Chapter 129: Trouble in the Southeast

It turns out that, at times, sacrificing oneself to feed a tiger is a necessary endeavor.

Exhausted to the point of near collapse, Xiahou Mao received a brilliant suggestion from the thoroughly satisfied Princess Qinghe. Since the Emperor had granted Wei Ba the title of Colonel of Righteousness, he could not be left without troops under his command; otherwise, he would merely be a titular colonel. No matter how much wealth one bestowed upon him, he would never be truly content. To satisfy him, he had to be provided with subordinates, turning him into a real colonel. However, one could not allow Wei Ba to grow too powerful, so these troops had to be absolutely trustworthy—men who, at a moment's notice, could be commanded to render Wei Ba a figurehead once again.

Thus, integrating Wei Ba into the Governor’s Office’s direct Guard Battalion was a perfect solution. The soldiers of the Guard Battalion were elite and held vital positions; placing Wei Ba in command was a sufficient display of trust. At the same time, the loyalty of these soldiers was guaranteed, leaving no fear of them being bought off by Wei Ba. Should he show any sign of disloyalty, these men could return to the Governor’s command at any time.

Xiahou Mao slapped his desk in admiration. Had he not been thoroughly drained by Princess Qinghe, he might have felt the urge to sacrifice himself to the tiger once more.

And so, right there in the couple’s bedchamber, Wei Ba suddenly found himself with a residence, dozens of servants, and a thousand soldiers—truly elite troops commanded by two lieutenants. One of these lieutenants was none other than Tian Fu, also known as Tian Jinjiang.

Watching Tian Fu’s sullen expression as he stood alongside the other lieutenant, Xu Ran, Wei Ba wanted to laugh but held it back. Tian Fu was already deeply disgruntled; if he were to laugh now, he risked provoking the man into a fit of rage.

In truth, he would have felt the same. For a man who worked hard, seeing a surrendered general promoted above him—especially one whose rapid rise was merely due to pandering to Xiahou Mao and Princess Qinghe—was galling. True talent always held such bootlickers in the highest contempt.

However, Wei Ba had no time to console the wounded Tian Fu. He could only marvel at the brilliance of Prime Minister Zhuge Liang. Whether or not he was skilled at commanding armies, his ability to scheme was peerless. Wei Ba had always claimed he wanted to surrender to Luoyang, but in his position, who could he even meet? If it were his father, Wei Yan, Cao Rui might have granted an audience, offered praise, and given him a hollow title to keep him idle. As a mere clerk in the Prime Minister’s office, the most he could expect was being questioned about Zhuge Liang’s plans before being given some insignificant post, never to be heard from again. As for reaching the core of power and exerting influence? That would have to wait for the next life.

But remaining in Chang’an made him invaluable to Xiahou Mao. As long as he could handle Xiahou Mao, he could gain access to critical information and exert influence, potentially fulfilling Zhuge Liang’s mission.

Zhuge Liang had discussed these factors with him extensively, and events were unfolding largely as they had predicted. Wei Ba had been cautious with his progress to ensure his own safety, refusing to leave any trace of his true intentions. So far, he had yet to uncover any truly valuable intelligence.

Of course, it was not as if he had achieved nothing. Xiahou Mao had provided him with a thousand men. By accepting him, these men became the foundation for his future exploits, provided he remained truly loyal. Furthermore, Xiahou Mao had almost entirely accepted his six-word advice: the Guanzhong region was currently implementing military-run farming, and the city of Chang’an was being renovated.

Whether it was the farming or the city repairs, both were preparations for a future war of attrition—utilizing the manpower and resources of Guanzhong to stockpile strategic supplies for the Shu-Han army. Only with a fortified city could they defend, and only with grain could they hold out for long.

This, too, was part of Zhuge Liang’s design: to leverage Guanzhong’s resources while paving the way for Wei Ba to win Xiahou Mao’s trust. If he had advised Xiahou Mao to attack Hanzhong now, Xiahou Mao would have either suspected him or thought him a fool, and would never have entrusted him with such responsibility.

"Xiaoyu," Wei Ba called out toward the house.

"Coming, coming!" Peng Xiaoyu replied, emerging with a large bundle on her back, her face radiant with joy. Xiahou Mao had not only given Wei Ba a thousand troops but also a residence and over a dozen servants. From today, they no longer needed to stay in the post house; they finally had a home in Chang’an. Peng Xiaoyu had been up since dawn, packing and preparing to move.

To this day, she had no idea that Wei Ba’s surrender was a ruse; she genuinely believed it to be real. If it were a true surrender, everything in Hanzhong was behind them, and they had to earn their own living. To Peng Xiaoyu, this house was a windfall.

"What are you standing there like fools for?" the burly Xu Ran kicked a guard beside him, scolding, "Go help Miss Peng with her luggage!"

"Yes, sir!" The two guards hurriedly stepped forward, took the heavy bundle, and headed toward the carriage outside.

Wei Ba did not stand on ceremony. "Xiaoyu, go with the two lieutenants to check the house and arrange things as you see fit. I still need to thank the Governor. I’m not sure when I’ll be back, so please handle the arrangements and treat everyone who helped to a meal."

