[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-501":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},1223260,1620,"Chapter 501: Out the Gate, Never to Return","overthrowing-han-chapter-501",501,"\u003Cp>Once Li Tuizhi gave the order, he personally descended the slope, mounted his horse, and advanced to cross the river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the weight of authority built over many years, his troops naturally had nothing to say; they simply followed his example, with officers at every level tacitly moving ahead on their own from top to bottom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, although clouds had gathered heavily in the early morning, dooming the day to be anything but bright and sunny, they could not halt the fundamental rising and setting of the sun, so the sky grew steadily lighter. Correspondingly, as the daylight gradually brightened, so too did the situation become gradually clearer. By this time, even the lower-ranking soldiers with any awareness could draw their own conclusions from the officers' unconcealed attitudes and the facts they witnessed with their own eyes... Or rather, any junior officer or battle-hardened veteran with the slightest judgment could deduce the peril they were in from these undeniable realities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To name just a few: ten thousand Yingzhou troops were garrisoned within Neihuang City; tens of thousands of Liaodong soldiers, no longer concealing their movements, were now advancing rapidly south along the eastern bank of the Qinghe River; and a large Yan army force had appeared at the gap northwest of Neihuang leading toward Ye City, where Cao Hong and Gao Gan's units had already been defeated in direct combat... These three facts were impossible to hide no matter what.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, after Li Jin crossed the Qinghe and entered the Neihuang triangle zone, he began encountering scattered stragglers in large numbers. He paid them no mind, making no effort to gather or rally them, but simply pressed north with all his strength, attempting to link up with the main southern army force near Neihuang City. In truth, his earlier act of leading the officers across the river had itself been meant to encourage any truly faint-hearted subordinates to simply flee; it was only the powerful clan atmosphere within his army that kept desertions few.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By mid-morning, Li Jin finally reached Sun Ce's main force, stationed west of Neihuang City, and amidst Sun Ce's startled and exhausted troops, he found Sun Ce himself — who was equally startled but overjoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General Li, you have not failed me after all!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Jin cast aside his subordinates and enter the formation alone, Sun Bofu was naturally overjoyed — at least on the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At this point, more words are useless. I wish to hear the Marquis of Wucheng's plan,\" Li Jin said, hand on his saber as he stepped forward, his expression unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have given it some thought.\" Sun Ce quickly raised his brows in response. \"At this point, only one path remains: abandon Neihuang City and have the entire army continue pressing northwest straight toward Ye City... According to my uncle Zilian, the force at that gap northwest of Neihuang numbers only around ten thousand, and they are all troops hastily raised from Ye City and Yingzhou. If all our forces can unite as one, we might break through before Taishi Ci closes in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jin glanced at the activity atop the walls of nearby Neihuang City, then turned his head and gave Sun Bofu a faint smile. \"Is the Marquis of Wucheng distrusting me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Ce immediately lowered his head and laughed ruefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand. The seven armies come from disparate sources. When the campaign went smoothly, they were naturally united as one, but now that we face collapse, and with the greater situation under heaven faintly visible, it is only natural that each harbors his own designs.\" Li Jin gazed up at the unblinding sun in the southeast and sighed softly. \"This is precisely why Lord Cao originally intended to lead the troops personally in a surprise attack on Ye. He truly feared this very situation would arise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But Duke Yan kept the pressure tight at Guandu, so my foster father could not come.\" Sun Ce gave a sardonic laugh, thereby admitting the truth of 'each harboring his own designs.' \"Moreover, Huang Zhong already refuses to obey orders, and soldiers from every unit are deserting in droves. What more can be done at this point?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The more desperate the situation, the more General Sun should trust those beside him.\" Li Jin turned back and spoke calmly. \"I know what the Marquis of Wucheng is thinking... If it were General Cao Zilian who had come, you would certainly open your heart to him; if it were the two Administrators Gao and Zhang, though you might not trust them fully, you would still act at once; but it is precisely because the one who came is a former subordinate personally recruited by Duke Yan — a so-called four-surname turncoat — that you evidently feel the need to be on guard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General Li.