[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-227":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},1222986,1620,"Chapter 227: Empty Words to Retake Dong'e","overthrowing-han-chapter-227",227,"\u003Cp>Before White Horse City, the elders of the city prepared wine to welcome them, but Gongsun Xun merely had Lu Fan accept the wine on his behalf and offer a few words of comfort, while he himself led the Han army officers straight into the city in single file.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passing through the city gate, everyone — whether army officers or the local strongmen who had come out to welcome them and now returned — could not help but look up at the head of the Huang Jin junior commander hanging from the gate, and were shaken and stirred by the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Objectively speaking, with eight hundred elite government troops arriving suddenly at night, scaling the walls by rope, opening the gates in a surprise raid, and facing only one or two thousand scattered, newly formed enemy troops, victory was only to be expected. However, the sheer suddenness of this battle was so overwhelming that neither the Han army, nor the Huang Jin army, nor even the local strongmen and commoners of White Horse City had imagined that the government forces' first battle after sailing down the river would be at White Horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said that Gongsun Xun, by employing a small stratagem and then seizing the first victory in such a dramatically performative fashion, thoroughly won the respect of the Northern Army officers from noble backgrounds in his force, and also greatly awed the local strongmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The General is truly a man of divine ability!\" The one who said this was Cao Cao, but the object of his praise was not Gongsun Xun, but rather Guan Yu, Guan Yunchang, who had long been waiting inside the city gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, Cao Mengde's strengths were exceptionally prominent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, he was highly intelligent and adept at learning, and had received an excellent education befitting an elite noble scion — in administration, literature, and martial arts, none were lacking; his literary talent was practically at the level of genius, and his military command, though currently lacking in experience and practice, would later also prove to be genius-level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, he possessed a keen sense of humor, paid no mind to trifles in his conduct, lived very frugally, and more importantly, dared to associate with people regardless of their background or appearance — he could truly be said to have a gift for 'winning people over.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, thanks to his eunuch grandfather, he also possessed ample political and familial capital; no matter what, he was guaranteed a ticket to the core political circles of the Great Han dynasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once an age of chaos begins, a man like this is practically a natural template for a hero... or rather, he himself indeed influenced later generations' conceptual understanding of what a hero in chaotic times is. Xu Zijiang's remark, 'A treacherous villain in times of peace, a hero in times of chaos,' was by no means empty words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, another undeniable fact is that Cao Cao himself probably harbored some sense of inferiority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This stemmed mainly from two things: one was his background — after all, the Cao family's rise through the eunuch route naturally invited some disdain from the scholar-official class; the other was his personal appearance... Cao Cao was short in stature and plain of feature!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Aman, Cao Aman — 'Aman' does not mean Cao Cao was cunning as a child. In fact, the character 'man' itself means to close one's eyes, a nickname derived from Cao Cao's lifelong squinty eyes. And in the officialdom and aristocratic circles of this era, such things were in themselves a kind of original sin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, if one really examines it closely, Cao Cao's good relations with Yuan Shao, his relationship with Gongsun Xun, and even his love at first sight for Guan Yu at this moment all had their reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first was family background, the middle one was appearance, and the last was stature... everything came down to bearing and presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Cao Cao would never know that in another timeline, he himself would become the very epitome of bearing and presence. Clearly, being a hero or not has no direct relation to these three things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning to the present, on the road from the city gate to the county office, Cao Mengde lavished praise on Guan Yu without cease, and the accompanying officers also came forward one after another to offer their congratulations to Guan Yu and Han Dang. When the crowd finally dispersed, Han Dang naturally returned to the ranks of Lu Fan, Lou Gui, and the others, but Guan Yu remained surrounded by Cao Cao and Liu Bei, who kept praising him endlessly — which gave Gongsun Xun an exceedingly strange feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, as comrades-in-arms, what was there to question about a deputy army commander and a regimental commander together praising a probationary major who had just rendered meritorious service?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he not himself seizing the moment to put on an amiable expression and use the occasion to placate those Northern Army officers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, with the battle of White Horse, the Han army's morale soared. More importantly, it was only now that Gongsun Xun had managed, with effort, to firmly rein in this unruly, disparate collection of arrogant soldiers and fierce officers, finally forging them into a cohesive force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That being the case, the next step should naturally be to ride this momentum and take further action!