Chapter 101: A Sense of Déjà Vu

Zhuge Qiao was truly afraid of Wei Ba and did not want to keep him nearby any longer, fearing he might cause more trouble. So he simply had him escort the prisoners back to Mianyang. Wei Ba also no longer wished to stay there. When Mi Wei was escorting grain supplies back, Wei Ba left Fangling with him.

Mi Wei, somewhat smug, said to Wei Ba, “So, after your long journey, risking life and death, in the end, the merits and faults balance out, just like us here in Anyang. Don’t you feel a bit shortchanged?”

Wei Ba shrugged, gazing at the scenery on both banks. “After making a full circle, we return to the starting point. Is there really a difference from staying put?”

Mi Wei laughed. “There is a difference. The one who makes the circle tires, while the one who stays put does not.”

“You see whether one is tired or not. I see the scenery along the way.” Wei Ba pointed to the mountains and forests on either side and smiled. “These mountains are high and the forests deep. To launch a surprise attack on Hanzhong here is by no means easy. This is firsthand experience. How could one understand without coming here?”

Mi Wei laughed heartily. “I won’t argue with you anymore. So, what are your plans after returning to Mianyang?”

Wei Ba pondered for a moment. “I want to persuade the Chancellor once more, hoping he will accept my advice.”

Mi Wei sneered coldly and refrained from commenting.

“Don’t worry, I won’t implicate you.” Wei Ba patted Mi Wei’s shoulder. “So far, this matter has nothing to do with you. If Heaven favors the great Han and we succeed, only then will I expose you.”

“Do you think I’m afraid of trouble?” Mi Wei gave Wei Ba a sidelong glance. “I just think you haven’t fully grasped the Chancellor’s intent. No matter how perfect your plan is, he won’t agree.”

Wei Ba fell silent, forced to admit Mi Wei had some truth in his words.

...

Just as Wei Ba feared, Meng Da’s defection from Wei to Han and Sima Yi’s swift arrival and departure all transpired in less than a month, far exceeding Zhuge Liang’s expectations. The war in the three eastern commanderies did not drag on as he had anticipated, and there were still no signs of reinforcements from Jiangdong. This left Zhuge Liang hesitant.

The two prior measures he had arranged were now ineffective. Should he proceed with the northern campaign? If he did, he had no guaranteed support and would have to rely solely on his own forces. If not, how much longer should he wait in Hanzhong? Delay too long, and the supplies prepared early on would be wasted, requiring replenishment from Chengdu.

Having spent a year in Hanzhong without launching a single soldier and consuming vast amounts of provisions, how could he explain this to his opponents?

Zhuge Liang was troubled and discussed at length with Ma Su and others but remained indecisive.

Unaware of this, Wei Ba was traveling. Although Zhuge Liang and Ma Su had disregarded his advice, he had already made a deep impression on them. Intelligence gathered through various channels showed that several of Wei Ba’s predictions about the war had astonishingly come true.

Wei Ba told Wei Yan: the Chancellor would not approve his Ziwu Valley plan. Result: accurate!

Wei Ba told Zhuge Qiao that Sima Yi might not wait for the imperial edict from Luoyang and would rush to Fangling at top speed. Without timely reinforcements, Meng Da might be swiftly defeated, and the Chancellor’s plan would fail. Result: accurate!

Wei Ba told Ma Su that Jiangdong was unlikely to take this operation seriously. Result: so far, Jiangdong has made no move. Accurate again!

Three predictions in a row hit the mark, forcing Zhuge Liang and Ma Su to view Wei Ba with new respect and reconsider their own plans. Yet, they still could not be sure if Wei Ba’s final prediction about the war would come true.

Wei Ba’s military reports had stated that if they marched into Longyou, temporary victories were possible, but in the long run, Shu Han would be exhausted and defeated without battle.

Zhuge Liang did not believe Wei Ba was infallible but had to admit his analysis made sense. Unlike the method Ma Su used to convince Zhuge Liang, Wei Ba’s tactical simulations were mostly grounded in hard, indisputable facts unlikely to change rapidly, whereas Ma Su’s ideas were more speculative. To put it bluntly, Ma Su didn’t so much defeat Wei Ba tactically as silence him with the Chancellor’s authority.

This was power, unrelated to skill. One could silence Wei Ba with authority, but facts would not change. Zhuge Liang was well aware of this, so his doubts gradually became his own thoughts. Though he rationally rejected such ideas, once the seed was planted, it was not easy to remove.

The date for the northern campaign kept being postponed. The new year passed, and the first month of Jianxing’s sixth year was nearly over. Even when Wei Ba returned to Mianyang late in the month, Zhuge Liang had not yet decided to mobilize. His hesitation troubled him, but what troubled him more was the report from Zong Yu, sent to Wuchang to meet Sun Quan and explain the conflict between Wei Ba and Pan Zhang. So far, Wu had shown no sign of sending troops to support the northern campaign.

This only deepened Zhuge Liang’s worries.

