Chapter 127: The Method of Circle Division and the Arts of the Bedchamber

In his previous life, Wei Ba had heard a slick, smooth-talking colleague say that doing a hundred good deeds for a superior was not as effective as doing one bad deed together. You could do an endless number of good deeds and still never become a true confidant; the relationship would remain strictly one of superior and subordinate. But if you committed a single bad deed with your leader, you became a trusted insider, and the dynamic between you transcended the simple hierarchy of office.

That was why people said the best of friends were those who had shared coarse grain, carried rifles together, and frequented brothels together. Sharing coarse grain was a bond forged in hardship; carrying rifles was a bond forged in life-and-death struggle; and visiting brothels was a bond forged in shared depravity.

Wei Ba had no interest in the title of General of the Righteousness-Upholding Garrison. Even if he were made a Grand General, he was currently a commander with no troops to lead. Zhang Lu had been made General Who Pacifies the South after his surrender, but did he have any real say in the affairs of Jing Province? Huang Quan had held the same title after his surrender, but it was merely an empty name. An insurmountable chasm still lay between him and Xiahou Mao.

However, two foot-soaking tubs had just bridged half of that chasm.

In the side courtyard of the Governor's Mansion, several thick candles illuminated the room as brightly as day. Wei Ba and Xiahou Mao sat facing each other in high-backed chairs of Wei Ba's own design, their feet submerged in warm water. The temperature was perfect, stimulating blood circulation and sending a soothing warmth flowing through their veins, slowly thawing their hearts. Nearby, Peng Xiaoyu was meticulously instructing Xiahou Mao’s beautiful concubines on massage techniques. Though Xiahou Mao leaned over a high desk, his heart had long since flown to those beauties. For months, he had been unable to see them; though he had barely touched his wine, he already felt somewhat intoxicated.

Yet, he was still not entirely at ease. Whether he could survive the scrutiny of Princess Qinghe remained an unknown. While Wei Ba had claimed to be fairly confident, it was not a guarantee. If the Princess turned hostile and had these beauties—who had walked straight into a trap—beheaded, he would suffer a devastating loss.

He decided that if the Princess executed the beauties, he would surely take Wei Ba’s head in return.

Soaking in the hot water, his legs and feet, sore from a day of kneeling, slowly regained sensation. A wave of heat rose from the soles of his feet, crept up his calves, and gathered into a warm glow beneath his lower abdomen. Xiahou Mao suddenly rediscovered a long-lost sensation. His gaze toward the beauties became increasingly intense and frequent, almost impatient, and the part of him beneath his single-layered robe stood in involuntary salute.

The concubines, kneeling nearby, caught a glimpse of Xiahou Mao’s arousal. They could not help but blush, engaging in a silent, suggestive exchange of glances with him.

Wei Ba watched Xiahou Mao’s unsightly behavior, knowing the General who Pacifies the West was already growing restless. Ordinarily, he should have known to excuse himself, but he was acutely aware that success was not yet in hand; there was still the hurdle of the Princess. Winning Xiahou Mao’s favor was not the key. Winning the favor of Princess Qinghe was the true goal.

He closed his eyes, pretending to savor the foot soak, while actually concentrating on every movement outside. When he heard the crisp clinking of jade pendants, he immediately opened his eyes and said in a grave, serious tone, "General, what do you think of my method of circle division?"

Xiahou Mao, currently caressing the beauties' figures with his eyes, was momentarily annoyed by the interruption. He glanced at Wei Ba, just about to accuse him of lacking tact, when he saw Wei Ba blink and nod toward the door. Xiahou Mao strained his ears and immediately heard the sound of hurried footsteps. Startled, he quickly picked up the cue and said loudly, "Zi Yu, I still don't quite grasp this method of yours. Could you explain it to me once more?"

"Your command is my duty, General..." Wei Ba nodded respectfully, but before he could say more, the door was kicked open with a bang. Princess Qinghe stood in the doorway, her face cold as frost, her eyes sweeping like blades between the necks of Xiahou Mao and Wei Ba.

Xiahou Mao gave an unnatural, dry laugh. "Princess, what brings you here?"

Wei Ba quickly stood up, his bare feet on the floor, and bowed deeply. "I was unaware of your arrival, Princess. My manners have been lacking; please, punish me."

"Hmph, punishment is indeed deserved." Princess Qinghe’s gaze lingered for a moment on Wei Ba’s sturdy calves before returning to a cold, icy glare. She looked at Xiahou Mao, furious. "Husband, you are a man of noble rank. How could you behave so shamelessly?"

Xiahou Mao said, feigning grievance, "Princess, what are you implying?"

"What am I implying?" Princess Qinghe was nearly driven mad. She had received word the moment Xiahou Mao arrived at the side courtyard. She had been intending to kill these little hussies to prevent future trouble; the only reason she hadn't acted was to spare Xiahou Mao some face. She had never expected him to be so stubborn as to sneak back to the courtyard.

Upon receiving the news, she was overcome with rage. Ignoring the attempts of Xiahou Hui to dissuade her, she had rushed over with soldiers, determined to slaughter these temptresses and put an end to Xiahou Mao’s lust.

Seeing the two men in casual attire, their trousers rolled up to their thighs, their legs soaking in steaming tubs, with several beautiful women in thin garments gathered around, her fury reached its peak. She could barely contain the urge to kill them all. Seeing Xiahou Mao pretend to be innocent instead of kneeling to beg for mercy only fueled her fire.