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, as soon as they were seated in the main hall of the White Horse county office, the various officers began clamoring for battle assignments:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Commanders Guan and Han are so formidable — truly a cause for celebration. Yet your subordinate, since coming under the Marquis's command, has achieved no merit at all, and is deeply ashamed...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General, my family has considerable ties with the Wang clan of Yan County. Please let me lead troops as the vanguard to take Yan County; I will certainly be able to persuade the Wang clan to assist and act as internal agents!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord, we have not fought a battle since coming from Youzhou to Henei. Please assign the three of us eight hundred men, and we will surely take Wei Village!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General, with White Horse suddenly changing hands, Puyang is bound to be shaken. Why not dispatch the entire army swiftly to Puyang? Perhaps we can capture and destroy the rebel Bu in a single battle!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun sat at the head of the hall, letting these men talk on, and for a time offered no response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after listening for a good while, Lou Zibo, who was standing in attendance to one side, suddenly burst out laughing, drawing everyone's sidelong glances: \"Gentlemen, with White Horse City fallen into our hands, the surrounding Huang Jin strongholds are none other than Yan County to the west, Puyang to the east, and Wei Village to the south — and you have just named them all. But if we follow your proposed assignments — first dispatching one or two thousand troops to attack Yan County, then splitting off eight hundred cavalry to strike Wei Village, and then asking the Marquis to muster the remaining 'grand army' to attack Puyang... Puyang is the capital of Dong Commandery. I have heard it has high walls, ample grain, and draws water from the Pu River for its moat. Bu Ji has concentrated twenty thousand elite troops there. To act in such a manner — have you all lost your minds?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others, realizing the absurdity, also laughed awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, laughter aside, the council of war had to continue, and the direction of the next advance had to be discussed... Having suddenly taken White Horse, how could they not continue to send troops while the enemy was still caught off guard?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What had they come to Dong Commandery for?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We cannot take the initiative to attack Puyang,\" Cao Cao, who had also procured a chair and was seated to Gongsun Xun's left, took the opportunity to speak. \"I once served as Prefect of Dunqiu, and so passed through the commandery capital of Puyang both when taking up and leaving that post. As Zibo said, the city walls there are tall and sturdy, and they channel the Pu River into a moat. Now Bu Ji has stored deep provisions there and concentrated twenty thousand troops... Our army consists entirely of cavalry. Unless we can draw them out, I fear we truly must wait for reinforcements to arrive before we can accomplish anything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The men calmed down and nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In that case,\" Gongsun Xun, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke, and directly began naming people without further ado. \"Major Cui!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your subordinate is here!\" The previously eager Major Cui of the Northern Army was overjoyed and stepped forward to salute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You say your family has a longstanding friendship with the Wang clan of Yan County, and that you can mobilize personnel within Yan County to secure internal assistance?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\" Major Cui hurriedly gave a brief explanation. \"To be frank with the Marquis, of the two renowned Wang brothers of Yan County, the younger one, when he served as Dong Commandery's Reporting Officer and was subsequently selected to enter the court as a Gentleman, my father was precisely the Deputy Director of the Gentlemen's Office. Therefore, although neither of the two Wang brothers is currently at home, a single word from me will certainly secure the Wang clan's full support. Perhaps I can even leverage the Wang clan's influence in Yan County to persuade many of the strongmen in the city who have followed the rebels to turn against them...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since White Horse City is in our hands,\" Gongsun Xun said with a smile, \"Wei Village and Yan County are now cut off from the main body of the Huang Jin rebels, and we can attempt to take them... Very well, here is the plan: your own unit of seven hundred men, plus five hundred from your Northern Army colleague Major Liu, along with Wei Yue, Zhang Fei, and Chu Yan — three regimental commanders — each with two hundred men. Altogether, one thousand eight hundred elite battle cavalry. You shall be the commanding officer, and the other four shall be your deputies, under your command. Once this council is dismissed, go and try your hand at taking Yan County.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will not fail the trust the General has placed in me!\" Major Cui was overjoyed. \"Please, General, await the news of victory!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other four who had been named also showed delighted expressions and stepped forward one after another to express their gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for Wei Village...