Tiger Owl

Chapter 3 Intercepting Lu Su
As dawn broke, the boats arrived at the ferry. Wang Ping and Shen Mi, along with a large group of soldiers, stood at the ferry, waving bolts of silk, their faces beaming with joy.

"Were any of our brothers injured or killed?" Gan Ning asked loudly.

"More than a dozen brothers were wounded, but they were all brought back; none of them died in battle!"

Gan Ning was relieved and ordered the ship to dock. His men carried over a hundred boxes and several hundred bolts of silk onto the ship.

"How many?" Gan Ning asked excitedly.

Shen Mi said in a low voice, "There are at least several thousand taels of gold and tens of thousands of taels of silver, as well as more than a dozen boxes of jewelry and more than eight hundred bolts of silk. We haven't counted the exact amount."

At this time, Lou Fa also returned. He went to a nearby village and bought a large jar of salt to pickle Yuan Shu's head. It was too hot, and the head would easily rot if not properly treated.

Gan Ning nodded, "Let's get out of here first!"

"My lord, where are we going?"

Everyone was watching him, but Gan Ning lowered his head and remained silent in thought.

After leaving Liu Biao, Gan Ning began to consider becoming his own boss, no longer working for others or having to be subservient to them. But to be a boss, one needs capital, talented people to assist him, and, more importantly, territory.

He now possesses some wealth, the imperial seal—an important political resource—and three hundred loyal subordinates.

He had already decided where to go; the timing and location were both favorable. Unfortunately, he still lacked a good strategist to assist him.

Just then, a sound of gongs and drums came from behind. Gan Ning turned around and saw a magnificently decorated passenger ship with a capacity of 1,000 shi (a unit of weight) sailing towards them. Several shirtless men were gonging and drumming at the bow of the ship. The ship was covered with colorful flags, and there seemed to be a banner hanging on the side.

As the ship drew nearer, Gan Ning finally saw the words on the banner: 'King Zheng respectfully welcomes Lu Su, the esteemed scholar of Dongcheng!'

"Lu Su?"

Gan Ning was stunned. What did this mean? Wasn't Lu Su with Sun Ce right now? Could this be Sun Ce? No, wait! It clearly says "King Zheng" on this.

He saw an apricot-yellow triangular flag with the character 'Zheng' written on it, planted on the top of the boat awning.

He then asked an old fisherman not far away, "Excuse me, sir, who is Zheng Tianwang?"

The old fisherman watched the departing passenger ship and sneered, "King Zheng is Zheng Bao. The local tyrants in Jiujiang County like this kind of thing. They don't care whether others like it or not, they just openly rob and seize. But I heard that he has started a rebellion."

Gan Ning had already remembered that Lu Su had indeed left Sun Ce because of his grandmother's death, but was later persuaded by Zhou Yu to rejoin Sun Quan.

So it's true that King Zheng was welcoming Lu Su.

Lu Su! He had just dozed off when someone brought him a pillow.

It seems that God has indeed been kind to me, not only opening a window for me but also thoughtfully installing an air conditioner for me.

Gan Ning's mind immediately began to race.

The banner read that Lu Su was from Dongcheng, and he hurriedly asked, "Excuse me, sir, how far is Dongcheng County from here?"

"It's about a hundred li!"

Is there a river that I can take a shortcut through?

"Yes! There's a small river that leads directly across; it's about thirty li away."

Gan Ning was overjoyed, "Please lead the way for us, sir. I will give you five strings of cash as a reward for your trouble!"

He intercepted the Imperial Seal of the State last night, and today he will intercept another great talent.

Lu Su, a renowned figure during the Three Kingdoms period, was at home in Dongcheng County at this time.

Last year, Zhou Yu took Lu Su to join Sun Ce, but Lu Su had no intention of leaving because his political aspirations did not align with Sun Ce's.

Not long after his grandmother passed away, Lu Su used the excuse of holding a funeral for his grandmother to resign from his post with Sun Ce.

At this time, Lu Su, who was staying at home, received a letter from his friend Liu Ye. In the letter, Liu Ye said that a powerful man named Zheng Bao had raised an army in Chaohu and recruited tens of thousands of soldiers. He described Zheng Bao as having great ambitions and being very respectful to scholars, and said that he was a hundred times better than Sun Ce.

