[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-490":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},1223249,1620,"Chapter 490: A Single Stroke Severs the Dragon, Falling to the Field's Edge (Continued Long Chapter to Repay a Debt)","overthrowing-han-chapter-490",490,"\u003Cp>Due to the distance, or to put it bluntly, because Xiapi was a full hundred li or so from Tancheng, on the third day after Guan Yu seized Xiapi — the day of the Double Ninth Festival, the ninth day of the ninth month — the Langya troops collapsed first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though a flying horse had reported from Xiapi the previous night, telling Zang Ba and the others that Xiapi had been taken; even though the next morning someone brought news of the surrender of Liangcheng, the key town between Xiapi and Tancheng, along with the commander's seal; even though someone soon after brought the banner of Mi Fang, the Grand Administrator of Xiapi... yet when, around midmorning, an overjoyed Zang Ba tried to organize the entire army to bypass Tancheng and head for Liangcheng behind it, the high-ranking officers could still manage, but the junior officers and common soldiers below no longer believed a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Langya troops, bandits by origin and of low quality, were brutally realistic — they knew that after that morning meal, the army had not a single meal's worth of grain left. And after days of deception and coercion, they were no longer willing to believe anything their commander Zang Ba said, no longer willing to believe the authenticity of those banners and messengers. They only wanted to go home!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, just as the entire army left camp and prepared to head southwest, a mutiny suddenly erupted, and once it began, there was no stopping it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tens of thousands of troops completely collapsed right beside Tancheng and scattered in a single uproar. In the chaos of the collapse, countless soldiers utterly lost their reason and became the very definition of routed troops... They did not hesitate to slaughter one another over control of the roads and scraps of dry rations. Some who thought themselves clever, knowing the food shortage was caused by the blockade of the Yi River, ignored the dozen or so sea vessels still patrolling the river and tried to cross directly — only to drown or be crushed to death in the Yi River, becoming floating corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when the gates of Tancheng swung open and the elated Xuzhou soldiers swarmed out to hunt down the Langya troops, who outnumbered them several times over, these Langya soldiers — though fully equipped, though they had just eaten breakfast, though they had been swift and agile when killing their own — now lost their last shred of control like tens of thousands of frightened rabbits and fled northward en masse!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surrenders began appearing on a massive scale; more and more threw away their armor and weapons; the floating corpses on the Yi River grew thicker and thicker. Fifty thousand Langya troops collapsed utterly, beyond all remedy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a patch of high ground south of Tancheng, Zang Ba, covered in blood, along with all the Langya commanders who had fought bitterly to escape there with their elite, trusted armored soldiers, and Xu Yuanzhi as well — all of them stared northward at the routed troops in utter stupefaction. Some may have had experience, some may not, but faced with a rout of this magnitude, all were shaken for a time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because no one had imagined that an army's collapse could be so swift, or that an army's collapse could be so terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Jia, too, felt a measure of lingering fear and dread. He had, in fact, anticipated such a scene, because in the internal military manuals, more than one general had mentioned the battle example of the Goguryeo forces at Jwa-won years ago, where tens of thousands of Goguryeo soldiers turned from a retreat into a rout, and the ensuing horrors had left a profound impression on Guo Fengxiao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when something similar truly unfolded before his eyes, Guo Jia was shaken just the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's go!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching for a while, Guo Jia, having regained his composure, suddenly called out, then on his own authority summoned what remained of his own troops and headed south.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zang Ba and the others were silent for a moment, then each in turn called for their units to follow... After all, they had been bandit chieftains for so many years; these overlords of Qing and Xu universally kept a crack force with them — the best equipped and most reliable troops they had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not many: men like Yin Li and Xiao Jian each managed to pull out two or three hundred armored soldiers. The Sun brothers were stronger — besides the eight hundred personal guards of the two brothers, they had even brought out over a thousand loyal followers. Zang Ba had the most: over a thousand main-camp elite troops, plus two or three thousand followers with the will to follow, all heading south under his great banner; along the way, he even personally killed a Major of the Tancheng garrison. Guo Jia still had his five hundred subordinates who had come from Qingzhou — nothing much to say there. As for Wu Dun, some said he had taken his men and gone north on his own; others said he had died in the chaos of the troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But by now, none of that mattered anymore!