[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-322":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},1223081,1620,"Chapter 322","overthrowing-han-chapter-322",322,"\u003Cp>In the rainy night, Tadun, the acknowledged second-in-command of the Liaoxi Wuhuan, wearing only a white robe and with his hair loose, rushed out of his tent in panic, only to be met by the confusion and helplessness of the dark night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no dense torchlights, no banners, no galloping horses, no open field of vision, not even a stable camp... Come to think of it, after finally struggling to reach the walls of what was practically their main base, exhausted as they were, who would think of setting up a proper camp? And this was not the time to dwell on such things; the problem now was that, for Tadun, this battlefield was completely different from any battlefield he had ever known!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His superb cavalry combat experience, the prestige he had accumulated over more than a decade within the tribe, his strategies, his martial valor—at this very moment, all of it was utterly useless!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This cavalry commander, whose battlefield experience was exceedingly rich, could clearly guess from the shouts of slaughter that at least ten thousand Han soldiers were butchering his tribesmen, yet he had absolutely no idea how to respond!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, apart from the shouts of the Han troops and the wails of his own people, the only sounds in Tadun's ears at this moment were the pattering of rain and the sound of ring-pommel blades slaughtering his tribesmen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Think about it: when a Wuhuan man cannot ride a horse, cannot draw a bow, and has at hand only a cavalry lance—wooden shaft, iron head—yet does not even know if he can find it in time in the rainy night, and most critically, the vast majority have no armor at all, and because of the sticky dampness have even shed their signature white robes, simply sleeping bare-chested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, facing close combat against tens of thousands of standard-issue Han ring-pommel blades, apart from dying or fleeing, did they truly have a third path?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chieftain, where did the Han troops come from? Has Prefect Zhao come from Liaodong?\" Someone nearby, relying on memory, groped his way to Tadun's tent, and by the faint glow of the brazier inside the tent flap, revealed his wretched state, covered in mud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If even Tadun was like this, these men were naturally even more panicked and at a loss... In truth, even now they did not know where the Han troops had come from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't know!\" Tadun replied in a daze, looking around helplessly, then suddenly turned his head. \"Light fires! Quickly, light fires!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where can we light a fire?!\" Someone nearby retorted angrily. \"It has rained for so many days, rain is still falling on our heads, everything is wet, even the ground is soaked through! Braziers can only be kept inside the tents!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Burn my tent!\" Tadun said, half dejected, half resolute. \"The outside of the tent is wet, but the inside is dry... There are many things inside that can burn...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And what do we do after it's burned?\" Another trusted aide who had just arrived immediately questioned. \"Use it as a signal to gather the men?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What else?\" Tadun abruptly turned and grabbed at the man's lapel, but the absurd thing was, like the vast majority of Wuhuan soldiers who had been startled awake, this man was not wearing any clothes at all; his body was merely covered in wet mud. Tadun's grip met only slick slipperiness, causing the man to lose his balance and fall straight backward onto the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chieftain!\" This bare-chested trusted aide, after slipping, scrambled up from the ground regardless and desperately clung to one of Tadun's legs. \"We cannot burn it like this! If we do, our Wuhuan men will certainly see the chieftain, but the Han troops will inevitably see as well... In this battle situation, to set a tent ablaze and reveal your identity—wouldn't that also be telling the Han men to come kill here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know your loyalty.\" Tadun embraced this loyal subordinate, yet actually began to weep. \"But in the current situation, what else can I do? All the able-bodied men of the tribe are here. Do you expect me to do nothing? You must understand, this is war! If I do not reveal my identity, they won't even have a headman to lead them, won't even know which way to flee!