[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-306":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},1223065,1620,"Chapter 306: The Rebel Army Collapses, Fearing Dilu","overthrowing-han-chapter-306",306,"\u003Cp>That day was the tenth day of the first month. The Wei River was still frozen, and under the late morning sunlight, the entire river reflected a certain radiance that was difficult to put into words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the rebels' disarray, the Han army successfully marched out of camp and formed a horizontal formation, its military front stretching fifteen li wide. Then, led by the Han army's various senior generals, it rolled westward in a single wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Han army's ranks were orderly, its banners fluttering and its armor dazzling. Moreover, it contained many cavalry units, and as it advanced, the dust raised alone could be seen from several li away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After marching a few li, the rebel camp came into view ahead, yet the rebels showed no sign of coming out to fight. Instead, they only intensified their deployments within the camp, making their intention to defend to the death self-evident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Gongsun Xun no longer hesitated. While ordering the formation to be steadied, he immediately summoned the seven commanders — Lu Bu, Xu Rong, Han Dang, Bao Xin, Gai Xun, Huangfu Li, and Li Jue — to come before his canopy to receive orders. Gongsun Xun had only made his final decision the night before and was now deploying the entire army today; many of the arrangements were unknown to the officers below and had to be conveyed by command at the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We decide matters here at the front. As commanders, you are only to obey orders and not to speak out of turn!\" Gongsun Xun, mounted on that divine white horse, swept his gaze over these chief commanders, issued a blunt warning, and then directly called a name. \"Yigong!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your subordinate is here.\" Han Dang immediately cupped his hands in salute from horseback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The enemy camp has the Wei River to its south, and the ice conditions are unclear — ignore that direction. Leave your infantry with the central army under my command. Take only two thousand Henei cavalry and focus single-mindedly on enveloping them from the north. If the enemy is routed, allow them to force a crossing of the Wei River, but do not allow them to flee northward!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aye.\" Neither pleased nor angered, Han Dang accepted the task with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bojin!\" Seeing this, Gongsun Xun paid him no further mind and instead called the next man from horseback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord, please give your command!\" Upon hearing this, Xu Rong immediately dismounted, prostrated himself beneath Gongsun Xun's canopy, and paid obeisance. His movements and words could not conceal his excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Same for you — leave your infantry with me. Take your own Hedong cavalry and your own Garrison Cavalry Camp. Li Jue's and Huangfu Li's two cavalry divisions, ten thousand men, are also placed under your command.\" At this point, Gongsun Xun paused briefly, glanced at the increasingly excited Xu Rong, and asked in return, \"Do you know how to fight this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I do.\" Xu Rong raised his head and answered loudly. \"The enemy camp has wide gaps and a simple layout, showing no intention of linked-camp mutual defense. We should rapidly drive a large cavalry force into it to sever each section. If successful, they will be unable to coordinate from head to tail and will be trapped within our army's momentum. Their morale will inevitably collapse, and the infantry can then break the camp at leisure!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good!\" Gongsun Xun praised him. \"Can you do it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With over twelve thousand cavalry, if I cannot accomplish this, would I not be unworthy of my reputation?!\" Xu Rong answered at once. \"My lord has entrusted me with a great task; I will certainly not fail my lord.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then go do it.\" Gongsun Xun laughed in spite of himself, then turned his head to look at a man whose expression was somewhat flustered. \"Fengxian!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General!\" Lu Bu hurriedly gripped his reins and performed a hand salute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dismount,\" Gongsun Xun commanded loftily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Bu was briefly stunned, then hastily dismounted and, imitating Xu Rong, prostrated himself on the ground before the General of the Guards' canopy to pay obeisance. However, to everyone's surprise, Gongsun Xun dismounted from his own divine white horse at almost the same moment and then raised the man up with one hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get on and try it!