Chapter 17

Yuan Shu Launches Seven Armies; Cao Cao Unites Three Generals

Now Yuan Shu, in Huainan, possessed broad lands and abundant grain, as well as the imperial jade seal Sun Ce had left as surety. He therefore conceived the ambition of usurping the imperial title. At a great assembly of his subordinates, he opened the debate:

“In former days, Emperor Gaozu of Han was no more than the head of a post station on the Si River, yet he gained the empire. Now, after four hundred years, the Han’s allotted span is exhausted, and all within the seas seethes like a boiling cauldron. For four generations my family has produced holders of the Three Excellencies, and the people look to us for allegiance. I wish to answer Heaven and follow the will of the people by taking my rightful place upon the imperial throne. What do all of you think?”

His Registrar, Yan Xiang, said, “You must not. In former times, Hou Ji of Zhou accumulated virtue and achievement; yet even when the line had come down to King Wen, who possessed two-thirds of the empire, he still submitted in service to the Shang. Though my lord’s family has long been eminent, it has not attained the greatness of Zhou; and though the house of Han has declined, it has not reached the brutality of King Zhou of Shang. This absolutely must not be done.”

Yuan Shu said angrily, “The Yuan surname descends from Chen, and Chen from the great Emperor Shun. Earth succeeds Fire: the succession of the elements accords precisely with my destiny. Moreover, a prophecy says, ‘The one who replaces Han shall be High upon the Road.’ My courtesy name is Gonglu—Highway—and thus exactly fulfills the prophecy. I also possess the imperial jade seal. If I do not become sovereign, I shall be defying the Way of Heaven. My decision is made. Whoever says more will be beheaded!”

He accordingly founded a regime under the name Zhongshi, established the offices of the imperial secretariat and ministries, rode in carriages adorned with dragons and phoenixes, and offered sacrifices at the southern and northern suburban altars. He made the daughter of Feng Fang his empress and installed his son in the Eastern Palace as crown prince. He then sent an envoy to hasten the delivery of Lü Bu’s daughter as the crown prince’s consort. But when he learned that Lü Bu had already sent Han Yin under guard to the imperial capital at Xu, where Cao Cao had put him to death, he flew into a rage. He appointed Zhang Xun General-in-Chief and placed him over an army of more than two hundred thousand, divided into seven routes for the conquest of Xuzhou. On the first route, the senior commander Zhang Xun held the center; on the second, the general Qiao Rui held the left; on the third, the general Chen Ji held the right; on the fourth, the deputy commander Lei Bo held the left; on the fifth, the deputy commander Chen Lan held the right; on the sixth, the surrendered commander Han Xian held the left; and on the seventh, the surrendered commander Yang Feng held the right. Each took the stoutest officers of his own command and was ordered to march on a fixed date.

Yuan Shu appointed Jin Shang, Inspector of Yanzhou, as Grand Commandant and ordered him to supervise the transport of funds and provisions for all seven routes. Jin Shang refused, and Yuan Shu put him to death. Ji Ling was then made General Commissioner for the Relief of the Seven Armies. Yuan Shu himself led thirty thousand troops and appointed Li Feng, Liang Gang, and Yue Jiu as commissioners to hasten the advance and support the seven routes.

Lü Bu sent scouts to gather intelligence and learned that Zhang Xun’s army was advancing directly along the main road to seize Xuzhou; Qiao Rui’s was moving against Xiaopei; Chen Ji’s against Yidu; Lei Bo’s against Langya; Chen Lan’s against Jieshi; Han Xian’s against Xiapi; and Yang Feng’s against Junshan. The seven armies were marching fifty li each day, plundering as they came. Lü Bu urgently summoned his advisers to deliberate. Chen Gong and Chen Gui, together with Chen Gui’s son, Chen Deng, all attended.

Chen Gong said, “The calamity now facing Xuzhou was brought upon us by Chen Gui and his son. They fawned upon the imperial court in pursuit of rank and emolument, and today they have shifted the disaster onto you, General. Behead the two of them and offer their heads to Yuan Shu; his army will withdraw of itself.”

Lü Bu accepted his counsel and at once ordered Chen Gui and Chen Deng seized. Chen Deng laughed aloud.

“How can you be so cowardly? To my eyes, the seven armies are seven heaps of rotting straw. Why should they trouble you?”

“If you have a plan to defeat the enemy,” said Lü Bu, “I will pardon your capital offense.”

“If you will employ the words of this humble man,” said Chen Deng, “Xuzhou can be kept entirely secure.”

“Let me hear them.”

“Though Yuan Shu’s troops are numerous, they are a rabble thrown together and have never trusted one another. If we hold them with regular forces and defeat them with unexpected forces, we cannot fail. I have another plan besides—one that will not only preserve Xuzhou but also enable us to capture Yuan Shu alive.”

“How is this plan to be carried out?”

“Han Xian and Yang Feng are former ministers of Han. They fled because they feared Cao Cao, and, having no home to turn to, temporarily attached themselves to Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu will certainly slight them, while they themselves can take no pleasure in serving him. If we bind them to us as allies within by a brief letter, and also enlist Liu Bei to combine with us from without, Yuan Shu will certainly be captured.”

“You must personally carry the letter to Han Xian and Yang Feng.”

Chen Deng agreed.

Lü Bu accordingly sent a memorial to the imperial capital at Xu, together with a letter to Liu Bei in Yuzhou. He then ordered Chen Deng to take a few horsemen and wait for Han Xian on the road to Xiapi. When Han Xian arrived with his army and had finished setting camp, Chen Deng entered to see him.

“You are one of Lü Bu’s men,” Han Xian said. “What have you come here to do?”

Chen Deng smiled. “I am a minister of the Great Han. How can you call me one of Lü Bu’s men? As for you, General, you were once a servant of Han, but now you serve a traitor. Thus all the merit you earned in Guanzhong by protecting the imperial carriage has come to nothing. I venture to think this course unworthy of you. Moreover, Yuan Shu is by nature deeply suspicious. In time he will certainly do you harm. If you do not plan against him now, regret will come too late.”

Han Xian sighed. “I wish to return to the Han, but I have found no way.”

