[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-416":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},1223175,1620,"Chapter 416: Advancing into Battle, Face Still Veiled","overthrowing-han-chapter-416",416,"\u003Cp>The timing of battle is an exceedingly subtle thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is because the battlefield is complex, dynamic, and possesses inertia... Very often, when you think you have discovered an opportunity and a gap in the enemy's line, by the time the corresponding measures and actions are taken, this so-called moment of opportunity has already vanished, and everything you have done instantly becomes futile effort. Or even worse, your actions instead become someone else's opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, the essence of battlefield timing is that it requires anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the key to anticipation lies in the effective discernment of the myriad elements on the battlefield — grasping the true focal point from a thousand tangled threads, and selecting the most appropriate response based on the movement characteristics of both our own and the enemy's forces. Moreover, in most cases it is impossible to demand perfection; one can only say that for the greatest gain, one must commit resources and numbers far exceeding what is necessary in a single stroke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it plainly, certain physical laws and characteristics of things can exist in a different form widely throughout the military domain, and even the entire social domain. And in a certain sense, this has already risen to the realm of philosophy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning to the present, the decision jointly made by Chen Gong and Yuan Shao — namely the movement of Yu Jin and his five thousand Taishan troops, along with the three thousand auxiliary archers temporarily assigned to him, a total of eight thousand men — was the origin of everything that followed this afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon receiving the order, Yu Wenze, famed for his strict execution of military commands, did not hesitate in the slightest... His previous position had made it difficult for him to observe the changes in the overall battle situation. He had only vaguely learned from the Tiger Guards who delivered the order that the enemy on the front line had shifted formation first, exposing a gap in their central army, and that correspondingly, their own central army lacked the means to deal with cavalry, so he, Yu Jin, was ordered to lead his troops forward... And this, of course, posed no problem at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eight thousand men, primarily armed with long spears and powerful crossbows, had all originally been sitting on the ground resting. Now, hearing the military order, they rose one after another to form ranks, simultaneously abandoning their original circular defensive formation and shifting into column formation, moving from the rear to the western side of the central army's main formation. Then, as a matter of course, they rapidly advanced north toward the front line along the wide passage originally reserved by those four thousand cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was at this moment that Xu Rong also moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Gongsun Xun had placed into Xu Rong's hands at this time were seven thousand cavalry from Guanxi and Hedong, one thousand mixed Qiang and Han cavalry from Liangzhou, one thousand Xianbei and miscellaneous Hu cavalry from beyond the Youzhou border, plus two thousand White Horse Volunteers — a total of eleven thousand cavalry. And among the officers in this force, besides his own original subordinate officers and those junior commanders among the Volunteers, there were also Zhang Liao, Zhang Fei, Pang De, Yang Qiu, Yuwen Heita, and other cavalry commanders renowned across the realm!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When this host of ten thousand cavalry first received the order and mounted their horses, there was no great stir — just as when Yu Wenze first ordered his eight thousand subordinates to rise and ready their equipment, from a distance across the chaotic, vast battlefield one could not perceive much, only that the cavalry's pre-battle checks were more complex and somewhat more time-consuming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when Yu Jin's own great banner had advanced halfway through that wide passage at the flank of the Yuan army's central formation, when the host of ten thousand cavalry, guided by that White Horse banner and led by the two thousand White Horse Volunteers, also began to slowly accelerate forward — at that moment, everyone on the battlefield sensed something amiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this era, on a battlefield of any scale, absolutely no one could ignore a complete cavalry force numbering as many as ten thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gongtai, what is Gongsun Wenqi trying to do?\" Gazing north at the White Horse banner slowly moving toward his own side, and at the dense mass of over ten thousand cavalry slowly flowing into motion behind it, Yuan Shao almost instantly sensed danger, yet could not suppress a certain restless excitement. \"Could he actually be coming for me personally?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If he is charging toward this place, the victory we have been bitterly seeking would truly arrive — but I fear that may not be the case!\" Facing the ten thousand cavalry surging forward like waves, Chen Gong's face had already turned deathly pale. He was, after all, a clever man; it was only that he had been slightly flustered earlier in the face of the rapidly shifting battlefield. At this very moment, he had already awakened to the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that it was already somewhat too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shao was equally clever enough. Almost by instinct, his gaze turned to the east, where Yu Jin's troops were rapidly advancing north, executing the most conspicuous military redeployment order currently in their army... And Yuan Benchu instantly understood what order he and his own Chief of Staff had just given!