Strike the Root, Ignore the Flames
Several voices opposed the idea of ignoring the burning inner chamber of the enemy house—their base—and pressing the attack instead.
"Governor, the Chief of Staff's suggestion to head to Dongmuyang seems right."
Hahou Don spoke up first in opposition, and the other generals echoed him, insisting they should go to Dongmuyang.
"If we go to Dongmuyang, we won't touch their supplies and will only capture a few bandits. Then how do we stop the next invasion?"
Jojo explained that his judgment accounted for future battles. Certainly, expending fifteen thousand soldiers was a heavy cost, and maintaining that number would be difficult. At this rate, empty supply trains and granaries—not the enemy—would bring them down first.
"We must end it when we can end it in one go."
By striking the base and cutting off the root, they could gain more than a single victory. Seizing the enemy's supplies would even replenish their own losses—a perfect outcome.
"Sun Bin attacked Wei to save Zhao. If we spread rumors of striking west, Dongmuyang's siege will lift on its own. If the enemy doesn't turn back, we smash their base and then hit the Black Mountain Bandits' rear as they attack Dongahyeon."
Jojo's argument sounded reasonable at first glance. But he hadn't explained how three thousand could hold off forty thousand.
I frothed at the mouth at the thought of going to Dongmuyang for some absurd defense.
"Governor, you've overlooked the most crucial point. Holding off forty thousand with three thousand is impossible."
"The Chief of Staff is right. The troops at Dongmuyang aren't exactly elite."
"Why not, Somyeong, Ja-hyo? With your archery skills to snipe Wu Du, and a thousand reinforcements, isn't that enough?"
Jojo looked at me with utter confidence. It was the same expression he'd worn a year ago when he'd said he'd go after Dong Zhuo alone.
This is bad.
Opposing Jojo head-on when he was this convinced was pointless. Standing in his way directly could squander our last chance for reinforcements.
I kept the number at one thousand but treaded a razor-thin line, altering the conditions.
"The reinforcement thousand must be elite who won't break. And there won't be many chances to shoot Wu Du, so we need one more general."
"Then we'll add the Separate Division Commander and his men to make up the thousand. Somyeong, Ja-hyo—that enough now?"
To keep Dongmuyang from collapsing from within, elite troops had to hold morale. And there was no guarantee I'd hit Wu Du alone, so we needed another master archer. Hahou Yuan was the best shot among us and already commanded elites as Separate Division Commander—perfect.
""It's enough.""
Jo In and I agreed it was feasible with Hahou Yuan.
"No matter what, we'll reach Dongmuyang within twenty days."
Jojo said to hold for twenty days, and I replied that I understood.
Since Jojo said it, he'll keep to twenty days. Even marching normally, we'll arrive before the Black Mountain Bandits, so I need to send a rider ahead to prepare the defenses.
The army council I was joining ended there. Staying longer wouldn't change much.
I pondered Dongmuyang's defense as I walked away. With me, Hahou Yuan, and Jo In gone, the remaining council naturally turned to assaulting the Black Mountain base.
Hahou Yuan led his thousand soldiers northwest alongside Jo In and Jang Myeong.
If Dongmuyang fell to the Black Mountain Bandits, even a main force victory would mean nothing.
Jojo moved northeast with nine thousand soldiers, Hahou Don, Jo Hong, Jin Gung, and Guo Jia to strike Wu Du's stronghold.
Unless they wiped out the base, the bandits could regroup and invade again anytime—this front was vital too.
Xun Yu and Sun Yu raced to Buyang Castle without leading separate forces. Xun Yu to handle administration in the governor's absence, Sun Yu to send a thousand from Buyang as reinforcements.
Donggu was empty now, all troops and generals gone. Only spare stockades and a few tents remained for later use.
"On the road to Dongmuyang, could you take command, Colonel?"
I asked Jo In to lead en route to Dongmuyang. Normally, Hahou Yuan should retain command as Separate Division head. But with a siege ahead, there was no reason for the Separate Division to operate independently.
Both Hahou Yuan and Jo In agreed after my explanation.
"We won't detach any from the three thousand. All forces for defense."
With forty thousand out there, hoping for variables with detachments was too risky. Straight defense beat clever tricks.
"The Separate Division Commander and I will snipe their generals and officers to buy time. Any other ideas?"
"Sniping key figures like that will shatter their morale and sow command chaos—we can hold twenty days."
"From the walls, with the Chief of Staff and me shooting down, we can manage a hundred fifty paces easily."
Jo In and Hahou Yuan approved my plan. I'd worried about flaws, but they saw none major.
"Chief of Staff, how about a wager while we're at it? Who bags more snipes."
"Then give me five points head start. I lack the Separate Division Commander's guts—fewer shots for me."
"But you've got the repeating crossbow. Five's too much—three points."