Chen Deng then produced Lü Bu’s letter. After reading it, Han Xian said, “I understand. You may return first. General Yang and I will turn our weapons against Yuan Shu. Watch for fire to rise as the signal; then the Marquis of Wen need only respond with his troops.”

Taking leave of Han Xian, Chen Deng hurried back and reported to Lü Bu. Lü Bu then divided his forces into five armies. Gao Shun led one army toward Xiaopei to oppose Qiao Rui. Chen Gong led one toward Yidu to oppose Chen Ji. Zhang Liao and Zang Ba led one out through Langya to oppose Lei Bo. Song Xian and Wei Xu led one out through Jieshi to oppose Chen Lan. Lü Bu himself led one along the main road to oppose Zhang Xun. Each commanded ten thousand men, while the remainder defended the city.

Lü Bu made camp thirty li outside the city. When Zhang Xun’s army arrived, he judged himself no match for Lü Bu, withdrew twenty li, and established a position there to await support from the other armies.

That night, during the second watch, Han Xian and Yang Feng divided their troops and set fires throughout the camp, admitting Lü Bu’s forces to support them. Zhang Xun’s army fell into chaos. Lü Bu seized the advantage and swept in for the kill, and Zhang Xun fled in defeat.

Lü Bu pursued until daybreak, when he ran directly into Ji Ling coming to Zhang Xun’s support. The two armies drew up against each other and were just about to engage when Han Xian and Yang Feng attacked from two directions. Ji Ling suffered a crushing defeat and fled. Lü Bu led his troops in pursuit, but from behind a hill another strong force appeared. The gate banners parted, revealing a column of cavalry and infantry bearing banners emblazoned with dragons, phoenixes, the sun, and the moon; standards of the four measures and five directions; golden maces and silver axes; yellow battle-axes and white yak-tail insignia. Beneath a yellow silk canopy embroidered with gold stood Yuan Shu before the battle line, clad in golden armor and with two swords hanging at his wrists. He reviled Lü Bu:

“House slave who betrayed his master!”

Enraged, Lü Bu leveled his halberd and charged. Yuan Shu’s officer Li Feng rode out with his spear to meet him. Before three exchanges had passed, Lü Bu wounded Li Feng in the hand, and Li Feng threw down his spear and fled. Lü Bu waved his troops forward in a fierce assault, and Yuan Shu’s army fell into disorder. Lü Bu pursued from the rear, capturing countless horses, garments, and suits of armor.

Yuan Shu led his beaten troops away, but before he had gone more than a few li, another force emerged from behind a hill and cut off his road. At its head rode none other than Guan Yunchang.

“Rebel!” he shouted. “Will you not submit to death?”

Yuan Shu fled in panic, while the rest scattered in every direction. Yunchang inflicted a great slaughter upon them. Yuan Shu gathered the remnants of his defeated army and fled back to Huainan.

After his victory, Lü Bu invited Yunchang, Yang Feng, Han Xian, and all their troops to Xuzhou, where he laid out a magnificent banquet in their honor. Every soldier received a reward. The next day, Yunchang took his leave and returned.

Lü Bu recommended Han Xian as Governor of Yidu and Yang Feng as Governor of Langya, but considered keeping both men in Xuzhou. Chen Gui said, “That must not be done. Let Han Xian and Yang Feng occupy the lands east of the mountains. Before a year has passed, every walled city there will belong to you, General.”

Lü Bu agreed. He therefore sent the two commanders to station themselves for the time being at Yidu and Langya, there to await the court’s gracious confirmation.

In private, Chen Deng asked his father, “Why did you not have the two of them remain in Xuzhou, where they might become the root of Lü Bu’s destruction?”

Chen Gui said, “If they joined forces with Lü Bu, we would only be giving the tiger new claws and fangs.”

Chen Deng bowed to the superiority of his father’s judgment.

Yuan Shu, meanwhile, returned defeated to Huainan and sent an envoy to Jiangdong to ask Sun Ce for troops with which to avenge himself.

Sun Ce said angrily, “Relying upon my jade seal, you have usurped the imperial title and rebelled against the house of Han. Your treason defies every principle of the Way. I am on the point of sending troops to call you to account—how could I instead assist a rebel?”

He wrote a letter severing relations between them. The envoy carried it back and presented it to Yuan Shu. After reading it, Yuan Shu said in fury, “How dare that yellow-mouthed child behave so! I shall attack him first!”

Only the earnest remonstrance of his Chief Clerk, Yang Dajiang, restrained him.

After sending his letter, Sun Ce prepared against an attack by Yuan Shu and mustered troops to guard the river mouths. Suddenly an envoy arrived from Cao Cao, appointing Sun Ce Administrator of Kuaiji and ordering him to raise troops against Yuan Shu. Sun Ce consulted his officers and was ready to march at once.

His Chief Clerk, Zhang Zhao, said, “Though Yuan Shu has recently been defeated, his troops remain numerous and his stores of grain ample. He must not be treated lightly. It would be better to write to Cao Cao and urge him to campaign south while we support him from the rear. With the two armies assisting one another, Yuan Shu’s forces will certainly be defeated. And if we should suffer any reverse, we may also look to Cao Cao for rescue.”

Sun Ce followed his advice and sent an envoy to convey this proposal to Cao Cao.

When Cao Cao reached the imperial capital at Xu, his thoughts turned longingly to Dian Wei. He established a shrine and offered sacrifices to him, appointed Dian Wei’s son Dian Man a Gentleman of the Household, and took him into his own residence to raise.

Suddenly word came that Sun Ce had sent an envoy with a letter. Cao Cao had just finished reading it when another report arrived: Yuan Shu was short of grain and was plundering Chenliu. Cao Cao decided to attack while his enemy was vulnerable. He raised an army for a southern campaign, ordering Cao Ren to defend the imperial capital at Xu while all the others followed him. The force consisted of one hundred seventy thousand horse and foot, with more than a thousand wagons of provisions and baggage. At the same time, he sent men ahead to coordinate with Sun Ce, Liu Bei, and Lü Bu.

When the army reached the border of Yuzhang, Xuande had already led his troops out to meet it. Cao Cao invited him into camp. When their greetings were complete, Xuande presented two severed heads.

