Unexpectedly, there was someone in the capital who dared to meddle in his affairs. Dong Kui's mouth twitched in disbelief as he turned to follow the astonished gazes of the crowd. The onlookers tactfully stepped aside, revealing a young man who had spoken up.
"Tch, you must be from out of town, right?" Dong Kui sneered, noting the unfamiliar face and guessing the man wasn't a local. Pointing at himself, he continued, "Do you know who I am? I'm..."
"The nephew of Cheqi General Dong Cheng, Dong Kui. Who in Luoyang doesn't know?" The young man retorted with a cold smile.
"Since you know my young master's name, yet you still dare to meddle in our business, I advise you to leave quickly, or else I'll break your legs!" The steward beside him rolled up his sleeves, stepped forward, and pointed at Qin Longyang's nose as he shouted.
Qin Longyang's eyebrows furrowed immediately. He grabbed the steward's finger and twisted it forcefully, causing the steward to cry out and kneel on the ground. Qin Longyang didn't hold back, delivering a knee strike to the man's face.
With a groan, the steward fell to the ground, blood streaming from his nose and mouth, even losing a front tooth in the process. "If you don't want to lose your hand, I wouldn't mind cutting it off for you!" Qin Longyang shouted sternly. The steward shivered with fear and crawled back to Dong Kui.
Seeing his lord take action for the first time, Liao Hua was amazed by his master's prowess. He hadn't expected Qin Longyang to be so formidable in battle!
"You... You insolent brat!" Dong Kui gnashed his teeth. "Since you want to get involved in this, don't blame me! You lot, teach him a lesson!"
"Yes!" At their master's command, several servants eagerly approached Qin Longyang, who merely sneered without any attempt to dodge. He knew these small fry weren't enough to test Liao Hua's skills!
One burly servant swung his fist at Qin Longyang, but a fist from the side arrived first, hitting him squarely in the face with a thud. The servant flew several meters and landed unconscious at Dong Kui's feet.
The other servants were startled and stepped back a few paces. "Damn it, get some weapons!" Dong Kui cursed.
One servant grabbed a wooden barrel from the roadside and tried to smash it over Liao Hua's head. But such an action was child's play. Liao Hua easily twisted the man's arm, causing him to cry out and collapse. He then smashed the barrel over another servant's head, the wood shattering with a crash and covering the man's face with blood. The unfortunate servant collapsed, unconscious.
Seeing this, no one dared to make a move. Dong Kui, trembling, stammered, "Murder... Murder! How dare you commit murder under the emperor's nose! You're finished!"
"Whether I'm finished or not is another matter. Is this broken bowl..." Qin Longyang bent down and picked up a piece of broken porcelain. "Worth fifty taels of silver?"
With a flick of his wrist, the shard shot out, leaving a thin red line on Dong Kui's cheek. He touched his face, trembling, as blood trickled from the wound. "Ah!" He screamed like a pig being slaughtered. "You! You dare hurt my face!"
"You'd better leave now, or I can't guarantee where the next shard will land!" Qin Longyang sneered.
"You'll pay for this! You'll pay for this!" Dong Kui shouted, turning around only to see a familiar face approaching.
"Cao Cao! General Cao! There's been a murder! Arrest him!" Seeing Cao Cao leading a group of soldiers toward him, Dong Kui felt as if he'd seen his savior. He hurriedly grabbed Cao Cao's sleeve and pointed at his own face. "Look! This guy cut my face and threatened to kill me!"
"Cao Cao?" Qin Longyang frowned, but as Dong Kui stood by the new arrival, Qin Longyang smiled. "What a naturally treacherous face. Just as described in the Three Kingdoms."
Cao Cao, dressed in a deep purple robe, looked around thirty years old. He had a slightly sunken face with fine lines, narrow eyes, a long beard, and a height of about seven feet. He wore a faint smile as he observed Qin Longyang.
"It seems Young Master Dong has misunderstood," Cao Cao said coldly, looking at Dong Kui. "I was informed that a young master was causing trouble on the streets of Luoyang, harassing an innocent young woman. I'm here to arrest the troublemaker, not to mediate injuries."
Hearing this, Qin Longyang relaxed. He crossed his arms and watched with interest. Dong Kui looked bitter as if he'd eaten something sour, while Cao Cao continued, "Could it be that the one harassing the young woman is Young Master Dong himself?"
"No, absolutely not!" Dong Kui shook his head vehemently. "General Cao, you're on good terms with my uncle; you know my character. This is all a misunderstanding!"
"So there's no assault or murder here?" Cao Cao asked, struggling to suppress his laughter.
"No, absolutely not, just a misunderstanding!" Dong Kui forced a smile uglier than a cry.
Cao Cao nodded, then leaned in close to Dong Kui and whispered, "You'd better leave before this gentleman gets angry, or not even your uncle can protect you!"
Dong Kui shivered at Cao Cao's stern tone, looking pale. "General Cao, who... who is he?"
"What can you do if I tell you?"
"No, no, I don't dare! I'll leave now!" Dong Kui, knowing Qin Longyang's strength, didn't dare to meet his eyes. He gathered his servants and fled the scene in a hurry.
As they left, Cao Cao cupped his fists toward Qin Longyang, "Cavalry Commandant Cao Cao greets the Inspector of Youzhou!"
"Youzhou Inspector!" The crowd buzzed with excitement. This young man, who looked so unassuming, turned out to be the Inspector of a province! It was a revelation.
