[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-86":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},1222845,1620,"Chapter 86: Transferring Garrisons","overthrowing-han-chapter-86",86,"\u003Cp>Supervising construction is an exceptionally tedious task, even somewhat agonizing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, when Gongsun Xun was in Jizhou, he had already lamented that if war broke out and the local populace were conscripted for corvée labor, who knew how many households would be ruined because of it... But that was only Hebei, and Hebei, after all, was the heartland of the Great Han, its prosperity simply incomparable to Bingzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, for this \"once and for all\" military operation, during the first half of the sixth year of Xiping, Gongsun Xun witnessed firsthand how the entire Yanmen Commandery rapidly declined at a speed visible to the naked eye... The early conscription of laborers caused a mass exodus of households; the mid-period requisition of grain and fodder bankrupted many families of moderate means; and in the later stages, to rush the project to completion, many officials and prominent households were implicated and punished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the start, Gongsun Xun had still been somewhat vaguely reluctant to leave this place—after all, he had built his military camp here, recruited a large number of soldiers here, established some connections and a foundation in Yanmen, and watched cuju matches here every ten days... But later, as he watched the market outside Pingcheng gradually vanish, the soldiers' matches slowly lose their audience, and even the whole of Pingcheng turn bleak and desolate, he ultimately just wanted to flee this place as fast as possible!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gongsun Sima.\" In just half a year, Guo Yun seemed to have aged three years. \"Thank you for understanding our difficulties these past six months... You are about to leave for Youzhou, and I have nothing else to offer but a cup of plain wine to see you off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun accepted the wine cup with both hands, a bitter smile on his face: \"Governor Guo is too kind. It is I who have imposed upon Yanmen for over a year. Besides, although Gaoliu falls under Youzhou's jurisdiction, it is merely ninety li from here, hardly a place separated by high mountains and long roads. We shall remain neighbors henceforth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could we possibly remain neighbors?\" Guo Yun forced a smile. \"Though the soldiers and people are somewhat weary, our Han army's armor and weapons are sharp, our troops elite and fierce. Even if one Han cannot match five Hu, he can match three... And Danhan Mountain lies just three hundred li north of Gaoliu Fortress. Moreover, the great victory in Liaoxi has left the Xianbei heartland empty. Thus, this campaign ultimately favors our Great Han. With your renowned prestige, Gongsun Sima, you are bound for promotion sooner or later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Gongsun Xun, holding his wine cup, could not help but laugh... Indeed, no matter what, both his own understanding and his mother's analysis indicated that the Great Han—and even the northern warlords of the centuries to follow—could maintain dominance over the surrounding foreign tribes. So, even if this campaign was somewhat hastily arranged, even if things here in Bingzhou felt a bit off, the overall strategic situation should not suffer any major mishap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Tian Yan, who had \"petitioned\" the powerful eunuch Wang Fu for his generalship, was himself one of the last renowned generals of the Great Han. He and Xia Yu were both the most outstanding commanders under Duan Jiong of the \"Three Brilliances of Liangzhou,\" just as Dong Zhuo was to Zhang Huan. Moreover, Gongsun Xun had recently received word that Zang Min, perhaps feeling he lacked enough trusted Han troops to anchor the formation, had actually summoned his former subordinate serving as an Assistant County Magistrate in Xiapi—the Fierce Tiger of Jiangdong, Sun Jian, Sun Wentai!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The latter had just arrived at Xihe a few days ago with several hundred Jianghuai wanderers... It was only then that Gongsun Xun vaguely realized why Han Dang and Cheng Pu had crossed paths with Sun Jian. It was not that the two of them had gone south, but that the tiger of Jiangdong had actually come to the Yan and Dai region!