11. The Way of Battle Formations

After a frantic commotion of chickens and dogs, Wang Bo looked at the four or five scholarly refugees before him and spoke slowly, “Ah! The world is in chaos. You, powerless and unarmed, have been forced to wander far from home, displaced and destitute—such suffering!”

The eldest among them stepped forward and bowed respectfully, “Chief, your compassion for the heavens and humanity is rare indeed. We, learned men, feel humbled by comparison! For your rescue and shelter, we are deeply grateful and shall obey any command without hesitation.”

Wang Bo asked, “From whence do you come? How did you come to be here? Do you not wish to return to your homeland?”

The old man replied, “We are all from Tian’s village in Julu County. My surname is Tian, given name Chou, courtesy Yuan Yi. Because of… the moth thieves—oh, the Yellow Turban army passing through—they saw that we had some literacy and forced us to serve as clerks in their ranks. Thus we were uprooted. But soon after, the Yellow Turbans were defeated, and in fleeing, we ended up near Zhongqiu. Unexpectedly, the Wang clan’s villainous servants denounced us as bandits and drove us into the fortress, where we toiled daily. Fortunately, you and your brave men rescued us! Ah, the local tyrants are fiercer than the moth thieves!” Suddenly, he stopped himself. “I misspoke! Please forgive my slip, Chief!” With that, he knelt again.

Wang Bo helped him up and sighed, “No matter. No matter. Such is the world—between the rise and fall of dynasties, the suffering always falls upon the people.”

The old man’s tears flowed freely, “Chief, your virtue is high! Our Tian family once flourished, but has since declined into poverty. Were it not for our ancestral tradition of passing down books, the whole clan would not have pooled its strength to let us study and read, hoping to restore our family’s honor. Who could have imagined encountering such chaos? Powerless against strong enemies, we are helpless! Our clan’s sole true talent—who knows where he is now? I fear he may have met an untimely end! Ah, scholars are useless—learning is of no use!”

At these words, Wang Bo pondered: A true talent? Surname Tian? Julu, Ji Province, Yuan Shao… Hmm? Could it be Tian Feng? Hahaha! What a treasure I’ve found! He asked urgently, “Is this talent Tian Feng?”

The elder was surprised, “Chief, you know Yuan Hao’s modest reputation?”

Wang Bo chuckled, “Tian Feng, Tian Yuan Hao, possesses unmatched talent! I have long admired him, though never met. Do you know where he is now?”

“Ah! Months ago, he sent a letter home. Yuan Hao, upright by nature, resented the rampant eunuchs and the suffering of loyal men, so he resigned and sought to return home. The timing coincides with the chaos of the Yellow Turbans—I fear for his safety.”

“Don’t worry, elder! Brother Yuan Hao holds mountains and rivers in his heart, his wisdom is extraordinary. How could mere bandits entrap him? Rest assured, Tian Yuan Hao will surely escape danger.”

“In a few days, we’ll send men to search for him! We will not let Brother Yuan Hao suffer hardship!” Inside, Wang Bo was ecstatic: Tian Feng! Tian Feng! One of the top strategists of the Three Kingdoms! A rare genius with superb strategic vision!

Wang Bo, well-versed in Three Kingdoms history, knew: From several admonitions to Yuan Shao, Tian Feng’s strategic insight was clear. Yuan Shao’s dominance in Ji, You, Qing, and Bing provinces was largely thanks to Tian Feng’s counsel; when he stopped listening, he was inevitably defeated by Cao Cao. Though Tian Feng was somewhat stubborn, his minor flaws did not overshadow his greatness. Employ talents for their strengths—who am I to be choosy? As long as you have talent, I’ll tolerate the occasional embarrassment. Even if someone is morally depraved, I’ll still accept them!

Lost in thought, Wang Bo stood there, drooling until Tian Chou and the others waited so long that one coughed to rouse him.

Wang Bo smiled sheepishly, embarrassed. “Forgive me, Elder Tian, I was… lost in many thoughts and failed to notice—please pardon me!”

Tian Chou smiled gently, “No matter, Chief. I shall take my leave.”

“Wait, Elder Tian. Our chief clerk, Chen Rong, is elderly and burdened with many duties. We lack literate men here, surrounded by rough warriors—perhaps Elder Tian and a few could assist?”

“If you command, we obey!”

At once, Wang Bo had Xu Chu call Chen Rong and lead Tian Chou and the others away. Wang Bo stretched exuberantly: Good! Tian Feng! Hehe! You couldn’t realize your ambition in the court, nor under Han Fu, nor even under Yuan Shao, choosing martyrdom. This time, I’ll not let you repeat your fate! I’ll let you reach the heights of Xiao He and Zhang Liang!

