Chapter Eight: A Generous Gift of Gratitude

Early the next morning, at a small residence near the port of Yuezhu.

As the sun climbed toward its zenith, the courtyard gate opened, and Zhang Pengyuan emerged, dressed in full battle armor. Zhang was a man of sturdy build, with coarse hair, thick brows, and skin tanned dark by years of exposure to the elements. His eyes, however, burned with a sharp, piercing intensity. Although today was a day of rest, Zhang, having only slept in briefly, had decided to return to his warship to attend to various pressing matters.

A few days prior, Zhang had led his men in a rescue mission for a merchant fleet ambushed by water bandits, an operation that had cost the lives of many of his brothers-in-arms. Yet, when he had presented the list of the fallen to his superiors to request compensation, he had been granted only a few dozen taels of silver—a pittance that amounted to mere pieces of silver per man. The memory of this injustice always filled him with uncontrollable rage.

The Great Xia Dynasty had stood for over two hundred years, yet it was plagued by internal and external strife, and its navy was certainly no exception. Though his grandfather held the rank of Admiral of the Navy, the territory of Great Xia was vast, and the naval forces beneath them were a mix of the virtuous and the corrupt, rife with embezzlement and the withholding of military pay. Zhang refused to let the men on his ships suffer in despair; for days, he had been weighing how to expose this corruption to his superiors while simultaneously seeking ways to raise compensation funds himself.

"Brother Zhang!"

Heavy-hearted, Zhang had barely stepped outside when he spotted a carriage waiting at the door. A figure leaped out.

"Yang Xiu?" Zhang said, looking at him with confusion.

"Come, come! Get in the carriage, let’s go get a drink!" Yang Xiu, overflowing with enthusiasm, tried to pull Zhang toward the carriage without further ado. But no matter how hard he tugged, Zhang stood as immovable as a rock.

"I’ve already checked—you’re off duty today!" Seeing Zhang’s cold, questioning gaze, Yang Xiu hurriedly explained, "A few days ago, you saved a fleet from those water bandits. Do you even know whose fleet that was?"

"Whose?" Zhang, a man of somewhat rigid character, had no idea.

"It belongs to the Qin family of Yuezhu. The young master of the Qin family happens to be a friend of mine, and he specifically asked me to invite you to a meal today to express his gratitude!"

"The Qin family... Qin Song?" Zhang was, of course, familiar with the Qin family of Yuezhu, and he knew that Qin Zhong, of the Qin family, served as the Left Chancellor of Great Xia. However, Qin Song’s reputation in Yuezhu was somewhat notorious.

"That’s right! Brother Qin even intends to purchase a large supply of daily necessities and send them directly to the navy ships to reward your men!"

Hearing this, especially the mention of rewarding the men under his command, Zhang felt his resolve waver.

"Fine, I’ll go with you!"

Before Yang Xiu could react, Zhang strode onto the carriage. Yang Xiu quickly followed.

"Brother Zhang, you’re really going to the restaurant dressed like that?" Yang Xiu asked, glancing at the armor.

"Is there a problem?" Zhang turned his head and asked bluntly.

"No, no! Very spirited, indeed!" Yang Xiu, knowing his friend’s temperament, could only laugh it off.

The carriage soon pulled up to the restaurant. As an eager waiter rushed forward, he froze at the sight of the armored man stepping out. Zhang’s icy, piercing gaze immediately locked onto the attendant.

"M... M... My Lord!" The waiter was so terrified he collapsed to the ground, his speech slurring.

"Get up. We are here to eat. Has Young Master Qin arrived?" Fortunately, Yang Xiu stepped in to diffuse the awkwardness.

"Oh! Young Master Yang!" Recognizing him, the waiter scrambled to his feet. "Young Master Qin has been waiting for some time. Please, follow me!"

The waiter led the way, casting wary glances at Zhang. They entered the restaurant, climbed the stairs, and made their way to a private room, drawing strange looks from the other patrons.

"Welcome... er..."

"I am Qin Song. Greetings, Captain Zhang!" Seeing Zhang in full armor, Qin Song was startled at first. Recovering quickly, he greeted him, then spotted Yang Xiu behind him, who wore an expression of helpless resignation.

"Young Master Qin!" Zhang greeted him politely. Once seated, Qin Song ordered the meal, and soon the table was filled with fine wine and delicacies.

"Captain Zhang!" Qin Song poured the tea and stood up. "A few days ago, thanks to you leading your men to repel the bandits, the Qin family’s fleet was saved! I am currently in mourning and cannot consume alcohol, so I must substitute it with tea. I hope you will forgive me, Captain."

Seeing Zhang pause in confusion, Yang Xiu quickly explained that Qin Song’s father had been killed by the water bandits that very day. Zhang’s face instantly filled with guilt. "Young Master Qin, I apologize. If I could have arrived even a moment earlier, perhaps your father..."

"Captain, please, do not say that. If you hadn't led your troops there in person, my family’s losses would have been far greater! I hosted this banquet today out of a sincere desire to thank you."

"Young Master Qin is too kind!" Zhang stood up, raised his glass, and with Yang Xiu joining them, the three shared their first toast.

"Captain, rest assured, my family has already purchased a large shipment of supplies to be sent to the navy to reward your men!" Qin Song paused, then stood and pulled back a red cloth. On the tray beneath lay twenty large silver ingots, each weighing fifty taels.

"Young Master Qin, what is the meaning of this?" Upon seeing the thousand taels of silver, Zhang’s first reaction was not greed, but resistance.

"Captain, please don't misunderstand—this is not for you!" Qin Song replied. "I heard that in the battle a few days ago, your men suffered heavy losses. This money is for the families of those who died or were injured!"

Zhang’s deep, searching gaze fixed upon Qin Song.

"Young Master Qin, I appreciate your kindness! But as naval officers, protecting merchant ships and destroying bandits is our duty."

"Captain, if I may speak frankly: we have already watched our brothers bleed out. Must we also watch their families weep until they have no tears left?"

Qin Song noticed the flicker of hesitation in Zhang’s eyes. Banking on his brief understanding of the man, he had gambled on these words. Zhang remained silent, the sentiment cutting straight to his heart.

"Then, I shall accept your generosity on their behalf, Young Master Qin!" Zhang said solemnly. "If there is ever anything you need of me, do not hesitate to ask."

Having stared at the silver for a long moment, Zhang finally accepted the gift.

"Come, let us drink!" Seeing the gift accepted, Qin Song was overjoyed and quickly filled Zhang’s glass.