chinesegeography

The Chibi Campaign



The victory in Guandu established Cao Cao's dominance in northern China. He now had a healthier economy to draw on, as well as a stronger army. Then he turned his eyes south, where Sun Quan and Liu Biao still stood in the way of his putting the whole country under one centralized authority.



In 208 Cao Cao advanced on Jingzhou. Governor Liu Biao had just died, passing his position to his second son Liu Cong. Liu Cong surrendered without putting up a fight, leaving Liu Bei no time to gather his forces in Xinye. With Cao Cao's troops advancing, Liu Bei had to retreat towards Jiangling, a city of strategic importance. But Cao Cao was faster. He caught up with Liu Bei at Changban (northeast of today's Dangyang, Hubei Province) and inflicted serious injuries on his troops. Before long Jiangling also fell to Cao Cao, and Liu Bei had to retreat to Xiakou (today's Wuhan), where he joined Liu Qi, Liu Biao's eldest son, and gathered a force of 20,000.



Cao Cao's advances made Sun Quan uneasy. When Liu Bei offered an alliance, Sun agreed. By the time the allied forces set up defenses in Chibi on the southern banks of the Yangtze, Cao Cao had camped his troops across the big river, ready for a major attack.



But there was one problem that was bothering Cao Cao. His soldiers, already exhausted from the hurried long march without rest, were now falling ill either because of the change in climate or seasickness on the battleships. To remedy the rocking of the ships, Cao Cao had them linked with chains and bridged their decks with boards so that soldiers could walk between them safely. What Cao Cao did not realize was that his solution to one problem only made his fleet vulnerable to another.



When allied commander Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang noticed what Cao Cao had done to his ships, they decided to take advantage of the situation. First, they had to make Cao Cao believe that an officer named Huang Gai was about to surrender.



Cao Cao swallowed the bait. On the specified day, he waited for the signal that Huang Gai was deserting the allies to come to him. Suspecting nothing, he saw Huang Gai with his small fleet of loaded boats rowing towards them. On the boats Huang Gai had laid flammable materials, which were set on fire as soon as Cao Cao's fleet was close enough. The wind was just right for the allies, and before long Cao Cao's linked battleships were all aflame. When Cao Cao's soldiers saw the huge fire, which was illuminating the rocky cliffs, they panicked. Meanwhile Zhou Yu's allied forces threw themselves ferociously at their enemy and destroyed them.



The Chibi campaign had a balancing effect on China's political dynamics, where Cao Cao's dominance was curbed, Sun Quan's position reinforced, and Liu Bei had finally obtained a foothold for further advancement.

Three Revered Visits-Ending



"This is a time of distress for the royal family, when crooked men have usurped power and disgraced the throne. It may be too big a task for a man of mediocre talent like myself, but I would really like to help to bring justice back to my country. I do not know how this could happen, and I beg for the honor of hearing whatever you have to tell me."



Touched by his sincerity and humility, Zhuge Liang explained to Liu Bei the current situation:



"Cao Cao has crushed Yuan Shao and his star is rising. Now he is m command of an army about a million strong. In addition, he has the emperor with him, thus acquiring the legitimacy his opponents do not have. This makes him formidable, and it would not be a good idea to meet him in a direct encounter. Sun Quan, on the other hand, has an unquestioned claim to Jiangdong (geopolitical term for Yangzhou, part of Anhui and Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, eastern Hubei and southeastern Henan provinces), succeeding his father and older brother. He has the forbidding Yangtze River for his defense as well as the allegiance of his Deople. He would be a good friend, not someone you should try to attack.



"Now, Jingzhou (or Hanshou, a jurisdiction covering most of today's Hubei and Hunan provinces) being one of the most strategically important place, Governor Liu Biao will not be able to hold onto it for long. It could be like a gift for you, my lord, if you were interested. And Yizhou (or Chengdu, covering Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces) is where there is the most productive soil. Its people are rich, but its governor Liu Zhang is stupid and very unpopular.



"But you, my lord, are a descendant of the royal family and people know you for your noble character.What I see for you is to take Jingzhou and Yizhou, befriend Sun Quan and build an effective government; so that, once opportunity reveals itself, one of your generals can launch a campaign from Jingzhou while you lead an army out of Yizhou, in a coordinated attack on Cao Cao. People will welcome you as their savior. And thus you would win, with the throne restored to its befitting dignity."



Liu Bei was so impressed by Zhuge Liang's strategic plan that he persuaded him to become his chief of staff.

The Battle of Guandu-Ending



Cao Cao was preparing to sleep, when he was told he had a visitor named Xu You. The news sent him into such a state of excitement that he could not wait to put his shoes back on, and ran out barefoot to meet his friend. Sitting in Cao Cao's living room, Xu You asked if Cao Cao had a plan ready to stop Yuan Shao's advance, and how much food remained to sustain his army. Cao Cao gave him a deceptive answer, "Enough to last for another year."



Xu You snickered, "I do not think so." "You cannot be fooled, can you? Yes, I only have enough food for six months." Indignant over all the ambiguity, Xu You retorted: "Do you want to defeat Yuan Shao or what? Then you must be far more straightforward with me than you have been."



"One month," was the final and true answer, "after that, we will starve. So what do you think we can do?"



Xu You told his sly friend that Yuan Shao had his supplies and weaponry stored in Wuchao (today's Yanjin, Henan Province) but the place was badly guarded, and a small cavalry would be enough to raid it and burn all Yuan Shao's supplies so that his former lord could be crushed easily.



