Chapter 079: I Gamble My Youth on Tomorrow

Yang Yi finished reading the urgent report, taking nearly the time it would take for a meal. He slowly put it down, his face pale, his lips drained of color, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He lowered his head, pondering for a long time, until Fei Yi and Hu Ji had also read it. Only then did he lift his head, look around the room, and speak in a dry voice, "Though I have little affection for that young man, from the perspective of mathematics, I must admit his calculations are extremely precise and thorough. The transport of supplies will be the greatest weakness of our northern campaign. If we cannot achieve a swift victory, our army... our army..."

Zhuge Liang remained silent. He was the first to read the report; though his mathematical skills might not surpass Yang Yi’s, he was certainly competent enough. Moreover, he had been preparing for the northern expedition daily, and knew well that the transport of provisions was the greatest vulnerability. He had once harbored some hope, but hearing Yang Yi’s assessment, even that last thread of optimism vanished without a trace.

Fei Yi and Hu Ji exchanged glances, shaking their heads with bitter smiles. Zhuge Liang glanced at them, then turned his gaze toward Ma Su.

Ma Su had been deep in thought since handing the urgent report to Yang Yi. Sensing Zhuge Liang’s gaze, he lifted his head and smiled slightly. “Lord Wei is correct; purely from this matter, Wei Ba’s urgent report holds some merit. Especially for a young man who has yet to be tempered by battle, such insight is indeed rare. However, it remains mere theory on paper—worth considering, but not to be taken as absolute truth. If everything could be resolved by calculation, what need would there be for us? Lord Wei could simply sit in Chengdu and deduce the outcome.”

With that, Ma Su laughed; Yang Yi and the others followed suit, but after a couple of laughs, the mood felt hollow, and they all fell silent. The feeling left Zhuge Liang unsettled.

Ma Su looked at Yang Yi and the others, puzzled, and laughed, “What’s wrong? Do you truly believe the course of battle will follow this outcome? Can you not see the flaws in the reasoning? Lord Wei, I’m not speaking of flaws in the calculation—transporting provisions has always been our weakness, that’s undeniable. But he’s only extrapolated from the current situation, forgetting that factors change as the campaign unfolds. For instance, if we seize Longyou, the wheat fields at Shanggui, now guarded by Wei, would become ours, greatly alleviating our supply difficulties. Or, to give another example…”

Ma Su quickly listed several reasons; only then did Yang Yi and the others visibly relax. Zhuge Liang’s expression had not changed much throughout, but the concern in his eyes eased. He looked at Ma Su with approval and nodded.

Ma Su bowed. “Prime Minister, Wei Ba’s concern for the state is commendable. Yet he is too young and somewhat prejudiced; if he is not made to understand that his worries are unnecessary, once these doubts are spread, they will greatly affect our army’s morale. With the army about to move, we must not be careless. I intend to go to Anyang and speak with Wei Ba directly.”

Zhuge Liang thought for a moment, then nodded. “With you handling the matter, I can rest easy.” He rose and walked to his desk, opening the inkbox that had only recently been closed. “Though your visit alone is sufficient, I still wish to write him a personal letter, to show my appreciation.”

Yang Yi’s eyes reddened. His son had just set out a few days prior, only to be driven from the warship by Zhuge Qiao, thanks to Wei Ba. Now, not only was Zhuge Liang sending Ma Su to speak with Wei Ba, he was personally writing a letter of commendation. Such regard for a young subordinate was exceedingly rare—even Zhuge Qiao had never received such favor.

Zhuge Liang seemed to sense Yang Yi’s disappointment. As he wrote, he remarked, “Wei Ba is not one for empty words—he is practical and prudent, a rare talent. If nurtured well, he will be a pillar of Han in the future. As elders, we must support the younger generation. Lord Wei, how has Yuanxiu been these past days?”

Yang Yi’s mood shifted from anger to joy at once, and he bowed. “Prime Minister, he has been reflecting behind closed doors and is no longer so impulsive.”

“That is very good.” Zhuge Liang nodded, tapping the urgent report from Wei Ba with his finger and smiling. “Wei Ba has many virtues, but one failing—his official documents are too blunt. Send Yuanxiu to assist Bosong with the paperwork; it will be beneficial.”

Yang Yi was delighted.

…

Weixing Commandery was nominally under Wei territory, but its governor, Shen Yi, did not reside in Xicheng, but rather in Xunkou, a hundred li east of Xicheng. For Anyang, which lay west of Xicheng, this meant it was well outside Shen Yi’s control. Zhuge Qiao, leading five thousand troops to Anyang, encountered no enemies en route. The people of Anyang, upon seeing his banners, opened their gates and surrendered.

Zhuge Qiao was pleased and said to Wei Ba, “See? This is the will of the people—no need to fight, victory comes as naturally as returning home.”

Wei Ba smiled, saying nothing. To him, such a victory was hardly worth mentioning. Anyang had always belonged to Hanzhong; if Liu Feng had not forced Meng Da to rebel, the people of Anyang would still consider themselves natives of Yizhou, never thinking of themselves as residents of Jingzhou. Moreover, Shen Yi was more than two hundred li away, unable to exert effective control over Anyang, so the people would never foolishly oppose Zhuge Qiao.

