[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-408":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},1223167,1620,"Chapter 408: The Old Ferry Still Lends a Boat for Return","overthrowing-han-chapter-408",408,"\u003Cp>Zhang Cheng had not contacted Gongsun Xun or anyone else beforehand, nor had Gongsun Xun ever imagined that Zhang Cheng would help him resolve the major trouble of Zhang Yan. That standoff and obstruction at the valley mouth was more like an independent incident in relation to this battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, this battle itself was filled with on-the-spot decisions and chance factors from start to finish — the night before the battle began, Gongsun Xun inadvertently noticed the cooking smoke from his own camp, and, coincidentally sharing the same thought as his military advisors, realized this was a good moment to ascertain the enemy's tactics. He immediately dispatched scouts to spy on whether the enemy camp had cooking smoke at night and on what scale. Only after learning that the enemy had likely divided their forces in large numbers did he make the impromptu decision to exploit their dispersed strength, do the opposite of what they expected, and concentrate all his power for a frontal assault!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In all of this, there was absolutely no element of an inside agent or spy. The \"White Sparrow\" that Gongsun Yue had contacted earlier showed no reaction whatsoever. Yang Feng, who had proactively contacted the Han army scouts before the battle, also transmitted no further information, let alone Zhang Cheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this point can be glimpsed from Gongsun Xun's act of destroying his own camp. If it were not to guard against contingencies and neutralize the influence of the enemy's detached force, why else would he have done so? At that time, the entire Han army was in a rush, merely seeking to break through in one battle and drive Zhang Yan back into the Taihang Mountains. As for Zhang Yan himself, they could only pin their hopes on performance in the heat of battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what Gongsun Xun never expected was that there was a Daoist of the Great Peace, who, after so many years and having weathered so many storms, remained as constant as ever — a stark contrast to the increasingly ambitious Zhang Yan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most people, from Gongsun Yue on this side to Zhang Cheng's subordinates on that side, all believed Zhang Cheng was Gongsun Xun's hidden agent, that they had long been in contact and had a tacit understanding. Regarding this, Zhang Cheng said nothing more, and Gongsun Xun had no intention of explaining... Not only was it unnecessary, but in a certain sense, it was indeed the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thereupon, Gongsun Xun immediately issued an order: Zhang Cheng would replace Zhang Yan as General of the Household for Pacifying Difficulties, and together with the Administrator of Taiyuan, Chang Lin, and the Administrator of Changshan, Wei Kang, assist Gongsun Yue in handling affairs in the northern Taihang Mountains and ensuring the autumn harvest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And after this battle, although the work of suppressing and pacifying the bandits of the northern Taihang Mountains had yet to begin, it was destined that they could no longer stir up any major waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In mid-August, while the Sanfu region might have already completed its autumn harvest, the northern lands here were also entering the busiest period of the harvest. Gongsun Xun led his personal attendants and the imperial honor guard, passed through Jingxing, and entered Zhending in Changshan. He first issued a public notice to the Administrators of the various commanderies and states in You and Ji provinces, instructing them to prioritize the autumn harvest and that they need not come in person; all unit commanders were to remain in place and wait until after the autumn harvest to conclude their rest and regroup their forces... Only then did he begin to establish his temporary headquarters, to understand the internal situation in Hebei while earnestly preparing for the coming great war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first news he received was, of course, about how Guan Yu and Shen Pei had previously joined forces, taking advantage of the spell of overcast rain before the autumn harvest, to force Yuan Shao's main army to retreat. Then came the current situation — Gongsun Fan and Gongsun Zan were confronting Zhang He by the Yishui River. Gongsun Fan remained stationary, but Gongsun Zan frequently sallied forth to fight, trading victories and defeats with Zhang He near the latter's hometown of Mao County. Dong Zhao and Xu You were now also playing schemes and tricks against each other across the Julu Marsh; though the specifics were unclear, it was unlikely Dong Zhao was at a disadvantage. Finally, there was the standoff between Ju Shou and the duo of Shen Pei and Guan Yu. After receiving absolute authority, and tempered by the war itself, Ju Shou gradually displayed his exceptionally outstanding military talent. Moreover, he merely maintained his military presence, strategically pinning down Handan without making any offensive moves. Thus, holding a superiority in troop strength, he actually left Guan and Shen at a temporary loss for what to do — this could be considered a peculiar sort of standoff in its own right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In summary, Yuan Shao's forceful assault on Handan had failed, and his main force turned to clearing the southern Taihang Mountains, hoping to strike from afar. Although there were frequent engagements elsewhere, the overall situation was clearly one of a standoff along the entire front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As you say, the entire Hebei is now in a standoff?