Meanwhile, in the northern desert, Tadun, who was pursuing Wu Ben, encountered Zhang Liao and Lü Bu within Bingzhou's territory.
Faced with the formidable Bingzhou cavalry, Tadun suffered a silent defeat and retreated with his Black Banner Army back to the northern desert grasslands.
In the royal city, Qubei was furious as he looked at the kneeling Tadun.
"You let that group of stragglers escape? Tadun! Isn't your Black Banner Army supposed to be invincible on the grasslands? Yet you couldn't even chase down a routed army?"
"My lord, please understand! This time, we encountered the troops of Ding Yuan from Bingzhou. Their forces were strong, and if we had acted rashly, it might have damaged our relations," Tadun explained earnestly with his head lowered.
"Nonsense!" Qubei was in no mood to listen. Not only had Tadun failed, but Dumu'er's army had also captured Moqiu and pursued the fleeing Yufu Luo, only to return empty-handed.
Another unit sent in pursuit had completely disappeared in the Yin Mountains, likely in grave danger as well.
Qubei clenched his fists tightly, his teeth grinding with rage. "I fought a desperate battle to defeat Budugen, yet now, our tens of thousands of troops pursuing Yufu Luo's remnants are repeatedly failing! Ding Yuan... once I've stabilized the grasslands, I'll make sure he pays for what he did today!"
After a long while, Qubei's anger subsided. He looked at the Xiongnu generals standing before him and said,
"No matter what, the Xianbei and Wuhuan tribes have now been completely driven out of the grasslands. We, the Xiongnu, have once again become the dominant power."
"And to our south, in Youzhou of the Central Plains, Gongsun Du recently suffered a defeat in a major battle against Gongsun Zan. He not only lost much territory but also suffered heavy troop losses."
" The newly appointed Inspector of Youzhou, Liu Yu, was an old friend of the former king. Now, Liu Yu intends to wage war against Gongsun Zan, and he has appealed to us based on their old friendship, offering us considerable benefits in return for our assistance. What do you all think?"
The generals looked at each other. General Wuqiu Ji bowed and responded, "My lord, we have just unified the grasslands. While our forces are strong, our supplies are still insufficient. If we aid Liu Yu, the issue of supplies might become unbearable."
"Indeed, indeed..."
Wuqiu Ji's opinion was widely agreed upon, but Tadun noticed the dark expression on Qubei's face and realized that Qubei was still inclined to send troops. He smiled coldly and stepped forward, saying, "My lord, do not listen to these cowards!"
As soon as he said this, the generals glared at Tadun in anger. However, Qubei raised an eyebrow, "Tadun, what is your opinion?"
"My opinion is very simple: even if we wait idly on the grasslands due to a lack of food, we can't survive without eating or drinking. "
"This year has been plagued by disasters, so food shortages are indeed a serious problem. However, to our south, Gongsun Zan has stored a large amount of grain in Youbeiping County after this year's autumn harvest."
"If our army supports Liu Yu, we can justifiably march south to attack Youbeiping and seize the grain supplies to sustain our troops!"
As Tadun spoke, his eyes sparkled with eagerness, as if he couldn't wait to lead his troops to Youbeiping and start looting.
Hearing Tadun's words, the generals who had just advocated for inaction began to waver. Even Wuqiu Ji stroked his chin in thought for a moment before bowing to Qubei and saying, "My lord, General Tadun's suggestion indeed has merit. I agree to send troops."
"We also agree to send troops!" With Wuqiu Ji changing his mind, the other fence-sitting generals quickly followed suit, expressing their agreement to deploy forces.
Qubei and Tadun exchanged a knowing smile. Tadun was indeed someone who understood him well!
"Since that's settled, Tadun and Wuqiu Ji, hear my command!" Qubei waved his hand, and the two men quickly stepped forward and knelt.
"I appoint Tadun as the Right Wise King, responsible for overseeing the Xianbei tribe. Wuqiu Ji will be the Left Wise King, in charge of the Wuhuan tribe."
" You two will intensify your training in the coming days, and all other generals will follow your orders. Ten days from now, when Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan engage in battle, that will be our moment to strike!"
"We obey the king's command!" The generals shouted in unison.
...
At this time in Xuzhou, Qin Longyang personally led a group to Donglai to supervise the construction of warships. One day, nearly a hundred young men dressed in coarse cloth, led by a short-haired, muscular youth, arrived in front of Qin Longyang.
"Are you General Qin Longyang?" The young man looked at Qin Longyang, who was about the same age as him, with some doubt.
Qin Longyang was equally puzzled—how could people in Donglai, Qingzhou, know of his name? "I am Qin Longyang. May I ask who you are, brave one?"
"Are you truly General Qin?" The young man was overjoyed, then knelt on one knee and clasped his fists, saying,
"I am from Huang County in Donglai. My surname is Taishi, given name Ci, and courtesy name Ziyi. During the chaos of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, I heard of the general's great name."
"Now, I did not expect the general to come to Donglai. I have gathered the young and strong men of the county, all of whom are determined and willing to serve under the general! We ask that the general accept us!"
"We ask that the general accept us!" The men behind Taishi Ci also knelt and shouted, drawing the attention of the workers at the port.
Qin Longyang was so excited that he almost smiled from ear to ear. He never expected that a casual visit would result in recruiting another famous general. Qin Longyang quickly helped Taishi Ci up, his voice trembling with excitement.
