[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-225":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},1222984,1620,"Chapter 225: Smearing Blood","overthrowing-han-chapter-225",225,"\u003Cp>As the saying goes, military intelligence blazes like fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, after the Son of Heaven and the central court swiftly selected commanders and settled on a strategy to dispatch troops, throughout the first and middle ten-day periods of the fourth month, the several Han armies remained utterly motionless, instead allowing the Yellow Turban rebels to swell unchecked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was certainly not deliberate stalling by the loyal ministers of the Great Han. On the contrary, every general bearing the imperial tally was eager for battle and ceaselessly busy... Only, without soldiers, how could they strike?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One must understand that according to Han institutions, even the renowned Five Regiments of the Northern Army at Luoyang, together with the Feathered Forest and the Rapid as Tigers guards, amounted to merely a little over ten thousand men. However, this ten-thousand-odd figure was designed around the officer system; once trouble arose, the reserves around the capital could be mobilized immediately — that is, the cavalry and crack troops from the Three River lands (Hedong, Henei, and Henan Yin) — swiftly forming a massive Han main-force army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two combined had a specific name: the Three Rivers and Five Regiments, which constituted the imperial guard forces of the Later Han dynasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, no matter how urgent the situation, every Regional Commander had to wait at least until the reserves from the three regions were mobilized before they could barely set out. This was an inflexible procedural requirement that no one could circumvent! For instance, Gongsun Xun’s column had to wait until the reserves here in Henei were assembled, and perhaps even longer for the Bing Province reinforcements assigned to him to arrive, before he could march.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, what were the four commanders bearing the imperial tally, stationed around Luoyang, doing during those days?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer is simple: all four were ceaselessly writing official dispatches to the Office of Public Carriages in Luoyang. As for the content of these dispatches, it was nothing more than requests for money, grain, arms, supplies, warhorses, and men!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, Zhu Jun immediately recommended his young fellow townsman from Yang Province and former comrade from the Jiangnan pacification campaigns, Sun Jian Sun Wentai, nominating him as Adjutant Colonel and ordering him to recruit troops in the Xu and Yang regions at once, then rendezvous on the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another example: Huangfu Song immediately recommended his young fellow townsman from Liang Province and Gongsun Xun’s junior fellow disciple, Fu Xie Fu Nanrong, making him Protector Colonel and ordering him to recruit troops locally in Beidi Commandery and bring them over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Interestingly, the Director of the Imperial Clan, Liu Yan, actually recommended his subordinate Lu Bu to Lu Zigan, claiming the latter was accomplished in both civil and military affairs and knew the geography of Hebei well, making him useful. Lu Zhi promptly appointed him Protector Colonel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this regard, Gongsun Xun naturally did not lag behind others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He first requested that Xu Rong, currently a Northern Army Captain, be transferred to his command as deputy general. Then, Dong Zhao, who had toiled for three years to rise from County Chief to County Magistrate, was sent a recommendation dispatch to the Office of Public Carriages without anyone asking whether he was willing, and became Protector Colonel. County Commandant Chu Yan was directly conscripted by him and recommended as a regimental Commandant. His old subordinates stationed at Yanmen — Cheng Pu, Gao Shun, Cheng Lian, and others — were transferred over wholesale with a single dispatch. As for Zhuo Commandery, needless to say, not only Gongsun Yue, Shen Pei, Guan Yu, Qian Zhao, Liu Bei, Yang Kai, and Wei Yue, but even Lu Fan and Wang Xiu were summoned by him in one batch, with acting Commandants becoming full Commandants and acting Majors becoming full Majors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, one person here is worth mentioning: Jia Chao, who had followed Gongsun Xun very early on and had been toiling away in Luoyang, diligently watching over the Goushi Charitable Hostel. Even without merit, he had years of hard labor, so Gongsun Xun intended to elevate him and use the opportunity to grant him an official rank. But unexpectedly, Jia Chao took the initiative to request a letter of recommendation and went to serve under Lu Zhi... Only then did Gongsun Xun recall that the man had a brother in Julu with whom he depended on each other for survival. There was nothing more to say; with a flourish of his brush, he sent him