Chapter 110

As Liu Bei entered Chang’an, I stepped down from my position as the overall leader. It was only natural, and something to be celebrated. The joy of being able to rest without a care in the world was immeasurable. However, before that, there was one last task to complete: appointing a gatekeeper for Xiao Pass, which blocked the northern route of Guanzhong. Since Liu Bei had become the overall leader of Chang’an, it was only right to hand this over to him. But Liu Bei, as the supreme commander of the Guanzhong campaign, left this task to me as a final touch to the defense.

I was eager to return the symbolic Jiajieyue, representing my position as the supreme commander of the Guanzhong expedition, and was pondering who to assign to Xiao Pass. “Haven’t you decided yet?” Bi Yi, who was in a similar situation, casually asked. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Huang Quan, the duties that Bi Yi and the Wei officials had been handling were being transferred to Liu Bei’s civil officials. Bi Yi’s efforts in managing Chang’an’s administration alongside Wei officials were commendable, but it was only natural for Liu Bei’s seasoned civil officials to take over.

Bi Yi, seemingly uninterested in continuing his work, stepped down on his own. The workload must have been overwhelming. ‘Indeed, even though Bi Yi was a master of multitasking and delegating tasks, the sheer volume of work was too much.’ Chang’an was a large city, and the workload was mountainous. Managing reports from all over Guanzhong outside Chang’an was no small feat. It was a wonder things had run smoothly until now.

Bi Yi, now free, quickly handled the tasks of the Rear General’s Office and often lingered around me, even bringing a Go board to play a game or two. Today, seeing me with a brush instead of Go stones, he eagerly intervened, hoping to finish quickly and play a game. “We can’t just send anyone. But since all the generals’ deputies are capable, it shouldn’t be a big concern…” Jiang Wei, being in an ambiguous position between civil and military affairs and a key figure in the Rear General’s Office, was excluded. Guo Yi and Bu Chuan were still young and lacked experience in leading troops. Ma Dai, though now a seasoned general, had experience leading cavalry, but whether that would translate to defensive warfare was questionable.

Since Liu Bei had personally left this task to me, it couldn’t be handled carelessly. “I’d like to entrust this to Ziyun,” I mused. Wang Ping was almost a complete package, having independently led troops in the recent northern expedition. At thirty, he was still young but had ample experience. His only drawback was his illiteracy, though he could now write his name, albeit more like copying a picture than writing characters. This seemed to support the later theory of dyslexia.

“But isn’t General Wang of the North in Longxi?” “There was a report of his victory against Seomak. We could just summon him to Guanzhong.” However, I hesitated to call Wang Ping due to concerns about the public sentiment in Longxi after his departure. Seomak, the Longxi governor defeated by Wang Ping, was an exceptionally talented individual, excelling in both civil and military affairs, particularly in governance. He was somewhat like a Wei version of Ma Chong, with slightly less military talent but more commercial acumen.

The Qiang and Di tribes, collectively known as the Xirong, had shown strong support for Seomak during the northern expedition. Even Ma Chao, who had regained his reputation, couldn’t sway them. However, Seomak’s military skills were lacking, and he was defeated by Wang Ping despite having more troops due to the support of the ethnic tribes. Yet, Seomak’s influence remained. The ethnic tribes still revered him as a great man.

If Wang Ping stayed, there would be no problem, but I wondered if Longxi would remain stable after his departure. ‘With Fang Junsa and Xiao Xing coming, should we send Xiao Xing?’ Gu Bu, overshadowed by Wang Ping, was also an excellent talent. It was a pity to send him away immediately, but there was no other choice. Just as I was about to finalize Gu Bu’s appointment and draft the orders, Jiang Wei’s voice came from outside. “Rear General, Bai Yao is here.” “Let him in. Have you finished the tasks I assigned?” “Yes, I’ve completed the final checks and handed them over. And there’s a letter for you, General.” “A letter? From whom?” “From General of the North.”

Wang Ping? Just as we were discussing him, he sent a letter as if on cue. “Ziyun is quite the character.” “Huh? What kind of character is that? Is it from the classics?” “Something like that.” Ignoring Bi Yi’s curiosity about the term, I extended my hand to Jiang Wei. “Give it to me.”

