Chapter 871: Yuan Shao Moves South

"General, Yuan Shao, Zhang Yang, and Zhang Yan have assembled their troops and crossed Mount Taixing to attack Taiyuan; Zhang Wu crushed Zhang Yang, Dian Wei led the Black Armor Camp in a decisive charge that slew Chunyu Qiong and broke over ten thousand enemies. Zhao Yun slew Zhu Ling and Jiang Qi in battle, breaking over ten thousand enemies. Liao Hua slew Yang Feng and Yu Du, forcing Zhang Yan to flee into the mountains. We captured thirty thousand soldiers; Guo Jia is now in Jinyang handling the aftermath."

After hearing the messenger's report, Wang Yan nodded in satisfaction.

He had granted Guo Jia broad authority; all of Shanxi was under Guo Jia's command. That meant Zhang Wu, Dian Wei, Zhao Yun, and Liao Hua were all under Guo Jia's orders—Guo Jia was, in effect, the Regional Commander.

General Wang had always possessed grand vision; since Guo Jia had the ability, let him act. After deciding to launch a campaign against Yuan Shao, he sent word to Guo Jia and others, instructing them to defend Shanxi and seek opportunities to strike.

This campaign's results were excellent: Chunyu Qiong was unquestionably one of Yuan Shao's most trusted generals; Zhu Ling and Jiang Qi were also highly regarded commanders; Yang Feng and Yu Du were leaders of the Heishan Army. We struck Yuan Shao's vital forces and eliminated capable men, likely seized substantial supplies—this was a perfectly executed military operation.

War, of course, is not won in a single day. The fighting began in July; now it is the end of September, stretching from late summer into early winter. The reports reaching Wang Yan now mark the complete conclusion of the Shanxi campaign.

But the battle in Julu has not ended—it has, in fact, entered its most intense phase. From an initial force of less than one hundred thousand on each side, both armies have now swollen to five hundred thousand; the front line stretches from Mount Taixing to the sea, with fighting everywhere.

Yuan Shao is truly insane. Including Wang Yan's surprise attacks, Yuan Shao himself has committed nearly five hundred thousand troops; Wang Yan's own forces on the Julu battlefield number less than one hundred thousand.

Yet his total forces reach one hundred fifty thousand—the extra fifty thousand are all captured enemy soldiers: the young ones serve as reserves, the older ones haul supplies in the rear; during the autumn harvest, he even sent the older ones to gather grain.

Overall, Wang Yan holds the advantage. In three months, he has advanced two hundred li; had Yuan Shao not possessed such overwhelming numbers, Yuan Shao would already be joining Gongsun Zan in death.

Currently, the North China Plain has two major fronts. The fiercest is around Julu and Anyang, where Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and several strategists are stationed. Because this area is so close to Gao Yi, defenses are heavy. Wang Yan's side has deployed only fierce generals: Huang Zhong, Tai Shi Ci, Lü Bu, and Gao Lan—all capable fighters. Of course, Gao Lan is now merely a company commander leading five hundred men, but his combat strength is sufficient to fulfill the plan.

The other front is in Bohai and Hejian, where Zhou Cang fights evenly against Yan Liang and Wen Chou's deputies. Wang Yan sent Zhang He to assist Zhou Cang; their personal combat abilities are nearly equal, and both fight with exceptional steadiness. Their goal is to clear the coast and the Dahe Riverbank, eliminating Yuan Shao's forces and shattering his rule in this region.

After a moment's thought, Wang Yan said: "Reply to Guo Jia: seek opportunity to break through the passes. If the enemy holds fast and we cannot take the passes, circumvent and strike Henan, advance into Yanzhou, and sever Yuan Shao's supply lines. Go."

The messenger responded and turned to run.

Though Guo Jia will almost certainly do the same, it must still be said. It serves as backing—if Guo Jia acts on his own and suffers defeat, it will be harder to explain later.

After all, Guo Jia is not omnipotent. He is indeed wise and capable, but this is war—situations shift in an instant; no one can guarantee every move will succeed.

Wang Yan rose and studied the map, contemplating the current battle situation.

The main forces of both sides are now concentrated in Zhending (Shijiazhuang), Xiaquyang (northwest of Jin County), and Nanshenze (Shenze), spanning Changshan, Julu, and Anping.

