Chapter 4

Yangping Pass is located in the western part of the Hanzhong Plain, right at the junction of the plain and the mountainous area. The Han River—known here as the Mian River—flows through the mountains, nourishing the fertile Hanzhong Plain. With mountains and water, the scenery is full of lush grass, and there is a genuine attraction—the tomb of the famous general Ma Chao, one of the Five Tiger Generals. For Wei Ba, a seasoned otaku from two lifetimes, this was a paradise he had never dared to imagine in his previous life.

Of course, for him, the fame of Ma Chao's tomb, though great, was far surpassed by another. Just over ten miles to the southeast, there is a mountain that, though not tall, is strategically situated. In the hearts of future Three Kingdoms enthusiasts, it is almost a holy site. It is not only where another of the Five Tiger Generals, Huang Zhong, gained his fame but also where the great statesman Zhuge Liang was buried. Its name is Dingjun Mountain.

As a seasoned otaku accustomed to learning about the country's beautiful landscapes from computer screens, being able to stand here and look at Dingjun Mountain in person was a miracle, especially since it was 1,800 years ago. Although the drums of Huang Zhong's victory over Xiahou Yuan had long since faded, the cunning and almost demonic Zhuge Liang was still planning the northern campaign with all his heart. Instead of looking at history from afar, he was now an observer, and perhaps even a participant, in history. The subtle taste of this was truly extraordinary.

After several days of self-torturing exercise, Wei Ba felt extremely tired but also appreciated the wonders of being close to nature. He began to understand why those who called themselves hikers in his previous life would run outside at every opportunity. Compared to nature, the city was indeed a jungle of steel and concrete.

Wei Ba was so engrossed that he didn't return until sunset. He and Wei Wu hurried back to Mianyang City. As soon as they entered the main gate of the county temple, they were greeted by the rich aroma of food. After playing all day, the brothers, whose stomachs were growling, looked at each other and simultaneously raised their eyebrows, then rushed to the hall. Although Wei Wu was younger, he took large, quick steps and, in just two strides, rushed into the courtyard ahead of Wei Ba. Wei Ba, feeling a bit depressed, still sped up. However, as soon as he entered the door, Wei Wu suddenly stopped. Wei Ba, unable to stop in time, collided with Wei Wu's back, his nose hitting Wei Wu's back of the head, causing intense pain. Tears and snot immediately streamed down his face.

"Ouch, can't you brake slowly? It's easy to rear-end someone," Wei Ba said angrily, pushing Wei Wu, who ignored him and timidly called out, "Father!"

Father? Wei Ba was startled and immediately put his hands together in front of his chest, lowered his head, and became extremely obedient and respectful. This was purely muscle memory; if he had to consciously make this gesture, it wouldn't be so standard. It was clear that the original Wei Ba had been terrified of his father, Wei Yan, to the core, to the point of not even daring to have rebellious thoughts.

Although Wei Ba's actions were instinctive and very quick, his tears and snot didn't retract on their own. As he lowered his head, they flowed down his nose and dripped onto the ground in front of him. Through his blurry tear-filled eyes, he saw a pair of feet in combat boots. The feet paused in front of him for a moment, then quickly turned to Wei Wu.

"You still know how to come back. I thought you had died outside," Wei Yan's deep, resonant voice said, but his tone was cold, making it hard to hear. Wei Ba knew that his younger brother Wei Wu was a good seed for a brave general, more favored than his older brother Wei Feng. Wei Yan didn't want him to die, but he was the one who was most hoped to die outside due to his weak constitution.

"Well... I accompanied my brother to run and exercise," Wei Wu said, his voice low but not panicked.

"Running?" Wei Yan sneered. "Is running called exercise? Is it to run faster when fleeing?"

Wei Wu was speechless, unsure whether he didn't know how to respond or was afraid to say more because he smelled the leather whip.

"Humph!" Wei Yan, with a cold face, glanced at the bowed Wei Ba, then at the few drops of water in front of his feet, and walked away in disappointment, his voice echoing from a distance, "I'm not eating."

Hearing his father's heavy footsteps fade away, Wei Ba felt as if a great weight had been lifted. He raised his head and saw the hall full of food, realizing why the aroma was so strong that it had reached the front courtyard.

Wei Feng, who had been standing to the side without a word, walked over and put an arm around each of his younger brothers, saying gently, "Alright, Father isn't blaming you. He's just upset with those clerks. Don't take it to heart. Eat quickly; you must be hungry after playing all day."

"Thank you, Brother," Wei Wu said honestly, tiptoeing to avoid the food on the ground, finding a spot to sit, and burying his head to eat. Wei Ba also found a place to sit, eating while looking at Wei Feng. Seeing Wei Feng frowning and not interested in the food, he asked, "Older Brother, why is Father angry with those clerks again?"

Wei Feng glanced at him and forced a smile, "What else? It's about the spring plowing."

