could not help but smile wryly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But what is the situation with Zibo's parents?\" After the laughter subsided, Han Dang, who was nearby, could not help asking curiously. \"I've never heard you speak of this matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Both my parents died in the epidemic.\" Lou Gui slightly narrowed his eyes against the wind. \"If I had their restraint, how could I have done such childish things?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It seems we share the same affliction, you, me, and Ziheng.\" Han Dang could not help sighing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fan also could not help being moved with emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Gongsun Xun looked around, then glanced at Wei Yue, who was on the other side curiously watching some family's womenfolk boarding a boat, and also slightly shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth was, he knew very clearly in his heart that among his core talents, apart from Cheng Pu, they were all so-called orphans. Even he himself had lost his father in childhood. And this was no coincidence; it meant that for young men of this age, even those from humble families, if they still had attachments and restraints at home, they probably would not have followed him roaming everywhere, doing all sorts of unreliable things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, this was another important reason he chose to leave Cheng Pu in Pingcheng — the latter's parents and family were all there, and what he sought was stability. If he forced him to come along, it might breed some resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even thinking more deeply, if he wanted to recruit talent on a large scale, he still needed to attain a position like Grand Administrator of a commandery, so that he could recruit locally at his leisure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, after all is said and done, it ultimately came down to the fact that the order of the Great Han dynasty still existed. If the world truly became a tangled mess of chaos, with everyone only seeking survival, then there wouldn't be so many rules and restrictions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Master!\" Jia Chao finally squeezed back through the crowd, sweating profusely, to report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well?\" Gongsun Xun immediately asked with a smile. \"Did you find out clearly? How much longer do we have to wait?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Chao shook his head repeatedly: \"I won't hide it from you, Young Master. There's truly no way around it. Not only are there too many people, but those high officials and nobles are all people we cannot afford to offend — either clansmen of some Regular Palace Attendant or family members of some Two Thousand Bushels official... However, since we do have official documents, the ferry official promised to get us across today for sure, just that we are placed after the family of the Prefect of Luoyang, Sima Fang.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sima Fang?\" Gongsun Xun could not help being startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's that group on the official road over there.\" Jia Chao replied while casually pointing toward the official road north of the ferry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sima Fang...\" Gongsun Xun muttered while looking in the direction the other pointed, facing the wind. He happened to see a brat of seven or eight years old poke his head out from a carriage in that group, staring intently at the white horses on his side, and his eyelid twitched involuntarily. \"I recall that the Sima clan is originally from Henei?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct.\" Lou Gui, nearby, took over the conversation, reeling off the details as if enumerating his family treasures. \"I do know a bit about the messy affairs of Luoyang and Nanyang. Back when my good friend Meng De first entered official service, he was recommended as the Commandant of the Northern District of Luoyang, and it was under this Sima Fang. This man, styled Jiangong, is extremely rigid and stern in character, but quite talented and capable, having served as Prefect of Luoyang for several years...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cao Mengde?\" As soon as Gongsun Xun heard these three characters, he immediately shifted his gaze away from that brat, whoever he was among the Sima brothers. \"I have long admired his name. I wonder if, upon entering Luoyang this time, I might have the chance to make his acquaintance. When the time comes, I'll need Zibo to make the introduction...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rest easy, Young Master!\" Lou Gui replied easily. \"If Cao Aman is not in Luoyang, then that's one thing. But if he is, you can set your mind at ease!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your relationship with Cao Cao is that close?\" Gongsun Xun grew even more curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\" Lou Gui could not help curling his lip. \"I won't hide it from you, Young Master. This Cao Aman, you see, is short in stature and comes from a eunuch background, so he is often self-conscious. On top of that, he shares my fondness for frontier military affairs... And you, Young Master, are tall and imposing, of fine bearing, and your name shakes the northern frontier. Perhaps when you meet, he will be so delighted he'll pounce on you like seeing a beautiful woman! Oh, right, Young Master probably doesn't know yet, but he is also extremely lecherous. When he sees a beautiful songstress or a pretty maidservant, he'll take her as a concubine or take her to bed just like that. If he can get his hands on her today, he'll never delay until the next day!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Gongsun Xun truly did not know what to say. He just shook his head repeatedly, told these men to chat casually here as they pleased, then turned his horse around himself, faced the north wind, and went to the back to find his wife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as he passed the Sima clan's carriage, he saw that mischievous child poke his head out again. Gongsun Xun was closer this time and could see clearly — the boy had not tied his hair into any knot at all; it was still what they call \"hanging locks.