Chapter 1: Casting Whips to Stem the Flow (投鞭断流)

Between the Huai River and the Si River lies a vast, abandoned land stretching hundreds of li, filled with ruins and deserted villages, resembling a ghost realm. The Han people of the south call it "Bianhuang" (Border Wastes), while the Hu people of the north regard it as "Outuo" (Buffer Zone). Though the names differ, it is undoubtedly the most unique place in the present world: a land where good folk dare not tread, yet one that those who live by the sword flock to as a paradise; full of danger, yet also rife with opportunities; it can be a place where heroes meet their doom without a burial site, yet also a stage for the fearless to make their name and fortune. Furthermore, various powers see it as an ideal location for secret diplomacy, while those with nowhere else to go use it as a safe haven. One moment it might be a Peach Blossom Spring within a troubled age, the next it could turn into a hellish slaughterground. Nowhere is more terrifying, yet simultaneously so endearing, than Bianhuang. Bianhuang is a place set by Heaven for those with true skill, where another philosophy and code of survival prevails.

The strange existence of Bianhuang has its long history and objective factors; every chapter of its history is written in the blood of warriors and the suffering of the people.

Since the decline of the Han Dynasty, local heroes rose up like swarming bees, war spread far and wide, production became impossible, leading to man-made famine; this vicious cycle turned the Central Plains, developed over a millennium, into a landscape of white bones covering the wilds, with no cooking smoke for a thousand li.

During the Three Kingdoms period, when Sun Wu (Eastern Wu) and Cao Wei confronted each other, battles often erupted in the region between the Huai and Si rivers, reducing the area to crumbling walls, desolate fields, and a scattered, displaced populace, with empty houses left uninhabited, the land devoid of people for a hundred li.

When the Sima family of the Western Jin unified the realm, the local people should have finally found peace and security. Unfortunately, the "Upheaval of the Eight Princes" and the "Disaster of Yongjia" followed in quick succession. The five major Hu tribes—Xiongnu, Xianbei, Qiang, Di, and Jie—collectively rebelled against the Jin. These two great storms in history battered the Central Plains until it was left without a intact piece of skin. By the time the Jin emperors Huai and Min were captured and disgraced, the Jin court was forced to cross south, leading to a situation of North-South confrontation. The Huai-Si region remained the hardest-hit war zone. The Huai and Si rivers became the unwritten border between the northern and southern regimes, and Bianhuang precisely was the "uninhabited zone" within both sides' borders.

Bianhuang's微妙 (subtle/delicate) situation arose under these circumstances.

For the northern Hu people, who originated from nomadic tribes,惯例 (by convention/conventionally), a distance of "Outuo" must be left between the territories of two peoples as a buffer zone. In times of peace, neither Hu nor Han were allowed to enter; travelers had to stop, otherwise it would be seen as provocation or troublemaking. For the southern regime, this land, bearing the brunt of any attack, was also deemed unsuitable for people to live in, only fit for implementing a "scorched earth" strategy to prevent Hu cavalry from moving south, denying them supplies for hundreds of li.

Bianhuang was thus formed under these strange and特殊 (special/particular) circumstances, with the recognition and tacit consent of the various northern and southern powers.

Bianhuang is the most desolate region in the Central Plains, yet paradoxically, Bianhuangji, located at its core between the Huai and Si rivers, on the west bank of the Ying River, is the most prosperous place in the Central Plains. It is the only transit center connecting north and south, a bridge for trade between the two sides, a place where the powerful forces of the world contend for power and profit, a center for smugglers and gangs engaged in illegal activities to operate freely. As long as one can leave with their life, whether merchant, prostitute, or artisan, anyone can earn dozens of times more money here than elsewhere. This makes it a place of demonic allure, seemingly created by Heaven and Earth for those with the survival skills and luck.

Here, the law of the land no longer exists. Those who enter this region are called Huangren (Wasteland People), belonging neither to Southern Jin nor to the northern Hu regimes.

The predecessor of Bianhuangji was Xiangcheng, a large city ruined by war and reduced to debris. Having been free from the洗礼 (baptism/ravages) of war for many years, Bianhuangji's prosperity reached an unprecedented peak. Unfortunately, a warstorm sweeping north and south was once again forming in the north, and disaster was imminent for the Huangren.

The Di Qin ruler, Fu Jian, stood tall on a high ridge south of the Si River, watching his vanguard troops march proudly to the front lines with fluttering banners, launching a massive attack on his last remaining enemy—Southern Jin. The first target of attack was the opponent's strategic stronghold of Shouyang, located on the south bank of the Huai River. The得意振奋之情 (feelings of triumph and excitement) in his heart were truly beyond words.

Seven years ago, he deployed his generals and troops to destroy the powerful rival state of Dai, founded by the Tuoba Xianbei, unifying the north under the iron hooves of his Great Qin army. The five major tribes—Xiongnu, Xianbei, Qiang, Jie, and Han—all bowed in submission to him, ending the seventy-two years of chaos since the Jin Dynasty's "Disaster of Yongjia" and the court's southward flight, a period where various tribes vied for supremacy inside and outside the borders, a situation without a leader. His peerless achievements shook the past and present; his status as an outsider ruling the Central Plains was unprecedented. Now all conditions for the southern expedition were ripe. Southern Jin's Liang and Yi provinces and the important town of Xiangyang had already fallen into his hands. The rich fruit of unifying the world was within easy reach. Who could still challenge him?

