Chapter 537: Appendix 4: The Old Book of Yan

Appendix 4: The Old Book of Yan. Annals of the Grand Ancestor, the Martial Emperor. Volume One —

Appendix 4: The Old Book of Yan. Annals of the Grand Ancestor, the Martial Emperor. Volume One — Ge San

The Grand Ancestor, the Martial Emperor, taboo name Xun, courtesy name Wenqi, surname Gongsun, was a man of Liaoxi Commandery in Youzhou, whose family had resided in Lingzhi for generations. The Gongsun clan was a prominent lineage in Youzhou, holding official posts for successive generations, many reaching the rank of two thousand piculs, enduring through the Former and Latter Han without decline. His father, the Civil Emperor Ba, was tall and imposing in appearance, generous and true to his word, esteemed by the local community; though his family was poor, he served as a minor clerk in the commandery. In the first month of the first year of the Yongshou reign of Han, Ba was returning from the provincial capital when he met a woman emerging from a well on the roadside. She said she was a native of Qiao County in Pei State, had fallen into a well, and in a daze found herself here. Ba observed her complexion, speech, and clothing, all of which marked her as coming from a great family, and so he took her in; she was none other than Empress Xiaozhuang Wen. After half a year, Ba fell ill and died. The Empress was already with child and did not remarry, living as a widow to raise the posthumous son — this was the Grand Ancestor. The Empress was literate, well-versed in the classics and histories, excelled in poetry and odes, and could compose songs and rhapsodies herself. She was also skilled in commerce and trade, understood goods and wealth, and established a trading house called "Anli." Over twenty years, its reach spread throughout Youzhou and Jizhou, extended widely beyond the frontier, driving the scattered barbarians of the wilds to run her errands, connecting what was available and what was lacking inside and outside the Great Wall, and thus she sat securely amassing enormous wealth. She delighted in charity, aiding widows and orphans, and was revered within the clan, all calling her Lady Gongsun. That the Grand Ancestor was never troubled by wealth his entire life, and thus did not value external things but only took people as the foundation and could win the hearts of the masses, was entirely the merit of the Empress.

The Grand Ancestor was orphaned young and raised by his mother; his love and respect were fully devoted to serving his parent, and thus his fame for filial piety spread throughout the commandery. When he came of age, he stood eight feet tall, his appearance was very imposing, he was learned in letters and proficient in martial affairs. He possessed a heroic and commanding presence, and transcendent talent. Moreover, he befriended worthy scholars and knew how to judge and employ people. The entire commandery called him the Qilin child of the Gongsun clan. In the third year of the Xiping reign, at the age of eighteen, he became a clerk in the commandery. Encountering Xianbei raiders invading the border, he led thirty riders out of Lulong Pass at night and routed them soundly, and from this his fame shook Hebei. Han Dang was then a military clerk in Liaoxi Commandery, and Cheng Pu was an assistant clerk to the Chief Clerk of Youbeiping Commandery; they followed the Grand Ancestor to defeat the enemy and both revered and submitted to him. Pu personally came to his door to serve, and Dang abandoned his post to follow him, becoming the foremost of the founding heroes. His cousins Yue and Fan also looked only to the Grand Ancestor for direction. The commandery governor heard of this and was greatly pleased; considering the Grand Ancestor the orchid of the commandery, though his martial affairs were excellent, he should also cultivate the classics, so he wrote a recommendation for the Grand Ancestor, his cousin Zan, and his cousin Yue to go to Goushi Mountain in Luoyang and pay respects as disciples under Lu Zhi.

The Grand Ancestor traveled with his fellow disciples to Luoyang. Passing through Jizhou, the others all had fine carriages, fur coats, and horses, with attendants before and behind, traveling by day on the official roads and lodging at night with powerful and noble families in the commanderies. Only the Grand Ancestor said: "When traveling to other places, one must first inquire into local customs." So he took the minor roads, entered impoverished villages, and thoroughly learned the true geography. There was Cui Min, the Prefect of Nanhe in Julu, a famous scholar of Qinghe, who saw the Grand Ancestor and was greatly astonished. He said: "I have seen many famous scholars under heaven, but none like you, sir! If you take good care of yourself, you will surely become a great vessel in the future. I entrust my wife and children to you!"

Arriving in Luoyang, it happened that Lu Zhi had been dispatched to suppress a rebellion as Grand Administrator of Jiujiang. The Grand Ancestor then studied together with his clan elder brother Gongsun Zan and clan younger brother Gongsun Yue on Goushi Mountain. Zan was impassioned and heroic; Yue was clever, astute, and cautious. The Imperial Tutor and Superintendent of the Imperial Household Liu Kuan saw them and took a liking to them, accepting them all as disciples and transmitting his family learning, the Han Odes. Among them, he especially valued the Grand Ancestor, often saying privately that he would entrust his posthumous affairs to him. Kuan was by nature free-spirited, tolerant, and fond of wine; daily he took the Grand Ancestor and others on leisurely outings, and through this the Grand Ancestor came to know many figures in Luoyang such as Wang Yi, Fu Xie, Xu You, and others.

The Grand Ancestor, considering Goushi a strategic location where impoverished scholars from all directions gathered, feared some might lack food and clothing, so he established the Goushi Mountain Charity Hostel. Traveling scholars, whether eating or lodging, were not charged a single coin. The youths of Yan and Zhao mostly admired the heroism of the brothers, vying to attach themselves to them and taking pride in it. In Luoyang city, they also enjoyed great renown. Liu Bei of Zhuo Commandery was a fellow student of the Grand Ancestor; at the time he was fifteen, his family poor and without support, and his usual conduct was wild and unrestrained — racing horses, fighting dogs, chariot racing, gambling on wine, there was nothing he did not do. Everyone scorned him, but the Grand Ancestor alone cherished him, giving him clothes, horses, and playthings, treating him as a brother, and Bei likewise served the Grand Ancestor with the rites of an elder brother.

A few months after the Grand Ancestor entered Liu Kuan's tutelage, Lu Zhi returned from Jiujiang to Luoyang and still resided on Goushi Mountain. Now serving two masters, he often traveled back and forth between Luoyang and Goushi, performing his rites with utmost respect, never showing any sign of displeasure. The scholarly circles of Wan and Luoyang all praised his virtue. Among Zhi's disciples was Lu Fan, who had always possessed talent and virtue and was skilled at judging character. Upon meeting the Grand Ancestor, he was captivated at first sight, knowing he would surely become a great vessel in the future, and privately pledged himself as subject to sovereign.

