95. Sun Jian’s Great Victory, and the Breakup Is at Hand

With Cao Ren assisting in selecting troops, Cao Hong grew idle once more and so devoted himself entirely to studying spearwork. Ever since he had acquired the Iron-Bone Eight-Chi Spear, he had been refining the Yang Family Pear-Blossom Spear, turning it into a form that could be used in mounted combat. He also softened and absorbed principles from Greek battlefield spear techniques. After many days of practice, he had gained real insight. In another ten days he finally formed a complete system of spearplay fit for horseback.

The Yang Family Pear-Blossom Spear relied entirely on the feet; it drew its strength from uncanny footwork. Cao Hong’s revision moved the center of power to the waist. Though it reduced the number of flourishes, the whole body became a pivot around the spine, and when he swung the spear the force and forcefulness were overwhelming. Working in concert with both arms, it had fewer variations than before, but proved far more practical in the confusion of battle lines.

That day, he trained before his quarters. His legs barely moved while his hands turned his cavalry spear into a shifting screen of light, dazzling those who watched. The wind he whipped up seemed like a torrent of sharpened steel. This was a new thirteen-movement spear art born of the Thirty-Six Wondrous Techniques of the Yang Family Pear-Blossom Spear, mingled with assorted spear forms and fused with the Eight Forms of the Greek military spear. It was the first time he had used it in full. Pan Zhang, who watched from the side, cried out after Cao Hong stilled himself. “Young Master, what a formidable art! Its force is incomparable, and its variations are endless. It is by far the most formidable spearwork I have ever seen. Even the young officer under Xu Rong is less refined than this.”

Pan Zhang’s so-called “young officer” was Zhang Xiu, who had crossed spears with Cao Hong that very day. Now that Cao Hong’s cultivation had entered a new stage, he thought no one in the world could surpass him in technique, and laughed. “What of it? Even if the Three Heroes of Dongting stood before me, I’d beat them all into the dust.”

“Ha—ha! Of course, Young Master is invincible under heaven,” Pan Zhang answered aloud, though privately he was not fully convinced. The Three Heroes of Dongting were renowned by all the martial men of the realm as peerless masters, and rumor held that they had helped slay the great worthy master Zhang Jiao. Their prestige ran deep; by strict measure Cao Hong still seemed a little behind.

Then Pan Zhang asked, “Young Master, what is this form called?”

Cao Hong paused, almost saying immediately, “the Yang Family Pear-Blossom Spear.” But he reconsidered. For one, he did not bear the Yang name; for another, this style was no longer purely Yang. A thought struck him: once this method reached the field, it would kill as effortlessly as mowing grass. So he said, “This art is called the Grass-Cutting Spear.”

Pan Zhang froze, then stared stupidly at him. The name was blunt, almost plain. He hesitated and stammered, “Grass-Cutting... Spear... It is a good name, truly! But, Young Master, this technique looks so fierce and majestic—why such an unassuming name?”

Cao Hong laughed aloud. “If one can kill like mowing grass, where is the lack of majesty?”

Pan Zhang nodded, admitting the point, and resumed praising Cao Hong’s spearwork.

Cao Hong cast Pan Zhang a sidelong glance. “Wen-kuei, you spend all your time praising me. You want to learn, do you not?”

Pan Zhang slapped his hand to his chest and nodded eagerly. Cao Hong chuckled. “You should learn, yes—but you’d injure your sinews and bones. Your strength is not yet enough to put force into it as I can.”

His words shattered Pan Zhang’s hope. He withdrew in low spirits and returned to his room to consult military texts. At that moment Shi Huan entered the courtyard and bowed. “Respectful greetings, General Cao.”

Cao Hong replied with amusement, “Shi Huan, has the lord’s guard already been selected?”

“It was,” Shi Huan said. “General Zixiao chose them himself. They are all men of loyalty and justice.”

Cao Hong nodded. “Good. Then I will lead them to the lord and pass along my thanks to Zixiao.”

Shi Huan answered, “Of course. The bodyguard troops are waiting outside the estate.”

“Pan Zhang! Come out at once. You’re coming with me to present them to the lord.” Cao Hong called.

Pan Zhang answered and came running. Shi Huan took his leave with a smile, and Cao Hong and Pan Zhang departed, leading four thousand men toward Cao Cao’s residence.

After reporting back, Pan Zhang took leave first. Cao Hong stayed behind at Cao Cao’s side. Cao Cao said, “Zilian, scouts from the Eastern Commandery and Suanzao have returned. The Suanzao main camp is in increasingly severe shortage of grain. Han Wenjie has already stopped supplying rations to the allied forces, so now each allied contingent must feed itself. If this drags on, the allies will soon have to provide for themselves and they will scatter homeward. As for the Eastern Commandery, Wang Gong, a commander under Liu Dai, has already entered it and has been recommended by Liu Dai as commandery governor. Whatever the locals feel, Wang Gong has brought troops into the region; even the local cliques with private militias will hardly dare to oppose him.”

“So we cannot simply seize the Eastern Commandery?” Cao Hong asked.

“Now that Liu Dai has put Wang Gong in place as governor,” Cao Cao answered, “we cannot openly seize that place in the daylight.”

“This matter…” Cao Hong said, “we still need to discuss with Master Ziyang.”

“I have already spoken with him,” Cao Cao said. “Master Ziyang did offer an excellent scheme, but it is merciless. That is why I asked you here—let us decide whether it can be carried out.”

Cao Hong, even in shock at the remark, asked, “What is this scheme of Master Ziyang’s?”