\" Sun Ce, hearing this, placed his hand on his saber and likewise grew solemn. \"I do trust you personally, because my foster father trusts you. But you and I both know full well — how can today's affair be merely a matter of the Yan army having laid an ambush in advance? South of the Yellow River, the greater situation in the Central Plains can no longer be sustained. We staked everything on this one throw, and if we cannot succeed, the entire game is lost. At such a moment, while I do believe you are a man of reliability, do you yourself not need to consider your family? Did you not earn the label of four-surname turncoat precisely because, time and again when the greater situation reversed, you always had to plan for your family?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is different now!\" Li Jin replied with immediate solemnity. \"Duke Yan is magnanimous and cherishes old ties, yet can also uphold the law with constancy — in truth, he surpasses both Lords Cao and Yuan by far. Only now, at this moment, can I, Li Jin, set aside all concerns for what lies behind me and wash away my old name! You must understand, every single time, Li has planned for his family, and every single time, he had no choice but to plan for his family. This time, I will be willful for my own sake.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Ce was slightly taken aback. He looked Li Jin up and down once more — at the man standing before him with such an upright, unyielding bearing — before finally releasing his grip on the ancient ingot saber at his waist and nodding slowly. \"If General Li speaks thus, then it seems I have shown the heart of a petty man... In truth, I will not hide it from General Li: I wish to flee! After all, for Yan to supplant Han — what an earth-shattering matter that is. Even if Duke Yan's momentum is established, he may not succeed in every endeavor, and those who oppose him will be many. If I can escape with my life, I naturally wish to return south to Jiangdong, hold the Great River, and observe the situation a while longer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand.\" Li Jin was unperturbed. \"Though the Marquis of Wucheng is young, he is a regional lord in his own right, so ambition is only natural. And ambition, once tainted by it, can never be lightly set aside...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In truth, it is somewhat akin to how you are burdened by your family, with a touch of obsession added.\" Sun Ce suddenly looked aside and laughed ruefully. \"It is but a single life — am I not even allowed to refuse to yield in my heart?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jin had no desire to dwell on this topic. After a brief pause, he pressed directly: \"The situation is urgent. What exactly does the Marquis of Wucheng intend to do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wish to take advantage of the fact that Taishi Ci has not yet closed the encirclement and Gao Shun has not yet arrived, and move south along the Huangze marshes, to see if I can slip between the two armies and escape the encirclement entirely.\" Sun Ce finally revealed his true plan. \"Judging by the sky, there will certainly be heavy rain this afternoon or tonight. If I can borrow the weather, perhaps there is still a sliver of hope — but I dare not move rashly...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that because the garrison inside the city is watching like a tiger eyeing its prey?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly. There are over ten thousand troops inside the city, fearsome in themselves, and moreover, Huang Zhong's unit remains undecided in its stance...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have a word to offer.\" Li Jin suddenly interjected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please speak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General Huang Hansheng only ended up in this ambiguous position because he was trying to cover for you, Marquis of Wucheng — a complete accident of circumstance. He is a subordinate of Liu Biao, and since the war began, though Liu Biao has sent troops, his stance has been largely equivocal. That his unit would waver was always to be expected.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is only natural.\" Sun Ce dismissed it casually. \"Outsiders all say this battle is essentially the Yan army's war to swallow the Central Plains, but they do not realize that once the Central Plains are annexed, when the Yan army acts next, Jing and Xiang will inevitably be the first target — and Liu Biao has always been shortsighted... That his unit would be the first to be successfully induced to surrender is also within expectations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is not my meaning.\" Li Jin spoke earnestly. \"Last night, after General Yue sacrificed himself to repay Lord Cao, and with General Huang's stance already clear, he could have taken the opportunity to lead both armies in surrender. Yet even now, he merely remains still — not moving, not leaving, not fighting. In truth, he is still mindful of the bond between comrades... He may well surrender, but he absolutely has no malicious intent to turn and stab us in the back. Therefore, if the Marquis of Wucheng immediately flees south now, General Huang will certainly not turn his blade against us. On the contrary, he will continue to hold his position south of Neihuang City, keeping the Yan army inside the city from daring to move rashly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Ce remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for the western gate here,\" Li Jin continued with composure, \"allow me to provide a brief rearguard for the Marquis of Wucheng.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Ce still remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Marquis of Wucheng, you had best leave quickly!\" Li Jin urged with growing insistence. \"If you do not leave now, you will not even need to think about it anymore.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a single word, Sun Ce merely cupped his hands in salute, donned his helmet, turned around, and ordered the entire army to rise and retreat south.