When Wei Ba returned to Mianyang, he saw that Zhuge Liang’s main camp was still at the foot of Yangping Mountain, and he breathed a sigh of relief. His greatest fear was that Zhuge Liang had already set out, leaving him no chance to petition. Even if he chased after him, would Zhuge Liang turn back halfway?

Wei Ba promptly went to the central camp’s main tent to see him.

Zhuge Liang sat behind a desk. Compared to months ago, he looked thinner, his brows faintly clouded with worry.

“Chancellor…” Wei Ba called timidly, but Zhuge Liang looked up, glanced at him, and smiled. “Zi Yu, feeling guilty?”

Wei Ba was embarrassed and stammered, “Chancellor, I…”

“Don’t say more. I know everything about you. Overall, though you were somewhat reckless at the time, under those circumstances, mistakes are understandable. That you escaped unharmed is fortunate.”

Wei Ba had struggled upstream for a month and had no knowledge of developments at Fangling, so he was anxious. Though he hadn’t seen reinforcements heading there, it could be that Zhuge Liang had already deployed troops and had no more to spare, allowing the situation to worsen. Seeing Zhuge Liang’s worried expression made him even more tense.

“Commander Zong has reached Wuchang and the talks went well. We just need to compensate Pan Zhang with some money to appease him. Meng Da still commands Fangling, but your elder brother Wei Feng will be his deputy. Also, after Zong returns, he will go to Fangling as an overseer appointed by the Chancellor’s office.”

Zhuge Liang briefly explained the arrangement for Fangling. Hearing this, Wei Ba finally relaxed. Moving most of Meng Da’s troops out and placing Zong Yu and Wei Feng there meant that although Meng Da remained commander, stirring trouble would be much harder. Compared to the number of people taken from Meng Da’s side, the money given to Pan Zhang was insignificant.

“Chancellor, your strategy is brilliantly executed.”

Zhuge Liang was momentarily stunned, then smiled. Rising, he stepped away from the desk, folded his hands behind his back, and approached Wei Ba. Fixing his gaze upon him for a moment, he chuckled, “Boy, trying to be a smooth-talking flatterer? I don’t like subordinates like that.”

Wei Ba awkwardly nodded. “I will heed the Chancellor’s advice.”

“Hm. Although you made some mistakes in the eastern three commanderies, overall, your efforts are commendable. Well done. Go rest well; I have even more important tasks for you.”

Wei Ba responded loudly, “Then… Chancellor, may I take my leave?”

“Wait.” Zhuge Liang called him back, pondering for a moment. “Zi Yu, I want to ask you: what are your thoughts on the current situation?”

Wei Ba was momentarily caught off guard, staring blankly at Zhuge Liang. They stared at each other in silence; the atmosphere in the tent grew slightly strange. After a while, Wei Ba understood the question’s meaning. He lowered his head, thought long and hard, then looked up earnestly at Zhuge Liang.

“Chancellor, I believe it’s better to delay than to rush. Taking more time to prepare is acceptable. Once troops are deployed, it’s like an arrow leaving the bow; there will be little room for retreat.”

Zhuge Liang narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded. “I see. You may return and rest now.”

Wei Ba took his leave and, upon exiting the tent, recalled something. Zhuge Liang had said Meng Da, Wei Feng, and Zong Yu would form a team—what about Zhuge Qiao? Was he also on his way back?

As Wei Ba pondered this, he walked forward and saw Peng Xiaoyu, the dark-faced servant girl, coming to greet him. Though dressed in servant’s attire, her face beamed with joy; if not for the presence of others, she might have waved and called out to Wei Ba.

Despite still disliking the dark birthmark on her face, Wei Ba was glad to see his little servant. He hurried to meet her, grinning, “It’s been months. Have you missed your young master?”

Peng Xiaoyu blushed, giggling but refusing to answer. She followed him a few steps, then suddenly realized something. “Young master, where are you going?”

Wei Ba smiled, “I’m going to the prisoner camp to say goodbye to a friend.”

“A friend in the prisoner camp?” Peng Xiaoyu asked but obediently followed him toward the camp.

Wei Ba went to the prisoner camp to see Jin Dongliu. The two had traveled together and often bickered. Now the situation was different: Wei Ba was a decorated officer of the Chancellor’s office, while Jin Dongliu was a captured Wei general. In the future, Wei Ba would find it inconvenient to visit him.

Jin Dongliu was not surprised to see Wei Ba but was stunned upon seeing Peng Xiaoyu at his side. He stared at her silently for a long time, just as he had the first time he saw her.

Wei Ba laughed. “You have quite unique tastes. Did you realize that although my servant girl isn’t particularly beautiful, she’s very clever?”

Jin Dongliu finally came to his senses, shook his head, glanced at Peng Xiaoyu again, and smiled. “My apologies, please forgive my rudeness, Commander.”

―――――― Due to electrical renovations in the neighborhood, the power was out all morning and just restored now. Apologies for the delayed update, and thank you all for your understanding.