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, with the full moon high in the sky, at the Qinting Ferry in Dong Commandery, Yanzhou, by the Yellow River, two tall men sat drinking opposite each other atop the southern Golden Embankment. The one speaking was the more robustly built of the two, a man with a full beard that could not conceal his fair skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, this man was Zhang Fei, Zhang Yide, who had just crossed the Huai and Yellow River region and arduously arrived at the banks of the Yellow River. Sitting opposite him was none other than the famous general of Yanzhou stationed at Qinting, Zhang Yide's old comrade from the army, Li Jin, Li Tuizhi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed.\" Li Tuizhi drained his cup in one gulp before continuing calmly. \"If you ask me, Yide, you've made this trip in vain. Before, the situation in Hebei suddenly shifted, and General of Chariots and Cavalry Yuan seized several months of free time. Everyone under Heaven thought he could take Handan first. At that time, Yide, worried about the situation in Hebei and wishing to repay a debt of gratitude, seemed to have a perfect place to use his martial prowess. But who could have imagined that an army of eighty thousand would lose its morale within ten days and retreat to regroup?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is Guan Yunchang truly that formidable?\" Zhang Fei, upon hearing this, raised his cup with one hand and drained it in one gulp as well, but then frowned for a moment. \"With three thousand troops against eighty thousand, he could still drive them back for a time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In my view, while Guan Yunchang is certainly divinely martial, he is no immortal.\" Under the moonlight, with no third person atop the Golden Embankment, Li Jin rarely spoke his true feelings. \"The main issue is that General Yuan's commandery and provincial troops were gained too easily. Though the forces he led were numerous, they were mostly forcibly molded into a single unit. Moreover, the Yanzhou elite among them had been fighting continuously for half a year since the spring plowing and were largely exhausted. Add to that a certain arrogance on General Yuan's part, and Guan Yunchang was able to succeed. This, however, is also why General Ju Shou, now leading ten thousand Wei Commandery troops and ten thousand Dong Commandery troops alone, can instead pin Generals Shen and Guan firmly before Handan city...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Fei did not express his opinion, but raised his left hand and poured himself another drink with one arm: \"Then what is the situation in Julu? With Prefect Dong's wisdom, can he not handle that Xu Ziyuan? The former is your fellow townsman, the latter your colleague; I hope Brother Tuizhi will speak frankly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Again, in my view, Xu Ziyuan's wisdom is not necessarily inferior to Dong Gongren's. The two are well-matched opponents, like a chess player meeting a worthy rival.\" Li Jin confessed honestly. \"On the contrary, Julu Commandery is divided by a great marsh in the middle, so the dozen or so counties south of Julu naturally lie under the blade of General Yuan's army. So, one might say Prefect Dong is at a disadvantage... Of course, this should have been expected from the start.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Fei nodded slightly but remained silent for a moment, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Li Jin understood that the other man was pondering his next destination, and he could not help but sigh: \"The siege of Handan has fizzled out. Under the current circumstances, the forces led by the General of the Guards in Hebei face no crisis. Must Yide still go back? In Huainan, you follow your elder brother Liu Xuande, ruling a territory of your own, second only to one man and above ten thousand — you are truly like a fish in water. Why ride back to Hebei alone, to fight a life-and-death struggle?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Having received kindness from a man, how can I not repay it?