In the fourth year of the Xiping reign, Court Consultant Cai Yong submitted a memorial to the court proposing the establishment of the Stone Classics. Lu Zhi submitted a Memorial Requesting the Establishment of an Official School for Ancient Script. The various schools of modern and ancient script exchanged criticisms, and consensus was hard to reach. The Grand Ancestor then hosted a wine gathering on Goushi Mountain, inviting both masters to attend in person. During the banquet, he led the students in kneeling to request that the Stone Classics be carved with both modern and ancient script versions of the Mao and Han Odes. The two masters gladly agreed and jointly submitted a memorial requesting it; the court approved, and it was praised as a fine tale both within and without. The Grand Ancestor, along with Zan and Yue, also participated in the work under their masters' orders, further establishing the method of punctuation and phrase marking. The punctuation marks commonly used throughout the world today were transmitted by the Grand Ancestor. Yong saw this and found it remarkable, and thus formed a deep bond with the Grand Ancestor. The Grand Ancestor then requested Yong to take the strengths of various paper workshops and trial-produce new paper in Liaoxi — this is today's Gongsun Paper.

At the mourning rites for Yuan Shao's mother, the Grand Ancestor and others went to offer condolences. Shao was arrogant and did not perform the proper rites. Zan was angered and returned, but the Grand Ancestor acted as if he took no notice. Han Sui went to offer condolences, saw this, and sighed in admiration. He shared a carriage with the Grand Ancestor for a deep conversation and regarded him as a bosom friend.

In the first month of the fifth year of the Xiping reign, Empress Xiaozhuang Wen wrote summoning the Grand Ancestor to return home. The Grand Ancestor bid farewell to his teachers and friends. Liu Kuan, Lu Zhi, Cai Yong, and other elders performed the capping ceremony for the Grand Ancestor and discussed his courtesy name. One proposed Gongqi, one Wenqi, one Ziqi; they debated for a long time before finally using Wenqi. Years later, a neighbor praised this, saying: "All three characters are fine; the young master must be exceptionally heroic and talented to receive such deep affection."

The Grand Ancestor took Yue, Dang, and others north to return. Before departure, Yong presented handwritten copies of the Seven Classics and the Buddhist Sutra of Forty-Two Sections as a gift for Empress Xiaozhuang Wen's birthday. Lou Gui, a famous scholar of Nanyang who had often lingered at the charity hostel and deeply felt the generous kindness, heard the Grand Ancestor was returning home and volunteered to follow him.

In the past, during the Yuankang reign of the Former Han, there were great clans in Zhuo Commandery, the Western Gao and Eastern Gao, whom everyone from the commandery clerks down feared and avoided, none daring to oppose them. All said: "Better to offend a two-thousand-picul official than to offend a powerful great clan." A hundred years later, the Grand Ancestor passed through Hebei, saw the hardship of the people's livelihood, and again heard children passing on this old rhyme by the roadside. He halted his horse beside the road and sighed deeply for a long time. Lou Gui and Han Dang were both at his side, and they withdrew from his attendants to subtly suggest: "The realm is crumbling; this is precisely the time for heroes to use their martial prowess. You, my lord, should strive for it." The Grand Ancestor rebuked them: "The fields lie barren, the people have no means to live. Not thinking of serving the state, why speak of oneself?" Gui and Dang were both ashamed and withdrew.

Upon returning home, Empress Xiaozhuang Wen, because the Grand Ancestor had lost his father in childhood and the late Han was chaotic with rampant plagues, constantly worried that the main family line would have no heir. With the family's wealth, she secretly purchased a hundred beautiful maidservants and taught them letters, mathematics, music, and dance. When he was capped, she presented them to fill his rear chambers. The Grand Ancestor was extremely filial and could not refuse, accepting them all. Yet until his marriage, with beautiful maidservants arrayed before and behind him, warm fragrance and soft jade casting amorous glances, the Grand Ancestor still held a candle and studied assiduously, unmoved by the temptations around him, and thus his reputation grew daily.

In the third month, the commandery was suddenly invaded by ten thousand Xianbei riders, who captured the commandery governor's mother at Liucheng and carried her to threaten the commandery seat of Yangle. The Grand Ancestor arrived at Lulong and gathered several thousand troops, intending to take action. But Liaoxi was vast; from Lulong to Liucheng was three hundred li, and to Yangle five hundred li, and what he worried about most was being unable to do anything. At that time, Lou Gui was at his side and offered a daring plan, proposing that the Grand Ancestor personally risk danger. Those around him were all angered and drew their blades to threaten him several times. The Grand Ancestor overruled the crowd, saying: "Zibo abandoned his home to come to me, following me for a thousand li. I regard him as my right-hand man; how can I doubt him?" And so he carried out the plan.

The Grand Ancestor, along with Gongsun Fan, Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and Lou Gui, five riders, raced to Liucheng. They coerced the Mohu tribe of the Xianbei, disguised themselves as barbarian riders, and suddenly charged into the enemy formation. A bandit thrust a spear at Pu; Pu bare-handedly seized the spear, reversed it, and killed him, then discarded the spear. He did this repeatedly, and the Xianbei were terrified, all retreating in great shock. The Grand Ancestor, behind him, sighed and said: "Among tiger ministers of the age, who compares to Cheng Demou?" Pu became famous beyond the frontier from this. Han Dang also shot and killed the Xianbei Middle Division Chief Kezuitan in the midst of battle.

After the Grand Ancestor rescued the commandery governor's mother and returned, he stood with Gui and Pu on a hill watching the Han army strike the Xianbei. Twenty thousand cavalry roared like a tide, heaven and earth changing color, and broke the enemy in a single charge. Gui sighed deeply and said: "Living in this world, a true man should command ten thousand troops like this!" The Grand Ancestor laughed and said: "If that is so, should I gain power, I will give you ten thousand riders." The Grand Administrator of Liaoxi, Zhao Bao, was at his side; both moved by his kindness and stirred by his bold words, he found him increasingly remarkable. After the battle, he gave his daughter to him in marriage — this was Empress Xiaowu Zhao. Someone said: "You, my lord, are famous from youth and your future is bright and smooth. Yet by marrying into the Grand Administrator's family, it is a pity you will lose the path to Filial and Incorrupt nomination in the commandery to avoid suspicion!" The Grand Ancestor was displeased: "We choose our spouses based on virtue and conduct alone; how can we discuss gains and losses in our future prospects?" A few days later, the Inspector of Youzhou, Liu Yu, passed through Liaoxi and met the Grand Ancestor. Overjoyed, he said: "Meeting you is like encountering a beautiful jade; how could one abandon it in the wilds?" Discussions in the commandery all said the Grand Ancestor would be nominated as Provincial Talent. But soon after, a messenger arrived from Luoyang: the Three Excellencies had jointly nominated him, citing the realm's turmoil, specifically under the category of "Brave and Fierce, Knowledgeable in Military Tactics," to be summoned by public carriage directly to Luoyang. The locals then praised again: "An awl placed in a bag, its point will emerge on its own. The Gongsun of Liaoxi, why worry about his future prospects?"

