As the ranks swelled, the organization naturally had to expand. Wang Yan had previously commanded as a military marquis, but he now had fifteen hundred men under him; calling him a military marquis was no longer appropriate. Thus, atop his horse, Wang Yan proclaimed himself the Heavenly Martial General.
The histories recorded: At the time, the Emperor traveled along a wild path near Anci, gathering a thousand or so remaining Yellow Turban fighters. Wearing a blue shirt and straw sandals, the Emperor stood on horseback with his hands behind his back and told the army, "From this day forth, I shall be known as the Heavenly Martial General. You shall address me as General."
At that moment, a fierce wind rose, muffled thunder boomed through the heavens, birds fled in panic, and both men and horses were startled. Only the Emperor raised his head to the sky and asked, "Am I not fit to be emperor?" Once he spoke, the heavens returned to normal, and the Emperor began his struggle for supremacy...
Having named himself Great General, he established new posts of chief and deputy military marquis above the centurions. Since a military marquis commanded five hundred men, he also added military affairs officers, responsible for overseeing military discipline and handling the army's logistics. Part of this role resembled that of a political commissar, though for now they merely assisted military marquises in commanding troops. The military marquis bore primary responsibility for those five hundred-odd men, the military affairs officer came second, and the deputy military marquis third.
Their authority might be raised in the future, allowing them to stand on equal footing with the military commanders, but not now. The main issue was that his people were uneducated and lacked awareness. Giving them too much power would only breed