Han Ji

Mid-September. Yuan Shao's main tent.

Shen Pei stood before the table, holding a grain ledger in his hand. Yuan Shao sat behind the table, having just finished a bowl of wine, which remained on the table, the murky wine at the bottom shimmering.

"My lord, the granaries at Liyang Ferry are already full. There's nowhere to put the newly arrived 300,000 shi (a unit of dry measure)," Shen Pei said.

Yuan Shao said, "Then move the supplies forward."

Shen Pei said, "Moving forward requires a grain storage point. It's over a hundred li from Liyang to Guandu, and there are no large granaries in between. The grain carts are running back and forth every day, and the losses are too great."

Yuan Shao stood up and walked to the map. He traced a line between Liyang and Guandu with his finger, stopping at a spot. "Here. Wuchao."

Ju Shou stepped forward. Wuchao was located forty li northwest of Guandu, not far from the Yellow River. The terrain was flat, with large open spaces suitable for storing grain. However, there were no existing fortifications around Wuchao, so they needed to be rebuilt.

"My lord, Wuchao can be used to store grain, but it needs to be heavily guarded. It is forty li from Guandu and only a dozen li from the Yellow River crossing. If Liu Bei sends a surprise force to cross the river, Wuchao will be too easy to attack."

Yuan Shao asked, "Who should we send to guard this place?"

Ju Shou said, "Send Zhang He. He's a reliable general and suitable for guarding the granaries."

Yuan Shao didn't speak. He turned and glanced at Chunyu Qiong, who was standing in the corner.

Chunyu Qiong was an old subordinate of Yuan Shao, having followed him for over a decade. He followed him all the way from Luoyang to Hebei, from Bohai to Yecheng. He was older than Yan Liang and Wen Chou, and the skin on his face had begun to sag, but his shoulders and back were still quite broad.

"Zhongjian," Yuan Shao called him by his courtesy name.

Chunyu Qiong stepped forward and clasped his hands in greeting. "Your subordinate is here."

Yuan Shao said, "Go and guard Wuchao. I'll give you ten thousand men."

Chunyu Qiong said, "This subordinate obeys the order."

Ju Shou frowned. "My lord, although General Chunyu is experienced, Wuchao is crucial to the army's food supply. Ten thousand men may not be enough. Liu Bei has the Qianzhao Special Forces Battalion, which is swift and swift. Why not allocate another five thousand elite troops to Zhang He, so that he can guard Wuchao together with General Chunyu?"

Yuan Shao turned to look at Ju Shou. "Chunyu Qiong has been with me for over ten years without a single mistake. He can handle this. Zhang He will remain in the front camp to guard against Liu Bei's charge."

Ju Shou was about to speak again when Shen Pei interjected, "Supervisor Ju, General Chunyu is a veteran general; he can hold the granary. The front camp is currently short-handed, and Liu Bei's Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun are all present. Having one more soldier in the front camp is more important than having one more soldier in the rear camp."

Ju Shou remained silent. He took a step back and returned to his position. Tian Feng glanced at him from the side, and the two exchanged a look, but neither spoke.

Chunyu Qiong led 10,000 men to Wuchao that day.

Wuchao was a small place, with a few dozen households and rows of mud houses. The villagers had all fled long ago, not even a dog remained. When Chunyu Qiong arrived, it was almost dark, and the setting sun bathed the mud houses in a yellowish-red hue.

The lieutenant rode beside him on horseback. "General, Inspector Ju says he wants to build fortifications. How should they be done?"

Chunyu Qiong surveyed the surrounding terrain. To the north of Wuchao was the Yellow River, to the south was the official road, and to the east and west were open fields with little cover. He pointed his riding whip to the west.

"Set up camp on the high ground over there. Unload the supply wagons in the middle of the camp, surround them with tents, dig a trench, and erect a fence. That's enough."

The lieutenant asked, "Should we repair the arrow tower again?"

Chunyu Qiong said, "Why build an arrow tower? This is the rear, forty li from Guandu. Liu Bei's troops are on the south bank, across the Yellow River. Do you think he can fly over here?"

