Chapter 3: The Chancellor Plans a Northern Expedition
"Running?" Wei Yan let out a cold laugh: "Is running also considered exercise? Is it to run faster when escaping?"
Hanzhong originally had a large population, with one prefecture and nine counties, nearly 90,000 households, and around 270,000 people. When Zhang Lu established his power in Hanzhong, many people from the Three Auxiliaries and Liangzhou also came, bringing the number of households close to 150,000 and the population to 400,000. However, after years of continuous warfare in Hanzhong, when Cao Cao's forces retreated, many people were forcibly relocated, leading to a sharp decline in the population. As a result, there are now fields without anyone to tend them, making it impossible to supply the large army.
I..." Wei Feng let out a sigh of relief and concealed his thoughts, saying: "I meant my father's army, but I never said it was the Chancellor who was planning to launch a northern expedition"
Wei Ba raised his eyebrows and asked, "What is wrong with the spring plowing?" After the Qingming Festival comes the Grain Rain, marking the beginning of the annual spring sowing season. Wei Yan, who concurrently served as the governor of Hanzhong, was responsible for these matters as well. The reason he had come to Mianyang these days was to inspect the preparations for the spring plowing.
Hearing his father's heavy footsteps fade away, Wei Ba felt as if a great mountain had been lifted from his shoulders. He raised his head and looked at the food scattered all over the hall, and only then did he understand why the aroma of the dishes was so rich that it reached the front courtyard
"That... I accompanied my elder brother for a run, to exercise." Although Wei Wu's voice was low, it was not flustered
Wei Ba's eyes twinkled as he let out a chuckle and glanced at Wei Feng: "You can't even lie properly. Father has been stationed in Hanzhong for such a long time. Could it be that he has been starving all these years? You wouldn't suggest that Father has been stationed in Hanzhong for years without resolving the issue of military provisions, would you?"
Although Wei Ba's actions were instinctive and extremely swift, his snot and tears could not 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 misty tear-filled eyes, he saw a pair of large feet clad in battle boots. Those feet paused momentarily in front of him before quickly turning towards Wei Wu.
You said it. Wei Ba felt somewhat perplexed: "Did you not say that the grain from Hanzhong cannot supply the army?"
"You still know how to come back; I thought you had died out there?" The voice of Father Wei Yan was a deep baritone, somewhat magnetic, but his tone was too indifferent, making it quite uncomfortable to hear. Wei Ba knew that his younger brother Wei Wu was clearly a promising warrior, even more favored than their elder brother Wei Feng. Their father would never want him to die; it was the frail Wei Ba himself who was the one their father secretly wished would perish outside.
Wei Feng was taken aback for a moment, looking at Wei Ba in surprise, and then smiled, saying: "In my opinion, they really do not have enough manpower. You know that Hanzhong is not lacking in land, but is indeed lacking in people. The four counties of Hanzhong combined have less than 20,000 households, and the rest have been taken away by the traitor Cao. Haven't you noticed that many fields have been left fallow these days?"
Wei Ba understood the reasons behind the drastic decrease in the population of Hanzhong. Just as he felt somewhat relieved, he was startled by Wei Feng's last remark. A large army is approaching; could it be that Zhuge Liang is preparing for a northern expedition?
Yangping Pass is located in the western part of the Hanzhong Plain, precisely at the junction of the plain and the mountainous region. The Han River—also known here as the Mian River—flows through the mountains, nourishing the fertile Hanzhong Plain. With mountains and water, lush grasslands, and an undeniably authentic attraction—the tomb of the Five Tiger Generals' Jin Ma Chao—this place is a paradise that a seasoned recluse like Wei Ba could hardly have dared to dream of in his past life.
Of course, for him, although the tomb of Jin Ma Chao is quite famous, it is still far surpassed by another renowned site. To the southeast, about ten miles away, there is a mountain that, while not tall, has a steep terrain. In the hearts of later Three Kingdoms enthusiasts, it is considered a sacred place. It is not only the site where another of the Five Tiger Generals, Huang Zhong, gained fame in battle, but also the resting place of the illustrious strategist Zhuge Liang. Its name is Dingjun Mountain
Wei Wu was at a loss for words, unsure whether he did not know how to respond or if he had caught a whiff of the horsewhip and dared not speak further
Wei Ba felt a warmth in his heart, put down the bowl, swallowed the food in his mouth, and raised his head to look at Wei Feng, smiling as he said: "Elder brother... brother, do you think those clerks truly lack manpower, or are they being lazy and unwilling to put in the effort?"
There is nothing much to say. The Chancellor's office has sent a message requesting that Hanzhong prepare more grain, at least a 50% increase. Last year, my father instructed the counties to intensify land reclamation efforts in order to produce more grain this year. However, the clerks complained that while there is land available, there is a shortage of manpower, making a 50% increase fundamentally impossible. This is when my father lost his temper with them and even resorted to violence.
Wei Feng glanced at him and forced a smile, saying: "What else could it be? It's just about the spring plowing."
"Oh dear, please don't brake suddenly, it's easy to cause a rear-end collision." Wei Ba shouted angrily, reaching out to push Wei Wu, but Wei Wu ignored him and timidly called out, "Father!"
Wei Feng's eyes flickered, suddenly showing interest as he looked up and down at Wei Ba, nodding repeatedly: "Hmm, not bad. You finally seem willing to use your brain; you actually managed to guess this secret. I always said that although your body is weak, your mind is not dull, just lazy and unwilling to work. It seems that Awu was right; now that you are better, you indeed understand things much more.
