[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-76":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},1222835,1620,"Chapter 76: Evacuating the Settlements (End)","overthrowing-han-chapter-76",76,"\u003Cp>The sky was already faintly brightening. Han Dang and Cheng Pu each sent men to check the surrounding areas once more, confirming that everyone else had already left, before finally escorting the two captured men before Gongsun Xun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Gongsun Xun had spent the entire previous night simply sitting cross-legged on a stone in front of the livestock pen, quite composed. But at this moment, looking at these two young men — their hair torn loose, their robes stripped away, pinned to the ground — he suddenly felt somewhat agitated and uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One of you is called Wei Yue. Who is the other?\" Lu Fan, taking the lead without hesitation, stepped forward and began the interrogation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two young men, their shoulders pressed down, forced themselves to exchange a glance, but only sneered repeatedly, saying nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Officer Lu asked you a question!\" Han Dang was the first to grow impatient. He had always considered himself Gongsun Xun's trusted henchman, yet the power of that arrow last night had left him utterly baffled. Although they later captured one man, it was clearly not the archer, so he had been brooding ever since.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine.\" One of the young men suddenly raised his head to look at Gongsun Xun, revealing a stubbled chin, and spoke with a sneer. \"This one surnamed Gongsun — I've been in your camp these ten-odd days and have come to know you as a man of some bearing. If I answer freely, you must guarantee you won't implicate my fellow villagers!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other man turned his head to glance at his companion but said nothing more. Clearly, the two were close and trusted each other... Come to think of it, they had come in the middle of the night to rescue someone — how could their bond not be close?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Naturally so.\" Gongsun Xun agreed before Han Dang could speak. \"From your words, you are one of the migrants, the one captured later?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly. Wei Yue and I are both from Jiuyuan County in Wuyuan Commandery.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is your name?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cheng Lian!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun frowned slightly. \"Wei Yue, Cheng Lian... Your surname is rather rare. The 'Cheng' that means 'achievement'?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Among those who came to extract you last night, there was one skilled archer. Who was he?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That man is the son of a prominent local family from our hometown who left earlier. He, Wei Yue, and I are sworn brothers unto death. We had arranged beforehand that on the night before reaching the Yellow River, he, Wei Yue, and a few other brothers would come together to extract me and escape. I never expected you to be so composed — the camp showed no opening whatsoever. Not only did I fail to get away, but I lost Wei Yue here. And since he was trapped, how could I hide alone in the camp? So I came to rescue him... only to be taken barehanded by a penal slave. As for the specific name of that skilled archer, I dare not speak it. After all, what I seek is precisely not to implicate others.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well... You had that man and Wei Yue extract you — where were you planning to flee?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We planned to go to Xihe and see if we could make a living among the Xiongnu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A Han man, fleeing to live among the Xiongnu?\" Gongsun Xun couldn't help raising his voice in questioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Among the Xiongnu, there are no Han officers burning crops and tearing down houses, no Han officers seizing livestock and selling people off to prominent Yanmen families as household slaves!\" Wei Yue, who had been sneering all along, suddenly burst out in loud protest. \"This Cheng Lian is a strong lad. Once there, the Xiongnu will naturally give him a horse to ride and a blade to wield. Why couldn't he go?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who is selling whom to prominent Yanmen families as household slaves?\" Gongsun Xun's face suddenly turned cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither Cheng Lian nor Wei Yue showed fear at his change of expression. The former even laughed scornfully. \"This Wei Yue is a wastrel who spends his days cadging off others. As for me, my elder brother served as a garrison soldier and died at the hands of the Xianbei this past spring. Now I'm alone, with no ties at all. Since you promised not to implicate my fellow villagers in the settlement, if you want to kill Wei Yue and me to make an example, then do it quickly. No need for such theatrics! You should know, putting on airs for dead men does you no good!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go to the migrant camp and inquire whether this Cheng Lian has any other relatives — a widowed sister-in-law, an aunt, or the like...\" Lu Fan, standing to the side, suddenly beckoned an armored soldier over and gave these instructions right in front of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You promised me you wouldn't implicate my fellow villagers...\" Cheng Lian immediately panicked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only my master promised that.\" Lu Fan replied coldly. \"I did not!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What exactly do you want?