Ziyang’s idea was this: send Qiao Fa, a former follower of Qiao Mao, across the Yellow River to stir up the Black Mountain bandits while the allied armies have not yet returned. Yanzhou, on the Yellow River’s banks, would be the first to be struck. The Black Mountain force was vast. Wang Gong could not hope to stand against them. Once they entered Yanzhou, the Yellow Turban remnants lurking there would rise in the disorder. Yanzhou would then be thrown into chaos. Some allied commanders there are from Yanzhou; on hearing the alarm they would certainly pull troops back to defend their homelands. There would be casualties on all sides. In that moment, we could seize the chance to move on the Eastern Commandery or other parts of Yanzhou.

When Cao Hong heard this, he felt a cold breath run through him. Liu Ye’s stratagem was indeed ruthless. The Black Mountain bandits, based in the Hebei regions, fielded tens of thousands and were led by several chiefs, not one. If Qiao Fa, as a thousand-man commander in Dong Commandery, could stir these raiders, at least one headman would take the bait, dash south into Yanzhou, and even if no one could hold it, at least they would loot and profit. Yanzhou would be the first to bleed. In places farther north, men like Bao Xin of Jibei and Governor Zhang Miao of Chenliu might still have time to regroup and answer the threat, but Wang Gong would have to face the bandits alone, and in such an unstable moment that is near certain ruin.

What is more, once the raiders were in Yanzhou, the remnants of the Yellow Turbans who had made themselves lords of the hills and marshlands there would certainly join the riot. In this time of military uproar no one knew how many mountain brigands hid in the ravines and wetlands. Yanzhou would become a furnace of confusion. That would be when Cao’s army could rake through the chaos—worse still, he could even pose as a bandit faction, slaughter some local governor, then march in under the pretext of restoring order, drive out the raiders, and assume control as if by right. The local power brokers would welcome this, for Cao Cao was already a name spoken with fear and admiration, and the court in the capital would amount to little more than ink on bamboo and silk.

This invitation of wolves into the fold would have put Yanzhou’s people through unspeakable suffering: bandits are not regular troops. They plunder, burn, and slaughter all alike; all for private profit, and it would drag an entire state into fire and flood. No wonder Cao Cao called the plan savage.

Cao Hong saw Liu Ye in a new light. If this Liu Ye truly belonged to the Han lineage, he did not seem to care about preserving his family’s own realm at all—or else he would not have conceived such cruelty. Yet one could not deny the brilliance of it. Even better, no one would know Cao Cao stood behind it; in this stratagem Cao Cao would appear merely as one of the overt bandit actors.

So Cao Hong said, “Big brother, though this plan is cruel, it is a superb stratagem. In a world already torn apart, how can Yanzhou survive untouched? Better to endure a painful upheaval and win a few days of peace under your command than endure this present ruin.”

Cao Cao laughed heartily. “Your words, Zilian, strike the heart exactly.”

As the two spoke, a servant arrived with news: Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan wished to be received together. Cao Cao brought them in. Xiahou Dun said, “Mengde, Sun Wentai has crushed Hu Zhen, the General of the Household, in Yang city, and has also cut down Hua Xiong, his fierce general. He has now marched on Meiwu to test himself against Dong’s villain.”

Hearing this, Cao Cao sighed in admiration. “So Sun Wentai is truly formidable.” He immediately sent for Liu Ye and asked after the report: “What does Master Ziyang say of this battle?”

After a long pause, Liu Ye answered, “Sun Wentai is fearless and fierce. Now that Jingzhou is under Liu Jingsheng, and grain routes are controlled by Yuan Gonglu, neither Yuan Shu nor Liu Jingsheng will likely permit him to return south. One only has to see that Yuan Gonglu has already petitioned to appoint him Inspector of Yuzhou to know this. He has no room to retreat. The clash with Dong is already a fight with his back to the river. But Dong has plundered along the roads for so long, and the people of Helo have mostly already fled into Guanzhong. Whether in lives or goods, much has already been emptied into Guanzhong. Add that Dong is fully resolved to leave, while Sun Wentai has already committed himself with no return—this outcome is all but clear. Besides, Luoyang itself is now a ruin. The Son of Heaven has departed, the common folk are running in panic. After two days, this place is but ash and mud. Dong will not willingly stand in close combat with Sun Wentai.”

Xiahou Dun said, “Then it seems likely Sun Wentai will seize Luoyang. In that sense we might claim victory.”

Cao Cao replied with a bitter smile, “What difference is there between such a victory and a defeat? Dong will have swept away grain and people, the Son of Heaven will have withdrawn to Guanzhong, and what the allied armies gain is only a field of ruins.”

Liu Ye rose then and bowed. “My lord, Yuan Bencu hopes to set up a new sovereign; Yuan Gonglu dreams of claiming the throne himself. These two will surely come into conflict. Since they are now the two greatest powers among the allies, once Luoyang falls they will force the allied lords to choose a side. The alliance’s dissolution is immediate. Please decide without delay!”

Cao Cao struck the table sharply and ordered, “Then do it exactly as Master Ziyang proposed. Bring that boy Qiao Fa to me. Yuan Bencu is still in Suanzao, and the main force of the Black Mountain raiders has not yet crossed the river. This is the finest opportunity.”

Cao Hong gave a private sigh. The Great Upheaval of the realm had only just begun, and already the struggle for power was this intricate. And now, with Cao Cao issuing proclamations to raise the standard, and then in secret weaving schemes to invite wolves into the hall and hasten the allies’ breakup, all this in less than two months—from the first call to arms to now—was enough to show how swiftly the mists of fate shift. Who could say how many proud lords, fierce in spirit, would vanish next into the long river of history.