\" Zhang Fei answered in a deep voice, then fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Li Jin, separated by a small table, also fell silent for a moment, merely lowering his head to drink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the two drank several more cups before Zhang Fei continued: \"Speaking of which, Qinting is originally a small ferry. I took this route precisely to avoid Guandu and Cangting. Since Brother Tuizhi has now been heavily promoted by General Yuan to a full two-thousand-dan rank, leading troops as a general, why are you stationed at this small ferry? And why are the troops in your camp so few?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This place is barely over ten li from the border of my hometown, Jiyin.\" Li Jin casually pointed southward. \"General Yuan and Chief Clerk Chen sent me here nominally for garrison duty, but in truth for rest and recuperation. At this time, most of the soldiers in the camp have actually returned home to help with the autumn harvest and reunite with their families.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Fei then showed a look of sudden understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jin paused slightly, then continued to speak a bit more: \"In fact, I won't hide it from you, Yide. Aside from the various standoff points on the front line, the rest of our main force is now divided into three. One-third is suppressing bandits in the Taihang Mountains, one-third is resting near their hometowns, and one-third is reorganizing their formations in Wei Commandery. While conserving strength and building energy, they remain disciplined and orderly, calmly awaiting the great battle... This can be considered learning from a setback. And that minor defeat at Handan earlier now seems to be nothing much.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Fei, deep in thought, nodded slightly, but then suddenly reached out and pressed his hand on the surface of the small table. Li Jin, who was about to raise his cup on the opposite side, was slightly startled, then suddenly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man, unhurried and calm, drained the wine in his cup before asking casually: \"Yide, are you leaving now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We belong to two different camps, clearly divided as friend and foe. Though we are old friends, I do not wish to make things harder for Brother Tuizhi!\" Zhang Fei's right hand, which had never been placed on the table, lifted slightly, revealing the truth at last. It turned out that hand had been tightly gripping an extremely long and oddly shaped iron spear all along. He held it by the middle, the spearhead pointed directly at Li Jin. \"I must ask Brother Tuizhi to see me across the river promptly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this what you call not making things hard for me?\" Li Jin pointed at the long spear and retorted, his expression seemingly bitter but actually casual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Tuizhi, your own skill is inferior to mine, and you have been captured by me. What else do you expect?\" Zhang Fei was clearly unimpressed. \"And do not tell me that leading so many soldiers at the Qinting market this afternoon was a chance encounter with me... If you truly did not wish to make things difficult for each other, you would have pretended not to recognize me and let me cross the river!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I had no choice either.\" Li Jin was immediately helpless. \"After the army's reorganization, every unit now has a dedicated Registrar and Chief Clerk to assist. The Registrar oversees logistics, funds, and grain, and reports directly to Guo Tu, Guo Gongze, the Registrar of the General of Chariots and Cavalry's office. The Chief Clerk oversees military affairs and advises on strategy; though he has no authority to issue orders, he can report directly to Chen Gong, Chen Gongtai, of the General of Chariots and Cavalry's general headquarters... Today, the Chief Clerk went to my home in Jiyin as a guest, but the Registrar was present. So when that soldier recognized you and made a fuss back at camp, it directly alerted him. Otherwise, why would I have been willing to confront Brother Yide face to face, putting us both in such an awkward position?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then I have wrongly blamed Brother Tuizhi.\" Zhang Fei gave a derisive laugh. \"Speaking of which, having the army's Registrars and Chief Clerks report directly to the higher-ups seems to be standard practice now. It's the same over in Huainan...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All learned from the General of the Guards.\" Li Jin shook his head helplessly. \"And the military farming and military advisor systems...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's not speak of these things.\" Zhang Fei gripped the serpent spear in his hand, raised it slightly, and laughed aloud. \"I am grateful for my old friend's hospitality. I must ask Brother Tuizhi to see me off once more... If fate allows, we shall reminisce again in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well, very well.