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any case, setting aside these men's character and backgrounds, the current situation was this: the three veteran commanders Tian Yan, Zang Min, and Xia Yu would split their forces into three routes; Dong Zhuo, as Inspector of Bingzhou, would anchor the formation in Bingzhou; Liu Yu, as Inspector of Youzhou, would anchor the formation in Youzhou. Moreover, the army included heroes of great fortune like Sun Jian, Gongsun Zan, Han Dang, and Cheng Pu... Such a lineup, supported by over ten thousand elite Han troops from Youzhou and Bingzhou, over ten thousand Wuhuan and Xiongnu shock cavalry, and the entire Great Han behind them, was marching to strike Danhan Mountain, a mere three hundred li from the border defense line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This... no matter how you looked at it, there was no reason to lose, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very least, according to Gongsun Xun's understanding, it was impossible to lose. Thus, he raised his cup and drained it in one gulp, accepting the other's goodwill with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After drinking the farewell wine, he turned to look back at the six or seven hundred subordinates arrayed behind him, their banners, armor, and weapons all distinct and orderly. Just as he was about to set off, Gongsun Xun suddenly remembered something and turned back again: \"Governor Guo, there is one more matter I wish to entrust to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Speak freely,\" Guo Yun replied, unconcerned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will not hide it from you, Governor,\" Gongsun Xun said with a serious expression. \"A full third of my unit is drawn from the Wuyuan migrants. The place they previously lived bordered our military camp. While my unit was here, there was naturally nothing to worry about, but now that we are going to Gaoliu, the Xiongnu are coming here...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What does Wenqi wish to do?\" Guo Yun asked, frowning slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Governor Guo,\" Gongsun Xun pointed to Pingcheng nearby. \"These people originally numbered barely a thousand. I took away one or two hundred able-bodied young men, and several hundred more fled during the earlier corvée conscription. Now only a few hundred women and children remain... I heard that many houses in Pingcheng were vacated due to people fleeing the corvée. I wonder if they could be dispersed and relocated within Pingcheng city, properly settled?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If it is only a few hundred women and children, this matter is simple enough,\" Guo Yun sighed. \"Leave it all to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, Governor.\" Gongsun Xun bowed sincerely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is my duty as Grand Administrator to begin with,\" Guo Yun shook his head helplessly. \"It is rather you, Sima, as I have heard others say before, who after a year here has increasingly shown a heart of benevolence and righteousness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun also shook his head slightly, then bowed once more, formally bidding farewell to Guo Yun and Pingcheng. He turned and headed toward Gaoliu Fortress (later Yanggao in Shanxi), several tens of li away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gaoliu Fortress and Gaoliu County were not the same thing. Gaoliu County was the seat of Dai Commandery, while Gaoliu Fortress specifically referred to the Great Wall fortress adjacent to Gaoliu County, directly facing the Xianbei royal court at Danhan Mountain. It was the westernmost military stronghold of Youzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this perspective, throughout the Han dynasty, militarily they were ultimately not lacking in resolve. Whether it was Yangle City, the commandery seat of Liaoxi, or Gaoliu City, the commandery seat of Dai Commandery, both were frontline strategic locations bearing the brunt of attack, carrying a certain flavor of the Grand Administrator guarding the national gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun set out from Pingcheng with six or seven hundred men, traveling the entire way along the inner edge of the Great Wall. Thanks to clear roads and safe passage, they rested only one night along the way and arrived leisurely at Gaoliu Fortress by noon the next day... And here, among those welcoming him, he saw two faces he had long been separated from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder Brother!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun certainly did not put on bureaucratic airs. In fact, the moment he saw Gongsun Zan, he immediately dismounted and went forward to greet him. \"Why is Elder Brother here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am not like you, Wenqi, so young and already bearing an official seal,\" Gongsun Zan glanced at the black silk cord and bronze seal on his clansman's person, unable to suppress a series of sighs. \"So after much deliberation, I finally went to join Lord Xia. I am now a subordinate officer in Lord Xia's army, having just entered his staff two or three days ago... He heard you were my clansman, so he sent me to welcome you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun first nodded repeatedly, then hurriedly offered a few words of comfort: \"Elder Brother need not mind. The journey from one thousand dan to two thousand dan is bound to involve many years of ups and downs in officialdom. I have merely taken a step ahead; once Elder Brother finds his proper path, you will eventually catch up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I hope so!