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This subordinate was also weeping bitterly, but suddenly turned and scrambled up, kicking over the brazier placed inside Tadun's tent flap. The brazier, which had only a faint glow and was smoldering, immediately scattered sparks everywhere, and in an instant ignited some dry items inside the tent. Seeing the small flames appear, the man hastily pushed the books, account ledgers, and dry grass inside the tent onto the fire. When he rushed out of the tent again, he was carrying a suit of iron armor and a ring-pommel blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shouts of slaughter drew ever closer. The Wuhuan army camp outside the city, like a mud pit, had begun to completely lose order. Countless Wuhuan soldiers, stark naked—or if they wore clothes, soon covered in mud—scattered in all directions like headless flies. At the same time, the shouts of the Han troops rose wave after wave; clearly, they too had realized that this battle was simply far too easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around Tadun, some fled in haste, but several loyal subordinates knelt before the tent, hurriedly helping him don his armor. However, iron armor in this era was still very difficult to put on, especially with the rain making the ground slippery everywhere and the light insufficient. But soon, as the fire inside the tent, smothered by flammable materials, suddenly met the air and flared up violently, a great blaze burst forth. The several loyal subordinates immediately saw clearly the state of Tadun's armor and their hands and feet could not help but move a little faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was only a little faster. When Tadun's armor was half-donned, his left chest and left shoulder still exposed; when Tadun, ignoring his half-dressed state, began shouting incessantly in a near-pleading tone, in both Han and Wuhuan tongues, for the surrounding soldiers to rally to him... Suddenly, a tall and imposing Han iron-clad warrior burst out from beyond the firelight with vigorous strides! The man held a lance in one hand and a blade in the other, yet uttered not a single word, merely flashing past several Wuhuan stragglers like a swimming dragon and charging straight for Tadun. Moreover, despite being in the midst of repeated charges, this tall, powerfully built warrior showed no loss of strength or steadiness, moving with such ease that he clearly had strength to spare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Tadun saw the man's figure, he knew instinctively that this Han iron-clad warrior was a man of rare martial prowess in the world, and his heart immediately went cold. And then, this second-in-command and de facto heir of the Liaoxi Wuhuan truly felt his heart go cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Han iron-clad warrior first thrust his lance, driving it fiercely into Tadun's left chest, exposed outside the iron armor. Then, closing in, he hacked down with all his might with his blade, cutting from the right side of Tadun's neck all the way down to below his left shoulder! In other words, Tadun's head, left arm, and a small chunk of his chest were all chopped off together by this Han warrior—a single stroke that cleaved him in two!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pitiful Tadun, who had roamed beyond the frontier for over a decade, a recognized hero among the foreign tribes, met such an end. And until the moment of his death, he never understood: where exactly had these Han troops come from?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, as the man himself had said, this was war... What else could one expect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The several trusted aides nearby scattered in panic at the sight. Only that one loyal aide, covered in mud, was still bent over, tying Tadun's armor. Warm blood gushed onto his body; combined with the blazing fire at his back, he thought only that someone had splashed him with muddy water. When he looked up, he found that his chieftain was already missing half his body, and he stood frozen in place, at a complete loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Yun sighed, tossed aside the ring-pommel blade in his hand, which already showed signs of fracturing, and simply reached out to the black otter following behind him. The black otter, overwhelmed with awe, immediately offered up his own ring-pommel blade, which he regarded as a beloved treasure. Zhao Yun took the blade, easily dispatched this loyal Wuhuan attendant who had been scared senseless with a single fatal stroke, then turned around amidst the raging flames and the mire covering the ground, cut off Tadun's head, and handed it, along with the blade, to the black otter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black otter let out a long breath, and almost immediately, understanding the intent, raised the head high and began shouting with all his might in the Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Han tongues:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Han general Zhao Yun of Changshan has slain Tadun!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shouts in Xianbei and Wuhuan were one thing, but in the dark night, once these words were shouted in Han, suddenly, as if thousands upon thousands of Han soldiers were all shouting and repeating them, gradually falling into unison... Amidst the shouts, the twenty thousand-plus Wuhuan troops outside Liucheng completely collapsed, suffering a defeat so total it could be described as utter ruin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It truly was utter ruin... Corpses, blood, wounded men, tents, weapons—all smeared upon the ground like sludge. Everything of the Liaoxi Wuhuan, a tribe with over a century of history, was smeared by their own hands into the mire outside Liucheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at this moment, Zhao Yun, without a word, had already picked up Tadun's weapon from the ground and, following the original plan, turned with the black otter and headed toward the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, what Zhao Yun did not know was that while the battle outside was filled with bloodshed and mud, with shouts of slaughter and raindrops everywhere, the battle inside Liucheng was proceeding in a manner unheard of, even utterly bizarre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time rewound to half a shichen earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiuliju suddenly heard the shouts of slaughter rising within the city. At first, he was greatly alarmed, but then he grew strangely calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chanyu!