Chapter 426: Three Sides Finally Encircle

"Enough idle talk. I will settle a few matters and appointments — Xibo (Wang Xiang's courtesy name), record this — then I will take A'ding back to Hexi overnight, set up at Guangzong City, and pay no further heed to the war." Gongsun Xun sat sideways on the Grand Commandant's chair, continuing to toy with the broken blade in his hand as he spoke offhandedly. "If any of you have things to say or do, speak now... do not delay."

Wang Xiang, hearing this, hurriedly took out paper and brush and bent over a side table, while those around him promptly used the opportunity to clear space, standing in two rows on either side, holding their breath and listening in silence.

"First. The realm is in chaos; many Provincial Governor and Regional Inspector posts sit vacant. Even where appointments exist, they are mostly hamstrung by vast territories swarming with bandits, rebels, and entrenched clans, making real governance nearly impossible. As General of the Guards, administering on the Son of Heaven's behalf, since I have already driven out the false General of Chariots and Cavalry Yuan Shao and temporarily cleared the various territories of Hebei, then — leaving other regions aside for now — I dare not be anything less than fully diligent regarding Hebei and the Three Adjuncts. Therefore, I will memorialize Chang'an, requesting that, following the ancient precedent of the sage-king Great Yu, the five provinces of You, Ji, Si, Bing, and Qing be reorganized into nine provinces — You, Ping, Ji, Ying, Qing, Yong, Si, Bing, and Shan — divided for separate governance..."

The entire assembly remained as silent as before, but Wang Xiang, Wang Xibo, acknowledged as the army's finest writer, let his brush fall and first blotched out a black spot. Startled, he hurriedly collected himself, changed paper, and began writing anew.

In truth, from the perspective of those present, this first matter left no room for discussion whatsoever. Most of the army officers were largely bewildered by it, while those who truly understood its implications were all the more keenly aware that Gongsun Xun's move was undoubtedly meant to use this restructuring to strengthen his personal rule — so who would possibly voice opposition?

Tian Feng?

Never mind that Tian Yuanhao wore a sour face at Gongsun Xun all day long — it was he who, back then, was the first to utter the words "the House of Han cannot be revived." He chose Gongsun Xun precisely because he saw Gongsun Xun's overwhelming preemptive military strength, hoping this General of the Guards could bring the chaotic age to an end as swiftly as possible. On what grounds would he object?

Xun You?

Xun Gongda was perhaps the one among the many clever men present who, in his heart, had a genuine probability of disliking such an act. But he was Xun Gongda, not Xun Wenruo. Whether he approved or opposed, he would never let it show.

As for Lu Fan, Lou Gui, Dong Zhao, Shen Pei, and the rest, most were probably secretly rather stirred.

In fact, the silence merely meant no one opposed it — it did not mean their hearts were truly without turmoil. One had only to look at Wang Xiang to know that most people's hearts were shaken beyond measure. This was because, as the opening statement of the night, this "First" was unavoidably somewhat too grand in scope. Four centuries of Han institutions, thirteen provinces governing all under Heaven — though there had been repeated adjustments to commanderies and kingdoms, such a large-scale partition of provincial administration, carried out so effortlessly, was probably unprecedented since the dawn of creation.

Yet, upon careful reflection, there seemed to be nothing to say about it.

"To be specific." Gongsun Xun sat in the Grand Commandant's chair, quietly waiting for Wang Xiang to finish recording before continuing. "Liaoxi and the four commanderies and kingdoms beyond the frontier shall be Ping Province. The five frontier commanderies from west of Youbeiping to Shanggu shall be You Province. Dai Commandery shall be detached from You Province and, together with Yanmen, Shangdang, Taiyuan, and Dingxiang — five commanderies in total — shall be Bing Province. The remaining five commanderies on Bing Province's western side shall be Shan Province. The former Sili shall be divided in two along the line of Tongguan: the Three Adjuncts shall be Yong Province, while the remaining Sanhe and Hongnong shall remain Sili. Finally, carve out Pingyuan and Le'an from Qing Province, and Bohai and Hejian from Ji Province, to form Ying Province. The remainder of Ji Province and Qing Province shall remain unchanged."

