The Chu Dynasty was the foremost power on the Hidden Dragon Continent, with the Family Heads of the Qin Family and the Shangguan Family from the Four Major Families currently in a quiet courtyard.
Qin De sat by the stone table, his face the very image of calm, while Xu Yuan stood silently by his side.
"Haha... Brother Qin De, it has been a long time," said a white-haired elder who strode toward them, his ears adorned with golden earrings, his eyes holding a coldness, yet now brimming with enthusiasm.
Qin De stood up and, gesturing to a seat, said with a smile, "Brother Shangguan, please have a seat."
Shangguan Hong, the King Zhenbei of the Chu Dynasty, controlled the Northern Domain Two Prefectures. Within the courtyard, there were only four people: Qin De, Xu Yuan, and the other two being Shangguan Hong and his subordinate Zhuang Jun. Outside the courtyard, however, a multitude of experts stood on vigilant watch in secret.
"Brother Qin De, what do you need this old man for this time?" Shangguan Hong tidied his silver hair before sitting down, clearly quite concerned with his locks. His subordinate Zhuang Jun remained standing behind him.
Qin De said with a smile, "I won't beat around the bush. Help me, and together we'll take over the Chu Dynasty."
Shangguan Hong was taken aback; he hadn't expected Qin De to be so direct. Though he had guessed the purpose of Qin De's secret meeting, Shangguan Hong forced a dry laugh and said, "Brother Qin De, don't joke about such things. That could cost us our heads. I might as well pretend I never heard anything."
Qin De slowly shook his head and asked, "I'm asking you, are you in or not?"
Instead of responding, Shangguan Hong fell silent for a long while before finally raising his head to ask, "Even if we join forces, what are our chances?"
"Eighty percent," replied Qin De calmly.
Shangguan Hong laughed, "Brother Qin De, don't toy with me. The Mu Family has an army of six hundred thousand, and the Western Regions Four Prefectures boast an eighty thousand strong force. Together, that's one point four million. My Northern Domain Two Prefectures have only four hundred thousand, and you just six hundred thousand. How could you possibly have an eighty percent chance?"
"I intend to destroy the Xiang Family, not just the six hundred thousand on the surface," Qin De said with a smile.
Shangguan Hong's eyes narrowed, "Oh? It seems Brother Qin De has quite an army hidden away. But the Xiang Family and the Mu Family combined have one point four million soldiers. No matter how many troops you have in secret, how can you claim an eighty percent chance of success? And with so many troops hidden, how could you escape the Xiang Family's intelligence network?" Shangguan Hong was clearly skeptical.
"I have another two hundred thousand in the shadows," said Qin De with a grin. "That makes it a total of eight hundred thousand. Although my Fierce Tiger Army numbers only fifty thousand, its true attack power is comparable to that of two to three hundred thousand."
Shangguan Hong's eyes lit up.
He was well aware of the Fierce Tiger Army's prowess and after some quick calculations, he smiled and said, "Indeed, if we're talking about the quality of the troops, yours from the Eastern Domain Three Prefectures are the strongest. If there's really another two hundred thousand in the shadows, maybe there's a chance. But as I understand it, doesn't the threat from the bandits of the Black Water Mountain Range require your two hundred thousand soldiers to keep them at bay? Otherwise, if the bandits wreak havoc on the Eastern Domain Three Prefectures, it would disrupt your stronghold."
Qin De could not have been less concerned, "There's no need to worry about that. They're just some bandits. Though the Black Water Mountain Range is vast and wiping them out would be extremely difficult. But the thing is... the bandits of the Black Water Mountain Range are just bandits. With some negotiation and a few benefits, they'll settle down."
A sudden gleam shone in Qin De's eyes, "With that settled, my army could fully commit to the attack. You must know, my Eastern Domain Three Prefectures border the Primordial Wilderness. Our troops regularly train in the Primordial Wilderness, fighting against the Primordial Wilderness Demonic Beasts. They are in no way comparable to those soldiers from the Western Regions Four Prefectures who haven't seen battle in decades or centuries."
Qin De was extremely confident.
And Shangguan Hong nodded in agreement.
