Chapter 97: The Farce of the Alliance Meeting, Yuan Shao Ultimately Profits

Yuan Benzhong and Yuan Gonglu were accusing each other inwardly, each claiming the other harbored disloyal intentions and begging me to help them restore order. Ziyang, Zilian, what say you? How should I proceed?

Ever since Cao Cao had returned bearing heavy gold, troops, and military supplies, and with Liu Ye’s counsel urging him to seize Dong Commandery, he had grown to value summoning Cao Hong for discussions. It seemed he now regarded him not merely as a soldier who obeyed orders, but as a worthy literary advisor.

Liu Ye and Cao Hong exchanged glances. Following precedent, Cao Hong spoke first. “Yuan Gonglu holds Runan, Yuan Benzhong holds Bohai. The prefects of Yan Province stand between them, forced to choose sides. To remain neutral would please neither. Yuan Shao still commands forces in Yan Province against the Black Mountain Bandits; any assault there would match the speed of Yuan Shu’s march into Runan, unhindered by the Yellow River. My elder brother therefore first weighs which of the two Yuans is the harder to vanquish. After all, we can align with only one and must offend the other.”

Cao Hong’s grasp of geography and history was keen. Combined with the present circumstances, this gave him a unique advantage among men of the age: knowledge of the realm’s broad trajectory. That was the capital that permitted him to stand here beside Liu Ye and discuss weighty affairs with Cao Cao.

Cao Cao nodded repeatedly, smiling. “Zilian speaks wisely. Both Yuans are now stronger than we, and both can move against us; we must choose one. We cannot remain neutral, for offending both would doom us first.” He turned to Liu Ye. “Ziyang, to which side do you advise we lean?”

Liu Ye answered, “General Zilian has already incurred Yuan Gonglu’s wrath; we must therefore side with Yuan Benzhong. Yuan Gonglu is arrogant, domineering, and venomous at heart. To lean toward him would be to invite his plotting. Moreover, Yuan Shu is strong while Yuan Shao is weak; an alliance with the former would make Yuan Shao even more dependent on us. After all, he is but a prefect of Bohai.”

Cao Cao laughed loudly. “Excellent! Precisely so! I observe that the heroes of the realm mostly admire Yuan Benzhong. They fear the combined might of Yuan Gonglu and Sun Wen Tai and dread being devoured by them. Allying with Yuan Benzhong is like becoming kinsmen with all the realm’s heroes. If Yuan Gonglu truly moves against us, he will think twice.”

The matter of the two Yuans was settled after brief deliberation. Cao Cao then inquired about the bandit crisis in Yan Province.

Liu Ye replied, “For the past two months the Black Mountain Bandits have ravaged the lands along the Yellow River in Jizhou and Yan Province alike. Mountain and marsh hideouts have seen bandits rise in response; many places have been looted bare, and even some entrenched local powers have been torn out by the roots. Especially grievous in Yan Province, for in addition to the Black Mountain host there is a native bandit band that is even more rampant, styled the Taishan Banner Marshal, entrenched in Taishan Commandery, mustering over ten thousand men. The two forces have united; local officials and private armies of the豪族 cannot hold, retreating step by step. Wherever they pass they tear down city walls and burn county offices. Now Yan Province lies desolate, with only a few commandery seats and prosperous districts spared by heavy troop concentrations and the defense of local豪族.”

Cao Hong added, “Bandit traces linger in Chenliu as well, yet my army, joined with Prefect Zhang, sallies forth day and night, patrolling, and has already cleared the main forces from Chenliu Commandery. The remaining bandits can hide only in remote countryside, posing no great danger. As for Xiangyi, where the various generals take turns in raids, it is already pacified; the common folk and gentry of field and village live in peace, with no great harm.”

Cao Cao said, “Good. At this moment self-preservation is perilous. These bandits crossed the river to invade without law or order, leaving scorched earth behind them. When autumn comes and Yan Province yields no harvest, they will have nothing left to plunder and must suffer famine. When winter brings cold and harsh weather, the Taishan bandits, seeing no profit, will retreat into the mountains. Then the Black Mountain host will lose their ally, men and horses exhausted; that will be the moment for our counterstrike. By the way, did Qiao Fa’s last dispatch mention the situation of Dong Commandery Prefect Wang Gong?”

Liu Ye answered, “The Black Mountain Bandits struck Dong Commandery first, suffering the heaviest losses. According to Qiao Fa, Wang Gong’s position is insecure; lacking local support, after several failed supply runs he is besieged in his office at Puyang. Then Puyang itself fell; he has vanished without trace. Ill news seems likely.”

