Chapter Forty-Seven: Journey to Yingchuan

Unlike in history, You Province had not seen a single Yellow Turban rebel this time, thanks to Liu Yao’s decisive crackdown. As a result, there was no need for Liu Yao to issue any proclamations to recruit volunteer militias. Thus, Liu Bei, who should have risen in Zhuo Commandery with the help of Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping, was also absent from You Province—something that made Liu Yao exceedingly curious about his whereabouts.

Liu Yao quickly gathered his forces, leading an army of over ten thousand men in a grand procession toward Yingchuan. Yingchuan had always been a major commandery in history, second only to Luoyang in population and prosperity since its establishment. The land of Yingchuan was blessed with talented people, producing countless figures throughout the ages. It was also the site of the first capital in Chinese history—the capital of the Xia Dynasty.

Situated in the heart of the Central Plains, Yingchuan was a crucial hub of transportation, densely populated and rich in resources, making its geographical position extremely important. During the Warring States period, when the Qin armies marched eastward, many of the major battles took place in the Yingchuan region. With the Eastern Han Dynasty’s capital in Luoyang, its significance became even more pronounced.

Yet, these things did not concern Liu Yao as much as one other matter: Yingchuan was home to the Yingchuan Academy, the largest academy at the end of the Han Dynasty. The institution was a cradle of talent, producing such renowned scholars as Xun Yu, Wei Du, Chen Qun, and others.

The primary reason Liu Yao chose Yingchuan as his first destination—besides it being the most powerful Yellow Turban stronghold—was to seek out Guo Jia and Xi Zhicai. There was no need to elaborate on the genius of Guo Jia, known as Fengxiao. As for Xi Zhicai, he was every bit Guo Jia’s equal, serving as one of Cao Cao’s earliest strategists, though he died young and left little fame behind—truly a pity.

Liu Yao’s forces marched swiftly, and after fifteen days they reached the borders of Yingchuan. By then, a month had passed since the Yellow Turban uprising began.

The journey had exhausted everyone, so Liu Yao selected a spot near the river to rest, ensuring they would have ample energy for the coming battle.

At this moment, Liu Yao sat in a circle with Tian Feng, Zhao Yun, Gao Shun, Zhang Fei, and Huang Zhong.

“Master,” Tian Feng began, pulling a map from his robe, “according to reports from our undercover agents within the Yellow Turbans, their forces are concentrated in three main locations: Guangzong, Yingchuan, and Nanyang.”

“The Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan are led by two men, Bo Cai and Peng Tuo. They have taken control of the region stretching from Runan to Chen. Based on our recent intelligence, Zhu Jun’s army, having just arrived in Yingchuan, was defeated by the Yellow Turbans and has since retreated to Changshe, where he is holding the gates with Huangfu Song.”

“Seeing the Han army newly defeated, low in numbers, and demoralized, Bo Cai has mustered over a hundred thousand troops to besiege Changshe. Peng Tuo has led the Runan Yellow Turbans to defeat the governor Zhao Qian at Shaoling. At present, the Yellow Turbans show no signs of retreat despite the Han court’s efforts. On the contrary, they are pressing their attack with vigor. Bo Cai and Peng Tuo have become the main force of the Eastern Yellow Turbans. Therefore, our top priority is to advance on Changshe, join forces with Zhu Jun and the other generals, and crush Bo Cai and his men—thus eliminating the main strength of the Eastern Yellow Turbans.”

“And what of Guangzong and Nanyang?” Liu Yao inquired.

“In Nanyang, Zhang Mancheng killed the governor Zhu Gong and now holds the region with seventy or eighty thousand Yellow Turban insurgents. However, the court has promoted Qin Jie, the Commandant of Jiangxia, to governor of Nanyang, and he has the aid of Sun Jian, known as the Tiger of Jiangdong. Even if they can’t destroy the Yellow Turbans outright, they should be able to hold them off for some time.”

“Sun Jian!” Liu Yao’s expression shifted as he muttered to himself. Sun Jian was indeed an exceptional figure, but even more remarkable were his two sons. Sun Ce, known as the Little Conqueror of Jiangdong, was said to be a match for Zhang Fei in martial prowess. Yet, the one to watch was truly Sun Quan—who, still a youth, would one day take over Jiangdong and hold his own against both Cao Cao and Liu Bei, dividing the realm in three. But for now, Sun Quan was likely still a child of six or seven.

“Master, is there something wrong with Sun Jian?” Tian Feng asked, noticing Liu Yao’s strange expression.

Liu Yao quickly recovered and masked his thoughts. “It’s nothing. Yuanhao, please tell us about Zhang Jiao’s situation in Julu.”

Tian Feng, though still a bit puzzled, continued, “Zhang Jiao raised his army in Julu, but suffered a defeat at the hands of Lu Zhi, losing over ten thousand men and retreating to Guangzong. The two sides are now at a stalemate.”

“I see. Our top priority is to pacify the Yellow Turbans here in Yingchuan,” Liu Yao said with a nod. “Pass my orders: rest for one hour, then march straight to Changshe.”

“Yes, sir.”

After an hour’s rest, the soldiers were fed and refreshed, and Liu Yao led his forces onward to Changshe.

At this time, the city of Changshe was already tightly surrounded by tens of thousands of Yellow Turbans. Beneath the walls, the ground teemed with men wearing yellow headscarves and wielding farm tools—hoes, sickles, and the like. Looking down from the city walls, the crowd was so dense it was impossible to count their numbers. Few among them had real weapons; if not for their overwhelming numbers and high morale, they would have long since been crushed by government troops.

From the Yellow Turban camp, a lone rider emerged. He was clad in light armor and carried a long spear in reverse grip—this was Bo Cai, the commander of all Yellow Turbans in the Yingchuan region.

Bo Cai urged his horse forward, lifted his spear to the sky, and bellowed, “Hey! Zhu Jun! Huangfu Song! You two are famed generals of the Han—so why are you cowering like turtles in your shell? If you have any courage, come out and face me for three hundred rounds!”

There was no response from the walls. Bo Cai grew angry. “Men, join me in cursing them! Huangfu Song! Zhu Jun! Cowards and turtles, both of you!”

At once, the Yellow Turbans roared with laughter and joined in his taunts. “Cowards! Turtles! Cowards! Turtles!” The insults of over a hundred thousand men reverberated through Changshe, loud enough to be heard even underground.

Inside the beleaguered city, Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun’s faces shifted from red to black, then from black to white, their moods as changeable as the weather.

At last, the hot-tempered Zhu Jun could no longer contain himself. With a loud crash, he sprang to his feet. “Enough! I can’t take it anymore! I’m a famed general of the Han, yet Bo Cai dares insult me so? Today I will challenge him to a fight to the death!” He seized his weapon, ready to lead his troops out to battle.

Zhu Jun was at his wit’s end—he was no Sima Yi, lacking that famed patience. Sima could be dressed in women’s clothes and not care a whit, even asking those around him for their opinion. But Zhu Jun, after days of having his ancestors insulted by the Yellow Turbans, felt he could no longer call himself a man if he endured any longer.

Huangfu Song rushed to restrain him. “Gongwei, don’t be rash! The Yellow Turbans are goading us—if we take the bait and lose Changshe, how will we answer to the Emperor?”

Zhu Jun was not unreasonable; with Huangfu Song’s words, he calmed down, though his anger still simmered. He kicked the table in frustration, ending its brief existence. “If only we weren’t so few, and our morale so low, I’d have gone out myself to crush Bo Cai by now! Why should we have to put up with this humiliation?”