[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-311":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},1223070,1620,"Chapter 311: A Flurry of Activity Beyond the Frontier","overthrowing-han-chapter-311",311,"\u003Cp>All those messy, sordid affairs in Luoyang, to put it bluntly, boil down to one thing... that dazzling military display Gongsun Xun was forced to stage on the banks of the Wei River scared everyone out of their wits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the Son of Heaven fears him entering the game, the eunuchs fear him entering the game even more, the Yuan clan also fears him entering the game, and even Dong Zhuo fears him entering the game. The only one who isn't afraid is the Grand General, but because Gongsun Xun fought this battle, the Grand General's spine has stiffened considerably, and he no longer needs Gongsun Xun to enter the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Grand General He's thinking, once Gongsun Xun returns from pacifying the rebellion in Youzhou, whether he becomes Governor of Jizhou or enters the court as General of the Agile Cavalry to participate in governance, he can guarantee it with all his strength. Add to that the Grand General's own political wisdom, which truly cannot compare with those shrewd operators like the Son of Heaven, the eunuchs, and the Yuan clan, and so he let all of this slide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Gongsun Xun, who had been racing along at top speed, knew none of this. He didn't even know the exact situation in Youzhou. It wasn't until the thirtieth day of the first month, after traveling a full twenty days through the heartland of Bingzhou, that Gongsun Xun and his party finally crossed Jingxing, one of the eight passes of the Taihang Mountains, and arrived in Changshan. Only then, through the local trading post of the Anli Company, did they gather some information, but it was still the same old story about severed communications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, from this point on, not only did the roads become smoother, but old subordinates, former clerks, and old acquaintances were everywhere, and information finally began to coalesce. By the seventh day of the second month, Gongsun Xun's party galloped into Fanyang, where they met Gongsun Fan, who was serving as County Magistrate there, and also Han Hao, courtesy name Yuansi, who had come on orders to welcome them. He even received a letter sent by his mother via the sea route, and only then did he learn the crucial inside details of this rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, according to Lady Gongsun, the Wuhuan rebellion this time was indeed her oversight... because, based on her hindsight observations, the Wuhuan rebellion was inevitable and should have been anticipated long ago!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the root of the problem lay in economics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have to understand, the socio-economic model of the Liaoxi Wuhuan was very peculiar. They were kept by the Great Han beyond the frontier, but lived behind fortresses like Liucheng and Guanzicheng, and had very little independent economic capacity themselves. For a long time, the Great Han court annually required Qingzhou and Jizhou to support Youzhou with vast sums of money, amounting to hundreds of millions, the vast majority of which went to the Wuhuan people and military construction in the border commanderies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, isn't the Great Han court about to collapse?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haven't Jizhou, Qingzhou, and even the Central Plains heartland themselves gone economically bankrupt since the Yellow Turban Rebellion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Doesn't Liangzhou need to be pacified, with money flowing like water?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, the economic aid to the Wuhuan people stopped, and then they collapsed on their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, it wasn't just the Wuhuan. Starting last year, the rise of the Bobo bandits with large numbers of mixed barbarians in the Xihe region of Bingzhou, and the internal strife among the Xiongnu, followed the same logic. Without the central authority of the Great Han court to provide them with transfusions, and with the local indigenous economic base being too poor, economic collapse was only natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In later generations, you'd call it the Great Han's economic downturn rippling out to the periphery, causing the economic bankruptcy of the Wuhuan, the Xiongnu, and even the Xianbei... And once bankrupt, unable to afford clothes or food, with the brains these people have, what else could they do but rebel?! Their ancestors for eight generations were all bandits by origin anyway!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Liaoxi Wuhuan here, the fact that they waited until after Gongsun Xun left to rebel was already giving a lot of face to the Anli Company and Gongsun Xun!