During the time when Qin Longyang defeated Guan Hai's army in You Province, local officials and soldiers also successively crushed the remaining main forces of the Yellow Turbans.
The self-proclaimed "Great Teacher" Zhang Jiao was besieged in Ji Province by government troops led by Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi. Seeing the hopeless situation, Zhang Jiao's generals, Yan Zheng and Bian Xi, assassinated him at night. Consequently, the Yellow Turban forces in Ji Province scattered and disappeared.
Not long after, Zhang Jiao's brother, Zhang Bao, was also defeated in Qing Province and captured. He was subsequently executed publicly.
With the deaths of the three Zhang brothers who initiated the rebellion, only Zhang Liang remained unaccounted for. In less than a year, the mighty Yellow Turban Rebellion began to wane.
However, this turmoil shook the foundation of the Eastern Han dynasty, marking the start of an era where various warlords would rise.
"What? You mean that the veteran officials Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi have resigned?" Qin Longyang was shocked by this news. Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi were considered pillars of the court. If they resigned, something significant must have happened!
Liu Dai nodded slightly, squinting his eyes. "In this Yellow Turban Rebellion, they both made the greatest contributions. If they returned to the capital, they would undoubtedly be promoted. But precisely because of this, some people couldn't let them return peacefully."
Though Liu Dai spoke ambiguously, Qin Longyang understood. The position of Zhonglang General was already a high rank in the court.
Returning to the capital after making such meritorious contributions in quelling the Yellow Turban Rebellion would surely stir up a lot of political undercurrents.
Not to mention, the Ten Attendants led by Zhang Rang would be threatened, as well as other political enemies.
"Currently, Zhang Liang and the remaining Yellow Turbans are still in Ji Province, but the court ordered Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi to return to the capital." Liu Dai's face showed a bitter smile, seemingly self-mocking.
"The summons to the capital is essentially to pacify us, ensuring we don't cause any more disturbances."
Qin Longyang snorted coldly, half-smiling as he looked at Liu Dai. "Pardon my boldness, but across the ten-odd provinces of the Central Plains, most provincial governors are relatives of the Han court. However, the court is now dominated by eunuchs, and loyal officials suffer, while the common people are voiceless! If this continues, countless more Yellow Turbans will rise, and the Central Plains will never see peace."
Liu Dai's eyebrows moved, but he couldn't speak. After a while, he nodded, saying, "Though that's the case, some of the Han court's relatives are willing to go against the tide. Does Governor Qin know the current Prince of Chen, Liu Chong?"
"Liu Chong?" Qin Longyang pondered, having some idea of who Liu Dai was referring to. Liu Chong, Prince Min of Chen, inherited the title from his father, Prince Xiao Liu Cheng, and governed the state of Chen in Runan County, Yu Province.
During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the other county and state commanders in Runan fled, leaving the common people to suffer massacres. Only Liu Chong led the people of Chen to resist the Yellow Turbans, attracting many refugees to Chen.
Liu Chong seized this opportunity to recruit local soldiers and expand his territory. His experiences were somewhat similar to Qin Longyang's.
"I have some impression..." Qin Longyang murmured.
Liu Dai smiled without speaking. "Being a relative of the Han court is just a title. Although I, Liu Dai, am a governor, I know I lack real talent. The emperor granted me an official position, so I protect this land for him. I don't seek fame but only to have a clear conscience."
"The future of the Han dynasty belongs to people like you who have the world in mind, not to people like us who are alive in body but dead in spirit." Liu Dai looked at Qin Longyang meaningfully, making him feel uncomfortable. "General Qin, you have an aura about you that commands respect."
"Governor Liu, you're quite the joker," Qin Longyang laughed nervously. "I'm just an ordinary person; how could I deserve to have the world in mind?"
"Hahaha," Liu Dai found this amusing and shook his head. "So be it. Traveling with you has cleared my mind a lot. Here, take this letter. When you enter the city, find Grand Scholar Cai Yong. He and I are old friends, and he can help you."
"Grand Scholar Cai Yong!" Qin Longyang knew the name well. He gratefully took Liu Dai's letter and thanked him, "Thank you, Governor Liu!"
"Fate brought us together; mutual help is natural. Since we've reached Luoyang, I have other matters to attend to. General Qin, farewell for now, and perhaps we'll meet again!" Liu Dai clasped his hands in salute.
"Until we meet again!" Qin Longyang returned the gesture, then he and Liao Hua rode their horses towards the main road.
"Liu Dai seems like a good person; he's polite and doesn't have the airs of those high-ranking officials," Liao Hua remarked as they took a different road to Luoyang.
Qin Longyang nodded. "Though Liu Dai may lack talent, he knows to respect the virtuous, and he has many capable officers and advisors. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been appointed Governor of Yanzhou."
