Han Ji

On the ninth day of the first month of the eighth year of Xingping in 200 AD, in Ye City.

Before dawn, the charcoal fire in the governor's mansion was already burning brightly. Two rows of tables were set up in the main hall, one for civil officials and one for military officers. The civil officials were Ju Shou, Tian Feng, Shen Pei, Feng Ji, and Guo Tu. The military officers were Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Zhang He, and Gao Lan. Everyone was present, not a single one missing.

Yuan Shao emerged from the inner hall. He wore a brocade robe over leather armor, with a sword at his waist. His hair was neatly combed, and his beard was sleekly trimmed. He walked to the main seat, but did not sit; he stood.

"Gentlemen," Yuan Shao's voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the hall heard him clearly, "I said last year that we should attack Liu Bei. Now the time has come."

No one in the hall spoke.

"Liyang has 400,000 shi of grain stored up." Yuan Shao held up one finger. "Three hundred ships. The navy has been training for half a year. Three hundred siege ladders, one hundred battering rams, and fifty catapults. Siege equipment fills the warehouses of Liyang. Troops from the four provinces have been assembled, plus newly recruited soldiers, totaling two hundred thousand."

Ju Shou stood up, walked to the center of the hall, and bowed in greeting.

"My lord, the troops and provisions are indeed ready. But I must say something. Liu Bei occupies Hulao Pass and Hangu Pass, which are easy to defend and difficult to attack. He has 70,000 to 80,000 troops, generals Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Ma Chao, and strategists Xun Yu and Jia Xu. If you attack him, he will definitely defend to the death. It will be a stalemate that will not last overnight."

Yuan Shao looked at him. "Supervisor Ju, you said the same thing last year. I said it again, we must fight. Whether we're old friends or bound by justice doesn't matter. If he's blocking my way, he must be eliminated."

Tian Feng also stood up. "My lord, Ju Shou is right. Two hundred thousand soldiers, how much grain and fodder will they consume every day? Transporting grain from Hebei across the Yellow River is a long journey with heavy losses. If we hold out for half a year, our grain and fodder will become scarce."

"It would be better to attack Cao Cao first. Cao Cao is nearby in Yanzhou, with no more than 30,000 to 50,000 troops. Destroying Cao Cao first, taking his territory, and then turning back to attack Liu Bei would be much safer."

Yuan Shao turned to look at Tian Feng. "Tian Feng, do you think I can't defeat Liu Bei? Cao Cao is nearby, so it's easy to take him. Liu Bei is far away, so it's difficult to take him. So I should choose the easier one to attack?"

Tian Feng lowered his head. "My lord, that's not what I meant. I just felt it was safer to start with the easier tasks first and then move on to the more difficult ones."

"Stability," Yuan Shao said. "We've been stable for over a decade. From Luoyang to Hebei, and from Hebei to the four provinces, I, Yuan Shao, have secured our current territory by maintaining stability. But stability alone cannot guarantee the conquest of the entire country. If we continue to maintain stability, Liu Bei will seize the whole country."

Shen Pei stood up. "My lord is right. Liu Bei has occupied Yizhou, Liangzhou, Yongzhou, Sizhou, and Yuzhou. They are all connected, with a population of several million, well-trained soldiers, and ample provisions. He has become a major threat. Last year we did not act against him to prepare for the future. If we do not act against him this year, and he grows even stronger, we will be unable to act against him."

Guo Tu also stood up. "My lord, I second that suggestion. Let's attack Liu Bei first and settle things in one battle. As for Cao Cao, send an envoy to appease him and tell him not to interfere, just watch from the sidelines."

Yuan Shao said, "Alright. Send someone to Xuchang to make things clear with Cao Cao. Tell him that I'm attacking Liu Bei, and he shouldn't make any moves. If he does, we'll attack him too."

Feng Ji stood up. "My lord, we have made contact with the Wuhuan. Chanyu Tadun has agreed to send 10,000 cavalry south from Bingzhou to contain Liu Bei's western front. His conditions are salt, iron, cloth, and grain. I have calculated that they require 10,000 shi of salt, 50,000 jin of iron, 10,000 bolts of cloth, and 50,000 shi of grain."

Yuan Shao nodded. "Give it to me. Allocate the funds from the treasury. Have Tadun attack from Bingzhou to contain Ma Chao."

Ju Shou stood there, saying nothing more. Tian Feng also fell silent.

Yuan Shao walked to the map. The map covered an entire wall, stretching from the Yellow River to the borderlands, from the Taihang Mountains to the sea. He placed his hand on the location of Liyang.

