Tiger Owl

Chapter 37 Decision made
At dusk, the newly arrived steward, Wu, delivered a variety of brand-new daily necessities, all of which were the best available in the city, along with several hundred kilograms of charcoal and two charcoal braziers.

Two large food boxes were also delivered from the nearby Xunyang Grand Restaurant, containing seven or eight dishes, as well as steaming hot rice and flatbread. Xiao Qiao immediately beamed with joy and quickly set out the food.

"Mother, elder sister, come and eat! I'm starving!"

She picked up a flatbread, took a big bite, and her eyes lit up. "Sister, it's meat-filled!"

Madam Yang stepped forward and affectionately patted her youngest daughter's head, "You little glutton, the food is a bit cold, let me warm it up for you."

"It's still warm! It won't taste good if you reheat it; the mutton will have a gamey smell."

Xiao Qiao is the youngest in the family, but she is a well-known foodie. When her father was alive, the family was well-off, and she ate all kinds of good food.

Later, her father died in battle, and Yuan Shu promised to give him 500 taels of silver as compensation. However, she did not receive a single coin. With no income, the mother and her two daughters could only rely on their uncle's help and selling valuables to make ends meet, and their lives became poorer and poorer.

In the past two years, Yuan Shu has been waging war and was aggressive. Rice in the Jianghuai region cost a thousand coins, and there were starving people everywhere. The mother and her two daughters often couldn't even get enough to eat, sometimes going hungry and sometimes full. As a result, the two sisters were both rather thin and weak.

"Sister, the braised mutton is so delicious, come and try it!"

"You and Mom eat first, I'll be right there!"

Da Qiao found a kettle, a stove, and tea cakes among a pile of daily necessities. She had been brewing tea since she was a child. Since General Gan took such good care of her and her daughter, she should at least brew a pot of hot tea for the general.

After finding the tea set, Da Qiao washed her hands and went to eat.

..........
Gan Ning didn't return until it was completely dark. He was still a dozen steps away from the courtyard gate when he saw a slender figure rush out from inside. Judging from the figure, it should be Da Qiao. Gan Ning chuckled to himself. What was this young lady doing?
Gan Ning entered the study and found it brightly lit with a charcoal fire burning brightly, making the room warm and cozy. On the table sat a pot of steaming tea, and his own teacup was clean and placed to the side.

Gan Ning sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a small sip of the hot tea. He immediately felt a warm current seep into his heart and soul.

..........
Around midnight, four dark figures appeared in front of the small house where the Yang family had lived. The leader was a tall, fat man, who was the merchant who had given the Yang family fifty taels of silver at noon.

The merchant, Wang Kai, was an elite soldier sent by the Jiangdong intelligence camp. He was ordered by his lord, Sun Ce, to bring Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao back to Jiangdong.

Now that the money has been given, they should come to pick them up tonight. Even if they refuse to leave, they should be forcibly taken away.

Wang Kai waved his hand, and three of his men scaled the wall and entered the courtyard. They quietly opened the gate, and Wang Kai also entered the courtyard.

Just then, a large group of soldiers rushed out from both alleys and surrounded the small house. Wang Xiaoman waved her hand, and dozens of soldiers rushed in. Shouts and screams filled the courtyard.

Before long, Wang Kai and three of his men were brought out bound like dumplings, their mouths gagged and their heads covered with black cloth. The soldiers pushed the four of them into an oxcart, and a large group of soldiers followed the oxcart away.

The following morning, Wang Xiaoman reported to Gan Ning about the events of the previous night and the results of the interrogation.

"Reporting to my lord, the leader is named Wang Kai, a spy from the Jiangdong intelligence camp. He and three soldiers disguised as merchants are here to bring the Yang mother and her two daughters back to Jiangdong. This is their only mission. Zhang Xun's defection has nothing to do with them, and they are unaware of it."

Gan Ning nodded. "Release them all, escort them out of the country with courtesy, and then have them take my letter back to Jiangdong to deliver to Sun Ce."