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the Anli Company had pulled some of the Liaoxi Wuhuan into participating in the Bohai economic sphere, massively alleviating their plight on a large scale. And Gongsun Xun, after all, had outstanding prestige, and with the three commanderies of Guangyang, Yuyang, and Zhuojun, with a population of a million, sitting right there in Changping... when both mother and son were present, they didn't dare make any rash moves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the end of the letter, Lady Gongsun further reflected on her own mistakes... In her own words, she should have deployed the corresponding economic measures a year earlier, leaving the Wuhuan people with absolutely no way out, forcing them to rebel even with Gongsun Xun at their side, so that the well-prepared General of the Guards could then calmly dispatch troops and eliminate the Wuhuan people in advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That way, not only would the northern realm be at peace, but the economically booming Liaodong commanderies could have gained more labor, and her son could have gained more elite cavalry akin to household slaves. How could it have come to this, letting those people plunder so many things and forcing her son to go and come back again...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the old lady did not forget to remind her son that he must be wary of the turbulent situation triggering internal instability in the three commanderies of Guangyang, because Gongsun Xun's \"well-field system\" had severely encroached upon the interests of a certain class...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, reading through the entire letter, the feeling it gave was summed up in one phrase: the old lady seemed very remorseful!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And while his mother was very remorseful, Gongsun Xun felt very strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's right, strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have to understand, although Gongsun Xun's departure from Youzhou this time was brief, he experienced a great many things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Luoyang, it was the culmination of over a hundred years of struggle among the Great Han's consort clans, scholar-officials, and eunuchs revolving around imperial power, with everyone endlessly contending over that imperial authority destined to collapse—so-called schemes and intrigues, court politics and imperial power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in Guanzhong, it was the entire Liangzhou rebel army coming forth, while the Han court threw in everything it had, both sides clashing with armored horses on icy rivers, men of life and death deciding the fate of the realm in a single battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having experienced so much in such a short time, Gongsun Xun couldn't help but be influenced by those people, gaining a genuine sense of the era, and he too began to adopt their pedantic airs... But now, returning to Youzhou, before even seeing his mother, before even reaching Changping, what was this talk of an economic crisis right off the bat?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like two completely different worlds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what was even more frightening was that, despite the strangeness, deep down Gongsun Xun felt that this explanation seemed more reasonable than any scheme, ambition, or mandate of heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The root of the problem was simply an economic issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How goes the war situation?\" In the rear courtyard of the government office in Fanyang City, Gongsun Xun, seated on a couch inside the residence, put away the letter and simultaneously set aside his extraneous thoughts. At this moment, he was earnestly asking Han Hao the most critical question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Lou Gui, Xi Zhong, Han Dang, Tian Yu, and the others nearby, even the attendant volunteers all fixed their gazes on Han Hao... Just now, while Gongsun Xun was reading the letter, though their hearts burned with anxiety, they dared not directly ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In reply to my lord, the war situation... up until a month ago was very smooth!\" Han Yuansi immediately answered with a cupped-hand salute, but his expression was somewhat peculiar. \"After the rebellion, they once breached Lulong Fortress and entered the interior to plunder, but to the east they failed to capture Lingzhi City, only plundering a considerable amount of goods outside the city. To the west, they only broke two small towns in Youbeiping. Then Commandant Cheng, under orders from Chief Clerk Lu, immediately mobilized troops, joined forces with the commandery troops of the various commanderies, and directly crossed the border to meet them in battle. The two armies fought first at Wuzhong, then at Xuwu, and finally at Lulong Fortress... Our army won three battles in three engagements, to the point that the rebel army had to withdraw from Lulong and flee beyond the frontier. Now it has been a month with no movement.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone's expressions visibly relaxed. This hadn't even touched the base area of the three Guangyang commanderies, had it? No wonder everyone they asked about the rebellion along the way just said the same four words: \"communications are severed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Gongsun Xun, hearing this and recalling his mother's analysis of the matter in the letter, also completely relaxed: \"Since Lulong Fortress has been retaken, why is Cheng Demou being so cautious? With troops in hand and Lulong Fortress being a pass a single man can hold against ten thousand, why not try to pursue the victory and continue operations beyond the frontier?