This time the assembly showed some slight reaction, but mostly it was contemplation and approval, along with many long exhalations of relief. This was because this provincial division was far more reasonable than they had imagined, essentially taking into account geography, customs, and the current situation. Moreover, it was indeed as Gongsun Xun had said — done with the convenience of governance in mind, rather than seeming like a deliberate ploy to seize Han court personnel authority.

Take You Province, for instance, divided between the inner and outer frontier. Previously, the Han court had maintained You Province as a single vast and narrow administrative division to ensure control over the commanderies beyond the frontier. But now, with the chaos and displacement of war, a great influx of Han people into the Liao lands beyond the frontier, and Goguryeo gone, the Liao region centered on Xiangping showed no conceivable tendency toward cultural separatism. Thus, splitting it off appeared extremely reasonable.

The same logic applied to Bing Province being split in two along the Yellow River, and the old Sili being split in two along Tongguan — these were things everyone had long been ready to accept in their hearts.

As for Dai Commandery, during the Former Han it had indeed belonged to Bing Province. And the concept of so-called Ying Province — the lower Yellow River and Bohai region — was simply the old system from when Great Yu divided the nine provinces and later set the twelve provinces, something endorsed in the Han classics.

"Second." Gongsun Xun still made no superfluous remarks. He waited until Wang Xiang's brush flew like the wind and the assembly's murmurs subsided before continuing to stroke the blade and speak. "Revoke all of Gongsun Yue's previous appointments. Memorialize to appoint him as General Who Guards the West, concurrently acting as Governor of Bing Province. For this campaign, he shall temporarily command the troops of all commanderies, kingdoms, and tribes of both Bing and Shan provinces, marching south to suppress Zhang Yang in Henei, and concurrently clear the old capital, Luoyang. Shangdang Commandant Qian Zhao is promoted to Grand Administrator of Shangdang, assisting Army Advisor Xi Zhong. The former Grand Administrator of Shangdang, Le Yin, shall return to Chang'an as a Gentleman Consultant, with a separate appointment to follow. The Xiongnu troops, if they do not return soon, will also become useless — have Yufuluo lead them along, subordinate to Gongsun Yue."

At this, some finally showed a reaction.

"General." As soon as Gongsun Xun finished, Tian Feng could not help but speak up with a serious expression. "Since the provinces are being divided, General Who Guards the West Gongsun's authority is somewhat excessive. In this campaign, he is effectively in charge of the affairs of two provinces, Bing and Shan, while also clearing Sili — it seems as if he is handling the affairs of three provinces in one breath. I request a slight adjustment."

"It is no great matter." Gongsun Xun shook his head in response. "Though Shan Province is large, it is ruined and empty. Apart from the Xiongnu being worth a glance, it has practically become barren land. As for Sili, during the relocation of the capital it too suffered chaos and displacement; in truth, only Hedong and Henei remain of any use. Moreover, I will soon make further appointments for Sili, and I also have plans in mind for Shan Province after the war. Yuanhao, perhaps wait a moment."

Tian Feng immediately withdrew his objection.

"Third." Gongsun Xun glanced at the assembly and continued. "Memorialize Chang'an to appoint General of the Right, Zhao Bao, as Governor of Ping Province, with overall authority over the five commanderies beyond the frontier, and concurrently coordinating affairs of the Three Han and Fuyu."

This one, even more, left nothing to be said.

"Fourth. Remove all of Gongsun Fan's former posts. Appoint him as General Who Guards the North, concurrently acting as Governor of You Province. For this campaign, he shall lead the You Province forces south to suppress Yuan."

