[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-60":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},1222819,1620,"Chapter 60: Before the Battle (Part 1)","overthrowing-han-chapter-60",60,"\u003Cp>\"Elder brother, you are truly a divine man!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That evening, in a tent belonging to the Mohu tribe located in the central army camp, Gongsun Fan, reeking of mutton, could not hold back upon seeing Gongsun Xun. He grabbed the other man's hand and, with intense emotion, said these words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he said them while making every effort to keep his voice low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Pu and Han Dang, standing to the side, said nothing, but the shock and admiration in their expressions were equally impossible to conceal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And no wonder — after the few of them had arrived here, they had muddle-headedly hidden in a pitch-black tent from morning until afternoon, eating when it was time to eat and resting when it was time to rest. Then, upon emerging, they discovered that Gongsun Xun had not only subverted a formidable tribe of three hundred men, but had also, with almost supernatural skill, maneuvered this tribe right up to the enemy chieftain's central command tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could there possibly be a better situation than this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among these men, it was Lou Gui who, having detected certain information in the accounting room of the Anli Firm — noticing that many small border tribes had close dealings with the firm — had sensed an opportunity and suggested that Gongsun Xun might probe in this direction, perhaps even using it to infiltrate the enemy camp and act according to circumstances!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even he had never imagined that this Gongsun Wenqi before him could accomplish something to this degree!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was not all. Mohu Tan, who had finally entered the tent, was also fluent in Han speech. He immediately proceeded to give a vivid, dramatic recounting of how Gongsun Xun had calmly fed a cat inside the tent, and Gongsun Fan and the others listened with even greater admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Gongsun Xun, seated in the place of honor with his expression as composed as ever, naturally would not explain to these men things like the \"Kezuique's Head Effect.\" With such a massive piece of leverage in hand, and having used both intimidation and threats, it would have been difficult for Mohu Tan and the Mohu tribe *not* to be \"vivid and dramatic\"! Nor would he tell them about the \"Cat Indeterminacy Principle of Kezuitan's Tent.\" Kezuitan had simply slapped his thigh and agreed to this request, one for which Gongsun Xun himself had not held much expectation — what could he do about that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any case... he might as well let these men regard him as a divine being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like that, after frankly accepting a round of flattery, Gongsun Xun suddenly heard Cheng Pu ask a critical question in a deep voice: \"That being the case, may I ask, Gongsun Registrar, at what hour tonight shall we raid the camp and slaughter that Xianbei Central Tribe chieftain?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And,\" Gongsun Fan quickly added, turning to Mohu Tan, \"have you managed to scout out the location where Lady Zhao is imprisoned, and how many troops are there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tent instantly fell silent. Everyone stared at the rather shifty-looking Mohu Tan. After all, according to what they all thought, since they had three hundred soldiers in hand and had so effortlessly infiltrated right up to the central army tent, the natural course of action was to launch a sudden surprise attack in the middle of the night!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as they killed Kezuitan and then protected Lady Zhao, success in a single battle would naturally follow. And this time, there was no need to worry about reinforcements at all, because Governor Zhao was encamped just over ten li away on the opposite side. The moment he saw chaos erupt here, he would naturally raise his entire army to rescue his mother, without the slightest delay... At such a distance, cavalry would arrive with a roar almost in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I went and asked around. The place where they are held seems to be right behind Kezuitan's own main tent. When the time comes, once we kill Kezuitan, we can charge straight there. As for the number of guards...\" Mohu Tan trailed off, growing somewhat nervous. \"Once the fighting starts, won't the entire central army, several thousand men, all come to besiege us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, no one spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed.\" Lou Gui could not suppress a cold laugh. \"In the midst of ten thousand troops, blooming right in the enemy's heart, and you still ask how many soldiers are there? All we can hope for is that Governor Zhao's great army arrives swiftly, or that these Xianbei fall into chaos themselves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite his foul mood, Gongsun Fan had no mind to bicker with Lou Gui at this moment, because what the man said was not wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If only we could agree on a time with Governor Zhao on the opposite side!\" Cheng Pu could not help but frown. \"But from what Gongsun Registrar said earlier, these Xianbei intend to march out tomorrow for a decisive battle with Governor Zhao. Even if we wanted to sneak out and make contact, I fear there is no time...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It does not matter.