CHAPTER XVII.
An Army of Seven Divisions Marches Out:
Three Generals are Brought Together.
Huainan was very fruitful, and Yüan Shu, as governor of such a large district, was very influential. He was not a little puffed up. The possession of the Imperial seal, pledged by Sun Ts‘ê, added to his pride. And he seriously thought of assuming the full style. As a preliminary he assembled all his officers and addressed them thus:—
“Of old Kao-Tsu, Founder of the Dynasty of Han, was only a very minor official and yet he became ruler of the Empire. The Dynasty has endured four centuries and its measure of fortune has run out. It no longer possesses authority; the cauldron is on the point of boiling over. My family has held the highest offices of State for four generations and is universally respected. Wherefore I wish, in response to the will of Heaven and the desire of the people, to assume the Imperial dignity. What think ye of the proposal, my officers?”
The Recorder, Yen Hsiang, rose in opposition at once. “You may not do this. Hou Chi, the Minister of the Chou Dynasty, was of distinguished virtue and held many offices, till in the time of Wên Wang he had two thirds of the Empire. Still he served and was loyal to the Yin Dynasty. Your house is honourable, but it is not so glorious as that of Chou. The Hans may be reduced, but they are not so abominably cruel as Tsou of the Yins. Indeed this should not be done.”
Yüan Shu did not hear this with pleasure. “We Yüans came from Ch‘ên and he was a descendant of Shun (the Emperor). By the rule of interpreting the signs of fate the day has come when earth receives fire. Beside there is an oracle saying, ‘He who replaces the Hans must wade through deep mire.’ My name means ‘the high road.’ It fits exactly. Further than this, I possess the hereditary seal of State and must become lord of all or I turn from Heaven’s own way. Finally I have made up my mind, so if any one says too much he will simply suffer death.”
He arrogated himself the insignia of royalty. He set up officials with titles only given by an Emperor, and rode in a carriage decorated with the dragon and phœnix and offered sacrifices after the manner of an Emperor in the north and south suburbs. Also he appointed an “Empress” and an “Heir Apparent” (in the Eastern Palace) and pressed for the early wedding of Lü Pu’s daughter with his son that the palace entourage might be complete.
But when he heard of the fate of his marriage ambassador he was very angry and began at once to plan for revenge. Chang Hsün was made Generalissimo having under his command more than twenty legions, in seven divisions under so many commanders, and each of these was instructed to make a certain town his objective. The Governor of Yenchou, Chin Shang, was ordered to superintend the commissariat, but he declined the office and so was put to death. Chi Ling was in command of the reserves to help wherever he was required. Yüan Shu led three legions and he appointed three tried officers to go up and down and see that the various armies did not lag behind.
Lü Pu found out from his scouts that his own city was Chang Hsün’s objective; the other towns to be first attacked being Hsiaop‘ei, Itu, Langya, Chiehshih, Hsiap‘ei and Chünshan. The armies were marching fifty li a day, and plundering the countryside as they advanced.
He summoned his advisers to a council to which came Ch‘ên Kung, Ch‘ên Têng and his father. When all had assembled Ch‘ên Kung said, “This misfortune that has come to us is due to the two Ch‘êns, who fawned upon the central government in order to obtain rank and appointments. Now remove the evil by putting these two to death and sending their heads to our enemy. Then he will retire and leave us in peace.”
Lü Pu acquiesced and had the two arrested. But the son, Ch‘ên Têng, only laughed. “What is this anxiety about?” said he. “These seven armies are no more to me than so many heaps of rotting straw. They are not worth thinking about.”
“If you can show us how to overcome them I will spare your life,” said Lü.
“General, if you will listen to a poor stupid fool the city will be perfectly safe.”
“Let us hear what you have to say.”
“Yüan Shu’s men are numerous but they are only a flock of crows; they are not an army under a leader. There is no mutual confidence. I can keep them at bay with the ordinary guards of the place and could overcome them by some unsuspected stratagem. If I should fail I have another plan by which I can not only protect the city but capture our enemy.”
