Chapter 98: The Feast at Hongmen (Part I)

Meng Da sent his nephew, Deng Xian, to greet Wei Ba outside the city. Upon seeing Wei Ba, Deng Xian paused for a moment before slapping his own forehead and bursting into laughter, leaving Wei Ba thoroughly confused.

"General Meng inspired our morale by claiming the reinforcements from the Western Hill were the renowned General who Pacifies the North from Hanzhong, which greatly bolstered the spirits of Fangling City. Now it seems that while General Meng’s words were not entirely accurate, they were not far off. You are not General Wei, but Adjutant Wei," Deng Xian said warmly. "Adjutant Wei, your contribution to repelling Sima Yi is immense. The nearly ten thousand families in Fangling are deeply indebted to you."

Wei Ba offered a bitter smile, thinking to himself that it would be better if they were not grateful. He regretted leaving this root of trouble behind and had no idea how he would explain the situation to the Prime Minister.

"Adjutant Wei, General Meng has already prepared a banquet in the city. Please join us."

Wei Ba shook his head. "Please return first, General Deng. I must go to the Western Hill to gather my men. They have been guarding there for days, and I am unsure of their situation."

Deng Xian nodded understandingly. He knew Wei Ba’s men were on the Western Hill. After Sima Yi retreated, Meng Da had sent scouts to invite them, but they found only the remnants of a camp and no one there. He assumed those men refused to have any dealings with Meng Da without Wei Ba’s orders, which he found reasonable. Since it was nearby, he figured it wouldn't delay the evening banquet.

After parting with Deng Xian, Wei Ba arrived at the hill. The dozen or so men left behind emerged from their hiding spots upon seeing his banner. They had witnessed Sima Yi’s retreat and the banners of the Wu forces, so they knew Wei Ba’s surprise attack had succeeded. Yet, seeing the Wei captives bound in a line, the hundred-plus warhorses, and the dozens of wagons filled with supplies, they could hardly believe their eyes and were overcome with jubilation.

In contrast, those who had followed Wei Ba on the raid were quite composed, though they had been even more uninhibited initially.

At the original campsite, Wei Ba called Zhang Xi and Zhou Yu over.

"The siege of Fangling is lifted, but the situation is not necessarily simple. Do not enter the city. Escort the captives and these spoils of war immediately to meet Commandant Zhuge. Distribute the spoils according to our planned arrangements."

As he spoke, Wei Ba gave Zhou and Zhang a look that clearly communicated "you know what to do." The two understood perfectly, suppressing smiles and nodding vigorously.

"Also, tell Commandant Zhuge that I intend to stay in Fangling for two days to gather as much information as possible. Ask him to send a report to the Prime Minister’s office immediately for the Prime Minister to decide."

"Adjutant, what about your safety?"

"I will be fine. As long as Meng Da isn't completely insane, he won't make a move against me." Wei Ba scratched his head. Though he spoke with confidence, he was actually uncertain—who could predict if Meng Da would lose his mind? "I have forty personal guards with me; if anything happens, escaping will not be a problem."

Hearing this, Zhang Xi couldn't help but chuckle. Wang Hui, however, frowned. "Adjutant, we were ordered by Young Master Feng to protect you. If you don't leave, we don't leave."

"No, you must return to my elder brother immediately; he needs you more," Wei Ba said firmly. "I have my own judgment. Tell my brother not to worry about me."

Wang Hui nodded helplessly. "Then I hope you return as soon as possible, Adjutant, or I fear Young Master Feng will send us back again."

Wei Ba smiled without further comment. Zhang Xi and Zhou Yu immediately led the men and supplies along the Zhu River to rendezvous with Zhuge Qiao at Zhuyang. With such a large volume of goods and horses, crossing the mountains would have been impractical.

Wei Ba took Dun Wu and his men and turned back toward Fangling. Deng Xian’s men were waiting at the gate and ushered him in. Seeing that Wei Ba had entered with only his personal guards, leaving behind his thousand men, the captives, and the spoils, Deng Xian couldn't help but smile. In his view, Wei Ba intended to hoard the loot and avoid sharing it with Pan Zhang—a conflict between Wu and Shu that he found favorable.

"The Adjutant is young and promising; your future is limitless. I hope for your continued favor in the future," Deng Xian said politely.

Wei Ba returned the courtesy with a bow.

Following Deng Xian to the inner fortress, Wei Ba saw Meng Da for the first time. Meng Da appeared to be around sixty, with graying hair and a beard, yet he was robust and spoke with a resonant voice—a refined-looking old man. However, his eyes were restless, giving the impression of someone sinister and unreliable. Of course, this might have been Wei Ba’s own bias.

"General Meng," Wei Ba stepped forward and bowed. Regardless of Meng Da’s character, they were currently allies and might serve the same court in the future; the proper etiquette was necessary.