Wei Ba raised an eyebrow, "What about the spring plowing?" After the Qingming Festival comes Guyu, the start of the annual spring planting. Wei Yan, who also served as the governor of Hanzhong, was responsible for these matters. The reason he had come to Mianyang these days was to inspect the preparations for the spring plowing.

"Nothing much. The Prime Minister's office sent a document, asking Hanzhong to prepare more grain, at least a 50% increase. Father had already asked the counties to increase their land cultivation last year to produce more grain this year, but those clerks complained that there was land but not enough manpower, and a 50% increase was impossible. Father got angry and... even hit someone."

"Ah." Wei Ba responded, picking up his bowl to eat. He asked these questions not because he had any particular thoughts but out of politeness. However, after eating a few bites, he suddenly had a thought and stopped. Wei Feng, seeing this, thought he had choked again and, concerned, moved behind Wei Ba, gently patting his back while saying, "Eat slowly, don't rush. Your body is just recovering, don't overwork yourself."

Wei Ba felt a warmth in his heart, swallowed the food in his mouth, and looked up at Wei Feng with a smile, "Older Brother, do you think those clerks really lack manpower, or are they just being lazy and unwilling to work hard?"

Wei Feng was taken aback, looking at Wei Ba in surprise, then smiled, "I think they really lack manpower. You know, Hanzhong isn't short of land, but it is short of people. Hanzhong has fewer than two thousand households in four counties, and the rest have been taken away by Cao Cao's forces. Haven't you noticed that a lot of land is left uncultivated these days?"

Wei Ba nodded; he had indeed noticed this problem. Mianyang, close to the county seat of Nanzheng, had a small population. As the spring planting season approached, everyone who could work in the fields was busy, but only the fields around the county were cultivated, while the more distant areas were idle, far from the bustling scenes of spring planting he remembered from his previous life. He had always been puzzled by the lack of people, and now, hearing Wei Feng's explanation, he understood the extent of Hanzhong's population decline.

Seeing Wei Ba's puzzled expression, Wei Feng didn't think much of it. Among the brothers, only he was currently assisting their father, Wei Yan, in administrative affairs. Wei Ba, though of age, had always been in poor health, and Wei Yan, seeing his sickly appearance, had never let him participate. It was understandable that he didn't know much about these matters. Wei Ba usually didn't bother to ask about these things, but today, though his questions might not be useful, Wei Feng was still pleased and explained a bit more.

"Hanzhong originally had a large population, with nine counties and nearly nine thousand households, about 270,000 to 280,000 people. When Zhang Lu controlled Hanzhong, more people came from the Three Auxiliaries and Liangzhou, bringing the population to nearly 150,000 households and 400,000 people. However, after years of war in Hanzhong, when Cao Cao's forces retreated, they forcibly relocated many people, causing the population to plummet. Now, there is land but no people, making it impossible to supply the army."

Wei Ba understood the reason for the sharp decline in Hanzhong's population. Just as he was feeling relieved, Wei Feng's last words startled him. Was a large army coming, and was Zhuge Liang preparing for a northern campaign?

"Is the Prime Minister preparing for a northern campaign?" Wei Ba blurted out.

Wei Feng looked startled, staring at Wei Ba for a moment before asking, "Who said that?"

"You did," Wei Ba was puzzled. "Didn't you say Hanzhong's grain couldn't supply the army?"

"I..." Wei Feng sighed in relief and said, "I meant Father's army, not that the Prime Minister is preparing for a northern campaign."

Wei Ba's eyes twinkled, and he chuckled, glancing at Wei Feng, "You can't even lie. Father has been stationed in Hanzhong for so long; has he been starving all these years? You can't say that Father has been in Hanzhong for years without solving the problem of military rations, can you?"

Wei Feng's eyes flashed, suddenly interested, and he looked Wei Ba up and down, nodding repeatedly, "Yes, good. You're finally using your brain and can even guess this secret. I always said that although you're weak, you're not stupid, just lazy and unwilling to work. It seems that what Wu said is true; you've become more sensible after recovering from your illness."

Wei Ba smiled sheepishly, interrupting Wei Feng, "Tell me, is the Prime Minister preparing for a northern campaign?"

Wei Feng's smile faded, and his worries returned. "Yes, the Prime Minister is preparing for a northern campaign and will soon move to Hanzhong. With over ten thousand troops, it's impractical to transport all the grain and fodder from Ba and Shu, so Hanzhong needs to store as much grain as possible to reduce the burden of transportation."

"That's a good plan. If the grain can be produced locally in Hanzhong, it will solve many problems."

"That's true, but Yang Yi is too despicable. He demands a 50% increase and even says that if possible, it should be doubled, the more the better. He only talks about the abundance of land in Hanzhong but doesn't mention the lack of people, deliberately causing trouble."

Yang Yi? Hearing this name, Wei Ba's heart raced. This was the culprit who, a few years later, would cause the Wei family to die without a proper burial. It seems their conflict started now.

——New book, please recommend! Please collect! Please support in any way!

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