"Tell me, what are you doing? What sorcery are you up to now?"

"Sorcery? What sorcery?" Xiahou Mao felt a surge of secret joy, but his face showed none of it, only a louder, more aggrieved tone.

"Do you think I didn't hear you?" Princess Qinghe’s face turned pale with anger. "I heard you talking about 'circle division' the moment I entered. What is that if not a bedroom technique? Hmph, using the guise of health and cultivation to engage in lewdness—do you think I don't know your tricks?"

Xiahou Mao’s old face flushed, and he offered a bitter smile. "Princess, you misunderstand. Circle division is a mathematical technique, not a bedroom technique."

"Mathematics?" Princess Qinghe sneered. "Do you take me for a fool? I may not understand math, but Yuanrong does. Yuanrong, come in and listen to this 'circle division.' If he cannot explain it properly, see how I deal with him."

Xiahou Hui stood outside the door, hesitant to enter. She was still an unmarried maiden and could not be as uninhibited as Princess Qinghe. Moreover, one of the two men inside was her elder, and the other was an outsider.

"Uncle, what exactly is this 'circle division' mathematics?" Although Xiahou Hui hadn't seen the scene inside, she couldn't help but conjure an embarrassing image in her mind. Her pretty face flushed involuntarily. Raised in an aristocratic family, she knew a thing or two about such matters. Ever since Emperor Wen had ascended the throne, the atmosphere in the Great Wei had become somewhat difficult to accept.

Xiahou Mao coughed. "Zi Yu, you understand this method best. You explain it."

Wei Ba acknowledged the request. Using the circle division to distract Princess Qinghe and put her on the defensive, only to then offer counsel, was the strategy he and Xiahou Mao had devised. Now that the Princess had mistaken the mathematical term for a bedroom technique, the plan was proceeding exactly according to their script, moving one step closer to success.

Wei Ba turned, picked up a piece of paper from the desk, and presented it to Princess Qinghe with both hands. She glanced at it, seeing only a circle and many long lines. Not understanding it, she passed it directly to Xiahou Hui. Xiahou Hui, still outside, examined it carefully for a while and couldn't help but raise her eyebrows. "Master Wei, what is the purpose of this circle division?"

Wei Ba replied respectfully, "To answer the lady, it is used to calculate the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter."

"The ratio of circumference to diameter?" Xiahou Hui mused for a moment. "The ancient rule is 'three for the circumference, one for the diameter.' Is there really anything left to calculate?"

"That is merely a rough estimate. In truth, it is far from accurate. This circle division method is meant to find a more precise ratio and reduce the margin of error."

Xiahou Hui murmured an acknowledgement, once again studying the diagram intently. Before the Han Dynasty, the ratio was often approximated as three. In practical application, the error had long been discovered, but the Han Dynasty valued the classics, and mathematics was not considered a path to officialdom. Thus, few people were willing to dedicate their minds to it. The craftsmen simply worked by experience, and even less likely to consider the matter from a mathematical perspective.

Xiahou Hui knew this, which was why she was instantly captivated by what Wei Ba called circle division. Seeing her silent for so long, Princess Qinghe grew insecure and stepped back, asking softly, "Yuanrong?"

Xiahou Hui snapped out of her trance and quickly said, "Princess, this is indeed a mathematical problem, and... quite profound."

Princess Qinghe’s momentum faltered. Her eyes darted toward the trembling beauties, and her anger flared up again. "Even if you are here to discuss mathematics, what are these hussies for? Are you going to use women to perform your calculations?"

Xiahou Mao shook his head with a disappointed expression. He knew he lacked the standing to argue with Princess Qinghe and that his words would not carry weight, so he left the talking to Wei Ba.

Wei Ba bowed. "Princess, you misunderstand. These women are learning foot therapy from my maidservants. The General, feeling the hardship you endure, wishes to share your burdens. I am an outsider and it would be inappropriate for me to interact directly with you, so the General, in his busy schedule, has been taking the time to learn these techniques from me. Once they are trained, they will serve you."

"They are for me?" Princess Qinghe was bewildered.

"Indeed," Wei Ba said firmly. "To be more precise, they are for both you and the General. You mentioned this was a 'bedroom technique'—in a way, you are not entirely wrong. It is indeed a technique of the inner chambers."

Wei Ba flowed with eloquence, praising foot therapy to the skies. He spoke of how the feet are the roots of a person, how one ages from the feet upward, how the soles are the "second heart," and how regular foot therapy could not only aid sleep and relax the mind but also delay aging. He had heard plenty of such rhetoric in his previous life, and now, using it to deceive a woman like Princess Qinghe—who had little education and, as an older woman mourning the loss of her youth, was desperate to grasp at its tail—the allure was magnified tenfold.

"Is it truly possible to prolong life and maintain one's youth?" Princess Qinghe had forgotten why she had come in the first place, asking impatiently.

"Princess, hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once. Since you are here, why not experience it yourself?" Wei Ba smiled. "Prolonging life cannot be proven in a single day, but I can guarantee that you will sleep soundly tonight, and when you wake up tomorrow morning, you will feel refreshed, as if in the prime of your youth."

Xiahou Mao quickly urged, "Exactly, Princess. A thousand words are not worth one experience. Come, try it for yourself, and you will understand my good intentions." He glared at one of the beauties. "Why are you standing there like a fool? Come over and serve the Princess!"