"Hahaha, General Qin, your grand gesture leaves me feeling undeserving," Liu Qu said with a smile as he stood up to help Qin Longyang to his feet, who had just bowed deeply in a gesture befitting royalty.
Whether Qin Longyang was genuine or not no longer mattered much to Liu Qu at this moment. He hadn't realized how much he'd forgotten his own status as a Marquis of the Han Dynasty, yet this young man in front of him seemed to be well aware.
"Titles like Marquis of Xin are just names. Ever since His Majesty transferred me from Luoyang to this distant land, I've become little more than a minor local warlord," Liu Qu remarked with a self-deprecating chuckle.
"What's done is done. General Qin, please take a seat. Donglai is a small and sparsely populated commandery, so there's not much here to offer you. I've prepared a modest meal; I hope you won't find it lacking," Liu Qu said, motioning for Qin Longyang to sit.
"Your Lordship is too humble. I am already deeply grateful for your hospitality; please, you take the chief seat," Qin Longyang responded.
"Please!"
After some polite exchanges, they all took their seats. Before long, the sound of footsteps could be heard outside the door. Liu Qu looked toward the entrance and said with a smile, "General Qin, do you recognize this person?"
Qin Longyang was momentarily taken aback, but when two figures entered, he couldn't help but twitch slightly at the corners of his eyes.
"Liu Xuande pays his respects to Your Lordship," said Liu Bei as he and Zhang Fei entered the hall. Liu Bei first bowed to Liu Qu, who was seated in the chief position, without noticing Qin Longyang and his companions.
"Xuande Brother…" Qin Longyang's acting had significantly improved. His voice even choked slightly as he said those three words, "It truly is you!"
"Qin Longyang?" Liu Bei looked at the familiar face and was equally astonished, thinking to himself, "Wasn't this kid in Xuzhou? How did he suddenly end up in Qingzhou?"
When the messenger had reported his arrival, Liu Bei thought it was a bluff. But now, seeing the real Qin Longyang before him, his expression turned somber, and a sense of unease welled up inside him. After all, every time he encountered this young man, nothing good seemed to happen.
Seeing the two of them staring at each other in silence for a long time, Liu Qu assumed they were too emotional to speak.
Stroking his beard, he chuckled, "Xuande has been in Donglai for some time now and often spoke of his battles with General Qin against the Yellow Turbans in Youzhou. It's truly fate that you two should meet again here in Donglai."
"Hahaha, it really is fate!" Qin Longyang quickly stepped forward and grabbed Liu Bei's hand before he could react. Zhang Fei, seeing this, immediately flared up, storming over to pull Qin Longyang away while shouting, "You, Qin! What kind of trick are you playing now?"
Seeing their lord being insulted, Liao Hua and Zhou Cang also stepped forward, ready to confront Zhang Fei.
The atmosphere grew tense as the five men appeared ready to draw their weapons. However, Liu Bei quickly scolded Zhang Fei in a low voice, "Yide! Do not be rude in the presence of the Marquis!"
Qin Longyang wisely withdrew his hand and patted the shoulders of his two generals with a smile, diffusing the tension.
"What's going on between you two?" Liu Qu, even if he were blind, could see that the situation wasn't as harmonious as he had imagined. He asked with a hint of awkwardness on his face.
Qin Longyang was the first to break the silence, saying, "Your Lordship, forgive us. There was indeed some misunderstanding between Xuande Brother and me back in Youzhou, which is why General Zhang became angry. It's my fault for not clearing things up sooner."
Though Qin Longyang appeared to take all the blame upon himself, he was subtly reminding Liu Bei that he was magnanimous and had no interest in bickering with someone as petty as him.
"Oh, oh," Liu Qu quickly seized the opportunity to smooth things over, waving his hand as he said, "Since it's just a misunderstanding, let's sit down and eat. We can talk it out over the meal, and the misunderstanding will naturally be resolved!"
"Very well, Xuande Brother, please take a seat!" Qin Longyang courteously gestured for Liu Bei to sit. Liu Bei forced a smile and cupped his hands in return, saying, "General Qin, please have a seat as well."