"How could someone like me, Qin Longyang, deserve the loyalty of Ziyi and these brave men? This is truly a blessing from heaven!"
"Everyone, please rise. We are in great need of people right now. Ziyi, you shall temporarily serve as an accompanying general in the army. Since you are a native of Donglai, do you have any knowledge about these warships?"
"Warships?" At the mention of warships, Taishi Ci proudly pounded his chest. "Do not worry, my lord. My brothers and I have been sailing since we were children. When it comes to ships, there's nothing we don't understand!"
"Good! Excellent!" Qin Longyang exclaimed with great enthusiasm.
"I've been worried about the slow progress on the warship construction. Ziyi, you and your men will continue overseeing the completion of the remaining warships at the dock. I've brought several hundred men under your command. How long do you estimate it will take to finish?"
Taishi Ci glanced at the massive pile of timber in the distance, calculated in his mind, and replied with a bow, "My lord, I believe half a month will suffice."
"Good!" Qin Longyang felt a great weight lift off his shoulders. He had been so worried about the warships that he hadn't slept well for several nights. Unexpectedly, Taishi Ci appeared today, like a pillow delivered just when he was about to sleep.
If the warships could indeed be completed within half a month, it would significantly advance their timeline, greatly increasing their chances of success!
"Very well, Ziyi! I entrust everything here to your command. In half a month, I will bring the army, and by then, I expect to see the port filled with warships ready to set sail!"
"My lord, rest assured, I will not fail in my mission!" Taishi Ci replied confidently.
Qin Longyang nodded in satisfaction, gave Taishi Ci a few more instructions, and was about to leave with Liao Hua and the others. However, after circling the dock, Qin Longyang couldn't find Liu Bei and Zhang Fei anywhere.
Suspicion arose in his heart, and just then, he happened to encounter someone approaching. Recognizing the man as Gong Ji, a staff officer of Liu Qu, Qin Longyang called out to him.
"Gong Daren! Please wait!" Qin Longyang quickly caught up with Gong Ji, who turned and smiled when he saw Qin Longyang.
"General Qin! How have you been?"
"Thanks to the support of the Marquis and you, Daren, things have been progressing smoothly," Qin Longyang replied with a smile, then quickly asked, "Why haven't I seen Liu Bei and Zhang Fei around?"
Gong Ji let out a small "oh" and replied, "Liu Bei requested to leave a few days ago."
"Requested to leave?" Qin Longyang's suspicions deepened. "Did he mention where he was going?"
Gong Ji shook his head. "Liu Bei only spoke with the Marquis briefly before leaving. He didn't say where he was headed, but I recall they seemed to be heading north."
"North..." Qin Longyang murmured, a thought forming in his mind. "I understand. Thank you, Gong Daren, for telling me the truth."
"You're too kind, General Qin."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two parted ways. Liao Hua approached and asked, "Even though Liu Bei didn't receive any official position here, both he and Liu Qu are of imperial descent. He would have been well cared for. Why did he leave Donglai?"
"Why?" Qin Longyang sneered, "Liu Bei, oh Liu Bei, I shouldn't have trusted him so easily!"
"Liu Bei went north, most likely to find Gongsun Zan. He intends to inform Gongsun Zan about our plans to build ships in Donglai and sail north to attack Gongsun Du. Gongsun Zan lost such a large territory in Liaodong; how could he just let others take it over..."
When Liao Hua heard this, he suddenly realized, "That day at the banquet, my lord should have been more cautious! This is bad—if Liu Bei really goes to inform Gongsun Zan, our entire plan will be disrupted! I'll go and hunt him down immediately!"
As Liao Hua prepared to leave, Qin Longyang, smiling, stopped him. "Liu Bei has already been gone for several days; it's too late to chase him now.
Gongsun Zan and Liu Yu of Ji City are both significant threats, and right now, Gongsun Zan is struggling to deal with them both."
"If I were Gongsun Zan, I'd definitely station troops in Liaoxi to guard against a sea-crossing invasion, just as Liu Bei might have warned him. Then, I'd gather my forces in Beiping to fend off an attack from Liu Yu."
"But if that happens, when we attack Liaodong later, Gongsun Zan's forces will surely interfere. What should we do then?"
"Interfere?" Qin Longyang laughed, "That would be perfect! Hahaha!"
...
In Langya, Yangdu County, Lu Zhi had been ordered to visit this town. After making inquiries along the way, he finally found the residence of the famous Zhuge family.
However, he was met with a shocking piece of news that made his heart sink.
"Who? Zhuge Gui? The former Taishan Prefect? You're too late; Zhuge Gui suddenly fell ill and died at home two days ago. If you don't believe me, you can see for yourself."
Zhuge Gui had died just two days before Lu Zhi's arrival. The great Confucian scholar had quietly passed away in the small town of Yangdu, unnoticed, like a fallen leaf returning to its roots.
With a heavy heart, Lu Zhi arrived at Zhuge Gui's home. The low courtyard and two small thatched houses evoked a deep sense of sorrow for such a humble and upright official.
"Who might you be?" A fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy, his eyes red and swollen from crying, opened the door and asked Lu Zhi.
Lu Zhi smiled gently. "Ziyu, don't you recognize me? When your father was in the capital, I often visited your home."
Zhuge Jin studied Lu Zhi for a moment before breaking into a smile. "You're Uncle Lu Zhi! Please, come in!"