East of the River: Home of the Sun Clan sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne
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As spring gave way to summer, Huangfu Song abandoned the western front
at Nan County as expected and joined Zhu Jun in Runan, in Yu Province. With
these additional militias, the Han imperial force almost matched the size of
the enemy force, which meant that a concentrated campaign against the rebels in
Yu Province could now begin.
The important city of Yingchuan in northern Yu
Province had been protected from the rebel forces by a coalition of militias
led by Cao Cao, the son of a wealthy politician and appointed marquis. For any
campaign to liberate the province to work, the rebels had to be removed from
the area around this city, which was close to a natural route that led to
several places, including the capital Luoyang. Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun moved
the camp closer to Yingchuan once their soldiers were organised, a move that
was watched with interest by the Yellow Turban commander in Yu Province, Bo
Cai.
The mood was changing on both sides, since the
messengers from the northern front were bringing unsubstantiated rumours that
Zhang Jue - the founder of the ‘Way of Peace’, and leader of the Yellow Turban
Rebellion - was dead, and that his two brothers were under heavy siege. But Bo
Cai refused to alter his countenance, and the assaults on Yu Province
continued.
Once they were ready, the two Han commanders - Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun
- summoned their officers to explain the strategy for the coming weeks. Sun
Jian observed the two leaders quietly, but he was aware that there were many
resentful stares being aimed in his direction. When the meeting was over, Sun
Jian quietly prepared to leave the meeting and return to his small camp to pass
on the orders to his subordinates. He expected no friendly conversation, so he
was startled when a voice said, “That red scarf… might you be Sun Jian of
Fuchun…?”
“Ah… Cao Cao, the hero of
Yingchuan,” Sun Jian hailed as Cao Cao approached him. Cao was fairly tall and
had strong features that bore elements of cynicism and mischief.
He was,
however, quite serious on this occasion, and returned Sun Jian’s polite bow
without hesitation.
“Your spirited actions in Runan are the talk of the forces,” Cao Cao
suggested. “I am most impressed by what I have heard about you.”
“I have chased away a few men from some battlefields, while you have
defended a besieged position against heavy odds,” Sun Jian replied. “We have
both served well, I think.”
Cao Cao bowed once again, and said, “You are most generous. …I hear that
the plan upon the relief of Yingchuan is to announce a second divergence of
forces… one commander to go north to Ji, the other, west to Nan County. Others
will follow one or the other of them, of course.”
“Where will you go…?” Sun Jian
asked.
“North,” Cao Cao replied immediately. “…Oh, well, if I am required to go
west, of course I shall go west! …But my preference is north, to aid Hè Jin
against Zhang Jue’s followers there.”
“Once it is all over, I expect that we can see an end to any
coordination, though an end to the chaos may be a little too much to ask for,”
Sun Jian said.
“I quite agree,” Cao Cao replied with a sad smile. “But take heart in
the fact that the desperate rebels here in Yingchuan are coalescing for one
great battle for Yu.”
“A battle that we will win, I think,” Sun Jian retorted.
Cao Cao smirked, bowed respectfully and said, “I look forward to our
future meetings, Sun Wentai: you’re a man with much left to do.”
Sun Jian returned the bow and said, “You’re too kind,” whereupon Cao Cao
retreated to join his followers. Sun Jian pondered the encounter, hummed
thoughtfully, and left the command tent amid further contemptuous stares from
other northern militia leaders.