With the conclusion of the Battle of Geolrok, the Yellow Turban Rebellion effectively came to an end. While some remnants of the Yellow Turbans might still be scattered elsewhere, the main stronghold in Ji Province had been completely eradicated.
During this time, I did nothing. I stayed hidden because Cao Cao seemed to be lurking around where Zhang Liao was. It looked like he was targeting me, so I left a message with Lü Bu to temporarily hand over military command to Zhang Liao and stayed out of sight. I really wish he’d just leave me alone.
A courier from Bing Province arrived in a hurry, covered in sweat. “Zhang Yan, leading an army of 100,000 Heuk San Jeok, is attacking Bing Province!” It was inevitable. The Heuk San Jeok, taking advantage of the chaos caused by the Yellow Turban Rebellion, had made their significant move. It was hard to believe such a large number could come from those narrow mountains. Historically, at their peak, the Heuk San Jeok boasted an absurd number of one million, occupying northern Xie Province, the entirety of Bing Province, and northeastern Ji Province.
Despite continuous efforts to keep them from gaining a foothold in Bing Province, their current strength was alarming. It’s no wonder the Han court had to officially recognize the Heuk San Jeok and grant them official positions to keep them in check.
After the Heuk San Jeok were defeated by Yuan Shao, they were diminished and humbled. Zhang Yan, having suffered a soul-crushing defeat at Yuan Shao’s hands, later surrendered to Cao Cao after the Battle of Guandu and was given a settlement of 500 households. Zhang Yan accepted his fate quietly and lived out his days in relative obscurity. It was a typical story of a young, hot-blooded individual who, after facing harsh realities, understood his limits and chose a more pragmatic path.
Now, I had to face Zhang Yan in his prime, not willing to let the bandits consume Bing Province entirely. It was a necessary action to stabilize the region. Despite their numbers, the Heuk San Jeok lacked organization and were prone to internal strife.
After coordinating with General Huangfu Song, I returned to Bing Province and prepared my troops, all of whom were cavalry, allowing for rapid mobilization. Of course, I didn’t forget to bring along Zhang Jue and his sisters. The Han forces were still searching for Zhang Jue in Geolrok, but there seemed little risk of discovery. Yet, the thought of what might happen if our escape was discovered did cross my mind.
“Zhang Yan is supposedly as swift as a swallow, isn’t he?” Lü Bu stretched, preparing for battle.
“He’s probably as flighty as you,” I teased.
Lü Bu laughed, “That’ll be fun.”
Indeed, it would be interesting to see if Zhang Yan lived up to his reputation. As we stood atop the wall, watching the Heuk San Jeok approach in disarray, Lü Bu scoffed at their lack of formation and coordination.
“Ten thousand, you said?”
“Yeah.”
“They’ll likely drop to below three thousand by today.”
Lü Bu looked at me, amused, “Why do you say that so casually?”
Ignoring Lü Bu’s exasperation, I focused on the approaching bandits. Leaving them unchecked would only lead to more problems later. The real challenge would come when pursuing them into the mountains, where Zhang Yan would surely use the terrain to his advantage. The upcoming battle in the mountains would be more difficult than today’s. The bandits, fighting desperately and using the forest’s cover, could cause significant casualties. However, stabilizing Bing Province required this action.
Just the presence of the Red Turbans and scholars in Bing Province was enough to create a hellish situation, let alone the increase in banditry. How did it come to this?
Meanwhile, Zhang Yan, who had barely managed to escape the surprise attack, contemplated his situation. His mighty force of 100,000 had been decimated in a single day. What went wrong? Was it their disorganization or the sheer might of the Han forces led by the infamous Lü Bu?
Zhang Yan gritted his teeth in frustration. He still had about 3,000 elite troops and could gather more from the defeated bandit leaders. He resolved to rebuild his forces in the mountains and, when the time was right, strike back using guerrilla tactics. “Just wait,” he thought, burning with a desire for revenge and tightly gripping the reins of his horse.
The battle was far from over.