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The iron bucket trap specially designed for the northern shock cavalry had had one of its iron plates pried loose by their own hands!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Quickly send word, tell Yu Wenze to go back!\" Yuan Benchu instantly roared out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Quickly send word, tell Yu Jin to press forward!\" Chen Gong also instantly shouted with a stern expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two men spoke almost simultaneously, and Yuan Shao immediately realized the truth... Yes, it was completely too late!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy cavalry had already begun to accelerate, while Yu Wenze's infantry speed was what it was. More importantly, the enemy's main cavalry force would surely enter along the originally designated \"trap passage,\" and if so, the only thing ahead that could serve as an obstacle for Yu Jin's troops would be their own cavalry — and their own cavalry was already on the verge of collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So there was no need to doubt: Gongsun Xun would bring his White Horse banner (Yuan Shao did not know that Gongsun Xun was not actually among his Volunteers), lead a great mass of cavalry to merge with those Xiongnu horsemen, then directly destroy the last remnants of the Yuan army's cavalry, and charge straight forward to meet Yu Jin's marching troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, if Yu Jin turned and retreated, he would only expose his back to an overwhelming number of cavalry; instead, charging forward to meet them head-on offered the slimmest chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Chief Clerk is right!\" Yuan Shao, forcibly suppressing his violent heartbeat, said to the already bewildered commander of the central army's Tiger Guards — the latter had clearly been confused by the contradictory orders Yuan Shao and Chen Gong had just issued. \"Immediately relay my military order: tell Yu Wenze that a large force of enemy cavalry is about to strike ahead, and he must press forward to meet them... Also send word to General Ju Yi and General Li Jin on the eastern flank, telling them to immediately close in toward me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an entirely correct order... but it was only that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pass the word.\" Having just arrived at a certain position within the left wing of the eastern grand army, Gongsun Xun withdrew his gaze from the White Horse banner in the distance, whose speed of advance was now fully unleashed, dismounted, and in the same motion issued a new order to the tall Guan Yu beside him. \"Tell Xu Huang to exert his full strength, to press forward regardless of all cost, and to be certain to pin down Ju Yi and Li Jin, so as to coordinate with the advance of Xu Rong and Han Dang!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Yu cupped his hands to accept the order and immediately turned to relay it, yet unexpectedly did not propose going to the front to fight in person... Xu Gongming was one of the few men in the army whom Guan Yunchang respected and trusted — he was his fellow townsman from Hedong and his \"elder brother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That said, it must be made clear that Xu Huang's ability to earn the trust of both Guan Yu and Gongsun Xun simultaneously was by no means due to being an \"elder brother\" or some tale of the \"Five Elite Generals\" from his mother's stories. This former White Wave bandit from Hedong, now in the golden age of a commander's career, had always relied on his diligence, effort, valor, and his own outstanding talent for warfare to earn the trust of all... In fact, before the military order from the rear even reached the front line, as the countless cavalry from the central army, having gathered speed, came rolling forward like a torrent of iron and surged irresistibly to the front, Xu Gongming, serving as Gongsun Xun's front-line commander on the left wing, had already, on his own initiative, issued the order to press forward to every soldier under his command!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at the same time, Han Dang on the outermost flank had also begun to accelerate into a charge. They skirted the edge of the enemy formation, striking swiftly southward in an attempt to outflank and envelop from the rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost in an instant, the Yuan army's grand right-wing formation, especially Ju Yi and Li Jin who served as its backbone, felt a suffocating, immense pressure — and at this moment, Yuan Shao's military order had not even arrived yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten thousand cavalry surged forth like a torrent of iron. The first to bear the brunt, and the first to collapse, were unmistakably those remnants of the Yuan army's cavalry who had been fighting the Xiongnu horsemen for most of the afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were originally a temporary unit hastily assembled a few days prior to cover the retreat, and then during that rearguard action they had been pursued and harried by several times their number of cavalry. Over a thousand had surrendered, over a thousand had died in battle, over a thousand were wounded, and their commander had been captured. Even before this battle, they were already reduced to broken remnants, a defeated force... And today, they had been used as bait, tearing at each other all afternoon with the Xiongnu cavalry