"Fifth." Gongsun Xun paused slightly, then suddenly raised the hand that had been stroking the blade and pointed at one person in the tent. "Memorialize to appoint Dong Zhao of Jiyin as Governor of Ji Province, in charge of Ji Province's military and civil administration, participating in the campaign against Yuan."

"Your servant would die ten thousand deaths and not refuse!" Dong Zhao did not hesitate for an instant, bowing low in a grand ceremonial salute to accept the appointment, while the hearts of everyone in the tent began to pound wildly.

"Sixth. Abolish the post of Sili Colonel. Reappoint General Who Establishes Might, Cheng Pu, as General Who Guards the South, concurrently acting as Governor of Si Province, to be stationed at Luoyang after the war. Zhong Yao is reassigned as Palace Assistant Secretary, temporarily acting as Governor of Yong Province, with his authority and responsibilities unchanged."

Cheng Pu was so overcome with emotion he could hardly bear it. All the previous feelings of being shelved and suppressed — that so-called endurance — were utterly gone. He simply prostrated himself on the ground, knocking his head in gratitude.

"Seventh. Reappoint General Who Inspires Might, Guan Yu, as General Who Guards the East, concurrently acting as Governor of Qing Province. After this campaign, he shall be stationed at Jinan to pacify Mount Tai. The appointment for Governor of Ying Province will come separately; you will know in due time. As for the other generals and officers — such as Xu Rong's earlier merit in the thrust at Liangqi, and Gao Shun's valor today in shielding with his body — I hold these in my heart. But the war is still underway, and Yuan Shao still survives. This is not the time to discuss merit and bestow rewards. Your rewards shall be discussed after the war. Only for Yide... he may be granted a proper general's title as a mark of respect. You and Yide should discuss this carefully and select a fine title to memorialize."

Xu Rong, Gao Shun, and the many officers in the army immediately bowed and acknowledged the order, murmuring that they dared not presume. Zhang Fei was briefly taken aback, and without much more said, also bowed in acknowledgment.

"Eighth. Remove Shen Pei from his post as Chancellor of Zhao... reduce him to commoner status." Gongsun Xun withdrew his gaze from the many officers and looked at Shen Pei with a smile. "The same for Yigong — strip his general's title and change it to a black ribbon and bronze seal."

Han Dang was long prepared and thought nothing of it, while Shen Pei, knowing full well another appointment was coming, remained meticulously solemn and bowed gravely to accept the order.

Seeing this, Gongsun Xun set down the blade in his hand, stepped forward, and supported Shen Pei. "I would further invite Zhengnan to serve in the General of the Guards' office as an Attendant Officer of the Household... is this acceptable?"

Shen Pei finally raised his head and answered crisply: "Since following you from Luoyang, it has been thirteen years in all. In name, your servant is a great minister; in truth, I am my lord's personal subordinate. Only now does this become truly proper."

Gongsun Xun slowly nodded, and with a sigh, steadied the man before him. "That is indeed so... Then I shall not be falsely modest!"

With these words, he released his grip, returned to his seat, and spoke in a raised voice: "On this northern return of mine, all major military and state affairs of Hebei — whether concerning the General Who Guards the North or the General Who Guards the West, or the Governors of the seven provinces of Hebei and Henan — shall all be unified under the Office of the General of the Guards. Following the Guanzhong precedent, Chief Clerk Lu Fan shall take the lead, with Attendant Officers of the Household Shen Pei and Lou Gui, and Major Han Dang, as his three deputies, exercising overall command in all matters! Whether it be the life or death of Yuan Shao, local military control and civilian livelihood, or promotions, demotions, advances, and retreats on the battlefield — all shall be handled by these four. Should there be a divergence of views, Ziheng alone may count as two, and shall decide within the tent!"

Even though Lu Fan and the others had long anticipated something, they had only thought it would be about pursuing Yuan Shao. They had never imagined such immense authority and responsibility, and so each of them was thrown into disarray.