As they exchanged cups and engaged in conversation, they soon became slightly tipsy. Liu Qu, observing Liu Bei and Qin Longyang, remarked with a laugh,
"I see that both Xuande and General Qin have mighty warriors by their sides. But I wonder, whose martial skills are superior? Yide, may I ask how many pounds of force it takes for you to draw your bow, and how far can you shoot?"
"Hahaha!" Zhang Fei, when it came to strength, was like a tiger to a sheep. He set down his wine cup and bowed to Liu Qu, saying, "Your Lordship, I don't have many skills, but these two arms of mine have rarely met an equal in terms of strength."
"If it's about drawing a bow, even if I only use my right hand while bracing the bow with my left foot, I can draw a 500-pound bow! If I use both hands, I can draw 800 pounds! At a hundred paces, I can pierce armor and hit the target every time!"
As he spoke, Zhang Fei made a gesture of drawing a bow and nocking an arrow, as if he were eager to put an arrow through Qin Longyang's heart.
Liu Bei was secretly delighted, knowing that Qin Longyang didn't have anyone like Guan Yu or Zhao Yun by his side to compare with Zhang Fei's martial prowess.
Finally gaining the upper hand, Liu Bei was overjoyed but managed to suppress his glee, saying, "My brother is drunk and misspoke; I hope General Qin doesn't take it to heart."
Qin Longyang understood Liu Bei's thoughts all too well and replied with a smile, "Xuande Brother, you are too modest. General Yide possesses the strength of a god, naturally unmatched and admirable!"
Hearing Qin Longyang's words, Zhang Fei raised an eyebrow in satisfaction, his gaze challenging Liao Hua and Zhou Cang.
"Well, well, Yide indeed possesses god-like strength," Liu Qu chuckled and then turned to Zhou Cang, asking, "General Zhou Cang, may I ask how many pounds of force it takes for you to draw your bow, and how far can you shoot?"
Zhou Cang, aware of his own limitations, bowed and quietly replied, "I am not very skilled, Your Lordship. I can only draw a 300-400 pound bow and shoot about 50-60 paces."
"Tch," Zhang Fei sneered dismissively upon hearing Zhou Cang's modest abilities.
At this moment, Liao Hua also bowed and said, "I am Liao Hua, Your Lordship. Naturally, I do not have General Zhang's abilities. I can only draw a 500-pound bow and shoot 70-80 paces."
Having outperformed Qin Longyang's two generals, Liu Bei's mood brightened even more, and he couldn't help but feel proud. However, Liao Hua then smiled and added, "But I believe that a general who only relies on brute strength will inevitably be defeated by the enemy's strategy."
"My skills may not be the best, but I did manage to slay the bandit leader Guan Hai during the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Youzhou. Unlike some people who were nearly wiped out in Quanzhou or those who had their cities taken over by rebel forces as soon as they left!"
Every word Liao Hua said was aimed at mocking Liu Bei and Zhang Fei. As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Bei's face darkened, and even Zhang Fei, who understood the taunt, slammed the table in anger.
This startled Liu Qu so much that he spilled his drink, making the scene extremely awkward.
"Yide, restrain yourself!" Liu Bei quickly rebuked, "How can you behave like this in front of the Marquis? Sit down at once!"
"I..." Zhang Fei, realizing he'd made a mistake, could only glare fiercely at Liao Hua, then reluctantly apologize to Liu Qu before sitting down in frustration.
"My younger brother has a hot temper; I hope the Marquis and General Qin can overlook it," Liu Bei offered a feigned apology. He exchanged a glance with Qin Longyang, who wore a look of schadenfreude, each of their faces displaying their mutual disdain.
Liu Qu, trying to cover up his nervousness, picked up his wine cup, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and said, "Yide's voice is truly like a tiger's roar in the mountains, so intimidating it made my heart race."
"Please don't take offense, Marquis," Liu Bei said with a slight bow.
Liu Qu waved his hand dismissively and then glanced at the unflinching Qin Longyang, growing even more impressed with him.
"By the way, as the saying goes, no one comes to the temple without a reason. General Qin is stationed in Langya County of Xuzhou, which is only a few hundred miles from here in Donglai."
" You must have come for more than just a cup of my humble wine, right? If you need anything, feel free to ask, and I will do everything in my power to assist."
Upon hearing this, Qin Longyang quickly stood up and saluted, "If the Marquis says so, I am truly unworthy. Then I will be straightforward—there is indeed something I need the Marquis' help with today."
