Chapter 120: The Indirect Path Is the Direct One

In Zhuge Liang’s tailor-made plan for Wei Ba, getting close to Xiahou Mao was a crucial step. Xiahou Mao was General Who Pacifies the West and Governor of Guanzhong. With Cao Zhen currently in Luoyang recuperating from illness, Xiahou Mao had become the most important figure in the western theater. Having him command the campaign in Yongzhou would be far more advantageous to Shu Han than having Cao Zhen do so. Thus, one of Wei Ba’s assignments was to encourage Xiahou Mao to take charge as much as possible and delay Cao Zhen’s entry into Guanzhong.

Zhuge Liang had racked his brains over how Wei Ba might approach Xiahou Mao. Xiahou Mao’s interest lay in health and longevity, while Wei Ba’s weakness was his lack of learning. He knew little of books, and as for Daoist texts, he was utterly ignorant of even the most common classics, such as the Five Thousand Words of Laozi and the Book of Changes. If he tried discussing such matters with Xiahou Mao, he would certainly reveal himself within two sentences.

Fortunately, Wei Ba was not without merit. He had his own strengths. For one thing, his skill in mathematics was unrivaled in his age. Since he had been capable of calculating Yang Yi into a fit of vomiting, he could practically move unchecked in Cao Wei. For another, his way of thinking differed from that of ordinary people. In Zhuge Liang’s words, Wei Ba possessed an exceptionally unique perspective and could spot unusual things in places everyone else considered perfectly normal.

In Daoist terms, this was called insight, or the discerning eye.

What Zhuge Liang did not know was that it was neither insight nor a discerning eye. It was science. Those unconventional observations were the crystallized wisdom of more than a thousand years of accumulated knowledge, especially the achievements of several centuries of modern scientific development.

It did not matter that Zhuge Liang did not know this. He could still bring Wei Ba’s strengths into full play. Using mathematics to “study” Daoist arts was one of the principal components of the plan. Zhuge Liang had proposed the general direction, while Wei Ba himself had organized and compiled the specific material.

In the eyes of certain scientists, the world was a mathematical world. In the eyes of certain pseudoscientists, the world was likewise filled with astonishing numerical mysteries. In Wei Ba’s case, whether it was genuine scientific insight or the wild ravings of a pseudoscientist, everything was blended together for one purpose alone: to make Xiahou Mao look at him with new respect.

“General, man is one of the Three Powers of Heaven and Earth, and the spirit of all things. It follows that man is also the most accomplished in numbers. People often say that nine is supreme, but in truth, nine belongs to Heaven and Earth; it cannot possibly belong to man. In my humble opinion, five is man’s supreme number.”

Xiahou Mao possessed a heart that burned fiercely with a love of strange gossip. The moment he heard this bizarre theory, his interest was kindled. “Why do you say that?”

“General, think about it. Is there any animal in this world whose toes number more than five?”

Xiahou Mao scratched at his temples and thought for a long while. “Does a centipede count?”

“A centipede is said to have a hundred legs, but does any one of those legs have more than two toes? The truth is found in the smallest details. Only by observing with sufficient care can one perceive the differences.” Wei Ba spoke with perfect seriousness. “General, many animals have four limbs, and that alone tells us little. But the number of their toes varies greatly. Only man has five toes. Other creatures have three or four, or perhaps one or two. Man alone has five. So I began to wonder: could it be that man is the spirit of all things because he has five fingers and possesses all five elements?”

Xiahou Mao burst into laughter. “What an extraordinary theory! What an extraordinary theory!”

Wei Ba laughed as well. “Indeed, these are merely a few questions that occurred to me. They hardly qualify as scholarship. Yet from there I discovered that numbers permeate everything in this world. That, in turn, awakened my deep interest in mathematics.”

Wei Ba could certainly be said to be talking nonsense. Even in Xiahou Mao’s eyes, much of it was forced and far-fetched. Yet that was precisely why it further weakened Xiahou Mao’s wariness. If Zhuge Liang truly intended to send someone to carry out a counterintelligence scheme by approaching him through Daoist teachings, why would he send such a half-educated youth? Bashu had originally been the stronghold of the Celestial Masters’ tradition, with no shortage of accomplished Daoists. Surely anyone would have been better than Wei Ba, this amateur who barely understood the subject.

With that thought in mind, Xiahou Mao lowered his guard. He chatted merrily with Wei Ba, treating the conversation both as entertainment and as a source of amusement. Wei Ba did not care in the least. His purpose was merely to get close to Xiahou Mao, not to conduct scientific research. A few jokes at his expense were of no consequence.

Nor was Xiahou Mao the only one to relax. Xiahou Hui, who had remained silent behind the screen, gradually let down her guard as well. Before she realized it, she had pricked up her ears and begun listening to Wei Ba’s ramblings. If she had not been a woman forbidden to show herself in public, and if Wei Ba had not been an outsider, she might well have gone out front to challenge him. His strained explanations amused her, yet at the same time she found herself unable to resist the urge to correct him. These complicated feelings were like two opponents repeatedly battling within her heart.

After Wei Ba had finished talking nonsense, he returned to the relay station to rest. The more Xiahou Mao thought about it, the more amusing he found the matter. Unable to resist, he summoned Xiahou Hui and shared his views on Wei Ba’s theories. Xiahou Hui had been holding herself back for some time. Without bothering first to analyze whether Wei Ba had truly surrendered, she immediately launched into a fierce criticism of his crooked interpretations.

Even so, Xiahou Hui had to admit that although most of what Wei Ba called his insights was nonsense, some of it contained genuine wisdom. There were even points she herself had never considered. For example, Wei Ba had asked why Laozi said that the highest goodness was like water. It was not merely because water was soft and weak, in keeping with the Daoist preference for gentleness and humility, but because water embodied deeper principles.

