Cao Cao tightly grasped Qin Longyang's hand and recounted all the events that had occurred in the capital over the past few days. Qin Longyang, however, fell into deep contemplation.
"That's how it is, General Qin. If Dong Zhuo enters the capital, chaos will inevitably ensue. I humbly request that you lead your army to Luoyang before Dong Zhuo arrives, to eliminate the Ten Attendants and their treacherous eunuch faction, and protect the Han dynasty!"
Cao Cao said, as he prepared to kneel before Qin Longyang, who quickly helped him up in alarm.
Cao Cao's sincere loyalty to the Han dynasty moved Qin Longyang deeply. Yet, he knew that Cao Cao harbored ambitions of a mighty hero, and that once Cao Cao raised his own army, the two of them would inevitably clash on the battlefield.
Moreover, Qin Longyang's immediate priority was to head north to Liaodong; he could not afford to get involved in the affairs of Luoyang.
"Brother Mengde..." Qin Longyang gently moved Cao Cao's hand away and sighed, "The current state of the world is beyond the understanding of a mere military man like me."
"Besides, the Grand General has already made up his mind. Dong Zhuo is entering the capital by imperial decree. If I were to march my troops there, the other warlords would undoubtedly accuse me of rebellion. I'm afraid I'm powerless in this matter."
Cao Cao fell silent after hearing Qin Longyang's words. After a long pause, he sighed deeply, "Is the fate of our Han dynasty, after hundreds of years, truly sealed? Is there no hope of reversing it?"
After saying this, Cao Cao cupped his hands toward Qin Longyang and said, "Each man has his own ambitions. Now, General Qin, you are in your prime, and your thoughts and actions are naturally focused on the greater good. "
"I understand this. As we part today, who knows when we will meet again? Take care, General!"
"Brother Mengde, wait!" As Cao Cao turned to leave, Qin Longyang's voice called out to stop him.
"Has the General changed his mind?" Cao Cao, thinking Qin Longyang had reconsidered, quickly turned back.
Qin Longyang smiled faintly and shook his head. "I am deeply moved by your loyalty to the Han, Brother, but these are indeed extraordinary times, so..."
As expected, Cao Cao's expression turned disappointed again. Qin Longyang then smiled and said, "But do not be disheartened, Brother."
" I still have 5,000 elite troops in the city. For this mission to eliminate the traitors and defend the Han, I can only ask you to take command on my behalf!"
"Are you saying that you're giving me 5,000 soldiers?" Cao Cao said in disbelief. For him, who was short on manpower, 5,000 soldiers were an unexpected windfall.
"Hahaha!" Qin Longyang laughed, "Give? Brother, you underestimate me. These 5,000 soldiers are a gift to you, as my small contribution to restoring the Han dynasty."
Cao Cao's gloomy expression vanished instantly. He bowed deeply to Qin Longyang and said, "With these 5,000 elite troops, Cao Cao has no words to express his gratitude. "
"I will lead them back to the capital, eliminate the Ten Attendants, and defend our great Han! I will not fail to live up to your kindness today, General!"
"Brother Mengde, you are too modest. The Han dynasty is blessed to have such a loyal man like you; it is truly Heaven's favor! The spirits of the former emperors will surely guide you to success!" Qin Longyang also solemnly cupped his hands in return.
Time was of the essence, and the two had no time for further pleasantries.
Following Qin Longyang's orders, Zhao Yun selected 5,000 strong soldiers from the city barracks and assembled them outside the city to await Cao Cao. Cao Cao rose, bowed again, and left the governor's residence.
"Big Brother!" Seeing Cao Cao stride out with a look of joy on his face, Cao Ren, who had been waiting outside, hurried up to ask, "Is Qin Longyang willing to send troops?"
Cao Cao shook his head. "Qin Longyang said he doesn't intend to get involved in the court's power struggles, and that his primary goal is to deal with Gongsun Du in Liaodong, so he won't be sending troops."
"Then why do you look so pleased?"
Cao Cao chuckled softly. "Qin Longyang gave me 5,000 soldiers to lead back to the capital and eliminate the Ten Attendants!"
