[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-526":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},1223285,1620,"Chapter 526: The Mountain's Shape Still Pillows the River's Flow","overthrowing-han-chapter-526",526,"\u003Cp>Long before the second battalion collapsed, the fighting on the Yushui battlefield had already descended into a strange state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second battalion was the first unit to truly begin fighting in earnest. Kong Xiu's death carried a hint of reaping what one sowed, but his troops did not falter — they inflicted effective casualties on Zhang Fei's infantry and cavalry alike. It was simply that all chance of victory was gone, and so they scattered completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, if the renowned Zhang Fei, famed as a match for ten thousand, had led two thousand men and failed to overcome a mere thousand enemy troops who had lost their commander, that would have been rather farcical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this point, as the Yan Army's scout riders reported the situation of the first two battalions back to the rear, the follow-up units, starting with Jiang Xu, had already consciously steadied their nerves and prepared to form battle arrays, coordinating infantry, cavalry, bows, and crossbows for a steady, cautious advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment battle was joined, the problem became unmistakably clear — they could block the fewer than two thousand infantry under Zhang Fei's deputy Zhou Li, but they could not stop Zhang Fei's assault. And with such a hastily formed array, such a narrow battlefield, and so many routed troops, to try to stop a mere two or three hundred cavalry... the only truly effective method was probably cavalry against cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even among the Liangzhou Army's units, in order to transfer in via the Hanzhong route, they had been forced to abandon much of their cavalry establishment — at most, a battalion might have two or three hundred, at least, one or two hundred, and that was that. And in a chaotic skirmish of small cavalry forces, who under heaven could be Zhang Fei's match?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Xu, a man of Liangzhou, did not fear close cavalry combat — and the result was that he died beneath the horses, breathing his last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet although Jiang Xu was dead, the third battalion, composed largely of Jiang clan soldiers, showed no sign of collapse, and Zhou Li's unit simply could not break through. But by now Zhang Fei had grown impatient once more. Leading barely two hundred cavalry himself, he continued to seek gaps and charged northward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Zhang Fei rampaged across the Yushui, the Yan Army's scout riders raced north. A mere ten-odd li was quickly covered, and word soon reached the various battalions and units behind, with the intelligence gathered at the Grand Marshal Lu Fan's position just as he was leaving camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ziheng, beneath his ceremonial banners, finished reading the battle reports and was instantly furious, yet for a moment a look of worry crossed his face. After a brief reflection, he could not help but speak frankly to Xun You beside him on horseback: \"Brother Gongda, you once advised me not to adopt a single-column formation, to guard against losing contact between front and rear. Now it seems you had great foresight... And now, with Zhang Yide so divinely formidable, living up to his name as a match for ten thousand, should we not make some adjustments, lest too many troops are routed and he strikes them down one after another, ultimately creating the momentum of a rolling curtain sweeping back upon us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun You immediately shook his head: \"It will never reach that point. Still, some adjustments would be good. What does the Grand Marshal intend?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I intend to have the forward troops halt briefly, reorganize their ranks, gather the scattered soldiers, and lay an ambush with strong bows and powerful crossbows...\" At this point, Lu Fan paused briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That would be excellent,\" Xun You nodded at once. \"One could call it a flawless plan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not only that,\" Lu Fan, seeing such affirmation, grew even more animated. \"Better still to spread out the formation, changing from a single column to a double column...