Startled, Cao Cao asked, “Whose heads are these?”

“They are the heads of Han Xian and Yang Feng,” said Xuande.

“How did you obtain them?”

“Lü Bu had ordered the two men to stay provisionally in the districts of Yidu and Langya. Unexpectedly, they let their troops loose to plunder the people, and everyone groaned beneath their oppression. I therefore arranged a banquet and invited them under the pretense of discussing affairs. While we were drinking, I threw down my cup as the signal, and my brothers Guan and Zhang killed them. I accepted the surrender of all their troops. Now I have come expressly to confess my offense.”

“You have rid the state of a scourge,” Cao Cao said. “This is a great service. Why speak of an offense?”

Cao Cao rewarded Xuande generously, joined forces with him, and advanced to the borders of Xuzhou. Lü Bu came out to welcome him. Cao Cao soothed him with gracious words and appointed him General of the Left, promising that when he returned to the capital he would issue Lü Bu a new seal and sash. Lü Bu was overjoyed.

Cao Cao then placed Lü Bu’s army on the left and Xuande’s on the right, while he himself commanded the main army in the center. Xiahou Dun and Yu Jin were appointed vanguard commanders.

When Yuan Shu learned that Cao Cao’s army was approaching, he ordered his senior general Qiao Rui to lead fifty thousand troops as the vanguard. The two armies met at the approaches to Shouchun. Qiao Rui rode out first and engaged Xiahou Dun. Before three exchanges had passed, Xiahou Dun thrust him dead from the saddle. Yuan Shu’s army suffered a great defeat and fled back into the city.

Then reports came in rapid succession: Sun Ce had launched ships to attack the western side along the river; Lü Bu was leading troops against the eastern side; Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were attacking the southern side; and Cao Cao himself, with one hundred seventy thousand troops, was attacking from the north.

Yuan Shu was greatly alarmed and hastily assembled his civil and military officers for counsel. Yang Dajiang said, “Shouchun has suffered successive years of flood and drought, and all the people lack food. Now the mobilization of troops is bringing further disturbance upon them. The people are already resentful, and with the enemy at our gates, resistance will be difficult. It would be better to leave an army in Shouchun and refrain from battle. When the enemy’s grain is exhausted, a change will certainly occur. Meanwhile, Your Majesty should lead the Imperial Guard across the Huai. In the first place, you will move to a region with a good harvest; in the second, you will temporarily avoid the keen edge of the enemy’s assault.”

Yuan Shu adopted his counsel. He left Li Feng, Yue Jiu, Liang Gang, and Chen Ji to divide one hundred thousand troops among them and hold Shouchun firmly. He then gathered all the remaining officers and soldiers, together with the gold, jade, and treasures stored in the treasury, and withdrew with everything across the Huai.

Cao Cao’s army of one hundred seventy thousand consumed a vast quantity of grain each day. The surrounding commanderies had also been struck by drought and crop failure and could not provide supplies fast enough. Cao Cao pressed for a swift engagement, but Li Feng and the others kept the gates shut and refused to come out.

After the armies had confronted each other for more than a month, Cao Cao’s grain was nearly exhausted. He wrote to Sun Ce and borrowed one hundred thousand hu of rice, but even this was insufficient for distribution. Ren Jun, the officer in charge of provisions, had under him a granary officer named Wang Hou. Wang Hou came before Cao Cao and reported, “There are many soldiers and little grain. What are we to do?”

“Distribute it with smaller measures,” Cao Cao said. “That will relieve the present emergency.”

“If the soldiers become resentful, what then?”

“I have a plan of my own.”

Wang Hou obeyed and distributed the grain in reduced measures. Cao Cao secretly sent men through the various camps to learn what was being said. Everywhere the soldiers complained bitterly, saying that the Chancellor had cheated them.

Cao Cao then summoned Wang Hou in secret.

“I wish to borrow one thing from you to quiet the hearts of the men. You must not begrudge it.”

“What does the Chancellor wish to use?”

“I wish only to borrow your head and display it to the army.”

Wang Hou was horrified. “But I have committed no offense.”

“I know that you are innocent. Yet if I do not kill you, the army’s loyalty will turn. After your death, I will support your wife and children myself. Do not be concerned for them.”

Wang Hou was about to speak again, but Cao Cao had already called in the executioners. They dragged him outside the gate and cut off his head with a single stroke. It was hung from a tall pole, and a proclamation was issued:

“Wang Hou deliberately used reduced measures and embezzled government grain. He has been duly punished according to military law.”

Only then did the army’s resentment subside.

The next day, Cao Cao issued an order to the commanders of every camp:

“If you do not unite your strength and take the city within three days, you will all be beheaded!”

Cao Cao went personally beneath the walls and supervised the troops as they carried earth and stones to fill the moats and trenches. Arrows and rocks rained down from the battlements. Two subordinate officers recoiled in fear and turned back; Cao Cao drew his sword and personally beheaded them below the walls. Then he dismounted and himself carried earth to fill the pits.

At this, officers and soldiers of every rank surged forward, and the army’s might rose tremendously. The defenders on the walls could not withstand them. Cao Cao’s troops vied to be first over the battlements, cut through the gate bars, struck down the locks, and poured into the city in a mass. Li Feng, Chen Ji, Yue Jiu, and Liang Gang were all captured alive. Cao Cao ordered them beheaded in the marketplace. He burned the counterfeit imperial palaces and halls, together with all the regalia forbidden to any but the emperor. The city of Shouchun was stripped bare.

Cao Cao then considered advancing across the Huai in pursuit of Yuan Shu. Xun Yu remonstrated:

“These recent years of drought and crop failure have made grain difficult to obtain. If we advance farther, we will weary the army and burden the people, and there may be no profit in it. Better to return to the imperial capital at Xu for the present. When the wheat ripens next spring and the army’s provisions are fully prepared, we may then proceed against him.”

Cao Cao hesitated, unable to decide. Suddenly a mounted courier arrived with an urgent report:

“Zhang Xiu has placed himself under Liu Biao’s protection and is again acting with unbridled violence. The districts of Nanyang have rebelled once more. Cao Hong cannot hold the enemy and has lost several battles in succession. I have come expressly to report the emergency.”

