Chapter 062: Surpassing Liu, Guan, and Zhang

The rice soup was ready. Qin Qiong ladled out half a small bowl, still steaming hot. He let it cool for a while, then fed his mother spoonful by spoonful. With his mother gently nestled in his arms, Qin Qiong tested the temperature of each spoonful himself first. If the soup was a little too hot, he pursed his lips and blew on it until, tasting it himself, he found it just right. Only then did he carefully bring it to his mother's lips.

Safe in her son's embrace, Lady Qin felt a deep happiness. Having fulfilled his filial duty, Qin Qiong too felt a warm contentment. Watching from the side, Li Dong couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy at the touching scene before him.

Soon after the rice soup settled in her stomach, Lady Qin's sallow complexion took on a healthy flush, her spirits visibly improved, and she could sit up and speak.

After expressing her gratitude to Li Dong once again, Lady Qin inquired, "Where does your family reside? How did you come by such marvelous medical skill?"

Li Dong replied respectfully, "My family is from Zhangqiu, not far from here. As for my skill, you flatter me, madam. I know only a little, hardly enough to be called marvelous." In truth, no one in this world could know where he had learned his medicine; any answer would suffice.

After chatting a while longer, Lady Qin noticed Luo Shixin standing quietly by and asked, "This young man looks familiar—have we met somewhere before?"

Qin Qiong quickly explained, "He’s a fellow from Licheng. His parents died when he was young, so he earned his keep herding cattle for wealthy families. He’s visited the smithy before and has some dealings with me."

Lady Qin’s face showed deep sympathy. "Such a good child—how is it that both his parents passed away so young? Heaven have mercy."

Seeing Qin Qiong feed his mother had touched a chord within Luo Shixin, who had never known a mother’s love. Hearing Lady Qin speak to him, he stepped forward and, unable to help himself, knelt before her and kowtowed three times.

"Honored mother above, please accept the humble obeisance of your unworthy son," he declared, imitating Qin Qiong’s every gesture. Unbeknownst to him, such words were only fitting for Qin Qiong himself, so everyone in the room was taken aback.

Li Dong hurried to explain, "He has been an orphan since childhood. He likely wishes to acknowledge you as his mother, Lady Qin."

Lady Qin smiled warmly. "That is exactly my thought. My child, get up quickly—the floor is cold, and I’d not have you come to harm."

Luo Shixin was deeply moved. From this day forth, he too had a mother! No longer was he an orphan, unloved by all. Overcome, he kowtowed three more times to Lady Qin, only standing when Qin Qiong stepped forward to help him.

Upon rising, Luo Shixin shook off Qin Qiong’s hand and declared loudly, "Elder brother, please accept my bow as a sworn younger brother." With that, he made to kneel again, but Qin Qiong held him fast and wouldn’t let him.

"Why won’t you let me bow?" Luo Shixin turned to Li Dong, then added, "Why don’t the three of us swear brotherhood? Too bad there’s no Peach Garden here!"

Qin Qiong laughed. "Brotherhood doesn’t require a Peach Garden. If the bond is true, any place is a Peach Garden!"

Lady Qin echoed her approval, "Splendid, splendid! This way, I gain two more sons. How delightful!"

Li Dong also felt it a fine idea and gladly agreed to become sworn brothers with the other two.

The three left the inner chamber, set incense and lit candles in the main hall, then knelt side by side and gravely declared, "Heaven and earth bear witness, and Lord Guan is our guarantor. Today, I, Qin Qiong—"

"Luo Shixin."

"Li Dong!"

"—pledge to be brothers, united in heart and mind, not born on the same day, but vowing to die on the same day."

They took three bowls, filled them with wine, pricked their wrists and let their blood drip into the bowls, then each drained one in a single draught.

Next, they set their ranks according to age and birth dates: Qin Qiong was the eldest at eighteen, Li Dong next at sixteen, and Luo Shixin the youngest at thirteen.

Luo Shixin could hardly contain his joy. "So now we’re Liu, Guan, and Zhang! I’m the mighty Zhang Fei!" He leapt about, arms flailing, as happy as a puppy unleashed.

Qin Qiong was also delighted. Gaining two brothers bound by such loyalty filled his heart with joy, and he heartily agreed with Luo Shixin’s comparison.

Li Dong, however, thought to himself: The brotherhood of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei was legendary, their bond unparalleled through the ages—a model worthy of veneration. Yet, their fates were tragically grim. Guan Yu fell at Maicheng, beheaded by Eastern Wu and blamed on Cao Cao; Zhang Fei, in a drunken rage, flogged his men and was himself slain; and Liu Bei, in his quest for vengeance, was routed at Yiling by Lu Xun and died in grief and shame at Baidi City, entrusting his son to others.

Luo Shixin’s wish to be Zhang Fei seemed ominous, for in the true histories of the Sui and Tang, Luo Shixin also met his end in battle, beheaded by Wang Shichong.

But now that he and Li Dong had sworn brotherhood, Li Dong resolved that he could not let this dark prophecy come to pass. He must do everything in his power to save Luo Shixin when the time came.

Though Li Dong made this secret vow, he knew well that in times of chaos, fate was fickle. A single misstep could spell eternal regret, and looking back a century later, one might be but dust. Still, he would do all he could to preserve Luo Shixin’s life, that the three brothers might enjoy honor and prosperity together for years to come.

After supper, the three sat and chatted idly, exchanging tales of extraordinary events from recent years and the reigns of emperors past and present, talking endlessly into the night. At last, around midnight, they shared a bed and drifted into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning, Qin Qiong cooked breakfast, the clatter of pots and pans ringing out cheerfully. Luo Shixin sprinkled water, Li Dong swept the floor, the wind from his broom whistling through the air, and the three busied themselves with gusto. After the meal, Li Dong again used his silver needles to treat Lady Qin. Her condition was markedly better than the day before, lifting everyone’s spirits.

At the smithy, Luo Shixin volunteered to take his place by the forge, pulling the bellows with all his might in Lady Qin’s stead. Blessed with boundless strength, he worked the bellows so vigorously that the coals inside the furnace blazed and roared.

With Luo Shixin’s help, Qin Qiong and his father found their work went exceptionally smoothly. Before noon, they had already finished the ten iron pieces due that day. With nothing left to do, they turned their attention to the meteorite that Li Dong had brought.

The meteorite was neither gold nor silver, neither copper nor iron—truly a “four-unlike,” as Jiang Ziya might have mounted. The melting points of the four metals were all different, so separating them after melting was a great challenge. There was no need to separate them, though: their unique strength and toughness came from their union.

Qin’s father left the smithy briefly and returned with a large wooden tub of brine, its contents unknown. He poured the brine over the meteorite, which immediately began to sizzle and emit white smoke. When the smoke cleared, he quickly struck the stone with a hammer, breaking off a piece the size of a palm.

Yet, after only a short while—as short as the time it takes to relieve oneself—the stone hardened again as before. Using the same method, Qin’s father soon chipped off a sizable pile of fragments.

Li Dong and Luo Shixin watched in amazement. Such miraculous things existed in the world? They hurried to ask what was in the tub.

Naturally, Qin’s father would not reveal the secret easily. He replied vaguely, "Brine coagulates tofu; every thing has its counter. This is an ancestral method, though I’ve never tried it myself. I had no idea it would work so well."

After a while, he added, "This is only the first step. There will be greater difficulties ahead. When that time comes... it will take some doing, I fear."

…

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