"Please speak your mind, General Qin."
"The Marquis is a straightforward person, so I'll be honest. I'm here to ask for the use of your esteemed land." Qin Longyang revealed his intention, which shocked both Liu Qu and Liu Bei.
Given Qin Longyang's methods and this ambiguous statement, it sounded as if he was declaring war on Liu Qu and intended to take over Donglai. Liu Qu was so startled that he couldn't speak.
"Qin Longyang! What are you trying to do? The Marquis is a member of the royal family—if you dare to turn your blade against him, do you think I'll just stand by?" Liu Bei shouted.
Qin Longyang quickly realized his mistake and hurriedly clarified, "I misspoke due to the wine! Forgive my poor wording. I'm not here to seize territory; I simply need to use the Marquis' Donglai Port for a matter of great importance, not to take it over!"
As Qin Longyang explained, Liu Qu relaxed. "So, General Qin, you merely wish to borrow the port. I was overthinking it."
Hearing this, Liu Bei frowned. He had witnessed Qin Longyang's cunning firsthand and knew that this man was full of clever tricks. Coming here to borrow land without reason must mean he had some grand scheme in mind.
"To be frank, Marquis, I plan to build warships and launch them from Donglai Port. Then I will deploy over 30,000 elite troops to cross the sea from Donglai and attack the rebel forces of Gongsun Du in Liaodong!" Qin Longyang revealed his entire plan without hesitation.
Hearing Qin Longyang's plan, Liu Bei's eyes widened. What a cunning move! With Gongsun Du and Gongsun Zan fighting fiercely in the north, Qin Longyang planned to build ships in Donglai and sail north, seizing the vast territory of Liaodong with ease. How could he allow such a thing?
"Marquis! In my opinion, this must not be allowed!" Liu Bei stood up, his sleeves billowing as he glared at Qin Longyang.
"Marquis, you may not know this, but Qin Longyang is notoriously crafty. I fear that his claim of marching north to fight Gongsun Du is just a pretext, while his real intention is to use those 30,000 troops to attack Donglai and take it for himself! Please reconsider!"
Liu Qu, who had always been cautious, was already wavering after hearing Qin Longyang's initial request. Now, with Liu Bei's warning, he remained silent, scrutinizing Qin Longyang as if waiting for a more convincing explanation.
Qin Longyang smiled, "Brother Xuande, you're right. I am indeed cunning, but I also know that in the face of external threats, we should put aside our differences."
"As Yuanjian just mentioned, when you were trapped in Quanzhou, I fought the Xiongnu for an entire day but still rushed through the night to save you."
"When you led the Yuyang garrison with Gongsun Zan to attack Liaodong, and Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun colluded with the Xiongnu to rebel, it was my soldiers who helped you suppress them."
"Though I am skilled in strategy, I have never slandered anyone behind their back. Brother, by criticizing me in front of the Marquis, aren't you being a bit unfair?"
"I..." Qin Longyang's sharp retort left Liu Bei stammering, his face flushed with embarrassment. Following his logic, Liu Bei realized he indeed came across as a petty person and felt deeply ashamed.
"Marquis, you must have heard something about my character. Liaodong is indeed important to me, and the rebel Gongsun Du has been causing havoc for some time now."
"The people of Beiping and Liaodong have already suffered greatly from the wars. If I capture Liaodong and restore order, rescuing the people from their misery, they will remember that it was only thanks to your generosity in lending Donglai Port that this was made possible. "
"When the court comes to reward those who contributed, you will surely be the first in line!"
Having convinced Liu Bei, Qin Longyang then turned to Liu Qu, painting a grand picture of the future. Seeing how well Qin Longyang presented his case, Liu Qu finally relented.
Liu Qu nodded and said, "General Qin, you are a person of great loyalty and integrity, with wisdom and decisiveness. Truly a phoenix among men. Since that is the case, I will lend you Donglai Port. We can discuss its return after you capture Liaodong."
"I am deeply grateful for the Marquis' great kindness!" Qin Longyang stood up excitedly and cupped his hands in respect. Liu Qu also smiled and returned the gesture, saying, "It is truly a great fortune for the Han Dynasty to have a general like you."