\" According to the customs of this era, boys begin wearing their hair in twin tufts at eight or nine, which meant this child was no more than seven or eight years old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any case, seeing the boy's round, sturdy, and rather adorable appearance, and knowing he was yet another \"Sima Number-Something Da,\" Gongsun Xun couldn't help but find it amusing. He reined in his horse, slowed his pace, and then asked with a smile, face to face:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You little brat from Sima Jiangong's household — you've peeked at me several times now. Could it be you want to ride my white horse?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, the mischievous child's face flushed crimson, and then he actually jumped straight down from the carriage and, right there in the middle of the road, performed a formal salute to Gongsun Xun, who wore a black silk cord and bronze seal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The latter was badly startled. He hastily reined in his horse and scolded the child below: \"If you wanted to sit on it, I could simply lift you up! How can a little child run into the road like this? What if you startled the horse and got kicked? How would I explain this to your father?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is not about riding the horse!\" The child below grew even redder in the face, yet maintained his cupped-hand salute and loudly protested. \"I wished to tell you, honored sir, that you should not address another man's father by his courtesy name in front of his child! This is a discourteous act!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The passersby all turned their heads to watch the spectacle, and the Sima household servants were all alarmed — some even visibly headed toward the rear of the procession to fetch the family head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun was briefly taken aback, but then he forcibly suppressed a laugh and instead took the chance to tease the boy: \"Even if I have slighted a mere child like you, what of it? Do you mean to say that because I called your father by his courtesy name, you will imitate that Yang Fangzheng and kill a man in public? Is Sima Jiangong not known for his sternness? How did he raise such an audacious brat?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mischievous child's face flushed even redder: \"It certainly would not come to that... But, honored sir, if you so lightly slight another's honored elder, do you not fear that others might slight your own honored elders?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun burst out laughing at this: \"I understand now — you must be Sima Lang, am I right? Otherwise you would never be this earnest! Come, come, I am right here. Go ahead and try slighting my honored elders!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this scene, the surrounding travelers each smiled to themselves and continued on their way, while the Sima household servants also breathed a sigh of relief. Even a noblewoman who had just poked her head out from a carriage behind withdrew back inside, leaving Gongsun Xun to amuse himself teasing the child here... Of course, only Sima Lang, whose true age was a mere seven, grew increasingly bewildered and could only continue standing in the road with his hands cupped, his eyes already beginning to redden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corner of Gongsun Xun's mouth curled downward. He was just about to continue teasing this \"Sima Number-One Da\" to see if he could make the boy cry before boarding the boat, when he suddenly felt his white horse grow restless beneath him, and he himself clearly sensed that something nearby was amiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after calming his horse and looking around in every direction, he saw nothing out of the ordinary, so he turned back, preparing to resume his jest with Sima Lang... Who could have guessed that the moment he turned his head, he would find the boy staring up at him with a face full of terror — and without any further need for Gongsun Xun to tease him, the tears were already streaming out!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he really that frightening? Gongsun Xun nearly flew into genuine rage... But before he could even open his mouth, cries of alarm rose continuously from both the ferry crossing and this official road, and small pockets of panic instantly blossomed everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun grew even more baffled. Almost instinctively, he looked toward Han Dang, Lu Fan, Lou Gui, and the others over at the ferry crossing, only to see that those three also wore panicked expressions. Lu Fan stared at him while ceaselessly pointing at the sky; Lou Gui simply hurried to dismount and grip his horse's reins; and Han Dang, a warrior who had seen life and death countless times, actually dismounted and knelt down on the spot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun's gaze swept over these three men, then glanced at the Yellow River, its surface rippling under the north wind, and then looked up at the sky... It must be said, although his mother had long ago explained to him how such a thing worked, encountering this sight for the first time still made his hands and feet turn ice-cold!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was actually a solar eclipse!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this point, it was not just Gongsun Xun — virtually everyone had noticed the strange phenomenon overhead, and given the Later Han dynasty's superstition regarding celestial signs, virtually everyone was becoming panicked!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, the solar eclipse, the strong wind, the carts and horses, the crowds, the river, the ferry crossing, the road... none of these were truly dangerous in themselves. What truly caused danger was always people themselves!