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An army of fifty thousand, collapsed in a single day — all that remained was five or six thousand men. If one subtracted Guo Jia's five hundred, it was truly a case of not one in ten surviving. But it was already enough!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they had confirmed beyond all doubt — Xiapi had changed hands!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Xiapi had changed hands, the one now surrounded on three sides, and very likely soon to be surrounded on four, was Zhou Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a certain mischievous perspective, Guo Jia was actually rather curious to see how Zhou Yu would handle so many Langya surrendered troops... Thirty or forty thousand surrendered soldiers who could not fight and would only lose control at the slightest rumor — what use could they possibly be? The Langya troops had collapsed in six days; how many days would it take for Zhou Yu's Xuzhou troops to collapse?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiapi was piled high with supplies like a mountain, and the city had triple walls. Guan Yu could perfectly well hold it securely and sit back waiting for Zhou Yu to collapse! And then there was Shen Pei — whether he led the Qingzhou marines ashore, marched south to seal the Langya mountain passes and threaten Kaiyang to link up with Guan Yu, or simply sent the navy straight south to the Huai River mouth... any of these would plunge Zhou Yu's forces, clustered around the Yi River, into a hopeless predicament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a certain angle, at this very moment, even the fate of Zhou Yu's forces and Tancheng seemed insignificant, because the fall of Xiapi meant a fatal breach had appeared in the entire Central Plains coalition's defensive line, meant the original stalemate was completely shattered, meant the balance of the entire realm was tilting at breakneck speed! Compared to that, Zhou Yu, bottled up at the Yi River, had truly lost all fundamental strategic significance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the one who had brought all this about was none other than Zhou Gongjin himself, who had labored with all his heart and strength to repay his lord!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was precisely this tactical genius's move of concentrating his forces at Tancheng that allowed Guo Jia and Guan Yu to glimpse a fleeting strategic gap, seize the moment of opportunity, and drive a blade straight into the vital node at the heart of the Central Plains coalition!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how you put it, that was Xiapi!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Kaiyang was the vital point of Langya Commandery, then Xiapi was the vital point of all Xuzhou!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That afternoon, atop the walls of Tancheng, Zhou Yu, who had just moments before been overjoyed, was suddenly dazed and at a loss, because his troops had actually found, in the Langya army's camp, the banners and seals of the commander of Liangcheng County behind them, and the banner of Mi Fang, Grand Administrator of Xiapi... And after only a brief moment, Zhou Gongjin, fully awakening to the truth, felt his vision go dark amid the tremendous shock and horror, and nearly toppled from the city wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the soldiers nearby were quick to react, and only his feather fan drifted down with the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ninth day of the ninth month, the Double Ninth Festival, was precisely the day for climbing high and gazing far — but the one who stood at the highest peak that day was certainly not Zhou Gongjin, in his feather fan and silk headscarf, who had just routed fifty thousand Langya troops in a single stroke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, Xiapi was a renowned strategic city of the Central Plains, the administrative seat of Xuzhou, the eastern-line headquarters of the Central Plains coalition, the transfer hub for eastern-line logistics and supply. The fall of this city could not be hidden from anyone — moreover, Guan Yu did not simply sit motionless inside Xiapi... After taking Xiapi, on one hand he opened the granaries to distribute grain, gathered local laborers, and reassured the families of Xuzhou officers and soldiers; on the other hand, he immediately divided his forces, using the seals and banners of men like Chen Gui and Chen Qun in the city as a vanguard to attack the surrounding towns!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cities like Liangcheng and Xiaxiang all surrendered and fell the very next day, the eighth day of the ninth month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And by the evening of the ninth day of the ninth month, the Tancheng front line, which had just won a great victory, had confirmed beyond doubt that the three cities behind them — Liangcheng, Xiapi, and Xiaxiang — had unquestionably fallen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the tenth day of the ninth month, virtually everyone within Xuzhou knew this fatal piece of news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early on the eleventh day of the ninth month, even Xiahou Dun, far away in Changyi, confirmed the truth of this report through a succession of flying couriers from various parts of Xuzhou, and then swiftly relayed it to Guandu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was also on the morning of that very day that Zhou Gongjin, after two days of thought, forcibly rallied his spirits and, without the slightest hesitation, abandoned the plan of relying on Tancheng and Kaiyang to hold out and await reinforcements, choosing instead to break out immediately!