[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-245":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},1223004,1620,"Chapter 245: A Gathering of Heroes, Xuande Composes a Song","overthrowing-han-chapter-245",245,"\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun was a man of his word. That very evening, as Lu Fan, Wang Xiu, and the others moved the main camp to the banks of the Qi River, and the various officers who had crossed the river in pursuit of Bo Cai returned one after another, this General of the Household of All Purposes truly intended to hold a banquet by the river to feast the entire army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be frank, this was very dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if the Yellow Turban army had possessed fierce and daring warriors like Sun Jian, or shrewd and decisive talents like Shen Pei, they might well have seized the chance to rally their routed troops, cross the river, and launch a sudden counterattack — a black tiger snatching the heart — turning defeat into victory!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regrettably, the Yellow Turbans were destined to lack such talents, at least the Yingchuan Yellow Turbans did not... If they had, how could they have fallen to such a plight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, before the banquet began, Gongsun Xun had another important matter concerning the Yingchuan Yellow Turbans to deal with first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun overhead blazed as fiercely as the previous two days; even as dusk approached, the heat remained unbearably oppressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet within the hastily erected temporary camp, the many officers of Gongsun Xun's command who had just returned ignored the sweltering heat and crowded together in a circle, only falling silent and stepping back to make way when Gongsun Xun strode forward without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you Bo Cai?\" Wearing a he-guan cap, his hand resting on the broken blade at his waist, and draped in a brocade cloak, Gongsun Xun looked down at the man on the ground and asked sternly, surrounded by his officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was tall and large. Though tightly bound, several armored soldiers still guarded and restrained him carefully. Only upon hearing the voice did he raise his head, unexpectedly revealing a face younger than one might imagine beneath his half-singed hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How old are you this year?\" Gongsun Xun frowned at the sight and asked further, also instructing the armored soldiers to step back slightly. \"Loosen him a little.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The armored soldiers stepped back two paces at the command, though they still held the ropes in their hands. Only then did Bo Cai straighten his back on the ground and answer proudly: \"I am Bo Cai, thirty-two years old this year!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the man's bloodshot eyes and the grime caked from soot and blood on his face, Gongsun Xun sighed and shook his head with rare feeling: \"The mighty Bo Cai, Canal Commander of the Yingchuan Yellow Turbans, is only four years older than me? Why squander your youth as a bandit, only to end up like this?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is there to shake your head about?\" Bo Cai's eyes were full of blood, and the soot and blood on his face had caked into clumps. Hearing this, he actually laughed on the spot. \"You can be a Grand Administrator, a General, and a Marquis at twenty-eight, but I cannot be a Canal Commander at thirty-two? Had I not been defeated, I would have fought my way into Luoyang, slaughtered the Liu clan's Son of Heaven, made our Great Virtuous Teacher the Son of Heaven, and become Grand General myself!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An uproar broke out around him; some even drew their blades and gripped their spears. Only when they saw Gongsun Xun remain silent and unresponsive did they calm down again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I ask you, are you willing to surrender?\" Seeing more and more familiar faces gathering around — even Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song had come over to watch — Gongsun Xun finally asked this question after a moment of silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you joking?\" Bo Cai sneered unceasingly at the words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Xie, who had just arrived with Huangfu Song, immediately cupped his hands and advised: \"My lord, previously in Luoyang, the Imperial Secretariat and the Eunuch Overseers discussed the matter of pardoning the various Canal Commanders in the court hall. Although no explicit decree was issued at the time, the intent of His Majesty and the various lords was not to pardon... You should also be aware of this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, the surrounding officers all frowned, but Gongsun Xun merely glanced at his junior fellow disciple and did not reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, however, Huangfu Song stepped forward from behind and resolved the dilemma: \"Nanrong, you are mistaken. When a general is in the field, there are orders he does not accept... What His Majesty and the central lords truly care about is whether the immediate region of Yingchuan can be purged. Given the current situation, if Bo Cai were willing to surrender, the remaining cities and tens of thousands of scattered troops in Yingchuan would not need to be swept away at the cost of time and effort. If Yingchuan were swiftly pacified, the Son of Heaven would only be pleased.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed.\" Even the usually stern Zhu Jun sighed at this and interjected from behind. \"If Yingchuan can be swiftly pacified, the central government will only be pleased... But Bo Cai, are you willing to surrender or not?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If that is the case, then I am even less willing to surrender!\" Having listened for a long while, Bo Cai now answered bluntly. \"I originally only sought death. If I can add some more trouble for you people, why wouldn't I take pleasure in that?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Jun sneered and immediately drew his blade, but was stopped by a single backward glance from Huangfu Song. The former gave a cold laugh and simply sheathed his blade, standing silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, although Gongsun Xun had sent men to capture Bo Cai and take Yangzhai — which could be seen as playing a trick and adopting a somewhat deliberately arrogant posture — regardless, the credit for this great battle of sixty thousand against one hundred thousand still allowed Zhu Jun to atone for his previous offense. Therefore, for the General of the Household of the Right, Zhu Jun, the essential nature of this favor remained unchanged. No matter what, it was not proper for him to overstep Gongsun Xun at this moment and dispose of the latter's captive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bo Cai.\" As expected, Gongsun Xun, his hand on his broken blade, slowly spoke to persuade him. \"When two armies clash, the casualties are heavy; it is only natural that you hate us... However, the outcome of the Yingchuan campaign is now decided. To continue fighting is merely a waste of time and effort for us, but for the remnants of you Yellow Turban bandits, it means staking your lives! Therefore, I ask you to surrender not because I value your life alone — what use is your life to me? Even if you wait until this campaign is over and then take your own life to seek benevolence, so be it. What I hope for is that you still retain some conscience and care for the lives of the tens of thousands of Yingchuan sons who have fled, nothing more!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bo Cai was silent for a moment, then lowered his head and laughed again: \"These words of yours might fool those below, but why try to fool me? Since we have already rebelled, in the eyes of you government troops we are nothing but moth-bandits and traitors. How could you truly spare our lives? Saying now that you will not kill us is merely out of fear that excessive slaughter will cause those tens of thousands of scattered troops who fled to become fearful and wary, and resist to the death. Once you have taken all of Yingchuan, I fear those one hundred thousand sons will gradually meet one another on the Yellow Springs road!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun was actually speechless... Because, having experienced the destruction of the Dongjun Yellow Turbans, he knew that even if he personally guaranteed it, these people would never believe his words. Or rather, in the eyes of these rebels, he was not a trustworthy person to begin with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention that Yingchuan was right beside Luoyang, and there were two credential-holding Generals of the Household present; he truly could not necessarily guarantee the safety of those surrendered troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing to say now?\" Bo Cai raised his head and sneered unceasingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then you have nothing more to say either?\" Gongsun Xun faced him sternly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bo Cai sighed, then shook his head: \"I have two more words.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Speak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know that after you kill me, you will certainly hang my head before the cities where Yellow Turban forces still remain, to intimidate and force their surrender... If any do surrender, after they yield, tell them that I, Bo Cai, did not cling to life in disgrace, but actively sought death!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Saying that one line after their surrender is no problem.\" Gongsun Xun, long accustomed to life and death, said dismissively. \"If my troops are the ones to do this, those words will certainly be spoken.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Also.\" Bo Cai continued loudly, raising his head from the ground. \"Yesterday, tens of thousands of my Yellow Turban soldiers died in battle. In the summer heat, you will surely burn them quickly to prevent plague, won't you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is only natural.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then when you burn them, tell their corpses to be sure to seek me out when they reach the Yellow Springs!\" Halfway through his words, Bo Cai's face suddenly twisted into a ferocious expression, and his voice abruptly turned vicious and harsh, causing the armored soldiers holding the ropes to pull them taut. \"Once in the netherworld, I will surely know shame and then find courage... If I can gather one hundred thousand ghost soldiers again, I will certainly cut off the head of the King of the Dark Capital and raise the Yellow Banner in the underworld! Then I will not fail them, nor fail the Great Virtuous...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before these words were even finished, the surrounding officers all changed color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, some — mostly officers from the Northern Army — could not hide their terror; some, like Lu Fan, Dong Zhao, Wang Xiu, Guan Yu, Li Jin, and Yue Jin, showed pure astonishment; while others, such as Cheng Pu, Han Dang, Gao Shun, Zhang Fei, Liu Bei, Qian Zhao, Yang Kai, Chu Yan, and the like, though their expressions varied, each drew their blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how could Gongsun Xun let Bo Cai finish such words? And how could he let anyone else act?