\" Gongsun Xun gestured slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Bu was momentarily bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Lord Marquis is letting you ride his horse!\" Xi Zhicai sneered from the side. \"The battle is urgent — do not delay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Lu Bu understand. In a daze, he climbed onto Gongsun Xun's divine white horse. It was only after he was seated firmly in the saddle that he truly reacted, yet he did not know what to say and instead became somewhat timid and hesitant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fengxian!\" Gongsun Xun stood beside the horse and, seeing this, also became solemn. \"I merely bestow a single horse upon you — why act this way? Today's battle still requires us to honor you as the vanguard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Bu came slightly back to his senses and hurriedly spurred the horse away from beneath the canopy that represented Gongsun Xun's authority. Only then did he force himself to cup his hands: \"My lord shows me such gracious favor. I, Bu, am but a man of brute courage — how dare I not devote myself utterly to serving as my lord's instrument?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The key to this battle lies with you.\" Tian Chou had long since offered his own horse nearby, but Gongsun Xun ignored it. \"In addition to your own Shesheng Camp and the Henan cavalry, I am also giving you the White Horse Volunteers...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the crowd heard these words, every face changed color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be understood that when Gongsun Xun had yielded his own mount earlier, those around him had not reacted so strongly. But yielding command of the White Horse Volunteers to another, and for the very front line at that — this was hard to bear. Xi Zhicai, Tian Chou, and others all felt an impulse to speak up and dissuade him, but recalling Gongsun Xun's prior words — that decisions were made at the front and none were to defy his allocation of military orders — they could do nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Bu was even more speechless, though the excitement in his expression was ultimately unavoidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have only one military order for you.\" Gongsun Xun stepped forward to stand beneath the other man's horse, raised his head, and fixed his eyes on him. \"With your bearing as the age's roaring tiger, lead the finest elite cavalry under heaven and press forward irresistibly with me. Follow the gaps in the enemy camp, pierce through the enemy camp, and strike straight for the walls of Chencang. If anyone blocks your path, no matter who it is, grind them to dust and trample them flat! Do not worry about your rear — Xu Bojin will follow up on his own!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aye!\" Lu Bu answered loudly from horseback. \"I will certainly not fail my lord.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you do not fail me, I will not fail you either!\" Gongsun Xun shook his head with emotion from beside the horse. \"Fengxian, before I came, I already drafted the memorial, and I have already sent men to deliver it to Luoyang. It names you and Bojin as the chief contributors, and all the commanders present here today are commended in the memorial as well. The memorial states that we have routed the rebels and taken tens of thousands of heads. Do not let me lose face before the Grand General!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Lu Bu grew even more agitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning around, Gongsun Xun then pointed at Li Jue and Huangfu Li: \"You two must heed Xu Bojin's command with all diligence, fight well, do not disgrace Lord Dong and Lord Huangfu, and do not betray the commendation I have given you in my memorial.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two commanders, who must have received instructions from Dong Zhuo and Huangfu Song before coming, gave their assent crisply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To the Intendant of Jingzhao and the Commandant of Cavalry, I will not say much more. Once the cavalry ahead has won, drive your troops forward and directly assault the camp.\" Gongsun Xun gave his final instructions. \"This battle hinges on whether the front and rear are tightly coordinated. By no means miss the moment of opportunity!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Gai Xun and Bao Xin naturally had nothing to add.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In that case, all of you, go!\" Gongsun Xun then turned, mounted an ordinary white horse, and returned beneath his canopy. \"Captain Lu goes first, Captain Xu follows, and the infantry follows in full force. Convey this order to the General of the Left and the General of the Front as well. Once preparations are complete, there is no need to ask me — when you see Captain Lu attack, beat the drums to boost morale and urge the entire army forward. Gentlemen, this battle must be a total victory, to restore peace to Guanzhong!