"I understand," Peng Xiaoyu chirped, as happy as a little sparrow, running back and forth to collect all their belongings.

Wei Ba, accompanied by Dun Wu, turned toward the Governor’s Office. Upon meeting Xiahou Mao, he first expressed his gratitude.

Xiahou Mao’s eyes were slightly dark, but his spirits were high. Seeing Wei Ba come to thank him, he waved his hand. "Enough, this is the result of your loyalty. Do your work well; that is more useful than flowery words."

"Yes, your subordinate will do his utmost to devise strategies for the General."

Xiahou Mao was very satisfied. Wei Ba positioned himself as a strategist rather than a general, showing he understood his place and had not become arrogant.

"Hm, Ziyu. That advice of yours—to build high walls and store grain—I was skeptical at first, but it seems there is wisdom in planning ahead." Xiahou Mao gestured for Wei Ba to follow him into the courtyard. While practicing his tai chi movements, he said, "I just received word this morning that there is trouble in the Southeast. The imperial army will soon be transferred to Yangzhou. As for us... sigh, it seems we must focus on defense for now; we have no strength to launch an offensive."

Wei Ba’s heart skipped a beat, and his scalp tingled. Trouble in the Southeast? Could it be that Sun Quan had finally begun to move? If Cao Wei’s main army was being transferred to the Southeast, the opportunity Zhuge Liang had been waiting for had arrived.

"General, could it be that the Blue-Eyed One in the East is acting up again?"

Xiahou Mao glanced at him, shook his head, and smiled mysteriously, refusing to elaborate. Wei Ba dared not press further and could only feign keen interest, watching Xiahou Mao’s movements.

"As for storing grain, I have already arranged for the farming. There is plenty of idle land in Guanzhong; the only lack is population. With the new farming tools you invented, I believe we can improve efficiency. By August this year, we will have our first harvest. Perhaps then we can even support Luoyang and solve the Emperor’s urgent needs."

Thinking of this, Xiahou Mao raised his eyebrows, seemingly envisioning the Emperor’s praise.

"Then the General must prepare ships in advance. Transporting grain down the Wei River is very convenient," Wei Ba said with a smile. "Since the High Emperor established the capital in Guanzhong, it has always been other regions transporting grain to the capital. Now that the General holds Guanzhong, the region can support Luoyang with grain. You are truly pioneering a path for generations to come."

"Hahaha!" Xiahou Mao laughed heartily. "Pioneering a path for generations—that is a bit much. Truth be told, without your suggestions and those new tools you designed, with the current population of Guanzhong, we would be lucky to just survive, let alone have surplus grain for Luoyang. Ziyu, if this truly succeeds, you are the real hero; I am merely reaping the benefits of your work."

Wei Ba offered a few modest words. Xiahou Mao continued, "However, building the walls is a major problem now."

"Oh? What is the issue?"

"Building walls is not easy," Xiahou Mao sighed, continuing his slow, rhythmic movements. "The population of Guanzhong is sparse. To build walls, we must conscript a large number of laborers. Once they are conscripted, who will farm the land? Time is pressing; it is hard to have both bear's paw and fish."

Wei Ba pondered in silence. He knew Xiahou Mao was right. In this era, walls were built with rammed earth, which was sturdy but incredibly labor-intensive and time-consuming. The city of Chang’an was vast; with the current population, they could not possibly finish repairs in a short time, even if they only focused on the palace walls. The reason Zhuge Liang was willing to risk the difficulty of a future siege by having them use Guanzhong’s resources to build these walls was because he knew that if they waited until he arrived in Guanzhong to start, it would be far too late.

"Ziyu, do you have any good ideas?"

Wei Ba smacked his lips. "Not at the moment, General. May I have some time to think about it? I would like to tour the vicinity of Chang’an to assess the situation myself."

Xiahou Mao’s eyebrows twitched. He hesitated for a moment before smiling. "Very well. Since you are now a general under my command, it is only right that you familiarize yourself with the nearby defenses. Let Tian Fu accompany you; he is quite familiar with the local checkpoints."

Wei Ba bowed in thanks. His proposal to inspect the various fortresses was part of his original plan, and having delayed it until now was a matter of necessity. If Xiahou Mao had concerns, he would not force it; after all, Xiahou Mao’s trust was his only leverage. If the Governor began to doubt him, everything he did thereafter would face obstacles.

Just as Wei Ba was about to leave, a maid entered the courtyard and told Xiahou Mao that Princess Qinghe wished to see him. Xiahou Mao waved his hand at Wei Ba. "Since the Princess has summoned you, go at once. Remember, do not make the Princess angry."

Wei Ba suppressed a laugh and followed the maid toward the back courtyard. Judging by Xiahou Mao’s dark circles, the Princess had surely enjoyed a "great feast" yesterday, and now she was rewarding him, the middleman. To control Chang’an, he had to control Xiahou Mao; to control Xiahou Mao, he had to handle the Princess. He only hoped this Princess did not have any peculiar predilections; otherwise, if he were expected to play the part of a crow, things would get complicated.

Of course, if it were that young Lady Xiahou, he wouldn’t mind sacrificing his charms.