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jin stood where he was, saying nothing, and even watched impassively as quite a few of the Li clan's younger members from his own unit stealthily turned and followed Sun Ce's troops southward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And indeed, Huang Zhong, commanding the remnants of Yue Jin's forces along with his own main unit, showed not the slightest intention of obstructing them. Instead, he advanced slightly forward, pressing close to the southern gate of Neihuang, and throughout the entire process made no move to block Sun Ce — rather, he seemed intent on providing cover for Sun Ce's unit. At the same time, Cheng Yu could not possibly abandon the pursuit of Sun Ce. Unwilling to push Huang Zhong and Yue Jin's remnants to the opposing side, the city's western gate was thrown wide open for a time, and Cheng Wu personally led a full several thousand troops out of the city, attempting to catch up from this direction and tail Sun Ce's forces, snapping at their heels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was precisely at this moment that Li Jin swung himself onto his horse, drew his saber, and advanced, taking the initiative to lead his own unit — now reduced to just over two thousand men — in a valiant counterattack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battle erupted abruptly on the open fields west of the city. One side had superior numbers, but they were mostly newly mobilized Yingzhou commandery troops and the like, not yet tempered by major combat; the other side had fewer men, but they were fellow clansmen of the Li family, watching out for one another, forming a self-contained whole, and rich in battle experience... The two sides actually fought to a standstill!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the problem was this: although no great battle had yet occurred between the two sides, the overall situation was in fact already decided, with victory and defeat clearly delineated. Even if a standstill was theoretically possible, it should not have been so... The reason lay precisely in Li Tuizhi's unexpected counterattack — he actually dared to strike back on the verge of battle, truly catching Cheng Wu off guard. Not to mention that once combat was joined, this famous general of the Central Plains refused to retreat a single step, personally fighting and killing at the very front. In barely more than a quarter of an hour of fighting, his entire body was already covered in blood and grime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jin's desperate, life-staking style of combat frightened Cheng Wu badly... The two were fellow townsmen, and moreover former colleagues — how could they not know each other's capabilities? In truth, the very reason Cheng Wu had dared to exit the western gate was that he had assumed Li Jin would likely surrender as well. Who could have imagined that the man would not only refuse to retreat a step, but instead lead his troops in full armor, charging straight toward Cheng Wu himself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a time, this promising young man — one of the Hebei military colonization commandants and the eldest son of the Yingzhou Governor — was secretly groaning in endless distress. After all, with Guo Yuan's fate yesterday serving as a cautionary tale, he truly did not wish to throw away his life in vain at this juncture!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The general is the courage of his soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such a stark contrast between the two commanders, the effect was naturally pronounced. As one side waned and the other waxed, after the two armies had clashed for two quarters of an hour outside the western gate of Neihuang, it was actually Cheng Wu who lost his nerve first and became the first to shrink back. Only his fear of his own father and the severity of military law kept him from retreating directly into the city, so he prepared to pull back beneath the city walls and use them to catch his breath for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Li Tuizhi, far from quitting while he was ahead, seized the momentum to order his entire army to counterattack, pressing Cheng Wu's troops directly back against the city walls! And the man himself spurred his horse forward, leading his command banner and several hundred trusted armored soldiers, charging straight for the banner of Cheng Wu! From the look of him, he had absolutely no intention of sparing his former colleague and old friend!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Cheng Wu was truly terrified out of his wits, his mind going almost completely blank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, he had a good father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Atop the city wall, Cheng Zhongde let out a sigh. His face full of helplessness, he nonetheless acted with methodical composure... The Governor of Yingzhou, while ordering the city gates shut as a precaution, also mustered crossbowmen and archers forward. Ignoring the chaotic melee still raging below the walls, he had them loose their arrows directly from the battlements to drive off Li Jin's unit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the rain of arrows descended, Li Jin's unit was naturally checked on the spot. And Li Tuizhi himself, when he was just over a hundred paces from the city wall, had his warhorse struck down beneath him on the spot, while he himself took an arrow — neither light nor severe — in the right shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet after leaping from his horse and snapping off the arrow shaft lodged in the gap of his armor, the man showed no anger at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that — before the eyes of all, General Li, heedless of the wound in his shoulder, raised his saber from afar and pointed it at Cheng Wu's great banner, which was no more than seventy or eighty paces from him, and shouted at the top of his lungs: \"Is that a former acquaintance from under the Yuan clan's command beneath that banner up ahead? Li ranks among the Four Steers of the Central Plains — this steer's head and horns are worthy of a marquisate, and I mean to bestow them upon an old friend! You hold every advantage in the greater situation, and your troops are many — why then do you not dare come and take them?! Instead, you cower beneath your honored father's feet, just like a fledgling chick hiding behind the hen!