\" Wei Yue, beside him, also demanded indignantly. \"Cheng Lian does have a widowed sister-in-law in the camp. Otherwise, with his skills, he would have fled long ago! Are you not men of seven or eight chi? Why must you drag in a woman who can't even truss a chicken?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I only want to ask!\" Gongsun Xun said sternly. \"Who is selling whom to prominent Yanmen families as household slaves?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn't it you government troops?\" Hearing this question again, the more hot-tempered Wei Yue's face suddenly flushed crimson, and he practically roared — it was only thanks to the two Liaoxi armored soldiers holding him down firmly. \"Just tricking us with talk of evacuating settlements and migrating. But there are prominent families in the four commanderies too — we've long since found out that those moved to Taiyuan and Shangdang might still have a way to live, but among the common households moved to Yanmen, which one isn't stripped of their property by the officials and then sold off like pigs and sheep? Cheng Lian and I are sworn brothers unto death with the son of a prominent family, so of course we know about this!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun, Lu Fan, and the others all changed color drastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, seeing that matters had reached this point, Cheng Lian also sneered and spoke: \"Truth be told, if I were alone, being sold as a mounted slave would be one thing, or I would have long since fled on horseback! But before my elder brother died, he entrusted me to marry his widow and treat her well. We were supposed to wed after the autumn harvest, but then you burned our crops, tore down our houses, and seized our livestock. Even my sister-in-law, once we cross the Yellow River, will likely be separated from me and sold off... Even wild dogs on the steppe know to struggle before they die, let alone me, Cheng Lian, who killed wild dogs at ten and shot Xianbei raiders at fifteen!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the other finished speaking, Gongsun Xun felt increasingly vexed in his heart. Then he suddenly turned his head to look at Lu Fan: \"Go fetch his sister-in-law! And bring two horses!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wei Yue heard the first sentence, he was about to curse loudly, but upon hearing the second, he couldn't help but freeze, just like Cheng Lian beside him. Yet he still spoke stubbornly: \"Don't think that because of this, Cheng Lian and I will be grateful to you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't need your gratitude.\" Gongsun Xun waved his hand somewhat irritably. \"Only one thing is required. You two and his sister-in-law may go find that sworn brother of yours and go with him to Taiyuan to make a living, but you are forbidden to go to the Xiongnu!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Yue and Cheng Lian were immediately stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Also, the penal slave who captured this fellow earlier, and the one who detected the movement last night — they should be rewarded as well.\" Gongsun Xun continued rapidly. \"If their crimes were minor, issue a document to absolve their convict status and give them a position like squad leader. If their crimes were grave and unpardonable, then reward them heavily with goods and coin... Light the fires if you're going to light fires, cook if you're going to cook. I'm going back to catch up on sleep!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these words, Gongsun Xun actually stood up directly, went straight back to his tent, removed his armor, and went to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fan and Han Dang looked at each other, and in the end, they followed his instructions. They had no choice but to fetch Cheng Lian's sister-in-law, bring out two horses, and let the three of them go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By noon, the group crossed the Yellow River again — horses and livestock first, as before, then the people. And Gongsun Xun chose to personally bring up the rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current was gentle, and the sheepskin raft glided easily to the center of the Yellow River. Just then, Han Dang suddenly stood up and had the \"proprietor\" poling the raft \"stop\" it midstream. Now, this last raft, which fell behind, could originally carry a great deal of cargo, but at this moment, besides the \"proprietor,\" there were only four people: Han Dang, Jia Chao — both armed with blades and bows — and the other two were Gongsun Xun and Registrar Zhang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Han Dang's actions, Registrar Zhang, who had long since heard about the events of last night and that morning, inwardly cried out in alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master Zhang!\" Gongsun Xun sighed. \"You are the clan brother of that man of ten-thousand-insect-defying valor. I have long admired him from afar and naturally will not treat you with disrespect... So, please, do not make things difficult for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if this Registrar Zhang were not the distant clan brother of the \"man of ten-thousand-insect-defying valor,\" he was still a clever fellow. So he immediately sat steady on the sheepskin raft in the middle of the river and raised his hand in salute: \"I, Zhang Ze, have a family. I truly do not wish to visit the bottom of the Yellow River. So, Commander, ask whatever you wish — I will speak without reserve!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The man who escaped today insisted that migrant households evacuated from the four commanderies, upon reaching Yanmen, are sold to prominent families... Is this true or false?\" Gongsun Xun asked sternly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What does it matter?\" Hearing this question, Registrar Zhang seemed somewhat dismissive, even relieved. \"This batch of migrants will inevitably be sent first to Pingcheng for you, Commander Gongsun, to select soldiers from. It absolutely won't interfere with your affairs...