Han Dang was the most overwhelmed. He simply prostrated himself and begged to decline: "Your servant is but a crude fellow from the frontier — unworthy of such a command!"

"I, too, am but a crude fellow from the frontier!" Gongsun Xun sat as immovable as a mountain, his rebuke awe-inspiring. "I have always been held in low regard by the gentlemen of the Central Plains. Yet, in this time when the state is benighted and in chaos, if a crude fellow like me does not take up the blade and sweep Hebei clean, restoring half the realm to its proper course, am I to let war rage on unchecked, and plague and famine run rampant? And you, who have borne the blade and followed me since my youth, are truly a founding worthy. Since I am managing affairs, whether great or small, broad or narrow, how could there not be a place for you at my side? The same goes for all the rest of you!"

Han Dang knocked his head on the ground and dared not speak further. Those around him also stepped forward in succession, cupping their hands with solemn respect.

"By the same principle," Gongsun Xun looked around at those beside him and spoke calmly, "since the roles are now settled, let us be decisive. Lou Gui, and Wang Xiu in Chang'an — since you are now officials of my General of the Guards' office, you must not overstep your bounds. All three of you, just as Zhengnan relinquished his post as Chancellor of Zhao, shall relinquish your general's titles!"

Lou Gui dared not say more and hastily prostrated himself alongside Han Dang to accept the order, addressing him as "My Lord."

"The same shall apply to the remaining Army Advisors and Generals of the Household..." Gongsun Xun's gaze swept over Tian Feng and Xun You, and his tone softened. "I shall memorialize the court to attach the Army Advisor division directly to the General's office. All Army Advisors shall be re-graded to six hundred dan, directly subordinate to the field headquarters. However, I may also memorialize the court, citing the great merit of the Army Advisors, to additionally confer upon them the title of Palace Attendant as a mark of respect!"

Xun You slowly acknowledged the order. Tian Feng seemed about to speak but stopped, unsure how to phrase it — for he, like all the Army Advisors, had long held a bureau post within the General of the Guards' office and was already effectively Gongsun Xun's private subordinate. Thus, he too could only bow and accept the order.

"That concludes these matters." Gongsun Xun gazed at the dense mass of heads in the tent, then looked again at Wang Xiang, who had laboriously finished recording, and could not help but let out a long sigh. "Xibo, do not stop. One final passage from the heart — there is nothing in it that cannot be shown to all under Heaven. All of you, rise and lift your heads to look at me."

The assembly rose as ordered and stood in solemn silence.

"In truth, I know full well that by using the private staff of the General of the Guards' office to command the various Provincial Governors and Generals, there will indeed be those who say I harbor treasonous intent, that I scheme to replace the House of Han in Hebei. Those who curse me in secret, behind closed doors, will surely be even more numerous." Gongsun Xun leaned against the back of his chair and spoke with head held high. "But I do not care. Because, as I just said — as I said before at the Wei River, at Weiyang Palace, at Gaoliang Pavilion — I do not mind saying it once more today: ever since Emperor Ling, those people have brought the realm to such ruin. If I do not step forward to set the rivers and mountains in order, who will? And the fact that the Great Han dynasty has fallen to this state today — provinces and commanderies carved up, war raging everywhere as if in the end of days — precisely proves that the old institutions those people parasitized have long since rotted away. It is precisely time for someone to bring about a new order for the realm and re-establish new institutions! As for me, a so-called crude fellow from Liaoxi — what good would it do me if all under Heaven submitted to me? I would find more pleasure in riding and reading back in Liaoxi. The reason I stand here apportioning the realm is not to gain cities and territory, but because I see that the old institutions are useless, to the point that the common people suffer the misery of being hung upside down, and the masses have no place to set foot. That is why I seek to reform the old institutions and establish new governance, so that the people of this realm may soon emerge from this lingering chaos, and not fall again into a cycle of misery that has plagued the people for over a hundred years."