So they began setting up camp. The 10,000 men were divided into two groups: some unloaded grain carts, and others dug trenches. The grain carts formed a long line and were pulled all the way from Liyang Ferry to Wuchao. The carts were loaded with grain, wheat, dried meat, and fodder. The fodder was piled up the highest, forming small mountains.

The trench took two days to dig. It wasn't very deep, only ten feet wide and ten feet deep. The fence was made from willow trees cut down on the spot; willow wood is soft, easy to cut, but also prone to rotting. The fence was only driven two feet into the ground. In some places, the fence was already swaying in the wind.

Chunyu Qiong's main tent was set up in the very center of the camp. Felt blankets were laid inside, and wine jugs and dried meat were placed on the table. Every night he would drink several bowls of wine, then fall asleep immediately. When his deputy returned from night patrol, his snoring could be heard even through the tent flap.

Ju Shou came once. He rode around on horseback, looking at the moat, the fence, and the haystacks. He looked unwell.

"The trenches were too shallow. The palisades were too shallow. Liu Bei's cavalry could have easily broken through them with a single charge. The hay piled up next to the tents was burned to ashes."

Chunyu Qiong stood to the side, his face expressionless. "Supervisor Ju, this is the rear. Liu Bei can't break through."

Ju Shou said, "What if they attack?"

Chunyu Qiong said, "If they attack, I will defend. Ten thousand men can hold them off."

Ju Shou returned to the main camp and went directly into Yuan Shao's tent. Yuan Shao was playing chess with Shen Pei. The black and white pieces on the chessboard were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle.

"My lord, the defenses of Wuchao are weak. The moats are too shallow, the fences are flimsy, and the fodder and granaries are piled together. Chunyu Qiong also drinks every day. I request that Zhang He be transferred to Wuchao, or at least three thousand elite troops be sent in addition."

Yuan Shao looked up at him. "Supervisor Ju, you're always worrying about this and that. Liu Bei is pressing down on us at the front, and men are dying in the vanguard every day. Instead of keeping an eye on the vanguard's defenses, why are you running around to Wuchao all the time?"

Ju Shou said, "Wuchao is now the army's food supply. If Wuchao is burned, the 100,000-strong army will have to scatter."

Yuan Shao put down his white chess piece with a snap. "Chunyu Qiong has been with me for over ten years and has never made a mistake. If you think he's incompetent, why don't you replace him?"

Ju Shou was stunned.

Shen Pei continued, "Supervisor Ju, what the lord says makes sense. The front camp is fighting fiercely, and Zhang He's elite troops should remain there. Wuchao is the rear, and Liu Bei's troops are on the south bank of the Yellow River. Even if we want to attack Wuchao, we'll have to cross the Yellow River first. We have checkpoints at the ferry crossing; how will Liu Bei's troops cross the river?"

Ju Shou said, "Not all crossings on the Yellow River have checkpoints."

Shen Pei said, "Then send out more patrol teams."

Yuan Shao waved his hand. "Alright. Let's not talk about Wuchao anymore. Shen Pei, send more scouts to patrol along the river. Ju Shou, go to the front camp and keep watch."

Ju Shou stepped out of the main tent and stood at the entrance, the wind billowing his robes. He looked up at the sky, which was overcast. Tian Feng approached from behind.

"The lord won't listen to you?"

Ju Shou said, "I won't listen."

Tian Feng said, "Chunyu Qiong is the kind of person who makes mistakes when he drinks."

Ju Shou said, "I know."

The two stood there for a while without saying anything more.

October

On the south bank, Liu Bei's camp.

Qian Zhao returned from outside, his boots covered in mud. He entered the main tent, took out a piece of parchment from his bosom, and spread it on the table. On the parchment, a simple diagram was drawn with charcoal: the location of the Yellow River ferry, Wuchao, the granary, the direction of the fence, and the approximate number of guards.

"Brother, you're truly a prophet! The information you asked me to keep an eye on regarding Wuchao and Chunyu Yue has indeed yielded results," Qian Zhao said, pointing to the map. "Wuchao, Yuan Shao's entire grain supply is stored here. The commander is Chunyu Qiong, and the force is approximately ten thousand men."