I, Wang Bo, don’t necessarily need someone to direct policy, someone whose brilliance overshadows the ruler. What I lack is a strategist, someone who patches flaws and corrects course at every turn. A top strategist like Tian Feng, in my hands, would outshine Zhuge Liang or Zhou Yu by far! Hahaha… When will I snatch up the venomous Jia Yi? I like that one even more!

He remained lost in thought until Xu Chu brought in lunch.

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After lunch, Wang Bo looked out at the drill ground, where the soldiers’ shouts thundered and sweat poured. He was satisfied: In the blink of an eye, my mountain band now numbers over a thousand! Excellent, excellent! Truly, I am a rare genius in the late Han!

Walking further, he saw robust men using cut wood to build houses. Wang Bo instructed them: First, dig a pit three feet deep, build half the house underground, then pack the excavated earth against the outside walls. This saves materials and keeps the house warm. Cover the roof tightly with branches, coat with mud, then thatch—such construction is much warmer than the era’s usual straw huts.

Speaking of warmth, Wang Bo had the men gather stones from the cliffs and build the heated kang bed typical of northern villages, personally demonstrating how to set up the fire hole, stove, and chimney. He smoothed the surface thickly with mud mixed with straw, then lit a fire. Soon, the house was filled with spring warmth.

“Work’s done! Burn more branches, and when the kang dries, cover it with straw and animal skins!” With hands clasped behind his back, he left amid the wonder-struck gazes, Xu Chu following with a suppressed grin.

After a while, Wang Bo turned and glared at Xu Chu, “Tell Big Brother: Once the wooden houses are built, supply the soldiers first. From tomorrow, start distributing from the scouts—captains and above get theirs last!”

“Yes!” Xu Chu hurriedly dodged away.

That afternoon, Wang Bo recalled two matters and sought Yang Feng. “I heard from Huang Long that many Yellow Turban brothers were scattered here, and Feihu says there are many mountain bandits in these ranges. I want scouts to investigate the nearby mountains: first, to gather surviving Yellow Turban brothers; second, to eliminate the most wicked bandits, lest they continue to plague the locals. What do you think, Brother?”

“Excellent! I shall organize a scout team for this at once.”

“Wait, Brother! Let Feihu lead, and choose the rest from the local brothers. I have another matter: I wish to form an elite squad, all highly skilled in martial arts, melee, cavalry, archery, and adept at coordinated teamwork…”

Yang Feng was puzzled, “In battle, it’s the general’s bravery that inspires the troops and brings victory. Why focus on a handful instead of training the whole army? What is your purpose?”

“Training the whole army takes time and is constrained by equipment and leadership. Today, inspired by Zhongkang and Fourth Brother’s exploits, I realized that with such an elite squad, in tough battles we could strike at the enemy’s command, causing panic and collapse. This would greatly shorten battle duration and reduce our casualties!”

“That’s feasible! How many do you need?”

“For now, five will suffice! They must be highly skilled and work together seamlessly. At rest, they guard our command; in action, they strike like tigers! If we meet enemy champions, they can serve as our trump card.”

“The teams are just formed—where will you draw them from?”

“No rush, Brother! This isn’t done in a day. Let me consider how best to train and coordinate so that three or five bold warriors can break enemy lines, unstoppable by gods or ghosts.” Wang Bo paused and continued, “This squad must combine defense, ranged and close combat, using weapons long, short, shield, and bow. They must be agile, steady, strong—overall, cover all bases and have no obvious weaknesses…”

“Oh, my head hurts! I can’t follow all your twists and turns. You figure it out yourself!” With that, Yang Feng fled, hands over his head, leaving Wang Bo smiling in bitter amusement.

Is it so difficult? Am I just daydreaming? No! Pinghan, Huang Long—they look impressive, but probably only third-rate or worse. If they were truly great, the Yellow Turban Rebellion wouldn’t have collapsed in months! Only Liao Hua, Zhou Cang, Zhang Yan are remembered—others are forgotten! Not to mention facing ‘God of War Lu Bu’—even Liu, Guan, Zhang would wipe them out. Xu Chu is probably still young; it’ll take years before he can slaughter foes as in the tales. Besides, he’s my bodyguard! He must protect me—can’t trust my life to others. If I had a platoon of Xu Chus, I wouldn’t worry! But one tiger fool is not enough—what if he’s ambushed and dies like ‘Evil Lai’ in humiliation? Where would I cry then? I must train—no solo duels for me! I only like mass brawls! To rule the Three Kingdoms, safety first—I need more trump cards!

Now, I have a few capable generals! Though challenging Lu Bu would be suicide, if I send a group, would you not fear? Even if I can’t beat Lu Wenhou, I could kill his ‘Eight Elite Generals’—except for Zhang Liao, who’s my own!