"Of course, I know." At this point, Gongsun Xun's tone suddenly grew distant. "Even so, there will still be those who do not believe me, who still regard me as a traitor to Han, who still swear they cannot coexist with me. This is natural. Because as a crude fellow from Liaoxi, I am not qualified to make those who have always dominated the realm believe me, nor am I qualified to have them follow my lead in this work of reform. Thus, there are those unwilling to follow me forward, those who wish to blaze other trails. Thus, we have Yuan Shao's swift rise and swift defeat today. Thus, in the future, there will still be those who fancy themselves loyal ministers and men of resolve, who will contend with me again. And such people, though they may seem weak, will be far harder to deal with than Yuan Shao. But still, I do not care! For this age is an age of great contention. Whoever wishes to contend with me, whatever they wish to contend over — after Yuan Shao's annihilation, they must first answer to the hundreds of thousands of strong northern troops from the nine provinces and forty-two commanderies of my Hebei and Guanxi, before anything else!"

"I am about to return north to inspect the spring planting. Does anyone still have anything to say?" Amid the utter silence of the tent, Gongsun Xun looked around. "If there are no words, then from this moment I shall regard you as my trusted confidants and right-hand men, all resolved to follow me in this heaven-defying undertaking, even unto death without regret. But if there are words, speak them swiftly — this offer will not wait!"

The tent remained silent.

"Your servant..." After a long while, it was unexpectedly Lu Fan who spoke first. "Your servant... requests that My Lord, the Marquis, grant me the blade."

"I will not give it." Gongsun Xun put away the blade he had been stroking all evening, tucking it into his waistband, his face expressionless.

"Yes!" Lu Fan immediately fell silent.

"Is there anything else?" Gongsun Xun looked around, pressing. "Great or small matters may all be spoken; public or private affairs may all be discussed..."

"The original plan..." Lou Gui seemed lost in thought.

"There is no time," Gongsun Xun answered crisply. "And the distance is too great — it is not something we can control at will. You must adapt to circumstances on your own and handle it as you see fit."

"Acknowledged!"

"Your servant deserves death ten thousand times over — I beg pardon for my elder brother!" Suddenly, another person prostrated himself, knocking his head to beg forgiveness. It was Ju Zong.

"Ju Gongyu is a general who leads troops. If captured, should the decimation lot not fall on him, he may naturally return home and be left to himself." Gongsun Xun glanced at the man and sighed. "If he can surrender an entire commandery, that would be a righteous act on the battlefield, and he would naturally be pardoned and employed. Do your utmost. This matter does not rest with me, nor with Ziheng and the others!"

Ju Zong repeatedly voiced his thanks, but for some reason, even though he had clearly received Gongsun Xun’s firm promise, he remained deeply troubled and could not bring himself to feel happy.

“Is there anything else?” Gongsun Xun pressed for the third time.

This time, no one spoke again.

“War makes the state… truly, it does not deceive me!” Gongsun Xun shook his head briefly, then rose by leaning on his sword and gave a casual order. “This is the very meaning of fighting this battle! The Yi Cong will split in two; Pang Lingming shall lead troops here directly under Ziheng. I will make an inspection tour within our borders. Let Zhang Ji bring only two hundred Yi Cong as my escort — that will be more than enough.”

Pang De also hurriedly voiced his assent.

Meanwhile, Gongsun Xun walked to the corner beside the tent entrance, carefully woke his eldest son, who had long since grown drowsy and muddled, and then simply took the boy by the hand and left the tent, heading straight for Guangzong.

The next day, to say nothing of Gongsun Xun traveling north, on the other side Guan Yu received his orders. Abandoning the several cities around Dunqiu that were urgent but difficult to take, he led only ten thousand cavalry, hastily skirted Dongjun, and rushed east along the old course of the Great River… And Yuan Shao, upon receiving the news — already deeply suspicious of the Yanzhou direction because Guo Tu had warned that if they abandoned the tens of thousands of remnant troops in Pingyuan, Qinghe, and Qingzhou to retreat south to Yanzhou, they would inevitably become puppets of the Li clan — now dared not delay and hurried east.