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, Gongsun Xun finally drew his blade and gave the order, signaling the start of battle. He had clearly fulfilled his final duty as overall military commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commanders all cupped their hands in salute from horseback, then each led their troops away. The White Horse Volunteers, under Gongsun Xun's stern gaze, also immediately moved out of formation, preparing to follow Lu Bu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, before the commanders had truly dispersed, Lu Bu suddenly turned back, dismounted once more before the canopy, and performed a salute: \"My lord, I beg my lord to bestow a name upon this horse!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun was stunned for a moment beneath the canopy, then suddenly burst out laughing: \"Then let it be called Dilu!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Bu was overjoyed. Only then did he remount his own Dilu treasure steed and turn to depart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that same moment, inside the main rebel camp, Han Sui, who possessed the strongest and most numerous forces, was also hastily making his own arrangements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenyue.\" Cheng Gongying, his forehead drenched in sweat, hurried over from outside the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How is it?\" Seeing his most trusted right-hand man return, Han Sui immediately set aside his military dispositions and stepped forward to meet him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ma Teng, Li Xiangru, and Huang Yan all say they are willing to trust you. They believe that letter was certainly a trick by the enemy, and at this critical battle, they are willing to face the danger together.\" Cheng Gongying answered hurriedly. \"Ma Teng is willing to send two thousand cavalry out of camp, Li Xiangru is willing to send eight hundred, and Huang Yan is willing to send one thousand...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So that's less than four thousand cavalry?\" Han Sui sighed mournfully. \"With over a hundred thousand troops on both sides, and the enemy having nearly sixteen or seventeen thousand cavalry, what use are four thousand cavalry? In the end, they all have their own schemes and are looking out for themselves! Most hateful of all is that scoundrel Wang Guo — he won't even trust me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Gongying fell silent for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, what Gongsun Xun could think of, these men, with their vast combat experience, could also think of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gaps in the main camp were too large, making it easy for the enemy cavalry to split them apart and defeat them piecemeal. Faced with such a situation, there was only one path to respond: concentrate a force of elite cavalry of their own, match cavalry with cavalry, and simultaneously block the enemy's encirclement and splitting maneuvers while rushing to reinforce everywhere, ensuring the camp would not fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, at such a time, when brave warriors meet on a narrow path, the bold win. If their cavalry could prevail, the entire situation could be won. For the Liangzhou army to win was not necessarily a fool's dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, while the elite ferocity of the Liangzhou cavalry went without saying and their numbers were not lacking, to concentrate all cavalry for a unified effort like the Han army was absolutely impossible. Han Sui had sought aid and coordination from all sides, calling on everyone to contribute cavalry for joint use (he dared not say unified command), but had only managed to gather four thousand cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the most direct manifestation of disunity and divided hearts projected onto the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ma Teng is fairly honest — he contributed two thousand of his three thousand cavalry, keeping one thousand to protect himself, which is beyond reproach. Huang Yan is also fairly honest; his strength is the smallest, and he did his best. But that scoundrel Li Xiangru clearly has three thousand cavalry — why did he only contribute eight hundred?\" Han Sui grew more and more frustrated as he spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Should I go and try to persuade Wang Guo and Li Xiangru again?\" Cheng Gongying asked helplessly. \"The Han army has at least fifteen or sixteen thousand cavalry. Now they are only contributing four thousand, which, added to our five thousand, makes merely nine thousand — truly not enough. But if Wang Guo could contribute another three thousand, and Li Xiangru another thousand, combined with the ferocity of our Liangzhou cavalry, we might not necessarily fail.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need to go.\" Han Sui shook his head repeatedly. \"The Han army is coming at any moment — there's no time left.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then... nine thousand cavalry?\" Cheng Gongying remained helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shirong.\" Han Sui pulled the other man a few steps deeper into the camp, his personal guards naturally staying behind at a distance and blocking others. \"Nine thousand cavalry will certainly be defeated. The best plan now is to preserve as much as possible. Why should we commit all our own cavalry?