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 Tsʻê, 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 Chʻên 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 Hsiaopʻei, Itu,
Langya, Chiehshih, Hsiapʻei 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 Chʻên Kung, Chʻên
Têng and his father. When all had assembled Chʻên Kung said, “This
misfortune that has come to us is due to the two Chʻêns, 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, Chʻên 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 Tsʻao Tsʻao 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 Chʻên Têng was sent,
with a small escort, to wait for Han Hsien on the road to Hsiapʻei.
When Han Hsien’s army had halted and pitched camp Chʻên 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 Chʻên 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 Chʻên 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,” [8] the five
directions, [9] 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 Chʻên
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 Chʻên 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.
Yüan Shu returned home burning to avenge his defeat, so he sent to
Chiangtung to ask a loan of men from Sun Tsʻê. Tsʻê 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 Tsʻê thought it wise to
take measures for his own safety. So he stationed an army at
Chiangkʻou. Soon after came a messenger from Tsʻao Tsʻao bearing his
appointment as Prefect of Kueichi with orders to raise an army and
reduce Yüan Shu.
Sun Tsʻê 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 Tsʻao 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
Tsʻao Tsʻao to come to our rescue.”
This plan was adopted and a messenger was sent to lay it before Tsʻao.
In the meantime Tsʻao 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 Tsʻê’s messenger with letters and next came a
report that Yüan Shu, being short of food, had made a raid on
Chʻên-liu. Tsʻao 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 Tsʻê, 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. Tsʻao
Tsʻao 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, Tsʻao Tsʻao 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 Chʻiao Sui with five legions was appointed van
leader. The armies met on the confines of Shouchʻun. The two van
leaders rode out and opened battle. Chʻiao Sui fell in the third bout
and his men fled into the city.
Then came news that Sun Tsʻê’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, “Shouchʻun 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 Shouchʻun 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.
Tsʻao Tsʻao’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 Tsʻê 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 Tsʻao. “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. Tsʻao 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 Tsʻao said, “I
want to ask you to lend me something 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 Tsʻao Tsʻao 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. Tsʻao Tsʻao 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 Tsʻao Tsʻao 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.”
Tsʻao Tsʻao 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
Tsʻao Hung could not cope with it. He had been worsted already in
several engagements and was in sore straits.
Tsʻao Tsʻao at once wrote to Sun Tsʻê 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 Hsiaopʻei, as he and Lü Pu, being as brothers, might help each
other.
When Lü Pu had left for Hsüchou Tsʻao Tsʻao said secretly to Yüan-tê,
“I am leaving you at Hsiaopʻei as a pitfall for the tiger. You will
only take advice from the two Chʻêns and there can be no mishap. You
will find so-and-so your ally when needed.”
So Tsʻao Tsʻao marched to Hsütu where he heard that Tuan Wei had slain
Li Tsʻui 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 Chʻangan. They came to audience to
express their gratitude and marched away.
Then Tsʻao Tsʻao 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. Tsʻao Tsʻao 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 wheatfields
they dismounted and pushed aside the stalks so that none were trampled
down.
One day, when Tsʻao Tsʻao 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. Tsʻao 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.”
Tsʻao Tsʻao 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, Tsʻao Tsʻao, 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 Tsʻao Tsʻao 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 Tsʻao Tsʻao who sent out Hsü Chʻu 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.
Tsʻao 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.