Led by Zhuge Jin, Lu Zhi entered the house. Before him was an altar table with a plaque inscribed with "The Spirit of the Late Father, Zhuge Jun Gong." Lu Zhi could no longer hold back his tears.
"Jun Gong... Who would have thought that after parting in Luoyang, we would be separated by life and death. You, a great Confucian scholar, have passed away so quietly—how heartbreaking!"
Zhuge Jin also wept. As the eldest of the five children in the family, it was Zhuge Jin who had organized the funeral after Zhuge Gui's death, nearly exhausting the family's limited funds.
Lu Zhi offered incense to Zhuge Gui, wiping away his own tears. Apart from Zhuge Jin, the other children in the house stared at him with puzzled expressions.
"Ziyu, are these your brothers and sisters?" Lu Zhi asked.
Zhuge Jin nodded and introduced them, "Brothers and sisters, this is Father's old friend, General Lu Zhi, the current Zhonglang General."
"Greetings, General!" Upon hearing their elder brother's introduction, the children immediately bowed respectfully to Lu Zhi.
Lu Zhi smiled warmly and said, "Good children, but I am no longer the Zhonglang General. I now serve under General Qin Longyang, the Governor of Langya, as a humble commander."
"General Qin Longyang!" The mention of this name made the second brother, Zhuge Liang, leap with excitement. "Is it the Qin General who defeated the Yellow Turbans and the Xiongnu in Youzhou?"
"Oh?" Lu Zhi smiled, patting Zhuge Liang on the head. "Child, you know General Qin?"
Zhuge Liang blinked his large eyes and nodded repeatedly. "General Qin is a brilliant strategist who wins with few against many—a true hero of our time! Father told us all about him!"
Lu Zhi smiled and nodded, then turned to Zhuge Jin and said, "Ziyu, as the eldest of five children, staying in this small town of Yangdu will make it difficult for you to find a future path. Do you have any plans?"
Zhuge Jin thought for a moment and replied, "I plan to take my younger siblings to Jingzhou to seek refuge with our uncle, Zhuge Xuan. When I am older, I will seek a position and raise my siblings."
"Good, good child! You have ambition, truly worthy of being Jun Gong's son!" Lu Zhi praised Zhuge Jin's resolve but looked at him with concern.
"But, child, if you take them all the way to Jingzhou, the journey will be long, and with just the five of you, it will not be easy."
"I..." Zhuge Jin silently nodded in agreement with Lu Zhi's concerns.
Lu Zhi smiled and said, "Why not this: You five come with me to Langya. From now on, you will be under the protection of my lord, General Qin. Ziyu, you are young and talented. I can recommend you to my lord for a position. What do you think?"
"Thank you, Uncle!" Zhuge Jin had actually been considering joining Qin Longyang's service. With such an excellent opportunity before him, he had no reason to refuse.
Thus, Zhuge Gui's five children from Yangdu followed Lu Zhi and joined Qin Longyang's forces. If Qin Longyang had known this in advance, he would have been overjoyed.
Meanwhile, in the north, Liu Yu, the Governor of Youzhou, sent his aide Yan Rou to the Xiongnu royal court, explaining briefly that he sought the Xiongnu's support in the upcoming battle to attack Gongsun Zan.
Seeing the chests of silver brought by Yan Rou, along with Liu Yu's promise to distribute surplus grain from Right Beiping to the Xiongnu after Gongsun Zan's defeat, the Xiongnu leader immediately agreed to the deal.
With an ally now secured, Liu Yu no longer feared Gongsun Zan's power.
One day, Liu Yu ordered his cavalry captains, Xianyu Fu and Xianyu Yin, to lead 20,000 troops from Ji City to camp near Anping County in Yuyang Commandery.
He also commanded his aides Qi Zhou and Zhao Gai to lead another 20,000 troops to fortify the walls at Changping in Guangyang Commandery.
The two forces were encamped right under Gongsun Zan's nose, training loudly with drums beating. Their intentions were clear without needing further explanation.
The new magistrate of Yuyang, Gongsun Ji, rushed to Right Beiping on horseback and knelt before Gongsun Zan, reporting,
"My lord! Liu Yu is pushing us too far—40,000 troops are stationed right under our noses, shouting day and night. I request permission to lead an army out of the city to battle them!"
Gongsun Zan, already filled with anger, was itching for a fight. With five or six thousand troops under his command, he thought, surely they were not made of clay!
"The old scoundrel Liu Yu is going too far!" Gongsun Zan slammed the table and stood up.
His generals, recognizing this as a sign of impending action, straightened up and awaited orders. "All generals, listen to my command!"
Just as Gongsun Zan was about to issue orders, someone quickly approached from outside the council chamber. Gongsun Zan looked up and frowned.
"Brother Bo Gui!" Liu Bei, disheveled and weary, entered, clearly having traveled a long distance.
However, still harboring resentment over the rebellion in Yuyang, Gongsun Zan did not greet Liu Bei warmly.
"Xuande, I heard you were defeated in Liaoxi and then fled to Qingzhou to seek refuge with others. Why have you returned now?"
Sensing Gongsun Zan's displeasure, Liu Bei quickly clasped his hands and said, "Brother Bo Gui, I have urgent news to share with you!"
Gongsun Zan impatiently nodded, signaling Liu Bei to speak quickly. Liu Bei continued, "Recently, I sought refuge with Liu Qu, the Marquis of Xin, in Donglai, Qingzhou. However, half a month ago, Qin Longyang arrived in Donglai and struck a deal with Liu Qu."
