Chapter 017: Fearless Backing (Second Update, Please Vote!)

“My lady is someone who understands the greater good. How could she risk everything for the sake of two household servants and set herself against me?” Wei Ba smiled with the bright, easy confidence of youth. “Even though I’m not her own son, I still call her Mother in name. Steward Zhang and Huan’er are both servants—besides, I haven’t done anything wrong. Do you really think my lady would punish her blameless son for the sake of two mere servants?”

Steward Chen could only manage a bitter smile. Inwardly, he thought, You really do see yourself as the lady’s son, don’t you? In her heart, there’s only Wei Feng. She never cared for the rest of you. To her, Steward Zhang and Huan’er, her close attendants, matter far more than a concubine’s child like you.

“We’ve got important business to attend to. There’s no time to worry about such trivialities,” Wei Ba said, patting Steward Chen’s shoulder in reassurance. “Don’t worry. Even if something does happen, the lady won’t punish me until I’ve finished what I’m doing.”

Steward Chen nodded; he could believe this much. Lady Zhang, though narrow-minded at times, could see the bigger picture. What Wei Ba was working on was crucial for the Wei family; Lady Zhang would not risk making trouble for him at such a critical juncture. Suddenly, realization struck him as he looked at Wei Ba’s cheerful face. Could it be the young master had calculated that the lady wouldn’t be able to do anything to him, so he dared to act so ruthlessly against Steward Zhang and Huan’er?

A strange feeling welled up in Steward Chen’s chest. Wei Ba’s appearance hadn’t changed, but the look in his eyes was utterly different—like a completely new person. Could it be the young master had finally matured, or experienced some sort of enlightenment?

Upstairs in the rear courtyard’s small building, Lady Zhang’s face was grim as she looked at Huan’er, who was soaked to the skin. Having listened to Huan’er’s tearful complaints, her brows arched in anger, her eyes cold and sharp. Huan’er kept her head down, watching Lady Zhang’s expression from the corner of her eye, sobbing now and then with an air of profound grievance. She was deeply trusted by Lady Zhang and knew her standing in the lady’s heart even surpassed that of Chief Steward Zhang Ping. Now, having been so humiliated by Wei Ba, she was certain the lady would not sit idly by.

Lady Zhang took two heavy breaths and suddenly asked, “Wasn’t he supposed to be working on those account ledgers? Why did he go to the forge?”

Huan’er was momentarily at a loss for words. In her eagerness to inflame the lady’s anger and dispel her reservations, she had omitted any mention of Wei Ba’s new weapon project. Unexpectedly, despite her fury, Lady Zhang had still noticed this detail.

“He brought back three blacksmiths, saying he wanted to make some kind of iron spade. For that, he even halted weapon production. I tried to remind him, and he lost his temper, deliberately humiliated me, and in front of so many servants, pushed me into the water trough… and shamed me… wuwuwu…”

Lady Zhang’s brows rose. “The three blacksmiths he brought back from Mianyang?”

Huan’er nodded as she wiped tears from her face, droplets from her hair dripping onto the floor. Lady Zhang looked at her with some annoyance and gave a cold laugh. “You’re bold indeed, daring to twist the facts before me?”

Alarmed, Huan’er raised her pale face, looking at Lady Zhang with wounded innocence. “My lady, how could I?”

“Hmph. I’ve noticed you’ve all grown more brazen lately—not only bullying the other servants but even daring to deceive me. Zhang Ping delayed such a vital matter just to hinder Wei Ba. And you hid Wei Ba’s work on the iron spade from me, then came to me to complain. Don’t tell me that’s not sowing discord?”

Huan’er cried out, “My lady, I truly didn’t! He’s never been to the forge before—how could he know anything about smithing, let alone invent new weapons? Anyone can tell—”

“Enough.” At the mention of new weapons, Lady Zhang’s face darkened even further, rage flashing in her eyes. “The general had him bring three blacksmiths back—do you think that was for nothing? Even if he knows nothing about smithing, those three must know something. Our Wei family has no shortage of blacksmiths. The general brought them here because they must have skills we lack. Don’t you understand even that?”

Huan’er was left speechless, not daring to argue further. Now she saw it clearly: Lady Zhang, though rarely leaving her rooms, was as sharp as ever, and trying to keep things from her was a fool’s errand.

“The matter of the ledgers is a contest of pride, but the iron spade concerns real grain, and weapons concern the general’s and Feng’s military exploits—they are the Wei family’s foundation. Compared to the ledgers, which is more important? I trust you know. Huan’er, do you think you’re too clever, or do you take me for an old fool, easily deceived?”

Lady Zhang’s voice was cold and menacing, sending chills down Huan’er’s spine. She dared say nothing more, only kowtowed repeatedly, tears streaming down her face. Remembering Wei Ba’s earlier words—‘the lady will give you a fair outcome’—she now understood: Wei Ba had always known the importance of what he was doing and was thus fearless. Then she thought of Zhang Ping, beaten nearly to death in public, and was mortified—terrified that, at a word from the lady, she would meet the same fate. Even if she survived the beating, she would not be able to show her face again.