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He personally drew his blade and stepped forward, seizing the man's topknot with one hand while swinging the broken blade with the other... The broken blade cut through iron like mud, and severing a head was like cutting silk; with a single stroke, he took the man's head clean off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commander of one hundred thousand Yellow Turbans, who had been speaking proudly just a moment before, made not the slightest sound the next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun set in the west, and for a moment, all sounds fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I did not expect this bandit's blood and qi to be so vigorous.\" Gongsun Xun tossed aside the head and handed his blade to Chu Yan, who was the first to rush to his side, then looked unhappily at the sleeve of his robe, which had been splattered with a pool of fresh blood. \"I saw earlier that the Qi River is full of corpses and has not yet been cleaned up; I fear it would not be good to wash there. Am I to wear this robe to the feast? I should not have been in a hurry to deal with this matter before the banquet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Would not the general drinking at night with blood on his robes add even more to his imposing presence?\" Huangfu Song advised solemnly. \"Why should Wenqi be troubled by it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun took back the broken blade, which Chu Yan had wiped with his sleeve, and fastened it again. Only then did he smile and respond: \"What, do Lord Huangfu and Lord Zhu also wish to join the night banquet in my camp? With you two here, I fear the officers in the army would all be uneasy, and we could not feast freely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Jun seemed to have a sudden realization: \"No wonder you only invited Sun Wentai from my command and Adjutant Fu from Lord Huangfu's command earlier. I thought Wenqi looked down on the two of us... Now it seems they are all young talents. Has it turned out that I am simply old?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huangfu Song, hearing this, lowered his head with a bitter smile and shook his head repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In that case,\" Gongsun Xun flicked his sleeve, \"I must instead invite you two generals to come in and drink three cups, or else would people not say that we young men do not understand propriety?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Jun could not help but laugh heartily, and even Huangfu Song had no objection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, the group ignored the corpse on the ground, and Gongsun Xun ignored the bloodstain under his arm. Led by Lu Fan, they arrived at a high platform by the river in the rear camp... Sure enough, wine and meat had long been prepared there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The setting sun sank quickly, and many braziers and torches were lit around them. The firelight reflected on the Qi River below the high platform, flickering and dancing... In the haste of military life, with the evening breeze rustling by the river, seizing the moment to set out wine and feast to escape the summer heat actually had a certain charm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the host of this camp, Gongsun Xun naturally took the seat of honor. The two Generals of the Household sat together in the upper seats on the west side, and the rest of the company took their seats according to rank and office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A pity!\" In the firelight, Gongsun Xun raised his cup and stood. Just as he was about to speak, a thought suddenly stirred in his heart, and he instead uttered a word that was hard for everyone to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord, why do you say 'a pity'?\" Sun Jian cupped his hands and asked. \"After such a great victory, with heroes rarely gathered together, as we set out wine and feast, where is the pity?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is precisely a pity that the heroes are gathered!\" Gongsun Xun raised his cup and sighed. \"It is a pity that Brother Mengde crossed the river in pursuit and went too deep; who knows when he will return? It is also a pity that my brother Gongsun Bogui is north of the Yellow River, confronting Zhang Jiao with my teacher Lord Lu. And it is a further pity that an old acquaintance, called Lu Bu Lu Fengxian, is also there... If these three were here as well, this banquet could truly be called a Gathering of Heroes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you talking about me?\" As soon as the words fell, someone suddenly laughed loudly in response from below the platform, and the voice drew near from afar. \"I heard that Liu Xuande has already taken Bo Cai... In vain did I and Yuanrang chase hard for dozens of li, and then laboriously travel dozens of li back... But upon returning to camp and hearing there is actually a banquet, it finally means I, Cao Cao, did not labor in vain this day... Come, come, where is this Gathering of Heroes? How can a feast lack me?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As these words ended, Cao Cao, covered in travel dust, indeed appeared before everyone's eyes with Xiahou Dun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun raised his cup and laughed heartily: \"Speak of Mengde and Mengde arrives. Since Brother Mengde has come... then it does not matter if my brother Gongsun Zan and that Lu Fengxian are absent. This banquet is indeed a true Gathering of Heroes! But Brother Mengde, since you have arrived late, you must make some gesture, must you not?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I shall punish myself with three cups!