Panic from the Rear: Crushing the Black Mountain Bandits
Just as the Jojo army defending Dongmuyang for six straight days was worn out, the besieging Black Mountain Bandits were equally exhausted. Every day, they climbed the walls trampling the corpses of their comrades who had died pointless deaths, only to retreat at sunset, stepping on those same bodies again. Rumors swirled lowly through their camp that their home base had fallen under attack, gnawing away at the last remnants of their fighting spirit. Even if the chariot assault wheels spared their bodies some fatigue, their morale was crumbling far worse than the Jojo army's.
In that very situation, Jojo's forces appeared behind the Black Mountain Bandits' camp. The sudden enemy army confirmed the rumors were true—their base had indeed been hit. Panic that started with a single bandit spread like wildfire. The roughly 30,000 Black Mountain Bandits disintegrated that easily. Some fought on, others dropped their weapons and surrendered, while those screaming in terror trampled their own allies in flight, all tangled in chaos.
The Jojo army slaughtered 7,000 of the Black Mountain Bandits attacking Dongmuyang and captured over 20,000 prisoners. It was a resounding victory without parallel among all their triumphs to date.
Three days after the Battle of Dongmuyang ended in total victory, the tally of spoils was complete. The report brimmed with numbers so staggering I had to rub my eyes and double-check. I even asked Sun Yu if the figures were accurate.
"They're precisely recorded, sir."
Grain alone came to 60,000 seok—enough to feed 10,000 soldiers for a full 13 months. Horses filled the stables: 300 in total, including 200 fine war steeds. Weapons enough to outfit 3,000 heavy infantry poured in, along with wealth rivaling a commandery's entire annual budget.
Jojo decided to select the most capable prisoners and turn them into regular soldiers. He limited their number to 1,000, however. The financial burden of maintaining the existing 15,000 troops was already murderous.
"What of the remaining prisoners?"
"It seems you have a fine idea, Advisor Somyeong."
"How about using them for the Gunuong Policy?"
The rest, unfit for soldiering, were shipped off to the reclamation lands in Dong'a County for the policy's pilot program. They wouldn't be executed outright, so they'd work hard enough to earn their keep.
The day the spoils arrived, Dongmuyang erupted in raucous celebration. Soldiers feasted on liquor and meat from the haul, cheering late into the night. Jojo, face beaming with satisfaction, raised his cup to commend the generals' hard work.
"I usually hate banquets, but today I almost want to join."
"When the Chief of Staff is working, it's only right his wife helps out, isn't it?"
Of course, I buried myself in paperwork again, as if it were fate. Post-battle cleanup piled up like a mountain, and someone had to tackle it.
Xun Yu spotted me lurking to avoid the drinks and promptly dragged me from the banquet hall to the government office.
"Chief Advisor Xun, let's start with the agenda. Corpse disposal, wounded treatment, troop assessment and reorganization, pacifying the pillaged populace, prisoner interrogations, merit rewards prep—is there more?"
The workload towered on my desk like a fortress, and I methodically besieged it. I grabbed Guo Jia by the scruff as he tried to slip out after a quick greeting and dumped tasks on him. Thanks to that, we finished sorting the documents before sunset.
"I hate the me from half a day ago who snuck out to the banquet."
"There's more work, Military Strategist. Up you get."
Jingong arrived at the office right as the sun set, having enjoyed the festivities. Unlike Guo Jia, he wasn't annoying, so I'd told him to come later—and he timed it perfectly. For reference, I'd wanted Sun Yu here too, but he was swamped with spoils accounting.
"Didn't you just wrap up all that business?"
"This is about Yanzhou."
I gulped down the cold dregs of my tea and laid out the item. As I spoke gravely, Xun Yu, Guo Jia, and Jingong all sharpened their gazes.
"Yellow Turban remnants are heading down into Yanzhou right now."
Those damn pests were why I couldn't yet bring my family or Elder Jo Soong. Tao Qian was holding Xuzhou well enough, but crossing Yellow Turban territory was impossible.
"And their numbers reach hundreds of thousands—a major problem."
Hundreds of thousands in battle-ready terms; including non-combatants, they neared a million true. Cross-verified by multiple scouts, it broke down to 250,000 fighters and 800,000 total. Compared to Dong Commandery's registered population of 160,000, their scale hit home. Actual locals might tally around 400,000, but unregistered folk didn't count for logistics anyway.
"Hence my headache. Expanding the army balloons expenses beyond bearing, but shrinking it leaves us unable to stop the locust swarm."
Guo Jia voiced my exact concern. With over 100,000 combatants easily, assembling forces was a nightmare. Small mercy: Dong Commandery wouldn't be the first shield when the Yellow Turbans invaded Yanzhou.
"We must prepare for Yanzhou's devastation too."
Jingong said, face taut with tension. Yanzhou's available troops were far fewer than the Yellow Turbans'. Gongsun Zan repelled them with 20,000 once, but we lacked such elites.
