Chapter 71: Returning Home

Chapter 071: Homecoming

Yang Wei was dragged out, and those remaining in the cabin slowly regained their composure, though the shock of what had just transpired lingered stubbornly. Thus, Zhuge Qiao’s first military council ended in chaos, its purpose unfulfilled.

Wei Ba requested leave from Zhuge Qiao, for he needed to hurry to Nanzheng and visit his family estate. Now that he was part of the army, even if the route was convenient, he could not act on his own; he required Zhuge Qiao’s permission. Zhuge Qiao, in low spirits and not in the mood to dwell on matters, granted the request without hesitation. He was deeply ashamed—he and Yang Wei had been friends for years and had always gotten along well, yet he never imagined Yang Wei would do such a thing today. As the saying goes, to judge a person, first look at the company he keeps. With a friend like Yang Wei, Zhuge Qiao felt humiliated and dejected. To have his first assembly of generals end in such disgrace—once word reached his father, he could only guess what the reaction would be.

“I’m going to disappoint the Prime Minister,” Zhuge Qiao sighed, sitting at his somewhat disordered desk, gazing at the ink stains on the floorboards—marks perhaps never to be cleansed—and feeling as though a cloud had settled over his heart, pressing on his chest with anxiety.

Wei Ba understood Zhuge Qiao’s feelings. Yang Wei’s position was a testament to Zhuge Qiao’s trust in him. Although Wei Ba's own rank appeared higher than Yang Wei’s, Zhuge Qiao valued Yang Wei’s loyalty more. Yang Wei’s disgrace was like a stinging slap to Zhuge Qiao’s face; in his anger, he might have wanted to kill Yang Wei on the spot.

Later, when Ma Su lost Jieting and Zhuge Liang executed him in tears, the sentiment was much the same. In one’s hour of need, to be undermined by a trusted brother wounds deeply.

“Bosong, men come in a hundred forms—how can they all be the same? Why let this weigh so heavily on your heart?” Wei Ba sighed as well, gently patting Zhuge Qiao’s back. “To be honest, I bear some responsibility in this matter as well. Yuanxiu was not always this way; it was only because... Alas, I never expected things to come to this. I blame my own youthful recklessness.”

Zhuge Qiao managed a helpless smile. Whatever Wei Ba’s true intent, his words of comfort moved him. Still, he was not inclined to bare his heart to Wei Ba, whose calculated maneuvering of Yang Wei during the meeting remained vivid in his mind—besides, Yang Wei was, after all, his friend.

“Ziyu, are you heading to Nanzheng because you’re homesick?”

“Yes, it’s been more than half a year since I last went home,” Wei Ba replied, smiling. “This is the longest I’ve ever gone without seeing my mother. Since we’ll be heading to Anyang soon and may not return for the New Year, I wanted to visit her and put her mind at ease.”

“Are you referring to your birth mother,” Zhuge Qiao asked hesitantly, “or your chief mother?”

“Both my birth mother and my chief mother, as well as an aunt. That aunt has only a little daughter left; her two sons died young. She treats me and Awu as her own, while my mother considers her daughter as her own as well.” Thinking of clever, lovable Lan’er, Wei Ba couldn’t help but chuckle. “Naturally, we treat that little girl as our own sister. As for the chief mother, though my elder brother and I are not blood siblings, our bond is as close as any.”

“You are truly fortunate to have three mothers,” Zhuge Qiao said with a hint of envy, then patted Wei Ba’s shoulder. “Very well, I’ll grant you one day’s leave. As long as you catch up before we reach Anyang, all is well.”

“Of course.” Wei Ba nodded, then after some thought, asked, “Bosong, can you tell me how many months’ rations I should prepare?”

Zhuge Qiao’s eyes flashed, but he did not answer at once. For this campaign, part of the army’s provisions would come from the military camp at Mianyang, and part from the Hanzhong governor’s office at Nanzheng. As the one responsible for supplies, Wei Ba naturally had to prepare in advance. However, there was a catch: only Zhuge Qiao and Zong Yu knew the true objective of the operation. Wei Ba was completely in the dark.

Thus, Wei Ba’s inquiry was both part of his duty and a subtle test. He knew well that though he held a prestigious post in Zhuge Qiao’s army, he was little more than an ornamental figure—kept at a distance from real secrets. He suspected Yang Wei knew far more about the campaign’s true aims than he did.

A high title did not necessarily mean true importance—a timeless truth. That was why Wei Ba had refused to enter the Prime Minister’s household, recommending Cheng An instead: he understood that even if he entered, he would wield no real power, just be kept as a figurehead. Now, accompanying Zhuge Qiao on campaign, his rank appeared more illustrious than Zong Yu’s, but his assignment was only logistics; he knew nothing of the operation’s details. This revealed the Prime Minister’s true attitude toward the Wei family.

After a moment’s contemplation, Zhuge Qiao replied, “Prepare for at least six months.”