\" That Xianbei woman also woke up and asked in panic, \"What is happening outside? Has someone attacked?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's nothing.\" Qiuliju turned back with composure to reassure her. \"If my guess is correct, this must be the tribal headmen, dissatisfied with the recent fruitless mobilization of troops and labor, deliberately trying to frighten me... At this time, in this place, how could an enemy possibly attack? And this sort of thing must be common among you Xianbei as well, no?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chanyu, you scared me to death.\" The Xianbei woman immediately breathed a sigh of relief and simply lay back down. \"Please, Chanyu, quickly pacify them and come back to sleep with me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiuliju nodded repeatedly and, under the candlelight and amidst the snoring that had resumed, began unhurriedly dressing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time he had finished dressing, Jiao Chu, serving as deputy commander, had already personally stormed a large residential compound and dragged out one of the Wuhuan nobles within. Under this man's panicked guidance, while the Han troops continued to sweep through other areas, Gao Suqing had already personally led his elite core troops straight toward the former residence of the Liucheng Detached Division Major.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, as a famous Han fortress beyond the frontier, the residence of the Detached Division Major here was quite large. It not only had the standard front and back courtyards, main hall, and side rooms, but also a tall outer wall, and even four small towers at the four corners—without a doubt, this was a structure that existed to serve as a military command post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scaling walls, breaking down doors—this naturally alerted Qiuliju's personal guards inside. Moreover, Qiuliju's own trusted guards lacked neither equipment nor the courage to die, so both sides engaged in a hasty yet fierce close-quarters melee within the outer courtyard walls. But the result was still an easy victory for the Han troops. In the span of a quarter-hour, the Han soldiers swarmed in and seized control of the entire outer perimeter of Qiuliju's residence... In truth, under these circumstances, it would have been strange if the Wuhuan had managed to hold out!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, at the same time, someone must have rushed breathlessly into the inner compound to report to their Chanyu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Han troops?\" Qiuliju stood under the eaves of the rear courtyard, momentarily puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It must be Han troops! The entire force is armored, the leaders mostly in iron armor, and every man carries a ring-pommel blade!\" This subordinate, covered in blood and grime, knelt on the ground before the veranda and reported earnestly. \"How could it not be Han troops?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the nobles of the various tribes within the city pooled their resources, they might not be unable to muster so many sets of armor and ring-pommel blades.\" Qiuliju mused thoughtfully. \"It seems the scale of this rebellion is no small matter... But no matter, Tadun is outside the city, the troops are all in his hands, he will soon enter to support us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chanyu!\" This trusted aide was nearly in tears. \"It truly is the Han troops!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can Han troops fly here?\" Qiuliju grew somewhat impatient. \"You tell me, with such heavy rain, the rivers swollen, how could Han troops cross the river?! Never mind the Daling River, even if Zhao Bao had boats on the Liao River, he would struggle to bring a large army over! Go out quickly and hold the inner compound, wait for Tadun's reinforcements!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This trusted aide had no choice but to turn and go back to the fight, while Qiuliju stood with his hands behind his back under the eaves of the rear courtyard, staring blankly at the fine threads of rain beside the torch on the veranda.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just a moment later, this trusted aide returned, because the Han troops had very easily scaled the not-so-high inner courtyard walls and seized the front courtyard and main hall of the residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chanyu!\" This Wuhuan attendant knelt directly and kowtowed. \"The main hall is lost, it is indeed the Han troops!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It cannot be the Han troops!