Cao Cao therefore sent a swift letter to Sun Ce, ordering him to deploy his forces across the river as a feint against Liu Biao, so that Liu Biao would not dare to move rashly. That same day Cao Cao began the return march, intending to make separate plans for a campaign against Zhang Xiu.

Before leaving, he ordered Xuande to remain stationed at Xiaopei, to treat Lü Bu as a brother and render mutual aid, with neither side ever again encroaching upon the other. Lü Bu led his troops back to Xuzhou.

In secret, Cao Cao said to Xuande, “My order that you station troops at Xiaopei is a plan to dig a pit and wait for the tiger. You need only consult with Chen Gui and his son, and take care that nothing goes amiss. I will support you from without.”

With that, they parted.

Cao Cao led his army back to the imperial capital at Xu. There he received word that Duan Wei had killed Li Jue and Wu Xi had killed Guo Si, and that both men were bringing the heads to present to him. Duan Wei also brought Li Jue’s entire clan—more than two hundred people, old and young—alive under guard to the capital.

Cao Cao ordered them divided among the various city gates and beheaded. Their heads were displayed and circulated as a warning, to the great satisfaction of the people.

The Son of Heaven ascended the throne hall and assembled the civil and military officials for a banquet celebrating the restoration of peace. Duan Wei was appointed General Who Sweeps Away Bandits, and Wu Xi General Who Exterminates Rebellion. Each was given troops and sent to garrison Chang’an. The two men offered thanks for the imperial favor and departed.

Cao Cao then memorialized the throne that Zhang Xiu was in rebellion and that an army should be raised against him. The Son of Heaven personally ordered out the imperial carriage and escorted Cao Cao as he set forth on campaign. It was the fourth month of summer in the third year of Jian’an.

Cao Cao left Xun Yu in the imperial capital at Xu to deploy troops and commanders, while he himself advanced at the head of the main army. During the march, he saw that the wheat along the road was ripe. Because of the army’s approach, the people had fled into hiding and did not dare to reap it.

Cao Cao sent men far and wide to proclaim to the village elders and people, and to all officials guarding the districts:

“I have received the Son of Heaven’s luminous edict and have raised troops to punish rebellion and rid the people of harm. Though this is the season when the wheat ripens, necessity has compelled me to campaign. Among commanders and officers, high and low, whoever crosses a wheatfield and tramples the crop will be beheaded. Military law is exceedingly strict. Let the people harbor no fear or doubt.”

When the people heard this proclamation, they rejoiced and praised him without exception. They lined the roads, bowing even before the dust of his army. Whenever the government troops passed through a wheatfield, they all dismounted and supported the stalks with their hands, passing them from one to another as they went, and none dared tread them down.

As Cao Cao rode onward, a turtledove suddenly started up from the field. His horse shied at the unfamiliar sight, bolted into the wheat, and trampled down a large patch.

Cao Cao immediately summoned the army registrar and ordered him to deliberate the penalty for his offense in trampling the wheat.

“How can the Chancellor be judged guilty?” the registrar asked.

“I made the law myself, and now I have broken it myself. How then can I command the obedience of the army?”

Cao Cao drew his sword and made to cut his own throat. The others hastily restrained him.

Guo Jia said, “According to the ancient principle of the Spring and Autumn Annals, the law is not applied to the exalted. You command the entire army, Chancellor. How can you take your own life?”

Cao Cao pondered for a long while, then said, “Since the Spring and Autumn Annals contains the principle that the law is not applied to the exalted, I will provisionally spare myself death.”

He cut off his own hair with the sword, threw it upon the ground, and said, “Let the cutting of my hair stand in place of my head.”

He had the hair displayed throughout the three armies with this proclamation:

“The Chancellor trampled the wheat and by law should have been beheaded as a warning. He has now cut off his hair in place of his head.”

The whole army was awed, and every man observed the military orders with fearful rigor. A later poet wrote in judgment:

A hundred thousand valiant beasts, a hundred thousand minds;One man’s command could never hold so many wills in line.He drew his blade and cut his hair to stand in for his head:Only then was Cao Man’s depth of cunning fully read.

When Zhang Xiu learned that Cao Cao was leading an army against him, he urgently sent a letter to Liu Biao asking him to provide support from the rear. At the same time, he ordered his commanders Lei Xu and Zhang Xian to lead troops out of the city and meet the enemy.

The two formations were drawn up facing one another. Zhang Xiu rode out and pointed at Cao Cao.

“You are a shameless man who makes a counterfeit of benevolence and righteousness! How are you different from a beast or bird?”

Cao Cao was furious and ordered Xu Chu to ride out. Zhang Xiu sent Zhang Xian to meet him. In only three exchanges, Xu Chu struck Zhang Xian from his horse and killed him. Zhang Xiu’s army suffered a great defeat.

Cao Cao led his forces in pursuit as far as the walls of Nanyang. Zhang Xiu entered the city, shut the gates, and refused to come out.

Cao Cao surrounded the city and attacked. Seeing that its moat was extremely broad and the water deep, so that the walls could not readily be approached, he ordered the soldiers to carry earth and fill the moat. He also had them mingle sacks of earth with firewood and bundles of grass to construct stepped ramps beside the walls, and erected towering observation ladders from which to look into the city.

Cao Cao himself rode around the walls to inspect them. After three days of this, he issued orders for the troops to pile firewood at the corner by the western gate. He assembled his commanders and instructed them to mount the walls at that point.

Inside the city, Jia Xu saw what was happening and said to Zhang Xiu, “I already understand Cao Cao’s intention. We can now turn his own stratagem against him.”

Indeed:

However strong a man may be, a stronger hand is near;Whoever practices deceit may meet one who sees it clear.

What the plan was remains unknown. The next passage will reveal it.