The Grand Ancestor traveled by public carriage into Luoyang, not stopping for a moment. Passing his private residence, he did not enter, but went straight into the mansion of his honored teacher, the Grand Commandant Liu Kuan. A fellow townsman, Yang Qiu, was present and jested: "Why such haste, my lord? Do you fear getting a poor post?" The Grand Ancestor declared fervently: "The state is in turmoil, the four seas are not at peace. This is precisely the time for us to offer our lives. I, Xun, am only worried about not getting the right post; how could I be troubled by fame and profit? I firmly seek a military post in a border commandery to serve the state!" Everyone present, from Yang Qiu down, straightened their expressions and avoided his gaze. Lord Liu was also stirred by his words and recommended him as Major of a Separate Division, to be stationed at Yanmen. Cai Yong heard the Grand Ancestor was about to depart and entrusted him with several thousand volumes of his book collection, instructing him to transport them back to Liaoxi for block printing.

The Grand Ancestor took Han Dang and Lu Fan to Pingcheng in Yanmen. Over several months, from the Inspector and two-thousand-picul officials above to commoners and peasants below, he treated everyone with utter sincerity and bared his heart to them. Thus, superiors and subordinates became one, and heroes flocked to him. Once, he led just over ten soldiers to escort over a thousand migrants across the Yellow River. Bandits, knowing his force was small, spied on the camp at night. The Grand Ancestor sat before the camp tent, directing affairs with perfect composure. The bandit chief raised his bow and aimed at him, but seeing his bearing, could not bear to kill him, and instead shot the brazier at the camp gate and departed. Such was his ability to win hearts. He also clearly discerned the Grand Administrator's crimes and rode alone to visit the Inspector, Dong Zhuo. Obtaining a special commission, he did not loosen his robes and traveled through the night back, exposing his crimes in a single day and sending him to Luoyang in a caged cart. The force was like a thunderclap, and the entire commandery was terrified, superiors and subordinates so fearful that the officials ceased to function. The Grand Ancestor reviewed the commandery's documents in the government office, observed the decline of enterprise and the hardship of the people's livelihood, and sighed: "The realm's turmoil is all because of such fellows!" He then disregarded his own reputation and personally took charge of the commandery's governance. Within a month, he supervised the administration of officials, cleared out abuses, encouraged agriculture and sericulture, and recommended worthy talents. By the time the new governor took office, governance was smooth and the people harmonious, and all neglected affairs had been revived. By the eighth month, military reorganization was complete, and he held a joint hunt on Mount Baideng to review the troops, returning with a white deer.

In the twelfth month of the fifth year of the Xiping reign, the court deliberated a northern campaign against the Xianbei, dividing into three routes to go beyond the frontier and intercept them. The Grand Ancestor, as Major of a Separate Division, was attached to the right route under the Colonel Protecting the Wuhuan, Xia Yu. The Xianbei Khan Tanshihuai ordered the three division chiefs to meet them in battle. The three routes were isolated, and the military situation was uncertain. The Grand Ancestor, seeing through the situation as if by candlelight from ten thousand li away, discerned the true state of affairs. During the evening meal in camp, he urgently sought an audience with Xia Yu, volunteering to lead the vanguard, not avoiding arrows and blades, and race toward Mount Tanhan. Yu approved, and the Grand Ancestor immediately took his own force of fifteen hundred men, covering a hundred li in two days straight to the banks of the Chuochou River. The Xianbei royal court had only five thousand troops; seeing them, they were terrified. Had the main army reinforced them, the campaign could have been concluded in one battle. However, the center route commander, the Colonel of the Xiongnu Zhonglang Jiang Zang Min, suddenly suffered defeat and sent his subordinate officer Sun Jian to break through and report it. Yu heard this and was utterly terrified; he abandoned his baggage and fled, deserting the Grand Ancestor. The Grand Ancestor learned of this late at night, looked up to heaven, and sighed: "Xia Yu may be vile, but the soldiers in the army are all innocent. Moreover, if he is pursued and devoured by Tanshihuai, then the lands of Yan and Dai will have no troops, and the people of several commanderies will suffer cruelty." He then resolved to cross the Chuochou River at night, burn Mount Tanhan, and personally lure Tanshihuai's army back. About to cross, the various generals all strove to be first, each seeking to be the first to land and requesting the Grand Ancestor to sit safely south of the river. The Grand Ancestor sternly asked: "In the heat of battle, can a true man watch from across the river and hope to live?" Having spoken, he used a detachment to feign an attack near the bridge and harass the enemy, while personally leading the army to secretly tie horses together with ropes to form a pontoon bridge, then personally grasped a horse's head and crossed. Once across, without time to don armor, he again displayed divine martial prowess, leaping his horse and charging into the enemy formation. The generals watching from across the river were all roused and vied to enter the water. The enemy troops were very numerous; the Grand Ancestor, fighting at the very front and without armor, was repeatedly struck by blades and arrows. He sustained several wounds, none of which he bandaged, and was struck by several arrows, all of which he broke and cast to the ground. Thus the three armies fought with desperate courage, and the bandits lost their nerve. At that moment, soldiers who lost their horses would grab the tails of their comrades' horses to charge the formation, and soldiers who ran out of arrows would search Xianbei corpses to continue shooting. Therefore, though the bandits were numerous, they were still swiftly defeated. The Grand Ancestor then pressed close to the royal court and set it ablaze. The summer night wind was strong, and the light and smoke reflected for a hundred li, shaking the lands south of the desert. The Xianbei army saw it and fled north in droves to save it, allowing the main Han army to barely return. The Grand Ancestor, severely wounded, fell unconscious. Fan and Dang protected him, fighting to the death to escape. They then encountered rain and lost their way, nearly dying several times. Relying on heaven's protection, they followed the river and re-entered the frontier, finally returning to their garrison at Pingcheng. Gao Shun was then an attendant conscript in the army and had rendered great merit; the Grand Ancestor promoted him to Army Commander and bestowed on him the courtesy name Suqing.

In autumn, Yanmen suffered famine. The Grand Ancestor distributed two encampments' worth of military grain to the Grand Administrator Guo Yun for relief. When the powerful and great clans of the commandery heard of this, they were all moved and admired him, and thus cooperated to contribute grain, allowing the entire commandery to find peace. In the eighth month, he welcomed Empress Zhao, and the wedding ceremony was completed in Pingcheng.

