Chapter 9

Wei Ba's debate left the white-clad girl speechless, which brought honor to his father, but he did not revel in it for long. After Wei Yan finished handling the government affairs and dismissed the magistrate of Mianyang and his recently beaten subordinate, his expression turned grim.

"How do you see Guan Hou?"

Seeing Wei Yan's expression, Wei Ba knew the real question was coming. The matter with the Ma family was just a matter of face; Ma Chao was already dead, and Ma Dai was merely a colonel. Given his father's temper, he would not take them seriously, and after scolding them, that would be the end of it. However, the matter with Guan Yu was not trivial. From Wei Wu, he knew that Wei Yan admired no one but Guan Yu, and he admired him to the point of prostration.

This could probably be attributed to their similar dispositions. Wei Yan and Guan Yu had many similarities: they were both brave and skilled in warfare, knowledgeable in military strategy, and had read some books but looked down on scholars. Especially in terms of temperament, Wei Yan and Guan Yu were both extremely confident, almost to the point of arrogance, and could be said to look down on everyone. This was evident from his disdain for the five excellent generals of Cao Wei. Among the generals of Shu Han, only Guan Yu truly met his standards. He admired Guan Yu's feat of flooding the seven armies and shaking the whole of China, which almost forced Cao Cao to move the capital. Over the years, while guarding Guanzhong, he had always hoped to lead an army to the north like Guan Yu and restore the Central Plains.

Wei Ba's insult to Ma Chao was not an issue; in Wei Yan's eyes, Ma Chao was indeed a stray dog. However, Wei Ba's dismissive attitude toward Guan Yu was unacceptable and made Wei Yan very angry.

Ma Chao's daughter, when angry, was like a mother leopard, intimidating, but in front of Wei Yan, the true tiger, she was like a small witch facing a great one. As soon as Wei Ba saw Wei Yan's long face, his heart began to race, and his legs trembled habitually, more than if he were wearing two suits of armor. Wei Yan glared at him, his fingers slowly clenching and unclenching, as if ready to pounce and beat him if he did not handle the situation properly.

If Wei Ba were still the weak Wei Ba of the past, and if he had not deeply reflected on his illness and decided to overcome himself and change his fate, he would now be terrified. However, he was now prepared. His recent confrontation with the Ma family had boosted his confidence, and he hoped to use this opportunity to remind his father, Wei Yan, not to follow in Guan Yu's footsteps. Master Xu had said that a person can have a backbone but not arrogance. Proud people usually die tragically, as Guan Yu did. If you do not change, you will end up the same way.

Wei Ba steadied his heart and spoke slowly. "Father, I heard that when the First Lord visited Prime Minister Zhuge Liang at Longzhong, the Prime Minister proposed a strategy to divide the world into three parts. Do you know about it?"

Wei Yan frowned, displeased that Wei Ba did not answer his question but instead brought up Liu Bei's three visits to the thatched cottage. However, seeing Wei Ba's calm demeanor and composed tone, he did not scold him as usual. After a moment, he said, "I once heard the First Lord mention it, but only in passing, so I know very little. Where did you hear about it?"

"Father, don't ask where I heard it from first." Wei Ba did not want to get bogged down in these details, as it might reveal his source and divert the topic. He directly interrupted Wei Yan and continued, "Prime Minister Zhuge Liang's strategy has two key points: one is to control Jing and Yi provinces and divide the world into three parts. The other is to launch a two-pronged attack to restore the Central Plains."

Wei Yan narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Wei Ba. What he said was not a lie; he indeed knew only a little about this strategy, which Liu Bei and Fa Zheng had mentioned when discussing the situation of the world. He did not know the specifics, but the two points Wei Ba mentioned did indeed summarize the main ideas.

"The First Lord entered Yi province, and Guan Hou stayed to guard Jing province, not only shouldering the responsibility of controlling Jing and Yi but also the task of launching a two-pronged attack. However, Guan Hou's defeat at Mai Cheng not only cost him his life but also handed Jing province to Eastern Wu. Controlling Jing and Yi became an empty promise, and the two-pronged attack became a distant dream. Given the current situation, if Shu wants to launch an attack, it can only go through Hanzhong, which is much more difficult than going through Wan and Lu from Jing province. Guan Hou's defeat almost destroyed half of Shu Han's vitality. Can such a person still be called a great general?"

Wei Yan snorted. "You are judging heroes by their success or failure. Do you not know that a general can be called great even if he is not invincible? Sometimes, the reasons for defeat are beyond the control of the general. Since you have read the works of Grand Historian Sima Qian, do you not know that the Overlord Xiang Yu said, 'It is heaven that is destroying me, not the fault of battle.'"

Wei Ba was somewhat surprised. From his father's tone, was there something else to it?

"Are you saying that Guan Hou's loss of Jing province and his defeat at Mai Cheng were not his fault but someone else's responsibility?"

"Guan Hou's defeat has many hidden reasons, which are hard to explain in a few words. When we return to Nanzheng, I will explain it to you in detail." Wei Yan sighed, looking somewhat melancholy. "However, you can recognize the disadvantage of losing Jing province to our army, which shows some insight. Your brother told me that you have guessed that the Prime Minister is about to enter Hanzhong for the northern campaign. Now, tell me, what strategy will the Prime Minister use for the northern campaign?"

Wei Ba was also nervous. He knew how Zhuge Liang would conduct the northern campaign, but since it had not happened yet, it was a prediction, not an evaluation of a fait accompli. If he guessed correctly, there would be no problem, but if he guessed wrong, it would be troublesome, and the good impression he had built in his father's mind would crumble.