\" Li Jin sighed and rose helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, the two abandoned the wine and food atop the Golden Embankment. Li Jin, empty-handed, walked ahead, and Zhang Fei, spear in hand, followed behind. The two, separated by only a few paces, slowly descended the embankment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Atop the Golden Embankment, there was indeed no one else. But below the embankment, and within the ferry crossing beneath it, the light of the full moon overhead made it clear without any need for lamps or torches: densely packed were no fewer than a hundred armored warriors bearing sharp weapons, every one with blades drawn and bows strung... Clearly, they had been waiting here for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Zhang Yide and Li Tuizhi, the two men looked straight ahead, utterly ignoring the warriors around them. They proceeded directly to a wooden plank walkway at the ferry crossing below. First, a soldier led over a tall warhorse laden with baggage. Li Jin voluntarily held the horse for Zhang Fei, then pointed separately to the river on either side of the wooden planks, where a large and a small ferryboat had been prepared, leaving Zhang Fei to choose for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a posture — were it not for the spear in Zhang Fei's hand still pointed at the other man's waist — would have seemed exactly like old friends bidding farewell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's take the small boat!\" Zhang Yide glanced at the large boat, which required dozens of boatmen alone, and sighed with emotion. \"The warhorse can be transported separately on another boat. The only thing is, having to trouble Brother Tuizhi to personally row me across the river at this point truly makes me feel apologetic...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As Yide wishes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jin was completely unbothered. He directly released the warhorse and boarded the small boat, which could only hold two or three people, with Zhang Fei before and behind. He then casually sat down before the other man's spearpoint, quietly waiting for him to be seated, before directly gripping the twin oars and easily paddling out into the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two men shared the boat, drifting leisurely northward under the moon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, dozens of armored soldiers, along with a civil official in a tall hat, hurriedly brought Zhang Fei's warhorse onto the large boat, then hastily set the large vessel in motion, following parallel to the small boat at a distance of over a hundred paces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the small boat reached the middle of the river, Li Jin suddenly stopped rowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is it?\" Zhang Fei asked slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is one matter I wish to ask Yide.\" Li Jin, holding the oars, faced him with a serious expression. \"Atop the Golden Embankment, though no one could overhear, I never asked it. Only here can I speak freely from my heart...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Tuizhi, please speak.\" Though Zhang Fei frowned slightly, he showed no intention of refusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your foolish elder brother wishes to ask Yide: why did you not mock me for being ungrateful, for following Yuan and opposing my former lord?\" Li Jin spoke through gritted teeth. \"With your ability, it surely wasn't just to facilitate crossing the river, not wanting to needlessly provoke me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You ask only this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I ask only this.\" Li Jin spoke earnestly. \"You and I were both former subordinates of the General of the Guards. Today, hearing that he might be in difficulty, you abandoned your heavy responsibilities in Huainan and traveled a thousand li alone to come here. I certainly respect your sense of honor. But when you captured me in public, why did you not question me in public as well? You must know, that day beneath the walls of Handan, I faced Guan Yunchang. He captured my nephew, then saw me, and cursed me before everyone as a man who betrayed his master... I fled in haste then, partly for my nephew's life, but how could there not have been some shame as well? And today, Yide's bearing is admirable. You could have cursed me even more — why didn't you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If it were back when I had just come of age, when I had seen and experienced little, I might have cursed you.\" Zhang Fei was silent for a moment at first, then shook his head repeatedly. \"But later, as my experience grew, I pondered much...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wish to hear the details.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The world is crumbling. Those with ability, insight, and ambition — like the General of the Guards, like Guan Yunchang, and like my elder brother Liu Xuande — they are great heroes and mighty champions. They think of pacifying the realm, of reshaping the world according to their own vision. Thus, for them, there is a fixed view in their hearts. They cannot help but privately establish laws and standards, passing judgment on all things under Heaven, rewarding those who comply and punishing those who oppose... This is what is meant by 'chastising the world and ordering the four seas'!