Even now, Hahou Yuan proposed a bet on kills. His casual guts eased my worries.
I marched, spreading rumors in every village we passed, heading to Dongmuyang.
"Governor, think Dongmuyang can hold?"
"It will. Does the Military Strategist think otherwise?"
On the road to the Black Mountain base, Guo Jia asked Jojo.
"Yes, Governor. Isn't the force heading there too small?"
Jojo countered with a relaxed smile.
"Haha, even Military Strategist Guo Jia worries like Administrator Sun Yu."
"The art of war says to avoid battle against ten times your number."
Three thousand against forty thousand was beyond Guo Jia's grasp.
Jojo shook his head at Guo Jia's Sun Tzu reference.
"Forty thousand isn't a grand army. Just a bandit mob that happens to number forty thousand."
Sun Tzu's ten-to-one assumed similarly trained troops. Not regulars versus bandits.
"Cut off the head, and such rabble writhes like a snake before scattering. Lesson from Yellow Turbans and Black Mountains."
Victories at Yingchuan against Yellow Turbans, Buyang against Black Mountains.
"And we have two arrows to shoot their heads."
"Seen the Separate Division Commander's prowess on the march, but never the Chief of Staff's archery."
Hahou Yuan earned trust through displays. But Jang Myeong, pale scholar-type, endless overtime drudge? Hard to credit.
"Later, ask Somyeong to assist and show his bow skills. You'll be impressed."
Jojo knew Jang Myeong intimately from long association—not Guo Jia. His confident tone silenced further questions.
"Understood."
Jojo had no doubts about Dongmuyang. Anyone who'd followed him before he became governor shared that faith.
On the fifth day from Donggu, the ten thousand reached the Black Mountain base.
Nine thousand from Donggu plus Sun Yu's thousand from Buyang.
Scouts confirmed the bandits were complacent. No defenses expected—the reckless plan all generals had opposed succeeded.
"Now, how to handle the main force. If we can't crush the enemy before us, how to manage three hundred li away?"
To aid Dongmuyang: shatter the base, then wheel back to hit the besiegers.
Needed a swift, low-loss plan. Jojo asked his advisors.
"Numbers even, but our men worth two each—hit from three sides?"
Troops comparable, but quality gap huge. Leave a small escape gap; they'd crumble.
"Good idea, Adjutant. Others?"
"Fire attack looks good. No spring rains yet—flames spread fast."
Sun Yu proposed his bandit-killer standby.
"Combine them. Fire from left and right to trap them, charge south. South wind carries flames to their escape."
Guo Jia merged the two aptly. Controlled fire to burn stockades but spare supplies—perfect for Jojo, eyeing loot.
"Feed the men for two hours, then attack."
Early meal, but better than hungry fighting.
Jojo's army ate rations smokelessly. They timed for the bandits' own meal.
At the efficiency hour's piercing flute, Jo Hong and Jin Gung struck left and right.
"Loose!"
Fire arrows arced into the stockade walls. Two hours' kindling roared up.
Flames devoured dry-wood stockades indiscriminately. Instant inferno spewed black smoke.
"Water, quick! Douse it!"
"Boss! Where's water here?!"
Bandits flailed but lacked water; stockades fell. Acrid smoke and heat incinerated morale.
"Damn, total wipeout."
Facing Jojo's charge, scattering was inevitable. Base commander Ban Go refused death.
"Take their leader's head! Follow me!"
Only way: kill a foe general, rally spirits.
Ban Go cleaved Jojo's vanguard indiscriminately. Prowess befitting a bandit chief.
"You bastard! This old Yuanxiang will face you!"
As Ban Go downed eight, Hahou Don bellowed and charged.
Hahou Don deflected the axe with his spear shaft, closing in. Ban Go yanked back too slow—thrust pierced throat.
- Gahk!
Ban Go tumbled from his horse, no exchange had.
"R-run!"
Already crumbling from fire, bandits fled north at their chief's fall.
Hahou Don's men mercilessly stabbed fleeing backs.
By shen hour, battle ended.
Jojo sniffed charred air, asked Jin Gung.
"Adjutant, battle results?"
"Of ten thousand Black Mountain Bandits: three thousand killed or wounded, two thousand fled barely alive, five thousand captured. Our ten thousand: four hundred dead, twelve hundred wounded."
Bandits with a name, even numbers—huge win.
"Great victory. Enemy supplies?"
"Administrator tallying. Grain alone tens of thousands shi—they stripped the area bare."
"Now ours to feed our men."
Base smashed, no bandit remnants to regroup.
"Report full tally later. I'll leave another thousand fatigued but unwounded—Administrator, oversee sending wounded and loot to Buyang."
"As ordered."
Jin Gung bowed.
Jojo turned toward Dongmuyang.
Gazing at the desperate battlefield holding even now.
"I'll lead the rest to Dongmuyang tomorrow."