“Let us have it.”
“Han Hsien and Yang Fêng, two of the leaders of our enemies, are old servants of the Han dynasty who fled from fear of Ts‘ao Ts‘ao and, being homeless, sought refuge with Yüan Shu. He despises them and they are dissatisfied with his service. A little letter will secure their help as our allies, and with Liu Pei to help us on the outside we can certainly overcome Yüan.”
“You shall take the letters yourself,” said Lü.
He agreed and a memorial detailing his intentions was sent to the capital, letters to Yüchou to Liu Pei, and finally Ch‘ên Têng was sent, with a small escort, to wait for Han Hsien on the road to Hsiap‘ei. When Han Hsien’s army had halted and pitched camp Ch‘ên Têng went to see Han Hsien who said, “What are you here for? You belong to Lü Pu.”
“I am a noble of the Court of the great Hans. Why do you call me a Lü Pu’s man? If you, General, hitherto a Minister of State, now serve a traitor you nullify the grand services you rendered in protecting the Emperor and I despise you. Beside the suspicious Yüan Shu will assuredly do you some harm and you will regret not having taken this opportunity to work against him.”
Han Hsien sighed. “I would return to my allegiance if there should be any opportunity.”
Thereupon Ch‘ên Têng gave him the letter. Han read it and said, “Yes; I know. You may return to your master and say General Yang and I will turn our weapons and smite him. Look out for a signal-flare and let your master come to our aid.”
As soon as Ch‘ên Têng had got back and reported his success, Lü Pu divided his men into five divisions and sent them to five points to meet his enemies. He himself led against the main body under Chang Hsün, leaving a guard in the city.
Lü Pu camped thirty li from the walls. When the enemy came up their leader thought Lü Pu too strong to attack with the force he had, so he retired twenty li to await reinforcements.
That night, in the second watch, Han Hsien and Yang Fêng arrived and soon the flare was lighted as arranged. Lü Pu’s men were admitted to the camp and caused great confusion. Then Lü Pu himself attacked and Chang Hsün was routed and fled. Lü Pu pursued till daylight when he fell in with one of the other bodies led by Chi Ling. Both sides faced each other, but at the very beginning of the engagement the two traitors also attacked and Chi Ling was forced to fly.
Lü Pu went in pursuit but soon another force came out from the rear of some hills. These looked very imposing. As the ranks opened he saw a leader’s guard with flags bearing dragons and phœnixes and representations of the sun and moon, the four “measures,”[1] the five directions,[2] golden gourds, silver axes, yellow halberds, white yaks’ tails, all Imperial emblems. And beneath a yellow silken parasol sat Yüan Shu on horseback, clad in silver mail with a sword handle showing at each wrist.
Standing out in front of the array he railed at his opponent calling him traitor and slave. Lü Pu said nothing but rode forward ready for battle and Li Fêng, one of Yüan’s leaders, advanced to take the challenge. They met, but at the third bout, Li was wounded in the hand, whereupon his spear fell to the ground and he fled. Lü Pu waved on the advance and his men prevailed. The other side fled, leaving much spoil, clothing, mail and horses.
Yüan Shu’s defeated men had not gone far when a strong troop, led by Kuan Yü, appeared barring his way.
“Traitor! why have they not slain you?” cried Kuan Yü.
Whereat Yüan Shu fled in great trepidation and his army melted into fugitives in all directions. The new army fell upon them with great slaughter. Yüan Shu and the remnant of his army retreated into Huainan.
Victory being now secure, Lü Pu, in company with Kuan Yü, Yang Fêng and Han Hsien returned to Hsüchou, where there were banquets and feastings and rewards for the soldiers. These over, Kuan took his leave and returned to his brother, while Han Hsien was appointed magistrate of Itu and his friend magistrate of Langya.
There had been a question of keeping these two in Hsüchou but Ch‘en Kuei opposed it. “Let them hold those places in Shantung, which will be all yours within a year.” So they were sent to these two cities in the meantime to await orders.