"Five thousand men?" Cao Ren frowned slightly. "The Ten Attendants command the Imperial Guards and the Western Garden Army in the capital. Isn't it a bit risky to try and storm the palace with just 5,000 men?"
"What's the difficulty?" Cao Cao's eyes grew cold as he flicked his sleeve. "The Ten Attendants are not the only ones in the court who hold military power. Today, we'll march into the capital, rally the ministers, and before the eunuch faction can react, we'll wipe them out completely!"
In no time, the two had reached the city gate, where the 5,000 soldiers were already lined up in formation, awaiting orders.
Cao Cao's heart surged with excitement—this was the first time he had command of troops that he could truly call his own, and he was about to undertake a momentous task that would shake the heavens!
"General Cao, on my lord's orders, I have gathered 5,000 troops here. I wish you great success in this campaign, to eliminate the Ten Attendants and restore peace to the Han!" Zhao Yun rode forward and saluted Cao Cao.
"Thank you, young general!" Cao Cao and his companion returned the salute.
As he watched Zhao Yun ride back into the city, Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh, "With such talented men under Qin Longyang's command, how could he be content to remain in this small county of Langya?"
" Among the warlords who will rise to power in the future, Qin Longyang is sure to be one of the foremost."
Cao Ren, however, scoffed, "Brother, you overestimate him. Such a golden opportunity to make a name for himself, to restore order in the capital, is right in front of him, yet he hesitates. I fear he may be a man without great ambition."
"Hahaha..." Cao Cao laughed heartily and patted Cao Ren on the shoulder, "If that were true, we could all breathe a sigh of relief."
"Unfortunately, I suspect that not only does Qin Longyang not intend to restore the Han dynasty, but he may actually hope for the chaos that will allow warlords to rise. "
"When the Central Plains are in turmoil, that will be his best opportunity to expand his territory. We'll likely have to face him on the battlefield one day."
"Come on, for now, let's focus on dealing with the Ten Attendants!" Cao Cao said, snapping his whip. But before they could proceed, the sound of galloping hooves suddenly echoed from behind them.
"Cao General, please wait!" The two turned around to see that the newcomers were none other than Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi, both riding toward them. They were fully armored, looking as if they were ready for battle.
Cao Cao, deeply respectful of the two veteran generals, quickly bowed and greeted them with the utmost respect, "Cavalry Commandant Cao Cao greets the two Generals!"
Huangfu Song humbly replied, "General Cao, you flatter us too much. How could we, as mere commoners, accept such a bow?"
"Has General Qin sent you with a message that he neglected to mention to me?" Cao Cao asked, puzzled.
Lu Zhi waved his hand dismissively, saying, "We heard that General Cao is determined to protect the Han and is now leading these 5,000 soldiers back to the capital to punish the traitors. "
"Though we are old, we can still wield swords to eliminate these villains. We have come to join you in your mission to slay the Ten Attendants!"
"This..." Having the support of such esteemed former ministers, Cao Cao naturally agreed wholeheartedly, but he was still a bit confused.
"But since the two of you have pledged your allegiance to General Qin, wouldn't leaving without permission today be somewhat inappropriate?"
Huangfu Song, however, smiled and said, "The two of us have already tendered our resignations to our lord. Meeting him was a matter of fate, but his ambition lies in pacifying the chaotic world. "
"Our ambition, on the other hand, is to root out the primary source of calamity. Though our paths diverge, our ultimate goals are the same. Our lord has granted his approval for this."
Cao Cao finally felt at ease and nodded with a smile, "In that case, let us eliminate the traitors together!"
...
At this moment, Qin Longyang was sitting dejectedly in his seat, reading the two resignation letters left by Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi.
Since coming to the Eastern Han dynasty a few years ago, this was the first time he had felt the melancholy of losing such virtuous talent.
"My lord, the two old generals have left with Cao Cao," Guan Yu soon entered the residence to report.