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an exceedingly difficult decision, but it also seemed an exceedingly correct one!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To choose to remain here would mean relying on the navy's blockade, Tancheng's fortifications, and Kaiyang's grain to continue a lingering, half-dead existence — perhaps even until a decisive outcome was reached at Guandu without this place truly collapsing. But that would be utterly meaningless, merely sitting and waiting for death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because once winter arrived, the dry season would come, and the navy's blockade would instantly collapse. And Tancheng's fortifications, Kaiyang's grain, and the massive troop numbers would all be meaningless in the face of wavering morale... On this point, the Langya troops on the Double Ninth Festival had already given everyone a full demonstration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, upon hearing that Guan Yu had not committed the slightest offense in Xiapi, but instead treated all the soldiers' and officers' families well, and had even distributed grain to the common people, Tancheng had already begun to grow unstable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly, Zhou Gongjin, burdened with an immense sense of guilt, had no reason whatsoever to lead so many troops into a dead end and stay there. He truly wished to do his utmost to preserve some strength for Liu Bei, to do his utmost to salvage even a sliver of the situation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The navy assembled near Tancheng, then chose to abandon their ships and go ashore. The several hundred warships that Xuzhou had spent a full six or seven years accumulating were set ablaze. Together with the original infantry and laborers, they barely scraped together thirty thousand troops, abandoned all the surrendered soldiers, immediately crossed the Yi River, and headed southwest!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A word more on this: before departing, Zhou Yu had even considered putting all these tens of thousands of Langya surrendered troops to the sword. The reason he did not succeed was not a softening of his heart, but merely a fear of wasting time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The objective was already clear. Zhou Yu had by now completely cast aside all thought of personal life or death, honor or disgrace. He meant to stake everything, to gamble, hoping to beat men like Guan Yu and Guo Jia to Wuyuan, and reach the last strategic bastion between the Central Plains and Xuzhou — Pengcheng State, where Pengcheng County lay. If he could seize this city, which controlled the upper reaches of the Si River, then although he could not hope to reverse the course of the war, he could at least allow the Central Plains coalition to catch its breath and see if defensive adjustments could be made, to prevent Guan Yu, after stabilizing the situation in Xuzhou, from slicing directly into the heart of the Central Plains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this move was already a tacit admission of abandoning all of Xuzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Regional Commander, ten li ahead lies Wuyuan!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a forced march of sixty li in a day and a night, and having crossed the Yi River, Zhou Yu and his forces finally entered Wuyuan County at dawn the next day. His trusted subordinate, the marine commander Zhongli Xu, immediately took the initiative to report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The entire army will rest briefly, take water and dry rations, then prepare the banners and whatever drums and gongs remain in the army. When the time comes, we shall advance with clamor and noise!\" Zhou Yu, who had long since discarded his feather fan and silk headscarf for iron armor and a steel helmet, gave the optimal answer after a moment's thought from horseback. He needed to guard against the city's garrison having been won over by Guan Yu. \"Guan Yunchang has only just taken Xiapi; his forces are limited. Even if the city has been persuaded to surrender, it should still be the original officials in charge. If we shake them with a sudden shock, we may be able to sway them directly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhongli Xu did not dare delay and immediately took the order and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After issuing the military order, Zhou Yu, not even taking time for dry rations, hastily summoned another officer, saying they would dine together. He then dismounted and went with this man to a secluded spot, and those around them were not suspicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out that this officer was named Zhou Li, a distant clansman and brother of Zhou Yu, currently serving as the army's Judge, the officer in charge of military discipline — precisely the man responsible for investigating the army's internal state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the two brothers reached a small slope and sat down side by side, Zhou Gongjin could not help but ask in a low, serious tone: \"Second Brother, after a day and night of marching, how many have deserted from the army?