“Why not retain them here?” asked Ch‘ên Têng secretly of his father. “They would be a basis for our conspiracy against Lü Pu.”
“But if they helped him, on the other hand, we should lengthen the tiger’s claws and teeth,” said his father.
So Têng could only approve of his father’s precautions.
Yuan Shu returned home burning to avenge his defeat, so he sent to Chiangtung to ask a loan of men from Sun Ts‘ê. Ts‘ê said, “On the strength of holding the State Seal he secretly calls himself Emperor and rebels against the Hans. I would rather punish such a renegade than help him.”
So he refused. The letter refusing help added to Yüan’s anger. “What next from this callow youth?” cried he. “I will smite him before I deal with the other.”
But Yang Ta-chiang dissuaded him from this course.
Having refused help to his powerful rival Sun Ts‘ê thought it wise to take measures for his own safety. So he stationed an army at Chiangk‘ou. Soon after came a messenger from Ts‘ao Ts‘ao bearing his appointment as Prefect of Kueichi with orders to raise an army and reduce Yüan Shu.
Sun Ts‘ê was inclined to carry out these orders but he called a council at which Chang Chao opposed this course. Said he, “Although recently defeated Yüan Shu has many men and ample supplies. He is not to be attacked lightly. You had better write to Ts‘ao Tsʻao persuading him to attack the south and we will be auxiliaries. Between the two armies Shu must certainly be defeated. If by the remotest chance we lose, we have Ts‘ao Ts‘ao to come to our rescue.”
This plan was adopted and a messenger was sent to lay it before Ts‘ao. In the meantime Ts‘ao had reached Hsütu where his first thought was to institute sacrifices to his beloved lost leader Tien Wei. He conferred rank upon his son Tien Man and took him into his own palace to be cared for.
Presently arrived Sun Ts‘ê’s messenger with letters and next came a report that Yüan Shu, being short of food, had made a raid on Ch‘ênliu. Ts‘ao thought the moment opportune, so he issued orders for the expedition south, leaving Tsʻao Jên to hold the city. The army marched, horse and foot, seventeen legions, with commissariat waggons of food to the number of over a thousand. Messages were sent to summon Sun Ts‘ê, Liu Pei and Lü Pu to assemble on the Yüchang borders.
Liu Pei was the first to arrive and he was called in to the Minister’s tent. After the usual salutations two human heads were produced.
“Whose are these?” asked Tsʻao in surprise.
“The heads of Han Hsien and Yang Fêng.”
“Why did this happen?”
“They were sent to control Itu and Langya and allowed their soldiers to plunder the people. Bitter complaints arose so I invited them to a banquet and my brothers despatched them when I gave the signal by dropping a cup. Their men gave in at once and now I have to apologise for my fault.”
“You have removed an evil, which is a grand service: why talk of a fault?”
And he praised Yüan-tê’s action.
When the joint army reached Lü Pu’s borders he came to meet it. Ts‘ao Ts‘ao spoke graciously to him and conferred upon him the title of Generalissimo of the Left, promising him a suitable seal as soon as he returned to the capital. Lü Pu was very pleased.
Then the three armies were made into one force, Ts‘ao Ts‘ao being in the centre and the other two on the wings. Hsiahou Tun and Yü Chin were leaders of the van.
On Yüan Shu’s side Ch‘iao Sui with five legions was appointed van leader. The armies met on the confines of Shouch‘un. The two van leaders rode out and opened battle. Ch‘iao Sui fell in the third bout and his men fled into the city.
Then came news that Sun Ts‘ê’s fleet was near and would attack on the west. The other three land corps took each one face and the city was in a parlous state.
At this juncture Yüan Shu summoned his officers. Yang Ta-chiang explained the case. “Shouch‘un has suffered from drought for several years and the people are on the verge of famine. Sending an army would add to the distress and anger the people, and victory would be uncertain. I advise not to send any more soldiers there, but to hold on till the besiegers are conquered by lack of supplies. Our noble chief, with his regiment of guards, will move over to the other side of the river, which is quite ready, and we shall also escape the enemy’s ferocity.”
