Cao Song's Refuge and the Black Mountain Rout
As the sun dipped below the horizon in the inaugural year of Chuping, Jojo's father, Cao Song, arrived in Xu Province Langya Commandery to escape the chaos of war. Jojo had considered Habi in Xuzhou, but I recommended bringing him to my family estate in Langya. No matter what it took, I had to prevent the future where Cao Song died in Xuzhou. For now, with him under my family's protection, there shouldn't be any immediate problems. Next, I needed to figure out how to smuggle Cao Song and his household out of Xuzhou safely.
The latter half of Chuping 2 (191 AD) was quietly tumultuous. Han Fu, the Governor of Jizhou, who had been showered with undeserved abuse amid the crumbling coalition, now sought a way to survive. He sent an envoy to Liu Yu asking him to take charge of state affairs in place of the false court in Chang'an. Liu Yu responded by beheading the envoy and sending the head back.
He should've realized Liu Yu wasn't the type to covet the throne. Han Fu, who had tried to sabotage the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition only to get caught sending a secret envoy through the back door, faced double the backlash. Even just the curses hurled at him from the Henei army camp could have extended his lifespan to a ripe old age.
"I hear the White Horse General is descending on Jizhou, Jang Myeong."
"No need to worry about it, Teacher Jin."
It would have been nice if it ended with mere curses, but Gongsun Zan wouldn't let Han Fu off that easily. Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan, the two pillars of You Province, clashed over their views on the foreign tribes. Liu Yu believed the Han lacked the strength to suppress them and pushed for reconciliation. To Gongsun Zan, the butcher of barbarians, it was a foolish way to embolden them and invite retaliation.
But when the coalition showed signs of elevating Liu Yu, Gongsun Zan couldn't hold back and resorted to force. Leading his troops, he raided near Bohai Commandery in Jizhou, staging a show of strength. Rumors even swirled that Han Fu had been ousted from his position.
Serves him right for shaking the coalition with his dog-like schemes.
"So what was that about Mengzhu (Yuan Shao) stopping by just now?"
"It was nothing."
In truth, it was something. His probing questions during our exchange were blatantly fishing for slips. I'd thought I'd cleared his suspicions earlier, but that was a mistake. They had only grown stronger, and he'd returned with even more wariness.
Maybe I should've just come clean and said it was my scheme.
But the water was long spilled. In March, as the coalition in Hebei faced attacks on its prestige and might, an intriguing rumor reached the Central Plains from the heartland. Sun Jian had suffered one defeat against Dong Zhuo's forces but then claimed victory and reached Luoyang. It was great news that Sun Jian had reclaimed the burned ruins of Luoyang, but unfortunately, his patron Yuan Shu's fame rose with it.
Yuan Shao's expression upon first hearing the news—capturing the full spectrum of emotions—was a sight to behold. Yuan Shu seized on the achievement of recapturing Luoyang to relentlessly attack his elder brother, the coalition leader.
Why does it annoy me, someone with no ties to Yuan Shu? Probably because I'd subconsciously grown to hate him from my thorough reading of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Especially how it portrayed him as a pathetic braggart relying on his clan.
In any case, with even the central figure Yuan Shao gone, the coalition dissolved. Afterward, as Jojo prepared to descend the Yellow River, he composed and recited a poem:
"I ascended the Yellow River with no desires, and now I descend it with nothing gained."
Yuan Shao lingered in Henei, while Jojo followed Zhang Miao down to Chenliu Commandery. Before heading to Chenliu, I'd passed minor schemes to Guo Duo bit by bit. With Yuan Shao watching me closely, handing over major plans would have been too risky.
"A parting gift, since it's a shame to say goodbye."
The day before departing for Chenliu, I slipped two schemes written on paper into a gift for Guo Duo. One was a plan to devour Jizhou through a secret pact with Gongsun Zan; the other, to shatter him at Guandu.
If Guo Duo presents the plans with a time delay, Yuan Shao will suspect me less.
It was a gift born of that calculation—a blind man's bluff, but better than nothing. Especially since the Battle of Guandu was far off, perfect for staggering the reveals.
Thanks to my gift, perhaps, Yuan Shao received the Governorship of Jizhou from Han Fu in the sixth month. Gongsun Zan, stabbed in the back after their deal to split it; the Black Mountain Bandits entrenched in Bingzhou; the Xiongnu rampaging on the steppes beyond Bingzhou—all forces eyeing a bite of Jizhou came rushing in.
In early August of Chuping 2 (191 AD), the summer in Chenliu was brutal. The air, thick with humidity, clung heavily. Cicadas droned piercingly through the windows. Jin Gung and I fiddled with paperwork in the stifling office.
"Ah, if only we had some ice."
"You know how precious ice is, Jang Myeong, and you say that?"
Even in this era, icehouses stored winter ice for summer use. Not easily obtainable for common folk, but not impossible. Of course, the price for even one block was steep, so it remained a pipe dream.
Could I invent air conditioning now? Oh, right—no refrigerant.
Just as my improving mind threatened to spiral, Jojo burst in, sweating but with a lively expression for the first time in ages.
"Myeong! Gung! We're marching east against the bandits—prepare as quickly as possible!"
For me, knee-deep in military affairs with Jin Gung, it was sudden.
"What's happened? Did the Governor of Dong Commandery request aid?"