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because there are some strange aspects to this rebellion,\" Han Hao answered helplessly. \"To the point that Chief Clerk Lu and Commandant Cheng don't know whom to strike, and dare not make any rash moves...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun was slightly taken aback: \"Now that is interesting. Haven't you already fought three battles? And your account clearly identifies the Wuhuan as the main force. How can you not know whom to strike at this point?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lou Gui and the others also looked at each other in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord,\" Han Hao immediately responded, \"there is no question that the Wuhuan people initiated this rebellion. In the three engagements our army fought, the main force of the enemy was also the typical Liaoxi White-Clad Wuhuan and the miscellaneous barbarians from beyond the frontier subordinate to Liaoxi. That is also not in question. But the current situation is truly complex...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What exactly is going on?\" Xi Zhong finally lost patience with Han Hao's reticent nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Speak quickly,\" Gongsun Xun also couldn't stand it anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In reply to my lord,\" Han Hao, seeing this, immediately jumped to the crucial point. \"The rebel army includes the participation of the prominent Zhang clan of Yuyang. Before Qiuliju gathered his troops and rebelled, he paid a visit to the former Grand Administrator of Taishan, Zhang Ju. The reason the rebels were able to breach Lulong Fortress and break two small towns in Youbeiping was entirely because this wretch and his entire clan acted as internal collaborators...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun and Lou Gui couldn't help exchanging a glance, but there was no surprise in their eyes... The former Chancellor of Changshan, Zhang Chun, had died under unclear circumstances by the Hutuo River. Others might not know, but could Zhang Ju, who had been rushing off to marry the wife of the current Gongsun Yue at the time, have had no suspicions in his heart? It was quite possible that this man had been living in fear for years, terrified that Gongsun Xun, stationed in Guangyang, would come to root out the weeds completely, and it was perfectly reasonable for him to seize the chance to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In addition,\" Han Hao continued, \"half a month ago, when this wretch fled out of Lulong Fortress, he actually proclaimed himself emperor!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What did you say?\" Gongsun Xun didn't react for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As he was defeated and fleeing out of Lulong Fortress before the new year, Zhang Ju proclaimed himself emperor in Guanzicheng. He calls himself the Son of Heaven,\" Han Hao unhurriedly repeated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room fell silent. Except for Gongsun Fan and Han Hao, who already knew the news, everyone else was digesting this information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How many companies does this Son of Heaven have?\" Gongsun Xun finally asked helplessly after a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Before leaving the fortress, he plundered and coerced the populations of two small towns. Adding his own clan's able-bodied men, he might have two to three thousand troops, which could be organized into about ten companies,\" Han Hao answered respectfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is indeed a troublesome matter,\" Xi Zhong immediately interjected. \"These petty clowns leaping about are not worth a laugh, but since he has presumptuously declared himself Son of Heaven, no matter what, we must strike him down first, as a warning to others...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a political problem. Gongsun Xun frowned momentarily, gaining some understanding of Lu Fan and Cheng Pu's hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it only this matter?\" With this thought, Gongsun Xun looked up and asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is only the first point,\" Han Hao immediately answered. \"In addition, the Xianbei chieftain Kebineng commands tens of thousands of troops and accepted Qiuliju's covenant. He has now led his troops north, where he can support Qiuliju, who has already breached Liucheng beyond the frontier, to the east, and can raid and harass the three Guangyang commanderies to the south. He cannot be left unguarded against...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun slowly nodded. This was within his expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However,\" Gongsun Xun asked with a furrowed brow, \"although Liucheng and Guanzicheng are both on the routes beyond the frontier, Liucheng is five hundred li away, while Guanzicheng is only two hundred li away. Even if Kebineng has a covenant with Qiuliju, he can at most shield Liucheng... We could perfectly well dispatch troops beyond the frontier to strike Guanzicheng first, under the cover of Chengde!