Wei Ba nodded and asked no more. It was now the tenth month; six months meant preparations would last until late spring of the following year. Zhuge Liang planned to send troops to Longyou in the spring; Zhuge Qiao’s task was to contain the Wei forces in the Eastern Three Commanderies and perhaps even Wancheng. Whether or not they seized the Eastern Three Commanderies was another matter, but they were clearly not the main force of the northern expedition.

In other words, they were a decoy force.

Wei Ba bowed and withdrew, gathering Dun Wu and the others waiting outside the cabin. Together they left Zhuge Qiao’s warship, mounted their horses, and sped toward Nanzheng.

...

The Wei family estate looked just as it always had, unchanged by time. Wei Ba told Dun Wu and the others to return to their own homes, then made his way directly to the courtyard where his mother resided. Passing through a long alley, he arrived at the secluded courtyard and pushed open the door, his face alight with an eager smile—only for that expression to freeze in astonishment.

A flock of chicks pecked about the yard, while an elderly woman, holding a bamboo tray, scattered feed as she clucked at them. The chicks swarmed around her feet, chirping incessantly, little balls of downy fluff.

How had his mother’s quarters become a chicken coop? Wei Ba’s shock gave way to a surge of rage. As he was about to vent his anger, the old woman noticed him, squinting with murky eyes, pointing at him with a trembling, age-spotted finger.

Wei Ba reined in his temper, not wishing to quarrel with a servant. In a cold voice, he asked, “Where has my mother gone?”

The old woman shuffled closer, peering at him for a long moment before asking uncertainly, “Are you... young master Ba?”

Wei Ba nodded and repeated, “Do you know where my mother is?”

“Ah!” The old woman slapped her thigh and broke into a toothless grin. “Your mother, Madam Deng, moved to the rear courtyard. No one lives here now, just old me, raising a few chickens to save eggs for the children.”

At this, Wei Ba’s anger vanished in an instant, replaced by shame at his near loss of control. And he called himself a man fit for great deeds—such poor self-mastery! Besides, had he not returned today because he believed some matters could only be resolved by the lady of the house, not his father? Why, then, had he immediately suspected her of petty revenge at the slightest sign of trouble?

He wasted no more time on idle talk and headed to the rear courtyard. There stood two small buildings: Lady Zhang’s quarters to the west, and to the east, his father’s study occupied the upper floor while the lower was vacant—where his mother, Madam Deng, had surely moved. This might not rival Lady Zhang’s quarters, but it was a marked improvement over her former secluded abode.

To be admitted to the rear courtyard was a leap indeed; in a sense, it meant she had risen from the status of concubine, akin to a servant, to that of a recognized wife. For Wei Ba, it was nothing remarkable, but for Madam Deng, it was an immense blessing.

Before he reached the door, he heard his mother’s joyful laughter.

“Lan’er, your needlework keeps getting better. I believe you’ll one day surpass your mother and become the most skillful maiden in the Wei family.”

A shy, childlike voice replied, “But Aunt Deng, do you think big brother will like the pouch I made?”

“Of course! Your brother Ba and brother Wu will surely carry it with them every day,” Madam Deng laughed. “But when it comes time for them to meet their future brides, I won’t let them wear it.”

“Why not?”

“I’m afraid that if the other girls see your pouch, they’ll feel embarrassed and refuse to marry your brothers. Then how would they ever find wives?”

“I’m done, I’m done. Mother, Aunt Deng is teasing me,” Lan’er protested.

“Silly girl, Aunt Deng is just teasing. But no matter how good your needlework, can it outshine Aunt Deng’s?”

“Mother, do you think big brother will like the pouch I embroidered?”

Wei Ba laughed aloud, striding through the door. “If it’s made by Lan’er, how could I not like it?”

The three women in the room fell silent in surprise. Lan’er dropped her needlework and flew into Wei Ba’s arms, giggling like a swallow. “Big brother, when did you get home?”

“The moment I heard you were making me a pouch, I rushed back overnight!”

“Heehee, big brother is teasing me again.” Lan’er clung to his neck, laughing in embarrassment.

Lady Li approached, patting Lan’er’s little bottom and taking her in her arms. Tapping her on the nose, she scolded gently, “Silly girl, your brother came home to see Aunt Deng, and you’ve already monopolized him. He’s come such a long way and must be tired; shouldn’t you fetch him some water?”

Lan’er stuck out her tongue, nodded prettily, and darted off. Smiling, Lady Li bowed to Wei Ba. “This humble servant, Lady Li, greets young master Ba.”

Madam Deng stepped forward and gently pushed Lady Li. “Look at you, so formal with Ba. When he was little, he often slept in your arms.”

“That was then, this is now,” Lady Li said, smiling. “Young master Ba is no longer a child—he’s a grown man, and proper etiquette is in order.”

Wei Ba blushed crimson and quickly changed the subject. “Mother, when did you move here? I just went to the old courtyard and found chickens there—it gave me quite a fright.”

“Silly boy, it’s thanks to you that I no longer have to live in the side courtyard. Now I’ve moved to the rear quarters,” Madam Deng said, radiant with joy, drawing Wei Ba to sit beside her as she happily recounted her newfound contentment.