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Li, who as a kinsman held this post of Judge precisely for this task, had naturally observed much along the way. Yet his expression remained grim as he shook his head in reply: \"Yesterday during the day, two or three thousand local Tancheng troops deliberately lagged behind the Yi River and did not cross. You did not have me attend to them at the time. Then, come nightfall, those deserting and fleeing were extremely numerous — beyond counting. There were even officers and Majors leading the desertions. I can no longer know the exact number... I can only roughly estimate that, counting yesterday's daytime, no fewer than four or five thousand have left... Among them, the marines, though mostly from Guangling, have been the most steady.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sixth of the army had fled in a day and a night, yet Zhou Yu was not angry. He even slowly nodded, then let out a long breath, momentarily relaxing... Clearly, this result was, in Zhou Yu's view, extremely normal — even better than he had expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no helping it. Xuzhou had only been under Huainan's rule for a year or two; it was only natural that the local soldiers lacked a sense of allegiance to Huainan. Only the Xuzhou marines, who had followed him from early on, could be held together as much as possible by his, Zhou Gongjin's, personal charisma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And having learned that the situation had not exceeded his expectations, Zhou Yu put the matter out of his mind. He simply disregarded all decorum, took out the most common army ration nowadays — a portion of dry fried flour — and, in a somewhat wretched state, crumbled it and forced it down with water from his canteen to replenish his strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, because of the haste of their departure, there had been no time to boil water as prescribed in the military manuals. Even Zhou Gongjin's water canteen had merely been hastily filled from the Yi River. Halfway through their meal together, the flow from Zhou Yu's cowhide canteen suddenly faltered, as if something were blocking the mouth... Zhou Yu, who had no appetite to begin with, simply stopped, put away his grain bag and canteen, and decided to wait until they entered the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, Zhou Yu, who had not eaten properly at all, rallied his spirits and led over twenty thousand soldiers, fully armored, mounted on a fine steed — a sight increasingly rare in the Central Plains — majestic and imposing, with banners stretching in an unbroken line, his trusted marines in the vanguard and the infantry behind, straight toward the walls of Wuyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just as Zhou Yu had expected, the men on the walls of Wuyuan, seeing such a formidable military display from afar, immediately fell into panic... Without a doubt, once Guan Yu had taken Xiapi, he would inevitably move in sequence to seize the surrounding strategic cities, either by summoning their surrender or by assault. And while Wuyuan's position was not as critical as Liangcheng or Xiaxiang — the former being the necessary link to Guo Jia, the latter able to lock down Zhou Yu's southern retreat route — it was, after all, a large city near Xiapi, and also the route Guan Yu had taken when he marched south in plain clothes that day. So he must have sent men early to accept its surrender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only issue was that Guan Yu's forces on this campaign were insufficient. Before reinforcements arrived, he would likely have to prioritize holding Xiapi and would be unable to detach enough troops to each city to assist in its defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, this must be a case where the city's officials had only just submitted, were momentarily shaken, and the troops Guan Yu had sent were too few to control the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The great army advanced, halting at a distance of just over a hundred paces from the walls of Wuyuan City. Zhongli Xu, a renowned naval commander of Xuzhou, rode forward as ordered and shouted from afar:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Commander Zhou has already routed fifty thousand Langya troops! Liu Yizhou himself is leading a hundred thousand Huainan soldiers to Pengcheng! At this moment, Guan Yu is a trapped beast in Xiapi... Considering your ignorance, if you open the city gates and surrender now, you may be spared from death. Otherwise, after three drum rolls, the entire army will assault the city, and then both jade and stone will burn together!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city wall suddenly fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhongli Xu glanced back at his own Commander, preparing to shout a second time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, just as the man opened his mouth, before he could make a sound, drums thundered from the wall first. A banner bearing the character \"Sun\" was raised at the forefront, and hundreds of archers flashed into view, loosing a volley down at the city's base!