over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, Gongsun Xun racked his brains: those with official ranks went through the Office of Public Carriages for the central court to transfer them; those without received his personal letters of recommendation and conscription. Given the current situation and the customs of this era, the central court had no reason to refuse to affix its seal and issue the appointments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a massive mobilization was not because Gongsun Xun wanted to do anything in particular... In truth, just as Zhu Jun appointed a bunch of men from Yang Province and Huangfu Song appointed a bunch from Liang Province, this was simply the custom of the age — openly bestowing favor and drawing in one’s old subordinates and fellow provincials. And those recommended all responded without the slightest delay!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, military merit was truly the mainstream path for those of humble origin to rapidly ascend in status in this era. Certain invisible, intangible hidden chasms could basically only be crossed through such hard-won achievements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, Gongsun Xun’s earlier enfeoffment as a marquis, and Xu Rong’s rank as a two-thousand-bushel Captain, had both come this way. And the reason Gongsun Zan had earlier abandoned his thousand-bushel County Magistrate post, shamelessly clinging to his clan cousin to come to Henei, was precisely for this reason... That fellow was desperate to leap over the chasm from one thousand bushels to two thousand bushels; military merit would save him a great deal of effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, most of these people should be grateful for Gongsun Xun’s actions this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason for saying \"most\" is that among them was one Dong Zhao Dong Gongren... Gongsun Xun truly could not fathom this man’s mind. Did he seek fame, wealth, and rank, or did he wish to keep his wits about him and preserve himself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in any case, it was worth a try.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, compared to the other commanders, Gongsun Xun initially harbored a few extra private thoughts in his actions. For example, he also wanted to see exactly how much military force he could currently muster, how many core followers he had accumulated, and what their combat effectiveness was like...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how to put this? As early as when his request for Xu Rong was denied and he instead received a Cavalry Commandant Cao Mengde, Gongsun Xun instantly realized how laughable his earlier private thoughts had been. One must understand that at this moment, the reason he, Gongsun Xun, could mobilize so many people relied entirely on the authority of the Han throne and the institutions of the Han dynasty... What the hell did it have to do with his personal prestige and virtue?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, with Cao Mengde, Gongsun Bogui, and Liu Xuande all under his command, even Sun Jian was someone he, Gongsun Xun, could have possibly wheedled away from Zhu Jun by playing a little trick through He Jin... Yet what use would that have been? Could he immediately supplant the Han and declare himself ruler?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after thinking this through, Gongsun Xun suddenly had a flash of insight and actually took the initiative to send Gongsun Zan and Zou Jing to Lu Zhi through He Suigao... It was not that he wanted to deliberately screw over his elder cousin — truly not — he simply wanted his own trusted men to directly seize control of those three thousand You and Yan cavalry!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, Gongsun Bogui was quite pleased when he went to Lu Zhi’s camp, for there he would be an Independent Division Major commanding his own unit. At the time, because Gongsun Yue had just rushed from Zhuo Commandery to Mengjin, the three of them summoned Gongsun Fan from Luoyang, and the four brothers, rarely together, shared a private farewell drink for Gongsun Zan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On that occasion, Gongsun Bogui, uncharacteristically brimming with heroic spirit, declared that within three years he would emulate Gongsun Xun in wearing purple and cyan official robes, and exhorted the other two younger brothers to hurry and catch up, not to disgrace the Gongsun name... This left the two of them rather uneasy and made Gongsun Xun quite embarrassed; he could only urge them to drink repeatedly, until they were all thoroughly drunk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, such good days soon passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the latter ten-day period of the fourth month, before Cheng Pu, Gao Shun, Cheng Lian, and the two thousand cavalry they had recruited and assembled from Yanmen and Taiyuan could arrive, the court and the Son of Heaven could bear it no longer. They actually ordered Gongsun Xun, with only six or seven thousand cavalry, to set out immediately and swiftly sweep through the Yellow Turbans in Dong Commandery along the Yellow River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out that in just these twenty short days, Bu Ji in Dong Commandery had already broken through northward to Qinghe, linking up with Zhang Jiao and Zhang Liang into a single bloc, and then turned south again, attempting to connect with Bo Cai and Peng Tuo’s Yingchuan Yellow Turbans. Now he had taken over ten cities in succession, causing Jiyin, Shanyang, and Chenliu — three commanderies — to send urgent appeals for help simultaneously!