\" Han Dang spoke in a muffled, booming voice. \"Is not campaigning and fighting simply a matter of whether Heaven deigns to grant us favor? Blades and swords have no eyes, stray arrows no mercy — we simply do our utmost. What is more, we have already reached the very heart of the enemy army. From the larger strategic picture, this battle is a certain victory. From our own standpoint, we have a thirty percent chance of seizing complete merit! That being so... I, Han Dang, believe it is more than enough!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed!\" Gongsun Fan's courage swelled as well. \"We mere five men have come here and already have a thirty percent certainty of total victory — what more is there to say? Elder brother, give your orders! This battle shall make the name of our Gongsun clan known to all under Heaven!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun said nothing. He merely swept his gaze lightly over the five men before him, and in the end, his eyes came to rest on Mohu Tan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Master Gongsun, above all!\" Mohu Tan, seeing this, hastily dropped to his knees with a thud once more. \"Mohu Tan absolutely dares not harbor a disloyal heart. You need only give the order — the three hundred warriors of my tribe are all your loyal hounds tonight!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Fan and the others were all taken aback. When they glanced back at Gongsun Xun, their awe had clearly deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun shook his head slightly. \"Chief Mohu, why put on such a display? If I did not trust you, I would not have come to you in the first place. Besides, we have already come this far... Get up. I ask you, has there been any result regarding that other matter I had you investigate earlier?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\" Mohu Tan hurriedly rose and sat back down cross-legged on the ground. \"Young Master Gongsun's prediction was not wrong. I myself, as well as the tribesmen I sent out, have all detected signs. These elite central army troops of the Kezui tribe, and the tribes that are Kezuitan's trusted confidants, are all secretly packing their baggage...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lou Gui immediately frowned upon hearing this. \"He wants to run?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thinking of running before the lines have even met?\" Cheng Pu also frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why?\" Gongsun Fan was greatly puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perhaps reinforcements sent by the Provincial Governor from Lulong Fortress have been detected by him.\" As soon as Gongsun Xun spoke, Mohu Tan nodded repeatedly, and Gongsun Fan and the others also hurriedly nodded with expressions of sudden understanding. \"Or perhaps he had no will to fight from the very beginning... According to what Chief Mohu said, this man only recently took over the tribe and was just appointed as the Xianbei Central Tribe chieftain. His authority is not yet secure, and there is much dissent within the tribe. Think about it — if he were to lose a battle at this moment, and his own core tribe suffered heavy losses, the Kezui tribe itself would likely overthrow him. Even Tanshihuai would not be able to protect him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Master Gongsun's words are extremely reasonable.\" Mohu Tan wore an expression of complete admiration. \"If it were me at this time, I also would not dare to fight a hard battle... In fact, I had heard people say before that this Kezuitan gathering a great army to attack Liucheng was itself a direct order from the Great Khan Tanshihuai, and he simply had no choice but to come.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But... if he has no will to fight, then why not just surround Liucheng as a show of force? Why try to advance and raid Yangluo?\" Cheng Pu was quite puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mere opportunism!\" Gongsun Xun sneered. \"He has absolutely no strategy whatsoever. He simply happened to run into Lady Zhao at Liucheng, thought he had a rare prize, and so came to try and force Yangluo's surrender. As a result, he ran headlong into Governor Zhao's great army on the road and was instantly scared out of his wits again... In truth, I figured it out today in the enemy commander's tent. A bunch of Xianbei savages — their institutions are incomplete, they have no written script, and they set up a main camp without even knowing how to build watchtowers. What the hell do they understand about the larger strategic picture? They see a small profit and can't help but reach out; they encounter a tough bone and can't help but go weak in the knees. To produce a single Tanshihuai is already a blessing from Heaven. Did we really expect every one of these Xianbei to be a figure of consequence?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mohu Tan's expression dimmed. The others all nodded, quite convinced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Therefore,\" Gongsun Xun said, looking around at the group, \"if my assessment is correct, this Kezuitan will have absolutely no heart for battle tomorrow. He has staked all his hopes entirely on Lady Zhao, single-mindedly counting on Governor Zhao to let him off. And then, whether it succeeds or not, he will likely turn tail and run immediately. And also, Chief Mohu...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here.\" Mohu Tan could not help but swallow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His granting you entry into the central army today probably had no good intentions either.\" Gongsun Xun continued to sneer. \"He likely feels that Lady Zhao has considerable moral integrity and that the negotiations tomorrow might very well fail. That being the case, why not let your Mohu tribe, which is fluent in the Han tongue, step forward to handle the negotiations... and serve as a shield for him in front of the battle lines!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mohu Tan's lips trembled twice, but in the end, no words came out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it the Mohu tribe that will bring the Lady before the lines to negotiate tomorrow?\" Lou Gui suddenly realized. \"If that is the case...