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rain of arrows fell. Zhongli Xu, being still quite far away, was unharmed. But below the wall, from Zhou Yu down, the faces of many officers and commanders paled — for the wall bristling with archers that had suddenly appeared far exceeded their expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Zhou Gongjin truly hesitated. He did not know how many troops were on the wall or within the city. Should he force the assault?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he did not attack, given the dry rations the army carried, and with Guan Yu actively sallying out to attack and obstruct them once more, he estimated that after a day and a night they would become a repeat of the Langya Army on the Double Ninth Festival. And who could say whether the city was merely bluffing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if he did attack, given the army's lack of siege equipment, if the city truly concealed sufficient troops to prevent its fall within a single day, the army's collapse would likely only accelerate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, Zhou Gongjin was truly at a loss... Of course, this was no fault of his own; he had come in haste, with no intelligence whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Commander Zhou!\" At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out from beneath the Sun banner on the wall. Looking closely, it was none other than an old acquaintance, Sun Guan. \"Vice Commissioner Guo says that if you are willing to surrender, a brilliant future awaits you...\" At this, Sun Guan paused briefly. \"As things stand, the defeat of Cao and Liu is certain. Why must you bury all your own talents alongside Liu Yizhou?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yu gazed at the man, made a quick calculation in his mind, and then without the slightest hesitation, immediately ordered the assault... There was no other reason: Zhou Gongjin was gambling that the other side was bluffing, and that there was only Sun Guan in the city!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To call it an assault, it could only involve the reliable naval troops in the front ranks attempting to use their numerical advantage to scale the walls with ropes, while simultaneously seeking a large log to batter the gates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, setting aside how ill-suited the navy was for land combat, and the heavy casualties such an assault lacking proper equipment would suffer in the process — just as over ten thousand of Zhou Gongjin's most trusted, core troops had labored long and hard, and a few had finally managed to climb onto the wall from the flanks, the drums on the wall thundered once more. Countless armored soldiers then flashed into view, easily slaughtering the Xuzhou sailors who had successfully scaled the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, but as Zhou Yu watched from below the wall, he saw the banners of Zang Ba, Yin Li, Xiao Jian, Sun Guan, and others all present! And what stung his eyes like needles was that banner bearing the character \"Guo\"!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having clashed until now, how could Zhou Gongjin not understand that he had been outmaneuvered by this very man at every turn? And now, since this man was here, it could only mean one thing — when Zhou Yu had begun gathering his forces at Tancheng to prepare for a breakout, this man had decisively abandoned Liangcheng immediately and marched his troops here!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any earlier, and he would surely have been spotted by the boats on the Yi River. Any later, and he surely could not have arrived in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this was hardly some divine calculation; Zhou Yu had even faintly anticipated it in his heart... It could only be said that the moment the tide of battle turned, Zhou Gongjin had instantly lost the initiative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Withdraw!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Guo Jia and the Langya commanders had all arrived at Wuyuan, Zhou Yu abandoned any thought of attacking the city. He could only reluctantly order the entire army to bypass Wuyuan and continue toward Pengcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, Zhou Gongjin had shed all selfish thoughts and distractions. His sole desire was to bring as many troops as possible toward Pengcheng... After all, even if they scattered across the open fields, given the composition of this force, a considerable number of soldiers would still choose to flee to Pengcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When that time came, if by chance a great banner still stood at Pengcheng, these troops could immediately regain their combat effectiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reasoning was sound, but what Zhou Yu himself probably failed to realize at this moment was that he had become calm to an almost abnormal degree, and all his calculations had left his own person completely out of the equation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The troops on the wall showed no intention of sallying out in pursuit. They merely watched as Zhou Yu's forces skirted the city in an utterly wretched state... But it was easy to imagine that after resting and recovering their strength within the city, they would send out their elite armored troops to harass and pursue them relentlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marching until dusk, over ten li southwest of Wuyuan City, Zhou Yu finally dismounted to rest. He then summoned his clan elder brother, Zhou Li, to inquire about the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Guo Jia is tailing us from behind. The entire army's morale is abysmal; I fear they will rout at the first battle.