Chapter 070 Military Secrets

Chapter 070: Military Secrets

“Yuanxiu, since you have doubts, speak them. Even if Ziyu can't answer, both Zong the Adjutant and I are here,” Zhuge Qiao said in a calm tone, struggling to control his anger. His words made it clear: if you want to make things difficult for Wei Ba today, it’s simply not going to happen—I won’t let you succeed.

Yang Wei’s expression grew darker. Rage surged within him, and his gaze toward Zhuge Qiao turned unfriendly. Zhuge Qiao was blatantly taking sides. Did all these years of acquaintance between us mean less than the few months of friendship you’ve had with Wei Ba?

If Yang Wei were wise, he would swallow his anger and withdraw, or perhaps laugh it off with some trivial question—a mere formality that wouldn’t escalate the conflict. But Yang Wei was not that sort of person; the angrier he became, the more he wanted to stump Wei Ba, and ideally even confound Zhuge Qiao and Zong Yu, just to show off his own abilities.

Yang Wei’s cheeks twitched twice, his gaze grew fiercer. Zhuge Qiao immediately regretted his words, realizing he had truly enraged Yang Wei and wondered what reckless statement this bookish man might utter. He looked to Zong Yu for help, but Zong Yu remained calm, signaling Zhuge Qiao to stay composed and glancing at Wei Ba as if to say: let’s see how Wei Ba handles this.

Though anxious, Zhuge Qiao was soothed by Zong Yu’s composure. He nodded and said to Wei Ba, “Ziyu, what do you think?”

Wei Ba knew there was no escaping today’s ordeal; since that was the case, he might as well face it head-on. Fortunately, Yang Wei was not Yang Yi—his fighting power probably wasn’t formidable. If the question was about classical studies…well, he’d simply admit defeat; that was certainly not his forte.

“No matter, since this is a military discussion, let’s all discuss together,” Wei Ba replied with an easy smile. “If I cannot answer, I’ll learn my shortcomings, and hear the insights of the Captain and the Adjutant—gaining a bit of knowledge is always good.”

Zhuge Qiao breathed a sigh of relief. He had feared that Wei Ba, like Yang Wei, would not know when to retreat, and that if the two got caught up in competition, Wei Ba would lose, become humiliated and angry, and things would spiral out of control. Even if Yang Yi’s temper was bad, he wouldn’t dare show it before the Prime Minister—he’d only complain in private. Wei Yan, on the other hand, was unreasonable; if provoked, who knew what he might do.

Zong Yu, with more experience than Zhuge Qiao, noticed Wei Ba was a bit uneasy, but he managed his emotions well and had already prepared an exit for himself. Compared to the others, he seemed more composed and dignified. Zong Yu found it odd; rumors said Wei Ba, like his father Wei Yan, was an impulsive fool, but today’s manner was nothing of the sort. Even among the young men present, he stood out for his steadiness.

If Zong Yu knew that Wei Ba’s actual age was only slightly less than his own and Mi Wei’s, and older than the others, he wouldn’t have been so surprised.

Wei Ba smiled at Yang Wei. “Yuanxiu, don’t worry—just ask. We’ll all be colleagues in the future, and even if you say something wrong, no one will laugh. Gentlemen, don’t you agree?”

Everyone exchanged glances, uncertain whether Wei Ba was leaving himself a way out or provoking Yang Wei. They hesitated to respond, but Fu Xing raised his voice, “Ziyu is right. Since we’re discussing together, a difference of opinion is to be expected. With Adjutant Zong here, we can trust he’ll judge fairly.”

Everyone knew Fu Xing and Wei Ba hailed from the same hometown and shared a close bond. Fu Xing had suffered greatly for Wei Ba, and Wei Ba had spent much effort caring for Fu Xing—even Fu Xing’s command in the upcoming battle owed much to Wei Ba’s influence. No one found it surprising that Fu Xing spoke up for Wei Ba.

But Yang Wei was only further enraged. The angrier he got, the harder it was to think of a question that could stump Wei Ba. He knew nothing about the situation in Hanzhong, so coming up with a question to confound Wei Ba was truly difficult. Today’s situation was much like when Yang Yi set a question to embarrass Wei Ba: they couldn’t probe Wei Ba’s background, and before anything began, they were already flustered.

They were scholars; perhaps they could recite, “Know yourself and your enemy, and you will not be defeated in a hundred battles.” But putting it into practice was hardly so simple.

Yang Wei was flushed red, his skin hot, and even his eyes reddened, as if he were about to devour someone. Wei Ba was alarmed at the sight—these father and son were truly alike, stubborn to the bitter end, suffering over pride. The father spat blood from anger; would the son succumb to hypertension or a stroke and die over such a trifle?