Yuan Shu Launches Seven Armies; Cao Cao Unites Three Generals

Meanwhile, Yuan Shu was in Huainan, where the territory was broad and grain was plentiful. He also possessed the Imperial Jade Seal that Sun Ce had left as security, and so he began thinking of unlawfully proclaiming himself emperor. He assembled all his subordinates and said, “In the past, Emperor Gaozu of Han was no more than the head of a post station on the Si River, yet he gained the empire. Now four hundred years have passed, the allotted span of the dynasty is exhausted, and all within the seas is in turmoil. For four generations, my family has produced men who held the Three Ducal Offices, and the common people turn to us. I wish to answer Heaven and follow the will of the people by taking my rightful place upon the imperial throne. What do all of you think?”

Chief Clerk Yan Xiang said, “You must not. In the past, Houji of Zhou accumulated virtue and achievement, and by the time of King Wen, Zhou possessed two-thirds of the empire, yet he still served the Yin dynasty. Though my lord’s family has been noble for generations, it has not attained the greatness of Zhou. Though the Han house has declined, it has not reached the brutality of King Zhou of Yin. This absolutely must not be done.”

Yuan Shu angrily said, “My Yuan family name comes from Chen, and Chen descended from the great Shun. Earth succeeds Fire, so this is precisely the turn of our destiny. Moreover, a prophecy says, ‘The one who replaces Han shall be the high one upon the road.’ My courtesy name is Gonglu—Public Road—so I exactly fulfill this prophecy. I also possess the Imperial Jade Seal. If I do not become sovereign, I shall be going against the Way of Heaven. My mind is made up. Anyone who says more will be beheaded!”

He therefore established the dynastic title Zhong, set up the offices of the imperial administration, rode in carriages decorated with dragons and phoenixes, and offered sacrifices at the southern and northern suburban altars. He made Feng Fang’s daughter his empress and appointed his son Crown Prince. He then ordered an envoy to press for Lü Bu’s daughter to be sent as the Crown Prince’s consort. But when he heard that Lü Bu had already sent Han Yin under guard to the capital at Xu, where Cao Cao had beheaded him, he became furious. He appointed Zhang Xun General-in-Chief and placed him over a great army of more than two hundred thousand men, divided into seven columns for the conquest of Xuzhou. In the first column, General Zhang Xun held the center. In the second, Senior General Qiao Rui held the left. In the third, Senior General Chen Ji held the right. In the fourth, Deputy General Lei Bo held the left. In the fifth, Deputy General Chen Lan held the right. In the sixth, the surrendered general Han Xian held the left. In the seventh, the surrendered general Yang Feng held the right. Each commanded the able officers under him, and all were ordered to set out on the appointed day. Yuan Shu appointed Jin Shang, Inspector of Yanzhou, as Grand Commandant and ordered him to supervise the transport of money and grain for the seven columns. Jin Shang refused, so Yuan Shu killed him and appointed Ji Ling Chief Coordinating Commissioner for the seven columns. Yuan Shu himself led thirty thousand troops and appointed Li Feng, Liang Gang, and Yue Jiu as Commissioners for Urging the Advance, with orders to support the seven columns.

Lü Bu sent men to gather information and learned that Zhang Xun’s army was taking the main road straight toward Xuzhou, Qiao Rui’s army was moving against Xiaopei, Chen Ji’s army against Yidu, Lei Bo’s army against Langya, Chen Lan’s army against Jieshi, Han Xian’s army against Xiapi, and Yang Feng’s army against Junshan. The seven columns marched fifty li each day, plundering along the road as they came. Lü Bu therefore urgently summoned all his advisers for consultation, and Chen Gong and Chen Gui, together with Chen Gui’s son, both came. Chen Gong said, “This disaster threatening Xuzhou was brought about by Chen Gui and his son. They flattered the imperial court in pursuit of rank and salary, and today they have shifted the disaster onto you, General. You should cut off their heads and present them to Yuan Shu. His army will then withdraw of itself.”

Lü Bu listened to him and immediately ordered Chen Gui and Chen Deng seized. Chen Deng laughed loudly and said, “How can you be so cowardly? I regard the armies of the seven columns as seven heaps of rotting grass. Why should they trouble you?”

Lü Bu said, “If you have a plan to defeat the enemy, I will pardon you from death.”

Chen Deng said, “General, if you follow the words of this foolish man, Xuzhou can be kept entirely safe.”

“State your plan,” said Lü Bu.

Chen Deng said, “Though Yuan Shu has many troops, they are merely a rabble and have never trusted or cared for one another. We can hold them with regular forces and defeat them with surprise forces. There is no way we can fail. I also have another plan that will not merely preserve Xuzhou but will allow us to capture Yuan Shu alive.”

Lü Bu said, “How is this plan to be carried out?”

Chen Deng said, “Han Xian and Yang Feng are former ministers of Han. They fled because they feared Cao Cao, and, having no home to depend on, temporarily submitted to Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu will certainly look down on them, while they themselves will take no pleasure in serving him. If we use a short letter to enlist them as allies within the enemy’s ranks, and also join with Liu Bei in an attack from outside, we shall certainly capture Yuan Shu.”

Lü Bu said, “You must personally go to Han Xian and Yang Feng and deliver the letter.”

Chen Deng agreed.

Lü Bu then sent a memorial to the capital at Xu and also sent a letter to Yuzhou. Afterward, he ordered Chen Deng to take several riders and wait for Han Xian on the road to Xiapi. Han Xian arrived with his army and completed the establishment of his camp. Chen Deng then entered to see him.

Han Xian asked, “You are one of Lü Bu’s men. What have you come here to do?”

Chen Deng smiled and said, “I am an official of the great Han. Why do you call me one of Lü Bu’s men? As for you, General, you were formerly a minister of Han, but now you have become the servant of a rebel. Thus your former achievement in protecting the imperial carriage in the Guanzhong region has been reduced to nothing. I privately think that you should not have chosen this course. Moreover, Yuan Shu is extremely suspicious by nature. In the end, you will certainly be harmed by him. If you do not make plans now, regret will come too late.”

Han Xian sighed and said, “I wish to return to Han, but unfortunately I have no way to do so.”

Chen Deng then produced Lü Bu’s letter. When Han Xian had finished reading it, he said, “I understand. You should return first. General Yang and I will turn our weapons against Yuan Shu. Watch for fires to rise as our signal, and let Marquis Wen respond with his troops.”