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun You furrowed his brow slightly, grasping Lu Ziheng's meaning almost instantly, but said nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, Lu Fan was clearly worried that Zhang Fei would abandon the main bodies of both armies and lead only two hundred cavalry around the far western side of the long, narrow army to strike directly at the command position — hence the desire to spread out the troops. Such a possibility certainly existed, but it was merely a possibility, for in Xun Gongda's view, Zhang Fei was a general, not a swordsman like Xu Shu. Abandoning the enemy troops to strike directly at the enemy commander was not in keeping with Zhang Yide's established character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A general is a general — even driven to a dead end, alone on horseback, he would not act as an assassin. Correspondingly, Xu Yuanzhi's assassination of the Inspector in Shu turned heaven and earth upside down, yet it was still the act of an assassin. This is a matter of a man's innate disposition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, in Xun You's eyes, Lu Fan's subsequent move was like drawing legs on a snake — it might well cause disorder in the ranks, reveal a weakness, and be exploited by Zhang Fei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But — and this is the crucial \"but\" — Xun Gongda was not concerned, because he knew perfectly well that this battle could not be lost. No matter how divinely formidable Zhang Fei was, no matter how many commanders he slew and banners he captured, it would not affect the battle's outcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the killing power of the few hundred cavalry Zhang Fei led was limited. Even if he was peerlessly valiant and could repeatedly slay commanders and seize banners, he lacked the ability to use such opportunities to further expand effective killing, much less to kill every officer and cause the entire Yan Army's organization to disintegrate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Correspondingly, under the present circumstances, within the Yan Army, even a squad leader or platoon leader who had merely heard the military orders and proclamations read by the army major and had trudged all the way from his hometown would understand in his heart that the great balance of the realm belonged to Duke Yan, and that this battle was less a struggle among feudal lords and more a mopping-up operation to suppress rebels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under such conditions, these troops who had come from afar — from Liangzhou, Hanzhong, and Xuzhou — might scatter temporarily, but they would not, nor would they dare to, become deserters. Once they recovered their senses a little, the routed soldiers would inevitably regroup and resume fighting under the organization of their junior officers. And once that happened, even one as divinely formidable as Zhang Yide would be bitten to death by ants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, since victory was certain, Xun You had no inclination to correct Lu Fan's mistake. After all, Xun Gongda had his own speculations about what Duke Yan intended by placing these miscellaneous troops before him. Moreover, he understood that if he spoke up now, the Grand Marshal Lu Ziheng might not listen — not because the man lacked magnanimity, but because he was long accustomed to rear-area duties and had been away from the army for a long time. At such a sensitive moment, arriving before the battle line, he could not help but demand excessive perfection, and thus missed his chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this thought, Xun Gongda naturally remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just as orders were being relayed from the rear, the situation at the front changed again: Zhang Fei's deputy Zhou Li had finally led his infantry through bloody combat and caught up with Zhang Yide. The reason for this change was simple: after Zhang Fei bypassed the dense formations and burst behind the third battalion, the third battalion's deputy commander, Jiang Xu's clansman Jiang Jiong, voluntarily opened the center and ordered his troops to assemble toward the river embankment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was not a betrayal of the troops behind him. On the contrary, it was a perfectly reasonable tactical choice, because the troops behind had already learned of Zhang Fei's assault and must have made preparations during the recent chaotic fighting. Temporarily evading at such a moment not only reduced unnecessary casualties but also provided an opportunity to gather the routed troops ahead, especially those Qiang auxiliaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be understood that the Jiang clan of Tianshui still held some prestige among the Qiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, by the time Zhou Li caught up with Zhang Fei's vanguard again, his unit numbered no more than thirteen or fourteen hundred men. Such a high rate of attrition was certainly not due to death or injury — even the routed Yan Army likely did not suffer such losses — but rather the inevitable military disconnection caused by units being drawn into small-scale engagements during the hasty assault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Zhang Yide, an arrow lodged in his shoulder, turned back to see his troops catching up and did not show great joy. Instead, he sighed — a rare thing — then snapped off the arrow shaft, reined in his horse, and faced the dense formation before him, shouting with all his might: \"Prefect Mi, an old friend stands here — why begrudge me a single meeting?