Qin Longyang returned the gesture, "Qin Longyang, Youzhou Inspector, greets General Cao!"
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the crowd dispersed. The rescued young woman stepped forward, blushing, and bowed, "Thank you, General Qin and Uncle Cao, for saving me."
"Uncle Cao?" Qin Longyang stared dumbfounded at Cao Cao.
Cao Cao chuckled, stroking his beard, "No need for thanks. The credit goes to this Inspector; I was merely passing by."
"This is Miss Cai Yan, the eldest daughter of the scholar Cai Yong. She calls me Uncle Cao out of respect," Cao Cao explained.
Cai Yan, also known as Cai Wenji, Qin Longyang thought, startled. She was renowned for her talents and beauty in the Eastern Han dynasty but also known for her tragic life, which evoked sympathy throughout history.
Seeing Qin Longyang staring at her, Cai Yan blushed even more. She quickly bowed again, "Thank you, General Qin, for your assistance. I am eternally grateful."
"Ahem!" Cao Cao coughed twice, bringing Qin Longyang back to his senses, scratching his head in embarrassment.
"No need to be so formal, Miss Cai. I was merely acting on a sense of justice," Qin Longyang replied.
"Haha, it's all fate," Cao Cao said with a knowing smile. "It's getting late, and I have official business to attend to. I must take my leave."
Before leaving, Cao Cao patted Qin Longyang on the shoulder, "Inspector, it seems you're having a good day today."
After Cao Cao left, Qin Longyang and Cai Yan stood awkwardly, blushing. Cai Yan's maid, Zier, giggled and whispered to her mistress, "Miss, why not invite General Qin to our house for tea as thanks?"
Cai Yan nodded shyly, "General Qin, if you don't mind, would you like to come to my house for some tea?"
"Master, this is a great opportunity to meet Scholar Cai!" Liao Hua reminded him.
"Yes, I almost forgot!" Qin Longyang replied seriously. "I was planning to visit Scholar Cai; I accept your invitation, Miss Cai."
"Please, follow me," Cai Yan said, bowing slightly as she led Qin Longyang and Liao Hua to the Cai residence.
...
Meanwhile, in Youzhou, the situation had taken a drastic turn. Despite Guan Jing's advice, Gongsun Fan insisted on launching a second campaign against Liaodong. Guan Jing had no choice but to ride swiftly to Ji City.
That night, Guan Jing made an agreement with Wei You. In Qin Longyang's name, Wei You would send troops to Liaodong, ostensibly as reinforcements, to help Gongsun Fan capture Eagle Gorge. In return, Gongsun Zan would reward them with an equivalent amount of money and provisions.
However, Gongsun Fan's army marched triumphantly into the Liao West Prefecture. Liao West Prefecture's governor, Huang Xin, betrayed them. He led 30,000 troops to surrender without a fight, handing over the city to Gongsun Fan.
Seeing Huang Xin lead his troops to surrender at the city gate of Liao West City, even mimicking Lin Xiang's act of carrying thorns on his back and kneeling, the first-time commander Gongsun Fan couldn't have been happier.
His soldiers were puzzled by this scene. Qud Dan whispered to Gongsun Fan, "Young Master, this man seems insincere. Be careful of a trap."
"Are you the defender of Liaoxi?" Gongsun Fan ignored Qu Dan and rode forward to speak directly with Huang Xin.
"Yes, General! I am Huang Xin, the defender of Liaoxi. Ever since clashing with General Gongsun Zan, I've been awed by his mighty prowess. I've been looking for an opportunity to surrender the county, and today, meeting you is a great fortune. I humbly request your acceptance; I am willing to serve you loyally!" Huang Xin said sincerely, kowtowing with a resounding bang.
The generals behind Gongsun Fan were all unsure how to react. Could Huang Xin really be planning to defect wholeheartedly?
Gongsun Fan raised an eyebrow in satisfaction, glanced at Qu Dan and the others, and nodded at Huang Xin. "Since General Huang is so sincere, I will accept you and your troops. Offering up the entire county of Liaoxi is a great achievement. When my father is rewarded, he will heavily reward you too!"
"Thank you, young master!" Huang Xin stood up, tears streaming down his face. His men cut the ropes binding him, and he saluted. "Young master, I request permission to lead my troops to attack Eagle's Beak Pass. Once the pass is taken, the counties of Liaodong will fall into our hands, easily conquerable!"
"No!" Gongsun Fan waved his hand. "General Huang, for now, you will stay in Liaoxi to manage our army's logistics. Before I set out, I gave my word: if we cannot take Eagle's Beak Pass, I, Gongsun Fan, will return dead! This pass is something I must conquer myself!"
"Understood, young master! Thank you for your trust!"
"Hahaha!" Gongsun Fan laughed triumphantly. "As the saying goes, 'A wise bird chooses a good tree to nest in.' You, Huang Xin, are a wise man. When we capture Liaodong and eliminate the traitor Gongsun Du, you'll be the next Governor of Liaodong!"
"Thank you, young master!" Huang Xin quickly kowtowed again in gratitude.
"Enough, stand up." Gongsun Fan waved dismissively, looking impatient as he dismissed Huang Xin. Then, he turned to his army and commanded, "Rest in Liaoxi tonight. Tomorrow, we march on Eagle's Beak Pass!"