Pinghan, Huang Long, Du Yuan, Wu Huan, Zhang Baiqi, Liu Shi… Hmm! Quite a few minor generals! Yang Feng can be the strategist for now. Let’s form the squad and see how it works—led by Xu Chu, using the mountain bandits as training partners!

Having made up his mind, Wang Bo looked at the sky and asked, “Zhongkang! Are the brothers’ training finished?”

Outside, Xu Chu replied, “Not quite—they’re doing weighted marches around the drill ground!”

“Call all soldiers and auxiliary captains here! I have matters to discuss!”

Everyone gathered in the cave. Before Wang Bo could speak, Pinghan shouted, “Second Brother, your houses are amazing—especially the heated kang! Are you Lu Ban or Mozi reborn, to invent such warmth? I truly admire you!”

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“Eighth Brother, don’t talk nonsense! This method was taught by my master—nothing special! All captains must get up at midnight to check, and always extinguish the fire before sleep—otherwise, it could suffocate! Remember!”

Then he turned to Yang Feng, “Our ‘Revive Han Fortress’ has gained many new members, from mixed backgrounds. When reorganizing, we must disperse and mix them so our army is united as one. You may establish a ‘Disciplinary Squad’ and ‘Inspectors’—if any are found forming alliances or cliques, act decisively! Minor offenders are expelled, major ones punished as examples, without hesitation!” He glanced around.

Everyone saluted, “We obey your command, Lord (Chief)!”

“I’ve gathered you all to discuss methods for defeating enemy champions!” He shared his thoughts. The group debated—some agreed, some opposed.

Xu Chu pounded his chest and roared, “With Old Xu here, leave it to me!”

Wang Bo shot him a look, “Are you a one-man army? Our enemies so far have been weak, less than government troops, let alone elite forces! Zhongkang, though mighty and skilled, has little battle experience—he must spar more with the brothers, especially in cavalry combat! Beware arrogance!”

Huang Long asked, “Isn’t this method a bit underhanded, a trick? Using many against few isn’t honorable! We Yellow Turbans are bold and straightforward, heroes who’d rather die than retreat! This tactic may harm our reputation.”

“Huang Long, you’re mistaken. Warfare isn’t about bravado or street fighting! Since ancient times, history is written by the victors. In conquest, methods abound—only outcome matters, not whether they are noble or ignoble. Examples are everywhere.”

“If the ancient Emperors Yan and Huang hadn’t joined forces, could they have slain the demon Chi You? In Spring and Autumn, the king of Song, confident in his righteous army, waited for the enemy to cross the river and form ranks before fighting—he was defeated and killed, his army destroyed. Did Han’s High Ancestor have a champion to duel Xiang Yu? No, he united the kings, used Zhang Liang’s Four-Sided Song to drive Xiang Yu to death—was this a noble method?”

Everyone pondered, their faces thoughtful. Wang Bo continued, “From the start, the Yellow Turban army was scattered, fighting alone. Had the ‘Great Virtuous Teacher’ united the forces, would we have been defeated by the Han army’s elite? Our brothers are brave, but in single combat, who can match Gongsun Zan, who slaughters Hu dogs like chopping vegetables? If the general falls in battle, morale collapses—self-destruction!”

He paused, then stood solemnly, enunciating each word, “From now on, in battle, we speak only of victory or defeat—nothing else. This is our iron law! Any who disagree may leave!”

Huang Long suddenly knelt, fists clasped, “Your words have awakened me, Lord! My general, Cheng Yuanzhi, was killed in single combat by Gongsun Zan’s black-faced warrior, causing tens of thousands of our brothers to die in You Province—how hateful! How hateful!” He pounded his leg.

Seeing Wang Bo about to help him up, Huang Long continued, “Chief, your wise words have enlightened me! From now, I swear allegiance—through fire and blade, even death, I shall not regret! If I break this oath, let Heaven punish me!”

The crowd exchanged glances, then all knelt, “Lord! Through fire and blade, even death, we shall not regret! If we break this oath, let Heaven punish us!”

Wang Bo laughed heartily, “Rise, brothers! From now on, our fates are tied. If you remain loyal, I shall never betray you!” They all laughed together.

“Generals, listen! Select your deputies—not necessarily the strongest, but must be steady and loyal. Once you are free from military duties, I’ll train with you all in ‘battlefield dominance’!”

“Yes!” they replied in unison, then dispersed.

Pinghan, sneaky, peeked in, “Second Brother, your wooden house is great. I had Old Chen prepare a big one for you—how about moving in now?”

“Ridiculous!” Wang Bo hurled an object at him. “Did my words fall on deaf ears? The brothers are still freezing—how could I take one first? Once all soldiers have theirs, I’ll build mine! Get out!”

Pinghan grinned sheepishly and slipped away, glaring at Xu Chu as he left. Xu Chu covered his face, acting like an ostrich.

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