\" Though Gongsun Zan spoke modestly, he could not conceal the eager, itching-for-action look on his face. \"No matter what, I absolutely will not let this campaign pass me by again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder Brother is certain to achieve extraordinary merit!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I accept Wenqi's auspicious words.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, the two brothers could not help but look at each other and laugh heartily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly, these two were not merely exchanging pleasantries, nor were they secretly harboring jealousy with daggers hidden behind their smiles. In fact, when the two brothers were in Liaoxi and Luoyang, there had indeed been a faint, almost imperceptible sense of competition between them (even Gongsun Yue could see it). But once they truly came of age, left their hometown, and began to mingle in foreign lands as officials, they each gradually realized that without truly reliable people to support one another, accomplishing anything—whether in deeds or in officialdom—was doubly difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, from the perspective the two now held, the world was so vast—could it not accommodate both a Gongsun Xun and a Gongsun Zan? Even if Gongsun Xun knew more in his heart, he vaguely hoped the other would endure even longer, would that not be for the better?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After exchanging greetings with Gongsun Zan, Gongsun Xun turned his gaze to the person behind him, but could not help wearing a strange smile: \"Lou Gui, and why are you here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reporting to the Young Lord,\" after not seeing him for over a year, Lou Gui had also grown a beard and appeared noticeably more mature. He cupped his hands slightly and said, \"The Lady heard you were going beyond the frontier to fight, and knowing you lacked capable men, and that I, Lou Zibo, happen to be skilled in battlefield planning and direction, she dispatched me here to await you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Han Dang and Cheng Pu could not help but exchange glances, yet could not be bothered to say much. Lu Fan, possessing an excellent temperament, paid it no mind at all... As for Gongsun Xun, for the sake of the terms \"Young Lord\" and \"Lady\" the other used, he forgave him for the time being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your family's accountant,\" Gongsun Zan, completely unaware of this man's background, interjected merely out of obligation. \"Sent by Aunt. She said to let him manage logistics or something for you... I can see now too, if you want to accomplish things, you ultimately need to gather some capable hands.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder Brother must have quite a few figures in his own entourage by now?\" Gongsun Xun was taken aback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A mere subordinate officer in the army, where would I get an entourage to hold people?\" Gongsun Zan dismissed the notion. \"However, over this past year or so, I have indeed befriended many heroic figures in the Yan and Dai region. I will wait until I, like you, wear a seal on my sash before recruiting them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun nodded repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough of this,\" Gongsun Zan continued. \"I have already cleared out a place for you in this fortress, ready-made barracks. Let Ziheng, Yigong, and the others handle the settling in. You, take a light cavalry escort and come with me to pay respects to Lord Xia!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun nodded again without pause... As it happened, Xia Yu's encampment was at Ningcheng, located on the border of Dai Commandery and Shanggu Commandery, only a few dozen li from Gaoliu. Going there with light cavalry was a matter of a single afternoon, completely unlike back in Bingzhou where sending a letter to Xihe took several days. And now that he had just been formally transferred here, official documents aside, with a major battle imminent, he had to meet his commanding general, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Gongsun Xun, disregarding his fatigue, set off once more, following his clansman to meet the Staff-Bearing Colonel Protector of the Wuhuan, Xia Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Xia's main force actually does not have many Han troops, just over two thousand infantry and cavalry. Adding your unit, barely three thousand Han troops.\" Along the way, Gongsun Zan naturally explained the local conditions and customs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn't that far too few?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is why, for this expedition beyond the frontier, we must still conscript a large number of Wuhuan shock cavalry to make it feasible. The Shanggu Wuhuan are also somewhat different from the Liaoxi Wuhuan; they live within the frontier, are more Sinicized, and more docile.