Chen Deng took leave of Han Xian and hurried back to report to Lü Bu. Lü Bu then divided his troops into five columns. Gao Shun led one army toward Xiaopei to oppose Qiao Rui. Chen Gong led one army toward Yidu to oppose Chen Ji. Zhang Liao and Zang Ba led one army out toward Langya to oppose Lei Bo. Song Xian and Wei Xu led one army out toward Jieshi to oppose Chen Lan. Lü Bu himself led one army along the main road to oppose Zhang Xun. Each commanded ten thousand troops, while the remainder defended the city. Lü Bu marched thirty li from the city and established camp. When Zhang Xun’s army arrived, he judged that he was no match for Lü Bu, so he withdrew twenty li and encamped there to await support from the armies on every side.

That night, during the second watch, Han Xian and Yang Feng divided their forces and set fires everywhere, helping Lü Bu’s army enter the camp. Zhang Xun’s army fell into great confusion. Lü Bu took advantage of the situation and charged in to attack, and Zhang Xun fled in defeat. Lü Bu pursued him until daybreak, when he ran directly into Ji Ling, who had come to give support. The two armies faced each other and were just about to engage when Han Xian and Yang Feng attacked from two directions. Ji Ling suffered a great defeat and fled. Lü Bu led his troops in pursuit, but then a powerful force appeared from behind the hills. As its gate banners opened, there appeared a body of troops carrying banners of dragons, phoenixes, the sun, and the moon, standards of the Four Dippers and Five Directions, golden melon-headed maces and silver axes, yellow battle-axes and white yak-tail standards. Beneath a yellow silk canopy embroidered with gold stood Yuan Shu at the front of the formation, wearing golden armor and carrying two swords suspended from his wrists. He loudly cursed Lü Bu: “Household slave who betrayed his master!”

Lü Bu became angry and advanced with his halberd leveled. Yuan Shu’s general Li Feng came to meet him with his spear. Before they had fought three bouts, Lü Bu wounded Li Feng’s hand with a thrust. Li Feng threw down his spear and fled. Lü Bu waved his troops forward in a charge, and Yuan Shu’s army fell into great disorder. Lü Bu led his troops in pursuit from behind and seized countless horses, clothes, and suits of armor. Yuan Shu led his defeated troops away, but before he had gone more than a few li, another powerful force emerged from behind the hills and blocked his escape. The officer at its head was Guan Yunchang. He shouted, “Rebel! Why do you not submit to death?”

Yuan Shu fled in panic, and the rest of his men scattered in every direction. Yunchang inflicted a great slaughter upon them. Yuan Shu gathered the remnants of his defeated army and fled back to Huainan.

After winning the victory, Lü Bu invited Yunchang, Yang Feng, Han Xian, and all their accompanying troops to Xuzhou, where he held a great banquet for them. All the soldiers were rewarded. The next day, Yunchang took his leave and returned. Lü Bu recommended Han Xian as Governor of Yidu and Yang Feng as Governor of Langya, but considered keeping both men in Xuzhou.

Chen Gui said, “You must not. If Han Xian and Yang Feng occupy Shandong, then within a year all the walled cities of Shandong will belong to you, General.”

Lü Bu agreed. He therefore sent the two generals to be temporarily stationed at Yidu and Langya while they awaited the emperor’s gracious commands.

Chen Deng privately asked his father, “Why did you not keep these two men in Xuzhou, where they could become the root of a plan to kill Lü Bu?”

Chen Gui said, “If the two men were to assist Lü Bu instead, it would only be giving the tiger claws and teeth.”

Chen Deng then acknowledged the superiority of his father’s judgment.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shu returned defeated to Huainan and sent a man to Jiangdong to ask Sun Ce for troops with which to avenge himself.

Sun Ce angrily said, “Relying upon my Jade Seal, you unlawfully proclaimed yourself emperor, betrayed the Han house, and committed the greatest treason against the proper Way! I am about to send troops to call you to account. How could I instead help a rebel?”

He therefore wrote a letter severing relations with Yuan Shu. The envoy carried the letter back and presented it to Yuan Shu. After Yuan Shu had read it, he angrily said, “How dare that yellow-mouthed child behave like this! I will attack him first!”

Only the forceful remonstrance of Chief Secretary Yang Dajiang stopped him.

After sending his letter, Sun Ce prepared against the arrival of Yuan Shu’s troops and assigned soldiers to guard the river mouth. Suddenly, an envoy arrived from Cao Cao, appointing Sun Ce Administrator of Kuaiji and ordering him to raise troops to campaign against Yuan Shu. Sun Ce held a consultation and was ready to raise his army at once.

Chief Secretary Zhang Zhao said, “Though Yuan Shu has recently been defeated, he still has many troops and plentiful grain. We must not underestimate him. It would be better to send Cao Cao a letter urging him to campaign southward, while we act as his support from behind. With the two armies supporting each other, Yuan Shu’s forces will certainly be defeated. If anything should go wrong, we may also hope for Cao Cao’s aid.”

Sun Ce followed his advice and sent an envoy to convey this proposal to Cao Cao.

Meanwhile, Cao Cao reached the capital at Xu. Longing for Dian Wei, he established a shrine and offered sacrifices to him. He appointed Dian Wei’s son, Dian Man, as a Gentleman of the Household and took him into his own residence to raise him. Suddenly, it was reported that Sun Ce had sent an envoy with a letter. Cao Cao finished reading the letter, and then another man reported that Yuan Shu lacked grain and was plundering Chenliu. Cao Cao wished to take advantage of his weakness and attack him. He therefore raised an army for a southern campaign, ordering Cao Ren to defend the capital at Xu while all the others accompanied the expedition. He had one hundred and seventy thousand cavalry and infantry and more than a thousand wagons of provisions and baggage. At the same time, he sent men ahead to join forces with Sun Ce, Liu Bei, and Lü Bu.

When the army reached the border of Yuzhang, Xuande had already led his troops there to meet Cao Cao, who invited him into the camp. After they had exchanged greetings, Xuande presented two severed heads.

Cao Cao was startled and said, “Whose heads are these?”

Xuande said, “These are the heads of Han Xian and Yang Feng.”