In the tenth month, the court decreed the three generals be imprisoned. The Grand Ancestor was appointed as General of the Household, specially granted a thousand piculs for his merit, enfeoffed as Grand Master, and summoned to Luoyang to enter the Gentlemen's Office. His accompanying volunteer followers all rode white horses, and the name "White Horse Volunteers" arose from this. Passing Mengjin in Henei, they encountered a solar eclipse. The soldiers and people panicked and fled, but only the Grand Ancestor stood towering and unperturbed. He personally beheaded his own mount to shock the hearts of the crowd. In a moment, the eclipse passed, and Mengjin was calmed; soldiers, people, and officials all submitted in admiration. When boarding the boat, his attendants asked: "What did you rely on, my lord?" The Grand Ancestor said: "Celestial phenomena have their regular patterns; the gentleman is naturally unafraid!" After crossing the river, a messenger came to report: "Your teacher, Lord Liu, has been removed from his position as one of the Three Excellencies due to the celestial phenomenon." The Grand Ancestor's expression did not change: "The gentleman strengthens himself; why report such trivial matters to me?" His attendants admired him even more. Upon entering Luoyang, he was appointed as a General of the Household and assigned to the Imperial Secretariat. That evening he paid a visit to Kuan. They talked until nightfall, and as he was about to leave, Kuan, sensing that the Grand Ancestor was growing older and his heroic spirit was gradually taking shape, grabbed his sleeve at the door and sighed: "The rise and fall of the House of Han will be in Wenqi's hands. Be cautious!" The Grand Ancestor did not understand his meaning, and, connecting it with their earlier discussion on punishing the eunuchs, slowly replied: "Wang Fu's foundation is already shaken; us younger ones will defeat the enemy on our own. My honored teacher need only sit peacefully in the inner hall." Kuan knew he had misspoken and said: "Good."

The Grand Palace Grandee Duan Jiong, who fawned upon and attached himself to the Regular Palace Attendant Wang Fu, willingly serving as his claws and teeth, wielded power that swayed the court and the countryside. In Luoyang, people of the time dared not speak loudly before him; only the Grand Ancestor often opposed him. The previously condemned generals Xia Yu and Tian Yan, having been pardoned and reduced to commoner status, were killed on the road while returning home. Jiong suspected the Grand Ancestor was responsible and confronted him on Bronze Camel Street. At that time, Jiong led several dozen men, while the Grand Ancestor was alone. As the sky darkened, Jiong led his men to draw their blades, intending harm, and shouted: "Do you youngsters think my blade is not sharp?" The Grand Ancestor's expression did not change; he proudly drew his own blade and replied: "Are the mighty under heaven only you, Lord Duan?" As his words fell, the capital shook violently; countless houses and government offices collapsed. Jiong, greatly alarmed, retreated, and from this lost his nerve.

At the end of the year, in the Imperial Secretariat of the Southern Palace, a hen transformed into a rooster; its entire body of feathers resembled a male's, but the comb had not yet changed. When this was discovered, Luoyang was terrified; eunuchs covered their faces and fled, while the scholars' public opinion surged fiercely. That same day, there was also a rebellion in Jiaozhou, with four commanderies falling. The Pingcheng Gate of the Southern Palace collapsed on its own for no reason. The Grand Ancestor, as a Gentleman of the Secretariat, witnessed it with his own eyes and was stunned on the spot. Upon returning, he urgently plotted with Wang Yun, Tian Feng, and others to execute the eunuchs.

In the early part of the seventh year of the Xiping reign, the Grand Ancestor was transferred to be an Attendant Official of the Capital, and together with Wang Yun and others jointly recommended Yang Qiu as Colonel-Director of Retainers. Cai Yong wished to submit a memorial requesting the execution of the eunuchs, first entrusting his family and ten thousand scrolls of books to the Grand Ancestor. When the memorial was submitted, he was indeed imprisoned and sentenced to death. The Grand Ancestor and others exerted themselves to rescue him, and the sentence was commuted to exile in Shuofang. Wang Fu falsely accused Emperor Ling's Empress Song of practicing sorcery; Emperor Ling deposed the Empress, and the Song clan was executed in the marketplace. The youngest son of the Imperial Tutor and Superintendent of the Imperial Household Qiao Xuan was abducted by bandits; the Grand Ancestor devised a plan to rescue him. Xuan was stirred by his resolve and moved by his kindness, and volunteered to serve as Minister over the Masses overseeing the Imperial Secretariat, to assist the Grand Ancestor and others in executing the eunuchs.

In the third month, the court deliberated changing the reign title to Guanghe. Wang Fu had his disciples monopolize official goods and property worth over seventy million cash within the borders of the capital region. The Intendant of Jingzhao, Yang Biao, exposed his crimes and reported them to the Colonel-Director of Retainers. At that time, Fu was on leave at his residence, and Jiong had also returned home. Qiu wished to feign going to the palace to give thanks, and thereby memorialize the crimes of Fu, Jiong, and the Regular Palace Attendants Chunyu Deng, Yuan She, Feng Yu, and others. He only feared that if Fu heard the news and entered the palace to hold out, he would not dare to act. The Grand Ancestor then volunteered, leading his volunteer followers to block Fu's residence. When they arrived, before Yang Qiu could obtain the decree, the Grand Ancestor immediately and personally engaged in blade-to-blade combat, leading his volunteer followers to attack and kill their way into the residence. He first captured Fu and his son Meng, then dragged them by their hair and caps to the front gate to guard them. Fu lay in a pool of blood and asked in terror: "To kill a two-thousand-picul official without a decree is an unpardonable capital crime; what benefit is it to you, sir?" The Grand Ancestor replied fervently: "You, father and son, and your clansmen are replete with the Five Poisons, greedy, cruel, and destructive of life. The realm has suffered from you for a long time! Since we have launched this, there is only advance and no retreat. Even if I must live as a fugitive in the rivers and lakes, I will still execute you wretches for the realm!" As they attacked, the scholars and people of Luoyang lined the streets to watch. Hearing these words, they all leaped and cheered, knowing for certain that Wang Fu would not live. After the Grand Ancestor executed Wang Fu, he had his corpse torn apart at the Summer City Gate and erected a large placard reading "Traitorous Minister Wang Fu." All his property was confiscated, and his wife and children were exiled to Bijing. His attendants advised him: "Your actions are harsh and severe; sooner or later you may suffer retaliation." The Grand Ancestor sternly replied: "Solar eclipses, earthquakes, hens turning into roosters — if we do not exterminate those wretches completely, how can the Great Han have a 'sooner or later'?"

The Grand Ancestor, together with Yang Qiu and others, exterminated Wang Fu, Duan Jiong, and Chen Jiu, and drove out Yuan She, Zhang Feng, Chunyu Deng, and others. Only Cao Jie, being cunning and crafty, entered the Northern Palace first and thus escaped. Yang Qiu plotted with the Junior Prefect of the Yongle Palace Chen Qiu, the Colonel of Infantry Liu Ne, and the Minister over the Masses Liu He to execute Jie, wishing to achieve complete success. Before the plot could be launched, Jie used the burial of Emperor Shun's Consort Yu at Zhangling to persuade the Regular Palace Attendants Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, and others, and was reinstated as Grand Prolonger of Autumn and Prefect of the Masters of Writing, commanding the Feathered Forest and Rapid as Tigers armies, his power blazing even hotter. The next day, the four lords were imprisoned on charges of treason and soon executed. The Grand Ancestor was outside the city at the time; hearing the news, he rushed back, captured Jie's younger brother Poshi as a hostage, and went alone to the Imperial Secretariat to meet Jie, forcing him to pardon the families of the four lords. Qiao Xuan was present at the time, saw this, and praised: "Wenqi is hard within and sharp without; his edge is the keenest under heaven." Shen Pei was then a retainer of the Chen Qiu household and because of this gave his allegiance to the Grand Ancestor, willing to serve him, and the Grand Ancestor also regarded him as his right-hand man. Jie returned home and sighed deeply: "I am old! The realm is in darkness; the one who can preserve my family is surely this young man." He then sent someone to deliver his granddaughter to the Grand Ancestor's residence. Empress Zhao learned of this and went to Jie's clan in Wei Commandery to propose marriage, seeking her as a secondary consort for the Grand Ancestor — this was Lady Feng.