\" Gongsun Xun mused thoughtfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Though Wei Village has a wall, it is but a village!\" Cao Cao, hearing this, suddenly rose. \"Why not let Commander Guan accompany me, still with those eight hundred men from last night? We will surely take it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Mengde,\" Gongsun Xun could not help but laugh. \"Let me be frank. Though I am a man of Youzhou and have brought three thousand troops from my home province here, since I am the commander of this army, I must hold the scales evenly... The Youzhou troops already rendered meritorious service at Mengjin, and last night Yunchang and Yigong led those eight hundred men to achieve extraordinary merit right here. Now is precisely the time to give the other units the main role, and also to let the newly recruited Henei cavalrymen and the Northern Army officers taste blood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, the only two remaining majors of Northern Army origin could not help but beam with delight. They exchanged a glance, then came to the center of the hall and bowed in salute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is but a single village; there is no need for Brother Mengde, a Two Thousand Bushels official, to personally oversee the troops.\" Gongsun Xun pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked toward someone standing in attendance in the hall. \"Deputy General Xiahou... Xiahou Yuanrang, where are you?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiahou Dun suddenly understood. After glancing at Cao Cao, who immediately nodded, he too could not help but show a pleased expression and hurriedly stepped forward, cupping his hands in salute: \"Please give your orders, my lord!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yuanrang shall be in command, leading the two majors to take Wei Village,\" Gongsun Xun stated. \"I will also have my younger brother Xuande lead his regiment as your rear support... How does that sound?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiahou Dun glanced at the fair-faced young man who had stepped forward and was smiling faintly at him, and found nothing to object to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Gongsun Xun himself had frankly admitted that this arrangement was meant to distribute merit according to faction... And a mere Wei Village was, in the end, just a village; its old fortifications were nothing more than an earthen enclosure. He, Xiahou Dun, had passed through there during his time as a fugitive. That being the case, what harm was there in assigning fierce generals to Major Cui and giving himself a fair-faced youth?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wouldn't delay his own achievements!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this thought, Xiahou Dun even slightly cupped his hands in a gesture of acknowledgment toward Liu Xuande.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough!\" Gongsun Xun, having said this much, suddenly became stern again. \"No one is permitted to intercept the enemy's messengers. The two forces heading to Wei Village and Yan County must also make a great show of their movements... Zijing (Qian Zhao), Zizhang (Yang Kai), you two are not to be idle either. Tomorrow morning, you will head toward Puyang to conduct thorough reconnaissance. If Bu Ji is foolish enough to leave the stronghold of Puyang and march out to retake White Horse, or to relieve Yan County or Wei Village, then no one is to linger in battle — return immediately. We shall use the sharp edge of our cavalry, and perhaps we can force a decisive battle beneath the walls of White Horse City, causing the Dong Commandery Huang Jin to collapse in one fell swoop!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Including Cao Cao, everyone now had a sudden realization... Seen in this light, the arrangements before them also carried the intent of besieging a city to strike at reinforcements, or rather, deliberately leaving White Horse City vulnerable to lure the snake out of its hole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So well-conceived, and with such a stratagem in place, it left people with even less to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, the council of war concluded, and everyone dispersed to their tasks. Gongsun Xun, however, led Lu Fan, Lou Gui, Dong Zhao, Gongsun Yue, and others to take custody of the prisoners, deal with the officials who had followed the rebels, and seek out local clerks and prominent households that had not joined the rebellion, selecting figures from among them in an effort to re-establish order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then they also went to inspect and take receipt of the Huang Jin army's stores in White Horse City... Seeing that there was a considerable amount of coin, valuables, and cloth within, they took out a portion and distributed it as rewards to the eight hundred men who had rendered meritorious service the previous day, as well as to Guan Yu and Han Dang. They also sent a fair amount to Shen Pei and Wang Xiu, who were encamped by the Yellow River, so that they could reward and comfort the civilian laborers and boatmen who had toiled on the river, as well as Shen Pei's detached unit camping in the open fields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time all this was finished, an entire day had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, the local powerful families and prominent households of the county came again to request an audience, saying they wished to host a banquet. Now that matters were properly arranged, Gongsun Xun naturally had no objection. He called upon Cao Cao and brought along Gongsun Yue, Lu Fan, Dong Zhao, Lou Gui, Guan Yu, Han Dang, and the others who were in the city to attend the banquet together, also with the intention of gathering intelligence on the specific situation in Dong Commandery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dong'e County did not fall into rebel hands?\" Gongsun Xun was greatly surprised. \"Nearly the entire territory of Dong Commandery has fallen; how is it that Dong'e County alone was spared?