From Zhending and Xiaquyang to Gao Yi is only a hundred li, so fighting here is the fiercest. We cannot expand further west, for beyond lies mountains—Jingxing Pass—where Yuan Shao also stations heavy troops. He fears Guo Jia might strike from Shanxi; if that happens, all is lost.

Now it is winter. Though Yuan Shao has purchased much cotton from Han Sui, with so many troops, he cannot equip them all with cotton garments. So they have become turtles, hiding within city walls.

Whenever Wang Yan makes a major move to thrust toward Gao Yi, they rush out to fight desperately. If Wang Yan makes no major move, they support each other; their rear is close, and we cannot cut their supply lines. Any attempt to raid behind enemy lines would draw tens of thousands of troops to surround just a few thousand.

Wang Yan cannot break through; they cannot advance either. They are locked in stalemate here. This near-standstill gives Yuan Shao breathing room to repent his rash decision, waking in terror each night to slap his own face.

Zhou Cang's front is progressing smoothly. Because supply lines are long and the main force is concentrated with Huang Zhong and others, they dare not send many reinforcements. It is winter, so Zhou Cang has gained the advantage, having cleared much of Bohai and part of Hejian.

Yuan Shao has stubbornly chosen to play turtle and act like a bully; General Wang has no good answer. If he insists on fighting, he must besiege cities—but siege warfare brings heavy casualties, not worth the cost, and not what Wang Yan wants. Alternatively, he could mobilize more troops to sweep all surrounding regions, gradually tightening the encirclement—but such investment would be excessive, unnecessary.

After all, Wang Yan is not in a hurry. In truth, this stalemate benefits him. Zhou Cang has not paused; come spring, Bohai and Hejian will surely fall. Meanwhile, by holding here without major operations, he maintains normal winter activities—even reducing consumption.

War, ultimately, is an economic calculation. Wang Yan certainly has ways to expand gains and attack the cities, but this approach is the most stable and least wasteful of grain. Low casualties, low consumption, yet steadily devouring Jizhou. Though conscripting men has affected rear production, the impact is not as severe as imagined.

As for the most critical grain consumption, his original rations were already high, and these men's bodies have been fully nourished—they eat chicken, duck, fish, and meat—so pure grain consumption has dropped significantly. War does increase consumption somewhat, but not nearly as much as imagined; this combat intensity will not overload logistics.

In fact, he has never used his full strength. At this pace, he can sustain this indefinitely. Moreover, he has newly acquired land and population; next autumn's harvest will be greater.

Wang Yan has found the balance between war and development, making this campaign against Yuan Shao appear effortless.

Yet who wishes to fight when stable development is possible? That is why Wang Yan ordered Guo Jia to act in the south. With this pincer movement, if Yuan Shao divides his forces, his position here collapses; if he does not divide them, his rule will be shaken, for the powerful clans will not tolerate it.

They support Yuan Shao, yet now Wang the Bandit has reached their doorstep—and Yuan Shao sends no troops to save them? In that case, Yuan Shao is finished anyway.

Thus, Zhao Yun and others launched probing attacks on various passes, but all were repelled; none succeeded.

Strategic military positions are naturally defensible—no joke. Even in modern times with guns and cannons, brave soldiers have held high ground with just a dozen men and repelled enemies many times their number.

Now, we have bows and arrows as long-range weapons, plus high walls and solid gates—truly hard to breach.

Thus, under no other option, only Liao Hua could be deployed.

In Jinyang, Guo Jia looked at the assembled generals and said: "The General wishes to break Henan and attack Yanzhou, creating a pincer to destroy Yuan Shao. Zhang Zilong has probed repeatedly, seeking to exit east through Mount Taixing but failed. Our only option now is to pass through Sili, circle around Huguan, and strike Henan directly. The surrendered troops lack combat strength and cannot undertake long marches. Wen Yuan and Shun Yi will remain to guard against mutiny among the surrendered troops and to defend against Yuan Shao's counterattack."

"Zhang Zilong, Yuan Jian—you two will attack Henan. Secure supplies along the way yourselves; do not plunder the people's wealth. The Three Auxiliaries have suffered total crop failure; corpses litter the land, people eat each other—under no circumstances may you disturb them. Secure grain from local powerful clans and wealthy households."

Zhao Yun smiled and nodded: "Fengxiao, rest assured—we know how to act."