In the sixth month of the first year of the Guanghe reign, Emperor Ling opened the Western Garden. Whenever the court conferred an official post, payment was required according to rank. The Grand Ancestor happened to be appointed as Prefect of Xiangping in Liaodong. Hearing this, he was furious. He accepted the appointment from the Imperial Secretariat and departed immediately, without a single backward glance. Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong looked at each other, but dared not question him. On the road, he heard that Cao Cao had abandoned his post and returned home. The Grand Ancestor and Cao were of similar aspirations and had always been on good terms. Moreover, thinking that Pei State was Empress Wen's homeland, he took Lou Gui and Han Dang and rode swiftly to Qiao County to visit him. Cao's kinsmen Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, and others were all talents of the age. They met the Grand Ancestor warmly and together discussed the current situation, mutually encouraging each other not to lose a true man's soaring ambition. Earlier, a yellow dragon had appeared at Qiao. Three years later, the Grand Ancestor and Cao bathed together in the Guo River and again encountered a venomous dragon, which they killed. Cao's wife, Lady Ding, was always virtuous. Hearing that the Grand Ancestor still had no heir, she selected the most beautiful music entertainer from her own household and presented her to him. The Grand Ancestor accepted her as a secondary consort — this was Lady Bian. The Grand Ancestor bid farewell to Cao and, hearing that Wang Xiu of Beihai had a reputation for worthiness, made a special trip to visit him, seeking him as an aide. He then crossed the sea to Liaodong.

Since the Grand Ancestor had executed Wang Fu and rebuked Cao Jie to his face, his reputation grew daily, and he gradually became esteemed throughout the realm. The senior officials of Xiangping had been accepting bribes and engaging in corruption, relying on powerful connections, and had not been exposed by previous prefects. Hearing that the Grand Ancestor was arriving, they all fled within a single day. Thus governance and education were greatly implemented, and the entire county was peaceful and just. Liaodong was a border commandery where barbarians abounded; the various Hu tribes gathered in groups of hundreds or tens, or formed states of tens of thousands. Yet all admired the civilizing influence of the Han and yearned for the Central Kingdom. Only Goguryeo, proud of its numerous tribes and people and its defensible mountains and rivers, harbored ambitions of seizing Liaodong and carving up the lands beyond the frontier, and thus long treated Han as an enemy state. The people of Liaodong suffered greatly from this. Upon taking office, the Grand Ancestor immediately wished to eliminate this great scourge for the people, but had not yet settled on a strategy. It happened that Goguryeo also wished to plot against Han. Imitating the scheme of Mayi, they sent a noble of their Gonna tribe to Xiangping, falsely claiming that their king was old and feeble, the various tribes were contending for the throne, and they wished to invite the Grand Ancestor to lead the Han army as support, promising rewards in return. The Grand Ancestor saw through their treachery clearly and pretended to ally with them. When winter came, he fully mobilized the Liaodong militia and also sent Gongsun Yue and Gongsun Fan to recruit various Hu tribes, assembling over eight thousand troops. Providing their own provisions, they marched to attack Goguryeo. Xu Rong, a former clerk of the Gongsun clan and Major of a Separate Division in Xuantu Commandery, was stirred by the Grand Ancestor's undertaking and personally led fifteen hundred elite cavalry from his own division to assist. As they were about to depart, Empress Zhao sent a household servant to deliver a white horse banner as encouragement; everyone took it as an auspicious sign.

The Goguryeo fortifications sat astride the plain, a chain of eleven encampments. For over ten years the Han army had repeatedly failed to take them, and the borderlands suffered bitterly. When the army arrived, the Grand Ancestor ordered an immediate assault. All the commanders deemed it impossible. The Grand Ancestor said, “None of you grasp the subtleties of military strategy!” He then sternly ordered Han Dang to lead the vanguard and attack swiftly. The rebels, terrified and thrown into panic, were such that by the time the main army had just arrived, the vanguard had already broken two camps. The Grand Ancestor then ordered the troops not to halt but to press straight forward. He personally held the White Horse banner, overseeing the army as he rode to the enemy camp gate and sat down before it. The enemy thereupon collapsed completely, and their entire encampment was lost. The commanders sighed in admiration and all believed they should pursue the victory, driving deep into enemy territory. They petitioned the Grand Ancestor, who said, “Goguryeo is a great nation. Though they have lost the plain, their elite troops are not yet depleted. Moreover, the mountain passes are perilous and distant, and logistics would be arduous. To send a lone army into dangerous territory — I will not do it!” He then ordered the entire army to reinforce the ramparts and defend them strictly without venturing out. After five days, Goguryeo mustered the entire nation’s troops, fifty thousand strong, to attack. The Han army held the ramparts and defended stubbornly. After three days of fierce battle, the rebels suffered heavy casualties, and their provisions and arrows were nearly exhausted. Shen Pei led four thousand troops from Xuantu Commandery as reinforcements, and the rebels had no choice but to withdraw. The Grand Ancestor appointed Rong as Cavalry Major, giving him overall command of the army’s seven thousand cavalry. Imitating the battle of Yanling, they removed tents and leveled cooking stoves, formed the cavalry array within the camp, then pushed down the camp walls and charged straight into the enemy lines. The rebel Left Chancellor Yu Bi Liu led a host of ten thousand to meet them but broke at the first clash. The Han army pursued the routed troops straight into the rebel camp, then charged through the camp and fell upon the rear of the rebel host. Without resting day or night, they drove the rebels into a complete rout. The Grand Ancestor dispatched the entire army to pursue and behead over ten thousand of the enemy, from the Goguryeo Molidi Minglin Physician on down, all the way to their royal capital, the Five Maiden Mountain Fortress, which they took in a single assault, thus destroying Goguryeo. Because the kingdom’s able-bodied men were all lost and the old and young had no one to depend on, he relocated several hundred thousand of the remaining populace to Liaodong, Liaoxi, Xuantu, Changli, and Lelang commanderies to sustain them. When the army returned in triumph, the court received the news of victory with great joy. For this exceptional merit, the Grand Ancestor was enfeoffed as Marquis of Wulu Precinct and transferred to be Prefect of Handan in Zhao State. Wulu is the Wulu mountain; the precinct was a capital precinct, matching his given and courtesy names — people of the time praised this as fitting.