"Well, let them go," Qin Longyang chuckled bitterly. "As the saying goes, 'People with different principles do not work together.' "
"I spoke on their behalf in the court, and they once saved my life in Qingzhou. We are even. Moreover, Zigan has also brought me the Zhuge lineage from Yangdu, for which I am immensely grateful to the two of them."
Guan Yu, however, clasped his hands together and said, "My lord, are you referring to those five children? The eldest is only fifteen or sixteen. How can they achieve anything significant?"
"Hahaha," Qin Longyang laughed heartily, "Yunchang, don't underestimate someone just because they are only fifteen or sixteen years old. Remember, Zilong was also fifteen or sixteen when he first joined me, and he has since made a name for himself in battle."
" Besides, Zhuge Jin's knowledge and talents are no less than those of our military advisor. If you don't believe me, have him come to see me."
"Understood!" Though still somewhat unconvinced by Qin Longyang's words, Guan Yu quickly left the room.
Soon, he returned with Zhuge Jin, who stepped forward to salute Qin Longyang, while Guan Yu stood to the side, waiting to see the young man's performance.
"Your servant Zhuge Jin greets my lord," Zhuge Jin said, bowing respectfully, not daring to meet Qin Longyang's gaze directly.
Qin Longyang smiled knowingly and nodded, "Ziyu, there's no need for such formalities. Rise."
"Thank you, my lord!" With Qin Longyang's permission, Zhuge Jin straightened up.
"Ziyu, you and your siblings have been in Langya for a few days now. How have you found things so far?" Qin Longyang asked, showing concern for Zhuge Jin's well-being.
Zhuge Jin quickly expressed his gratitude, "My colleagues and the generals have treated me like a brother, and my lord's care has been nothing short of meticulous. I will forever be grateful for your kindness!"
"Very good, very good. As a lord, it is my greatest joy to see my generals and advisors live in harmony," Qin Longyang said, nodding in satisfaction. "Ziyu, I have another question for you. A few days ago, Weiyou gave you the previous military reports to read. What did you gather from them?"
After Lu Zhi brought back Zhuge Jin and his siblings, Qin Longyang, curious to see if Zhuge Jin's reputed talents were as extraordinary as claimed, ordered Weiyou to hand over the past military reports to Zhuge Jin, giving him his first task of reading them.
Today was the day for Qin Longyang to evaluate him. Zhuge Jin, brimming with confidence, cupped his hands and said, "I do have some conjectures, though they might be baseless. I hope my lord will forgive me if I speak out of turn."
"Don't worry, just speak your mind," Qin Longyang replied with a smile.
Zhuge Jin adjusted his robes and walked over to the map in front of them. "My lord, I believe you are playing a grand game of strategy, with Youzhou in the north being the key piece."
"The majority of recent military reports have focused on the movements in Youzhou, which supports this conclusion."
"Furthermore, you recently accompanied General Liao Hua to borrow a port in Donglai, Qingzhou. Naturally, this indicates a plan to build ships in Donglai and launch a surprise attack on Gongsun Du in Liaodong."
"The young man is merely reiterating what is already well-known in the army; nothing particularly insightful," Guan Yu remarked with a hint of sarcasm.
Zhuge Jin smiled and said, "Indeed, these are widely known strategies. But let me ask you, General Guan: Do you know why, when my lord learned that Liu Bei had gone to inform Gongsun Zan, he didn't send someone to intercept him?"
Guan Yu was taken aback and responded without much thought, "By the time we learned of it, Liu Bei had already been on his way for several days. Even if we sent someone after him, they probably wouldn't have caught up."
"That's just one reason," Zhuge Jin said, raising one finger with a smile. "The second reason is that my lord intends to turn the situation to his advantage! "
"Upon learning that my lord is planning to attack Liaodong, Gongsun Zan will undoubtedly order defenses to be set up in Liaoxi, preparing to strike at any moment."
"This is indeed a detail many have overlooked. The military advisor has been exchanging letters with my lord about this matter."
" Now that Gongsun Du is building warships in Lelang Commandery and the commander there has been replaced by General Gao Lan, it's clear that my lord's target isn't just Liaodong, but also here!"