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To be frank with you, General!\" The local magnate of the Xue clan who was asked this question hurriedly left his seat and bowed, explaining respectfully. \"When the Huang Jin rebels first rose, that place did indeed fall into rebel hands for a time. The county magistrate at the time even fled over the walls. But after just a single day, a county clerk, in alliance with our Dong Commandery Xue clan's kinsmen in Dong'e, retook it together! And they have held it firmly ever since!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, not to mention Gongsun Xun and the others who were all astonished, even Guan Yu, who had been giving these powerful local magnates a cold face all along, now looked curious as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can there truly be such a hero?\" Cao Cao could not help but press the question. \"What is this man's name? Perhaps he is an old acquaintance from my days serving in Dunqiu!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In reply to the Commandant,\" the Xue clan magnate said at once, \"this man's surname is Cheng, given name Li, courtesy name Zhongde, and he is a native of Dong'e!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun could not help but feel his eyelid twitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So it is him?\" Cao Cao was momentarily puzzled, but the short, stout Dong Zhao on the other side seemed to have a realization. \"I have heard of this man's reputation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Zhao was from Jiyin, which lay just south of Dong Commandery, and some of its cities had also fallen by now... In fact, the Wei Village that Xiahou Dun and Liu Bei had set out to attack that very afternoon was located right at the junction of Chenliu, Dong, and Jiyin commanderies. It was only natural that Dong Gongren knew of some talents from a neighboring commandery... Besides, in another timeline, these two men even shared the same biography in the historical records!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then what kind of man is he?\" Gongsun Xun asked, already knowing the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In reply to my lord,\" Dong Zhao shook his head, \"the man is over eight chi tall, with a fine beard and mustache, and lean in build... which makes us a complementary pair.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd, looking at Dong Zhao's short and stout figure, could not help but laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He has been renowned in the surrounding area from an early age,\" Dong Gongren set aside the jest and continued, \"widely acknowledged as a man of courage and stratagem. However, his temperament is extremely harsh, and he is not good at dealing with people. If I remember correctly, he should be forty-four this year, yet he is still stuck as a mere county clerk... It took the chaos of war to reveal his true ability.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone sighed in admiration, but Gongsun Xun was especially astonished... After all, forty-four was the standard age of a decrepit old man who should be holding his grandsons. Who could have imagined that such an old fellow would go on to rampage through the chaotic world for decades to come?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"May I ask, how did Cheng Zhongde retake the city in a single day?\" Dong Zhao could no longer restrain himself from pressing the Xue magnate for details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hall was filled with men bearing official seals and ribbons, and this Xue clan magnate was all too eager to curry favor, so of course he dared not conceal anything. Moreover, his own relatives had been involved, so he indeed knew some of the inside story, and for a time he gave a vivid and dramatic account.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out that the leader of the rebellion in Dong'e County, who flew the Yellow Turban banner, was none other than the county's own Assistant Magistrate, Wang Du. And the County Magistrate, Wen Rensheng (compound surname Wenren, given name Sheng), was such a spineless coward that the moment he heard of a rebellion in the city, he simply climbed over the wall and fled. Thus, overnight, Dong'e fell to the Yellow Turban Army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Up to this point, it was basically the same pattern as most county seats lost when the Yellow Turbans rose up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as they say, chaos breeds heroes. In ordinary times, plenty of people seem capable, but it is only when real trouble breaks out that their true caliber is tested... At the time, Cheng Li was away on official business in the countryside. When he heard the news, he rushed back in haste. On the way, at Mount Quqiu, he encountered many fleeing officials and commoners, as well as quite a few local magnate families. He halted there and sent scouts to investigate the situation in the city. They discovered that Wang Du had also risen up in haste, and the city was very empty. So Cheng Li reasoned: since so many people were gathered on Mount Quqiu, might it not be possible to counterattack and retake the county seat? And after retaking it, relying on the officials, people, and stores within the city, might it not be possible to hold out?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he contacted many people, including the local magnate Xue Fang, and urged everyone to turn back and retake the city!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the realm had been at peace for so long that, suddenly faced with the Yellow Turban uprising, while these magnates and powerful families might still have some ability and ambition, the local officials and commoners simply lacked the nerve. They all clamored in one voice that the city lay to the east and was full of rebels, so they should flee west, and the farther the better... Cheng Li sighed at the time, \"Foolish commoners cannot be consulted on great matters,\" and then he pulled off a truly outrageous maneuver!