Han Ji

December. Juancheng.

Cao Cao had just returned to Juancheng from Qingzhou. He had lost some weight, and his cheekbones were more prominent. The incorporation of most of Qingzhou had gone more smoothly than he had anticipated. Yuan Shao's old troops in Qingzhou hadn't recovered after the Battle of Guandu, and Xiahou Dun had pushed eastward, capturing Pingyuan and Jinan. Now, only the remnants of Yuan Shao's forces remained in Le'an and Beihai in Qingzhou, offering resistance, but this no longer affected the overall situation.

He stood in the study of the governor's mansion, a newly drawn map hanging on the wall. Most of Qingzhou was already marked with the character "Cao". But looking west, the core area of ​​Jizhou, Wei Commandery, Zhao Commandery, and Julu, had already been captured by Liu Bei. Liu Bei had occupied Ye City.

Cheng Yu entered from outside, carrying a scout's report. "My lord, Ye City has fallen. Yuan Shang has fled north to Zhongshan, and Yuan Tan has declared himself Governor of Ji Province in Bohai. Liu Bei has occupied the heart of Ji Province and is currently pacifying the various counties."

Cao Cao took the report, read it, and placed it on the table. "Liu Bei is faster than me. He defeated Yuan Shao at Guandu and has now gained the upper hand in Hebei."

Cheng Yu said, "Pingyuan Commandery is in our hands. If we can take this opportunity to move westward, at least to capture Yangping and the eastern part of Wei Commandery, then we can establish the Zhang River as the border with Liu Bei."

Xun You said, "My lord, Liu Bei has just captured Ye City, and his morale is high. It would be too costly to confront him head-on now. It would be better to send an envoy to Ye City first, to congratulate him on the recapture of Ye City in the name of the imperial court, and at the same time to find out his next move."

Cao Cao said, "He won't believe me. But I'll send an envoy and see what he has to say."

Cao Cao's envoy departed from Juancheng, carrying over a dozen cartloads of gifts: Shu brocade, gold, jade discs, and a personal letter from Cao Cao. The letter addressed Liu Bei as Chancellor, praising his recapture of Ye City and his unparalleled achievements. It stated that in the remaining situation in Hebei, Yuan Shang was in Zhongshan and Yuan Tan in Bohai, and that if Chancellor wished to cooperate, Cao Cao was willing to hunt in Hebei with him.

The envoy arrived in Ye City at the end of December. The heavy snow had just stopped, and a layer of ice had formed on the official road.

The day the envoy entered Ye City was very cold. The guards at the city gate checked his travel documents and let him in. The snow on the streets had been swept away and piled up on the roadside, forming dusty, icy heaps. A row of personal guards, clad in armor and carrying swords, stood at the entrance of the governor's mansion.

Liu Bei received the envoy in the main hall. He sat in the main seat, wearing a blue robe but no crown. Jia Xu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Jian Yong stood beside him.

The messenger knelt down, performed a grand salute, and presented Cao Cao's letter with both hands. Liu Bei took the letter, opened it, read it once, and placed it on the table.

"In his letter, Cao Cao said he would help me conquer Hebei."

The messenger's voice was very respectful. "Prime Minister, Lord Cao's intentions are good. Yuan Shang is in Zhongshan, and Yuan Tan is in Bohai; Hebei is not yet fully pacified. Lord Cao has elite troops in Qingzhou and is willing to lend a helping hand."

Liu Bei's voice was calm. "Hebei is the land of the Han Dynasty. I will reclaim it on behalf of the Emperor; there is no need for Cao Cao to trouble himself."

The messenger said, "Prime Minister, Lord Cao is merely..."

Liu Bei interrupted him. "Please tell Cao Cao for me: I will handle the affairs of the Han Dynasty myself. Cao Cao should stay in Qingzhou and guard the city well. He need not worry about the affairs of Hebei."

Before the envoy could say anything more, Liu Bei had already stood up. He tapped his finger on the corner of the table. "The envoy has come a long way and must be tired. Please have a feast. You may leave."

The envoy was led away. That evening, Jia Xu and Liu Bei sat facing each other in the study.

"It's good that he knows. If he thinks we don't have enough troops, he'll stay in Pingyuan County for a few more days. By the time he realizes what's happening, we'll have already taken Zhongshan."

The snow started falling again outside the window. The hills north of Ye City were only visible as undulating outlines in the night. On Zhongshan Mountain beyond, lanterns were still lit; someone was waiting for the Wuhuan cavalry. But the Wuhuan wouldn't come.

October of the tenth year of Xingping. Bohai Commandery, Xindu.

Yuan Tan stood on the city wall of Xindu, gazing at the western horizon. Liu Bei had already captured Ye City, and the core of Ji Province was now under his control. Yuan Shang was in Zhongshan, with less than two thousand remnants of his army. Yuan Tan himself occupied Bohai and southern Hejian, with five or six thousand soldiers; his territory was not small, but his foundation was unstable.

