Chapter 114: United in Spirit

Since Cao Hong awoke after more than two thousand years at the end of the Han dynasty and spent considerable time among the people of this era, he found the greatest difference between them and the citizens of the twenty-first century boiled down to a single word.

In Cao Hong’s eyes, the people of this time could truly be called "ignorant." This group of uneducated, culturally deprived, and somewhat superstitious subjects had only three basic desires: to fill their stomachs, to find a spouse, and to continue their lineage. Compared to the people of the twenty-first century—who, regardless of poverty, could simply turn to Baidu to broaden their knowledge, and though doomed to eat gutter oil, still harbored ambitions to govern state affairs, boasting expertise after a quick online search—there was a marked and profound difference.

Compared to later generations, only four words could describe the people of the late Han: their intellect was yet to awaken. Such citizens were naturally very easy to control.

Because the people's wishes revolved around warmth, food, marriage, and offspring, the family held immense importance to them. This is why the feudal society emphasized the concept of “family, country, and world.” The people, wherever they lived, showed great respect to their elders. In rural areas, the “three elders” who oversaw moral education were the senior figures of the village. It was natural, then, that the people of this era placed great importance on their ancestors. No matter how poor the place, there were always those who maintained ancestral halls and held rites to honor their forebears. Even when a family member committed a crime, they would be brought before the ancestral hall for judgment. Unless the homeland truly became unbearable to live in, they would never leave, for it was the resting place of their ancestors.

During the Han dynasty, the first thought of anyone who rose to wealth and honor was to return home in their finery, to acknowledge and pay homage to their ancestors. Many who erred would say they felt “ashamed to face their forebears.”

Cao Hong decided that the first task was to build loyalty among the people, and his initial thought was to leverage the Han people's reverence for family and ancestors.

Before him now stood an old man from Juancheng, a typical ignorant Han subject. Born and raised in Juancheng, his surname was Yi—one of the three great surnames of Juancheng. Why was Yi one of the three great surnames? Because Emperor Wu, also known as Emperor Yao, bore the surname Yi. Juancheng was the Emperor Yao’s homeland, and his tomb lay within a forested mountain called Gulin in the Juancheng territory.

This elderly Yi was a fisherman by trade, now living alone in a dilapidated thatched hut in Juancheng. He had once had a wife and children, but due to the harsh living conditions, his children had left, intending to take him along as well. However, the old man insisted that since his ancestors were buried here, his descendants must remain to guard the place, so he would go nowhere. Consequently, his children left with his wife and never returned.

Such occurrences were common in Juancheng. Today, only the old, the weak, the sick, and wandering hungry people lingered here. Even the county seat had turned to ruins. Cao Hong had summoned this old man to his military camp built amidst the shattered walls and broken beams. Initially, the old man thought it was bandits again. When soldiers came to fetch him, he even brought a few salted fish as a humble offering. Only after much coaxing did he learn they were government troops sent to suppress the bandits.

The old man had no idea what rank a “General of Martial Valor” was, nor the ranks under his command. But upon seeing the young man before him, younger than his own grandson, and noting the armor he wore, the old man understood something: no matter what official he was, he was certainly a high-ranking one. The armor on this youth was so fine that if all the cooking pots in the local market were melted down, it still wouldn’t be enough to forge a single piece like that.

Could such a finely made armor be worn by a low-ranking officer? Bandits wore animal skins and coarse hemp cloth, and occasionally a few wore tattered yet shiny silk. In earlier years, officials wore long robes, but armor made of iron—especially one shinier than silk—was a first for the old man.

Watching the old man tremble with both fear and curiosity, Cao Hong spoke gently, “I heard from my soldiers that your surname is Yi?”

The old man, evidently unlettered and tongue-tied, only replied with a hesitant “Yes…”

Cao Hong smiled and said, “Then I shall call you Old Yi.”

The old man was stunned for a moment. Surname Yi, old—“Old Yi” wasn’t a bad name. Generals were different after all, able to think up such a clever name right away. Thinking this, the old man nodded in acceptance.

