Chapter 7: The Predicament of Lu Bu and Zhang Yang

When Su Yao set out with Wang Ling to hunt monsters, there was a small Han military camp hidden in the woods on the west bank of the Fen River in Qixian County.

“Commander Zhang, Captain Lü has returned,” the bodyguard Mu Shun reported.

“Oh? That quickly? Indeed, Fengxian is truly the mightiest warrior in Bingzhou,” Zhang Yang, who had been frowning deeply behind his desk, managed to squeeze out a rare smile.

“Well, Captain Lü came back alone. Judging by his expression, I’m afraid—”

“What?” Zhang Yang interrupted sharply.

Before Mu Shun could say more, Lü Bu, also known as Lü Fengxian, strode into the tent, pulled back the curtain, and upon seeing Zhang Yang, said nothing. He removed his helmet, grabbed the wine jug on the table, and gulped it down in large mouthfuls.

Seeing this, Zhang Yang waved his hand to dismiss Mu Shun and the soldiers, then refilled Lü Bu’s cup before asking, “Brother Fengxian, was this mission unsuccessful?”

Victory and defeat are common matters in war. Bingzhou had been thrown into chaos recently, suffering defeat after defeat. Even a mighty warrior like Lü Bu could have setbacks. They were comrades defending Bingzhou; in these troubled times, they should support each other, rowing the boat together.

After two jugs of wine, Lü Bu’s mood eased somewhat. “Young uncle, don’t worry. Those men are still out there behind us, none of them hurt.”

“Oh, that’s good, that’s good.”

“But those barbarian cavalry are tough opponents. They had a fierce leader and outnumbered us. I killed two, but when I saw the situation was unfavorable, I withdrew.”

“Ah?”

Zhang Yang’s face darkened like still water. After a pause, he asked, “What about the Wang family’s territory in Qixian?”

“...” Lü Bu was silent.

“You’ve lost your mind, Fengxian!” Zhang Yang slammed his thigh.

“Common folk dying is nothing but casualties of war, water and fire show no mercy. But the Wang family of Taiyuan is another matter entirely.”

“They are the local aristocracy, with family members spread across the region. Whoever serves as governor or prefect must show them respect. Now you didn’t send troops out but watched as their village was raided. Who knows how much damage they suffered? When the new governor arrives, if the Wang family causes trouble, all your previous merits will be erased. Worse, they might find a reason to make you their scapegoat to appease their anger. That’s not impossible.”

“You’re trying to scare me, young uncle,” Lü Bu said, leaning on the table with a sip of wine.

“Outsiders only know the Wang family of Taiyuan, but we all understand that the Wang family of Qixian and the Wang family of Jinyang are not the same. Since Wang Zishi clashed with the governor Wang Qiu over ten years ago, the Qixian and Jinyang Wangs have been estranged.”

“Now that the Qixian Wang family is suffering, even if the Jinyang Wangs see it, they won’t intervene. Otherwise, why would the governor sit behind closed doors with his two thousand soldiers and do nothing as Zhou County was ravaged?”

Zhang Yang looked up, a trace of surprise in his eyes. He hadn’t expected this hard-drinking, battle-hardened colleague to show such insight into the political situation. But unfortunately, he was only partly right.

“Fengxian, do you believe that Wang Yun and Wang Zishi will never rise again?”

“...” Lü Bu remained silent. He had no way to grasp the court’s affairs. He only knew Wang Yun had offended the eunuchs and was now in disgrace, unable even to return home. Clearly, the Wang family of Qixian had lost their backing.

“I was lucky to serve with Wang Zishi for a time. He was a rare good official and a true gentleman, favored by many high officials at court. It would be unwise to underestimate or offend him just because of temporary misfortune.”

“Hey, so you’re blaming me for this?”

If Lü Bu hadn’t wanted to fight the barbarians, he wouldn’t have gone at all. He could have just stayed in camp like the other timid soldiers, sleeping peacefully.

“But what else could I do? You know the situation better than anyone. Even if I sacrificed those dozen or so brothers, the village might still be lost. What would you say then, young uncle?”

“Are those barbarians really that strong?”

Zhang Yang had no doubt about Lü Bu’s martial prowess. Three of anyone else wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

Seeing Lü Bu’s face darken with anger under the barbarians’ pressure, Zhang Yang quickly tried to calm him.

“Fengxian, don’t get upset. I’m just analyzing the situation for you. I admit, I could have done better too.”

Lü Bu wasn’t wrong about one thing—Zhang Yang understood the current situation best.

Though they were colleagues, Zhang Yang was senior to Lü Bu in both rank and position.

Compared to Lü Bu, a captain with a rank equivalent to 200 shi, Zhang Yang served as the military officer of the governor’s office. While his rank was only 300 shi, he wielded real authority in managing Bingzhou’s military affairs alongside the governor.

Now that the governor had been attacked and Bingzhou was leaderless, apart from the powerful prefects who did not obey him, Zhang Yang was effectively the military commander of Bingzhou.

So what was the current state?

In short: even the most skilled cook can’t make a meal without rice.

Their camp was out of troops.

The Later Han dynasty’s military system differed greatly from the Former Han’s.

After Emperor Guangwu restored the dynasty, to prevent local warlords from rising in rebellion and to strengthen central military control, all standing troops under local governments and commanderies were disbanded, and military officers commanding local forces were abolished. Only a small number of local militias and security guards remained. Except in the northern regions, most places had to wait for the central government to dispatch troops.

Therefore, when the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, the court instantly found itself with no troops to deploy. Emperor Liu Hong, who had long suppressed local powers, was forced to grant local governors and regional commanders the authority to recruit troops themselves to quell the rebellion, which gave them room to maneuver.

Lü Bu had once been part of the local garrison in Wuyuan (modern Inner Mongolia). Later, to counter the Yellow Turban remnants—the Heishan bandits ravaging eastern Bingzhou—he was temporarily conscripted from the north by the previous governor. Due to his exceptional valor, he was promoted to captain in the new army.

They say when you put the gourd down, the ladle pops up. But for them, it was truly miserable.

The Heishan rebellion was not yet quelled when, at the end of last year, the southern Xiongnu’s Xiutu tribe rebelled, bringing up another crisis.

This tribe of the Xiongnu’s left division, long settled in Xihe Commandery, had killed the governor early that year, pillaged the region, and escaped. They then threatened the border commanderies of Yunzhong, Wuyuan, Shuofang, and Taiyuan.

To prevent the chaos from spreading, their forces were hurriedly transferred from east to west. But before they could reclaim Xihe, in February, another group of Yellow Turban remnants called the White Wave bandits, numbering over 100,000, seized the area.

This was nothing less than a bloodbath.

Xihe Commandery became the first fully fallen commandery, and Bingzhou’s situation began to spiral out of control.

By March, the governor Zhang Yi, perhaps unable to endure the daily siege at Taiyuan, or intolerant of the Xiongnu’s endless raids, launched a reckless counterattack despite opposition from his generals.

This backfired spectacularly. Unbeknownst to them, the Xiutu tribe had cultivated an elite force of over ten thousand archers and conscripted almost all their herdsmen.

The fierce battle on the plains ended in a crushing defeat for Bingzhou’s forces. Zhang Yi died, and their last reserves were nearly wiped out.

After several days, they could barely muster fewer than 200 demoralized survivors. The situation was suffocatingly bleak.