Yet not only did the main army behind him pursue relentlessly, but bad news came one after another along the way. Within a dozen days, Gongsun Xun’s full strength was revealed, as if the sense that he had lacked grain and was powerless just a few months earlier had been pure illusion… Behind him, Gongsun Fan bypassed the Yishui River and led the forces of Youzhou straight out into Bohai; Gongsun Zan fiercely attacked Hejian; Guan Yu led ten thousand cavalry along the southern line, cutting off the Yuan army’s path of retreat south; and all along Yuan Shao’s route, every rustle of wind and every tree looked like an enemy soldier — at every turn, the city ahead had already revolted, or suddenly enemy troops were attacking from some quarter!

And so, he could not gain a foothold in Qinghe at all. Instead, pursued by the chasing troops all the way past the old river course, he only managed to enter the great city of Pingyuan and catch his breath because the spring waters of the old course had risen, temporarily blocking the cavalry.

And when he made a rough count at this point, he discovered that this General of Chariots and Cavalry, Yuan, had only a mere seven or eight thousand men left at his side… From eighty thousand to eight thousand, in barely over half a month.

That was not all. Because Yuan Shao’s communications were cut off, he did not know that Gongsun Yue had already led the forces of Bingzhou out of Huguan and into Wei Commandery; nor that the newly appointed Governor of Jizhou, Dong Zhao, had already received ten thousand troops from Lu Fan and, together with Zhang Fei, had turned north at Jieqiao, attempting to sweep through Anping.

And what he knew even less was that, regardless of whether his decision not to accept Li Jin’s invitation to retreat south during his flight had been correct at the time, it no longer mattered now… Because after Cheng Yu met with his son Cheng Wu, who had fled south, this man who embraced chaos to lift up the sun, known for his harsh and unyielding nature, simply led his troops in revolt and changed banners at Cangting!

With this, not only was the Yellow River route completely sealed off, but Li Jin at Dunqiu, on the north bank of the Yellow River, found himself isolated and beset by enemies on three sides, with no choice but to retreat south in dejection… Li Tuizhi could not surrender, because such a matter could only be decided by the clan elder Li Qian, who had retreated to Jiyin after his eldest son died that day. Without a word from Li Qian, Li Jin could not take a single soldier with him.

And just in early February, when Yuan Shao, having briefly caught his breath, learned of the actions of Dong Zhao, Gongsun Fan, and Cheng Yu, he dared not linger any longer. He abandoned Pingyuan before the main pursuing force could cross the old river course, attempting to cross the river behind Pingyuan — only to suddenly receive word that the Taishan bandits and Yu Du had joined forces and were already ravaging Jinan, making the opposite bank of Pingyuan a death trap as well.

With no alternative, Yuan Benchu, under relentless pursuit, could only continue fleeing east in utter disarray along the river. In mid-February, he entered the borders of Lean, and there, after his last group of trusted guards fought a desperate rearguard action, he boarded a boat and crossed the river, leading just over a thousand men into Liaocheng, south of the Yellow River estuary.

However, to say nothing of how, behind him, the pursuing forces — swelled by the convergence of Dong Zhao, Guan Yu, and others, and further augmented by Gongsun Fan’s southward advance and Cheng Yu’s eastward march — had suddenly increased to a hundred thousand strong and continued to cross the river in pursuit… That very day, Yuan Shao, who was preparing to sail south across the sea to take refuge in Beihai, received an urgent warning and hastily ascended the city walls. There, atop the walls, he was struck dumb with shock, his face drained of color and beyond control. His thoughts of escape utterly abandoned, he seemed on the verge of total exhaustion, like a lamp running out of oil!