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not certain.\" Gongsun Xun said sternly. \"But no matter what, tomorrow before the battle lines, Lady Zhao and her entire family will most likely be pushed to the front. And since the Mohu tribe has been pulled into the central army, tomorrow you can naturally volunteer to serve as the vanguard... The opportunity at that moment will undoubtedly be far greater than at night!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed.\" Lou Gui struck the ground with his palm. \"At night, we do not know Lady Zhao's exact location, but tomorrow before the lines, we will see it clearly. At night, we do not know when Governor Zhao's great army can arrive, but tomorrow before the lines, they can reach us in an instant. More importantly, even if we were to rise up suddenly at night, we might not necessarily be able to rescue...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough.\" Gongsun Xun glared at him. \"My decision is made. We will not raid the camp tonight, but will make our decisive move tomorrow before the battle lines... You will follow my orders!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\" Including Mohu Tan, the five men hastily bowed their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chief Mohu, tomorrow in the command tent, you are to volunteer to be the vanguard. When Lady Zhao's entire family is pushed before the battle lines, you must step forward and volunteer to serve as interpreter! And when Lady Zhao flees, you must do everything in your power to block the pursuers!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please rest assured, Young Master Gongsun. The lives of the entire Mohu tribe are in your hands. We absolutely dare not fail in this matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cheng Pu, Gongsun Fan, Lou Gui...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Zhao's family consists of three key figures: the Lady Dowager, the Governor's wife, and the Governor's daughter. Tomorrow, after they are pushed out, regardless of whether Chief Mohu gets the chance to go forward as an escort and interpreter, the three of you are to disguise yourselves as Xianbei soldiers and follow behind. The moment you hear me raise my voice from the rear, each of you take one person and immediately protect those three as you flee... Remember, do not charge wildly toward Governor Zhao's battle lines. With tens of thousands of troops facing off, that would only make things worse. Run to the side — Governor Zhao will certainly understand what is at stake!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\" Cheng Pu agreed with extreme crispness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\" Lou Gui's face was pale, and his lips were trembling — whether from excitement or nervousness was unclear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes... but what about you, elder brother?\" Gongsun Fan could not help but press the question after agreeing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Yigong and I will remain within the enemy formation.\" Gongsun Xun answered frankly. \"After all, there are too many uncertainties... To say nothing else, if Chief Mohu is called before the lines to relay messages, then who will command the Mohu tribe's three hundred men to block the enemy troops? Among the few of us, there must be someone who can truly take charge and hold the fort here with the Mohu tribe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The men's hearts tightened as they all realized what this meant — Gongsun Xun intended both to stay behind and oversee the troops, and to serve as a hostage himself. After all, if no figure of corresponding importance remained in the enemy formation, and their own chief was absent, why would the three hundred men of the Mohu tribe risk their lives to hold back the enemy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Master Gongsun!\" Mohu Tan indeed bowed his head once more. \"Please rest assured. The prestige of the Gongsun clan is immensely formidable in Liaoxi. When I return today and explain things clearly to my younger brother, that stupid donkey, and my other trusted confidants, and when the time comes I invoke the name of your Gongsun clan, then even if I am not present tomorrow, they will certainly obey your commands obediently...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is good. Thank you for your hard work, Chief Mohu!\" Gongsun Xun put away his stern expression and, uncharacteristically, gave the man a warm smile. \"The matter is settled then. Go back and brief your trusted men. Have them make preparations, and then rest early... There is still a bitter battle to fight tomorrow!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mohu Tan knelt and kowtowed once more before respectfully withdrawing. The remaining men were silent for a time. Just like that, when dinner was delivered, the few of them reluctantly discussed some further details for the next day, then gathered and checked their weapons, bows, and arrows... Following Gongsun Xun's instructions, they spread out sheepskins in this filthy tent and lay down directly to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as the outside gradually grew quiet and the sound of snoring began to rise within the tent, someone suddenly spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder brother!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why aren't you sleeping?\" Gongsun Xun, without moving a muscle, immediately demanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the afternoon there was truly nothing to do over there, so I slept for a while.\" In the darkness, one couldn't make out any movement, only Gongsun Fan's voice could be heard. \"And there is one thing I don't understand...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Speak,\" Gongsun Xun replied with considerable impatience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I keep feeling that you chose daytime rather than night, not simply because the odds of victory are greater during the day. After all, if we caught them off guard at night, the enemy camp would fall into chaos immediately — a few of us able-bodied youths with courage, plus three hundred soldiers, might actually be safer. In broad daylight, before an army of ten thousand, one misstep and we could easily become the target of ten thousand arrows...