\" Zhou Li lowered his head and sighed. \"Along the way, many more troops have been breaking away and heading toward Xiapi, and Guo Jia is not dividing his forces to deal with them at all. Even the navy is now wavering.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yu sat facing east, silent for a moment on his camp stool. Behind him, where the setting sun cast its light, stretched the boundless great plains of the Central Plains heartland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, this Eastern Front Commander of the Central Plains Coalition finally spoke slowly: \"Although the Xuzhou navy later received many recruits from Huainan and Jiangdong, the majority are still men from Guangling and Donghai... That they have followed me this far, and were even willing to abandon their ships to assault a city, I am already deeply grateful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Li hesitated, wanting to speak, but ultimately held his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, having already prepared for the worst, Zhou Yu paid it no mind. He remained as eerily calm as ever, instead reaching for his water skin and ration bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, when he opened the water skin, it was clogged. Zhou Li, seeing this, handed over his own water bag and then went to clear and empty Zhou Yu's water skin himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, the two brothers assumed it was just pebbles or water weeds. But as Zhou Li shook it vigorously, a waterlogged, pale, swollen finger popped out of the water skin. Zhou Gongjin could bear it no longer and vomited on the spot. That was not all. Exhausted from a day and night of marching, and having forced himself to remain composed through the failed assault, after vomiting, his vision went black and he nearly collapsed to the ground!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Li hurriedly supported him and tried to call for an army physician, but had no idea where one was... Zhou Yu's trusted soldiers gathered around, momentarily terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Zhou Gongjin had already fainted once on the city wall before. Now that he had fainted again, how could they dare be negligent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, Zhou Yu finally opened his eyes slightly. Seeing his clan elder brother there, he grasped the other's hands and spoke the words in his heart:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since childhood, I was taught to treat others with generosity, to treat others with sincerity, never to speak ill, never to harbor jealousy... My current plight is truly the result of my own narrow vision; I have only myself to blame. Yet, having said that, when I saw Guo Fengxiao's banner today, I ultimately felt a surge of anger, and recalled an old matter concerning Yuan Benchu! I heard that when Yuan Benchu was trapped in Qingzhou and saw the Liaodong troops arriving by sea, knowing his end was near, he let out a long sigh — 'Since Heaven gave birth to Shao, why did it also give birth to Xun?' — and then departed. Today, seeing Guo Jia abandon Liangcheng to await me at Wuyuan, I could not help but think of those words... Is this what the Buddhists of Xuzhou call predestined fate?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Li had originally not been close to Zhou Yu. Or rather, as a member of a cadet branch of the Yangzhou Zhou clan, he naturally harbored jealousy toward this clan younger brother who surpassed him in every way by more than double. But Zhou Gongjin, that man who treated others with generosity and sincerity, whose company was like drinking fine wine — so many who had approached him with ill intent had instead become his close friends, let alone Zhou Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And today, seeing his clan younger brother, usually as noble and untouchable as a dragon, phoenix, or qilin, so utterly distraught, Zhou Li could not help but let tears stream down his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yu, having vented the frustration pent up in his heart for half a day, took a few breaths and was about to give a few more instructions. But unexpectedly, a sudden clamor of drums and battle cries erupted from the northeast. It was Guo Jia, seizing the moment of dusk, launching a direct attack... Zhou Gongjin, disregarding everything, struggled to his feet, intending to give orders. But having barely eaten for two days and nights, his vision went black and he fainted once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By midnight, when he opened his eyes again, he was jostling on horseback, burning with fever, dazed and barely conscious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Li, hearing the news, came forward, intending to report the truth... After sunset, Guo Jia and the Langya commanders had harassed them relentlessly from behind. Their troops now numbered less than fifteen thousand. Zhou Yu's beloved general, Zhongli Xu, had died covering the retreat under Zang Ba's blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he reached the horse, he saw that although Zhou Gongjin's eyes were open, he was groggy and delirious, merely muttering nonsense. With a sigh, Zhou Li did not report the military situation, but simply rode alongside, tending to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he carefully listened to his brother's delirious ramblings along the way, he could only make out one clear sentence:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have failed Liu Yizhou!