"What's wrong? You dare to speak about Guan Hou but not about the Prime Minister?" Wei Yan sneered.

Wei Ba took a deep breath and decided to take a chance. He had just arrived in this world and had not left Hanzhong, so he should not have had such a significant impact as to change the course of history. Moreover, Zhuge Liang was not someone who could be easily influenced.

"Send a feint force through Xiegu and the main force through Longxi."

"Send a feint force through Xiegu and the main force through Longxi?" Wei Yan smiled disappointedly, his tone full of disdain. "Is this your insight? Ha, what a load of nonsense. I said it, how could you suddenly become smart? Now it seems you only have a bit of cleverness, which is not to be taken seriously."

Wei Ba remained unperturbed and smiled slightly. "What do you think, Father?"

Wei Yan looked at him, thought for a moment, and then smiled. "Fine, it's rare that you have an interest in military affairs. I'll give you a basic lesson so you don't embarrass yourself in the future." He sat behind the desk, tapped it twice, and then raised his head. "A military commander must know geography. Tell me, how much do you know about the geography of Hanzhong?"

Wei Ba shook his head. "I only know a little, and my knowledge is limited. Please enlighten me, Father."

Wei Yan did not expect much from him. He got up, took a scroll from the inner room, and spread it on the desk, gesturing for Wei Ba to sit closer. Wei Ba leaned in and was somewhat disappointed. The map was very simple, with only a few lines and place names marked. It could not compare to the maps of later times, not even to the Han dynasty military map found in the Mawangdui tombs.

"There are three options for an attack from Hanzhong to Luoyang." Wei Yan extended his finger and gently traced the map, a rare gentle action that showed how much he cherished it. "The first is to go east from Hanzhong, follow the Mian River to Xiangyang, and directly target Wan and Lu. This is the most direct and shortest route, the best strategy. The second is to cross the Qinling Mountains, directly take Guanzhong, and then follow the Wei River east to Luoyang. This route is more difficult because it involves crossing a large mountain and requires taking Guanzhong first, which will take time. However, Guanzhong is geographically advantageous, known as the 'four barriers of the pass and river.' If we hold the Tong Pass, Cao Wei will have no way to advance west, and we can easily take Guanzhong. Compared to directly taking Wan and Lu, this requires fewer troops and is a more stable strategy, the middle strategy. The last route is the one you mentioned, through Longxi. This is the longest route, and after taking Longxi, taking Guanzhong requires breaking through the Long Mountains, which is very difficult. If we delay in Longxi, and the main Cao Wei forces come to aid, there will be a fierce battle in Guanzhong, and the outcome is uncertain. Therefore, the route you mentioned is the least reasonable of the three, and your strategy is the worst."

Wei Yan looked up, staring at Wei Ba with a cold smile. "Among the three strategies, you chose the worst. With such limited insight, how dare you criticize Guan Hou?"

Wei Ba was not convinced. He believed his father's judgment was correct, and among the three strategies, the one through Longxi was indeed the worst. However, historically, Zhuge Liang did indeed choose the route through Longxi. Did he not see the advantages and disadvantages of the three strategies? Although Zhuge Liang could not really control the weather and predict everything as described in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he was undoubtedly one of the most outstanding military strategists of his time. If he did not choose the best or middle strategy but the worst, there must be a reason, even if it was due to his cautious nature. There must be a reason that forced him to make this choice, even if he did not know it yet.

Wei Ba knew that in terms of science and technology, he could be considered top-notch in this world, but in terms of military strategy, he only had a vague knowledge of historical events and was clueless about specific details, such as the geography of Hanzhong.

He smiled. "Father, what you said might be correct, but this is just your choice. Prime Minister Zhuge Liang might think differently."

Wei Yan sneered again. "Prime Minister is the commander of the northern campaign, so there's no doubt about that. However, as the Northern General, I have been guarding Hanzhong for nearly ten years on the First Lord's orders. If the Prime Minister wants to launch a northern campaign, he must listen to my opinion. Even if he does not fully adopt my best strategy, he will certainly use the middle strategy. With the Prime Minister's wisdom, would he choose the worst strategy? Do you think he is like you?"

Wei Ba touched his nose, smiling more humbly. Convincing his father was extremely difficult. No matter how he looked at it, he could not gain the upper hand, and it would only make his father unhappy. However, the standard for judging right and wrong was not who spoke more reasonably but the final outcome. Since his father was so confident, perhaps it would not be a bad thing for him to face reality.

"Father, since the Prime Minister will soon come to Hanzhong, let's wait and see what strategy he will use."

"Of course." Wei Yan, thinking about the Prime Minister's northern campaign and his own impending important role, felt more relaxed. He laughed triumphantly, stroking his short beard, and after a moment's thought, said, "Your insight may not be good, but you can read and write, which is something your brother cannot do. Since you are interested in military affairs, from now on, you will handle some administrative tasks to help your brother."

Wei Ba habitually responded, but when he realized what he had agreed to, his scalp tingled. He could talk, but when it came to writing, not only could he not write formal documents in classical Chinese, but his handwriting was also a mess. He looked up at Wei Yan, meeting his father's encouraging gaze, thought for a moment, opened his mouth, and then swallowed his refusal, nodding forcefully.

To survive in this world, he had to learn to write with a brush and read and write formal documents. Since this was inevitable, why not start now? The beginning is always the hardest, and now he could learn from his father and elder brother, avoiding embarrassment in public. This was a rare opportunity that he could not easily let go of.

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