"Qin Longyang?" Gongsun Zan's suspicion grew at the mention of this name. "Isn't he the Governor of Langya? What is he doing in Qingzhou instead of staying in Xuzhou?"
"He borrowed Donglai Port from the Marquis to prepare warships. He plans to lead his army north to Liaodong!" Liu Bei's words caused an immediate uproar among those present.
Gongsun Zan's eyes widened in shock. "What? He's attacking Liaodong!"
Not only was Gongsun Zan surprised, but Tian Yu, who was standing nearby, also pondered for a moment before clapping his hands together. "I see! This is indeed a brilliant strategy!"
"If Qin Longyang builds ships in Donglai and sails north, he could land in Lelang Commandery and strike at Gongsun Du's rear. "
"After losing Liaoxi, Gongsun Du's main forces have been stationed in Xuantu Commandery and the northeast of Liaodong. This would catch Gongsun Du completely off guard!" Tian Yu analyzed.
Gongsun Zan let out an angry snort. "I've attacked Liaodong three times, losing countless soldiers, and only managed to take the tough stronghold of Yingzui Pass. And now Qin Longyang dares to take advantage of my war with Liu Yu to seize Liaodong? I won't let him have his way!"
Despite his words, Gongsun Zan knew that Liu Yu's forces were currently the more immediate threat. If he didn't deal with this primary enemy first, he could find himself in a perilous situation, fighting on two fronts.
"My lord! I suggest we draw 10,000 elite troops from Beiping and station them within the borders of Liaoxi."
"If Qin Longyang indeed lands at Lelang, Gongsun Du will have to divert forces to deal with him. That would be the moment for our troops in Liaoxi to launch a full-scale attack on Liaodong and eliminate Gongsun Du."
"As for Qin Longyang, crossing the sea will have weakened his army. We can then pressure him to withdraw from Liaodong!" Guan Jing suggested to Gongsun Zan.
Tian Yu thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. "I believe the strategist is correct!"
Gongsun Zan nodded repeatedly as he listened. "Very well. The immediate priority is to deal with Liu Yu's invading forces. If Qin Longyang still remembers that I saved his life in Ji City, he wouldn't dare move against me."
Then Gongsun Zan turned to Liu Bei and said, "Xuande, since you've brought me such vital news, how about I assign you to lead 10,000 troops to garrison Liaoxi? Would you be willing?"
Knowing that Liu Bei wouldn't raise arms against Liu Yu, who was also of the Han imperial lineage, Gongsun Zan cleverly gave him a task that aligned with his loyalties. Liu Bei, overjoyed, quickly expressed his gratitude, "I am deeply thankful for your trust, Brother!"
Having settled this matter, Gongsun Zan then commanded, "Dan Jing, Tian Yu! I order you both to lead 20,000 troops to launch a direct assault on the forces stationed in Anping County!"
"As for the remaining troops, I will personally lead them to attack Changping! I swear that this battle will make Liu Yu tremble in fear!"
"We stand ready to follow our lord into battle!" the generals shouted in unison.
...
Meanwhile, in Langya, the troops had been rigorously training under the leadership of Huangfu Song, Zhao Yun, and Tong Yuan, waiting for their lord's command to march out. Just as Qin Longyang returned to the city, he was greeted with the news of a visitor.
"My lord! A man claiming to be Colonel Cao Cao says he has urgent matters to discuss with you!" the messenger reported as Qin Longyang took his seat.
"Cao Cao? The honorable Cao has come to visit?" Qin Longyang smiled. "Invite him in quickly!"
"Yes, my lord!" The messenger withdrew, and soon, a familiar figure entered the residence. Qin Longyang hurried forward with a warm smile to greet him.
"General Qin! You are truly unharmed?" Seeing Qin Longyang approach, Cao Cao quickened his pace. The two men clasped hands in a heartfelt reunion as Cao Cao carefully examined Qin Longyang, his voice full of surprise.
Qin Longyang laughed, "Not long ago, General Cao Ren came by on your behalf to check whether I was still alive. I'm grateful for your concern!"
Cao Cao was visibly moved. "After we parted in the capital that day, the old horse I gave you returned alone with bloodstains on its saddle.
I feared the worst and sent several search parties to find you. Fortunately, Heaven protected you—surviving such a trial means great fortune lies ahead!"
"Hahaha! Thanks to your concern, Brother. Come, let's sit down and have a drink!" Qin Longyang said, pulling Cao Cao towards the seat of honor, but Cao Cao repeatedly declined.
"General Qin, please wait. Today's matter is urgent, and I must ask your forgiveness!" Cao Cao insisted, "I have come today with a request and hope that you will grant it!"
"There's no need for formalities, Brother. Speak freely—if there's anything I can do, I certainly won't refuse!" Qin Longyang assured, thumping his chest.
Cao Cao smiled knowingly. "You can definitely help!"
"I have come today to ask you to lead your elite forces to Luoyang, to restore order in the court, and to eliminate the treacherous Ten Attendants and other eunuch factions!"
"What!" Qin Longyang exclaimed in disbelief. "March on Luoyang? Why, Brother, would you ask me to restore order in the court? Has something happened to His Majesty?"
"Sigh," Cao Cao let out a deep breath. "Let me explain..."