When the Grand Ancestor was Prefect of Handan, the renowned scholar of Henei, Xiang Xu, happened to be Chancellor of Zhao. Xu’s nature had always been eccentric and unconventional. Upon taking office, he scarcely looked at official documents, sitting day and night only upon his couch, sometimes whistling long, sometimes lying loftily, to the point that wormwood grew within his quarters. The Grand Ancestor entered to see him and spoke with him, but left after only three exchanges. His attendants thought it strange and asked him about it. The Grand Ancestor sighed and said, “Those who will cause the house of Han to lose the empire are all such hypocritical and deceitful men as this! How can one associate with them?” Though Xu was pedantic, he had long known of the Grand Ancestor’s ability, so he entrusted the Chancellor’s seal to him and spent his days in unending pure conversation with the Daoist of Great Peace, Wang Xian. Wang Xian, styled Minhong, was a man of Jinyang in Taiyuan, from a line of renowned clans. His bearing was majestic; he did not study Confucianism but was skilled at observing qi. At forty he studied the Dao, initially following Zhang Jiao, but after a long while he left. When asked, he said, “What Jiao transmits is specious, purely using deceit to fool people, not the true essence of Daoist purity and stillness. It certainly cannot last long.” Earlier, he had met the Grand Ancestor at a powerful house in Zhongshan. During the gathering, he fixed his gaze on the Grand Ancestor for a long time. The Grand Ancestor smiled and asked, “Sir, you are skilled at observing qi — can you see whether I can reach the rank of two thousand piculs?” Xian said, “In ten years you will certainly attain it.” He asked further, “And what after ten years?” Xian smiled but did not speak. The next day, Xian left a letter for the Grand Ancestor and departed. The letter said: “Your qi is crimson red, condensing into purple, surpassing all others in the gathering. Ten years hence, you shall soar straight up beyond the azure clouds, dwelling above the heavens and lashing the world within the four seas — that is all!” The Grand Ancestor did not believe it. He laughed, showed it to his attendants, and then discarded it. But the letter left his hand and ignited of its own accord, turning to ash and smoke in an instant. All his attendants were astonished.

The Gongcao Assistant of Zhao State, a man of the Shen clan, relying on the power of his lineage, had long acted lawlessly. The Grand Ancestor sent Wang Xiu to arrest and interrogate him. The Shen clansman actually built his own fortifications on the main street to resist. Xiu, leading only three riders, went straight through his gate, beheaded three of his sons, and then exterminated the entire clan. The powerful houses of Zhao State were terrified, and those who had usurped commandery posts vacated their positions one after another. The Grand Ancestor then held a banquet and invited them all; everyone attended in fear and trembling. When they arrived, the Grand Ancestor brought out the “Two-Year Plan,” making covenants on four matters: settling refugees, inspecting population and acreage, establishing public schools, and repairing waterworks. He further offered nominations as Filial and Incorrupt and public school degrees as rewards. The people were roused and swore an oath to follow. The Prince of Zhao, upon hearing of this, was moved and impressed, and offered a side hall as a library. The Grand Ancestor also heard that Cai Yong was stranded in Bingzhou and immediately sent men to invite him to serve as Libationer of the public school. The following year, the entire state was well governed. The Chief of Xiangguo County, Zhen Du, colluded with the Heishan bandits and plotted rebellion. The Grand Ancestor saw through it, captured and executed him at the Chancellor’s official residence, shaking Jizhou with fear. It happened that Liu Yan had just become Regional Commissioner and went incognito on a private tour to investigate the details. Arriving in Zhao State, he questioned rural elders and observed the administration. He sighed and said, “Observing the Prefect of Handan’s governance, it truly has the force of a dragon and tiger!” He then issued a proclamation to the nine commanderies to commend him. Earlier, when the Grand Ancestor traveled south, Lady Bian was already pregnant and had been left in Lingzhi. She later gave birth to a daughter, who became the Princess of Zhao State, Li. Empress Zhao heard of this and was both pleased and ashamed, so she sought for the Grand Ancestor a daughter of the Qin clan of Handan as a secondary consort — this was Lady Qin.

In the autumn of the second year of Guanghe, Zhao State had a great harvest. In winter, the Grand Ancestor mobilized the entire state’s populace to build the Xia embankment on the Gelu River. He personally carried stones alongside the state and county officials; none dared be idle. It was completed in two months, and Zhao State praised it. When Liu Yan heard the embankment was finished, he went in person to inspect it and encountered two assassins. Guan Yu, at that time a laborer, and the Provincial Attendant Lu Bu each grappled with one assassin barehanded, saving Yan, but left without accepting reward. The Grand Ancestor, upon hearing the news, traveled through the night to pursue him. Yu, moved by his sincerity, then acknowledged him as his lord. The Grand Ancestor took him by the hand and brought him back, drawing him into his inner circle. Yan, grateful for the Grand Ancestor’s virtue, submitted a memorial strongly recommending him. The court, deeming the Grand Ancestor’s governance exceedingly excellent and far surpassing his peers, appointed him Gentleman Consultant and transferred him to be Grand Administrator of Zhongshan. Empress Zhao’s father, Bao, through the mutual-avoidance law, entered the court as Superintendent of the Imperial Household.

The Grand Ancestor had always valued simplicity and frugality. His governance was strict and incorruptible. Serving as Grand Administrator of Zhongshan for three years, he greatly promoted culture and education, establishing a public school in Lunu just as he had in Handan. The commandery was peaceful and well-ordered; many refugees came and were all settled. However, in his administration, he often issued urgent orders, and his attendants remonstrated with him. The Grand Ancestor then said, “The world is growing dull and sluggish; the scholars and common people are as if in a boiling cauldron. When I observe this, it is as if I myself am in the cauldron — how can I not be urgent?” Worried that the realm would not be peaceful, he mobilized the able-bodied young men of the commandery, selecting one in fifteen, and obtained five to six thousand men, drilling them every agricultural off-season.

In the tenth month of the third year of Guanghe, Emperor Taizong Ren was born — the Grand Ancestor’s eldest son, his birth mother being Empress Zhao. In the fourth year, Prince Liang Kang was born, his birth mother being Lady Feng. Princess Zhen of Zhongshan was born, her birth mother being Lady Qin.