A few days prior, news had come that the Black Mountain Bandits had invaded Wei Commandery in Jizhou and Dong Commandery in Yanzhou, numbering in the tens of thousands. A request for help wasn't surprising.
"Not quite. You're right it's aid against the Black Mountain Bandits, but the sender wasn't the Dong Commandery Governor—it was the Jizhou Governor."
Yuan Shao was telling us to stay in Yanzhou; I still didn't need to call in the favor I'd planted with Guo Duo.
"Lord Jojo, even if your men are elite compared to bandits, marching out with only two thousand is far too dangerous."
"Teacher Jin is right. Our generals are superior, but war isn't won by generals alone."
Of course, Jojo came with the solution.
"You two saying the same thing—think I'd overlook that? Meng Zhuo (Zhang Miao) is lending us five thousand, so seven thousand should be plenty."
For Jojo's army, idle for nearly a year, this was their first real work. Thanks to Zhang Miao's full support, they mobilized in just eight days. Jojo took all his generals and advisors—naturally, I was included.
Jin Gung compiled the intelligence gathered over six days and reported.
"The Black Mountain Bandits invading Dong Commandery number thirty thousand, led by Baek Yo."
"Thirty thousand on paper, but nab the leaders and half will surrender, half will flee."
"Where's the Dong Commandery Governor?"
Jo Hong voiced the leader-kill strategy, and Jojo asked the governor's position.
"Last report had him leaving Fuyang Castle to intercept the bandits."
Fortifying would be smarter—why intercept? Giving them an opening?
I fanned myself while pondering the intercept report, but my mind drew a blank, so I asked Jin Gung.
"Teacher Jin, any reason the Dong Commandery Governor would force a pitched battle?"
"One, they're bandits—he has to stop them looting Dong Commandery. Two, if they retreat intact, it bolsters the Black Mountain forces in Jizhou. Three, he was appointed by the Jizhou Governor half a year ago; no merits means a short leash."
"Learned three lessons today."
All sound reasons. My only concern was Wang Gong's military prowess. Jojo-level, and the bandits were a joke; Yuan Shu-level, and we'd be crushed.
"If possible, it'd be ideal to hit their rear on arrival."
No matter their numbers, bandits sandwiched front and rear would collapse instantly. No reason for irregulars to fight to the death.
"Military Advisor, how far to Fuyang Castle?"
As I bantered with Jin Gung during the march, Hahou Don approached.
"Half a day left."
"Fight right on arrival? Sun's still up for hours."
"Scouts are out; we'll decide on their report."
Soon after, a scout returned with urgent news.
"The Dong Commandery Governor marched to block the Black Mountain Bandits and fell in battle."
Jojo immediately called a war council. Consensus: fight before Fuyang fell. If the bandits took it, our lack of siege weapons would doom us.
"Pick up the pace."
Jojo urged the march. Jojo's army reached Fuyang Castle at the end of Shen hour. A pitifully small force on the walls struggled against the bandits. The governor must have left minimal garrison, sparking this mess—no commander visible on the walls supported that.
They fought there.
About five li from the castle, corpses and broken banners littered the field. The bandits had beaten the officials there and charged straight for Fuyang.
"Advance! Take them before they seize the castle!"
At Jojo's shout, the troops moved in perfect order. The bandits spotted Jojo's sudden arrival too late—poor scouting, as expected from rabble.
"Lord Jojo, we must take their leader first."
"Finally, a chance to see our generals' prowess."
Hahou Don, Xiahou Yuan, and Jao In each led five hundred in charges. Striking disorganized flanks, they shattered the bandit lines.
"Us too—advance."
The main body exploited the breach, momentum shifting instantly. Screams erupted; deserters shed black turbans and fled.
"Don't just charge—our numbers are greater!"
From a ragged black turban, a somewhat well-dressed figure bellowed. His issuing orders marked him as Baek Yo or a lieutenant.
That's him.
As he manhandled those around him, urging them on, soldiers blew drums and horns. The bandits besieging Fuyang broke off and swarmed us. His command authority confirmed it—Baek Yo himself.
"Lord Jojo, we need to lure him out."
Three hundred paces to the target from our command post—beyond even the repeating crossbow's range. We'd need to close to melee distance.
I couldn't lead the line, so make Baek Yo come to the field.
"What do you need, Myeong?"
Even here, Jojo called me by courtesy name, not title. Odd how he used titles for others but not me.
"Move the command post forward—he'll see an opening and charge. Thoughts?"
"That puts command at risk. And luring to the front guarantees nothing."
"Lord Jin Gung, trust Myeong's archery once. Snipe the head, and these aren't even proper bandits—they'll be scattered remnants. Worth the gamble."
Jojo soothed Jin Gung and advanced command. Baek Yo led his thugs our way, pointing and yelling—aiming for us, as hoped.
I loaded the tube onto the string, slotted a short arrow. A faint breeze aided aim.
A bit closer.
I fixed on Baek Yo until effective range, about 150 paces.
Ping!
As the target hit position, I released. The arrow struck a subordinate's head beside Baek Yo—close, but no cigar. He didn't grasp what hit; I reloaded swiftly.
Ping!
"Argh!"
The second flew true, embedding in Baek Yo's skull. His neck snapped—he was done.
"The enemy leader is down!"
Jin Gung shouted at the sight. Seeing their chief felled by unknown means, they panicked and fled. Frontline bandits, heads swiveling in confusion, fell to blades. Leaderless, the Black Mountain Bandits had no way to rally their crumbling army.