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A short while later, Zhou Gongjin closed his eyes and fell back into a fevered sleep. When he awoke again, he found it was already daylight. His armor had been removed, and he had been laid upon an earthen ridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How many men remain in the army?\" Zhou Yu's face was flushed. He struggled to face his clan brother and a few personal guards who had rushed over upon hearing he was awake. \"Why have we stopped? How far is it to Pengcheng from here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Li, his arm clearly wounded, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately spoke the truth: \"This morning, Guan Yu personally led three thousand troops out of Xiapi to cut off our path, attacking us from front and rear with Guo Jia... Our army now numbers less than three thousand. The rest all scattered and fled during this morning's battle. As for this place, we are already within the borders of Pengcheng County!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Yu let out a long sigh: \"This is disastrous... If Guan Yu and Guo Jia join forces, they may well drive the routed soldiers into Pengcheng. If Pengcheng falls, the situation in the Central Plains is beyond saving! Elder brother... I have a task to entrust to you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the word \"entrust,\" Zhou Li's expression turned sorrowful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Abandon me. Before the enemy arrives, abandon me and hurry to Pengcheng... The three thousand troops still with us must all be reliable sons of Huainan. Lead them into Pengcheng, use the terrain to gather the scattered soldiers, and Pengcheng can be saved!\" Zhou Yu instructed with great effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are just one man. We will set out immediately and take turns carrying you...\" Zhou Li hastily interrupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then none of us will escape!\" Zhou Yu gestured for those beside him to help him sit up, and pointed at the banners on the ground. \"Plant the banners here, then leave swiftly... Only my dragon's head, worth ten thousand in gold, can buy you a sliver of survival!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Li still wanted to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have never begged anyone in my life! Today, I beg you, elder brother — do not be soft-hearted like a woman, and do not be as useless as you were in your youth...\" Zhou Yu rebuked him with all his strength. \"If you do not go to Pengcheng now, not only will you and I both die, but even our lord will be dragged down by you! Go quickly!! All of you, go!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Li dared not delay any longer. With tears in his eyes, he helped his clan brother plant the banner beside him, then gritted his teeth and led the troops away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, countless soldiers indeed converged toward the great banner bearing the character \"Zhou.\" The man at their head was none other than the Grand Administrator of Langya, Zang Ba! However, Zang Xuangao, seeing the scene from afar, merely surrounded the area without moving, even forbidding others from approaching. Instead, he sent for Guan Yu and Guo Jia... Clearly, Zang Xuangao, who valued honor above all, had already considered the post-battle implications. If he, an outsider general, took credit for this feat and was enfeoffed, it would not be enough to shield his many brothers from the consequences of their wavering and mistakes during this campaign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be far better to semi-publicly present this prize to the trusted confidants of the two Yan lords, so that he might later plead for his many brothers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Yu did not come. Instead, Guo Fengxiao and Xu Yuanzhi arrived together, leading a company of armored soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I never thought I would truly capture a dragon!\" Guo Jia stepped onto the earthen ridge and saw Zhou Yu sitting cross-legged, upright and unmoving, his bearing extraordinary. After repeatedly questioning the routed soldiers and confirming beyond doubt, he could not help but laugh and cup his hands in salute. \"Commander Zhou, I have long admired your great name, which thunders in my ears!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have also long admired you!\" Zhou Yu's face was flushed, his entire body limp. He could only manage a sidelong glare in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now that things have come to this, would you be willing to surrender?\" Guo Jia stepped forward two paces and asked with a solemn expression. \"Given the weight of Chen Gui and his son's influence, the closeness of Mi Fang's marriage ties, and the grace shown to Chen Qun when he was plucked from obscurity in his youth — even they have all surrendered...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is precisely why those men are all shameless wretches!