In the winter of the sixth year of Guanghe, the Grand Ancestor’s three-year term expired. His performance evaluation was superior, and he was transferred to be Grand Administrator of Zhuo Commandery. The powerful houses of Zhuo Commandery were known throughout the realm for their boundless extravagance. When they learned the Grand Ancestor was coming, the powerful houses were all terrified; evildoers fled and hid, sneaking into other commanderies. The Grand Ancestor arrived swiftly and encountered them on the roadside. He sternly rebuked them: “You lot — will you be safe just by entering another commandery?” The powerful and cunning, knowing his divine might, were all terrified and each returned to the commandery, then crawled on their knees to beg forgiveness. The entire commandery was thus pacified. The Inspector of You Province, Guo Xun, had long wished to crack down on the itinerant merchants of Fanyang but feared the previous Administrator would protect them, and the matter involved the Lu clan in many ways. He had waited until the previous Administrator had left and the Grand Ancestor had not yet arrived, intending to proceed gradually. Before the matter was prepared, the Grand Ancestor had already reached Fanyu Precinct. Xun grew extremely anxious, mistakenly thinking the Grand Ancestor would side with the Lu clan, so he visited Fanyu at night, intending to force him to halt. The Grand Ancestor, upon hearing this, was furious and said to Xun, “Regional Commissioner, just sit at ease. I myself will handle this with integrity!” He then took Lou Gui and others and rode through the night to Fanyang. By the time Xun caught up, the cunning merchants and wandering knights had all been swept clean. He also helped Xun arrest Lu Zhi’s eldest son, subjected him to the punishment of head-shaving, and confiscated his family property and retainers. Someone advised, “How can a disciple break his teacher’s household?” The Grand Ancestor sternly said, “The teacher is to be respected, but the law is even more to be respected!” Xun bowed in admiration. From then on, the province and commandery were in harmony, united in purpose.

In the first month of the seventh year of Guanghe, the Grand Ancestor perceived that Zhang Jiao was about to stir rebellion. He requisitioned grain, fodder, and military supplies, recruited wandering knights, reorganized the commandery troops, and secretly made preparations. Liu Bei, bringing Zhang Fei and Jian Yong, came to join him. The Grand Ancestor was overjoyed. In the second month, Zhang Jiao indeed revolted, rallying the four directions with the cry, “The Azure Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall be established!” Within ten days, across the seven provinces of You, Ji, Yan, Yu, Qing, Xu, and Jing, thirty-six divisions rose simultaneously. Thirty thousand Guangyang Yellow Turbans besieged Zhuo City. The Grand Ancestor, seeing the enemy arrive beneath the walls and set up camp, led Gongsun Yue, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Qian Zhao, Zhang Fei, Wei Yue, Lou Gui — twenty riders in all — out of the city, cut through the enemy camp, and returned. The enemy could not harm them. When they entered the city gate, the commanders all boasted endlessly of their kills, but the Grand Ancestor alone said nothing. When the commanders fell silent, the Grand Ancestor slowly said, “I have already found the strategy to defeat the enemy. They will be destroyed in five days.” The commanders were all astonished. The Grand Ancestor then dispatched Guan Yu and the others, each with several dozen riders, to charge and break through the Yellow Turban formations, sometimes three or four times a day, each time beheading enemies and returning. After several days of continuous fighting, the Yellow Turbans gradually grew weary. The Grand Ancestor, perceiving their exhaustion, had Zhang Fei lead twenty riders to lure the enemy. The rebels sent out over a thousand cavalry to block him. Fei charged back and forth as if entering an empty field, and the enemy could not restrain him. The Grand Ancestor, observing their formation scatter and judging their morale spent, unleashed three hundred White Horse Volunteers to strike the enemy cavalry from the flank. The thousand enemy cavalry were all destroyed in a single moment. The rebel commander Cheng Yuanzhi had no choice but to drive the rebel masses to swarm the city walls. The Grand Ancestor delegated matters to his commanders, returned home, and lay loftily upon his couch, reading a book without pause. Lady Qin was at his side and asked, “How goes the battle on the walls?” He replied, “The youngsters will certainly rout the rebels.” His expression and demeanor were no different from usual. The next day, the enemy was exhausted in strength and spirit. The Grand Ancestor then sent the entire army out of the city to strike them, breaking them in a single assault and capturing over eight thousand. Yuanzhi tried to flee to Guangyang, but the Grand Ancestor had already sent light troops to cut off the road. Yuanzhi had no choice but to take his remaining troops south to Fanyang, hoping to join Zhang Bao, but was pursued and beheaded on the road by Guan Yu. The rebel forces scattered in rout, crashing through Bao’s northern camp, which the Grand Ancestor seized in the confusion. Bao launched a night raid on the Grand Ancestor’s camp, but the Grand Ancestor saw through it and instead seized his western camp. Bao, realizing he could do nothing, fled under cover of darkness. The Grand Ancestor sent commanders to recover Guangyang and Yuyang, and You Province was thus pacified.

Xun, knowing the Grand Ancestor had come to his rescue, descended the city walls at night to see him and asked for his strategy. The Grand Ancestor replied, “I am but a common man of the Yan lands, yet since I came of age I have received the state’s favor. Now the Yellow Turbans have risen suddenly, and the realm is shaken. Though I am untalented, I wish to lead three thousand soldiers of You and Yan south to the River Luo to stabilize the altars of state. If I incur blame for this, how would I be failing the people of the world?!” Xun, stirred by his words, rose and bowed, jointly signing a memorial with him. The court praised this and issued an edict for the Grand Ancestor to lead three thousand cavalry and enter Luoyang to discuss affairs. The Grand Ancestor then rigorously selected two thousand shock cavalry from Shanggu and Dai commanderies and one thousand iron cavalry from Yuyang, along with the White Horse Volunteers and Lou Gui, Han Dang, Zhang Fei, and others, and galloped swiftly south. Within ten days they reached Mengjin and destroyed the forces of the rebel commander Ma Yuanyi, bringing a momentary calm to Luoyang. He Jin, then Grand General, had long known of the Grand Ancestor’s ability and strongly recommended him. Emperor Ling then appointed the Grand Ancestor as General of the Household of All Purposes, with Cavalry Commandant Cao Cao as his deputy, and ordered him to march to Dong Commandery to suppress the rebel commander Bu Ji. The Grand Ancestor, knowing that Dong Zhao, the Prefect of Bairen, possessed strategic acumen, summoned him as Protector Army Major, and urgently summoned Cheng Pu and others. Before they arrived, the rebels had already broken Qinghe to the north and struck at Huan Pass to the west, shaking Luoyang. The Grand Ancestor, with seven thousand cavalry of You, Yan, and Sanhe, swore a blood oath, saying: “We shall not abandon a single man on the field of battle, nor leave a single bone in a foreign land.” He then rushed out to Baima and ordered Guan Yu to take it by surprise, terrifying the rebel forces.

