Chapter 084: Crisis (Third Update, Please Recommend)

Yang Wei was about to speak again, but Zhuge Qiao nodded solemnly. “Ziyu, you’re right. Better to be prepared than not. What you described is indeed possible. As long as there’s a possibility, no matter how small, we can’t afford to ignore it. Yuanxiu, go and invite Staff Officer Zong here immediately; let’s discuss this together.”

Though Yang Wei was unconvinced, he could not defy Zhuge Qiao’s order and left with a reluctant air. Before long, Zong Yu arrived. After listening to Zhuge Qiao and Wei Ba’s analysis, he furrowed his brows in deep thought for quite some time.

“Ziyu’s reasoning is sound; preparedness is essential. However, the measure of our response must be handled carefully. Right now, Meng Da is wary not only of Sima Yi, but of us as well. I doubt he’d want us entering Xincheng Commandery. If Sima Yi does not arrive, and we get there first, it might lead to an unfavorable situation.”

Wei Ba bowed with heartfelt admiration. “The Staff Officer Zong is indeed seasoned and thorough in his considerations. I overlooked Meng Da’s own perspective.”

Zong Yu smiled and turned to Zhuge Qiao. “I think we can order the vanguard to begin attacking Shen Yi and prepare for a rescue. At the same time, we should send someone to inform Meng Da, expressing our concerns, so he won’t misunderstand our intentions.”

Seeing that the two staff officers agreed, Zhuge Qiao hesitated no longer. He immediately summoned the generals for a council. The decision was made that he would personally lead three thousand troops to Xicheng, advancing the line to the border of Xincheng under the pretext of delivering supplies. Zong Yu would accompany him, while the responsibility for holding the rear was naturally entrusted to Wei Ba. Not only would Wei Ba have to defend the city, but he also had to ensure the safety and timely delivery of provisions—a task by no means trivial.

Once the arrangement was set, everyone moved to their respective duties. Zhuge Qiao ordered Yang Wei to urgently draft a letter reporting the situation to the main camp at Mianyang. Yang Wei remained skeptical of Zhuge Qiao’s plan, thinking he took Wei Ba’s words too seriously. In his mind, the scenario was hardly likely. After all, Meng Da had led troops for over thirty years and had dealt with Sima Yi for many more; surely his understanding of Sima Yi surpassed Wei Ba’s.

“Yuanxiu, say no more. Wei Ba’s speculation may sound outlandish, but we cannot be too careful.” He paused, then added, “At first, I didn’t expect things to turn out this way either. I thought Meng Da was simply indecisive or looking to use the situation for leverage. I never imagined the city wasn’t even properly fortified yet.”

Yang Wei frowned, offering consolation. “It’s hardly your fault. Meng Da sought to strengthen his own hand, carving out his own domain in the eastern three commanderies. With such hidden motives, he wouldn’t report to us, leaving us no choice but to resort to these measures. Otherwise, the Prime Minister would lose patience. Opportunities in war are fleeting; we can’t drag this out indefinitely.”

Zhuge Qiao let out a long sigh, rubbing his face vigorously. “A mistake at the outset, and now I’m worried. If Sima Yi really does, as Wei Ba fears, march on Fangling without waiting for an imperial edict, and Meng Da cannot hold Fangling or stall Sima Yi, the Prime Minister’s grand plan will suffer greatly. The arrow is nocked and must be loosed; once the bow is drawn, there’s no turning back.”

Returning to his quarters, Wei Ba was seething with anger. Zhuge Qiao knew well that Meng Da had raised the banner of rebellion before completing the city’s fortifications, yet he treated it lightly, keeping it from Wei Ba. Not only was this heedless of the danger, it showed he did not regard Wei Ba as a trusted confidant—sharing nothing beforehand, only revealing it now as if presenting a treasure, just as Deng Xian had returned from the Mianyang camp.

His aim was not to seek counsel, but to boast—a veiled show of power.

Look, even without your help, we got it done, and beautifully at that. Meng Da’s surrender, and the restoration of the eastern three commanderies to Shu-Han, all without the need for a grand campaign.

Zhao Guang and Mi Wei entered, and seeing Wei Ba’s demeanor, fell silent as well.

“Zhongde, Zilie, I still feel uneasy,” Wei Ba exhaled heavily. “Zhuge Qiao is too careless, worrying only about possible setbacks in the war. Like Meng Da, he underestimates Sima Yi—a fatal mistake.”

Mi Wei rested his hand on his sword, lowering his head and idly gazing at his boot tips. With a faint voice he said, “He’s always been a man of grand ambition but limited talent. There’s nothing surprising in that.”

Wei Ba’s brow furrowed as he looked at Mi Wei. Zhao Guang, too, was puzzled. Mi Wei’s uncle, Mi Fang, had surrendered to Sun Quan and served as a general in Jiangdong, living comfortably. Since Zhuge Liang took charge and reestablished the alliance with Jiangdong, the matter of Mi Fang was quietly set aside. For the Mi family, however, this left an opening; though nothing was said openly, there was still covert contact. Zhuge Qiao, being the son of Zhuge Jin, grew up in Jiangdong. Mi Fang was not unfamiliar with him, so it was hardly surprising that Mi Wei knew some of Zhuge Qiao’s history.