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In that case,\" Cheng Gongying's heart stirred slightly, and he suddenly became solemn, \"then you, Wenyue, should all the more commit all your cavalry, and you should personally lead this force!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Sui reacted at once — if he truly wanted to preserve his strength, these five thousand cavalry were the real strength. Moreover, if this battle truly ended in defeat, first, cavalry were prone to flee, and second, after a defeat, masterless cavalry would instinctively follow only him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I go, who will defend the main camp?\" Han Sui thought briefly, then immediately pressed the question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will defend it!\" Cheng Gongying answered at once, without the slightest hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Sui froze for a moment, then promptly shook his head. \"You are as close to me as my own hands and feet — to lose you for the sake of one camp is not worth it! Better to do as we did that day when we propped up Wang Guo: find some fool to prop up instead…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenyue!\" Cheng Gongying sighed helplessly. \"The battle hasn't even begun! Just now I told you to take the cavalry as a precaution against the worst — it does not delay the fighting. But if you arrange things as you propose, this main camp will surely be lost, and if it is lost, defeat is certain… Do you truly have not a shred of confidence in this battle?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Sui was silent for a moment, then finally spoke the truth to the man he trusted most: \"I will not hide it from Shirong. When we first set out on this campaign, the reason I pushed Wang Guo forward as leader was precisely because I was certain this battle would be lost. The situation in Luoyang has not reached that point — how could Guanzhong possibly be taken? And yesterday, when I saw the three opposing commanders, three more parts of my will to fight drained away. Then last night, when the enemy sowed discord with that letter, and today every force refused to commit its strength, my heart for victory was utterly extinguished.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are a man who has roamed Liangzhou for years — can your spirit truly be so thoroughly seized by the enemy?\" Cheng Gongying was speechless. \"In the end, our army is not weak in numbers, and it is quite fierce and formidable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It does not add up that way.\" Han Sui sighed. \"Our army may appear fierce, but it is a mix of Qiang and Han, hard to unify command, every man with his own agenda. Of the fifty thousand Han troops, twenty thousand are elite veterans who withdrew from Liangzhou, another twenty thousand are sons of Guanzhong defending their homes and country, and the remaining ten thousand are elite Imperial Guards from Luoyang… Our soldiers are not their equal, our commanders are not their equal. When we could not take Chencang before, we should have withdrawn early.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even so, you cannot act like this!\" Cheng Gongying admonished him sternly. \"Battle is imminent. If we fight with all our strength, life and death still rest in our own hands. But if we do not fight and instead harbor thoughts of retreat, we deliver life and death into the hands of others… Say no more. I will defend the main camp. You take the cavalry and go support the other camps. First fight with all your might — we can speak of other things later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Sui, understanding the stakes after all, immediately nodded in agreement… Yet just as he was about to muster the cavalry and ride out to block the enemy on the road, he could not help but turn back and grasp Cheng Gongying's hand. \"Shirong, if things truly become impossible, do not cling to stubbornness — surrender as soon as you can! That Gongsun Xun cherishes your talent, and Duke Huangfu and Duke Dong are both men of our Liangzhou homeland. If you surrender, you may still preserve yourself somewhat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Gongying smiled bitterly and repeatedly pushed him to go muster the troops. Then he summoned Yan Xing, the bravest man in the army, and earnestly exhorted him to do his utmost to protect Han Sui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Yan Xing had been put in an awkward position by Gongsun Xun the day before, his entire clan was in Liangzhou — how could he refuse? He immediately gave his word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even as Han Sui, Cheng Gongying, and the others were still making preparations, suddenly everyone throughout the camp felt the ground tremble. Then shouts of slaughter and the pounding of war drums drew faintly nearer along with distant dust clouds — clearly, the Han army, having completed its preparations, had immediately dispatched a large force of cavalry to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Sui dared not delay any longer. He mounted at once and led all the cavalry of his own division out through the rear western gate of the camp, attempting to link up with the supporting cavalry of Ma Teng and the others to jointly intercept the attacking Han cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when Han Sui hastily assembled the cavalry behind the camp and wheeled eastward, attempting to meet the enemy head-on, his face paled the moment he saw them. Even with dust swirling everywhere and every camp already thrown into the chaos of imminent battle, everyone could see clearly: the Han army's vanguard cavalry directly ahead were, to a man, mounted on white horses — and in an instant they had already charged into the gaps between the encampments!