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am asking about the past!\" Gongsun Xun reminded him sternly. \"Master Zhang just said he would speak without reserve!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the past...\" Registrar Zhang sighed helplessly. \"Such things did happen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun's expression changed violently: \"Who sold them?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Naturally, the Grand Administrator!\" Registrar Zhang quickly answered. \"Commander Gongsun, you are a perceptive man. Why must I spell out these matters? A moment's thought makes it clear... For the prominent families, these commoners have already lost their land, goods, and houses, and have arrived in a new place. The families naturally have ten thousand legal ways to take them in as retainers and household servants — why would they need to pay the government to buy them? And how many of us minor officials would dare to profit from such a thing? At most, we skim a little surplus during the transfer of migrants! This matter is simply that our Yanmen Grand Administrator, Prefect Zhang, is somewhat greedy — as the saying goes, he plucks the passing goose. He inserts himself in the middle to squeeze some extra benefits from both the prominent families and these commoner households!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun laughed coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ze was unnerved by the laughter and quickly spoke to dissuade him: \"I understand Commander Gongsun's sentiment. You are young, after all, and your compassion has been stirred, so you feel indignant. However, if I may say so, this matter is truly of no real consequence... Think about it — those migrant households moved to Taiyuan and Shangdang, as outsiders without wealth to support them, over time, how many will not be swallowed up by the prominent families? Perhaps many will even beg for the prominent families' protection! In the end, it will all be the same!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the end, it may be the same, but the experience along the way is ultimately different.\" Gongsun Xun stopped laughing and replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What difference is there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One more Grand Administrator who knowingly breaks the law, and one more Thousand-Dan Commander who meddles in others' business!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you intend to do?\" Zhang Ze felt utterly drained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing much. Once we reach the other bank, I must ask Master Zhang to write all these matters out for me one by one, affix your official seal, and then we can be on our way...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ze shook his head repeatedly: \"You intend to move against Prefect Zhang?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He is a Two-Thousand-Dan official!\" Zhang Ze made one last effort to dissuade him. \"And you are merely a Thousand-Dan Commander, with no hierarchical authority over each other...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since my resolve is set, if I cannot bring him down, let me, Gongsun Wenqi, be like this object!\" As soon as the words fell, at a signal from Gongsun Xun, Han Dang lowered his head and shot an arrow at his feet, directly blasting apart one of the inflated skins beneath the sheepskin raft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Registrar Zhang was splashed in the face with river water, stared wide-eyed and tongue-tied, and dared not say another word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the beginning, [Lu] Fan followed the Grand Ancestor to the military colony at Yanmen, serving as a subordinate officer... The detached division once crossed the river for the commandery to receive evacuated households from Wuyuan. At night, there were escapees; they were captured, and it was learned that the Yanmen Grand Administrator, Zhang Qi, was selling the migrant households to local magnates as retainers. The Grand Ancestor, enraged, entered the tent. None dared speak; only Fan and [Han] Dang followed him in. The Grand Ancestor then said: 'I must report this to the higher authorities!' Dang shielded the tent door. Fan petitioned: 'The affairs of state are difficult. Even without the selling, propertyless commoners would inevitably be taken by the magnates. What benefit is there in reporting it?' The Grand Ancestor said sternly: 'The commoners are indeed in dire straits, but my heart cannot bear it!' Both Fan and Dang sighed. The Grand Ancestor also said: 'Consider this further: I, a man of Yan, have entered Jin territory to lead a single division alone. Neither superiors nor subordinates regard me as upright; I have repeatedly been betrayed. If I do not bring down one or two Two-Thousand-Dan officials, how can I overawe and subdue those people?' Fan, hearing this, nodded and then offered a plan. When crossing the river, the Grand Ancestor employed Fan's plan, detaining the Yanmen Military Registrar, Zhang Ze, alone on a raft midstream, and compelled him to expose the crimes of Grand Administrator Zhang Qi.\" — New Book of Yan, Volume 68, Biography 18, Biography of Lu Fan\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Launching on Friday, one more note — I'm doing this part-time, so… I'm releasing the only remaining draft chapter I have now… Don't expect any mass updates… there won't be any. I can guarantee regular updates, but I simply can't manage mass releases… Nearly twenty thousand bookmarks — can I get seven hundred first-day subscriptions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, the new book group is 684558115. Feel free to join if you're interested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2623,"2026-06-04T19:42:03.441Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","e83a6176ab3913a0ba8cdb574791ca08894ae63a85886f299c66a416d2a58150","overthrowing-han-chapter-77","overthrowing-han-chapter-75",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]