Indeed, while each of the Four Major Families maintained their own armies, when it came to combat effectiveness, the armies of the Eastern Domain Three Prefectures were unrivaled. Their main base was at the border of the Primordial Wilderness where they regularly battled fierce beasts, seeing real bloodshed.
In contrast, the armies of the Xiang Family, Mu Family, and Shangguan Family had not experienced war in decades, if not centuries.
Shangguan Hong mulled over this in his mind, then, after a moment, looked up and asked, "What's in it for me? And how can you guarantee that after destroying the Xiang Family, you won't turn on me?"
Qin De chuckled softly and said, "It's very simple, the two prefectures close to the Northern Ocean, in addition to your own two prefectures, would make a total of four prefectures. These four are adjacent to one another and, with the ocean at your back, you won't have to fear me reneging on our deal in the future. What say you?"
"The four prefectures by the sea?" Shangguan Hong's eyes suddenly lit up, clearly tempted.
With these four prefectures in close proximity to each other under the control of Shangguan Hong, even if Qin De were to consider extinguishing him in the future, it would be difficult. After all, having the natural barrier of the sea behind him and four prefectures in hand, self-preservation wouldn't be an issue, and given the toll of the war, the Qin Family would probably not have much strength left to deal with him.
"And what if the Han Dynasty takes this opportunity to attack us?" Shangguan Hong continued to inquire.
Qin De stood up, waved his hand and said, "You have my word, the Han Dynasty absolutely won't get a chance. As for the Ming Dynasty, I trust that we don't need to worry much about a weak dynasty that only gets attacked and dares not strike back."
Shangguan Hong fell silent.
After a long while, Shangguan Hong nodded, "I agree to your terms, but my troops from the Northern Domain Two Prefectures absolutely will not take the lead."
"Agreed, our word is our bond," Qin De replied.
Qin De and Shangguan Hong clapped hands as a pledge to their alliance.
"Haha…" Qin De and Shangguan Hong looked at each other and burst into laughter, yet no one knew what was truly on their minds. Was a clap of hands to seal an oath really binding? On the Hidden Dragon Continent, very few people believed in the sanctity of such oaths.
...
The next day, in a villa courtyard, Shangguan Hong sat beside a desk, furiously writing, while Zhuang Jun stood respectfully by his side.
Shortly after, Shangguan Hong finished writing, he carefully examined it once more and was quite pleased with the result.
"Hmph, that idiot Qin De actually thinking of rebelling and trying to drag me down with him. Isn't it fine for me to be a secure King Zhenbei? Although... the four prefectures are indeed enticing. Too bad," Shangguan Hong said as he looked at a piece of paper on the desk and could not help but laugh.
Zhuang Jun commented from the side, "My lord, the Qin Family's offer isn't bad, and it seems sincere. Are we really not going to give them any hope?"
Turning his head towards Zhuang Jun, Shangguan Hong smiled, "Zhuang Jun, we cannot afford to lose. Do you understand? We must place our bets on both sides. Regardless of whether the Qin Family or the Xiang Family wins, we must benefit from the outcome."
Zhuang Jun was confused.
But Shangguan Hong just smiled. Zhuang Jun was his most loyal subordinate and the second most important person in the Northern Domain Two Prefectures. Zhuang Jun had saved Shangguan Hong's life not once but twice. Shangguan Hong, of course, held Zhuang Jun in high regard.
"Zhuang Jun, I am confident in handling this matter. You need not worry. You may leave now," Shangguan Hong said with a faint smile.
"Your servant takes his leave," Zhuang Jun immediately exited the room.
Shangguan Hong's expression suddenly turned cold. "Send this letter to His Majesty." In a flash, a shadow whisked away the letter that had been on Shangguan Hong's desk.
Squinting out the window, Shangguan Hong thought to himself, "Qin De, you could never imagine the relationship between the Shangguan Family and the Xiang Family. It's just bad luck on your part. Even if I don't support either side, how can your family withstand both the Xiang Family and the Mu Family? When the Eastern Domain Three Prefectures are wiped out, I might even get a piece of the spoils."
Shangguan Hong's thoughts were wishful indeed, but would the Qin Family really pin their hopes on him?