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could only say that this Commander Bu, historically acknowledged as one of the three main Yellow Turban forces on the southern front, definitely had some real substance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thereupon, Gongsun Xun no longer hesitated. He immediately held a hasty oath-taking ceremony at Mengjin and prepared to march east along the great river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Zhu Jun’s column also set out ahead of schedule. That force, too, numbered only a little over ten thousand men, equally lacking in combat strength and with incomplete organization, yet it also had to hastily march out of the pass to meet the Yingchuan Yellow Turbans... But there was no alternative. Bo Cai had already stormed Yangdi, the capital of Yingchuan, and was now truly knocking at Huan Yuan Pass, barely a few dozen li from Luoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation was perilous; no one had the right to wait any longer. If conditions permitted, they had to advance; if not, they still had to advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General, the sacrifices are prepared. We await you to preside over the rites.\" In the military camp by the Yellow River, Cavalry Commandant Cao Cao, usually flippant and grinning, was uncharacteristically solemn this time, and utterly deferential toward the commanding general Gongsun Xun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was understandable. After all, the situation had erupted so suddenly that the army was setting out before its units were even fully assembled, and everyone from top to bottom was tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, with several thousand soldiers drawn up in formation within the camp, and no fewer than that number of warhorses, livestock, and carts waiting to the side, the south wind blowing fiercely and the atmosphere solemn, it did somewhat mask the sense of haste... According to custom, this was indeed the moment to slaughter the sacrifices, pay homage to Heaven, Earth, and the God of War, then take blood to smear the banners and swear the oath for the expedition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet below the high platform, Gongsun Xun, hand resting on the broken blade at his waist, gazed at the bound cattle and sheep beside the platform, then at the great Han-character banner erected atop it, the general’s flag bearing the title General of the Household of All Purposes — Gongsun, his personal White Horse banner, and the imperial tally bestowed by the Son of Heaven. Faced with Cao Cao’s urging, he broke into a sudden laugh and halted his steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why does the General laugh?\" The Cavalry Commandant was also a two-thousand-bushel rank, but Cao Cao, facing Gongsun Xun who bore the imperial tally, was helpless. One tally staff made the difference in status between them in the army starkly clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What did you call me, Brother Mengde?\" Gongsun Xun asked with a faint, ambiguous smile, seemingly utterly unconcerned with the rites before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General!\" Cao Cao grew increasingly nervous. Wasn’t he also a raw recruit in military matters?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I never imagined that one day you, Brother Mengde, would be under my command,\" Gongsun Xun said, his smile broadening. \"You might as well call me that a few more times, for once the fighting is done, I won’t get to hear it again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao was instantly speechless, even somewhat ashamed and indignant... This was in the middle of the sacrificial rites, with so many people watching!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General, please do not jest.\" Suppressing this feeling with difficulty, Cao Mengde could only force himself to say this. \"Several thousand soldiers are waiting with craned necks!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun laughed even more heartily. \"Then I shall not jest... But Brother Mengde, how can mere cattle and sheep sacrifices bolster our army’s might?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao truly did not know what to say, but at this moment he could only brace himself and ask publicly: \"Please instruct us clearly, General! Whatever is needed, we shall procure it at once!