For this full-scale southern invasion, he appointed his brother Fu Rong as commander, with generals Murong Chui and Yao Chang as deputies. He mobilized 600,000 infantry, 270,000 cavalry, and additionally, 80,000 naval forces sailing east down the Yangtze and Han Rivers from Ba-Shu (Sichuan) to cooperate in the operations. This force was sufficient to crush any resistance from the weak and outnumbered Southern Jin troops into dust.

Fu Jian was forty-five years old this year, possessing the tall, strong physique of a Di tribesman, hardened by the harsh winds and cold outside the borders, with boundless energy. He had a purplish complexion, a short, bristly beard like a halberd's blades, connecting his temples to his lips, paired with a high nose and deep-set eyes, giving him a striking appearance. Sitting on his horse, he naturally exuded an aura of one who lords over the world. At this moment, his gaze was fixed on the distant horizon, sparkling, as if he could already foresee the Southern Jin troops fleeing in panic upon hearing the news, collapsing under the trampling of his combined mighty army, composed mainly of Han, Di, Qiang, Xianbei, and Jie troops.

The dozen or so generals簇拥 (crowding around/clustered around) him to his left and right and behind, like stars surrounding the moon, represented the most outstanding leaders of the northern tribes. They were the proud, remarkable成果 (achievements/results) produced by his unwavering policy of "Mixing the Four Seas into One," making the grand event before his eyes a reality. Before him, the losers of war invariably faced the miserable fate of national destruction and genocide. Only he treated the defeated well, granting official titles and ranks to the君臣 (monarchs and ministers) of each conquered state, allowing them to command their old troops,推行 (implementing) policies of the Kingly Way. For him, this was a necessary手腕 (method/tactic) for unifying the world.

The most famous among them was undoubtedly the top general to his left, Murong Chui of the Xianbei. This man's martial prowess was unmatched; his "Northern Tyrant" spear was invincible in all directions. He was even more an undefeated commander on the battlefield. His Xianbei warriors were brave and skilled in battle, having rendered countless meritorious services for Fu Jian, their might shaking the regions within and beyond the borders. That he could be employed was Fu Jian's greatest fortune; otherwise, he would undoubtedly be a fearsome, formidable rival.

Murong Chui was ten years younger than Fu Jian, with a雄伟如山 (majestic as a mountain) physique, even half a head taller than Fu Jian himself. His face was handsome and imposing, with long, dark hair flowing over his shoulders, a steel circlet around his forehead. His eyes were deep, their inner light contained and unfathomable. His waist was straight, and his entire person exuded an indescribable, compelling aura that intimidated all living beings, like a demon god from the underworld come to the mortal realm.

To Fu Jian's right, the Qiang族 (tribe) fierce general Yao Chang was second in fame only to Murong Chui. Though he was of short stature, a head shorter than anyone else, he had a thick neck and a broad back, a face like cast iron, an oversized leopard-like head, and huge eyes like bronze bells that sparkled with spirit. Coupled with his pair of black iron short spears, each weighing over fifty jin, who would dare look down on him? The consequences would be unacceptable to anyone.

The other generals had varied appearances, all being fierce and tough individuals who had weathered the great storms of the battlefield.

Fu Jian withdrew his gaze, looked around left and right, a trace of a smile飘出 (floating at) the corner of his lips. With a tone tinged with mockery, he said, "People say, 'If Anshi does not emerge, what will become of the common people?' Now Anshi has emerged, managing military and governance affairs for Sima Yao. I'd like to see what tricks he can play in the palm of my hand?"

The Di general Lü Guang,隔了个慕容垂 (separated by Murong Chui), sneered, "What kind of thing is Xie An? I think he's just another Yin Hao type, a self-proclaimed refined famous scholar. No one can out-talk him in discussing metaphysics and pure conversation, but on the battlefield, he's only fit for wiping swords." Lü Guang's nickname was "Dragon King," his underwater skills unmatched on the Yellow River. His weapons were a pair of "Murky Water Piercers."

Anshi was the style name of Southern Jin's Prime Minister Xie An, renowned as the top scholar of the Central Plains. However, after retiring to Dongshan (Eastern Mountain), he had refused official posts for sixteen years, hence the saying, "If Anshi does not emerge, what will become of the common people?" This showed the expectation and admiration the Southern Jin people had for him. Yin Hao was also a highly respected Southern Jin scholar. Though learned, he knew nothing of military affairs and overestimated his abilities by leading the Northern Expedition after successive Jin generals like Zu Ti, Yu Liang, and Yu Yi, only to suffer a crushing defeat and return. Not only did he fail to live up to his reputation as a famous scholar, but he also became a laughingstock for the world. Lü Guang equating Xie An with him represented the northern Hu generals' disdain and contempt for aloof scholars like Xie An.

The generals纷纷附和 (chimed in one after another), their spirits high and飞扬 (soaring), only Murong Chui and Yao Chang remained silent.

Fu Jian noticed the difference and frowned displeased, "Do you two ministers have other thoughts? Speak the truth to me quickly."

Yao Chang solemnly reported, "Though the Jin court is weak, it relies on the strategic danger of the Yangtze River and the wealth of Jiangnan. Now that we are launching a full-scale southern expedition, it will inevitably force the southerners into unprecedented unity. Thus, your subject da

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