Cao Hong motioned for the old man to sit and asked, “Old Yi, I heard that Emperor Shun once personally farmed on Mount Li and fished in the Lei Marsh. These two places must have been fertile lands and abundant fishing grounds. Back when Emperor Shun established his realm and divided the nine provinces, it should have been a prosperous region. Why then has it come to such a state now?”

The old man replied, “Mount Li and Lei Marsh? Those are places that kill people. Who would dare fish or farm there? Between those two places, more than ten large bands of bandits and dozens of smaller ones have taken over. Officials came, but one would die after another. Eventually, no one dared come anymore. Without officials, forget about going there, even passing nearby is too dangerous.”

It became clear that there were indeed natural resources to feed people here, but they were occupied by bandits—perhaps not bandits in the strict sense, but desperate hungry people. Cao Hong immediately understood the cause: rich wild resources seized by starving bandits was a common occurrence even in times of peace, let alone now.

Having clarified one matter, Cao Hong asked another, “Old Yi, do you know of any famous people from Juancheng?”

The old man hesitated: “Emperor Yao, Shun, are they counted?”

Cao Hong nodded, “Yes, them. But aside from them? How about generals from previous dynasties, or high officials of the current one?”

Pan Zhang, standing nearby, could not help but speak up, “Young master, for the previous dynasty’s strong generals, I only know of one from Juancheng.”

Cao Hong asked, “Who?”

Pan Zhang replied, “None other than Sun Bin, a descendant of Sun Wu!”

Sun Bin? The author of “Sun Bin’s Art of War” hailed from here? Sun Bin was a figure from the Warring States period, a disciple along with a man named Pang Juan under the famed Master Guiguzi. Later, Pang Juan became a general of the Wei state, out of jealousy and fear of being supplanted by Sun Bin, tricked him with a ruse and had him punished by removal of his kneecaps.

Sun Bin was rescued by the Qi state, where General Tian Ji treated him well, and King Wei appointed him as military advisor. Twice he defeated his fellow disciple Pang Juan, gaining great renown.

The elementary school textbook story of “Tian Ji racing horses,” with the strategy of matching the best horse against the opponent’s middle one, the middle against the weakest, and the weakest against the strongest, came from Sun Bin. His fame did not end there; his masterpiece, “Sun Bin’s Art of War,” carried forward the essence of Sun Wu and Wu Qi’s military thought, proposing that war was a tool of governance and emphasizing the value of human life in military strategy. Progressively, it surpassed the “Laws of Sima” that were current at the time.

Unfortunately, much of “Sun Bin’s Art of War” has been lost over time, even in this era no complete copy exists. Cao Hong’s collection from Wu Commandery contained only fragments, especially the chapters on formations were missing.

The old man took this moment to say, “Military sir is right. Qi Sunzi is indeed from Juancheng.” Since later generations also called Sun Bin “Sunzi” to differentiate him from Sun Wu, and because he served Qi, he was known as Qi Sunzi.

Cao Hong nodded and asked, “Anyone else?”

The old man answered, “There was also a high official during Emperor Wu’s reign named Ji An.”

Cao Hong nodded in recognition, “I know him. He was a mid-ranking minister, whom Emperor Wu called a pillar of the state.” This was part of Cao Hong’s prior knowledge.

Then Cao Hong said to Pan Zhang, “Wengui, you heard that. Starting tomorrow, take four hundred halberdiers and begin repairing four ancestral halls: the halls of Emperor Yao, Emperor Shun, Sun Bin, and Ji An. Once completed, find their tombs—or if you cannot find those, their ruins or ceremonial burial sites—and refurbish them.”

Before Pan Zhang could respond, the old man immediately knelt down and cried out, “General, you are truly a good man! Heaven has eyes! To send a good man like you! We Juancheng people will be forever grateful to you!”

Just the reaction Cao Hong had hoped for. Then he told Pan Zhang, “Afterwards, go to Shangmu Camp and tell Qing Mang that within one month, there must be no more wandering refugees or bandits within a hundred miles of Juancheng.”

Pan Zhang agreed immediately and then departed.