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is the truth.\" Li Jin recalled Gongsun Xun's past actions and could not help but nod in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But how many people like them are there under Heaven? The vast majority are incompetent and ignorant, merely struggling to survive, fighting for a single mouthful of food.\" Zhang Fei's tone shifted, seeming to digress. \"In Huainan, I helped my brother Xuande suppress the bandits of Shaobei. In the heat of battle, I hurled my spear and pierced three shields. After they surrendered, they praised my martial prowess as peerless, saying that only a certain man surnamed Xu from Qiao County in Pei State could compare. They said they had seen it with their own eyes — that man could drag an ox backward by its tail in the midst of battle...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is indeed remarkable!\" Li Jin let out a scoffing laugh and could not resist interjecting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I asked them, how did a bunch of Huainan men end up in Qiaoxian?” Zhang Fei ignored the other man and simply continued. “They said that during the chaos of Dong Zhuo the year before last, the Huai River had flooded, so that by this time last year the fields lay barren, with no grain and no fruit. Truly desperate, they went north for hundreds of li, plundering to survive, and nearly crossed the whole of Yuzhou… Brother Tuizhi, you say that to repay a kindness I rode alone a thousand li, crossing the Huang and Huai, and call it remarkable. Then what of them — dragging their families along, crossing nearly all of Yuzhou just for a mouthful of food? Is that not also remarkable? Why didn’t they curse that man surnamed Xu for holding his fortified settlement and looking out only for himself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can the two be compared?” Li Jin glanced at the large boat that had likewise stopped not far away and could not help shaking his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why can they not be compared?” Zhang Fei shook his head as well. “Those Quebei bandits, who had no skills and understood no principles, who could only turn to banditry for food — before that Xu-surnamed man of Qiaoxian who relied on force to hold his fortified settlement and protect his clan, they were exactly as we are before men like General Wei, Guan Yunchang, and my elder brother Xuande, and exactly as that Xu-surnamed man of Qiaoxian is before us… Are we not all the same?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jin started to speak, then stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In times of chaos, laws decay and men’s hearts turn foul. Apart from a handful of the very best, who are qualified to scourge the realm and demand an accounting of crimes and punishments, everyone else simply does what they can with whatever ability they possess. Why must we divide people into higher and lower, or argue over who is right and who is wrong?” Zhang Fei grew ever more emotional, and he slightly raised the long spear in his hand, pointing it overhead. “I, Zhang Fei, actually saw this clearly long ago — I am not one of those top-tier figures. I am merely a fighting man born into a chaotic age, with a little ability, and as it happens my parents died early, leaving me with no ties or burdens. That being so, I ask for nothing else in this life but to hold this spear, settle my fate, and then seek one thing from beginning to end, from start to finish — that this heart may be like the moon above my head, bright and reflecting, pure and without stain!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having spoken thus far, Zhang Fei smoothly lowered the spear in his hand to the bottom of the boat, and then spoke earnestly to the man before him: “Brother Tuizhi… in this life, each man seeks something different. The strong seek not to fail the world; the weak seek only not to fail their own hearts. And you, who can avoid failing your family — I think that too has considerable merit. Whether you believe it or not, after seven years apart, meeting again today, drinking together under the moon — though at one point we held spears against each other, I, Zhang Fei, have not the slightest intention of looking down on you. On the contrary, I am simply glad at heart to meet an old friend amid the chaos of war!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing these words, Li Jin was stunned for a moment, then without a single word, he suddenly began rowing rapidly, straining to head north.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon reaching the northern bank, Li Jin again ordered the soldiers who had followed on the large boat not to accompany him. Instead, he personally led the horse and walked north alongside Zhang Fei. Only after they had traveled several li did he see the other man onto his horse, then clasped his hands and bade farewell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both men seemed to know that the next time they met would likely be facing each other on the battlefield, and that neither would show mercy then. For this reason, neither spoke a single word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet just as Zhang Fei was about to rein his horse and ride north, Li Jin, behind him, for some reason felt his thoughts surging and could not help adding half a sentence more: “Although Handan is locked in stalemate, it is in fact growing wearier by the day, while our army has had much rest and reorganization. When the time comes and we mass once more beneath the city walls, and since no one knows when General Wei’s great army might arrive, perhaps in the short term there will yet be bitter fighting at Handan… arrows are merciless — Yide, you must take care!