"The route of advance. The main force will cross the Yellow River at Liyang and attack Baima. Baima is the gateway to Dongjun. If we take it, the flank of Hulao Pass will be exposed. Then the main force will advance to Guandu and put pressure on Hulao Pass from the front."

Yan Liang stood up and knelt in the middle of the hall. "My lord, Yan Liang is willing to be the vanguard. I will lead ten thousand elite troops to cross the Yellow River first and capture Baima."

Wen Chou also knelt down. "Wen Chou is willing to lead five thousand cavalry as reinforcements."

Yuan Shao looked at them. "Good. Yan Liang will lead the vanguard of 10,000, and Wen Chou will lead the rear guard of 5,000 cavalry. The rest of the troops will cross the river with the main force. Ju Shou and Guo Tu will serve as military supervisors. Shen Pei will oversee the transport of provisions. Feng Ji will be in charge of the defense of Ye City. Zhang He and Gao Lan will each lead their own troops."

The generals responded in unison.

"When to deploy the troops," Yuan Shao said, "Depart from Ye City on the eighteenth day of the first month. Arrive at Liyang before the first day of the second month. Cross the Yellow River before the fifth day of the second month."

Ju Shou raised his head. "My lord, it's early February, and the river is still cold. It's not easy for the soldiers to swim across, and if they fall in, they'll freeze to death."

Yuan Shao said, "We have boats. Whether the river is cold or not is not your concern. What you should be concerned about is how to fight once we reach the south bank."

Ju Shou fell silent.

Yuan Shao raised his wine bowl high. "I, Yuan Shao, will today send out troops to destroy Liu Bei and pacify the world."

All the generals knelt down. "We are willing to follow our lord!"

The charcoal fire in the hall burned even brighter, and sparks flew to the ground with a hissing sound.

The meeting adjourned. The generals emerged from the governor's mansion, mounted their horses, and the hooves clattered on the cobblestones. People were already gathering in the drill ground, and messengers rode their horses all over the city, calling out the unit numbers of each battalion and unit.

The craftsmen loaded the last batch of ladders onto the oxcart and tied them tightly with hemp rope. The ladders were freshly made; the wood was still new, and you could smell the resin.

The crashes were even bigger; it took twenty people to lift one of them. The front of the vehicle was covered with sheet metal, which reflected the sunlight. The catapults were disassembled into parts and loaded onto more than a dozen oxcarts, the carts creaking under the weight.

Changan.

Li Shun's men rushed back from Ye City, changing horses six times over seven days. Upon entering Chang'an, they went straight to the General's Mansion, covered in mud and dust. He knelt on one knee, holding up an urgent report.

"My lord, Yuan Shao has launched an attack. His vanguard, led by Yan Liang, consists of 10,000 soldiers and is heading towards Baima."

Liu Bei was in his study reviewing the accounts of the military farms. He paused, then put down the bamboo slips.

"Yuan Shao has really come."

He stood up and walked to the window. Outside, the snow in Chang'an was melting, and water dripped from the eaves, pattering onto the bluestone slabs.

"Send word to summon Wenruo, Wenhe, Xianhe, and Zijing."

A quarter of an hour later, all four arrived. Xun Yu walked in first, wearing a thick robe and a leather hat. Jia Xu followed behind, his hands tucked into his sleeves. Jian Yong entered carrying an account book, a pen tucked behind his ear. Qian Zhao entered from outside, bringing a gust of cold wind with him; the short sword at his waist struck the doorframe with a clang.

Liu Bei sat in the main seat and placed the urgent report on the table.

"Yuan Shao has already dispatched troops, with 10,000 vanguard under Yan Liang. Their target is Baima."

Xun Yu picked up the urgent report, read it, and handed it to Jia Xu. Jia Xu read it and placed it on the table.

Jia Xu spoke first. "My lord, Yuan Shao has been preparing for more than half a year. He has all the provisions, ships, and siege equipment, and his troops are trained. He is determined to fight this battle."

Liu Bei said, "I know. The question now is not why he wants to attack, but how we will defend ourselves when he attacks."

Xun Yu said, "My lord, Yuan Shao crossed the river at Liyang and attacked Baima. Baima is the gateway to Dongjun. If Baima falls, the flank of Hulao Pass will be exposed. He can then bypass Hulao Pass and outflank us from the side. Therefore, Baima must be defended and cannot be taken easily by him."

Liu Bei stood up and walked to the map. The map hung on the wall, clearly marking the mountains, rivers, and cities from Guanzhong to Hebei. He pointed to the location of the white horse.