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun waved his hand, strode directly onto the platform with his hand on his sword, and looked around in all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within his gaze were Guan Yu and Shen Pei, who had arrived at Mengjin only two or three days ago yet were brimming with vigor; the composed Gongsun Yue, Qian Zhao, and Yang Kai; the extremely nervous Liu Bei, Chu Yan, and Zhang Fei; the eager Han Dang and Wei Yue; the expressionless, squat Dong Zhao; Xiahou Dun standing behind Cao Cao with piercing eyes; and of course, a group of noble scions from the Northern Army in Luoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun sighed inwardly. Regardless of what the future held, at this very moment, most of these people probably shared a single thought — a true man born into this world should rise with hand on sword, quell rebellion and serve the state above, pacify the common people below, and establish merit and a career for himself. That was all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After gazing for a long while, Gongsun Xun finally let his eyes rest for a moment on his trusted confidants Lu Fan, Lou Gui, Wang Xiu, and the others. Only then did he suddenly raise his voice and speak: \"Gentlemen, we are ordered to march out to Dong Commandery. Yet the rebels have already taken over twenty cities in succession and gathered a host of tens of thousands. Our army of six thousand races to meet them — by what means shall we prevail?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This question was utterly unreasonable, for although the situation was extremely perilous and the news had spread widely, so that anyone with awareness knew how dire things were, openly stating the enemy’s strength and one’s own weakness in front of everyone could, in a sense, already be called shaking the army’s morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, before the soldiers below could react, one man stepped forward from the ranks and answered boldly: \"In reply to the General of the Household, we must unite as one, from top to bottom, never abandoning one another, making these six thousand cavalry move as a single man, as responsive as an arm to its fingers. Only thus can we cope.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officers looked over and saw it was indeed Gongsun Xun’s foremost confidant, Lu Fan, who had been appointed Deputy General upon his arrival this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In that case,\" Gongsun Xun sighed, \"rather than delay with the sacrificial rites, why not first kill a horse, smear its blood, and swear a covenant oath?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officers looked at one another. Among them, Cao Cao, forced by circumstance, could only step forward and inquire: \"May I ask the General, what oath shall we swear on this campaign?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing else.\" Gongsun Xun stood upon the platform and answered proudly. \"It is my intent that on this expedition, regardless of birth — noble or humble — and regardless of rank — high or low — we shall never abandon one another. We shall not let a single man fall into the enemy’s lines without rescue, nor let a single man’s bones lie in a foreign land with none to tend them. Whoever violates this... may Heaven strike him down! What say you all?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao was momentarily tongue-tied. The soldiers all around were overjoyed upon hearing this, but the officers nearby had some objections. In particular, the Northern Army officers who had long resided in Luoyang and the officers from Zhuo Commandery held fundamentally opposing stances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief moment, a Major from the Northern Army actually stepped out, saluted with clasped hands, and spoke: \"General, if a detached unit is surrounded, it is naturally reasonable to agree to rescue them. But if even a single rider of no rank falls into the enemy’s lines and we must try to save him, would that not be sacrificing the great for the small? The great army numbers over six thousand, and counting the General’s personal retainers, nearly seven thousand. Words of Heaven’s curse should be spoken with caution...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The great army is setting forth, and you utter such baseless words to disrupt our morale!\" Seeing a group of Northern Army scions about to chime in, Gongsun Xun cut the man off abruptly before he could finish. \"Bring the imperial tally... Execute him!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd suddenly heard the word \"execute\" and was still bewildered when they saw several of the General of the Household’s personal guards and retainers drag this Major straight out of the ranks. Before anyone could react, a blade was drawn and his head was struck off in one blow... Blood sprayed three chi, and only then did the entire camp recoil in shock!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers below the platform were naturally so stunned that they did not react for a long while, and the many officers by the platform edge, especially those from the Northern Army, were even more shaken once they came to their senses… On one hand, they feared Gongsun Xun was deliberately singling out Northern Army officers to make an example; on the other, they were even more worried that he was simply acting out of pure fury and dissatisfaction, treating a thousand-bushel officer as beneath notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, not to mention these men, even Cao Mengde himself felt his hands and feet turn ice-cold for a moment, at a loss for words — let alone the unrelated bystanders like the Administrator of Henei who had come to see them off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is precisely why I insisted on a blood oath,\" Gongsun Xun