It turned out that, looking east from the walls of Liaocheng, beyond the estuary of the Yellow River, where clear and turbid waters churned and surged, hundreds of vessels floated on the sea, their white sails stretching in an unbroken expanse — an army of no fewer than ten thousand, approaching from the east over the sea… Some flew the Taishi banner, others the great flag bearing the character Zhu… The Zhu banner was one thing, but everyone knew that Taishi Ci of Donglai, acting on behalf of the General of the Right, Zhao Bao, had accompanied Gongsun Xun on his western campaign and had held the sword while ascending the palace hall. Thus, these two characters and what they represented behind him were beyond all doubt — a single thought made it clear.

And now, at this point, everyone understood Gongsun Xun’s true killing stroke against Yuan Shao — once the Bohai Sea thawed in spring, the troops of Liaodong could easily follow the sea route from Liaodong to Beihai, a route dotted with numerous islands along the way, raising tens of thousands of troops to sail directly across the sea and strike Qingzhou, completing the encirclement of Yuan Shao.

This route had long seen examples of pirates leading a few thousand troops in swift raids and harassment; it was just that no one had yet transported tens of thousands of troops in one go. But that it had not yet been done did not mean it could not be done — indeed, it was like a sheet of paper that had been dipped in water: a single touch would pierce it through!

In other words, from the very moment Yuan Benchu first advanced into Hebei, he had been caught within a complete three-sided net… At this moment, what could one say except: why do the weak fight? What else could be done?

“Now that things have come to this, I have no other requests.” In early March, Yuan Shao, encircled in Liaocheng and utterly spent like a lamp running out of oil, received the envoy Wang Lang, who had come to urge surrender, atop the city wall, and spoke thus: “I only wish to see Gongsun Wenqi once more before I die… and ask him a few questions.”

Wang Jingxing, bearing the imperial tally as he entered the city, hesitated, wanting to speak, but in the end spoke the truth with earnest sincerity: “Lord Yuan, after the battle of Liangqi, I was ordered to bear the tally to Liaodong to see the General of the Right and have him dispatch troops across the sea. I have not been on this side since. But this time, having come here with General Taishi and General Zhu, I do at least know that as early as the first ten days of the first month, the General of the Guards had already delegated military authority to his Chief of Staff, Lu Fan, Lu Ziheng, and then taken his son north to inspect the spring plowing. At this moment, no one knows whether he is in Zhuo Commandery or Liaoxi… How could he be brought here to see you?”

Yuan Shao was silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into violent coughing under the pitying gazes of Xu You and those beside him.

—————— I am the dividing line of dying with eyes wide open ——————

“In the third year of the Yongchu era of Han, a bandit named Zhang Bolu styled himself General, raided and plundered Qingzhou, and threw several commanderies into chaos. The court dispatched the Palace Assistant Secretary, bearing the imperial tally, to summon Fa Xiong as Inspector of Qingzhou… Before the troops of Donglai had even laid down their arms, the bandits, in great terror, fled to Liaodong. In the spring of the fifth year, short of food, Zhang, with several thousand followers, raised sails and again raided Donglai. Xiong once more defeated them. The bandits then fled back to Liaodong, where the Liaodong men Li Jiu and others together beheaded them, and thus peace was restored.” — Book of the Later Han, Biography of Fa Xiong

PS: Offering a sacrifice to a new book, “I’m Really Not a Jinx”

I never wanted to be any kind of hero. I only wanted to be a salted fish in this world overrun with demons and monsters — to see the vastness of rivers and seas, then find that little red carp that belonged to me, and die of old age in a shallow lotus pond.

Later, amidst great winds and mighty waves, I was pushed forward by the surging tides. I did not want to die, so I could only swim with all my might, on and on. Who knew that in a moment of carelessness, I would leap over the Dragon Gate and become the sovereign of humankind.

— Tang Tang

(End of chapter)