Meng Da’s lips curled as he took Wei Ba’s hands to help him up. "Wei Wenchang is truly blessed; I am filled with envy. Adjutant Wei, if not for your surprise attack on Anqiao Pass, which drew General Pan to our aid, I would have been in grave danger."

Though mentally prepared, Wei Ba felt a jolt at these words. The old man mentioned Pan Zhang’s reinforcement but ignored Wei Ba’s presence at the Western Hill and Zhuge Qiao’s contributions. This was clearly loaded with subtext.

"General Meng has long been in Xincheng and is a veteran of many battles. How could a mere scholar like Sima Yi conquer Fangling? Even without General Pan and Commandant Zhuge, Fangling would have been safe. How could a junior like me deserve such praise?"

Meng Da smiled faintly and gestured for him to enter. In the main hall, Wei Ba glanced at the seating arrangements and shook his head. Meng Da noticed, his expression unchanged, and asked calmly, "Adjutant Wei, is there something amiss?"

Wei Ba smiled bitterly to himself. Indeed, there was a major issue. As the host, Meng Da sitting in the center was appropriate. However, the guest seating was significant: the left was the seat of honor, and the right was secondary. Meng Da had placed Pan Zhang to the left and intended for Wei Ba to sit on the right, clearly positioning him below Pan Zhang. While he didn't care personally, in the current political landscape, this was a calculated move.

If Wei Ba did not contest this, he would effectively be acknowledging Meng Da’s independence and the superiority of the Wu faction over the Shu-Han, a slight that could cause trouble when it reached the ears of Zhuge Liang.

Wei Ba raised an eyebrow and smiled. "General Meng, this return to the right path and rejoining the banner of the Great Han is a joyous occasion. The Kingdom of Wu is an ally, and it is proper for those coming from afar to be honored guests, especially given General Pan’s seniority. However, etiquette must be observed. Since General Pan is a guest, is it truly appropriate for him to occupy the seat of honor?"

Meng Da feigned ignorance. "Does the Adjutant believe he should sit in the seat of honor?"

"It is not for me, Wei Ba, to sit there, but for Commandant Zhuge, whom the Prime Minister sent to assist you. Since the Commandant is not here, his representative should take that seat."

Pan Zhang snorted with dissatisfaction. "Commandant Zhuge? I don’t know where he is. If we had waited for his reinforcements, Fangling would have fallen to Sima Yi long ago. Even if he were here, would he have the gall to sit in the seat of honor?"

Wei Ba’s face darkened. "May I ask, General Pan, how many days did you stall before the pass before I opened Anqiao Pass?"

Pan Zhang was infuriated. He leaped up, drew his sword, and roared, "Are you suggesting I could not have breached Anqiao Pass without you?"

Wei Ba sneered. "I did not say that. Perhaps you would have broken through eventually. But I am certain you would not be here arguing over a seat right now."

"Insolent brat!" Pan Zhang bellowed, pointing his sword at Wei Ba. "How dare you show me such contempt?"

Wei Ba took a deep breath, his voice icy. "Please sheath your sword, General Pan. Do not treat me as your enemy."

Pan Zhang ignored him entirely, stepping off the dais and walking toward Wei Ba with the blade leveled at him. "Draw your sword and let me test your worth, boy."

Wei Ba glanced at Meng Da, who stood stroking his beard as if he hadn't seen a thing. Wei Ba grew tense. Meng Da clearly had an arrangement with Pan Zhang to suppress him. He realized coming to this banquet had been a mistake.

His mind raced. Within moments, Pan Zhang was two steps away. Wei Ba stared at Pan Zhang’s feet. He didn't believe Pan Zhang would dare kill him outright; this was merely a show of force to intimidate him. Pan Zhang would stop once he reached a certain distance.

Sure enough, as the tip of the blade neared his nose, Pan Zhang stopped. Just as he was about to berate him, Wei Ba—who had been standing perfectly still—suddenly moved.

He lifted his left leg, stepped forward, pivoted on his right foot, and lunged with explosive force. Simultaneously, he drew a dagger from his waist with his left hand, holding it in reverse to block the sword, while his right hand balled into a fist. His elbow bent like a bow, and he struck out like an arrow. In a blink, his fist landed on Pan Zhang’s chest.

With a thunderous crash, Pan Zhang flew backward, his massive frame slamming into the table filled with tableware. The table shattered under the force, and dishes scattered.

Meng Da was stunned, his mouth hanging open. Before he could cry out, Wei Ba, who had already gained the upper hand, followed like a shadow. He leaped into the air, drove his right knee into Pan Zhang’s breastplate, and with a metallic clang, the armor buckled. Pan Zhang, caught completely off guard, spat out a mouthful of blood.

Wei Ba pinned Pan Zhang with his knee, pressing the dagger against the man’s throat. He said, word by word: "General Pan, I warned you—do not treat me as your enemy."