Tiger Owl

Chapter 6 First Encounter with Cao Cao
Gan Ning sat patiently in the guest hall, knowing full well what the Imperial Seal meant to Cao Cao and his son.

The Imperial Seal of the State was merely a beautiful piece of jade, but the political significance it carried was as heavy as Mount Tai. Ordinary people would be crushed to dust if they obtained it, and even high-ranking officials would find it difficult to bear. Yuan Shu is the best example of this.

Only the most powerful person can possess it, either the emperor or a cunning and ruthless hero like Cao Cao.

Gan Ning even knew that Cao Pi's desire for it surpassed that of his father, Cao Cao, and perhaps today, the seed of usurping the Han throne had taken root and sprouted in Cao Pi's heart.

Hurried footsteps came from outside. "Is Gan Zhuangshi still there?" It was Cao Pi.

"Please come in, Second Young Master!"

Cao Pi strode in, his face flushed and slightly out of breath, but his eyes were full of anticipation.

"My father is back, and he wants to see another treasure!"

Gan Ning took out the jade seal wrapped in yellow silk from his bosom, carefully placed it on the table, and untied the silk. The warm, lustrous, and precious jade seal appeared before Cao Pi.

Cao Pi let out a soft exclamation and stared intently at it, unable to look away.

"Second Young Master!" Gan Ning reminded him with a smile.

Cao Pi realized his mistake and quickly laughed, "I've lost my composure. I'll take this to my father. Brother Gan, please sit for a moment. My father will see you shortly!"

"Master, please!"

Cao Pi carefully wrapped the imperial seal in yellow silk and held it in his arms.

Before long, the Imperial Seal of the State appeared before Cao Cao.

Cao Cao held it in his hands and examined it closely. He sighed and said, "After Dong Zhuo retreated west, Sun Jian entered the palace first and obtained it. Sun Jian hurriedly withdrew his troops and left. I was filled with regret at the time, thinking that I would miss it forever. I never expected that nine years later, it would actually come into my hands. It can be seen that fate has already determined everything."

"Its arrival here is entirely the will of Heaven, which means that Father will surely defeat Yuan Shao!"

"well said!"

Cao Cao was greatly encouraged. He valued the will of Heaven. Could this truly be an arrangement by Heaven? Yuan Shu wanted to offer it to Yuan Shao, but it chose to serve him.

Cao Cao was in high spirits. He put the imperial seal away in his private room and came out to say to Cao Pi, "Please invite Gan Ning to the VIP hall. I want to see him personally!"

...........
"This humble citizen, Gan Ning, pays his respects to Minister Cao!" Gan Ning bowed deeply.

Cao Cao sized up Gan Ning for a moment and then laughed, "You're the job seeker who splashed water on Liu Xian's face in Xiangyang?"

Gan Ning was taken aback. "How did Sikong know?"

"Han Song and Liu Xian have some personal grudges, as you know. Such interesting things will soon spread in the aristocratic circles, and almost everyone will know that a job seeker named Gan Ning humiliated Liu Xian. I knew it! I've heard your name somewhere before."

Gan Ning nodded. "They said they could hire me as the village head, and that bowl of water was my way of showing my support!"

"Does that mean they underestimated you?"

Gan Ning sighed and said, "I wield double halberds, each weighing thirty-two catties. I led three hundred men to kill Yuan Shu and seize the Imperial Seal from Liu Xun. Does Cao Sikong think I can only be a mere centurion?"

Cao Cao was moved. Dian Wei also used double halberds, each weighing thirty-five catties, only slightly heavier than Gan Ning in front of him.

"Perhaps Liu Biao is unaware of your abilities?"

“He knew that his eldest son Liu Qi had tested my martial arts skills. Liu Qi told me personally that my martial arts skills were unmatched in Jingzhou. Liu Biao was unwilling to accept me because of my background. When I was young, I was a river pirate for several years and was known as the Brocade Sail Pirate by the people of Bashu.”

"I understand!"

Cao Cao nodded. "So you hope I can give you a good military position, is that right?"

