When Qian Man heard that everything had been arranged by Zhang Xin, his body instinctively trembled.
The impulsiveness he had shown just moments ago vanished instantly.
Only then did he suddenly realize something—every bit of news about Zhang Xin's "death" had come solely from Zhang Ju.
He knew the Han court had suffered a crushing defeat, but he didn't know the exact details.
What if Zhang Xin hadn't even been among the defeated forces?
And even if he had been… would someone as cunning and calculating as Zhang Xin really die so easily?
"…Zhang Ju?"
Qian Man put on an innocent expression. "I don't know him."
Yan Rou frowned. "Then what are you doing here?"
"Haha… the weather's nice today," Qian Man said with a laugh. "I brought some men out hunting."
"Yes, hunting."
"There's nothing worth hunting here. Go back," Yan Rou said coldly.
Qian Man nodded immediately and turned to leave with the two elders beside him.
The key was knowing when to take advice.
"Great Chanyu, we brought five thousand men, and he scared us off with just a few words?" one official said resentfully.
"Exactly," another added with a sigh. "Back when the old lord was alive, our Xianbei were unmatched. The Han couldn't even lift their heads against us."
"It's only been six years… just six years since his passing… how did we fall this low?"
Hearing this, Qian Man slowed his horse.
"That's right… I have five thousand troops."
"And how many does Yan Rou have? At most a thousand."
"If I defeat him, march into Youzhou, and build my prestige, I could take advantage of Budugen and Fuluohan's absence to unify the western and central Xianbei…"
"With twenty thousand warriors under my command—even if Zhang Xin returns, what could he do to me?"
Thinking this, Qian Man glanced back.
"Get lost!" Yan Rou shouted.
"Alright, alright—we're going!"
Qian Man's thoughts snapped back to clarity.
Forget it.
Zhang Ju had already been captured. Without an inside ally, even if he entered Youzhou, all he could do was plunder—it wasn't worth it.
The Xianbei were already trading with Yuyang and living well enough. There was no need to provoke Zhang Xin over supplies.
And besides, Budugen and Fuluohan still had over ten thousand men following Zhang Xin. If those forces turned against him, the consequences would be disastrous.
Better to leave.
With that, Qian Man led his five thousand troops away in reluctant retreat.
The two elders exchanged glances and sighed.
After Qian Man withdrew, Yan Rou sent scouts to shadow the Xianbei from a distance. Only after confirming they had truly returned to Tanhan Mountain did he withdraw his own forces and head back to Ning County, where he reported everything to Gu Yong.
At Xixi, Gao Shun set up camp along the main road, guarding the pass and waiting.
He wasn't well known among the tribes, so when the Xianbei arrived, they attacked without hesitation.
Gao Shun held firm and refused to engage.
After two days of fruitless assaults, the Xianbei's morale plummeted. With Fuluohan absent, they lacked unified leadership and were already disorganized.
This expedition had only gathered three to four thousand men—mostly opportunists seeking easy gains.
Now, with no success, disagreements broke out. Some wanted to retreat, others to continue fighting. The leaders argued fiercely.
Eventually, one group withdrew—and the rest followed.
Seeing this, Gao Shun seized the moment and launched a sudden counterattack.
The Xianbei forces collapsed, fleeing in chaos. Over 800 were killed.
After returning to camp, Gao Shun immediately sent a report to Gu Yong.
When Gu Yong received news from both Yan Rou and Gao Shun, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Though there were losses, at least we have not failed the lord's trust…"
He picked up his brush and wrote to Liu Yu, reporting the situation. He also drafted a memorial to the court, ordering that Zhang Ju and all conspirators be escorted to Luoyang.
"Still… where is the lord now?" he murmured. "I don't even know where to send word…"
Meanwhile, in Liucheng of western Liaoning, Qiu Liju rose in rebellion.
It wasn't because he truly believed Zhang Xin was dead—
But because Gongsun Zan had gone too far.
After being defeated earlier, Qiu Liju had fled and regrouped his followers. Though harassed repeatedly by Gongsun Zan, he had endured it and even sought permission to return to Liucheng peacefully.
Zhang Xin had approved.
Later, Zhang Xin impeached Gongsun Zan for corruption and mistreatment of Wuhuan troops, resulting in his demotion.
For a time, Gongsun Zan behaved himself.
But after Zhang Xin left on campaign, he began causing trouble again—killing and injuring many of Qiu Liju's people.
Qiu Liju had planned to endure and wait for Zhang Xin's return to seek justice.
But then Gongsun Zan learned of Zhang Ju's letters.
Seizing the opportunity, he accused Qiu Liju of rebellion and launched a night attack.
Caught off guard, Qiu Liju suffered a crushing defeat and fled.
Gongsun Zan pursued relentlessly, determined to wipe him out.
Fleeing into the степpe, Qiu Liju unexpectedly encountered Xianbei forces who had also received Zhang Ju's letters.
After confirming their intentions, he immediately turned on Gongsun Zan.
"Isn't that Gongsun Zan? Kill him!"
The Wuhuan and Xianbei joined forces and struck back.
Caught off guard, Gongsun Zan was forced into a desperate retreat and eventually surrounded in Guanzicheng.
Of his thousand soldiers, more than half were lost, leaving only five to six hundred.
Meanwhile, Qiu Liju's forces began plundering for supplies.
In an instant—
Western Liaoning descended into chaos.