"Good. Today, organize the troops, slaughter pigs and sheep; tomorrow, march south. Move swiftly—delay invites change. Yuan Jian has deeply absorbed the General's teachings and mastered Mobile Corps Commander tactics; if you advance alone and fail, retreat along Dahe River back to Jizhou."

Liao Hua nodded in response—he understood all this.

"The General now faces Yuan Shao's four hundred thousand troops at Julu. The cold is bitter; Yuan Shao refuses to leave his walls, supporting each other. Direct assault is impossible. You two bear heavy responsibility. If you succeed, we shall seize all lands north of the river, forge a tripod of power, and the empire will be within reach—act with utmost caution."

Zhao Yun and Liao Hua responded and departed.

The others dispersed, each to their duties.

Guo Jia silently studied the map, running the campaign through his mind. He was astonished to find that the timing of this battle was again perfect: Chang'an is in chaos, with no end to the fighting. Now, as General Wang begins his campaign against Yuan Shao, he has no rear threats.

Had Chang'an not been in turmoil—if Li Jue, Guo Si, and others had not clashed with Han Sui and Ma Teng—this campaign would have forced us to fight on two fronts. Han Sui, Ma Teng, and the defeated Xianbei and Xiongnu would never miss this chance. They would surely gather massive armies and return to Bingzhou.

Then General Wang would have to respond, preserving Bingzhou's population and land—after all, countless roads had been built, countless irrigation canals dug; the initial investments were already sunk. He could not abandon the land.

And if Han Sui and others united, they would command twenty to thirty thousand troops; combined with Yuan Shao's forty to fifty thousand, even if their elite soldiers fought better, with higher morale and combat power, they might still win—but it would be a pyrrhic victory, shattering the prosperity built over years.

Unlike now: Li Jue and Guo Si are in disarray, scheming and attacking each other. General Wang can calmly campaign against Yuan Shao, seize the Hebei lands, and occupy half of China. With such power, a few years of development will secure the empire.

Guo Jia marveled at the General's unfathomable depth as Liao Hua and Zhao Yun began organizing their troops.

A long-distance expedition requires many preparations: food for men, fodder for horses, armor and weapons—all of it.

Standard light armor, made of iron and leather, weighs twenty jin. Military rations are a sack of powder—ground from grain, dried fruit, and herbs—each soldier consumes one jin daily. Also carried: salted fish, dried meat, pickled vegetables—to supplement salt and energy. The standard for long marches is fifteen days' supply, totaling twenty jin. Also carried: water flasks, quilts, tents, and other essentials.

Even with horses carrying loads, infantry still bear forty jin.

Cavalry fare much better, especially Liao Hua's Elite Cavalry Camp—far better still, for this is their norm. Every year they carry fifteen days' rations and return only after three months. Thus, compared to Zhao Yun's troops, the Elite Cavalry Camp is far more prepared.

Hence, Guo Jia dispatched both units. First, to leverage the Elite Cavalry's mobility and steppe-proven tactics, but most importantly, their survival skills. Yet cavalry cannot assault fortresses, so Zhao Yun's Divine Might Guard was sent alongside them—to support and coordinate with the cavalry, to raid Henan and Yanzhou.

That is: systematically slaughter powerful clans and officials, disrupt order. This is their original mission—or else, where would they get food? Plundering commoners would leave them starving three days out of nine—this is universal consensus.

With this understanding, the next day, the Elite Cavalry led, the Divine Might Guard followed—fifteen thousand troops in total, marching south in force. The Elite Cavalry moved fast; they did not wait for the Divine Might Guard, beginning to cleanse the Shangdang region, detouring to strike Henan…

The Sili region is now chaotic, with over a dozen factions: the large ones, of course, are Li Jue, Guo Si, Fan Chou, Han Sui, Ma Teng, Zhang Ji; the small ones, unnamed. With just a few thousand troops, they dare proclaim themselves kings.

In Henan, Zhang Yang has been shattered. His territory is small, his forces few. Years ago, he lost twenty thousand in the Yenmen Pass battle; recently, he joined Yuan Shao's raid on Shanxi and lost another ten thousand. Then Yuan Shao used Henan as a forward base, fighting Cao Cao for half a year, losing even more troops—he now has virtually no combat strength left.