"Is that why you're discussing the Yellow Turbans, Chief of Staff?"
I nodded at Xun Yu's question. As Jojo's core advisors, they'd refine my draft perfectly. I ticked off fingers one by one as I outlined the Yellow Turbans.
"One: This horde coming to Yanzhou was badly mauled by Taishan Commandery's Governor Eungso before, so they'll surely bypass Taishan for the invasion."
Why had these Yellow Turbans gone all the way to Ji Province after rising near Yanzhou, only to return? Last year, Governor Eungso of Taishan fought desperately against a similarly sized uprising and won. Having lost then too, they'd skip revenge and detour around Taishan.
No one objected; we all foresaw the same path.
"Two: Judging from their showing in the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition, Inspector Liu Dai won't handle these Yellow Turbans. Thus, I propose elevating our Lord Jo as the next Yanzhou Inspector."
I still recalled Liu Dai dying in battle against the Yellow Turbans, and Jojo succeeding him as Inspector.
"Military Advisor, you have ties to local clans—can I ask you to rally support?"
"Gladly."
The Inspector promotion had been in works with Jingong even before Xun Yu and Guo Jia joined, so no issues. Mentioning it now signaled intent to the other two.
"Three: I've sketched a formation—help me flesh it out. It's suited for this Yellow Turban force."
I drew heavy lines on the thick paper. An adaptation of the oblique order, massing troops at the vanguard.
"Crush their right wing first, then rout them?"
"Even inducing a rout this way, their numbers are so vast—will it work?"
"If possible, better to smash their command. Even elites crumble without leaders; Yellow Turbans won't differ."
They offered varied takes on the formation and debated.
"To hold the center and our right despite numerical disadvantage, prioritize spearmen."
"Then the enemy spots the setup and adjusts. Plus, our other wing might collapse first."
"That's why reserves behind center and right—for the feint."
Replicating the oblique order exactly was tough due to troops and terrain, but the concept was viable. We recognized the looming threat and pooled minds to overcome it. The strategy session against the Yellow Turbans stretched late.
In mid-April of Chuping 3 (192 AD), Yanzhou Inspector Liu Dai perished battling the Yellow Turbans. The exhausted messenger barely gasped out the news. Just as foretold.
We immediately launched our bid for the vacant Inspector seat.
To succeed, two things: backers and fear.
Merchant Po Shin and Jingong gathered Yanzhou supporters. Outside the Taishou office, they met notables, molding opinion. Without Jojo, victor over the Black Mountain Bandits, none could repel the Yellow Turbans, they insisted.
I'll move my way.
I sowed fear from the shadows. First, agitators spread Yellow Turban intel. Rumors ballooned naturally person-to-person. No need to exaggerate their menace; reality sufficed.
Next, I forged letters implicating collusion with the Yellow Turbans. Half-burned for murky authenticity, the char marks suggested hasty acquisition—a two-birds kill.
"Time to push the agenda."
The bustling Dong Taishou office bore fruit. Former Jojo foes fell silent; the lukewarm tilted our way.
"Thanks to your efforts, we claimed it."
A month later, Jojo was duly elevated to Yanzhou Inspector. Our local base remained shaky, though—reorganizations deferred until after Turban suppression.
News of Yuan Shao beating Gongsun Zan at Yong Province, or the Gongsun Zan-Tao Qian alliance stalling, mattered little. The crux: stopping hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turbans.
We requested troops from clans and commandery governors to supplement our 15,000. How many they'd add remained to be seen.
In the council chamber at Yanzhou Castle, we debated suppression strategy. Generals and advisors ringed the central Yanzhou map. Inspector Jojo naturally took the head seat.
"Yellow Turban intel as follows."
Flags shifted with each report until settling. Eastern Yanzhou drowned in yellow flags marking Turban forces. One flag per 5,000; forty meant one thing.
"200,000. Even lined up single-file with necks bared, it'd take days."
"This is combatants only. Add non-fighters, and it swells."
200,000 Turban soldiers infested Yanzhou, fruits of the 800,000 horde's influx. Amid that yellow sea, our red Jojo flags numbered a mere nine.
No matter when you see it, the numbers defy belief.
Overwhelming inferiority, yet we had crutches. Mostly infantry, their cavalry scant dozens. Our 3,000 horse could tip scales if wielded right.
Stingy with a mere 30,000 in wartime—not even peacetime. Should be 50,000.
I inwardly ground my teeth at the tepid pledges. No time wasting on gripe, though.
"Long-time brigands riding a victory streak—we can't win head-on. Don't underestimate after half a year battling Black Mountain Bandits."
Troop placements finalized on the map, I declared the orthodox path unviable.
Quantity has its own quality.
"Does the Chief of Staff have a stratagem?"
Jao In asked. Everyone in the chamber fixed eyes on me, urging reply.