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How many are they preparing to conscript?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hard to say. The central government's orders have already been issued, and the departure beyond the frontier is imminent, but the Wuhuan and Lord Xia have yet to reach an agreement. Mainly because the rewards have not arrived. So for now, they are only willing to provide four thousand shock cavalry, while Lord Xia hopes they can provide seven thousand, even nine thousand...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is clearly excessive. The Shanggu Wuhuan have barely over nine thousand hearths. This is an offensive campaign beyond the frontier, not a defensive one. One rider per hearth...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi thinks much as I do. I estimate it will ultimately be around five thousand Wuhuan shock cavalry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is not a small number... Compared to the Han troops, it is still somewhat too many. Once we are beyond the frontier, can they be controlled?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From the official documents I handle at the Colonel's office, judging by Lord Xia's intentions, he will likely also conscript the elite commandery troops from Shanggu and Dai.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How many?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Two thousand per commandery.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Would that not leave the border defenses empty?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we are all going beyond the frontier, why worry about empty border defenses?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is true, I suppose.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「……」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Here in Ningcheng, Lord Xia can basically make any decision and it will be carried out. And the Inspector of You Province, Lord Liu, is also quite amiable — on one hand he rarely interferes with military affairs here, but on the other hand he never shortchanges us on funds and provisions... The only troublesome one is the Grand Administrator of Dai Commandery, Wang Ze, Wang Jidao. This man was transferred here together with our Grand Administrator Hou under the pretext of 'understanding military affairs,' but relying on his background as a scion of a prestigious Bingzhou clan and his own fame as a renowned scholar of the realm, he has repeatedly crossed Lord Xia.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Wang Ze hails from the Wang clan of Taiyuan. He and his elder brother only gained fame across the realm back then with the help of the Partisan leader Guo Linzong. Given the current situation, it would be strange if he showed Lord Xia a friendly face!」 Having entered Ningcheng, Gongsun Xun could not help but slow his pace alongside his elder cousin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Who says otherwise?」 Gongsun Zan also shook his head. 「Wenqi, let me speak frankly with you in private... Although I have only been under Lord Xia's command for a mere few days, I have already discerned a few things. This man may be considered a seasoned general in drilling troops and fighting battles, but when it comes to political struggle, he is utterly out of his depth... As for that matter with Wang Ze, as soon as it flared up my father-in-law told me the root of it, yet even now Lord Xia still cannot figure out why the man is opposing him!」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「A man like this is bound to bring disaster sooner or later!」 Gongsun Xun replied, lowering his voice. 「Once this campaign is over and we have secured our official ranks, you and I, as brothers, should leave him as quickly as possible!」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Exactly so... Up ahead is Lord Xia's Captain's residence. Beware of the captain of his personal volunteer corps, Gao Heng, Gao Xuanqing — that short, stocky fellow. He and I have a grudge, and we have even drawn blades and stood off against each other... But there is no helping it; the man possesses considerable martial prowess and commands over a hundred wandering swordsmen who followed him from Bohai. Before you came, I had no troops in hand and was fretting over how to keep him in check!」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun sneered wordlessly at this. He first tucked his seal and ribbon into his waist, then spurred his horse straight ahead at speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Zan could not help but laugh. He followed slowly behind, and only after a collision between horses, an argument, and his clansman lashing Gao Xuanqing across the face with a whip did he hurriedly rush to the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「So,」 Gao Heng asked, clutching his face and suppressing his anger, 「this Biebu Major with the thousand-dan rank is Bogui's clansman?」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Indeed!」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「And he has come here on orders to pay his respects to Lord Xia?」