[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-167":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},1222926,1620,"Chapter 167: Straight In","overthrowing-han-chapter-167",167,"\u003Cp>A rout is like a mountain collapsing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the Goguryeo retreat was spreading uncontrollably. After the ten thousand men covering the rear were shattered in a single charge, Xu Rong did not even dismount. He handed the camp and prisoners over to the infantry coming up behind, then ordered all cavalry to ride straight through the camp and strike directly at the main Goguryeo force still in the midst of its withdrawal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the tens of thousands of Goguryeo troops in retreat, there was no need to think twice. No fortifications, impossible to organize a counterattack, no way to resupply or rest, yet suffering constant casualties... From ancient times to the present, great retreats turning into great routs are as common as ox hairs — this one would be no exception, especially with highly mobile cavalry pursuing infantry!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Goguryeo did try to resist. At first, heeding the summons of certain nobles, they attempted to gather into battle formations to block the pursuit, but a single large-scale charge by the oncoming Han cavalry shattered their will to fight entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then by evening, they could not stop to dig in and cook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally at night, they could find no safe or warm place to rest!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exhausted, hungry, cold, and with men dying constantly... So even though the Han army had only launched one large-scale assault at the first engagement, after just one night the Goguryeo retreat still predictably turned into a classic, catastrophic rout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually, starting from the rear guard in direct contact with the Han forces, some Goguryeo soldiers of rural origin, knowing full well how fearsome the winter Qianshan Mountains were, still relied on their hunting experience. In twos and threes, with their bows and arrows, they plunged without hesitation into the mountain forests on either side of the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others, clearly soldiers and officers of capital-citizen origin, knew that reaching their home cities was the only hope. They too gathered men and broke away from the main force, turning off onto various mountain and forest paths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nobles, too, had lost their usual composure. Many of them, relying on the advantage of still having mounts and knowing some geography, took their personal slaves, abandoned command of the army, and simply bypassed the marching order to flee forward!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, under the Han cavalry's relentless pursuit and the threat of death, what had once been a unified army was, from rear to front, slowly disintegrating into scattered small groups or even individuals. This deconstruction spread like a plague, and once infected, the entire army lost all combat effectiveness... When you thought about it, once the concept of the collective vanished and everyone was only trying to save their own skin, who would still sacrifice themselves for others?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, the damage this self-destruction inflicted on the Goguryeo forces far exceeded the damage caused by the Han cavalry. Sometimes for a sack of millet, sometimes for a mule, sometimes just to seize a crossroads and get ahead first — former comrades-in-arms would draw knives, raise crossbows, and start a senseless, bloody brawl right in front of the Han troops who had deliberately paused behind them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the pursuing Han army maintained extreme organization and discipline. The next morning, Tadun even caught three Xianbei cavalrymen attempting to rape a Goguryeo camp woman right on the road, and personally carried out a public execution!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not that Tadun had any great respect for women, nor that Gongsun Xun had issued repeated orders to build a civilized army — in truth, no matter how brilliant the battle record, it could not hide the fact that this was a motley force, and that woman was almost certainly a camp prostitute. Rather, at this point, even these tribal cavalry leaders understood: as long as they kept that last thread taut, they could absolutely destroy this massive enemy army before them. And once this, the Goguryeo's largest armed force, was annihilated, the entire rich Goguryeo heartland would be theirs to do with as they pleased!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, instead of continuing to press the Goguryeo, these three soldiers had diverted their energy to such a ridiculous act. What if it sparked imitation, caused the army to lose control, and allowed the Goguryeo to escape in organized units?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn't this putting the cart before the horse?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Commandant Xu has orders!\" Seeing that Tadun had finished the execution, a messenger with a white plume in his headband rode through the pool of blood. \"The general assault is moved to this afternoon. At that time, the entire army will be unleashed — scatter every sizable group of Goguryeo in sight, kill anyone who blocks the way or resists, and pursue the enemy's commander's banner all the way to the end. The Commandant asks Chief Tadun not to miss the moment!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand.\" Whether from sleeping only two hours the night before or from just killing men, Tadun's eyes were completely bloodshot. \"Report back to Commandant Xu: when the time comes, my Wuhuan shock cavalry will be like wolves tearing at prey, making sure the Goguryeo breathe their last!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The messenger nodded slightly and turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait.\" Tadun suddenly remembered something. \"Did Commandant Xu say why the assault is being moved up? Wasn't it originally set for tomorrow morning?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The General is coming!\" The messenger, clearly from the official Han army structure, did not hide anything and turned back to explain. \"It's said that our Grand Administrator in Xuantu Commandery and the nobles over in Liaodong have all learned of our great victory, so they've sent large numbers of men to Jwawon. The General himself has spurred the remaining troops to press forward... My Commandant says he doesn't want the General to arrive and still see Goguryeo men holding up their ridiculous golden frog banner.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tadun nodded immediately, showing understanding and approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We cannot go on like this!