\" Cao Cao wagged his head, utterly unconcerned, clearly a veteran of the drinking table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That will not do!\" Gongsun Xun still held his cup aloft and said sternly. \"You must perform a dance for all the gentlemen!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd roared with laughter, one after another urging Cao Cao to perform a dance… In this era, entertainments were few, and when banquet guests got carried away, it was perfectly normal for them to sing and dance themselves. Don’t forget, it was precisely because someone danced at him during a feast and he failed to respond that the old man Cai Yong gave offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Cao Mengde did not refuse. Instead, he directly drew his sword and laughed: “A true man’s heart harbors frost and snow. Since I arrived late, why not perform a sword dance for you gentlemen? But can there be dance without song? Who will sing a song for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Cao’s meaning was originally for Gongsun Xun to respond and harmonize with him… This truly was the normal way of banquets in this era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Gongsun Xun raised his cup and looked around in all directions, then suddenly extended a finger toward one person at the gathering: “Xuande, of all present today, your merit is the greatest. Moreover, back when we studied at Mount Goushi, you were well accustomed to drinking. So let you sing a song to harmonize with Brother Mengde!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Liu Bei had been taciturn since his mother’s death, today he had achieved great merit and his prospects were in sight, so he was genuinely excited. He immediately rose and responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hold on!” At that moment, another person at the gathering also rose and said, “One man’s sword dance is insufficient for merriment. Today I have the honor of seeing all you heroes, and have further received the White Horse General’s battlefield praise. Jian also wishes to take up a sword and accompany the dance, to complement the General of the Household of the Five Offices!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun sat back down, slapped the low table — spilling the wine, no less — and nearly laughed until tears came: “Then let the three of you, Cao, Sun, and Liu, perform a song and dance for me, your host!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, no one had any objection… And once Liu Bei pondered briefly there, thought up a few lines of drinking words to express his mood, then slightly polished them and fitted them into a common banquet tune, he immediately signaled for the feast to resume.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait a moment!” Gongsun Xun glanced at Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song sitting over there, then looked at the somewhat stiff and rigid expression of Fu Xie, and suddenly recalled a matter. He then drew the very saber with which he had just killed a man. “Where is Demou?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Pu, hearing this, hurriedly stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At today’s feast, we speak only of romance and scenery, not of military affairs. All things are permitted — you must drink with utter abandon! Take my blade, and move my staff of office behind you. You shall be the wine overseer for this banquet. Anyone who dares to raise matters of ritual propriety or military affairs — execute without mercy!” Having spoken, Gongsun Xun handed his saber to the other man, then once more shook out his bloodstained sleeve and faced the three already prepared on the platform — Cao, Sun, and Liu — and laughed proudly. “You three, begin at once! Do not spoil everyone’s enjoyment!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd was momentarily awed into silence, holding their breath as they awaited the sword dance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——————I am the agent for the Late Han supergroup Cao-Sun-Liu——————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shu petitioned for Ce to be appointed Colonel of Dashing Assault, acting as General Who Exterminates Bandits, with over a thousand troops and wealth, several tens of cavalry, and several hundred followers and retainers willing to join. By the time they reached Liyang, his force numbered five or six thousand. As Ce was about to cross the river and turn to battle, he suddenly leveled his lance and sang: ‘A man in this world shall establish merit and fame; Merit and fame established shall comfort a lifetime. A lifetime comforted, I shall grow drunk; I shall grow drunk and burst forth in wild song!’ He sang it three times over before crossing the river in sorrow. None understood, save Zhu Zhi alone, who then said: ‘This was when the late Lord Wentai campaigned against the Yellow Turbans, passed through Yingchuan, met with great victory, and then held a feast by the banks of the Qi River, calling it the “Assembly of Heroes.” At that time, Gongsun Wenqi was in attendance, and the lord, together with Cao Mengde and Liu Xuande, got drunk together and danced beneath the tent, singing this very song.’ The crowd was then stirred with emotion.” — Records of Late Han Heroes, by Wang Can\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Thanks for the big wind recommendation\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, there is a reader group, 684558115. Those interested may join.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3494,"2026-06-04T19:42:26.060Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","e7a75e5312b41d3f5f70e1d8dcbf326491562b78bd64d919967ce709060f253d","overthrowing-han-chapter-246","overthrowing-han-chapter-244",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]