Wei Ba’s worried expression appeared to Yang Wei as blatant mockery. Yang Wei grew even angrier, and with a cold laugh, he said, “Wei Adjutant, I hear your esteemed father, the General Who Guards the North, once proposed a plan for the Ziwu Valley. We are heading to Anyang, which is precisely the northern end of Ziwu Valley. Could you please explain the ingenuity of your father’s plan?”

As soon as Yang Wei spoke, Zhuge Qiao’s expression changed. He sat upright and shouted sternly, “Yuanxiu, enough! Matters of military secrets must not be spoken so carelessly!”

Yang Wei knew well this matter should not be discussed openly, but his desire to trip up Wei Ba overrode all caution. He should never have known of the Ziwu Valley plan; among those present, only Zhuge Qiao and Zong Yu could have direct knowledge, and many knew nothing of it at all.

No matter whether the plan was ultimately implemented, it remained a military secret, and those present were not qualified to discuss it. Perhaps they might have heard whispers from other sources, but they absolutely could not speak of it.

In truth, their chances of even hearing about it were slim; their fathers and brothers certainly understood the importance of discretion. Compared to them, Yang Wei was truly reckless today, bringing up such a matter. No matter how Wei Ba responded, Yang Wei could not escape severe punishment.

But Yang Wei cared nothing for that now. He had learned from his father, Yang Yi, that the Ziwu Valley plan had been rejected by the Prime Minister, meaning the plan was flawed. Yet he demanded Wei Ba explain the plan’s ingenuity—if Wei Ba spoke well of it, wouldn’t that imply the Prime Minister was wrong?

Yang Wei glared fiercely at Wei Ba, his eyes full of desperate resolve, bordering on madness.

Some were astonished—astonished by the so-called Ziwu Valley plan. They might not know details, but the name itself carried enough significance. Others were shocked at Yang Wei’s recklessness; he usually seemed shrewd, so how could he act so irrationally today?

Zhuge Qiao was nearly beside himself. He raised his hand, ready to order Yang Wei dragged out, but Zong Yu reached out to restrain him, signaling not to act hastily. Since Yang Wei had already spoken, trying to cover up now would only make things worse; it was wiser to think of a way to muddle through.

Wei Ba breathed a sigh of relief. He had feared Yang Wei was clever, but he was just a fool. Before anyone could strike, he’d dug his own grave. To casually mention such a vital military secret—if the Prime Minister heard, not only would Yang Wei be doomed, but his father Yang Yi would suffer as well.

He laughed inwardly but kept a composed face, looking at Yang Wei with feigned confusion. “What is the Ziwu Valley plan?”

As soon as Wei Ba pretended ignorance, Yang Wei’s anger soared, and any remaining caution vanished. He sneered, “Your esteemed father…”

Zhuge Qiao could no longer hold back. He grabbed the stone ink slab from the desk and hurled it at Yang Wei. Yang Wei’s eyes were fixed on Wei Ba, never expecting Zhuge Qiao to act so suddenly. The ink slab struck him squarely, splitting his head and spilling ink all over him. He cried out in pain, clutching his rapidly swelling face, and crouched on the floor.

“Nonsense!” Zhuge Qiao could not understand how the usually clever Yang Wei could commit such a blunder: revealing the existence of the plan wasn’t enough; he even demanded details, as if afraid people wouldn’t know his father had leaked military secrets. Even if everyone had heard rumors, knowing there was a plan and knowing the entire plan were completely different. Could Wei Ba truly be ignorant of the plan? He knew it better than Yang Wei; pretending not to know was a deliberate move to solidify Yang Wei’s guilt.

This fool, played so easily, still wanted to compete?

“He’s exhausted, mentally disturbed, unfit for military duty—send him off the ship,” Zhuge Qiao ordered without hesitation. The warship hadn’t gone far; he sent someone to escort Yang Wei back to camp for the Prime Minister’s punishment. The man lacked composure and would only be a liability if kept around.

Yang Wei came to his senses, realizing his fate, ashamed and furious. He covered his face, not daring to cry out in pain, and stumbled toward the door. His face was smeared with blood and ink, and he lost his way, stepping on several people before finally reaching the door. With a loud crash, he slammed into the door frame, startling everyone for fear he might kill himself.

Yang Wei survived, but the blow was serious. He staggered in circles before collapsing to the ground. Whether he was truly stunned or just fainted in anger was unclear. Zhuge Qiao, beside himself with rage, shouted for someone to drag Yang Wei away.

Zong Yu remained silent, eyeing Wei Ba, whose face showed nothing but detachment. Zong Yu’s lips twitched as if to smile, but he did not. After a moment’s thought, he sighed deeply, his brows slowly knitting together.

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