Cao Cao said, “How did you obtain them?”

Xuande replied, “Lü Bu ordered the two men to stay temporarily in the counties of Yidu and Langya. Unexpectedly, they allowed their troops to plunder the people, and everyone groaned and complained. Because of this, I arranged a banquet and invited them under the pretense of discussing affairs. During the drinking, I threw down my cup as a signal and had my two younger brothers, Guan and Zhang, kill them. I then received the surrender of all their men. I have now come especially to ask punishment for my offense.”

Cao Cao said, “You have removed a danger to the state. This is a great achievement. Why speak of an offense?”

Cao Cao therefore rewarded Xuande generously and joined forces with him before advancing to the borders of Xuzhou. Lü Bu came out to meet him. Cao Cao soothed him with kind words, appointed him General of the Left, and promised to exchange his existing seal and ribbon for the proper ones when Cao Cao returned to the capital. Lü Bu was delighted. Cao Cao then stationed Lü Bu’s army on the left and Xuande’s army on the right, while he commanded the main army in the center. He appointed Xiahou Dun and Yu Jin as the vanguard.

When Yuan Shu learned that Cao Cao’s army had arrived, he ordered his senior general Qiao Rui to lead fifty thousand troops as the vanguard. The two armies met at a border pass near Shouchun. Qiao Rui rode out first and fought Xiahou Dun. Before three bouts had passed, Xiahou Dun speared him to death. Yuan Shu’s army suffered a great defeat and fled back into the city.

Suddenly, it was reported that Sun Ce had launched boats to attack the western side along the river, Lü Bu was leading troops against the eastern side, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were leading troops against the southern side, and Cao Cao himself was leading one hundred and seventy thousand troops against the northern side. Yuan Shu was greatly alarmed and urgently assembled all his civil and military officials for consultation.

Yang Dajiang said, “Shouchun has suffered floods and droughts for successive years, and everyone lacks food. Now the mobilization of troops has further disturbed the people, and they have already grown resentful. When the enemy arrives, it will be difficult to resist them. It would be better to leave an army in Shouchun without giving battle. When the enemy’s grain is exhausted, trouble will certainly arise among them. Your Majesty should meanwhile lead the Imperial Forest Guard across the Huai River. First, you can move to a region where the crops have ripened; second, you can temporarily avoid the sharp edge of the enemy’s attack.”

Yuan Shu followed his advice. He left Li Feng, Yue Jiu, Liang Gang, and Chen Ji behind, dividing one hundred thousand troops among them for the firm defense of Shouchun. He gathered all the remaining officers and soldiers, along with the gold, jade, treasures, and valuables stored in the government vaults, and took everything across the Huai River.

Cao Cao’s army numbered one hundred and seventy thousand, and its daily consumption of grain was enormous. The commanderies had also suffered barrenness and drought and could not provide supplies quickly enough. Cao Cao pressed his army to fight a swift battle, but Li Feng and the others kept the gates closed and would not come out. Cao Cao’s army remained in confrontation with them for more than a month, until its food was nearly exhausted. Cao Cao wrote to Sun Ce and borrowed one hundred thousand hu of grain, but this was still not enough to distribute.

Ren Jun, the officer in charge of provisions, had under him a granary official named Wang Hou. Wang Hou entered and reported to Cao Cao, “There are many soldiers and little grain. What should be done?”

Cao Cao said, “Distribute it with smaller measures. That will relieve the immediate crisis for the time being.”

Wang Hou said, “What if the soldiers complain?”

Cao Cao said, “I have a plan of my own.”

Wang Hou obeyed the order and distributed the grain using smaller measures. Cao Cao secretly sent men to listen in every camp. Everywhere the soldiers groaned and complained, and all said that the Chancellor was cheating them.

Cao Cao then secretly summoned Wang Hou and said, “I wish to borrow one thing from you in order to calm the hearts of the men. You must not be unwilling to lend it.”

Wang Hou said, “What does the Chancellor wish to use?”

Cao Cao said, “I merely wish to borrow your head to show the troops.”

Wang Hou was greatly alarmed and said, “But I have committed no offense.”

Cao Cao said, “I also know that you are innocent. But if I do not kill you, the army will mutiny. After your death, I shall personally support your wife and children. Do not worry about them.”

When Wang Hou tried to speak again, Cao Cao had already called the executioners. They pushed Wang Hou outside the gate and cut off his head with one stroke. His head was hung from a tall pole, and a proclamation was issued saying, “Wang Hou deliberately used undersized measures and stole government grain. He has therefore been punished according to military law.”

Only then did the soldiers’ resentment subside.

The next day, Cao Cao issued an order to the commanders of every camp: “If you do not join your strength and break the city within three days, you will all be beheaded!”

Cao Cao personally went beneath the city walls and supervised the armies as they carried earth and stones to fill the moat and block the trenches. Arrows and stones rained down from the walls. Two subordinate generals turned back in fear, and Cao Cao drew his sword and personally beheaded them beneath the city. He then dismounted and himself carried earth to fill the pits. At this, officers and soldiers of every rank pressed forward without exception, and the army’s power rose greatly. The defenders on the walls could not hold them back. Cao Cao’s troops raced one another to scale the walls, cut through the barriers, broke the locks, and poured into the city in a great mass. Li Feng, Chen Ji, Yue Jiu, and Liang Gang were all captured alive. Cao Cao ordered them all beheaded in the marketplace. He burned the falsely constructed imperial palaces and halls, together with every forbidden object associated with Yuan Shu’s claim to the throne. Everything in Shouchun was seized and carried away.

Cao Cao then discussed advancing across the Huai River to pursue Yuan Shu. Xun Yu advised him, “There have been barren harvests and droughts in recent years, and provisions are hard to obtain. If we advance farther, we shall exhaust the army and harm the people without necessarily gaining any benefit. It would be better to return temporarily to the capital at Xu. Next spring, when the wheat is ripe and military provisions are fully prepared, we can then make plans against him.”

Cao Cao hesitated and had not yet made his decision when an urgent mounted messenger suddenly arrived and reported, “Zhang Xiu has placed himself under Liu Biao’s protection and is again behaving violently. The counties of Nanyang have rebelled once more. Cao Hong cannot hold the enemy back and has lost several battles in succession. I have now come especially to report the emergency.”