So due arrangements being made to guard Shouch‘un a general move was made to the other side of the Huai River. Not only the army went over but all the accumulated wealth of the Yüan family, gold and silver, jewels and precious stones, were moved.
Ts‘ao Ts‘ao’s army of seventeen legions needed daily no inconsiderable quantity of food, and as the country around had been famine-stricken for several years nothing could be got there. So he tried to hasten the military operations and capture the city. On the other hand, the defenders knew the value of delay and simply held on. After a month’s vigorous siege the fall of the city seemed as far off as it was at first and supplies were very short. Letters were sent to Sun Ts‘ê who sent a hundred thousand measures of grain. When the usual distribution became impossible the Chief of the Commissariat, Jên Hsün, and the Controller of the Granaries, Wang Hou, presented a statement asking what was to be done.
“Serve out with a smaller measure,” said Ts‘ao. “That will save us for a time.”
“But if the soldiers murmur, what then?”
“I shall have another device.”
As ordered the controllers issued grain in a short measure. Ts‘ao sent secretly to find out how the men took this and when he found that complaints were general and they were saying that he was fooling them, he sent a secret summons to the controller. When he came Ts‘ao said, “I want to ask you to lend me some thing to pacify the soldiers with. You must not refuse.”
“What does the Minister wish?”
“I want the loan of your head to expose to the soldiery.”
“But I have done nothing wrong!” exclaimed the unhappy man.
“I know that, but if I do not put you to death there will be a mutiny. After you are gone your wife and children shall be my care. So you need not grieve on their account.”
Wang Hou was about to remonstrate further but Ts‘ao Ts‘ao gave a signal, the executioners hustled him out and he was beheaded. His head was exposed on a tall pole and a notice said that in accordance with military law Wang Hou had been put to death for peculation and the use of a short measure in issuing grain.
This appeased the discontent. Next followed a general order threatening death to the various commanders if the city was not taken within three days. Ts‘ao Ts‘ao in person went up to the very walls to superintend the work of filling up the moat. The defenders kept up constant showers of stones and arrows. Two inferior officers, who left their stations in fear, were slain by Ts‘ao Ts‘ao himself. Thereafter he went on foot to see that work went on continuously and no one dared be a laggard. Thus encouraged the army became invincible and no defence could withstand their onslaught. In a very short time the walls were scaled, the gates battered in and the besiegers were in possession. The officers of the garrison were captured alive and were executed in the market place. All the paraphernalia of imperial state were burned and the whole city wrecked.
When the question of crossing the river in pursuit of Yüan Shu came up Hsün Yü opposed it saying, “The country has suffered from short crops for years and we should be unable to get grain. An advance would weary the army, harm the people and possibly end in disaster. I advise a return to the capital to wait there till the spring wheat shall have been harvested and we have plenty of food.”
Ts‘ao Ts‘ao hesitated and before he had made up his mind there came an urgent message saying Chang Hsiu, with the support of Liu Piao, was ravaging the country all round, that there was rebellion in Nanyang and Ts‘ao Hung could not cope with it. He had been worsted already in several engagements and was in sore straits.
Ts‘ao Ts‘ao at once wrote to Sun Ts‘ê to command the river so as to prevent any move on the part of Liu Piao, while he prepared his army to go to deal with Chang Hsiu. Before marching he directed Liu Pei to camp at Hsiaop‘ei, as he and Lü Pu, being as brothers, might help each other.
When Lü Pu had left for Hsüchou Ts‘ao Ts‘ao said secretly to Yüan-tê, “I am leaving you at Hsiaop‘ei as a pitfall for the tiger. You will only take advice from the two Ch‘êns and there can be no mishap. You will find so-and-so your ally when needed.”
So Ts‘ao Ts‘ao marched to Hsütu where he heard that Tuan Wei had slain Li Ts‘ui and Wu Hsi had killed Kuo Ssŭ and they presented the heads of these two. Beside the whole clan of Li Tsʻui had been arrested and brought to the capital. They were all put to death at various gates and their heads exposed. People thought this very harsh dealing.