At this time, Lu Su was already twenty-eight years old. A man should be established by thirty, but he had accomplished nothing. He was filled with anxiety and confusion, but at the same time, he was eager to make a name for himself. He was eager to find a wise ruler who could accomplish great things and give him important responsibilities.

Lu Su was intrigued by his friend's letter, and he began packing his bags, deciding to go and visit Zheng Bao.

Just then, Gan Ning, reborn from the ashes, appeared smiling before Lu Su.

Lu Su invited the young man, whom he had never met before but who had come from afar to visit him, into the guest hall. The two sat down as host and guest, and Lu Su had a servant boy serve tea.

"I have long admired your virtuous reputation in Ganning, Xiaba County. It is truly an honor to meet you today!"

Lu Su was both surprised and delighted, and felt a little proud inside. Had his reputation spread to Ba County?

"You flatter me, sir. I am but a humble man, and I am truly ashamed of my limited knowledge and talent!"

Gan Ning then introduced himself, saying, “In my youth, I was reckless and impetuous. Later, through studying, I gradually came to understand the ways of the world. I once served as a minor official in Ba Commandery. Due to the death of Governor Liu Yan, Liu Zhang ascended to the throne. He was incompetent and had many opponents. Dissatisfied with Liu Zhang, I resigned my post and led three hundred men away from Ba Commandery to Jiangdong to establish my career.” Lu Su nodded, “Forgive my frankness, but Jiangdong is a place of great upheaval. Liu Yao has failed, Yuan Shu has declined, and Sun Ce has gained considerable power. It is no longer the best time for you, brave Gan, to establish your career in Jiangdong.”

Gan Ning smiled slightly and said, "My goal is actually not Jiangdong!"

"Oh! May I ask where the brave warrior's destination lies?"

Gan Ning picked up his brush and wrote the two characters 'Chaisang' on the paper. Lu Su clapped his hands and laughed, "Great man, you have a good eye!"

Gan Ning then slowly said, "Cao Cao has already pacified Lü Bu and will compete with Yuan Shao for control of the Central Plains. Although Yuan Shao comes from a distinguished family, I observe that he is stubborn and indecisive. He is afraid to risk his life when it comes to great things, and he forgets righteousness when it comes to small gains. He is not capable of achieving great things and will surely be defeated by Cao Cao."

Cao Cao held the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords, and had a multitude of fierce generals and strategists under his command. He quelled Lü Bu and drove out Liu Bei, and had already become a force to be reckoned with in the Central Plains. No one could contend with him.

Sun Ce of Jiangdong is at the height of his power, supported by the two major aristocratic groups of Huaisi and Dongwu. He will surely be able to establish his own independent regime. For me to compete with him for Jiangdong is like throwing an egg against a rock.

"Jingxiang is a land of great wealth, but Liu Biao values ​​civil affairs over military matters, and Huang Zu is foolish and incompetent. Neither of them can hold onto their territory in Jingxiang. This is my opportunity. I will establish myself in Chaisang, fight Huang Zu, strive for Jingxiang, and then seize Ba and Shu. Then, the world will be divided into three kingdoms, and the Three Kingdoms will be formed. What do you think, sir?"

Gan Ning certainly wanted to unify the world, but the foundation for unification is to first divide, then unite. Without a solid foundation, how could he unify the world?

Lu Su listened with rapt attention. He truly hadn't expected that a young military general could see the general trend of the world so clearly. Everyone was optimistic about Yuan Shao, but Gan Ning was able to see through Yuan Shao's true nature and predict that he would definitely lose. This was truly commendable.

In particular, Gan Ning's theory of a tripartite balance of power surprised Lu Su, as it was clearly similar to his own theory of a tripartite balance of power between the North and the South.

Lu Su had also presented this theory to Sun Ce last year, but Sun Ce was not pleased. He was focused on the Northern Expedition and unifying the country, so Lu Su's theory of a tripartite division between the North and the South was naturally unpalatable to him.

Unexpectedly, today he heard it from a young military general. Although it was a tripartite struggle, the essence was the same. In a daze, Lu Su felt a sense of kinship and mutual appreciation.

Gan Ning knew that he couldn't impress Lu Su with just words; he had to show Lu Su what he was capable of.

Gan Ning took out the Imperial Seal of the State from his bosom, placed it on the table, and said with a smile, "Sir, please look at this."

Lu Su picked up the jade seal and examined it closely. When he saw the eight characters on the front, "Received the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous," he was immediately shocked, and his hands trembled involuntarily.