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mi Fang, the commander of the fourth battalion, hiding far behind the formation, turned red to the ears at these words, yet lowered his head and hid within the ranks without a word. Seeing this, Zhang Fei said no more and prepared to charge regardless of life or death. But just then, suddenly, a cloud of dust billowed from further west on the battlefield — reinforcements had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was, of course, Chen Deng behind him, who had received Lu Fan's order and hurriedly circled around from the rear to form the double-column array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, Zhang Fei did not know this, but it did not prevent him from spotting an opening. He turned directly, bypassed Mi Fang's tightly arrayed unit, and charged toward Chen Deng's newly arrived and still unsteady troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Deng's unit was caught off guard as Zhang Fei cut straight into their formation. But fortunately, Chen Yuanlong, having long known of the deaths of Xie Zheng and Kong Xiu, did not dare act rashly. Instead, he hid among a cluster of armored soldiers, mustering long spears, bows, and crossbows in an attempt to trap the enemy within his lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Zhou Li once again catching up behind him, Zhang Yide did not linger in the fight. After fiercely cutting down several men and opening a gap, he took yet another arrow wound and charged straight north along the gap between the two battalions. At this, Zhou Li's unit was thoroughly blocked!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this point, Zhang Yide's resolve to fight to the death was unmistakably clear. Yet Chen Deng's and Mi Fang's two battalions dared not pursue and surround him — whether out of fear of Zhang Fei's divine valor or out of guilt in their hearts, none could say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind Chen Deng's and Mi Fang's battalions were the battalions of Zhao Ang and Han De. These two battalions had just finished forming their arrays, but unlike the previous two, the officers of the Liangzhou contingent were mostly fierce and eager for battle. Why would they shrink from a fight just because someone had died or someone had a great reputation? What was more, Zhang Fei was a famed general of the realm. If they could kill him, the achievement in this battle would be second only to capturing or killing Liu Bei. How could a bunch of mere thousand-bushel officers not covet such glory and risk their lives for it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, almost as if by prior agreement, while the infantry of both battalions naturally held their ground, the two commanders each detached several hundred cavalry to personally pincer Zhang Fei's force, which now numbered only a hundred-odd riders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yide, glimpsing the attack coming from both sides, said nothing, gave no order, and paid no heed to what was behind him. He simply reined his horse and turned toward the side where the Zhao banner flew. The two cavalry forces met head-on. Zhang Yide's men were already exhausted and wounded, and fewer in number — the moment they clashed, they were at an almost total disadvantage. But Zhang Fei himself served as the arrowhead, swinging his spear to deflect several hidden arrows, taking yet another arrow wound, and with a great roar charged straight for the enemy banner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, when Zhao Ang saw the real, imposing figure of Zhang Fei, the bellyful of heroic spirit he had built up through imagination instantly evaporated — otherwise he would not have slowed at the last moment and ordered the firing of hidden arrows. And as the enemy was about to charge beneath his banner, he lost his nerve entirely, abandoned his great banner of his own accord, and fled, trying to retreat into the formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yide fought his way to the great banner and, seeing no officer in distinctive attire, simply thrust his spear through the banner-bearer. Then, without a care, he turned back and headed straight for the approaching Han banner behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poor Han De — how could he be as meticulous as Zhao Ang?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught completely off guard, he was reached in an instant by Zhang Yide's tactical \"parting shot.\" When the two exchanged blows, it took but a single bout — this famed general of Xiliang was easily pierced through on horseback by Zhang Fei, who had already sustained three minor wounds, and was slammed dead onto the battlefield, leaving four sons still in their tender youth as orphans bereft of their father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Han De dead, Zhang Yide not only did not stop, but turned back once more to charge the Zhao banner that had just been raised again. Zhao Ang, watching from afar, was scared out of his wits and turned to flee once more. Zhang Fei charged beneath the enemy banner, once again speared the new banner-bearer, and was about to continue his pursuit when, unexpectedly, Zhao Ang had already fled in disarray back into the formation and ordered his archers to fire!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battlefield was in chaos, and only a few dozen soldiers heard the order and shot. Several dozen arrows flew, and though none directly struck Zhang Yide, his mount was hit! This fine steed, once a gift from Li Jin, stumbled and could not rise. Zhang Fei was instantly thrown to the ground!