Cao Cao did exactly what Xu You told him. It was a thorough job and not a single grain was left for Yuan Shao. The fire at Wuchao sent Yuan Shao's forces into a panic. Some officers betrayed Yuan Shao, while those who did not were defeated in a campaign in which Yuan Shao lost his main force. He died two years afterwards. Another seven years passed before Cao Cao cleaned up northern China of all the pro-Yuan Shao forces, and brought it under his control.



* Cao Cao Enforced the Military Law Strictly



In the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao issued the order "Soldiers who damage wheat will be punished to death" to protect crops. In his several tens of years of military administration life, he issued many orders to punish those who broke laws, committed breach of duty, or deserted in face of battles, and awarded those who made contributions. Moreover, he dealt out the income and production of his own fief to his generals, officials, veterans and the orphans and widows of the dead generals and soldiers.

The Battle of Guandu-Sequel І



The war against Dong Zhuo ended disgracefully, and Cao Cao decided to work alone. He built up his troops again and, advised by his coterie, arranged for the royal family to settle on his lands, thus obtaining an edge in the fight for legitimacy from the fact that he, rather than any of the other competing warlords, was with the emperor. As his power grew and expanded, he came into confrontation with the domain of Yuan Shao, who was already powerful and dominant in northern China. Tensions built up and soon developed into a big clash in Guandu. It was a deadly wrestle for dominance between Yuan Shao the giant and Cao Cao the rising hero. One would have to go, and the winner would take all.



In AD 200 Yuan Shao took an army of100,000 on an expedition to Xuchang, where Cao Cao had the emperor with him. Vanity about an apparent advantage led Yuan Shao into disheartening defeats, first in Baima (today's Huaxian County, Henan Province) and then in Yanjin (in today's Henan Province). Confident that he still outnumbered Cao Cao, he nevertheless had his troops cross the Yellow River to engage the enemy's main forces in Guandu (northeast of today's Zhongmu, Henan Province). Cao Cao was awaiting him there. A month passed without either of them gaining a decisive victory, until one of Yuan Shao's advisors, named Xu You, intercepted information that Cao Cao's troops had overextended their supply line.



Xu You suggested that Yuan Shao launch a surprise attack on Xuchang with a small unit, which could be maneuvered around Guandu. His advice was totally ignored by his commander, who believed he could easily crush Cao Cao's army. Before he could give further explanations, a courier from Yecheng, the base city, entered with a message accusing someone related to Xu You of wrongdoing. Shared blame by association placed Xu You on Yuan Shao's blacklist, and whatever else he said about the current campaign no longer mattered. Humiliated, Xu You deserted Yuan Shao's camp and surrendered to Cao Cao, an old friend of his.

How Cao Cao Begins His Political Career-Sequel І



Cao Cao was born in Qiao of the State of Pei (today's Boxian County, AnhuiProvince). While he was still a young man, he demonstrated his intelligence and talent. Cao Cao's political career began when he was commissioned as a military officer to fight the Yellow Scarf Rebels in Yingchuan. Military success soon elevated him to the position of chancellor to the prince of Jinan. He returned to Luoyang, the capital city, a few years later when the imperial government assigned him to a new post. When a scramble for power within the royal court created major confusion in the capital, a warlord named Dong Zhuo was sent for to clean up the mess.



In reality Dong Zhuo was coming back to grab power. He offered Cao Cao a promotion in exchange for working with him. Cao Cao, whose political abilities were becoming better appreciated, declined the offer, seeing that Dong Zhuo's cruelty and folly as a politician would soon bring destruction down on him. Instead, Cao Cao stole out of the capital and traveled to Chenliu to join his father, who invested his entire fortune in his son's campaign against Dong Zhuo.



With a local tycoon and his cousin Cao Hong donating funds and personnel respectively, in addition to his father's support, Cao Cao built up an army of 5,000, which he put into training while he kept an eye on the political dynamics of a restive empire. Uprisings across the country had furnished local authorities with a perfect excuse to increase their weaponry.



After Dong Zhuo had dethroned the emperor and killed him, then manipulated the coronation of another son from the royal family. Local governments all started to be roused in indignation, while at the same time secretly looking for possible ways to slip into the power vacuum left by a weakened central government. Of all the local warlords standing up against Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao was the greatest and most admired. Son of an eminent family, Yuan Shao was the governor of Bohai Prefecture when he built up his own army against Dong Zhuo, whom he had battled with while in the capital Luoyang.

Hua Tuo the Medicine Man



Hua Tuo was born in Qiao of the State of Pei (today's Boxian County,Anhui Province). He was very learned, and especially conversant in medicine. The govemment wanted to appoint him for his expertise, but he refused since he harbored a dislike for bureaucracy.



Instead, he chose to be an itinerant medicine man, and helped people with ailments. When he treated diseases, he identified what caused the body to malfunction and administered medicine accordingly, rather than just fighting the symptoms. He was also the first to perform incisions on the stomach, for which he was called the "Father of Surgery." He developed an anesthetic to go with major surgeries, 1,600 years before Europeans learned of anesthesia. When orally taken, it rendered the patient temporarily unconscious, considerably reducing the pain. He was also credited with inventing "Five-animal Boxing" exercises, what today would be considered aerobatic dances or yoga, which involved moving the patient's limbs, waist and the other joints in a manner that drew from habitual movements of tigers, bears, deer, monkeys and birds.



After hearing of Hua Tuo and how miraculously he performed his healing, Cao Cao sent for him to treat his chronic headaches. Hua Tuo made his diagnosis and performed acupuncture. It worked wonders. Cao Cao was so pleased that he asked Hua Tuo to stay as his personal medical advisor. Hua Tuo did not want to accept the offer and tried to walk away. Cao Cao was so furious that he imprisoned Hua Tuo and eventually put him to death.