I first checked the end of Wang Ping’s letter, where his official seal and a crooked signature confirmed it was indeed from him. The letter, likely dictated, was filled with flowery language unlike Wang Ping’s usual practical style. Summarizing, it said: [We’ve successfully occupied Longxi. Seomak isn’t good at fighting but has great virtue. He’s a good person, but we can’t persuade him to join us. Help.]

‘Perfect summary.’ Seomak… Seomak. Without suffering defeat, Shu Han had long escaped the talent shortage by retaining those who would have otherwise died or defected. Now, numerous talents were eagerly waiting for their chance. Originally, I had sent Yang Yi, who could have held a high position like Chief Minister, to be the magistrate of a remote village, which was a testament to our abundance of talent. If there had been a talent drought, my request would have been rejected by Zhuge Liang.

‘If Wang Ping personally reached out to me, he must really like Seomak.’ Wang Ping usually handled things on his own, so this was the first time he directly asked for help. While we didn’t urgently need Seomak, more talent is always better. “I’ll have to go to Longxi,” I muttered, making my decision. I began drafting the orders.

Longxi was quite a distance. I couldn’t just go without returning the Jiajieyue. After appointing Gu Bu as the gatekeeper of Xiao Pass, I would return the Jiajieyue and seek Liu Bei’s permission. Liu Bei wouldn’t ascend the throne immediately; there were preparations to be made and justifications to build. Bi Yi, overhearing my mutterings, asked, “You’re going to Longxi?” “Yes. Ziyun seems to have some trouble handling it alone.” “Isn’t it far? There’s a big event coming up soon.”

Bi Yi was subtly referring to Liu Bei’s ascension. Even though Liu Bei hadn’t accepted it yet, speaking of it as a foregone conclusion was problematic, even if it was tacitly acknowledged. “Such events don’t happen overnight. We need to choose an auspicious day and prepare many things.”

We needed to find auspicious signs and go through several refusals for justification. Considering the time needed to build an altar and prepare rituals after Liu Bei’s declaration, there was enough time to visit Longxi. My plan proceeded smoothly. Gu Bu, upon receiving the orders, immediately set off for Xiao Pass. Feeling guilty, I accompanied him to the city gate and apologized, asking him to hold the fort for a while.

Afterward, I returned the Jiajieyue to Liu Bei, officially stepping down as the supreme commander of the Guanzhong expedition. Liu Bei returned the Jiajieyue but gave me back the Bu Yue, maintaining my original authority. After completing the resignation process, I informed Liu Bei of my plan to visit Longxi.

“You’re going to Longxi?” “Yes. I plan to persuade Seomak, who was captured by General of the North, to join us.” “Seomak… I remember that name. I heard he’s an excellent governor. If he joins us, it would be a great help.”

Fortunately, Liu Bei’s reaction was positive. With his ascension approaching, more auspicious signs were always welcome. The defection of an enemy official would be a clear demonstration of Liu Bei’s virtue. Liu Bei added one more request: “Military Advisor Zhuge will be coming to Chang’an.” “Military Advisor? Then who will guard Chengdu?” Even if the ascension was to take place in Chang’an, the capital would still be Chengdu. Chang’an was too dangerous as a frontline city.

“I plan to leave the crown prince there. Liu Zichao and Ma Jixiang are there, and Shu Zhi is guarding it. There shouldn’t be any problems.” With Chief Minister Yu Pa and Ma Liang managing internal affairs and Jin Dou guarding Chengdu, problems were unlikely. “Then shall I assist Military Advisor and return together?” “Yes. I’ll leave it to you.”

After the meeting with Liu Bei, I immediately prepared a unit to go to Longxi. Initially, I planned to take only a few, but with the added task of escorting Zhuge Liang, the scale grew. Moving the entire Lanling Army would be a waste of manpower, so I entrusted O Yi, who had previously led the Lanling Army in my stead, to act as my deputy.

The realization that even moving myself required such procedures made me truly feel the weight of my high position. “Let’s depart.” After a long preparation process, I set off for Longxi.