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Hao was silent for a moment, then reported truthfully: \"In reply to my lord, this is the third point... According to Chief Clerk Lu, the Mohu tribe at Chengde is now in a state of having not yet rebelled but having effectively already rebelled; while the Duan tribe of Xianbei beside Liucheng is in a state of having already rebelled but having effectively not yet rebelled.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faces of everyone in the room changed color... None of them had imagined that the Mohu tribe and the Duan tribe, who had always seemed like loyal hounds, would both have problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun was silent for a moment, but surprisingly did not get angry: \"Tell me everything from the beginning!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out, according to Han Hao's account, that first, the main force, initiator, and actual leader of this rebellion was indeed the Liaoxi Wuhuan, that is, Qiuliju's tribe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to intelligence pieced together after the fact, after Gongsun Xun left last year, it was Qiuliju himself who entered the frontier in plain clothes to persuade Zhang Ju. It was also he who personally went west and concluded a covenant with Kebineng. In the several battles fought, it was also he and his nephew Tadun who led the typical Liaoxi White-Clad Wuhuan in combat against the Han army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the man’s most remarkable point was still the timing of this rebellion’s launch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In winter, the Duan-branch Xianbei and Mohu Xianbei, following the orders Gongsun Xun left before departing, joined forces to drive out the Wuhuan chieftain Wuyan from under the border wall of Youbeiping. Wuyan was defeated in one battle and then surrounded by the Mohu and Duan branches at the foot of White Wolf Mountain, southwest of Liucheng and northeast of Chengde. But just at that moment, Qiuliju suddenly mustered his own Liaoxi Wuhuan, proclaiming that the Han house lacked virtue and that he was going to rescue his kinsmen, and marched west. At the same time, the Xianbei Kebineng also personally led troops east. The two sides in turn surrounded the Mohu and Duan branches at the foot of White Wolf Mountain, and Kebineng came forward to force the two branches to surrender on the condition of guaranteeing their independence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In that kind of situation, feigning compliance was of course harmless… However, the Duan-branch Xianbei’s foundation lies north of the Liaoxi corridor, and they have always relied on Liucheng for support and protection. Now that Liucheng has fallen into Wuhuan hands, and the Duan branch has no fortified settlement of its own, with Kebineng on the left and Qiuliju on the right, after Duan Riyuming surrendered that day, he probably had no choice but to follow them. But ever since being forced to surrender, Duan Riyuming has frequently sent his men to relay military intelligence in every battle. In three engagements, his men rendered meritorious service. After withdrawing beyond the frontier, the Duan branch also repeatedly dispatched trusted envoys to Changping to express loyalty and recount their difficulties. Chief Clerk Lü and the others all believe the Duan branch truly had extenuating circumstances.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the Mohu branch is exactly the opposite… After the Mohu branch was forced to surrender that day, because of Kebineng’s guarantee, their entire army was preserved intact. Yet halfway along the march to advance on Lulong Fortress, their forces suddenly turned back to Chengde and raised the Han banner once more. Chengde has a strong walled city and is backed by the three Guangyang commanderies. Neither Kebineng nor Qiuliju could do anything about it. In fact, because of this, Kebineng did not even dare to continue his advance and turned back midway…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Up to this point, the Mohu branch was instead utterly loyal and beyond reproach… But after Captain Cheng recaptured Lulong Fortress in three battles and at one point wished to march out and seize Guanzicheng, the Mohu branch gradually began to grow restless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief Clerk Lü first sent a letter to Mohu Tan, stating in full that he would absolutely not pursue the matter under White Wolf Mountain, and that if he would only make a trip to Changping, grain and fodder could be provided as aid. But Mohu Tan merely pleaded illness as an excuse and never set out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Later, Chief Clerk Lü took a step back and told him that if he harbored misgivings, he need not enter the border wall, but he should assist Captain Cheng in seizing Guanzicheng and capturing Zhang Ju! Yet Mohu Tan again replied with a letter pleading illness and kept his troops in place. He even sent a letter instead, asking where My Lord was. He also inquired about the state of the realm!