\" At that very moment, beneath that same ridiculous gold-trimmed frog banner, the short-statured Myeongnim Dapbu, gasping for breath, reined in his small horse and slowed to a walk. \"If I'm not mistaken, tomorrow — at the latest tomorrow — after wearing us down for one more night, the Han army will get serious. If we are not prepared by then, the entire army will truly be annihilated...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How do we prepare?\" a middle-aged noble beside him demanded irritably. \"How can we prepare in this situation? The whole army is out of control, no one dares to stop, and even you, Myeongnim Dapbu, can no longer command the troops!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know.\" Myeongnim Dapbu answered breathlessly from horseback. \"Truth be told, by now the entire army has lost its nerve. After a sleepless night, the whole army has no fighting strength left. A complete collapse is unavoidable, and I am not saying we should organize a defense here...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The great Goguryeo nobles around him all turned to look at this man who once held absolute sway in the kingdom as Mangniji, clearly catching a hint of something in his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What does the Mangniji mean...?\" someone could not help but ask in a low voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly what you are all thinking.\" Myeongnim Dapbu wiped the sweat seeping from his white hair and said, \"There is no hope left here. We should break away from the main force and reach Holseung Golseong first... This is not to flee for our lives, but because only by getting there ahead of time can we gather the routed soldiers as much as possible and rely on the city walls to stop the Han offensive. Staying here will only mean throwing our lives away in vain!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The great nobles around him reacted differently, but most remained silent — clearly, no one was willing to throw their life away here in vain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Someone must stay behind with the Mangniji's great banner,\" someone suddenly called out. \"And we must change clothes, or else before the Han even catch up, we'll be trampled to death by our own men...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Changing clothes is easy — we all have our own elite private soldiers, we can just find a place to change. The key is leaving someone behind, a real noble to hold the line... Who goes and who stays?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Every clan, every family with more than two men here must leave one to guard the great banner!\" Myeongnim Dapbu said through gritted teeth. \"My nephew has already been executed by military law, but I still have a son with me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Myeongnim Dapbu's second son turned utterly bloodless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am not sending you to your death.\" Myeongnim Dapbu explained helplessly. \"When the fighting starts, you can throw down the banner and run too. The key is to let us, the kingdom's key ministers, get back first and make preparations. Only then can the kingdom have hope!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence fell around them. Myeongnim Dapbu, a man of action, immediately led the way into a grove of trees by the roadside. A short while later, he took the lead himself, changing into a filthy leather robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With that outfit on, the Mangniji looks like a real old slave,\" someone could not resist sneering sarcastically. \"The Han will never recognize you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White-haired, white-bearded, and short of stature, Myeongnim Dapbu lowered his head and led his small horse out of the woods without a word, as if he had not heard. The others made a few ambiguous sounds, but in the end, each changed clothes and formally parted ways with the gold-trimmed frog banner!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet just as the true leaders of this army were attempting to deceive the heavens and vanish without a trace, an utterly furious shout suddenly rang out behind them:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Mangniji is a coward! He's abandoning us to run!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accompanying these words, the tall warrior tasked with bearing the gold-trimmed frog banner openly threw the symbol of the Mangniji's authority to the ground, then plunged into the mountain forest beside the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group of Goguryeo's highest nobles in their dirty robes, along with the surrounding elite Goguryeo warriors, all froze for an instant. Then, instead of pursuing the man or picking up that fatal banner, they unanimously chose to simply turn and flee in every direction!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, Myeongnim Dapbu ran the fastest!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this point, less than a full day had passed since the Han army had launched its attack the day before. To be honest, if the Goguryeo retreat turning into a rout yesterday was understandable, then now, after enduring one night, before the Han army could even deliver a fatal blow, their defeat had inexplicably turned into a total army-wide collapse — this was somewhat unexpected!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the Han army immediately noticed this. Xu Rong, decisive as ever, changed the timing of the general assault for the second time. The entire force of over seven thousand cavalry was instantly divided into three waves, launching successive charges and slaughter along the broad roadway!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, the tens of thousands of Goguryeo troops scattered completely. They fled without pause along the road, banners thrown down, grain abandoned. Some even stripped off their precious iron armor just to run faster than their comrades!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, in this chaos, the blood-crazed Han cavalry stopped sparing their horses and ceased caring about battle formations. Driven by instinct, they chased and killed every living person blocking the road ahead. But almost none of the Goguryeo dared make any move to resist... Overnight, a well-ordered army had turned into lambs to the slaughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, from morning to night, they killed countless. By evening, the Han army had broken through nearly all the large groups of routed Goguryeo troops and only then, utterly exhausted, gathered to rest. It was then that many discovered their swords and spears were notched and damaged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But by now, their enemy — that Goguryeo army which just days ago had blotted out the sky as they set camp at Jwawon — had truly been completely annihilated...