Cao Cao laughed heartily. “Marvelous! Marvelous! It seems Dong Commandery is already ours.” He turned to Cao Hong. “Zilian, you have led several raids through Xiangyi to clear the bandits in the territory. What think you of their fighting strength?”

Cao Hong replied, “These bandits move without discipline, relying on raw ferocity. I sent Wen Gui to lead the assault, using terrain to lure them and disorder their ranks. With a small elite force striking several times in surprise, we have routed the many with the few, slaying countless foes and taking many prisoners.”

Cao Cao nodded. “With that in mind, I rest easier. Zilian, go first to train the soldiers. Now it is the fifth month; after winter we will launch our counteroffensive. The sharper our troops, the sooner we can drive the bandits from the land and claim Dong Commandery.”

Cao Hong withdrew at once, heading toward his own residence, but on the way encountered Pan Zhang.

He said, “Young Master, I have followed your orders and have starved the six hundred captured bandits for three days. They are now held in the military camp outside the county.”

Cao Hong nodded. “Excellent. Then follow me to the camp.” The two men left the county and made their way toward the encampment.

Meanwhile, in the Yingchuan Academy within Yingchuan Commandery—nominally under Sun Jian’s control—Xun Yu and Guo Jia sat together by a pond in a pavilion, drinking and conversing freely.

Xun Yu retained his elegant bearing, and Guo Jia remained clear and handsome.

“Fengxiao, the matter of subjugating Dong Zhuo is now concluded. Who would have thought the allied host, though they finally entered Luoyang, won but with defeat? They gained neither the emperor nor Dong Zhuo, yet left the He-Luo plains desolate. How pitiful!”

Xun Yu drained his cup and sighed.

Guo Jia smiled faintly. “On that day you and I swore an oath: after this battle, which soul in the realm would rise? Now the victor is Sun Wen Tai. Should we not submit to him?”

Xun Yu smiled bitterly. “Fengxiao, you jest. Although Sun Wen Tai is styled Inspector of Yuzhou, his soldiers are all from Changsha Commandery—far from home. Changsha is now held by Liu Jingsheng, so there is no home to return to; his grain is supplied by Yuan Gonglu. In short, he serves under Yuan Gonglu. Submitting to him is like submitting to Yuan Gonglu. Fengxiao knows I will not bow to Yuan Gonglu.”

Guo Jia smiled. “Not submit to Yuan Gonglu, then submit to his rival Yuan Benzhong? This time Sun Jian entered Luoyang, yet the盟主 was indeed Yuan Benzhong. He gained the fame; it is Yuan Benzhong who benefits. Moreover, Yuan Benzhong once sent Zhou Ang to assail Yuzhou. These two brothers now confront each other. If Wen Ruo submits to Yuan Benzhong, it will also fulfill Youruo’s wish.”

Youruo is Xun Yu’s elder brother Xun Chen, who serves under Yuan Shao. Earlier he sent word urging Xun Yu to submit to Yuan Shao.

Xun Yu said awkwardly, “Fengxiao cannot mean that. Yet those who are making a name in the realm at present seem to be only Yuan Benzhong. Although Cao Meng De has the heart to resist Dong Zhuo, he has suffered crushing defeat and remains in Chenliu, relying on others, achieving nothing. Yuan Shu possesses great power but no intention of welcoming the emperor; only Yuan Benzhong retains full strength, spreads his fame far, and hails from a noble house. If he raises his voice, the virtuous talents of the realm will surely flock to him, and the威 of the盟主 of the Eastern Alliance will be his. At this hour he is the sole choice.”

Guo Jia smiled. “Though I cannot agree, I know my brother’s invitation makes it hard for Wen Ruo to refuse. Moreover, it now seems Yuan Benzhong is indeed the one rising. Very well, let us accompany Wen Ruo.”

Hearing that his friend had decided to submit to Yuan Shao together, Xun Yu felt no joy, but asked, “Then what does Fengxiao think—who is the one rising?”

Guo Jia smiled. “I do not know. Whoever can solve the mess in Yan Province will claim the seat, or… who laid out this mess?”

Xun Yu meditated. “Fengxiao implies someone deliberately invited the wolf?”

Xun Yu was, after all, a clever man; he understood at once.

Guo Jia smiled. “Who knows? But soon it will be clear. Before that, let us see how Yuan Benzhong fares.”

Now many minds, like those of the two men, longed to submit to Yuan Shao, the盟主 of the Eastern Alliance. Some out of admiration, some to test whether the盟主 who had defeated Dong Zhuo truly deserved his fame.

Obviously, the greatest beneficiary of this subjugation of Dong Zhuo was the盟主 Yuan Shao. The muddle-headed believed it was he who had commanded the allied host to slay the ferocious Dong Zhuo; the clever believed he could ride this fame to expand his power swiftly.