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Weizhang was overjoyed and was just about to turn his horse and take up his spear to claim this great achievement when, unexpectedly, in a mere instant, within plain sight, Zhang Yide got straight back up, seized the horse of the banner-bearer he had just killed right there in the chaos of battle, and without even picking up his long spear, drew the ring-pommel saber at his waist and continued toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Zhao Ang's mind went almost blank. The soldiers around had no time to restring their bows and nock arrows before the enemy was already upon them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the frantic moment, Zhang Fei raised his saber with all his might to strike, while Zhao Ang instinctively raised his spear to parry. The two weapons collided. The ring-pommel saber, after all, was not a cavalry weapon, and it lodged in the enemy's spear shaft, which was on the verge of breaking. Zhao Weizhang, unable to withstand the force, stumbled, his weapon flying from his hands, and he was on the verge of falling from his horse!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this critical moment, Zhang Fei, without haste, first deliberately discarded his saber, then reached out from horseback and grabbed Zhao Ang, hauling the man's entire body over and clamping him under his arm like a puppy!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst the vast army, the Yan soldiers stared dumbfounded, able only to watch as the man turned his horse, rode several dozen paces, bent down while still clutching their commander under one arm to pick up his iron spear, then laughed aloud and rode on, continuing northward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the knights of Liu Bei's army who could still follow numbered fewer than a few dozen, yet all were indescribably roused. Though they knew the road ahead was a dead end, they still struggled onward, bearing their wounds, to keep up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, once past these two battalions, the Yan Army forces ahead grew increasingly dense. And unlike the gaps left between the previous four battalions, here the troops were linked into one continuous mass, with several command banners clustered together in a staggered arrangement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out that this was where Sima Yi and Meng Da were positioned. Each had a deputy commanding a thousand men, and as men of relatively high status on the battlefield, they had naturally long since assembled commanders like Han Fu and Fu Qian to construct a thick defensive line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that being said, at this moment, none of these low-ranking captains and majors of the Yan Army dared to try leading cavalry to hunt down Zhang Fei any longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple. They stood there in formation, the battle reports from the front flowing into their ears like running water:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Fei had slain Xie Zheng. Zhang Fei had broken through the first battalion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yide had slain Kong Xiu. Zhang Yide had broken through the second battalion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General Zhang had slain Jiang Xu and passed straight through the third battalion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That swarthy general had passed between the fourth and fifth battalions — Chen Yuanlong and Mi Fang had not dared to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That match for ten thousand, born of Yan territory, had just passed through the sixth and seventh battalions. Han De and Zhao Ang tried to stop him. Zhao Ang's great banner fell. Han De was slaughtered. Zhao Ang's great banner fell again. Zhao Ang was captured alive...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any ordinary person would have long since been paralyzed with terror. That Sima Yi, Meng Da, Fu Gan, and the others could forcibly maintain their composure, hold the battle line, and organize a defense already demonstrated considerable professional competence!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Our troops come from multiple commands and cannot coordinate effectively! Moreover, most are new recruits of uneven quality!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not only that, our army was in the midst of advancing and had no time to prepare strong bows and heavy crossbows. Furthermore, seeing the enemy's weakness, we grew overconfident and insisted on engaging Zhang Yide in cavalry battle. But Zhang Yide is renowned throughout the realm as a cavalry commander—how could we possibly withstand him? Yet if we can just hold steady...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Zhang Yide arrived, Meng Da was in the middle of discussing with Sima Yi and the others, searching for reasons why the battle had developed to such a bizarre state. But halfway through his words, they heard a clamor up ahead, and then only a few dozen riders came charging forth, yet they surged forward as if they were a host of thousands, unstoppable in their momentum... Though the other side had even discarded their banners, who could fail to recognize that Zhang Fei had come to the front line?