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the man at their head — though too far to make out his features clearly — was tall and imposing, strikingly heroic in bearing, and rode that divine white steed so famed throughout the Western Liang army. The sight truly set imaginations racing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Sui gazed from afar. At first, like everyone else, he was stunned speechless — but then he was instantly overjoyed. \"Gongsun Xun has personally ventured into danger — he truly seeks his own death! The paths between the camps are not wide enough. Seize this chance! Send the fiercest warriors in the army straight at this man. If we can capture or kill him on the field, not only will this battle be free of worry — we will win swiftly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qiang and Han chieftains around him heard this and one after another came to their senses. Each led his own braves forward to meet the enemy. Only Yan Xing remembered Cheng Gongying's recent exhortation and stayed where he was to guard Han Sui, not moving. And as Han Wenyue watched all those fierce warriors around him surge forth, pressing right up to the white-horsed cavalry line to the east without many Han riders reacting in time to rescue their commander, he let out a sigh, then turned back around and faced west.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And before anyone beside him could ask, Han Sui, facing the vast, bewildered Western Liang cavalry behind him, spoke his thoughts aloud with emotion: \"Swords and blades have no eyes. Wenqi is an old friend of mine — if by chance he cannot be taken alive, how could I bear to face him and watch him come to harm? But when two armies clash, such is the circumstance — there is no helping it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, Han Wenyue then rallied his resolve once more. He issued a stream of orders, continuing to call for the army's braves to go forward and seize the man, while also urging the various cavalry units to assemble and prepare to counterattack while the moment was favorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for some reason, though those around him kept shouting, and though many officers and soldiers were all craning their necks toward the eastern battlefield in shock, few paid him any heed. Even Yan Xing was anxiously calling for him to turn back around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So quickly?\" Han Sui assumed the outcome behind him was already decided. Delighted and surprised, he turned back — but when he turned around once more, he could only stare in blank confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out that earlier, seizing the moment when the attacking White Horse Volunteers were caught in the gaps between the camps, Han Sui had dispatched a full five or six squads of elite cavalry. Each squad had over ten riders, and their leaders were all renowned fierce warriors of the Western Liang army — the intent had been to take the enemy commander with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the time it took to turn away and turn back, and to speak a few perfunctory words, every last one of those riders had vanished… as if they had never been sent at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are the White Horse Volunteers truly so ferociously elite?!\" Han Sui stared blankly for a moment, then was seized by great terror. \"No wonder Gongsun Wenqi dares to personally venture into danger…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these words, he was about to order the entire army to press forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before the troops could be properly deployed, the \"Gongsun Xun\" at the head, relying on the extraordinary speed of the Dilu horse beneath him, had already ridden alone to within a little over a hundred paces. Han Sui gaped, more bewildered than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Yan Xing who, from a distance, recognized that this man was not Gongsun Xun but some unknown fierce general of the Han army who had appeared from nowhere. In the urgency of the moment, he spurred his horse out alone and charged forward valiantly, attempting to stop this man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said: Lu Bu, riding the Dilu horse, had for years, in pursuit of an official career, learned the qin and played the cultured man — enduring much frustration. Only once, beneath the walls of Guangzong, had he revealed the bearing of a frontier warrior and killed to his heart's content. Yet even that was nothing compared to the exhilaration of today… For when had he ever held in his hands elite cavalry like the White Horse