who had likewise been treated as disposable pawns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xiongnu's second-in-command, Huchuquan, had been struck by four arrows, one leg crushed beneath his warhorse, and after his trusted Plume Guards had dragged him back, the Xiongnu Chanyu, Yufuluo, personally gritted his teeth and took the field, charging at the front in his younger brother's place — and had taken a hammer blow to the left ribs even through his iron armor... With fighting so brutal, how much better off could the Yuan army's cavalry on the opposing side possibly be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, when over ten thousand iron cavalry, with the White Horse Volunteers as their vanguard and the White Horse banner flying, came swarming in, this force under Guo Tu's command collapsed almost instantly. They wheeled their horses around and would rather gallop headlong toward the execution squads and friendly ranks behind them than continue fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with this situation, Guo Tu was truly powerless to turn the tide and could only flee in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next to be scoured by this torrent of iron was Yu Jin's division!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In all fairness, Yu Jin was an outstanding general. Given a fair battlefield, he would not fear any opponent. Moreover, his troops were specifically equipped with long spears and heavy crossbows against cavalry, and he had ample numbers... Yet, having just abandoned his formation and being in the midst of a march, he had encountered the worst possible situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had indeed received Yuan Shao's order, but before he could make comprehensive adjustments, cavalry was already surging toward him from the opposite side — and what was most frustrating and vexing was that it was their own routed soldiers!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And behind the routed soldiers came the rolling iron torrent, its numbers further swollen by the addition of several thousand Xiongnu cavalry!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Jin had already exerted himself to the utmost. He personally shouted orders at the top of his lungs, waved flags to signal, demanding that the surrounding troops halt their steps, raise their long spears, and form up to meet the enemy, disregarding the lives of the routed soldiers and treating all alike... After all, for infantry to deal with cavalry, no matter what, they needed to form a defensive array and deliver ranged killing power; otherwise, it was utterly meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be acknowledged that Yu Jin's usual strict discipline in managing his troops played a superb role in this critical moment. Although the situation arose abruptly, around his great banner there still gathered over a thousand soldiers who barely managed to form a defensive formation, using blood and spearpoints to block their own routing cavalry, and even managing to rescue Guo Tu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, this trend of halting and forming ranks, once he had stabilized the front ranks, continued to spread toward the rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several hundred paces away, Yuan Shao, seeing this scene from afar, was nearly overcome with surprise and delight. In an instant, he once again saw the dawn of victory... If Yu Jin could truly turn the tide alone and block the enemy under these circumstances, then once the reinforcements from Ju Yi and Li Jin arrived, victory might still be in question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Xu Rong on the opposing side did not hesitate in the slightest, nor did he give Yu Jin and Yuan Shao the slightest chance... After the attempt to overrun Yu Jin's hastily formed spear formation failed, and after suffering minor casualties, upon his direct order, countless cavalry immediately abandoned this tough bone to chew. They instead bypassed directly past the flank of Yu Jin's front ranks and charged toward the rear, trampling with full force those spearmen who had not had time to form ranks and those archers and crossbowmen who had not had time to bend their bows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The latter had no protection whatsoever; they did not even know what was happening before they were swallowed by the iron torrent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a time, the spear formation that Yu Jin and his small number of front-rank troops and some personal guards had formed was like a stubborn rock facing a flood. The flood could not destroy it, but it could easily flow around behind it, continuing to smash everything in its path, and ultimately rendering all the efforts of that rock utterly futile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the role of cavalry on the battlefield — the mobility of this arm was never strategic, but tactical. And this was also the role of Xu Rong, Xu Bojin. Gongsun Xun had entrusted this most crucial blow to this man because he possessed extensive experience in large-scale cavalry warfare. Facing an opponent like Yu Jin who might abruptly appear, he would not make mistakes, would not get entangled; he knew what constituted victory for cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of the presence of the White Horse Volunteers, the iron torrent, as if edged in white, continued to roll forward, sweeping up more and more things in its path. On the battlefield, tens of thousands of Yuan army's defeated soldiers were like foam, splashed to the left and right banks by the over ten thousand cavalry thundering forward at full gallop, which then carried away patches of sandy soil from those banks... First Yuan Shao, Chen Gong, Yu Jin, then the civil officials further back in the central army — Xi Lu, Shi Yi, Chen Lin, Xun Kan — nearly everyone witnessed the power of this mighty