When a large force suddenly appeared in his territory, slaughtering powerful clans and officials, he knew: Wang the Bandit had come. In today's world, only Wang the Bandit dares kill powerful clans like pigs and dogs—systematically, en masse. The Yellow Turbans once did, but now no other rebels have such boldness.

And now it is winter—he cannot organize resistance. Or perhaps he dare not. Or perhaps he wants to, but cannot.

Because after Liao Hua and his men slaughtered the local gentry, they would take the opportunity to explain their policies to the common folk nearby, hand out surplus grain to the local populace, and tell them that the main army's arrival here wouldn't be long in coming. Under such circumstances, who would go and risk their life for Zhang Yang? Even if they did muster together, they might just end up killing him.

So there wasn't much he could do. First, hole up inside the city and not go out. Second, send a fast rider to deliver the news and request reinforcements.

But he guessed wrong. Zhao Yun and Liao Hua did not linger long in Henei—barely more than ten days. They killed off a few gentry houses, seized grain, rested and reorganized, then marched straight into Near Jizhou.

This let Zhang Yang breathe a long sigh of relief, because he had kept his life. But the heart suspended in his chest did not settle, because he was going to die very soon.

He wasn't stupid. He understood Wang Yan's strategic intent very clearly: it was to wreck Yanzhou and Near Jizhou, share the pressure on Julu, and at the same time cut off Yuan Shao's rear, thereby taking all of Hebei in one sweep.

Where could he go by then? Submitting to Wang Yan was certain death; submitting to Cao Cao wouldn't let him live long either. The world was vast—where was there a place that would take him in?

Still, despite the unease in his heart, he did not run. Because the war was still going on, and until the very last moment, victory or defeat was still undecided…

Yuan Shao kicked the table over once again. By now, he too understood that this time it had been his own recklessness. Though unwilling to admit it, he really might not be able to beat Wang Yan.

The current situation was already extremely dire. Even though Julu had held out against Wang Yan's main army, Zhou Cang's side was still advancing. And now word had come that Wang Yan had actually let the grasslands go and dispatched his strongest fighting force, the Xiaoji Camp, on such a long detour, traveling thousands of li to strike at his rear. He had a fairly clear reckoning: defeat was only a matter of sooner or later.

Watching his subordinates replace the table, he drank a goblet of wine in a foul mood and brought the goblet down hard on the table: "My lords, now the bandit Wang attacks from north and south. If we split our forces, we cannot save both—Julu will surely be hard to hold. If we do not rescue it, the enemy will sooner or later push on to Gao Yi. In such a situation, what should I do?"

This time no one was shouting. The hawks had gone silent. They had been fighting for over four months now, and spring was about to begin again. They had been beaten down the whole time, with no opening at all. The bandit Wang's logistics had not collapsed, but their own logistics were about to give out. How things stood was already perfectly clear—they had no face to speak.

The doves had half a mind to mock a few lines, but the moment they thought of Yuan Shao being a hawk, they too did not open their mouths to jeer.

After a long silence, it was still Guo Tu, who had returned from Julu to discuss the situation, who stepped forward. He cupped his hands in a salute and said: "My lord, the war now goes against us. If we sought peace again, the bandit Wang would surely refuse. Look at his use of troops—his aim is to take all of Hebei, hold the river as a barrier to defend himself, proclaim himself lord of heaven and earth, and once his supplies are ample, to settle the realm. His elite troops have all been sent out; until his aim is reached, he will not stop the war.

Now our two sides have fought to this day. Though we have lost a hundred thousand men, we still have strength to spare. The plan I proposed before the campaign, of going south, can still be carried out. My lord should set out today to take Luoyang, then withdraw the army slowly. We will hold Yanzhou, then advance into Yuzhou, take Xuzhou, reach Huainan, and hold Jiangdong. Thus, with the two barriers of the Yangtze and the Huai to rely on, our self-preservation will be without worry. The bandit Wang has only just taken Hebei and certainly will not march south. My lord should manage things steadily, sharpen the troops and feed the horses; to fight again is not too late."

This kind of talk had to come from a dove like him. The hawks cared about face and couldn't bring themselves to open their mouths. What Yuan Shao was asking for advice on—what was it? It was the doves saying "surrender," so that he himself could find a way to step down gracefully.

Yuan Shao looked in silence at the silent gathering of worthies. After a long while, he spoke wearily: "Then I shall follow Gongze's words and abandon Hebei…"