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Cheng Zhongde actually had people disguise themselves as Yellow Turbans, flying their banners and approaching from the west behind them. Then the magnates and powerful families shouted among the fleeing officials and commoners that the rebels were coming from the west, and thus they swept the people on the mountain in a mad rush eastward toward the city!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Du, utterly bewildered, was driven clean out of the city by Cheng Li and Xue Fang leading a mob of commoners who had inexplicably turned back! And by the time the former came to his senses, rallied the Yellow Turbans, and returned to attack the city, Cheng Li inside had already found the wall-climbing Magistrate Wenren, raised the imperial banner, and calmed the people's hearts. Dong'e could no longer be taken!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To be frank with you nobles,\" the Xue clan magnate concluded, \"Wang Du later fled to Puyang and met the rebel commander Bu Ji. That Bu Ji is an ignorant and incompetent man who knows nothing of proper reward and punishment. Not only did he not punish Wang Du, he even comforted him and gave him three thousand moth rebels to guard Wei Village... With such a laughably incompetent man as garrison commander, I imagine the imperial army will surely take Wei Village in a single battle!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Cao Cao knew the man was flattering him, upon hearing this he could not help but narrow his eyes and laugh heartily: \"Well said! My younger brother Yuanrang killed a man in his youth and is famed for his fierce temper. How could he fail to take a mere village defended by such a laughable fool?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assembled guests naturally showered him with flattery and jests, and even Gongsun Xun said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the sound of a slap in the face came as soon as it was spoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three days later, a victory report arrived first from Yan County. That Adjutant Cui, his brush blooming with flowers, described how valiantly he had fought and how cunningly he had schemed, taking the county seat of Yan County in a single battle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Gongsun Xun knew the full truth from the scouts sent by Chu Yan... It was the Wang clan, the established gentry of Yan County, who had played the decisive role. After the Wang clan members hiding in their estate outside the city met Adjutant Cui, the Wang clan head personally entered Yan County that very night and persuaded several powerful families who had previously gone over to the Yellow Turbans. The next day, when battle was joined, these powerful families first goaded the local minor commander into leading his troops out of the city to fight, but then, once he was outside, they sealed the city gates behind him! The Yellow Turbans outside the city fell into chaos, caught between front and rear. As if that were not enough, someone close to that minor commander suddenly struck and took his head! When the official cavalry came thundering toward them head-on, the rebels naturally surrendered without a fight!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this kind of concealment did not really matter... Those powerful families only sought to have their past offenses overlooked; how could they possibly want any credit? As for the Wang clan, they were naturally welcome to go seek out Adjutant Cui themselves!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet just as the crowd in Baima City was in high spirits, thinking the Yellow Turbans of Dong Commandery would crumble at a single blow, Xiahou Dun sent a messenger in a sorry state to report... that Wei Village, defended by that incompetent fool Wang Du, was truly impossible to take, and he urgently requested reinforcements!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, according to the messenger's account, the Han army's commander for that route, Xiahou Dun himself, had been shot in the shoulder by the Yellow Turban garrison commander Wang Du from a high position while personally attempting to scale the city wall! As if that were not enough, that incompetent fool Wang Du had actually dared to seize the moment, lead his troops out of the city in a counterattack, and chase the wounded Xiahou Dun and the leaderless Han army for over ten li!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although they were all cavalry and ran fast, thus suffering no crippling losses... Liu Bei, who had been bringing up the rear, took a slash to the ribs because of it, which was also quite embarrassing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—————I am a complete dividing line—————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xiahou Dun, courtesy name Yuanrang, was a man of Qiao in Pei State, a descendant of Xiahou Ying. At fourteen, while studying under a tutor, a man insulted his tutor, and Dun killed him, thereby gaining a reputation for fierce temper. When the Yellow Turban rebellion broke out, Cao Cao seized the opportunity to rise as well, and Dun often served as a deputy general, accompanying him on campaigns. Because of his fierce bravery, he often took up arms himself, charging at the front lines to storm cities, and thus bore many scars.\" — Old Book of Yan, Volume 27, Hereditary Houses, Part Two\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Thanks to the Taiwanese girl for the Alliance Master sponsorship and to Finger God for the ten-thousand reward... truly grateful beyond words. Also, the book friend group is 684558115, feel free to join if interested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I admit I was wrong... I watched the game while writing... and lost too... No wonder, my apologies to everyone! Heartbroken!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",4542,"2026-06-04T19:42:26.060Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","8fba6c1017c90d6eea0db3125deaebff10cebe4b212a80c4a8b96b078ac34825","overthrowing-han-chapter-228","overthrowing-han-chapter-226",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]