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Meng Da, Sima Yi, and the others instantly changed color. Alongside Han Fu and Fu Gan beside them, each face grew paler than the last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had the impulse to order a volley of arrows, but when they saw Zhao Weizhang clamped under the arm of a giant warrior drenched in blood, they looked at one another in confusion and for a moment none dared give the order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And how could Zhang Fei possibly give these men time to hesitate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost in the next instant, the man charged to the front of the formation, then with all his strength flung the general under his arm onto the forest of spears ahead! Pitiful Zhao Weizhang—not crushed to death in that grip, his thigh was now pierced clean through by his own troops' long spears. Blood gushed forth at once, and at last he wailed in agony beyond words!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at this moment, Zhang Fei had long since easily followed the gap Zhao Ang's body had smashed open, and with a single powerful leap, personally charged straight into the Yan army's formation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One must understand, Sima Yi, Meng Da, and the others still cared somewhat for their dignity. In order to observe the battlefield and direct the battle, they were positioned only a few dozen paces from the front line of spearmen! And when they saw with their own eyes Zhao Ang thrown like a chicken onto the spear line, and then saw the demon-god-like Zhang Fei charge into the formation, each of them panicked!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That man is truly alone—just evade him!\" Meng Da was the first to abandon all dignity, directly reining his horse around and fleeing toward the flank where his deputy commander Shen Dan was stationed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And once Meng Da had fled, the other three generals scattered in panic as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Zhang Fei paid it no mind. Laughing uproariously, he simply picked out one man and one banner, leveled his spear, and gave chase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sima Yi looked back and saw that he alone was being pursued. Nearly collapsing in despair, on the verge of tears, he could only struggle desperately to flee in disarray with the few armored riders around him... And yet, though they were within arm's reach, no one dared loose an arrow, nor was there time to block the way. Thus several thousand soldiers could only stare dumbfounded as Sima Yi was chased through the formation by Zhang Fei, from west to east, nearly cutting across half the great battle array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And whether it was because the formation held many obstacles, suddenly Sima Yi, fleeing ahead, had his horse stumble and fall, throwing him directly to the ground, whereupon Zhang Fei leveled his spear and thrust straight at him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it truly my fate never to become Prime Minister in this life?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the sole thought in Sima Zhongda's mind as he turned and saw the uniquely shaped spearpoint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But beyond all expectation, just as Zhang Fei came charging up before him, he suddenly reined in his horse. The curved spearpoint stopped barely two feet from the other man's face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Could you be the son of Fu Nanrong?\" Zhang Yide not only stayed his hand, but even laughed ruefully and sighed there in the midst of the battle formation. \"I have exhausted my strength in this battle. And since you are the descendant of an old friend, why not spare your life? I only hope you can be like your father—a man of integrity in life and death!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these words, he left the man beneath his spear, and alone on his horse, continued riding eastward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding soldiers were stunned for a moment, then made ready to draw bows and level spears against him. But after his gaze swept over the large banner bearing the character \"Fu\" behind him—clearly someone who had followed the wrong man in the chaos—Sima Yi, just climbing to his feet, flushed crimson and with all his strength bellowed the order: \"Pass the word to the entire army—this man is an old friend of Lord Yan. No one is to loose a hidden arrow!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding soldiers obeyed in bewilderment, and actually allowed the clearly exhausted Zhang Fei to ride alone out of the formation and head toward the banks of the Yu River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as he watched Zhang Fei leave the formation, Sima Yi came back to his senses. He felt as if his entire body had been drenched in water, and when a gust of wind blew past, his face remained flushed crimson, impossible to change... It was then that this Commandant of Henan realized he had not merely been sweating. Below his waist, he was especially soaked without end—evidently, in that very instant Zhang Fei had withdrawn his spear, he had lost control of his bladder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, Sima Zhongda was of aristocratic lineage. Though he had suffered upheaval and displacement, his father's instruction had never ceased. Later, in the Imperial Academy and on the official circuit, he had always been the finest of the fine. Even when he committed that earlier political blunder and was sent to the front lines to redeem himself through meritorious service, his treatment differed from others. Ordinarily, he carried a certain noble bearing—how could he endure falling to such a wretched state?