Seeing her so abject, Lady Zhang’s expression softened a little, and a trace of sympathy flickered in her heart. After all, this maid had served her for years, and today had been humiliated by Wei Ba in front of everyone. If she did nothing, it would be a blow to her dignity. Yet Wei Ba’s work was too vital to be interrupted, and Huan’er had brought this upon herself. Wei Ba, in pushing her into the water trough, had technically saved her life—otherwise, she would have burned alive. How could she punish Wei Ba for that?

Of course, Wei Ba’s antics were hardly subtle—these were childish pranks, after all. He seemed not to intend to hide anything from her; as soon as he returned, he’d disciplined her two closest confidants in quick succession. The message was clear.

What is he planning? Lady Zhang seethed inwardly, trying to guess Wei Ba’s deeper intentions. She pondered for a long while, but ultimately decided to leave the matter be for now. The iron spade and weapon projects were too important for the Wei family. For their sake, she could let Wei Ba be arrogant a while longer, and see what else he had up his sleeve. She had been mistress of the Wei household for nearly thirty years—she had seen every kind of storm. Could a mere boy not yet of age truly outshine her?

“Huan’er, in the Zhang family of Nanyang, we repay kindness with kindness, enmity with enmity—clear and fair. Wei Ba saved your life. You should go thank him.” Lady Zhang regained her calm and waved her hand. “Go wash up, then go to the storeroom and collect four bolts of Shu brocade to have a new dress made. Take two more bolts to his mother, Madam Deng, as a token of my gratitude to her son.”

Relieved, Huan’er agreed and hurried away.

Meanwhile, Wei Ba was busy moving between the printing house and the forge, not returning to the small courtyard where he and his mother lived, and so knew nothing of what had transpired in the rear quarters. Only when Wei Wu came to find him did he learn that the whole household was abuzz with gossip. Naturally, he was the center of attention: the usually meek and easy-to-bully Wei Ba had, upon his return, first disciplined Lady Zhang’s chief steward Zhang Ping, then “rescued” her close maid Huan’er. Not only had Lady Zhang fully supported his punishment of Zhang Ping, she had even sent Huan’er to present him with two bolts of Shu brocade as thanks—a rare honor. Though Madam Deng and the other concubines were nominally higher in rank than Huan’er, in reality Huan’er had always lorded it over them. Had Lady Zhang not refused to allow Wei Yan to take Huan’er as a concubine, she and her maid would have long since ruled the inner quarters together, leaving no room for Deng and the others.

“It seems that girl holds a higher place in Lady Zhang’s heart than Zhang Ping. To save a maid and then receive two bolts of Shu brocade in thanks—this isn’t gratitude, it’s a show of power.” Wei Ba mused inwardly, not without admiration for Lady Zhang’s methods. With this, not only did she lose no face, but she also displayed the dignified poise of a matron. She wasn’t giving Wei Ba face, but rewarding him for work beneficial to the Wei family. She had done all she could. If Wei Ba failed at his inventions, then everything he’d done would be repaid in kind, and no one could object.

To yield as a way of advancing, to defend in order to counterattack—Lady Zhang was truly a woman of a great house. Her tactics were so deft that one could only feel grateful, rarely detecting the counterstroke within. His own mother, Madam Deng, had seen nothing of this—she was still singing Lady Zhang’s praises, urging him to work diligently to repay her kindness.

Diligence was, of course, a must. As for repaying Lady Zhang’s kindness, that was another question. Still, he found her caution satisfying. He didn’t fear her having follow-up moves—what he feared was her acting without restraint or reason, for that would be much harder to deal with. It was always easier to serve a reasonable leader than an unreasonable one.

“I see. Go and tell Mother that I’m busy these days and won’t be coming back to sleep. Once things are settled, I’ll visit her and talk,” Wei Ba said to Wei Wu. “Let me ask you—how many of our household soldiers are as strong as those ten today?”

Those ten soldiers, fully armed and carrying a month’s rations, had, as Dun Wu said, covered sixty li in half a day with ease, and showed little fatigue afterward—their physical prowess had truly impressed Wei Ba. But he had read about Wu Qi’s training of the Wei Wu Corps, who could march a hundred li in half a day and immediately go into battle. Compared to them, the Wei household’s troops were not so extraordinary.

Wei Wu blinked. “Our Wei household’s private force numbers about three thousand. Of this level? Maybe sixty percent.”

That meant just under two thousand. Wei Ba shook his head regretfully. The Wei household’s private troops alone were far from sufficient to carry out his father’s Ziwugu plan.

“Does Father have any county troops under his command of comparable strength?”

Wei Wu snorted. “County troops? None of them are this tough. They’re conscripts and recruits—how can they compare with our household guards? The conscripts are mostly farmers; if they can just wield weapons, that’s already something. The recruited men are a bit better, but if they were this strong, they’d be too expensive to hire in the first place.”

“So what are the county troops like?”

Wei Wu curled his lip. “All of them, even carrying less than a hundred pounds, can barely match the speed of our household guards.”

—Second chapter delivered. Please support! Old Zhuang is currently fourteenth on the new books ranking; with a little more support, he’ll make it to the front page. I’m off to diligently prepare chapter three!