Chapter Ninety: The First Time

"Just a little higher."

Wei Ba tipped back his chin, watching the sky lantern climb and climb. No, it no longer had anything to do with the Chancellor, Zhuge Liang; this was now an invention of his, Wei Ba, Deputy Commander Wei. Rising higher and higher, it glowed softly through the dusk like a miracle.

He had spent two full days preparing this lantern, using who knew how many bolts of silk. He had never bothered to count them, but the number was astonishing; the lantern was enormous, large enough for the people of Meng Da in Fangling City to notice the red Han character painted upon it.

"Meng Da, now that this lantern is aloft, you can rest easy. I, on the other hand, am in danger. I wonder how many men that dead horse will send to hunt me down. But it doesn't matter. I have the high ground now. One comes, I strike one; two come, I strike a pair."

More than the advantage of terrain, what delighted Wei Ba was the soldiers' astonished gazes. One by one they stood staring upward, watching the light silk sack that had once seemed so light and flimsy slowly swell under the heat of a basin of fire into a colossal sphere, then rise gradually into the sky to become a luminous shape. Seeing the Han character sewn in red silk upon the sphere, and recalling how immense the glowing orb truly was, they were all thunderstruck.

No one had imagined that Wei Ba would announce his arrival to Meng Da and the Wei army in such a fashion. The utterly inconceivable method was so successful that it not only achieved its purpose perfectly, but also won over the hearts of a thousand soldiers.

"Wei Deputy Commander, you're something else. You actually... actually came up with such a method." Zhang Xi clicked his tongue and shook his head. Even after seeing it with his own eyes, he still found it unbelievable.

Wei Ba smiled with measured modesty, doing his best to appear calm and detached. "Ziwang, do you think Meng Da in the city can make out that character?"

Zhang Xi laughed. "Even if he can't, there will surely be someone in his ranks with sharp enough eyes to see it. I don't think there's any problem. This silk sack..." He shook his neck, which had grown sore from holding it up too long; his bones crackled. "This silk sack is truly enormous. I think it's even larger than the watchtower atop the city wall by a few spans. If I can see the tower, he should be able to see this sack."

"I think so too," Zhou Yu said in agreement. "Night will fall soon, so it will be very clear, and with the northwest wind blowing, the sack will be carried toward Fangling, making it even easier for them to see."

"Good." Wei Ba had in fact already done the calculations and estimated that, from such a distance, Meng Da would be able to make out the writing. He was asking now only to speak with the two men and draw closer to them. "Yunyang, have men keep watch over the sack and haul it down to add oil in time. So long as the wind isn't too strong, we'll keep this signal lamp burning through the night."

"Yes, yes, Deputy Commander, rest assured. Even if I'm asleep tonight, I'll keep my eyes open. I absolutely won't let this signal lamp go wrong." Zhou Yu grinned broadly, staring at the glowing orb in the sky as though he were looking at a beautiful woman, unable to tear his eyes away for even a moment.

The soldiers were so stunned that after supper, when it was time to rest, many still refused to sleep. Secretly crawling out of their tents, they raised their necks and peered through the sparse and dense canopies alike at the glowing sphere overhead, brighter than the moon by several degrees.

Wei Ba and the others gathered together and looked at one another, shaking their heads in silence. Zhou Yu and Zhang Xi walked over and, in low voices, ordered their respective men to sleep at once or else be punished with keeping watch all night. Only then did the curious soldiers reluctantly crawl back into their tents.

The two men made a circuit and returned to Wei Ba. Zhang Xi shrugged—half an hour after the signal lamp had risen into the sky, he had learned this gesture, and now it came to him so naturally it seemed as if he had always done it. With a wry smile, he said, "Deputy Commander, these brats have never seen the world. It's their first time seeing anything so novel, so of course they're curious."

"Curiosity is fine, but it must not interfere with rest," Wei Ba said. "We've marched hard for a day and a night to get here. Tomorrow, perhaps even in the middle of the night, there may be a fierce battle. If we don't seize the time to rest, how will we have the strength to fight?"

"The Deputy Commander speaks reasonably. We've already ordered them to sleep." Zhang Xi replied.

"Good. Then let's discuss what comes next." Wei Ba took out a freshly drawn map of the situation and spread it on the ground. Tang Qianyu stood beside him holding a torch, illuminating the map. Zhang Xi and Zhou Yu looked at Wei Ba's eyes, bright in the torchlight, and became serious in turn. Sitting on their folding stools, they bent over the map and listened to Wei Ba's arrangements.

According to the reconnaissance by Dun Wu and the others, this hill ran roughly east to west. Behind them lay a long, narrow valley, the route they had taken to arrive. In front of them was a hillside with a gradient of about forty degrees. Descend that slope, and after another four or five hundred paces, one would reach the Wei army's main camp. If the Wei forces wanted to attack them, the fastest way would be to climb this slope. But it would not be easy; the casualties would be terrible.