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, such a genuinely shameful thing had truly happened! And the very man who had shamed him had just spared his life, leaving him utterly at a loss!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was at this very moment, before Sima Yi could make any decision as he gazed in the direction Zhang Fei had gone, that on the battlefield, to the south of the formation where Sima Yi was positioned—that is, where the formations of Zhao Ang and Han De were—an uproar erupted once more!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, very soon, without waiting for the scout riders to race back with word, Sima Yi realized what had happened—a banner embroidered with the four large characters \"General of the Left, Liu\" had already appeared within his field of vision!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, although Zhang Fei's assault had ended with his unit nearly annihilated and collapsed, leaving only himself to ride off alone, there was no doubt that Liu Xuande was no pushover either. The man had seized the opportunity of battle and in turn crossed the battlefield to arrive here. As for the other camps, not to mention them, but as for why Chen Deng and Mi Fang, with their intact formations, had allowed this man to reach this point—whether it was because the entire line had collapsed, or whether out of shame they had let him charge through the gap between their two camps—that was hard to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter what, Liu Xuande's arrival provided the utterly humiliated and furious Sima Yi with a reasonable direction to vent his rage. Gazing from afar at the great banner of the General of the Left, the man, right there on the battlefield, stripped off his armor and helmet, cut open his topknot, and removed his upper garment, tying it around his waist to reveal a torso of pure white!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, this noble young master Commandant, stripped to the waist, proudly mounted his horse before his stunned subordinates, raised his blade, and gave the order: \"The entire army will advance north! Follow me in the assault! Liu Bei is just ahead! Anyone who dares retreat a single step will be executed without mercy!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these words, the man directly spurred his horse forward and personally led the troops in the charge! And his unit, roused for a moment, surged forward with battle cries, launching a counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Sima Yi committed his troops, Meng Da dared not delay. After all, at this moment, how could Meng Zijing, who likewise harbored great ambitions, not also be tormented and shamed by the fact that he had been the first to flee just moments before?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, in a short time, nearly six thousand troops—the six divisions of Sima, Meng, Han, Fu, Cao, and Shen—surged forth together toward the north, counterattacking toward Liu Bei's banner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, by the time Liu Bei had charged this far, he too was utterly spent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, if Zhang Fei was himself a match for ten thousand, able to ride alone and rampage at will, enough to terrify this ragtag motley force of the Yan army, then Liu Bei did not even have that advantage... In truth, his charge, though seemingly smooth, had been extraordinarily difficult. Because, as Xun Gongda, separated from Sima Yi's formation by Chen Qun's auxiliary troop formation, had long since seen clearly, at this moment the Yan army was very hard to truly rout!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Zheng was dead. Those Qiang tribesmen and Gongsun Xu had scattered in a single rush. But once they came to their senses, did Gongsun Xu dare truly flee, or did those Qiang chieftains dare to run?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kong Xiu was dead. Of his Xuzhou troops, even the company commanders had nearly all perished. But so what? Did they truly dare to simply desert?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Jiang Xu's death, that went without saying. Jiang Jiong had immediately begun taking over and attempting to regain control of the troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it plainly, on the battlefield, deserting was not simply a matter of walking away on one's own—it was tantamount to defying the entire state apparatus behind you. And with the current situation of the Yan state plain for all to see, who would be mad enough to desert a thousand li from home? Who would have the courage to resist a new regime that held dominion over their homeland and was on the verge of unifying the realm?