Gan Ning should openly tell Sun Ce that Da Qiao is already his concubine and that Sun Ce is not allowed to send anyone to harass her anymore.

"Your subordinate obeys!"

Gan Ning thought for a moment and said, "Also, how's the intelligence station I asked you to set up in Wu County a few days ago?"

"Reporting to my lord, it is under construction. We plan to open a restaurant so that we can obtain all kinds of information."

Gan Ning nodded. "The important thing is news about Sun Ce!"

"Understood, sir. We will send news back via flying slaves as soon as we receive it!"

"Fei Nu" refers to carrier pigeons, which were used to deliver messages as early as the Qin and Han dynasties. Judging from the timeline, Sun Ce will be in trouble next spring. Although he was wounded by his own arrow, according to Wang Kai's testimony, Sun Ce's arrow wound is almost healed.

If something happens to Sun Ce, then the alliance between myself and Yu Jin will expire.

He cannot be bound by a mere agreement.

...........
In the study, Sun Ce sneezed loudly.

Three-year-old Sun Shao clapped his hands and laughed, "Someone is thinking of Daddy!"

Sun Ce held his son in his arms and laughed, "Who told you that someone is worried about your father?"

"As my older sister said, sneezing means someone is thinking of you!"

Sun Ce currently has one wife and one concubine, who have given him three daughters and one son. His eldest daughter is only six years old.

At this moment, Sun Ce's wife, Lady Wu, entered the study carrying tea. Lady Wu was the daughter of Wu Jing, Sun Ce's maternal uncle, and was a year older than Sun Ce. They had been betrothed since childhood.

"Shao'er, come down quickly, your father's injuries haven't healed yet."

Sun Shao quickly jumped down from his father's arms, and Sun Ce laughed, "I'm almost fully recovered."

"We still can't be careless; we need to take good care of ourselves."

Wu placed the ginseng tea on the table and saw that her husband had drawn up a lot of battle plans on paper, with Xuchang as the target.

"My husband still intends to attack Xuchang?"

Sun Ce nodded. "I received a secret decree from the Emperor, requesting me to participate in eliminating the traitors and restoring the Han Dynasty. Everyone has decided to rise up together, so how can I stand aside? It just so happens that Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are at war, and Xuchang is short of troops. How can I let such an opportunity pass me by?"

"Didn't my husband say that we would attack Chaisang after the spring to avenge the arrow wound?"

Sun Ce smiled and waved his hand, "Gan Ning of Chaisang is just a minor ailment. It's enough for my elder brother and Sun Fu to deal with him. My ambition lies in Xuchang. I will lead my army on a northern expedition next spring."

"but."

Lady Wu said with great concern, "The gentry in Jiangdong all oppose the Northern Expedition. My husband, you should listen to their opinions!"

Sun Ce was somewhat displeased. His maternal uncle, Wu Jing, also opposed the Northern Expedition, and his wife must have received instructions from his father to persuade him.

"You are just a woman; you shouldn't concern yourself with matters of state and military affairs."

Madam Wu nodded silently and said to her son, "Shao'er, don't bother your father anymore, come with me!"

Sun Shao obediently took his mother's hand and left. Sun Ce paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. This Northern Expedition was firmly supported by the northern generals, led by Taishi Ci. However, the southern generals, while not supporting it, did not oppose it either, showing little enthusiasm. But the civil officials were all against the Northern Expedition, which made Sun Ce feel uneasy. In particular, Zhang Zhao said that there had never been a successful Northern Expedition by a southern regime in history, and tried his best to persuade him to give up the idea of ​​the Northern Expedition.

But once Sun Ce makes a decision, nothing can change it.

Sun Ce stood by the window, gazing at the northern sky. He slowly clenched his fist. "A true man without ambition for the world has lived in vain."

No matter how many people opposed him, Sun Ce was determined and led his army north after the spring.

He has ordered Taishi Ci to lead 10,000 troops as the vanguard to garrison Shouchun. Once the rivers in the north thaw, he will personally lead a fleet of ships and 50,000 troops northward to take Guangling County first.

(End of this chapter)