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And conversely, once people began to panic en masse, all these things would become part of the danger!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriages waiting on the official road reacted first — they directly turned their carts around and tried to flee this place... That in itself was harmless enough. But when the people behind them, and even the carts, livestock, and people on the ferry crossing all wanted to leave that spot and flee to solid ground, that became somewhat terrifying!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the chaos, the sound of something falling into the water was unmistakably clear — whether person or object, no one knew. Then some wept, others shouted at the top of their lungs... There was even a middle-aged scholar wearing a crimson headscarf who, in full view of everyone, tore off his headscarf, let his hair fall loose, and loudly began reciting the *Classic of Filial Piety* toward the sky!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And soon, spurred by this panic, the livestock that had originally shown only slight reactions suddenly showed signs of losing control, which nearly doubled the chaos and danger...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked like it should only be what they call a \"partial solar eclipse\"!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After casting another rapid glance overhead, Gongsun Xun immediately shut his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he leaned down, grabbed Sima Lang, and tossed him into his family's carriage, then spurred his horse toward the rear of the official road... On the grassland over there were not only his wife, but also several dozen elite sworn followers!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was his greatest reliance for confronting a celestial sign at this moment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord!\" Zhao Yun was also so frightened that her small face had turned deathly pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is merely a solar eclipse. I am here — there is no need to panic!\" Gongsun Xun shouted loudly as he approached. \"Madam, take those servants and stay safely inside or beside the carriage. Do not look up at the sky, and do not move recklessly! As for the rest of the sworn followers, all of you mount your horses and follow me to stabilize the situation...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yun and the other maids and household members dared not say more, and simply hurried to follow his instructions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sima...\" Among the sworn followers, someone managed to mount his horse with difficulty, yet was still terrified and uneasy. \"How are we to stabilize the situation?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have everyone crouch down on the spot! No looking around, no shouting!\" Gongsun Xun loudly instructed. \"If there are any who disobey and still charge at you, cut them down on the spot! And if you can stabilize the situation through intimidation alone, then dismount and enter the ferry crossing with me to manage the scene and save as many as you can! If you encounter a panicked horse or the like, needless to say — cut it down directly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sworn followers still hesitated for a moment... It was not that they were unwilling to obey Gongsun Xun's orders, but that the sun overhead, still growing dimmer, truly left them at a loss!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun grew even more furious: \"Anyone who still does not move shall be treated like this horse!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these words, this White Horse Colonel of Liaoxi origin suddenly dismounted, drew his broken blade of Xiang Yu, and actually, in full view of everyone, cut off the head of his own mount!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade was two *chi* long and could slice through iron as if through mud. That divine white steed gifted by Guo Yun did not even have time to neigh before it collapsed to the ground, dead, blood gushing forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before this dripping blood, the several dozen battle-hardened sworn followers immediately recovered a measure of clarity. They promptly drew their blades, reined their horses into formation, and proceeded along the official road toward the ferry crossing, loudly intimidating and restoring order!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With white horses arrayed like a forest and blades and swords flashing, and with several livestock that had begun to lose control being cut down on the spot, those panicked scholars and commoners almost instantly came back to their senses. Among them, the timid common folk crouched down and dared not move recklessly, while a small number of knowledgeable scholars began quietly soothing those around them. In the great households, a single word from one person could easily make several dozen people fall silent at once...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Order had vanished with extreme speed, but it was restored with equal speed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it plainly, Gongsun Xun had acted swiftly and had not wasted a single moment, that was all!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sima, how should this man be dealt with?\" After the ferry crossing gradually quieted down, the sound of the *Classic of Filial Piety* being recited became especially grating — particularly since this man clearly had the air of a so-called celebrated scholar, which made the sworn followers who had dismounted and entered the ferry crossing even more uncertain of what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the situation on the verge of stirring slightly once more, Gongsun Xun grew impatient. Sheathing his blade, he strode straight up to the man and kicked this bookworm to the ground with one foot:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gag him and tie him up!