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, after Zhang Fei's passage, the Yan army units in the forward camps that had lost their commanders essentially fell into a state of being routed but not scattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Fei's divine valor, Zhou Li's desperate struggle, Liu Bei's strenuous effort—though all had played a clear role and had all seized what is called the initiative on the battlefield, in reality they had been in a state of constant attrition all along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yan army would rout, then regroup; regroup, then rout again, and then regroup once more. But Liu Bei's soldiers died one by one, fewer and fewer; those who routed fled wave after wave, and never returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And by the time Liu Xuande had gathered the remnants of Zhou Li's unit along the way, and led his main force—relying on the shame of Mi Fang and Chen Deng, and on Zhang Fei's earlier slaying of generals and seizing of banners—to fight his way to the front of Sima Yi's formation, he was utterly spent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, as Sima Yi, stripped to the waist, fought personally at the forefront of the charge, no matter how well Liu Bei could win men's hearts, he could not stop his troops from suffering countless casualties and his entire army from routing outright!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xuande sighed. Neither pleased nor angered, he simply fell back with the troops around him, fighting as they retreated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, the efforts of Liu and Zhang had reaped their due reward, and the battle's outcome was at last beyond all doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as the battlefield descended into chaos, with Li Tong of Liu Bei's rear guard fighting desperately to break through and provide relief, nearly the entire Yan army surged directly south, attempting to hunt down Liu Bei, who was surely worth a marquisate of ten Battalion Commander. Only Sima Yi, covered in blood, stripped to the waist, turned with just a few riders toward the banks of the Yu River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At noon, the sunlight was dazzling. As the sounds of battle cries grew more and more distant, by a reed marsh on the banks of the Yu River, Zhang Fei, his bare white torso standing in waist-deep water as he washed his armor, turned his head, momentarily helpless:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I charged so furiously precisely so you couldn't keep up. Why must you pursue me so relentlessly?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man behind him, using a half-broken spear as a staff, came into the water and also began removing his armor to wash. It was none other than Zhou Li, Zhang Fei's deputy commander in this battle. The man did not hurry to answer, but first undid his topknot and shook his head in the water, so that the river water, which had just begun to clear, was instantly stained with blood once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And only after he watched the bloodied water dilute and drift away did he answer with a solemn expression: \"General, I saw through your intention from the very start... It was nothing more than this: the General, having received great kindness from the General of the Left, was determined to fight this battle with all his might to repay that debt of honor, yet did not wish for men like us to throw our lives away in vain alongside you. That is why you charged furiously northward, heedless of your own unit behind you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since you understood...\" Zhang Fei stood in the water, stroking the iron armor in his hands, and sighed even more deeply. \"Why go to such lengths?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because the General has the General's intentions, and I, as deputy commander, have my own intentions as a deputy.\" Zhou Li, likewise holding his own iron armor, answered slowly. \"In the past, in Xuzhou, I served as a Major under Gongjin... At that time, when we had fled to a point several dozen li from Pengcheng, Gongjin also wished to die himself so that we, his subordinates, might live. And I actually agreed. I led the remnants into Pengcheng, but left him to die on the ridge between the fields. I have never been able to forget it. Now, in this present day, since I once again serve as another's lieutenant, how could I abandon my commanding general again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zhou Gongjin and I have always disagreed on policy, but his personal bearing was the finest in all of Huainan.\" Zhang Yide answered directly, without turning his head. \"His actions that day, though others might see them as mostly pedantic, to me, I felt they were utterly right...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This lowly officer also feels they were utterly right,\" Zhou Li suddenly interjected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Fei finally turned his head in puzzlement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Therefore, this lowly officer wishes to ask the General to grant me one or two things. Please, cross the river now and leave... If the General leaves, no one can stop you. And if this lowly officer remains here, I can naturally emulate Gongjin and earn his name!\" Zhou Li had clearly prepared this in advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord, do not cross the river; my lord, you crossed the river after all... Deputy Commander Zhou, crossing a river seems simple, but in truth it is not so simple.