"But unfortunately, he's not a hero and will eventually be eliminated in the struggle for power," Qin Longyang gazed ahead as if seeing a future scene where Cao Cao led his army into Yanzhou.
After another hour of traveling, a majestic metropolis appeared before them. A solid city wall, tens of meters high, built with tightly interlocked gray stones, stood before them.
According to Liao Hua, the layout of Luoyang was rectangular, stretching over sixty li in length, roughly over 20,000 meters in modern units! The largest city Qin Longyang had seen before was Ji City, built on a hill, with a length of about 5,000 meters. Luoyang was nearly four times its size!
"No wonder it's called the strongest city in the world," Qin Longyang murmured, leading his horse toward the city gate. As they approached, the gate guards, seeing Qin Longyang's attire, thought he was a wealthy merchant's son returning from a trip.
"Which family do you belong to, young master? Please state your identity for verification," a guard greeted with a smile. Qin Longyang also smiled kindly, while Liao Hua was about to speak but was stopped by Qin Longyang, who then took out a seal from his waist to show the guard.
"You!" The guard saw the "You" character on the seal and was shocked, staring in disbelief at the young man before him. "I didn't expect you to be the governor. I beg your pardon, please come in!"
In the guard's eyes, a governor was a high-ranking official. Recently, many governors and nobles had come to the capital for the emperor's reward, so it wasn't unusual to see them.
However, unlike the others who arrived in large palanquins or with a retinue of armored soldiers, this one arrived with just one attendant and two horses.
The people in line behind Qin Longyang craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the unfamiliar young face, followed by a series of exclamations. After verification, Qin Longyang and Liao Hua leisurely entered the city, unaware that a man on horseback had noticed them in the line behind.
"General Cao!" the guards saluted the new arrival.
"Who was that?" Cao Cao squinted at the two figures walking away.
"Sir, we didn't dare look closely, but it seemed to be the Governor of Youzhou."
"Youzhou..." Cao Cao murmured. "A few months ago, Youzhou almost fell to chaos. They say a young talent turned the tide, driving away the Yellow Turbans and Xiongnu, saving Youzhou. Could it be him?"
"Did he leave his name?"
"No, sir, we didn't dare ask."
Cao Cao took a deep breath, a faint smile on his lips, and a sharp glint in his eyes. "The Central Plains won't be at peace for long!"
As for Qin Longyang and Liao Hua, they wandered around the bustling streets of the capital, feeling a bit lost in the crowd. The streets were packed with people, and the shops were lined with various small buildings, creating a lively atmosphere reminiscent of a modern city.
"There's no point wandering like this. Let's find someone and ask for directions to Cai's residence." Qin Longyang scratched his head, looking troubled by the busy street.
"Look over there!" Liao Hua pointed to another street where a crowd had gathered, seemingly watching something interesting.
Qin Longyang was curious. "Let's go take a look."
The crowd surrounded a small stall selling antiques. At the stall stood a young man dressed in elegant clothes, fanning himself with a folding fan, along with several attendants with wicked smiles. They had surrounded two young women, accusing them of owing money.
"What a typical scene," Qin Longyang thought, seeing a jade bowl broken on the ground, which was the young man's excuse for accosting the woman.
"Who is that young man?" Qin Longyang asked a nearby bare-armed man.
The man glanced at Qin Longyang. "Who else? He's Dong Kui, nephew of the current Cheqi General Dong Cheng. He often pulls this kind of trick to extort money from merchants in this area. People are angry but don't dare speak up. Who would provoke him?"
"Dong Cheng..." Qin Longyang chuckled coldly. "Who would have thought that even the nephew of a General of Chariots and Cavalry could be so arrogant? If it's like this with the children of generals and ministers, wouldn't they turn the entire capital upside down?"
Hearing this, the big man nearby was a bit startled and decided not to engage further, suspecting Qin Longyang was someone of high status.
The steward, who was fawning at the noble-looking young man, interjected, "My lady, it's only right to pay for what you've damaged. How can you call our young master a rogue?"
The woman being cornered shot him a disgusted glance and retorted, "Nonsense! How can a small bowl be worth fifty taels of silver?"
"Whether you believe it or not, it's up to this young master to decide the price. You either pay up or come with us. I'm tired of this farce!" Dong Kui smirked as he fanned himself, looking at the women with a sinister grin.
"I didn't bring any money with me today. Let me go home and get it for you. Will that be okay?"
"Hahaha," Dong Kui laughed aloud. "That's not gonna work. What if you run away? How will I find you then?"
"Pfft," a mocking laugh suddenly came from the crowd behind them. "Hey, young master, that's enough. There are more and more people gathering here. It won't be good if the city guards show up."