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, the ferry crossing fell completely silent and stirred no further disturbance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The total phase of a solar eclipse can be very long, but the time during which it produces a direct visual sensation for the ancients of this era was at most less than half a quarter-hour... This time was, of course, no exception. Not long after Gongsun Xun's subordinates had tied up that bookworm, the sky returned to normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, Gongsun Xun once again calmed the crowd, instructing them to rise slowly, and then those who needed to fish out things that had fallen into the water did so, and those who needed to dispose of the livestock carcasses used to make an example did so... It must be said, aside from that man reciting the *Classic of Filial Piety*, there truly had not been a second person foolish enough to oppose the blades of several dozen elite cavalrymen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have insulted the classics!\" The man, just having had the filthy cloth pulled from his mouth and before the ropes on his body were even untied, indignantly began spraying at Gongsun Xun. \"Had you let me recite the *Classic of Filial Piety* a while longer, this solar eclipse might well have passed sooner!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a word, Gongsun Xun slapped him directly across the face, knocking out two of the wretch's teeth!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officials, scholars, and commoners around them all turned their heads aside at this sight, pretending not to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is your name?\" Seeing that the man had stopped talking, Gongsun Xun fiercely grabbed him by his disheveled hair and twisted his face around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiang Yu...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why don't you say you are the Exalted Ancestor of our dynasty?!\" Gongsun Xun's expression turned furious, and he delivered another slap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sima, this man is Xiang Xu!\" A minor clerk from the ferry crossing suddenly leaned in beside him and whispered a warning. \"A celebrated scholar from our Zhaoge in Henei... He has been specially summoned to court this time, and it is said he is to be directly appointed with a rank of two thousand *dan*... You must be careful. Just knock him out and leave directly — we will arrange for you to cross first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A look of sudden understanding appeared on Gongsun Xun's face, but he delivered yet another slap: \"Such a worthless wretch, and he can actually be specially summoned?! And two thousand *dan* at that? I am only one thousand *dan*!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi, do not be angered by such a person — it is not worth it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young lord, please stop! I have just recalled an important matter!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Lou Gui and Lu Fan flanked him from left and right, while Han Dang bent down and embraced him from behind, hastily pulling the enraged Gongsun Xun back. And Xiang Xu, his arms bound, slumped crookedly to the ground, dizzy and dazed — clearly unable to recite any more *Classic of Filial Piety* for a good while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You two can rest assured, I know my limits,\" Gongsun Xun said helplessly. \"It was only seeing this man's disgraceful behavior that made it hard to restrain myself — not because I heard he was to receive two thousand *dan* and felt resentful...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let us set that aside,\" Lou Gui hurriedly said with a serious expression. \"I truly have recalled an important matter — it is no empty claim... Young lord, tell me, since this solar eclipse has occurred in Luoyang and everyone knows of it, should not one of the Three Excellencies be dismissed to placate the realm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is only natural,\" Gongsun Xun replied without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With the great defeat on the northern frontier, the matter of assigning responsibility will likely be decided soon, and the Grand Commandant is the head of all military officials...\" Lou Gui continued. \"This time, I fear he will not escape it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun glanced at Lou Gui, said nothing, then suddenly broke free from his trusted aides, stepped forward, and delivered another vicious kick to Xiang Xu’s face!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—————I am the dividing line of fury—————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“(The Grand Ancestor) was appointed Gentleman of the Household, and crossed the Yellow River at Mengjin. There he encountered a solar eclipse. The soldiers and commoners panicked and fled, but the Grand Ancestor alone stood unshaken. He personally beheaded his own mount and thereby steadied the hearts of the crowd. In a moment, the eclipse passed, Mengjin was calmed, and soldiers, commoners, and officials all submitted to him in admiration. When he boarded the boat, an attendant asked: ‘What did you rely on, my lord?’ The Grand Ancestor replied: ‘The celestial signs follow their constant course; the noble man has no cause for fear!’ After crossing the river, his younger brother Gongsun Fan came in person to welcome him and, troubled, reported: ‘Our honored teacher, Lord Liu, has been removed from the Three Ducal Ministers because of the celestial signs and is now the Commandant of the Guards. I fear this may hinder your future prospects, elder brother.’ The Grand Ancestor’s expression did not change: ‘The noble man strengthens himself; why report such trivial matters?’ Fan and those around him were all the more impressed.” — *Old Book of Yan*, Volume 1, Annals of the Grand Ancestor, the Martial Emperor\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, there is a new book group. Interested students can join: 684558115.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",5542,"2026-06-04T19:42:03.441Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","cdba9a97e04d1b648b1edf89b66fd97eaa8578c1279215ee1c23be48d8356f30","overthrowing-han-chapter-102","overthrowing-han-chapter-100",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]