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He dares to inquire about the state of the realm?!” When Gongsun Xun heard this, his anger turned to laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Lord,” Han Hao, seeing this, lowered his head and reported. “It was from this that Chief Clerk Lü began to harbor suspicions about the Mohu branch… In truth, it is not that Captain Cheng is unwilling to march beyond the frontier to attack Guanzicheng and crush Zhang Ju, but the Mohu branch’s presence in Chengde truly makes one dare not move lightly. If we go to Guanzicheng and the Mohu branch suddenly opens the passage, allowing Kebineng to lead troops and strike our rear, what then? Yet if we first take Chengde, not to mention that the Mohu branch’s signs of rebellion are not yet clear, if we truly push them too far, Mohu Tan, relying on Chengde, could seek aid from Kebineng and Qiuliju. Under a strong walled city, what if we are attacked from two sides? Therefore, Chief Clerk Lü has stated that the Mohu branch, occupying Chengde and positioned among the three parties, is raising its own value. Although they repeatedly profess loyalty and have never fought alongside the Wuhuan, in practical terms they are actually the greatest trouble!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand.” Gongsun Xun suddenly raised a hand to signal. “Right now, Zhang Ju has presumptuously declared himself emperor. He is encamped at Guanzicheng, two hundred li north of Lulong Fortress. Though he is a mere clown, he relies on the Liaoxi Wuhuan as his backing. Meanwhile, Qiuliju, leading the tens of thousands of Liaoxi Wuhuan, occupies Liucheng, five hundred li north of Lulong Fortress, cutting off communications in Youzhou on one hand while intending to integrate the hundred miscellaneous Hu tribes of Liaoxi into his own system on the other. Then, on the steppe, Kebineng has many troops and great power, faintly serving as Qiuliju’s rear support. Finally, it is precisely that wretch Mohu Tan, positioned between the Xianbei, the Wuhuan, and us, who, relying on having a bit of troops and a walled city, is subtly raising his own value, his ambitions growing by the day… Is that the gist?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Lord is wise!” Han Hao bowed in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do any of you have anything to say?” Gongsun Xun turned back again to look at Lou Gui and Xi Zhong, as well as Gongsun Fan, who had remained silent all along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there were also several officers among the Volunteer Followers who had accompanied him on this campaign for training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Trouble!” Lou Gui pondered for a moment, but he too was utterly vexed. “Qiuliju is certainly the chief culprit, but the court places more weight on Zhang Ju. From our perspective, Mohu Tan is the most critical, yet in the long term, Kebineng is ultimately the mortal threat… Moreover, these four are interlinked. To guard against any contingency, we must make thorough preparations… My Lord, since the situation is temporarily stable, why not quietly wait for the spring planting to end, and then mobilize the main army to march beyond the frontier!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since My Lord has returned, Mohu Tan will not dare to truly rebel!” Xi Zhong, however, spoke through gritted teeth. “It would be better to first take Guanzicheng to answer to the imperial court, and then discuss the rest…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let us return to Changping before we discuss further!” Gongsun Xun thought for a moment, but could only give this order with an expressionless face. “Write a letter to Mohu Tan, telling him to come to Changping to see me… And instruct those men from the Duan and Mohu branches among the Volunteer Followers not to overthink things. I am not the sort of person who cannot distinguish right from wrong… Finally, everyone is weary from the journey. Since we have arrived in Zhuo Commandery, rest well and pay no mind to anything else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, regardless that the sky was still bright, he actually tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and lay down on the couch in the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But from Gongsun Fan on down, although everyone still had words they wished to say, in the end none dared disturb him, and they all carefully departed one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—————I am the dividing line that has fallen into bankruptcy crisis—————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“During Emperor Ling’s reign, among the Wuhuan chieftains, there was Nanlou of Shanggu, with over nine thousand settlements; Qiuliju of Liaoxi, with over five thousand settlements — both called themselves kings. Also, Su Puyan of Liaodong, with over a thousand settlements, called himself King Qiao; Wuyan of Youbeiping, with over a hundred settlements, called himself King Hanlu. All were valiant, robust, and full of stratagems.” — Book of the Later Han, Fan Ye\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3856,"2026-06-04T19:42:26.060Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","c4a5c69eb023c7cc5260597481fd64725423d83ec7591b827038892ce4c48422","overthrowing-han-chapter-312","overthrowing-han-chapter-310",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]