Sensing that Wei Ba and Zhao Guang were watching him, Mi Wei looked up, the corner of his mouth twisting. “He and his elder brother, Zhuge Ke, are both famed talents of Jiangdong. The difference is, Zhuge Ke has genuine ability, while he merely has style.”

Wei Ba rolled his eyes. They were all men of letters; the implication was clear. “Having style” often implied a lack of substance—in other words, an embroidered pillow. Mi Wei’s remark about Zhuge Qiao was biting, even somewhat disrespectful toward Zhuge Liang. That he dared say this before Wei Ba and Zhao Guang was a sign of trust, and perhaps an attempt to bind their fates together.

“Zhongde, what should we do then? A thousand men are enough to hold Anyang, but if something unexpected happens at the front, we can’t just stand by and do nothing, can we?”

Zhao Guang frowned, racking his brains but finding no good solution. “The Prime Minister sent Zhuge Qiao here with five thousand men to Anyang; it must have been planned this way. Our duty is to make a show of force, giving Meng Da a chance to strengthen his defenses, not to actively attack Xicheng. If it really came to a fight, and Zhuge Qiao’s four thousand men couldn’t resolve it, what use would our thousand men be?”

He walked to the map, lifted the cloth covering it, and drew a line between Anyang and Fangling. “It’s nearly six hundred li from Xicheng to Fangling, and Shen Yi is right at Xunkou. If nothing goes awry, Mulan Pass will also be heavily garrisoned. With only five thousand men, there’s no hope of breaking through by force.”

Wei Ba scratched his head too. He knew that five thousand men were a substantial force for defense, but for assaulting a city, far too few. Normally, the casualties ratio for attacker to defender is four or five to one. That is, with a thousand defenders, five thousand attackers might have a chance—just a chance. Even if victorious, it would be a pyrrhic victory. To take a city smoothly, an overwhelming numerical advantage was essential.

As Sun Tzu said: “Surround with ten, attack with five.” That mostly applied to field battles. For sieges, the ratio had to be even greater. Without siege engines, even ten times the force may not suffice; and even with engines and numbers, a skilled defender could still render all efforts futile.

History had many examples of a small force successfully defending a city. In Shu-Han, Huo Jun once held Jiameng Pass with a few hundred men against ten thousand for a whole year. Not long after, Hao Zhao’s defense of Chencang thwarted Zhuge Liang—another classic case.

While this spoke to Huo Jun and Hao Zhao's prowess, it also proved the immense difficulty of storming a city.

With more than two thousand defenders at Xunkou, plus the forces at Mulan Pass, Shu’s five thousand had no hope of taking the city—at best, they could show support and bolster Meng Da’s morale.

And that was all.

Wei Ba stared at the map, rubbing his fingers as he weighed his options for a long time, before finally saying, “This is urgent. I’ll write a letter to Staff Officer Ma.”

…

At the Mianyang camp, Zhuge Liang was conducting his final mobilization before battle. He had prepared for over half a year in Hanzhong; everything was ready, awaiting Meng Da to rise in rebellion. When news of Meng Da’s defection from Wei arrived, the weight that had hung over Zhuge Liang’s heart was finally lifted. He immediately summoned his generals and declared the northern campaign.

Yet the atmosphere was awkward—not because Zhuge Liang had once again rejected Wei Yan’s suggestions (Wei Yan, after so many dismissals, was already disheartened, sitting quietly apart, resigned to his fate)—but because Zhuge Liang had, unexpectedly, named Ma Su as the vanguard general.

This decision was met with near-universal skepticism. Even Zhao Yun, who had lately become increasingly detached from worldly affairs, voiced his objections, albeit gently. As for the others, their protests were much more direct. Though none dared accuse Zhuge Liang of favoritism outright, their doubtful gazes at Ma Su said it all.

Zhuge Liang was greatly displeased, though he betrayed no emotion. He merely waved for Hu Ji to continue reading the orders.

Hu Ji’s expression remained calm; he and Zhuge Liang had anticipated the uproar and were well prepared.

“Order: General Who Pacifies the East, Zhao Yun, and Chief Inspector and General Who Spreads Martial Virtue, Deng Zhi, will lead twenty thousand men, raise great banners, exit Xie Valley, and march on Mei County as a diversionary force.”

After announcing the order, Hu Ji fixed his gaze on Zhao Yun. If Zhao Yun stood to accept, the process would proceed smoothly, and the matter of Ma Su’s appointment would be settled. But if Zhao Yun refused, still disputing Ma Su’s appointment, there would be trouble.

The reason for announcing Ma Su’s posting first, and then Zhao Yun’s, was precisely this.

Before Zhao Yun could rise, Deng Zhi had already stood, respectfully looking toward him. Zhao Yun sighed softly, then stood and accepted the order. “Understood.”

Hu Ji breathed a sigh of relief, as did Zhuge Liang, Ma Su, and the others. Hu Ji cleared his throat and spoke even more loudly.

“Order: General of the Left, Wu Yi, will remain in Hanzhong with twenty thousand men, awaiting further instructions.”

Wu Yi rose and clasped his hands in salute. “Understood.”

—End of the third update. Please recommend and bookmark!