Cao Cao therefore sent an urgent letter to Sun Ce, ordering him to cross the river and deploy his forces so that Liu Biao would suspect an attack and not dare to move recklessly. Cao Cao himself ordered the army to return that same day, intending to make separate plans for a campaign against Zhang Xiu.

Before leaving, he ordered Xuande to remain with his troops at Xiaopei, form a bond of brotherhood with Lü Bu, and give him mutual aid, with neither side invading the other again. Lü Bu led his troops back to Xuzhou.

Cao Cao secretly said to Xuande, “I have ordered you to station troops at Xiaopei as a ‘plan to dig a pit and wait for the tiger.’ You need only consult with Chen Gui and his son and make sure nothing goes wrong. I shall support you from outside.”

When he had finished speaking, they parted.

Cao Cao led his army back to the capital at Xu. A man reported that Duan Wei had killed Li Jue and Wu Xi had killed Guo Si, and that they had brought the two men’s heads to present to him. Duan Wei had also brought Li Jue’s entire clan—more than two hundred people, old and young—alive and under guard to the capital at Xu. Cao Cao ordered them divided among the various city gates and beheaded, and their heads were displayed as a public warning. The people expressed their delight.

The Son of Heaven ascended the palace hall, assembled the civil and military officials, and held a banquet to celebrate the Great Peace. He appointed Duan Wei General Who Sweeps Away Rebels and Wu Xi General Who Destroys Perils, ordering each to lead troops and guard Chang’an. The two men gave thanks for the imperial favor and departed.

Cao Cao then memorialized that Zhang Xiu had rebelled and that an army should be raised against him. The Son of Heaven personally ordered out his imperial carriage and accompanied Cao Cao as he set out on the campaign. It was the fourth month of summer in the third year of Jian’an.

Cao Cao left Xun Yu in the capital at Xu to arrange the movement of troops and generals, while he personally led the main army forward. During the march, he saw that the wheat along the road was already ripe. Because of the army’s arrival, the people had fled and were hiding elsewhere, not daring to harvest the wheat.

Cao Cao sent men throughout the surrounding country to proclaim to the village elders and common people, as well as to the officials guarding the borders in every place: “I have received the Son of Heaven’s clear decree and have sent out troops to punish rebels and remove harm from the people. Now is the time when the wheat is ripe, but I have had no choice except to raise an army. Among officers and commanders, great or small, anyone who passes through a wheat field and tramples the crop will be beheaded. Military law is extremely strict. You people must not be alarmed or suspicious.”

When the common people heard this proclamation, they were all delighted and praised him. They watched for the army’s dust, blocked the road, and bowed in worship. Whenever the government troops passed through wheat fields, they all dismounted, supported the wheat with their hands, and passed it along from one person to the next as they went through. Not one of them dared trample it.

As Cao Cao rode along, a turtledove suddenly flew up in alarm from a field. His horse was startled by the unfamiliar sight and bolted into the wheat, trampling and ruining a large patch of the field. Cao Cao immediately summoned the army’s Chief Clerk and ordered him to determine the penalty for Cao Cao’s own offense of trampling the wheat.

The Chief Clerk said, “How can the Chancellor be judged for an offense?”

Cao Cao said, “I made the law myself, and now I have broken it myself. How can I make the troops obey?”

He immediately drew the sword he wore and prepared to cut his own throat. The others hurriedly restrained him.

Guo Jia said, “According to the ancient principle of the Spring and Autumn Annals, the law is not applied to the highest in rank. Chancellor, you command the whole army. How can you take your own life?”

Cao Cao pondered for a long time and then said, “Since the Spring and Autumn Annals contains the principle that the law is not applied to the highest in rank, I shall pardon myself from death for the time being.”

He then cut off his own hair with his sword, threw it to the ground, and said, “For now, I cut off my hair in place of my head.”

He had the hair shown throughout the Three Armies with this announcement: “The Chancellor trampled the wheat and by law should have been beheaded as a public warning. He has now cut off his hair in place of his head.”

At this, the whole army was filled with fear and awe, and everyone strictly obeyed the military orders. A later poet discussed the matter in these lines:

A hundred thousand fierce troops held a hundred thousand minds;One man’s command could hardly restrain them all.He drew his blade and cut his hair to stand in for his head:Only then was the depth of Cao Man’s deceit revealed.

When Zhang Xiu learned that Cao Cao was leading an army against him, he urgently sent a letter to Liu Biao asking him to provide support from the rear. At the same time, he led troops out of the city with his two generals, Lei Xu and Zhang Xian, to meet the enemy.

When the two battle lines had formed opposite each other, Zhang Xiu rode forward, pointed at Cao Cao, and cursed him: “You are a shameless man who makes a false display of benevolence and righteousness. How are you any different from birds and beasts?”

Cao Cao was furious and ordered Xu Chu to ride out. Zhang Xiu ordered Zhang Xian to meet him. In only three bouts, Xu Chu cut Zhang Xian down from his horse. Zhang Xiu’s army suffered a great defeat. Cao Cao led his forces in pursuit as far as the walls of Nanyang. Zhang Xiu entered the city, closed the gates, and would not come out.

Cao Cao surrounded the city and attacked it. Seeing that the city moat was very broad and its water deep, so that it would be difficult to approach the walls quickly, he ordered his soldiers to carry earth and fill the moat. He also had them mix sacks filled with earth with firewood and bundles of grass to construct steps and platforms beside the walls. He further erected cloud ladders from which they could look into the city. Cao Cao himself rode around the city to inspect it.

After three days of this, Cao Cao issued orders for the soldiers to pile firewood at the corner of the western gate. He assembled all his generals there and prepared to scale the walls at that point.

Inside the city, Jia Xu saw what was happening and said to Zhang Xiu, “I already understand Cao Cao’s intention. We can now turn his own plan against him.”

Indeed:

Among the strong, there is always someone stronger;One who uses deceit may still meet one who sees through deceit.

What the plan was remains unknown. Read the next section for the explanation.