\" Zhou Yu replied in a fierce voice. \"A true man living in this world meets a lord who knows his worth, entrusts himself to the bond between ruler and subject, forges ties as close as flesh and blood, his words and plans are followed, and he shares both fortune and calamity with his lord. Though barely past his coming of age, he was entrusted with the command of an entire region... Now that defeat has come to this, I have already betrayed my lord's grace. Only death remains — how could I speak of surrender? Though I am young, the world acknowledges me as a Soaring Dragon. How could I be named alongside serpents and rats?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Jia gazed at him and slowly nodded. \"You have great integrity, sir! Since that is so, do you have any final words to convey?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have failed Liu Yuzhou!\" Zhou Yu was for a moment despondent. \"And I have no face to see the elders of Huainan!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is something the whole world knows!\" Guo Jia replied with a derisive laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have also failed Jiang Ziyi,\" Zhou Yu ignored the mockery and continued slowly, his voice heavy with dejection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Jia raised his brows slightly, his expression turning solemn. \"Sir... do you have any other words?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"None. The scenery here is quite fine. I ask you, sir, to act swiftly.\" Zhou Yu was gasping for breath, clearly growing weaker by the moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Fengxiao turned back, pointing at Zhou Yu with one hand while speaking to Xu Shu with a solemn expression. \"Yuanzhi, this man is a true hero! Your sword is sharper than mine — I ask you to grant him a swift end!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Xu Shu felt his blood surge. Without a word, he drew his sword and stepped forward. Amid the stunned stares of Zang Ba and the others, he struck from behind Zhou Gongjin's head, severing it with a single blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One who does not plan for the whole cannot plan for a single part...\" Guo Jia turned back, gazing at the headless corpse still spurting blood, and sighed softly with his hands clasped behind his back. \"Such an outstanding figure — how could he not understand that, from the perspective of the greater situation, the weight of a dignified Regional Commander, a Soaring Dragon of the Eastern Sea, was no less than that of Pengcheng itself? Was he addled by illness, or had he absorbed too much of Liu Xuande's errant knight-errant spirit? Or was it the pride of a noble house — knowing this truth full well, knowing his lord wished him to live, yet too ashamed to face his lord?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among those around him, aside from Xu Shu and Zang Ba, none understood Guo Jia's meaning. Even Xu Shu and Zang Ba were for a moment despondent, not knowing how to respond, and could only remain silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when they followed Guo Jia once more to catch up with Guan Yu and arrived beneath the walls of Pengcheng, only to see the great banner embroidered with the characters \"Xia Hou\" fluttering atop the city wall, they could only fall into an even deeper silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just slain one Dragon of the Eastern Sea, and now I behold a Dragon of the Great Wilds!\" Guo Jia sighed with a solemn expression, then turned his head to look at the General Who Guards the East, Guan Yunchang, who stood beside him stroking his beard in silence, and asked with gravity. \"General, what shall we do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Slaughter him, nothing more,\" Guan Yu replied calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—————I am the dividing line of illness-addled confusion—————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once Yu had taken Xiapi, he captured all of Zhou Yu's officers, soldiers, wives, and children, whereupon Zhou Yu's army showed signs of collapse. Zhou Yu dared not hold his position, so he gathered fifty thousand naval and infantry troops, abandoned Tancheng, and sought to return to Pengcheng. At that time, Guo Jia was rallying the defeated troops of Langya at Liangcheng, and had only five thousand soldiers. Seeing that the naval forces on the Yi River had all departed, he realized Zhou Yu intended to flee. He then dispatched the various commanders of Langya to cross the Yi River by night and conceal themselves at Wuyuan. Zhou Yu was unable to enter the city and was pursued closely by Guo Jia, who nipped at his heels. By the time they reached the border of Pengcheng, Zhou Yu had only fifteen thousand troops left. Yu then personally led three thousand soldiers out of Xiapi to intercept and strike him. Zhou Yu's army was utterly routed, and Zhou Yu himself died in the field. Zhou Yu was the foremost figure among the great families of Yangzhou, commanded the naval forces, was a trusted and vital general under Liu Bei, and oversaw all affairs of Xuzhou. With his sudden death, the realm was shaken with terror, and the Central Plains no longer had the strength to hold out!\" — Old Book of Yan, Volume 28, Hereditary Houses, Third Section\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Small PS: Meeting up in person really is physically exhausting...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",6664,"2026-06-04T19:42:52.587Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","581d7d6418b567bba454e024e3f6565d994a414a8991bb13e6e0432f2b237ecb","overthrowing-han-chapter-491","overthrowing-han-chapter-489",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]