The smile on Wei Feng's face faded, and a cloud of worry reappeared. "Yes, according to the *Tushu*, the Prime Minister is preparing for the northern expedition, and he will soon relocate to Hanzhong. With an army of over 100,000, how can we transport all the provisions from Bashu? The consumption is too great, so we need to store as much grain as possible in Hanzhong to alleviate the burden of transportation."
After several days of self-torturous training, Wei Ba, while feeling extremely fatigued, also experienced the wonders of being close to nature. He began to understand why those in his previous life who called themselves "hikers" would rush outdoors whenever they had the time; it turned out that compared to nature, the city truly is a jungle of steel and concrete.
Wei Feng's face showed surprise as he stared at Wei Ba for a moment and quickly asked, "Who said that?"
It is said that, however, Yang Yi is exceedingly detestable; he demands fifty percent right from the start and even suggests that, if possible, it would be best to double it, the more the better. He only mentions the abundance of land in Hanzhong but fails to acknowledge the sparse population there, clearly seeking trouble on purpose
Oh. Wei Ba responded and picked up his bowl to eat again. His inquiry was not driven by any particular thoughts, but merely out of polite concern. However, after taking a couple of bites, he suddenly felt a stir in his heart, and his hand holding the bowl came to a halt. Wei Feng, seeing this, thought he was eating too hastily again like before and had choked, so he shook his head in concern, moved behind Wei Ba, and gently patted his back while saying
The elder brother Wei Feng, who had been standing silently by the side, walked over, placed a hand on one of his younger brother's shoulders, and said gently: "Alright, Father is not angry with you. He was upset by those clerks, so do not take it to heart. Hurry and eat; after playing all day, you must be hungry."
Eat slowly, do not rush. Your health is just right, do not overexert yourself
Thank you, elder brother. Wei Wu replied honestly, standing on tiptoe to avoid the food scattered on the ground. He found a spot to sit down, picked up a bowl, and began to eat heartily. Wei Ba also found a place to sit, eating while watching his elder brother Wei Feng. Noticing that Wei Feng's brow was furrowed and he had no appetite for the food on the table, he asked, "Elder brother, why is father angry with those clerks again?"
Yang Yi? Upon hearing this name, Wei Ba felt a jolt in his heart. This person is the very culprit who, a few years later, would cause the Wei family to die without a burial place. It turns out their conflict began right from this moment.
Father? Wei Ba was taken aback, immediately putting down his hands, instinctively crossing them over his chest, lowering his head, and appearing exceedingly obedient and respectful. This was purely muscle memory; if he were to consciously adopt such a posture, it would certainly not be so precise. This indicates that the fellow was genuinely terrified of his father, Wei Yan, to the core, without even a thought of rebellion.
Wei Ba smiled nervously, interrupting Wei Feng's topic: "Hurry up and say it, is the Prime Minister planning to launch a northern expedition?"
Wei Ba was so delighted that he lost track of time, and it was not until the sun had set that he hurried back to Mianyang City with Wei Wu. As soon as they entered the county temple's main gate, they were greeted by the rich aroma of food. After a day of play, the two brothers, their stomachs growling, exchanged glances and, without a word, raised their eyebrows, stepping eagerly toward the hall. Although Wei Wu was small, he took large and swift strides, and in just two steps, he dashed ahead of Wei Ba into the courtyard. Wei Ba felt a bit frustrated but quickened his pace to catch up. However, just as he entered, Wei Wu suddenly stopped. Wei Ba was unable to halt in time and with a thud, collided with Wei Wu's back, his nose hitting the back of Wei Wu's head, causing a sharp pain that made tears and snot flow uncontrollably.
Wei Ba nodded; he had indeed noticed the issue with hetushu.com. Mianyang is a county closely adjacent to the county seat of Nanzheng, with a relatively small population. As the spring sowing season approaches, everyone capable of working in the fields has begun to busy themselves. However, apart from the fields surrounding the county town, the more distant areas remain idle, which is a stark contrast to the bustling scenes of spring plowing he remembered from his previous life. He had always been puzzled as to why there were so few people; it was only after listening to Wei Feng's explanation that he realized the population in Hanzhong had dwindled to such an extent.
As a seasoned homebody accustomed to understanding the magnificent landscapes of my homeland through a computer screen, standing here to gaze upon Dingjun Mountain is nothing short of a miracle. Moreover, this is happening eighteen hundred years after the sound of drums that heralded Huang Zhong's victory over Xiahou Yuan has long faded. Yet, the astute and almost supernatural Zhuge Liang is still wholeheartedly planning the Northern Expedition. He is not merely looking back at history; he is witnessing it, and may even be on the verge of participating in it. The subtlety of this experience is indeed quite extraordinary.
Seeing Wei Ba's expression of doubt, Wei Feng did not think too much about it. Among the brothers, only he was currently assisting their father, Wei Yan, in handling political affairs. Originally, Wei Ba could be considered an adult and should have been able to contribute a little, but his health had always been poor. Wei Yan, seeing his sickly appearance, was angry and had not allowed him to participate. It was understandable that he did not know much about these matters. Usually, Wei Ba was also too lazy to inquire about such things, but today he suddenly asked. Although it might not be of much use, Wei Feng was still very pleased and explained a bit more.
Hmph! Wei Yan, with a cold expression, shot a sideways glance at Wei Ba, who was lowering his head. Then he looked at the few drops of unknown water stains in front of him, and in disappointment, he waved his hand and left, his voice echoing from a distance: "I won't eat anymore"
This is indeed a solution; if food can be sourced locally in Hanzhong, it would certainly resolve many issues
"The Prime Minister wants to launch a northern expedition?" Wei Ba blurted out