cavalry. Watching its performance, like a savage flood or a wild beast, they were stunned into speechlessness, yet utterly powerless to do anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, what could truly salvage the situation was not the cumbersome central army, but two other groups: one was the divisions of Ju Yi and Li Jin on the Yuan army's right wing, cut off by Xu Rong's iron torrent of ten thousand cavalry; the other was the rear army under Ju Shou and Han Meng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Xu Rong's line of advance was precisely that enormous empty zone the Yuan army had designed earlier, so at this moment the Yuan army's only means of self-salvation was to complete that iron bucket formation according to the original plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the Yuan army's grand triangular infantry formation on the eastern side, designed to counter cavalry, having lost Yu Jin's division that had been trailing behind it, had not only lost a third of its tactical power but had also lost a strategic anchor point... A triangle that loses one point undergoes a fundamental change. The most obvious consequence was that it lost its strategic stability and became extremely susceptible to being squeezed out of shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, facing Xu Huang's full-force press from directly ahead, facing the powerful breakthrough of Xu Rong's over ten thousand iron cavalry on the inner flank, and facing Han Dang's force of a full eight thousand cavalry furiously enveloping them on the outer flank, Ju Yi and Li Jin, squeezed in the middle, simply did not dare to move. These two veteran commanders knew very well in their hearts that the moment they moved, they would be crushed by the pressure bearing down from three directions simultaneously, lose the strength to maintain their formation, and ultimately become mere objects of slaughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Ju Shou's rear army, serving as the bottom of the sack, in the original plan, even when facing a trap executed with full effort, there was still worry about whether Gongsun Xun might successfully break through. Now, having lost the protection of one flank, what qualifications did they have to block so many cavalry already at full charge and countless routing soldiers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An iron bucket formation barely cobbled together, once it loses a single iron plate, can no longer hold water. Some things were already destined from the moment Yu Jin left his original position!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In reality, there were still two units of armored soldiers forming the final bottom. Directly facing the onslaught was Han Meng personally leading his troops, while on the outermost flank was Ju Shou's son, Ju Hu, in command. One of these two commanders charged forward valiantly, attempting to stop the unstoppable like a mantis trying to block a chariot, and was easily killed in a challenge by Zhang Fei; the other, facing the rolling iron torrent of Han Dang enveloping them from the flank, in his panic chose to retreat directly, and was then swallowed up amidst the chaos of the routed army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the rear army's commander, Ju Shou, standing atop a tall war chariot, personally witnessed Han Dang's troops easily engulf the place where his son had been, and then merge with Xu Rong's central breakthrough force. Though the rims of his eyes reddened, he merely ordered the rear army to center on himself, with spears outward and bows inward, and begin establishing a circular defensive position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a helpless act, knowing he was already powerless to stop the enemy cavalry... Perhaps this way he could still provide some cover for the retreat of Yuan Shao and the main force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, even as he suppressed his worry for his own son's safety and performed such a dutiful and responsible act, it only earned him the word \"perhaps.\" Because after Xu Rong and Han Dang successfully merged, the cavalry force, now totaling twenty thousand, showed no sign of stopping. They began moving from east to west, passing by Ju Shou's flank and behind the Yuan army's rear, attempting a true large-scale outflanking envelopment from the rear!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zibo's mastery of seizing the moment in battle has reached its pinnacle.\" Under the afternoon sunlight, well before evening had arrived, Gongsun Xun heard the Plume Guard's report from the front line about Han Dang and Xu Rong joining forces. He first publicly praised Lou Gui, and only then remounted his horse. \"Today, the moment I heard him say we could send forth the troops, I knew the overall situation was decided... Move out! Wave the banners! Have the entire army beat the war drums! Send word to Cheng Demou and Shen Zhengnan: from west to east, from south to north, the whole army is to press forward... Today's battle must achieve a great victory!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one dared be negligent. From Lou Gui and Guan Yu on down, all mounted their horses, then followed Gongsun Xun as he personally urged the entire army forward. A host of a hundred thousand surged up together — what had been a rolling iron torrent of cavalry in an instant transformed into a vast, sky-covering sea of raging waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just at that moment, facing such a scene, Yuan Shao, whose heart was already tangled like hemp and whose hands and feet had gone ice-cold, suddenly heard the sound of gongs ringing beside his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ringing of gongs, also called sounding the metal, was the signal to withdraw the army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shao, his gaze somewhat unfocused, looked toward Chen Gong, who had given this order, and for a moment did not know what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord, please retreat.