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing these words, Zhang Fei first turned his head and from horseback slightly cupped his hands in thanks, then shook his head: “You should not have said that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those words, he whipped his horse northward and rode off beneath the moon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Li Jin stood motionless, watching the other man depart into the distance for a long time before finally turning back south. He had not gone far when he met the guards who had come looking for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, what happened out on the river? Why did you not jump into the water to evade as planned?” The leader, one of Li Jin’s trusted men, could not help asking the moment they met. “We had long been ready… even if Zhang Fei’s martial valor is extraordinary, he is still just a man of Yan. In the water, how could he be a match for several dozen of us who grew up beside the Yellow River? We could certainly have taken him alive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You underestimate Zhang Yide,” Li Jin said, clasping his hands behind his back as he walked, dismissing the notion. “That man is not only astonishing in martial strength, but also bold and meticulous. When I stopped the boat on the river under a pretext, he immediately grew alert. I truly had no choice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the trusted officer, while following behind, seemed to want to speak but hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?” Li Jin grew visibly impatient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s Registrar Zhao!” the trusted man reluctantly reminded him. “Though he does not know our plan for the river, if he reports what he saw today to the General of Chariots and Cavalry’s office, I fear it might become a problem. Setting aside whether it might arouse the General of Chariots and Cavalry’s suspicions, the mere fact that you, General, were captured alive by Zhang Yide and then, surrounded by several hundred soldiers, were coerced into crossing the river with him — once word spreads, it will inevitably invite ridicule.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let us do this,” Li Jin said after a moment’s thought, blunt and direct. “Send him ten yi of gold. If he accepts, naturally there will be nothing more to say. If he does not, then you will kindly help him cross the river as well!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guard captain immediately understood and said no more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jin let out a long breath, returned to the riverbank, boarded a boat and crossed south, then went back up onto the Golden Embankment, where he actually sat drinking alone beneath the moon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—————I am the drinking-alone-beneath-the-moon dividing line—————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fei rode north alone, arriving at Qin Pavilion on the Yellow River, where he heard that the defending general was Li Jin and knew him to be an old acquaintance… It was the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the full moon at its zenith. The two men drank together on the Golden Embankment and admired the moon. When the wine had reached a pleasant height, Jin suddenly asked with a serious expression: ‘Yide, you return north — what do you intend to do?’ Fei likewise answered with a serious expression: ‘Having received General Wei’s kindness and favor, I dare not fail to repay it. I am returning north of the River to help him attack Yuan.’ Jin fell silent, and only after a long while replied: ‘In the affairs of the realm, let the virtuous undertake them.’ Fei answered: ‘General Wei’s campaign against Dong succeeded; his virtue extends to the four seas.’ Jin could not reply, and also understood that Fei’s heart held no selfishness and that the matter could not be undone. He sighed and wished to withdraw from the table to summon troops. Fei perceived his intent, and thereupon at the table seized Jin’s hand, feigning drunkenness and asking to be escorted across the river in the same boat. Jin broke out in heavy sweat and dared not speak. Once across the river, he watched Zhang Fei whip his horse and ride away, as if dazed and entranced.” — Records of the Heroes of the Late Han, by Wang Can\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",4797,"2026-06-04T19:42:52.587Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","366149b8db90a8f34a447010e26ad2de37de676bf3872aea8ab7ca8e496e9ca7","overthrowing-han-chapter-409","overthrowing-han-chapter-407",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]