On the southern side of the hill was a low precipice, swollen upward, sheer as a drop; without special tools, it would be difficult to climb. On the northern side was a higher hill, like the sharp tip of a spear thrust straight into the sky. That hill too was difficult terrain, and merely posting a few men to watch it would guarantee safety.

In other words, so long as they held the hill they occupied now, even if Sima Yi brought all thirty thousand men to attack, Wei Ba could not be dealt with in the short term. The only limitation in holding this hill was food. They had marched at speed and brought only ten days' rations. If the two to three days required for the return journey were counted as well, he could hold out here for at most seven days. Beyond seven days, he would have to withdraw.

Wei Ba did not know whether seven days would be enough. His original plan was to have Wei Feng break through Mulan Pass within seven days and join forces with Zhuge Qiao, then hurry to Fangling. In that way, Zhao Guang could transport military grain along the Mian River to the vicinity of Fangling, or else go through Shangyong and cross Zhushan to deliver provisions into Wei Ba's hands.

These were all plans—feasible ones, perhaps—but plans were always only plans. Whether they could be carried through to the end depended on the men who executed them. What worried Wei Ba most right now was his elder brother, Wei Feng. He had taken four thousand men to attack Mulan Pass, and whether he could take it quickly was a matter very much open to question. After all, Mulan Pass was defended by three thousand Wei troops. A direct assault offered almost no chance of victory. And this was his elder brother's first campaign. If he became stubborn and refused to stop until he had taken Mulan Pass, then things would become troublesome indeed.

At the thought of Wei Feng's indifferent treatment of Chen Xiang, unease crept into Wei Ba's heart. Wei Feng was not like him. In Wei Feng's mind, troops were troops, and they were different from invited strategists—a difference that could not be crossed.

The more Wei Ba thought, the more he regretted it. Conflicting thoughts swarmed through him, and all kinds of terrible outcomes rose up. Even though he knew such possibilities were unlikely, his repeated brooding over them made them begin to ferment. When he was planning in Anyang, he had never felt fear like this. Now, standing on the battlefield, though war had not yet begun, the atmosphere before battle made him intensely sensitive.

"Deputy Commander?"

Dun Wu had returned at some point. Seeing Wei Ba staring at the map in silence for so long, his face somewhat pale, while Zhou Yu and Zhang Xi exchanged strange looks, he immediately understood Wei Ba's state of mind. Calmly, he said, "Everything around us has been arranged. If the Wei troops make any move at all, we'll receive warning at once."

Wei Ba started and came back to himself, nodding a little frantically. "Good, good. Then... do you have anything to add?"

Zhang Xi coughed and pointed at the map, mentioning several places that needed special attention. Zhou Yu said nothing, only nodded along. The plan was quickly settled: Zhang Xi would hold the front line, Zhou Yu the rear-right flank, and Wei Ba would coordinate from the center.

Once it had been agreed, Zhang Xi and Zhou Yu rose to take their leave. Zhou Yu strode away with long steps, but Zhang Xi lingered. Only after Zhou Yu had gone some distance did he say, "Deputy Commander, is this your first time on the battlefield?"

Wei Ba nodded, a little embarrassed. Dun Wu's gaze tightened, and his face darkened.

Zhang Xi smiled. "Two years ago, I first went into battle with my cousin. Our enemies were some rebelling Qiang tribes. Before we set out, I was full of ambition and thought I would surely cut down generals and seize banners, earn myself great merit. In the end, guess what happened?"

Wei Ba understood what he was getting at and no longer felt so awkward. Looking at Zhang Xi gratefully, he said, "At any rate, since you can stand here speaking to me now and have become a commandant, your performance must not have been too poor."

Zhang Xi bit his lip, seeming somewhat embarrassed. After a moment, he covered most of his face with his hand and said, "To my shame, once the war drums sounded, all I knew was to run after my cousin. Wherever he went, I went too, and I entirely forgot where the enemy was. When the fighting began and I tried to draw my blade, I discovered I'd only brought the scabbard."

He paused, then shook his head, still seeming ashamed of that year. "After the battle, I couldn't even remember whether I'd ever fought the Qiang face to face. I only knew that my legs had gone numb from running, and my hands wouldn't stop trembling. Ha ha ha..."

Having said this, Zhang Xi threw his head back and laughed twice, then looked at Wei Ba and said encouragingly, "Deputy Commander, I believe your first battle will be much better than mine. Even now, if I were standing in your place, I don't know whether I could still make myself understood so clearly. Believe in yourself. You'll be fine."

Wei Ba stood up and bowed deeply. "Thank you."

Zhang Xi returned the salute, glanced at Wei Ba, and turned to leave.

Wei Ba slowly straightened, his gaze passing through the treetops toward Fangling City in the distance and the Wei army camp blazing with countless lights. Clenching his fist, he silently said to himself, "Wei Ba, you will be fine."

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