Gan Ning shook his head. "I hope the imperial court will appoint me as the magistrate of Chaisang County!"

Cao Cao was taken aback and asked in confusion, "You are clearly a military general, why do you want to be a civil official?" "I don't want to be a civil official!"

Gan Ning looked at Cao Cao with unusual calm and said, "I intend to use Chaisang as my base to destroy Huang Zu, seize Jingzhou and Xiangyang, and establish my own career. I hope to have your support!"

Cao Cao's eyes widened suddenly, and he was speechless for a long time.

..........
As night fell, Cao Cao paced back and forth in his study, his hands behind his back. He did not immediately reply to Gan Ning; he needed to think it over carefully.

At this moment, Cao Pi, the second son, said from the doorway, "Father, Military Advisor Guo has arrived!"

"Invite him in!"

Cao Pi turned to leave, but Cao Cao called him back, "Are you trying to persuade me to agree to Gan Ning's offer?"

"Exactly!"

"why?"

Cao Pi hesitated for a moment and said, "I don't think his request is too high!"

"Is it that simple?" Cao Cao laughed.

Cao Pi nodded slightly, "I am not very familiar with the situation in the south."

Cao Cao nodded. "Go! Invite Military Advisor Guo to see me."

Cao Pi turned and left. A short while later, the military advisor Guo Jia strode in, bowed, and said, "Greetings, my lord!"

"Something interesting happened to me today, can you tell me what happened?"

Cao Cao then briefly recounted how Gan Ning had presented Yuan Shu's head and the imperial seal, as well as his request.

Guo Jia laughed and said, "The Imperial Seal has returned to our lord, what a good omen!"

"Yes! That's why I'm in a good mood. Tell me, can I support Gan Ning?"

Guo Jia smiled slightly and said, "My lord wants to cultivate him to restrain Sun Ce and Liu Biao, right?"

Cao Cao did not deny it, "I did have this idea!"

Guo Jia walked to the table, where a map of the south was placed. Guo Jia pointed to Chaisang on the map and said, “Gan Ning is very good at choosing places. Chaisang is located at the end of Jiangdong and the beginning of Jingxiang. It is located at the junction of the two, facing the Yangtze River and backed by Yuzhang County. It is an excellent strategic location. My lord, please look, doesn’t Chaisang look like a button?”

Cao Cao examined the map carefully and said, "Is the strategist saying that Chaisang can effectively trap Jiangdong and Jingzhou?"

"That's absolutely right. That's why Chaisang has been known as the border between Wu and Chu since ancient times. It can not only threaten Jingchu, but also restrain Eastern Wu. If it can restrain Sun Ce, then our lord will have no worries about the rear in the war against Yuan Shao!"

Cao Cao thought for a moment and said, "The question is, does he have the ability to restrain Sun Ce?"

Guo Jia smiled slightly and said, "My lord, you might as well agree to his request and let him be the magistrate of Chaisang County. You can give him political support, but don't give him material support. We need to test his ability and see if he can take over Yuzhang County within a year."
If he can capture Yuzhang Commandery, it will demonstrate his ability to contain Sun Ce. At that point, my lord can further support him, allowing him to hold back Jiangdong and Jingzhou, becoming a wedge for my lord's advance into the south!

Cao Cao nodded slightly. As expected of his strategist, he could see Gan Ning's value at a glance. However, Cao Cao still had some concerns.

"What if one day he becomes too powerful and becomes the second Sun Ce?"

"My lord, everything has its advantages and disadvantages. The key is how we use it. We should use its advantages and eliminate its disadvantages. Therefore, we should support Gan Ning, but also suppress him at crucial moments to prevent his power from expanding too much and keep his expansion and development within a controllable range."

The same principle applies to Sun Ce and Liu Biao; one must skillfully exploit the contradictions among the three to keep them in a state of constant internal strife.

At this point, Guo Jia smiled faintly, “I often tell my lord that governing the world is like playing chess. When Liu Biao, Gan Ning and Sun Ce become pieces on your chessboard, my lord might as well play the game of killing three warriors with two peaches.”

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(End of this chapter)