Five thousand men may not be many, but to take a small county city like Anyang posed no difficulty. These mountain county cities were not like those of the Central Plains—small, sparsely populated, with little defensive capability unless they were of strategic importance. Weixing Commandery claimed seven counties, amounting to barely ten thousand households, most scattered among the mountains. Anyang itself had only three hundred residents—how could they resist five thousand troops?

After Zhuge Qiao entered Anyang, he paused to repair the city, preparing for a long defense. At the same time, he sent a thousand vanguard soldiers along the mountain roads toward Xicheng, led by Zhang Wei and Fu Xing. Zhang Wei and Fu Xing were close friends; when Fu Xing was injured, Zhang Wei had visited the Wei camp several times, thus becoming acquainted with Wei Ba, though only in passing. There was no real friendship between them. Among these commanders, there was an unwritten rule—not to proactively socialize with others, and certainly not to form factions. If not for chance, even Fu Xing would not have become friends with Wei Ba.

Wei Ba understood this and curbed any ambitions of gathering followers. He even began to understand why Guan Yu in the past, and now his own father, behaved in such a reserved manner. Private friendships among commanders with armies were a cause for suspicion from those in power. The higher one rises, the lonelier it becomes; to hold high office and command troops, one must not seek a circle of companions—unless one enjoys absolute favor and can guarantee the ruler’s trust.

Wei Ba was in charge of logistics; he would not have the opportunity to go to the front lines, so he stayed in Anyang. During Zhuge Qiao’s repairs to the city, Wei Ba contributed some expertise and took the chance to study the methods of city construction in this era. To him, it was simply a matter of engineering; apart from improving some defensive tools, he had little advantage over the locals.

Once the repairs were done, there was little else to do. Wei Ba became deeply interested in the northern Ziwugu Valley. Ziwugu ran almost perfectly north-south—‘zi’ for north, ‘wu’ for south—hence its name. The northern end had Ziwugu Pass, south of Chang’an County; the southern end had Yaoling Pass, just north of Anyang, with a straight-line distance of seventy or eighty li. However, to travel from Anyang to Yaoling Pass one had to first go west for seventy or eighty li, then turn northeast, so the actual route was over one hundred and fifty li, all through mountain roads.

Wei Ba was eager to set aside his duties and personally traverse Ziwugu, to experience the terrain and see if it was suitable for troop movements. His physical condition was slightly inferior to the Wei family’s martial guards, but better than the average county soldier. If he could make the journey, the county troops should have no trouble.

Yet matters were not so simple. Though he had little to do in Anyang, he could not leave arbitrarily, especially as his destination was Ziwugu—Zhuge Qiao would surely not grant permission. Thus, Wei Ba waited patiently in Anyang, eagerly anticipating Zhuge Liang’s response to his military report. He had always felt Zhuge Liang’s plans were too cautious, with a low chance of success. After repeated simulations, he became convinced that the Ziwugu plan was absolutely necessary. If Zhuge Liang could adapt and adopt the Ziwugu plan, much trouble would be avoided. Otherwise, for the Wei family to undertake the Ziwugu plan alone would be exceedingly difficult. Lady Zhang, though a heroine among women, was not as belligerent as his father; she would have to consider the risks carefully, and whether she would agree to his plan was still uncertain.

Zhuge Liang’s reply had not yet arrived, but the chief clerk of the Hanzhong Prefecture, Zhao Su, came instead. He was escorting provisions; besides the ten thousand shi of grain allocated by the Prefecture, he also brought the hundred thousand shi purchased by Wei Ba.

After completing the official handover, Zhao Su followed Wei Ba into the supply camp. Easygoing and close in age to Wei Ba, Zhao Su had become a good friend, their frequent dealings as chief clerk making them familiar. Without waiting for an invitation, he took off his shoes, hugged his legs, sat on the mat, and smiled at Wei Ba.

“General, the march must be tiring?”

Wei Ba smiled. “Born into a military family, this is fate—no matter how hard it is, one must endure. Fortunately, the journey by boat made it bearable. Well, besides bringing grain, do you have anything else to say?”

Zhao Su chuckled, tugging at his short beard and pretending to ponder deeply. “I discussed your proposal with my father—the risks are simply too high.”

Wei Ba knew Zhao Su’s temperament and was not in a hurry. He calmly picked up the ledger and began to check the accounts item by item. Seeing Wei Ba’s demeanor, Zhao Su forced a smile. “Can’t you respond? How am I supposed to continue?”

Wei Ba didn’t look up. “This is a transaction of mutual consent. I made it clear from the start—the risks are high, but so are the rewards. If you seek fortune through risk, go ahead; if you prefer a peaceful life, don’t envy others in the future. I’ve given you the opportunity, but whether you want it, or can seize it, is not up to me.”

“Talking to you is really dull.” Zhao Su sighed. “All right, I admit, though I don’t care much, my father is tempted—he wants to bet my humble life on the future of the Zhao family.”