\" Zhang Yide gazed at the shimmering water before him and gave a rare bitter smile. \"However, that you wish to do this, I can barely understand. It is nothing more than that, with the greater situation having come to this, like Gongjin, you seek only a measure of integrity. But if you seek integrity for yourself, why make me lose mine?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not so.\" Zhou Li grew ever more composed. \"The General and I are different. Only by remaining here can I dissolve the knot in my chest. Only by leaving now can the General attain his integrity...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What kind of talk is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have worked with you, General, for barely a year, yet I flatter myself that I understand you a little.\" Zhou Li glanced back at the battlefield behind him, and only after a long while did he turn his head back and continue speaking, while the shouts of killing from that direction had already grown louder, pressing ever further south. \"What you seek is a spotless name — a life in which you never fail another. And after today's battle, whether the world, or General of the Left, or you and I — we all know that you have indeed not failed the General of the Left... That being so, why must you die?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can I still surrender, then?\" Zhang Fei sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am not telling you, General, to surrender — surrendering would be failing the General of the Left. But allow me to ask: if you die here now, would that not instead be failing Lord Yan? You must know that the whole world knows you have never in your life failed anyone, and that you have only ever received great kindness from the General of the Left and Lord Yan. Now that the greater situation is settled and your debt of grace to the General of the Left is repaid, do you intend to make Lord Yan's remaining years uneasy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Fei was slightly taken aback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, General, why not neither surrender nor die, but fly far away, preserving a useful and spotless self to continue cleansing this world?\" Zhou Li said, gazing down at the slowly flowing water. \"If your life or death is unknown, Lord Yan will keep a thread of hope — would that not, in fact, comfort him somewhat?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yide remained silent, only releasing the iron armor in his hands and striding slowly through the water eastward. A quarter of an hour later, only one man remained in the vicinity of this reed marsh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Li stared blankly at the water's surface, motionless and silent for a long time, then suddenly turned his head: \"Who are you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Commandant of Henan, Sima Yi of Henei!\" At Zhou Li's challenge, a man suddenly emerged from behind the river embankment — bare-chested, covered in blood and grime, his hair disheveled. He came to the bank, picked up that strange long spear, and leveled it from a distance, announcing his name. \"Are you Zhang Yide?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Li said not a word. Bare-chested, limping, he turned and walked up out of the river. Reaching the bank, he picked up his own broken spear from the ground and leveled it from a distance at the other man, then gave a cold laugh and shouted in reply:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When the age lacks heroes, even a brat makes a name! Does a whelp from Henei dare to strip and fight me, Zhang Yide?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————— I am the divider for Sima Yi Strips to Fight Zhang Fei —————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When Sima Yi went forth as Commandant of Henan and fought at the Yu River, he encountered Zhang Fei. Fei charged forward with valor, broke seven camps, beheaded four officers, and captured one. The Yan army's courage shattered. By the time he reached Yi's camp, Fei was but a lone rider, yet the entire camp dared not stir. When Liu Bei arrived again, the situation grew even more perilous. Yi, burning with shame and fury, stripped off his armor, cut his topknot, and bared his body to issue orders before the army, personally charging the line southward to strike Bei's central force — and won a great victory. When the whole army pursued Liu Bei, Yi alone sought Zhang Fei without cease, and found Fei washing his armor in the water. Both men were then bare-chested, and they fought fiercely at the Yu River. Fei suffered seven wounds and gradually weakened, and was slain in the water by Yi. But the current ran swift, and his body was never found.\" — Records of Late Han Heroes, by Wang Can\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Raging praise — over fifty pieces in the completion event! And the quality is genuinely high!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",6440,"2026-06-04T19:42:52.587Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","9b7f146111019c0acac44553cb100323305b29fd40596e662a39b7c9e3b20b59","overthrowing-han-chapter-527","overthrowing-han-chapter-525",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]