Volunteers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just moments ago, fifty or sixty riders had charged straight at him to take his head. He had slain several rebel leaders clad in iron armor, one with each thrust of his spear — but when he looked up, the bodyguards of those men had also been wiped out one after another by the White Horse Volunteers, among whom dragons lurked and tigers hid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the general is brave and the soldiers are fierce, the effect is far more than merely additive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, Lu Fengxian's bloodlust surged. Seeing what seemed to be a high commander still ahead, he ignored the thousands of rebel cavalry facing him and immediately spurred his horse westward, continuing to lead the White Horse Volunteers and his own cavalry in a fierce charge straight at that man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the fine steed beneath him was exceedingly swift — that was why he had pulled ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Xing urged his horse forward, drew his spear, and aimed to thrust as they met head-on. But Lu Bu, charging close and seeing Han Sui's bearing with his own eyes, had no interest in tangling with someone who was clearly a minor attendant commander. With a single raise of his hand, he knocked Yan Xing's thrusting spear aside; with a backhand sweep, he easily skewered the man from his horse!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pitiful Yan Xing — scion of a famed Western Liang clan, forced to serve as a commander to preserve his family after his uncle's suicide, never having found a chance to reverse course and wash away the stain of the rebel army — was speared from his horse by Lu Bu, then trampled into bloody pulp by the oncoming Han cavalry. All his myriad schemes scattered like smoke with his life's passing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, his death did have some effect. Han Sui had always known Yan Xing's capabilities. The sudden disappearance of dozens of fierce warriors moments before had already planted fear in his heart. Now, seeing this man he had mistaken for Gongsun Xun so effortlessly kill one of the top warriors in his army — and then put away his spear and bend his bow, clearly coming for him, Han Wenyue — the terror in his heart reached its peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught between life and death, this man who was like the Yellow River's nine bends indeed reined in his horse, turned, and stooped low, hastily vanishing into the ranks of the rebel cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Bu flew into a great rage. He loosed an arrow and killed yet another man, then raised his spear and plunged into the formation, fighting as he searched for his quarry. The white-horsed cavalry behind him caught up and, following in his wake, few though they were against many, drove the leaderless Western Liang cavalry into a continuous retreat, until the beginnings of a rout took hold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, it was not only where Lu Bu faced Han Sui — along the fifteen-li stretch of the other battle lines, the situation was much the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Xu Rong's command, the main Han cavalry force swarmed in behind Lu Bu, pouring into the gaps between the encampments, easily severing the links between them, and clashing directly with the opposing cavalry in mutual charges. Immediately after, Gai Xun, Bao Xin, and the various commanders under Huangfu Song and Dong Zhuo's direct commands each led their infantry forward with fierce determination, charging straight at the enemy camps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Han army used cavalry to strike cavalry and infantry to assault the stockades — and everywhere, at the first touch, the enemy collapsed like dry weeds before a storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One can only say: Han Wenyue's foresight was truly worthy of the Yellow River's nine bends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————I am the dividing line of the Yellow River's Eighteen Turns————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In former times, the Grand Ancestor obtained a fine steed called Dilu. Those around him said Dilu brought harm to its master, and some advised him to send it away. Lou Zibo was at his side and remonstrated, saying: 'If you sell it, there will surely be a buyer; if you give it away, there will surely be a recipient. Even if it then harms its new master, would it be right to shift misfortune from yourself onto another? Moreover, talk of a divine steed harming its master applies only to common men. Your enlightened lordship is divinely martial and bears your own destiny — what cause for worry?' The Grand Ancestor approved of this and rode the horse for several years without incident.\" — Miscellaneous Records of the Scholarly Grove. Yan. Recorded by an Anonymous Author\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",4713,"2026-06-04T19:42:26.060Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","5c55c6830b93257a469de4353e902f5547c8c9ca97408a8443cc0bdf35dbf039","overthrowing-han-chapter-307","overthrowing-han-chapter-305",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]