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these words, he burst into hearty laughter that shook the wilderness, heard clearly both atop the wall and below it, and drawing different reactions from all... The Li clan's younger men naturally jeered and mocked in response, while Cheng Wu wished he could find a crack in the earth to crawl into. Even Cheng Yu atop the wall was momentarily awed into silence, stroking his beard without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, in the midst of this standoff, prompted by his youngest son's reminder, Cheng Zhongde gazed northward and finally let out a breath of relief, then could not help but sigh with a trace of melancholy:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why must it come to this? Send another two thousand men out the north gate in support, and then send word to your elder brother: if he dares retreat even half a step today, he can resign his post and go home to farm... The Chancellor's own eldest son could die; Duke Yan's own eldest son could serve on the front lines. What sort of thing is he, then?! Has he no shame?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Yan dared not delay and hurriedly descended from the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, over a hundred paces west of the city, Li Jin turned his head, likewise gave a faint sigh, then remounted a fresh horse and led his troops northward on his own... In that direction, great clouds of dust were rising — clearly, the units of Cao Hong and Gao Gan had been routed and were falling back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, after Li Jin had gone no more than three or five li north — before even noon had arrived — he ran headlong into Cao Hong some two or three li east of the Huangze marshes. Cao Hong was fleeing back in disarray and had likewise lost his warhorse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the two met, Cao Zilian, without even waiting for the other to offer him a horse, waved his hands repeatedly, gasping for breath:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't go any further north! The soldiers have no will to fight — they haven't closed their eyes in two days and nights, and they've already completely collapsed. If you take this handful of troops north now, it's nothing but a dead end!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jin was about to ask further when Cao Hong suddenly recalled something else: \"Just now, from a distance, I saw troops moving south from here — was that you helping Sun Bofu escape?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To speak of escape at this moment would be premature.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No matter. Given the situation, each of us can only do our best. I, Cao Hong, have managed to delay this long and let his son-in-law escape — that's enough to face heaven and earth with a clear conscience.\" Hearing that Sun Ce had already left, Cao Zilian simply sat down on the ground and moved no more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jin felt a stir in his heart and asked along the same line: \"General Zilian, are you preparing to surrender?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could I surrender?\" Cao Hong sneered from the ground. \"I am a clansman of the Cao after all. Setting aside Cao Mengde himself, ever since Xiahou Miaocai died, we Cao clansmen have truly had no room left to surrender... And the day Cao Mengde assigned me to garrison Bo County, after he told me today's scenario, I knew then that nine times out of ten I would not escape death! But you, sir — why do you not surrender?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just willfulness...\" Li Jin sighed deeply, then repeated the words he had spoken to Sun Ce earlier. \"All my life I've been burdened by my clan, to the point of being called a four-surname house-slave. Today I truly do not wish to flip sides again. I just want to live for myself this once!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hypocrite!\" Cao Hong laughed in retort. \"How is this willfulness for your own reputation? You are clearly still scheming for your clan — you just haven't realized it yourself!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jin was momentarily stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me ask you — if you only cared about your personal reputation, you would ride out alone to die. Why bring your clan's sons to die with you?\" Cao Hong sneered at him. \"Are you some shameless man who, even at death, wants his own clan's sons buried alongside him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Li Tuizhi was at a loss for words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the end, you feel that Gongsun Wenqi is the man who will settle the realm. In your heart you know this is the final round, and you also know he won't slaughter the innocent. So where you once fretted over your clan's survival, today you fret over how your clan can turn the corner through the dynastic change.