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Indeed!」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「He accidentally collided with me, and then I, Gao Xuanqing, relying on superior numbers, failed to recognize his standing and tried to extort him?」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Is that not so?」 Gongsun Zan suddenly demanded in a harsh shout, his voice ringing clearly down half the street. 「You were about to draw your blade just now! Do you not know where military hierarchy lies?!」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Heng certainly was not going to say that he had not noticed the other man's seal and ribbon at first — that was not his temperament. But as things stood, he had no words left to say, and for a moment his face flushed bright red under the gaze of the surrounding soldiers and clerks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Gongsun Xun immediately lost all interest... Just a crude brute. Had he actually thought this was some formidable opponent? So he kept his mouth shut and let Gongsun Zan carry on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Major Gongsun.」 Before long, however, a military clerk ran out from the Captain's residence to break up the standoff — clearly this Gao Heng was quite favored. 「The General requests that you and Bogui enter together.」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun naturally had nothing to say to that. Gongsun Zan, though still resentful, could only leave in frustration. The two brothers dismounted together and walked straight into the Captain's residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Wenqi is a man of fine bearing, of the same clan as Bogui, and a descendant of a frontier commandery lineage... In that case, I will dispense with superfluous words.」 Xia Yu proved remarkably brisk. 「The imperial decree arrived long ago. In one month, we are to march beyond the frontier in three columns. At that time, General of the Household Tian will advance from Yunzhong to block reinforcements from the most battle-capable western Xianbei. General of the Household Zang will advance from Yanmen. And I will take five thousand Wuhuan shock cavalry and six thousand Han regulars out from Gaoliu. Both columns will be predominantly cavalry, no more than a hundred li apart, able to support each other, and will strike straight for Mount Danhan! When the time comes, see to your own troops and horses, and follow the main army beyond the frontier!」\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Aye!」 All the myriad thoughts in Gongsun Xun's mind were, at this moment, cast to the back of his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—————————I am the innocent dividing line—————————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>「Sun Jian, styled Wentai, was a man of Fuchun in Wu Commandery, a descendant of Sun Wu. The sorcerer-rebel Xu Chang of Kuaiji rose at Juzhang, proclaiming himself the Yangming Emperor, and together with his son Shao stirred up the various counties, their followers numbering in the tens of thousands. Jian, serving as Commandery Major, recruited elite volunteers and obtained over a thousand men; he joined with the province and commandery forces to attack and crush them. This was in the first year of the Jiaping era. The Inspector Zang Min submitted a record of his achievements, and an imperial edict appointed Jian as Assistant Magistrate of Duli. After several years he was transferred to be Assistant Magistrate of Xuyi, and then transferred again to be Assistant Magistrate of Xiapi. At the end of the Xiping era, when the Han army marched beyond the frontier to strike the Xianbei, with Zang Min as a general, Jian was summoned and went forth; he thereupon abandoned his post, gathered three hundred bold men, and hastened to the frontier fortress.』 Your Servant Songzhi's note: 『At that time, the Grand Progenitor, Gongsun Zan, Cheng Pu, Han Dang, Lu Fan, and Lou Gui were all in the army; furthermore, the later Han renowned minister Wang Ze served as Grand Administrator of Dai, and Guo Yun served as Grand Administrator of Yanmen; the late-Han hero Dong Zhuo supervised Bingzhou, and Liu Yu supervised Youzhou — heroes gathered in one place, a thing praised in its time.』」 — From the Dianlüe, annotated by Pei Songzhi of Yan\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: In the previous chapter, Zhang Qi and Zhao Qi were mixed up... Mainly because the late Han had both a Zhang Qi and a Zhao Qi, the latter being a bit more prominent and leaving a deeper impression. My apologies. But the official version has been corrected immediately... I hope it hasn't affected too many readers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, there is a new book group. Interested readers can join: 684558115.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3670,"2026-06-04T19:42:03.441Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","9582991d97273a621a983ccaf53b4aad688c103548d652356cb8b397659bd36c","overthrowing-han-chapter-87","overthrowing-han-chapter-85",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]