"How did this seal end up in the general's hands?"

Gan Ning smiled slightly and said, "I led three hundred men to kill Yuan Shu and seize this treasure from him. This is the foundation upon which I have established my career and secured my livelihood."

Lu Su pondered for a moment and said, "General, would you be willing to hear what I have to say?"

"Sir, please speak!"

Lu Su placed the imperial seal on the table and said slowly, "I advise you, General, to present this to Cao Cao in exchange for the title of magistrate of Chaisang County. This will allow you to rightfully enter Chaisang and gain Cao Cao's support to compete with Liu Biao and Huang Zu for control of Jingxiang. Otherwise, as an outsider, you will lack legitimacy and will not receive the support of local powerful families. You will be unable to achieve great things on your own."

Gan Ning was truly impressed. As expected of Lu Su, he thought that while he only thought of using the imperial seal to exchange for his identity, Lu Su thought of using the imperial seal to gain Cao Cao's support. His level of thinking was clearly a notch above his own.

"Sir, your insight is exactly what I was thinking!"

After a moment's thought, Gan Ning earnestly said to Lu Su, "Gan Ning is all alone. Although I aspire to rule the world, I need to accumulate small steps before I can reach great heights. Unfortunately, I have no strategists by my side. Sir, you are a man of great talent. Would you be willing to lend me a hand?"

Although Lu Su was somewhat tempted, he still hesitated a bit, mainly because he didn't know Gan Ning well and didn't know what Gan Ning's abilities were or whether he was the wise ruler he was looking for.
More importantly, he had already promised his friend Liu Ye that he would work for Zheng Bao.

Gan Ning saw that Lu Su was already interested, so he seized the opportunity and said, "Although I am dull and not worthy of your talent, sir, you can give it a try. Let's set a one-year timeframe. If I cannot take Yuzhang County and establish a foothold within a year, you may seek another position, and I will not stop you!"

This is a good idea. We can try it out for a year first. If this person is not a wise ruler, we can then switch to Zheng Bao and use the year to see if Zheng Bao is capable.

Lu Su smiled and nodded, "Then let's put it in writing, with a one-year deadline. If the general can take Yuzhang County within a year, I, Lu Zijing, will serve the general for life!"

The two immediately signed a written agreement, making two copies, one for each party.

Gan Ning then ordered Wang Ping to come in and present the betrothal gifts. Lu Su accepted them with only a slight politeness.

Lu Su then realized that Gan Ning had not only seized the imperial seal, but also Yuan Shu's head and wealth. This was even better, as they now had a sum of money to recruit soldiers and buy provisions.

Lu Su then said to Gan Ning, "General, you can go to Xuchang to see Cao Cao first. I will go to Qu'a to bring my mother back. Then we will meet in Dongcheng and go to Chaisang together."

Gan Ning thought for a moment and then said, "I might as well send my men to Chaisang as an outpost to settle them down first. What do you think, sir?"

“That’s excellent. But since the matter is to be accomplished in secrecy, we must not reveal our strength too early and let Huang Zu find out. I suggest that we secretly purchase grain under the guise of doing business, and then use it to recruit soldiers.”

Gan Ning was overjoyed and immediately adopted the business plan. The group then split up to take action. Lu Su went to Qu'a to bring back his mother, while Shen Mi and Lou Fa disguised themselves as merchants and led most of the brothers to Chaisang to establish themselves. Gan Ning, on the other hand, took Wang Ping and several of his men by boat to Xuchang.

After seeing Gan Ning off, Lu Su summoned his brother Lu Ting and said to him, "I have decided to assist Gan Ning. You take good care of our mother at home. If I achieve something in the future, you will also retain your position as a county magistrate."

Lu Ting said with some concern, "I think this Gan Ning is unruly and has the air of a bandit leader. Brother, are you really going to assist him?"

Lu Su picked up the two characters 'Chaisang' written by Gan Ning on the table and smiled slightly, saying, "Don't be fooled by his appearance. Look at his character. As the saying goes, 'You can tell a person's character by their handwriting.' Although his handwriting is messy and unrefined, it is powerful and profound. It is sharp yet restrained. This shows that he is a man of great talent and is no ordinary person. If I'm not mistaken, he is capable of achieving great things."

Lu Ting nodded slightly, "Brother is right. Those who are illiterate are bandits in Champa, while those who are talented are heroes in Champa. He should be better than Zheng Baoqiang."

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(End of this chapter)