In the Emperor’s palace a large number of officials were assembled at a peace banquet. The two successful leaders Tuan and Wu were rewarded with titles and sent to guard Ch‘angan. They came to audience to express their gratitude and marched away.
Then Ts‘ao Ts‘ao sent in a memorial that Chang Hsiu was in rebellion and an army must be sent against him. The Emperor in person arranged the chariot and escorted his Minister out of the city when he went to take command of the expedition. It was the summer, the fourth month of the third year of the period Chien-An (199 A.D.). Hsün Yü was in chief military command in Hsütu.
The army marched away. In the course of the march they passed through a wheat district and the grain was ready for harvesting but the peasants had fled for fear and the corn was uncut. Ts‘ao Ts‘ao caused it to be made known all about that he was sent on the expedition by command of the Emperor to capture a rebel and save the people. He could not avoid moving in the harvest season but if any one trampled down the corn he should be put to death. Military law was so severe that the people need fear no damage. The people were very pleased and lined the road, wishing success to the expedition. When the soldiers passed wheat fields they dismounted and pushed aside the stalks so that none were trampled down.
One day, when Ts‘ao Ts‘ao was riding through the fields, a dove suddenly got up, startling the horse so that he swerved into the standing grain and a large patch was trampled down. Ts‘ao at once called the Provost Marshal and bade him decree the sentence for the crime of trampling down corn.
“How can I deal with your crime?” asked the Provost Marshal.
“I made the rule and I have broken it. Can I otherwise satisfy public opinion?”
He laid hold of the sword by his side and made to take his own life. All hastened to prevent him and Kuo Chia said, “In ancient days, the days of the Spring and Autumn history, the laws were not applied to the persons of the most honourable. You are the supreme leader of a mighty army and must not wound yourself.”
Ts‘ao Ts‘ao pondered for a long time. At last he said, “Since there exists the reason just quoted I may perhaps escape the death penalty.”
Then with his sword he cut off his hair and threw it on the ground saying, “I cut off the hair as touching the head.”
Then he sent a man to exhibit the hair throughout the whole army saying, “The Minister, having trodden down some corn, ought to have lost his head by the terms of the order; now here is his hair cut off as an attack on the head.”
This deed was a stimulus to discipline all through the army so that not a man dared be disobedient. A poet wrote:—
A myriad soldiers march along and all are brave and bold,
And their myriad inclinations by one leader are controlled.
That crafty leader shore his locks when forfeit was his head,
O full of guile wert thou, Ts‘ao Ts‘ao, as every one has said.
On the first news of the approach of Tsʻao Tsʻao with an army Chang Hsiu wrote to Liu Piao for help. Then he sent out his men under command of Lei Hsü and Chang Hsien. When the array was complete Chang Hsiu took his station in front and pointing at Ts‘ao Ts‘ao railed at him saying, “O false and pretended supporter of benevolence and justice! O shameless one! You are just a beast of the forest, and absolutely devoid of humanity.”
This annoyed Ts‘ao Ts‘ao who sent out Hsü Ch‘u against the insulter. Chang Hsien came to meet him and fell in the third bout. Thence Chang Hsiu’s men fled and were pursued to the very walls of Nanyang, only managing to get within just before the pursuit came up. The city was then closely besieged. Seeing the moat was so wide and deep that approach to the wall would be difficult they began to fill up the ditch with earth. Then with sand bags, brushwood and bundles of grass they built a great mound near the wall and on this erected steps so that they could look over into the city.
Ts‘ao rode round the city closely inspecting the defences. Three days later he issued an order to make a mound of earth and brushwood at the north west angle, as he would mount the walls at that point. He was observed from within the city by Chia Hsü, who went to his chief and said, “I know what he intends and I can defeat him by a counter-move.”
E’en amongst the very foremost
There is one who leads the way;
Some one sees through your devices,
Be as crafty as ye may.
What the counter-move was will be told in the next chapter.