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But if we act at night, Lady Zhao and the others would very likely die without knowing why,\" Gongsun Xun explained with some helplessness. \"A night battle, tens of thousands of soldiers, campfires blazing, every man fighting for himself... I ask you, three women — how much confidence do we have of keeping them safe? What if one or two die? What if all of them die?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And what if they do die?\" Gongsun Fan asked, lowering his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If they die, hearts are hard to predict. Governor Zhao would inevitably detest us, and might very well vent his anger on the few of us, or even on the entire Gongsun clan,\" Gongsun Xun answered helplessly. \"Don't forget, this Governor is the clan brother of Eunuch Zhao, and the old lady is Eunuch Zhao's aunt by marriage. Once his anger turns on us, our Gongsun clan would likely face utter catastrophe...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But if, before an army of ten thousand, in a situation of certain death, we save them right before his eyes — then even if his entire family perishes from stray arrows, it would have nothing to do with us, and he would still be grateful to us, grateful to our Gongsun clan... Is that what you mean, elder brother?\" Gongsun Fan seemed to suddenly grasp the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun's drowsiness had already surged up, and he was truly too lazy to open his mouth to reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder brother!\" Gongsun Fan suddenly stirred with considerable noise, as if sitting up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What now?\" Gongsun Xun demanded helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You and I, as brothers, have actually rarely been close,\" Gongsun Fan's tone sounded somewhat agitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And then?\" Lying there, smelling the mutton stench behind his head, Gongsun Xun grew even more impatient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But today, please, you must let me, your younger brother, do my part for you!\" From the sound of it, Gongsun Fan was practically speaking through gritted teeth. \"Tomorrow, you, Cheng Pu, and Lou Gui will rescue the people and then flee directly. Han Dang and I will stay behind in the enemy lines to block the pursuit for you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And why is that?\" Gongsun Xun forced himself to focus and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am the eldest grandson of the Gongsun main line. If you say the Mohu tribe only recognizes you, elder brother, I can believe that. But since this Mohu division is a local tribe of Liaoxi, there is no reason they would recognize only you and not me...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm not asking about that. I'm asking why you suddenly want to do this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder brother, I am the eldest grandson of the Gongsun main line...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since childhood, Grandfather taught me nothing more than to make the clan prosper, and so on,\" Gongsun Fan's tone grew increasingly urgent. \"Yet only today have I understood — if the Gongsun clan is to rise greatly, it can do without Gongsun Fan, but it cannot do without Gongsun Xun!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was an illusion or not, the snoring all around seemed to pause for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then it's settled. Tomorrow I will block the enemy in your place. Elder brother, you must preserve your useful life!\" Gongsun Fan spoke these words with fervent emotion, then there was another rustling sound, as if he had lain back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The snoring resumed. Only after a long while did Gongsun Xun reply: \"I understand...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gongsun Fan, courtesy name Wendian, was the Grand Ancestor's cousin, the eldest grandson of the Gongsun main line. His great-grandfather, grandfather, and father all held posts of two thousand shi. In former times, when the mother of the Liaoxi Commandery Governor was taken captive by the Xianbei, Fan, together with Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and Lou Gui, followed the Grand Ancestor with disheveled hair and bare feet as they infiltrated the enemy camp and persuaded the Mohu division to switch sides. The Grand Ancestor set the plan deep in the night, saying they would launch troops the next day. Fan, along with Pu, Gui, and others, was to escort the Governor's mother swiftly back to the Han army lines, while the Grand Ancestor himself would remain as a hostage in the enemy camp, blocking the enemy forces together with the Mohu division. Fan refused, arguing that the Mohu division, being of Xianbei stock, could not be fully trusted, and that facing an army of ten thousand with only a few hundred barbarian soldiers was truly too dangerous — he wished to take the Grand Ancestor's place. The Grand Ancestor declined and deferred, whereupon Fan knelt on the ground and said: 'Now that the realm is crumbling, we can do without Fan, but we cannot do without you, elder brother.' The Grand Ancestor then agreed.\" — Old Book of Yan, Volume 67, Biographies 17, The Various Gongsuns\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Life is getting harder and harder... just like these updates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, there's a new book group. Interested classmates can join: 684558115.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3564,"2026-06-04T19:42:03.441Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","703d6ecad887184f1d0364234225027a73c194603c8febbe28fd990ece905809","overthrowing-han-chapter-61","overthrowing-han-chapter-59",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]