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drawing his sword, he looked around, his heart lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Rong knew perfectly well that his troops could not possibly have killed all these tens of thousands. There were certainly still considerable numbers of Goguryeo nearby. Yet it could only end here, because he, Xu Bojin, had no idea where those routed soldiers were or how many groups there were. In fact, the routed soldiers themselves probably did not know where they were... In this situation, how could he continue to carry out Gongsun Xun's pre-departure order to \"exterminate them all\"?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Xu Rong felt dazed and lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do not panic!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty li east of Xu Rong's position, at the foot of a hillside, Myeongnim Dapbu was comforting the noble warriors around him with bloodshot eyes... Thanks to the speed of the beasts beneath them and the time bought by the countless Goguryeo defeated troops behind them, most of the central army nobles had managed to escape. \"The Han army chased all night; they must be utterly exhausted and are surely resting now. Moreover, ahead lies our kingdom's heartland, with roads crisscrossing everywhere — not at all like before, where they could pursue down a single road... We can rest easy tonight and set out again later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noble warriors around him all wore blank, stupefied expressions. Many merely raised their heads for a glance upon hearing these words, then showed no reaction at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We must go to Holseung Golseong.\" Myeongnim Dapbu, in his filthy leather robe, continued to plead earnestly, his beard now caked with dust and grease. \"Only by relying on Holseung Golseong can we gather the soldiers...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What soldiers?!\" Someone hurled a frozen, rock-hard leather water canteen directly at him. It struck Myeongnim Dapbu right on the brow, and blood immediately streamed down the face of a man who had not suffered a single wound before now. \"The kingdom's soldiers have all been thrown away by you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Forget soldiers,\" another sneered. \"The kingdom's men have all been buried by our Mangniji...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at this point, the voice, originally tinged with mockery, involuntarily turned into sobs. Soon, under the moonlight, beside the hillside, the nobles, heedless of cold and hunger, were weeping in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please, do not weep!\" Seeing this, Myeongnim Dapbu, ignoring the blood streaming down his face, actually knelt on the ground and implored them. \"Garyeo and Biryu are likely both gone. That being so, I naturally must bear responsibility. But now the kingdom is in peril — this is no time to dwell on such things... Think carefully, all of you! If we can stop the Han at Holseung Golseong before the Hunjiang River thaws in spring, then Goguryeo will still exist, you will all still be nobles, and we will still have five cities and hundreds of thousands of people to rely on. But if we cannot stop them, and the Han break through the Hunjiang and press on to the capital, then Goguryeo will truly perish. When that time comes, are you not afraid of falling from nobles to slaves?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So we still have to go to Gulsengseong?\" someone asked, a sob in their voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly!\" Mingnim Dapbu hastily kowtowed and implored, \"Everyone, hear me out — come with me to Gulsengseong. Once there, we can rally the scattered troops while immediately summoning the forces of our own households. If we act in time, relying on Gulsengseong's strategic defenses, holding out until spring may not be impossible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer to the former Goguryeo Mangniji was a dead silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after a long while, someone finally rose to his feet, which at once overjoyed Mingnim Dapbu, who had been kneeling on the ground in anxious waiting... In his view, as long as someone took the lead, things would become manageable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am going to the capital at the foot of Jian'an Mountain,\" the man declared, and his very first words plunged Mingnim Dapbu into an icy abyss. \"The Mangniji is, after all, only the Mangniji. At a time like this, we ought to rely on our own King! My lords, the capital not only holds the last garrison force left behind, but also a great many noble families. Let us go to the capital, invite the King forth, contribute our own household troops and slaves, and then, relying on the capital's imposing fortifications, we will surely be able to stop the Han people!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well said!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We do have a Great King!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But Lord Gaero is dead, and Lord Biryu is likely dead too. The Mangniji is nothing but a traitor who has ruined the nation's fate... Better to follow the King than him!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm going with you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nobles seemed to have found a lifeline, each growing inexplicably excited. Mingnim Dapbu, kneeling to the side, tried repeatedly to open his mouth, but in the end found himself speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My mind is made up!\" At that very same moment, Xu Rong, an outstanding border Garrison Commander who had gleaned certain intelligence from prisoners, had also crisply and decisively changed his strategic objective. \"Since the enemy army has been completely annihilated, we should press forward boldly, taking advantage of the emptiness ahead to strike straight into Gulsengseong! Once Gulsengseong falls, the Hunjiang River will be in our grasp, and the Goguryeo capital will naturally become meat on our army's platter, with no chance of escape.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—————I am a very short dividing line—————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for the Goguryeo people... (in their state) there are no prisons. When a crime is committed, the various officials deliberate and then put the offender to death, confiscating his wife and children as slaves.\" — Book of the Later Han, Biographies of the Eastern Yi, Fan Ye\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There is also a new book group 684558115 that everyone can join.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2952,"2026-06-04T19:42:03.441Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","824254a5718d495aa5f2e266c40e80a7f93ba6ed82003af8aa7da2980f308ca8","overthrowing-han-chapter-168","overthrowing-han-chapter-166",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]