\" Beyond all expectation, Chen Gongtai at this moment was clear-eyed and composed, his command and deployment precise. He first gave a slight gesture to Yuan Shao, then pointed toward the officer he had summoned, Lu Xiang. \"Captain Lu, I leave the front army to me. You take charge of the central army and must escort my lord and all the gentlemen in the rear of the central army back to Liangqi... Though this battle is already lost, Liangqi City is only a bit over ten li from here. The enemy's killing power is limited, and the central army's armor and weapons are fully intact. If you move at full speed, withdrawing into the city is no difficult matter. I entreat you to fulfill the duty of a subject to the utmost!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment of life and death, Lu Xiang did not hesitate. Ignoring Yuan Shao, who had already lost his composure, he directly ordered the central army's Tiger Guards to escort Yuan Shao's four-horse drum chariot to turn around and head south.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet a moment later, this Yanzhou strongman, a commander who hailed from the commandery neighboring Chen Gong's, turned back deliberately, dismounted before Chen Gong's carriage, and kowtowed, tears falling from his eyes: \"Chief Clerk, since matters have come to this, why not leave together?! If it truly cannot be done, let me command the front army instead. I only hope the Chief Clerk will look after my family...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This responsibility is not one you can shoulder,\" Chen Gong replied, turning his head back as he stood on the carriage, still utterly composed. \"Only if I die will no one be blamed for this battle, and you all can continue to assist our lord in restoring the greater situation with peace of mind... And besides, as the chief of the general staff, overseeing the entire situation, with our lord following every word of advice, yet having ruined the situation to this extent — from a personal standpoint, how would I have the face to return? Not to mention a host of a hundred thousand, how many lives... In short, our lord's safety rests on you. Make haste and go! Only remember one thing: if on the road you encounter Xu Ziyuan or Ju Gongyu, you may yield military authority and let them take charge. But if you encounter Guo Gongze, Xun Youruo, or other Yingchuan men, or even Xin Zhongzhi coming out from Liangqi City to aid, you absolutely must not give them military authority.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiang's tears flowed unceasingly, but in the end he turned, whipped his horse, and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, having watched Lu Xiang escort Yuan Shao's carriage south, Chen Gong turned back again to prepare to organize the front army to block the enemy. But when he turned around, he discovered with dismay that in just a brief moment, with Yuan Shao's withdrawal and the enemy's great army pressing forward, the front army had already panicked and collapsed, fleeing backward in droves, and was now utterly beyond command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At such a sight, Chen Gongtai raised his face to the sky and sighed. Then he simply stepped forward, pushed the driver off, telling the man to flee for his life, and then undid his official cap, let down his topknot, covered his face with disheveled hair, and personally drove the carriage upstream against the tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, he was cut down by Zhao Yun's unit. He was thirty-six years old that year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—————I am the dividing line that only death could settle—————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When the Grand Ancestor reached Handan, he thereupon issued a challenge to battle... Gong spoke to Shao within Liangqi City, saying: 'Now the Guard General has arrived, gathering a host of a hundred thousand, proclaiming himself invincible. Yet my lord's troops are elite and his provisions ample; he is not necessarily inferior. I have heard that in battle, if there are four parts chance of victory, one may fight. And now the odds of victory are evenly split — even if defeated, one can still retreat and hold firm. How can you say we cannot fight? Moreover, the Guard General is ever-victorious and harsh; one defeat and all hearts will desert him. My lord has suffered repeated defeats yet is magnanimous and benevolent; one victory and the realm will turn its heart to you. If now, holding a hundred thousand men, you do nothing, then the realm will be disappointed, and my lord will lose his foundation — what then can be accomplished!' Shao thought this good, and thus went out to give battle in the field... Later, Gong saw Shao defeated, and thereupon sighed with regret amidst the formation, saying: 'This battle today was all of my doing. I have heard that a gentleman who leads others into peril must share their hardship and bear the responsibility. How can I flee south to cling to a coward's life!' He then removed his cap, covered his face with his hair, drove his carriage northward, and went to die before the Grand Ancestor's army. The Grand Ancestor respected his intent, kept his cap and robes intact, and buried him.\" — Old Book of Yan, Hereditary Houses, First\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Haven't been sick in a long time. Inflamed gums really are a sour delight... In the end, I still didn't finish this chapter in one go. Kowtow in apology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",4489,"2026-06-04T19:42:52.587Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","5d06eb92a4f8fa47fe7e4940d68d75f795e543f0daf83fdf1fb6a2d956e4d866","overthrowing-han-chapter-417","overthrowing-han-chapter-415",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]