The Grand Ancestor heard that in Jiyin there was a scholar named Li Jin, well-versed in the classics, and traveled through the night to recruit him. Jin, moved by his profound virtue and seeing the Grand Ancestor’s tireless efforts in capturing cities, generously raised his entire clan to assist. His clan soldiers numbered three thousand, all fathers, sons, and brothers, tough and enduring, vying to be first in every battle. The Grand Ancestor immediately made them his vanguard. Within a month, they crossed the Great River three times, took Weixiang, captured Dunqiu, subdued Xiancheng, and conquered Dong’e. The rebel forces in Dong Commandery scattered at the mere rumor of his approach, gathering in the two cities of Puyang and Dongwuyang, each with over twenty thousand men. The Grand Ancestor then paraded his troops beneath the walls of Puyang, falsely claiming he would attack Dongwuyang and, after taking it, would go to aid Hebei and cut off Zhang Jiao’s rear. Bu Ji, hearing this, led his entire army across the river to reinforce. Just then, Cheng Pu and Gao Shun arrived with their troops. The Grand Ancestor ordered them to block the rebels at Dongwuyang while he personally led the cavalry to first strike and defeat Bu Ji’s army, then joined forces with them to strike and defeat the Dongwuyang rebel army, driving them back together with Bu Ji’s forces to the river. Over ten thousand rebels surrendered; the rest, from Bu Ji on down, all drowned themselves in the river. Dong Commandery was thus pacified.

Zhao Zhong, hearing that the Grand Ancestor had pacified Dong Commandery, thought his spoils must be plentiful and sent a retainer to demand bribes. The Grand Ancestor had the man flogged to death and sent his servant back with a single coin, telling Zhong: “This is for you to buy your life with someday!” Zhong hated him bitterly but could do nothing in the end. The Grand Ancestor distributed grain, money, and silk to the people and soldiers of Dong Commandery. He also selected the able-bodied young men from the surrendered troops, obtaining over ten thousand, bringing his total force to twenty thousand. He marched out to Changshe in Yingchuan to attack the rebel commander Bo Cai.

Bo Cai’s army was quite large, over a hundred thousand strong, and he possessed military strategy. The General of the Household of the Right, Huangfu Song, and the General of the Household of the Left, Zhu Jun, led the Han army in several engagements but could not gain the advantage and were besieged in Changshe. They craned their necks looking for relief, startled at every dawn and dusk. The Grand Ancestor halted at the Wei River without crossing, lulling the rebels into complacency, while secretly arranging with Song and Jun to attack with fire. When an east wind rose at night, he secretly crossed the Wei River, set fires downwind, and in a single evening destroyed the rebels. Song and Jun were just discussing pursuit when they heard that the Grand Ancestor had already sent Shen Pei ahead to seize Yangzhai, and that Liu Bei had captured and beheaded Bo Cai. They sighed in admiration. They also heard that the Grand Ancestor had gone straight into Changshe and entrusted his entire army to Jun, thus passing the credit to him and redeeming his earlier failures, which made them even more grateful. Zhong Yao of Changshe, a renowned scholar of the time, met the Grand Ancestor and was won over at heart, saying, “This is truly my lord!” However, being trapped by the Proscription of Partisans, he recommended Zao Zhi and Xi Zhong as staff officers, and the Grand Ancestor recruited them.

In the sixth month, the court, in recognition of merit, promoted the Grand Ancestor to Marquis of Liangxiang, Huangfu Song to Marquis of Duxiang, and Zhu Jun to Marquis of Xixiang. An edict dismissed Guo Xun as Deputy General of Hebei and placed the Grand Ancestor in command of the northern front of Jizhou to suppress Zhang Bao. The Grand Ancestor assigned his infantry to Cao Cao to assist Lu Zhi, while he himself led ten thousand cavalry out from Handan to approach Xiaquyang. The officers under his command — Colonel of the Wuhuan Escort, Zong Yuan; Grand Administrator of Julu, Guo Dian; Chancellor of Changshan, Feng Xin; Grand Administrator of Zhongshan, Zhang Chun; and others — upon hearing of the Grand Ancestor’s arrival, all solemnly reorganized their troops, knowing a great battle was at hand. Three days after the Grand Ancestor reached the army, he combined seventy thousand troops and forcibly crossed the Hutuo River to attack Xiaquyang. At that time, Zhang Bao’s army numbered one hundred thousand, all arrayed with their backs to the city and facing the river, intending to strike while the Han army was mid-crossing. Bao himself occupied an earthen hill to observe. The Grand Ancestor first ordered Gongsun Yue to supervise ten thousand cavalry in crossing the river by a detour, then ordered Dian and Chun to force a crossing on both wings and set up ramparts, drawing the rebels to attack. He had Zhang He lead several hundred Great Halberdiers to cross first, while he himself led the White Horse Volunteers closely behind, fiercely attacking Bao’s main formation. The rebels swarmed to attack, but the Grand Ancestor acted as if he did not see them, advancing his insignia forward three times. The Han army, seeing this, all fought with reckless abandon unto death. Chun fell in the midst of the battle. He’s unit suffered near-total casualties; he alone reached the front of Bao’s formation, hurled his spear and killed the deputy commander. Bao fled in terror, and the rebel army scattered in rout. Yue struck from the rear, destroying over eighty thousand rebels; fewer than twenty thousand escaped back. Dong Zhao, Xi Zhong, Feng Xin, and others watched the battle from across the river, their spirits carried away. The Grand Ancestor advanced and besieged the city. Judging that Bao could do nothing, he set up encircling ramparts and walls but did not attack. He further allowed the troops to play cuju for amusement, while simultaneously reorganizing the camp units, weeding out the weak and selecting the best, and again picking the bravest soldiers to fill the White Horse Volunteers. After over a month, internal strife broke out among the rebels. Bao immolated himself, and Xiaquyang was thus recovered.

Previously, the Hebei Regional Commander Dong Zhuo had besieged Zhang Jiao at Guangzong but could not take it for a long time. For his delay and missed opportunities, he was sent to Luoyang in a prison cart. An edict ordered Huangfu Song to replace him. By the time Song arrived, Jiao had died of illness, and Guangzong was wavering. Song seized the chance to launch an attack and heavily defeated Jiao’s younger brother, Liang. After the Grand Ancestor had taken Xiaquyang, he joined forces with Song to further besiege Guangzong. Liang grew even more terrified, so he secretly mustered his troops at night and galloped toward Julu Marsh. The Grand Ancestor and Song immediately dispatched troops: infantry to break the city, and cavalry to cut off Liang at the Zhang River. They fought until late afternoon, each achieving a great victory. Liang was beheaded. Jiao’s coffin was opened, his corpse mutilated, and his head sent to the capital. At Guangzong, over thirty thousand heads were taken, and some fifty thousand drowned in the river. The realm was thus pacified. The Grand Ancestor was appointed Grand Master of the Palace and entered Luoyang to discuss rewards.

In the tenth month, the Grand Ancestor was appointed General of the Guard, acting as Grand Administrator of Henei, enfeoffed as Marquis of Ji, granted the privilege of Special Advancement, with a fief of six Battalion Commander.

(End of Chapter)