He brought with him the dozens of personal guards when he escaped from Cangting, and along the way he gathered some defeated soldiers, plus the two thousand men given to him by the Bohai Prefect, and put together this force.

The group consisted of all sorts of people: veterans of the Yuan family, private soldiers of local powerful families, defeated soldiers who had fled from Ye City, and some scattered soldiers who had come to join after hearing of Yuan Tan's banner. These men were of varying fighting abilities; some had fought at Guandu, while others could barely hold a sword.

Guo Tu stood beside him. Guo Tu had been captured once in Cangting, but escaped during the chaos of Yuan Tan and Shen Pei's attack on Huoshen, and later found Yuan Tan in Hejian. He was thinner than before, with prominent cheekbones and brighter eyes.

"Young Master, this number is insufficient. Liu Bei has fifty to sixty thousand soldiers in Ye City, and Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Zhang He are all formidable warriors. With our numbers, he could wipe us out in a single charge."

Yuan Tan said, "I know it's not enough. That's why we need to expand our army."

He set up a recruitment office outside Xindu City. Recruitment notices were posted everywhere, which read: "Young Master Yuan is recruiting righteous men to recover Hebei and drive out the traitor Liu. Soldiers will be provided with food and lodging, and will receive two shi of grain per month."

Many people came to apply. It wasn't because they were loyal to Yuan Tan, but because after two years of fighting, the land was barren and their homes were gone. At least joining the army would give them food to eat.

There was a long queue at the recruitment office, with teenagers as young as seventeen or eighteen, veterans in their forties or fifties, and refugees with their families who had settled their wives and children in refugee camps before coming to register.

Guo Tu had a soup kitchen set up next to the recruitment office, and those who came to register were given a bowl of soup first. The soup was thick, with a few more grains of rice than the thin soup that ordinary people ate.

By mid-November, Yuan Tan's army had grown to over ten thousand. He divided these men into three battalions, each with more than three thousand men. Veteran soldiers trained new recruits, the veterans scolding the new recruits for being stupid, but the new recruits gritted their teeth and trained alongside them. Lacking sufficient armor, they wove bamboo strips into protective armor to wear over their outer garments.

Without enough weapons, they dismantled farm tools, turning hoes into spearheads and sickles into long swords by tying them to long wooden poles. The blacksmith's shop was filled with the clanging of metal from morning till night, but the forged blades were still too soft and couldn't be properly quenched, becoming dull with the first strike. But there was no other way; there was no time.

After Shen Pei was captured in Ye City, Yuan Tan sent men to contact Shen Pei's former subordinates. Shen Pei had been in charge of military affairs in Ji Province for many years, and his former subordinates were scattered throughout the various counties. Some of them were unwilling to surrender to Liu Bei, and upon hearing that Yuan Tan was recruiting soldiers in Bohai, they brought their own troops to join him.

One of them was Shen Pei's nephew, Shen Rong, who led seven hundred men from the eastern part of Wei Commandery. Yuan Tan personally went to the camp gate to greet him, took Shen Rong's hand and led him into the main tent, filled his cup with wine, and drank three bowls. Shen Rong explained to Yuan Tan that Yuan Tan knew that Yuan Tan had imprisoned Shen Rong in Ye City by Liu Bei. Yuan Tan said he knew, and that he would definitely rescue Yuan Tan.

But while there were enough soldiers, there wasn't enough food. Bohai Commandery was mostly saline-alkali land, producing little grain. Southern Hejian was slightly better, but it still couldn't support ten thousand soldiers. Yuan Tan sent men to collect grain from various villages. The villagers handed over their last bit of grain, some even kneeling on the ground begging the grain collectors to leave some seeds. The grain collectors loaded all the grain onto carts and drove away.

Guo Tu said this couldn't go on. If the soldiers weren't fed, they would desert, and if the civilians starved to death, there would be no more food to collect.

Yuan Tan said, "We should ask Cao Cao for help. Cao Cao has grain and troops in Qingzhou. If he is willing to send troops to help us, Liu Bei will not dare to advance eastward."

Guo Tu said, "Cao Cao is the kind of person who won't send troops unless he's after profit. What does the eldest son intend to offer him in exchange?"

Yuan Tan remained silent for a moment. "Write a letter. Say that Yuan Tan is willing to offer the two commanderies of Hejian and Bohai as hostages, requesting Cao Cao to send troops to help. After the matter is accomplished, the eastern part of Hebei will belong to Cao Cao, and the Yuan family only asks to keep the western part of Ji Province."

Guo Tu wrote a letter. The messenger set off from Xindu, riding a fast horse south, passing through Pingyuan County and arriving at Juancheng.