Take a drop of water falling onto the surface of an object that cannot be wetted. It contracts into a round bead. A raindrop, before striking the ground, is likewise almost spherical. Why?

From a mathematical perspective, a sphere is the shape with the smallest surface area for a given volume. It was much like a person whose abilities and capacities were fixed. If he wished to preserve himself and follow the Daoist principle of valuing gentleness, he would keep as low a profile as possible, reducing the attention others paid to him.

Xiahou Hui did not fully agree with the conclusions Wei Ba had drawn from this idea, but she was captivated by his mathematical explanation.

“Uncle, is a sphere truly the shape with the smallest surface area?”

Xiahou Mao froze. After thinking for a moment, he gave a wry smile. “How would I know? I have never considered such a question. Still, it sounds as though there may be some truth in it.”

Xiahou Hui nodded. “Uncle, the next time you discuss this with him, ask him to demonstrate it mathematically.”

Xiahou Mao looked at her in surprise. After hesitating for a while, he could not help asking, “Yuanrong, are you interested in this sort of thing?”

Xiahou Hui laughed softly. “Uncle, I am somewhat interested. But what interests me more is this: if the man truly possesses an unusual talent for mathematics, then he may be useful to you.”

Xiahou Mao gazed intently at Xiahou Hui. He was very interested in that question. By now, he had developed a strong interest in Wei Ba. Whether or not this was the young man who had defeated Sima Yi, his eloquence alone made him an excellent candidate for a place among the household retainers. Compared with Wei Ba’s wit and gift for conversation, Xiahou Mao had little faith in his ability to command troops. After all, Wei Ba’s father, Wei Yan, was a senior general of Shu Han. How could Xiahou Mao possibly allow Wei Ba to lead soldiers into battle?

If he employed Wei Ba at all, it would have to be for skills unrelated to military command. Under no circumstances could he entrust him with troops. Xiahou Mao might know little about warfare, but he possessed this much common sense.

“I have already sent people to Hanzhong to gather information,” Xiahou Mao said. “But the journey is long. Even if everything goes smoothly, it will probably take another month or two before the reports return. Besides, spies are limited in what they can do and may not be able to learn everything.”

Xiahou Mao rubbed his temples. As he calculated how to extract the greatest possible value from Wei Ba, he felt a trace of regret. He had paid too little attention to the information before, and as a result he now knew very little about Wei Ba—not even what his particular talents were.

“By the time the spies return, too much time will have passed,” Xiahou Hui said, shaking her head. “He certainly will not speak at present. But, Uncle, do not forget that he has a personal attendant with him. Since that man was able to flee alongside him, he must be one of the people closest to him. He knows Wei Ba far better than any spy could. Why not begin with him?”

Xiahou Mao’s eyes lit up. He slapped his thigh. “That is right! How could I have forgotten him? Yuanrong, you truly are an excellent strategist.”

“What do you mean, an excellent strategist? She is your lucky star as well.”

Qinghe Princess entered from the rear hall. Seeing Xiahou Mao brimming with excitement, she gave an displeased snort. His expression stiffened at once, and he hurriedly rose to salute.

The princess did not spare him a glance. She walked straight to the principal seat and sat down. Looking at Xiahou Hui, she said with a half-serious, half-teasing tone, “Yuanrong, you are all members of the Xiahou family after all. The moment we arrived in Chang’an, you forgot all about me, a member of the Cao family. You think only of helping your Xiahou uncle, while the matter I entrusted to you has not even been mentioned.”

Xiahou Hui covered her lips and smiled. “Princess, how could I possibly bear such an accusation? It is not that I meant to neglect it. It is simply that Uncle has been worrying about military affairs these past two days and has had no time. That is why I hesitated to bring it up. Uncle, is that not so?”

Xiahou Mao understood perfectly well. The princess had been here for several days, yet he had not shared her bed once. Xiahou Hui had reminded him twice, but he had no interest whatsoever in this old woman and had continually used official business as an excuse to avoid her summons. Now the princess had lost patience and emerged from the rear hall to demand an explanation. Even Xiahou Hui’s words carried a faint reproach. How could he not be nervous?

The moment Xiahou Hui gave him that opening, he seized it tightly.

“Princess, although Yuanrong bears the surname Xiahou, she also has Cao family blood in her veins. In a sense, she is half a member of the Cao family. Moreover, although she was not born to you, you have always favored her deeply. In her heart, you are surely no different from her own mother. Compared with you, I, her uncle, am naturally much more distant.”

Xiahou Mao threw back his head and laughed heartily, pretending to be carefree in order to conceal his unease.

The princess did not take up his cue. Instead, she turned to Xiahou Hui with a smiling expression. She knew what Xiahou Mao had been busy with these past few days. If Wei Ba truly was Wei Yan’s son, she could roughly imagine how useful he might be to Xiahou Mao. Naturally, she hoped that her husband would establish great merit and no longer be looked down upon by others. But however strong her own desires might be, she could still distinguish between what mattered more and what mattered less.

“So, after keeping yourselves busy for the past few days, have you made any progress?”

“Princess, we have made some progress,” Xiahou Hui replied obediently. “Uncle just tested that man and obtained some very important information. It now appears that he should be of considerable benefit to Uncle.”

Xiahou Mao promptly agreed and repeated the more amusing parts of what Wei Ba had said. Qinghe Princess was a model of conventional womanly virtue. To her, these strange and fantastical theories were both novel and astonishing, and she found them even more delightful than jokes. Before long, she too developed a strong interest in Wei Ba.

“When will you invite him here? I would like to hear these things for myself.”