\" Cao Hong, still seated on the ground, continued to look at him and mock. \"But as it happens, your Li clan is the foremost great power of the Central Plains, spanning provinces and commanderies — you were always a thorn in everyone's side. And a centipede does not fall even dead — even if you surrendered willingly, how could anyone not be wary of you holding thousands of battle-hardened veterans? And with a four-surname house-slave as clan head, you'd only draw the attacks of those scholars, pointlessly dragging down tens of thousands of your clan! That's why you crave to have your clan's elite wiped out in one battle to dispel hostility, and to die easily yourself to set minds at ease. Am I right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jin opened his mouth to retort, but found himself speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Truly, living in this world, people like you and me are born into great clans, raised by clan grace, and spend our whole lives toiling and scheming for the clan. How could that change in a moment? How could we truly break free? It's not that I never thought of settling down as an Anlihao downline and enjoying a lifetime of ease.\" Cao Hong, unbothered, simply reached out amid the chaos of troops to pull the other man down to sit with him. \"But now that things have come to this, the two of us who cannot escape — at this moment of upheaval between old and new, to have a companion on the final road is something of a pleasure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jin shook his head repeatedly and pulled free of the other's hand: \"General Zilian speaks clearly, but you may not understand the heart of us warriors... I have already issued my military order today: advance, no retreat. I cannot wait here with you to die. Only death in battle!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those words, Li Tuizhi continued shaking his head, then mounted his horse and reissued orders to his force, now fewer than a thousand men, to move against the current and continue north through the routed soldiers, seeking a chance to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Hong watched the other's back and shook his head as well. He waited a while longer, and when he saw a banner bearing the character \"Cheng\" slowly closing in from the direction of Neihuang City, he instead felt completely at ease. He merely calculated to himself whether he could trade his own head — which was on the wanted list after all — for Cheng Zhongde to look after his family's old and young... The man was, after all, more merchant than general.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the afternoon, the sky gradually darkened. Li Jin advanced to the marshy edge of Huangze, over ten li north of the city, and finally saw a familiar banner ahead — it was Han Dang, Han Yigong, one of the Seven Ministers of Yan, personally leading five thousand Yexia troops and five thousand Yingzhou troops to this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two men halted their horses and faced each other. This time, whether because of Cao Hong's earlier reminder or because he ultimately could not bear it, Li Jin did not lead the several hundred Li clan sons behind him forward. Instead, he rode out alone and saluted Han Dang face to face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tuizhi, why not surrender?\" Seeing the man draw his blade and bare its edge right after saluting, Han Dang frowned and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I surrender again, wouldn't that confirm the talk of a four-surname house-slave?\" Li Jin answered slowly, raising his blade in invitation. The sky was dark, but when the blade's flash passed the band across his forehead, it still shone brightly for a moment. \"May I venture a question... Brother Yigong, are there more troops behind you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"None.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is just right. Today, in the end, there is advance and no retreat.\" Li Jin suddenly felt completely at ease as well. \"Brother Yigong, if one day Lord Yan asks about me, please be sure to convey my regards. Tell him I chased after him half my life, yet in the end never caught up — instead, by twists of fate, I opposed him time and again. I am truly ashamed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Dang's expression shifted slightly: \"Tuizhi, why torment yourself so? You are hardly the only one who could not catch up. And whom has Lord Yan ever been unable to accommodate?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Jin was stunned again and fell silent for a moment, only gripping the ring-pommel blade in his hand without moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that the other would speak no more, Han Yigong, ultimately helpless, suddenly raised his spear, spurred his horse forward, and charged head-on at Li Jin, who had also started his horse in the same instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two generals crossed horses in a single pass. Han Dang thrust his spear and struck Li Jin from his horse; the latter died on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————I am the dividing line of dying on the spot————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When the Grand Ancestor heard of Li Jin's death, he was for a time downcast. He turned to those beside him and said: 'Li Tuizhi, with the makings of a famed general, was trapped by his clan, unable to stretch or bend, unjustly bearing a foul name, burdened by it to his death. Long ago Mencius said: Do what you do, seek what you seek, exhaust heart and strength in it, and calamity will surely follow. Does this not describe this man?'\" — A New Account of the Tales of the World, Chapter on Mourning the Departed\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",4514,"2026-06-04T19:42:52.587Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","101074ff231b21c1b2801711df50750af501ab91dc67fc523f61664315d1a176","overthrowing-han-chapter-502","overthrowing-han-chapter-500",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]