said, sweeping his gaze around. No one dared to easily voice any further objection. \"The army was assembled in haste — some from the Northern Army, some from Youyan, some conscripted in Henei… Their origins are mixed, they do not yield to one another, and the force was thrown together in a rush. Some rely on their background to scorn others; some are joining the army for the first time and do not grasp the gravity of life and death; and now, there are even those who disregard the orders I, the Credential-Holding Commander, have issued publicly before the entire force… If we cannot seal a blood oath to bind us together, this campaign may truly end in utter defeat! Gentlemen, if such vermin are not dealt with severely, what does it matter if they die easily on the battlefield a few days from now? But if they jeopardize the court's grand strategy and drag down their brothers-in-arms, then what?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing these words, Cao Cao found them somewhat reasonable and could not help feeling a measure of admiration. He hastily led the others in cupping their hands and assenting in chorus, echoing the sentiment… For a time, no one paid any more heed to the corpse on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General,\" someone suddenly suggested, \"since that is the case, should we use this wretch's blood to conduct the oath? Or use him as a sacrifice to smear the banners and assert authority?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you not find that revolting?\" Gongsun Xun sneered from atop the platform. \"The blood of such a base villain — are you not afraid of falling ill if you hold it in your mouth? And if smeared on the banners… I fear he would defile my command flag! Mengde, hang this man's head above the camp gate, then slaughter the horse and conduct the oath! Yunchang, you shall take over this man's post as Major of a Separate Detachment, concurrently command his troops, and serve as the vanguard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao and Guan Yu hastily accepted their orders and stepped out. By the time the former returned after having the head hung up, he saw someone leading a dappled-gray horse over from the perimeter. Without a moment's hesitation, he personally wielded the blade before the wooden trough and severed the horse's neck with a single stroke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood filled the trough. Some had long prepared for this, and in turn they portioned it out, mixing it with wine. Every officer and soldier in the camp took some and smeared it upon their lips, then one after another fervently swore oaths never to abandon one another. Not a single man stood out in defiance… Instead, there was a faint sense of them becoming a single, towering body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the twenty-second day of the fourth month in the seventh year of the Han Guanghe era, General of the Household of All Purposes Gongsun Xun, with Cavalry Commandant Cao Cao as his deputy, Acting Major of a Separate Detachment Guan Yu as the vanguard commander, Gongsun Yue as Adjutant Army Major overseeing military discipline, Lu Fan as Lieutenant General, Wang Xiu as provisions officer, Han Dang as Chief of Cavalry, and Shen Pei as commander of a separate detachment, leading Liu Bei, Qian Zhao, Zhang Fei, Wei Yue, Yang Kai, Chu Yan, Xiahou Dun, and all the other officers, commanded six thousand five hundred cavalry as they marched out of Henei to campaign against Bu Ji.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the eve of departure, they swore an oath: not to abandon a single man fallen into enemy lines, not to leave a single bone behind in a foreign land… And so this hastily assembled army, in that moment, became united with a single, fortress-like will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—————I was dreaming, dividing line—————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huan Dian, appointed as Attendant Censor during the reign of Emperor Ling of the Later Han, always rode a dappled-gray horse, and was called 'the Dappled-Gray Censor.' At that time, the eunuchs held power, yet Dian carried out his duties without shying away. The capital feared and dreaded him, and a saying went: 'Walk, walk, then halt — make way for the Dappled-Gray Censor!' When the Yellow Turbans rose, it happened that the Grand Ancestor was leading troops out of Henei and was about to kill a horse for the blood oath. Dian, on imperial commission to supervise the army, was at his side. Since army horses were needed for battle, he offered his own dappled-gray horse, and Cao Cao put it to the blade.\" — A New Account of the Tales of the World, Chapter on Appraising Excellence\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This chapter was so hard to write… By the way, I just slept for three hours and had a dream where I turned into Gaddafi… going to pay respects at Nasser's tomb… In the dream I was crying my heart out… When I woke up I found I really had been crying. No idea what omen that is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3970,"2026-06-04T19:42:26.060Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","6177ab9467a98a3df9b963418ed35da2567a57a97453823396c4367ba36ec0dd","overthrowing-han-chapter-226","overthrowing-han-chapter-224",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]