\" Under the torchlight, Qiuliju, standing under the eaves, spoke with absolute certainty. \"The Han troops cannot be here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man on the ground was utterly speechless, but could only kowtow with tears in his eyes: \"Chanyu, it truly is the Han troops, do not deceive yourself any longer! There are shouts of slaughter everywhere in the city, our men have been killed until only a dozen or so remain. How could this be the tribal nobles demanding rewards?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Impossible!\" Qiuliju responded repeatedly. \"Absolutely impossible...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that very moment, a gust of wind blew down countless raindrops, and immediately after, the shouts of slaughter from outside the city suddenly surged in a wave, reaching Qiuliju's ears in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand now.\" Qiuliju looked up to the sky with a long sigh, suddenly enlightened. \"It's Tadun... That brat fears I will pass the throne to Louban instead of him, so he wants to rebel! And these years, that boy has read quite a few books and is deeply dissatisfied with the tribal nobles... This was premeditated, a plan to catch everyone in one net... But why go to such lengths? Even if these tribal nobles deserve to die, I am his own uncle! I raised him with my own hands, why couldn't he trust me? This position of Chanyu, and the entire Liaoxi, would sooner or later be his!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trusted aide on the ground raised his head, his face covered in mud, and wept bitterly: \"Chanyu, do not deceive yourself any longer, it is truly the Han troops attacking!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these words, the man staggered to his feet, turned, and rushed out of the rear courtyard, hand on his blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the moment this loyal warrior rushed out of the rear courtyard, he abruptly halted his steps, because just outside the rear courtyard gate, by the faint light from front and back, he could see clearly that the place was already densely packed with Han armored soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially those few iron-clad officers near the rear courtyard gate, whose expressions were utterly strange, looking at each other in speechlessness, clearly having just witnessed Qiuliju's disgraceful display.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this Wuhuan warrior, after standing stunned before the courtyard gate for a moment, glanced back once, then without a word, raised his blade and charged at the leading Han officer. But before he could get close, he was stabbed in multiple places on his body by a full five or six ring-pommel blades, and then gently laid down upon the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shun poked his head out from the shadows, stealing a glance through the rain at that Wuhuan Chanyu, his face still full of bewilderment... In all his years in the army, this was truly the first time he had ever seen such a bizarre scene. He had already fought his way to within a dozen paces of the man, everyone in the entire compound was about to be dead, the man was clearly utterly alone, yet he still insisted to his subordinates who came again and again to report military intelligence that \"the enemy you speak of does not exist\"... Had he gone mad?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hesitating for a moment, just as Gao Shun shook his head slightly and prepared to lead his troops in a charge to capture the man alive, suddenly the shouts of the Han army outside the city, for some unknown reason, abruptly became orderly, and the sound grew louder and louder, until finally it was unmistakably ten thousand soldiers shouting in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shun and the others could hear it very clearly now. Outside the city, they were shouting — \"The Han General, Zhao Yun of Changshan, has slain Tadun!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiu Liju, hearing this, turned blankly toward the direction of the shouts, muttering to himself, at a complete loss. A Xianbei woman fled frantically from inside the house, passed Qiu Liju under the eaves, and ran toward the courtyard gate, only to run headlong into countless Han armored soldiers advancing with drawn blades, whereupon she fled back inside in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can no longer deceive myself.\" Qiu Liju, dressed in silk, let out a long sigh, then turned around, threw down his saber before Gao Shun, and knelt beneath the eaves. \"I am the Liaoxi Wuhuan Chanyu, enfeoffed by the Son of Heaven of the Han... I have rendered great service to the Han on many occasions, and I have considerable personal friendship with your Governor Zhao. Please, do not harm my life!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shun glanced at the man as if looking at a madman, then ignored him completely, turned around directly, and headed back out into the rain — he was actually going to support the fighting elsewhere in the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The great matter is settled!\" At the same time, Gongsun Xun, guarding the south gate of Liucheng, listened from afar to the entire army shouting that Zhao Yun had slain Tadun. He could not restrain his emotions, and for a moment his face broke into a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, with such heroes, such soldiers and horses all in his hands, what did he truly have to worry about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————— I am the dividing line of finally breaking into a smile —————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Grand Ancestor once campaigned against the Wuhuan. Deep in the night, the rain persisted. At the third watch, he arrived beneath the city walls, and not a single person knew of it... When Gao Shun entered the inner city, those within the city were also completely unaware. Jiao Chu broke through one gate and captured Wuhuan nobles, who pointed out Qiu Liju's residence. Gao Shun and the others then entered Qiu Liju's outer residence. Someone informed Qiu Liju: 'The Han army has arrived!' Qiu Liju was still in bed and laughed, saying: 'This must be the troops suffering from the march; the nobles in the city are seeking rewards.' Another informant said: 'The city has fallen!' Qiu Liju rose and went under the eaves, sighing: 'This must be public anger; the whole city resents me. We must wait for my nephew Tadun outside the city to arrive before there can be peace.' Shortly after, chaos erupted outside the city. Qiu Liju sighed deeply and said: 'I understand now. This must be Tadun seeking the position of Chanyu! My son Louban is young; uncle and nephew are the closest of kin. I had originally intended to pass it to him. How could it come to this?' Before he finished speaking, everyone outside the city was shouting: 'The one who slew Tadun is Zhao Yun of Changshan!' Nearly ten thousand voices responded, all in the Han tongue. Qiu Liju was greatly terrified and finally realized, saying: 'It is true, the Han army has arrived. But what kind of Han army could accomplish this?' When he looked to his left and right, all were already gone. Gao Shun had already led his armored soldiers to beneath the eaves.\" — A New Account of the Tales of the World, Chapter on Regret and Remorse\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: I've been staying up all night and sleeping during the day for several days straight. To avoid sudden death, I'll get this chapter written out first, counting it as tonight's update, and ask for a break... Nothing more tonight, I need to adjust my sleep schedule... how about it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another PS: The classical Chinese passage in this chapter is six hundred characters long, mainly covering the content of the previous two chapters. But after hesitating, I felt the ratio of classical Chinese is best kept within one to twenty, not too much. So I cut it off. The first half is posted below in the free author's note; those who want to read it can take a look, those who don't, no matter:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Xun returned... The two armies faced off. The rain stretched on endlessly. The Daling River was about to flood, so the Wuhuan withdrew. Xun heard of this and ordered civil officials such as Lou Gui and Xi Zhong to remain and guard the camp. He personally led assault generals such as Han Dang, Gao Shun, Zhao Yun, Tian Yu, Wei Yue, and Heita, commanding fifteen thousand troops, taking all the army's horses and advancing. The army prepared rations and armor, but no one knew their destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun said: \"We return to Guanzicheng.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, he led the troops out of camp, braving the rain to the Daling River. The water at the shallow ford was waist-deep. Xun crossed first himself, and after crossing the river, he said: \"When the master is humiliated, his servants die. The peril at this place that day is the shame of my life. You all shall enter Liucheng and annihilate the Wuhuan for me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The generals all paled, yet all resolutely crossed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, the rain stretched on continuously. The hills and mud along the route made for three consecutive days of marching. Men and horses dying from cold and illness lay within sight of one another, and banners were all lost. They marched one hundred and fifty li and reached Liucheng. The Wuhuan had also marched for three consecutive days in the rain, with countless lost, scattered, frozen, and sick. Because the river had risen, they believed the government army would not come, and therefore made no preparations. The tribal nobles had all followed Qiu Liju into Liucheng to rest in comfort. Twenty thousand soldiers were all huddled in the mud, forcing themselves to rest. Only Tadun alone had pitched his tent amidst the soldiers and horses in the mire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep in the night, the rain persisted. At the third watch, Xun arrived beneath the city walls, and not a single person knew of it. Gao Shun and Jiao Chu personally scaled the walls with ropes, opened the gates, and welcomed three thousand soldiers inside. Xun personally led two thousand soldiers to block the four gates. Han Dang led the main force of ten thousand men in a surprise attack on the enemy camp outside the city, with Zhao Yun, Heita, and others leading the volunteer followers alongside him. When Gao Shun\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",4081,"2026-06-04T19:42:26.060Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","e9bc00221e3f03340f56a8947d4524b4e768b6c4e194d6b559dd63052cb8d597","overthrowing-han-chapter-323","overthrowing-han-chapter-321",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]