My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 164 Sheyang Water Bandits
Just moments ago, he was ignored and deserted, but now he has suddenly become the center of attention.

Even the most shrewd and calculating people like Liu Bei and Cao Cao had moments of losing their composure, let alone face-obsessed men like Gan Ning and Gan Xingba.

Liu Feng's actions were practically a huge compliment to Gan Ning.

You have to understand that he left behind a top scholar like Xu Shao to come and talk to Gan Ning.

"I am but a mere warrior, how could I dare to accept such courtesy from you, young master, and I would not dare to trouble Lord Liu with such concern."

Gan Ning immediately bowed down, displaying a rare display of humility.

Heaven knows that Gan Ning, Gan Xingba, has always been incredibly audacious; when did he become so humble?

But Gan Ning knew that his humility truly came from the bottom of his heart.

Liu Feng's courteous treatment made him feel as if he were in a dream, and he couldn't help but feel anxious and worried that his past arrogance would cause Liu Feng to be disappointed and distant.

Gan Ning felt that Liu Feng's courtesy and high regard were far more valuable than the flattery and attention of countless others before him.

Those people fawn over me only so that I won't cause them trouble or need their help.

Liu Feng's high regard for me was based on his appreciation of my abilities and recognition of my talents. How could I compare to those people in the past?
Although he had not yet entered Xuzhou, Gan Ning already felt that this trip eastward was the most correct decision he had ever made in his life.

"General Gan, why do you say that? Please get up quickly."

Liu Feng used both hands to help Gan Ning up, and finally managed to get him to his feet: "General Gan, now that you have arrived in Guangling, how could you not send a message? I almost missed you."

Gan Ning said with a face full of shame, "I am deeply grateful for Lord Liu's kindness and for sending me letters one after another. I feel guilty for not being able to go and deliver them immediately, and I do not know how to pay my respects to Lord Liu."

Liu Feng laughed heartily: "General, you are mistaken."

Gan Ning was puzzled: "Please forgive me, young master, but do you not know where I went wrong?"

At this moment, everyone's eyes were on the two of them.

More than ten people watched this scene, each with their own thoughts.

Zhao Yun felt that Liu Feng was a perfect likeness to his father, and that he was popular with people who were willing to do anything for him.

Taishi Ci's eyes flickered, his tiger-like eyes fixed on Liu Feng. For a moment, he thought of two unspeakable people in his disciple.

As for the military figures such as Xu Sheng, Pan Zhang, Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, and the Li brothers, they were already used to Liu Feng's love for talent and eagerness to find capable people. While admiring and respecting him, they were also curious about what was so special about Gan Ning that made Liu Feng value him so much.

Everyone in Xuzhou knew that Liu Bei and his son Liu Feng were not only good at recruiting people, but also had excellent judgment. Anyone who caught their eye must have extraordinary abilities.

As for Xu Shao, Liu Xian, Xun You, and Teng Zhou, they each had their own agendas, especially Xu Shao and Xun You.

One was a renowned scholar of the highest status present, and the other was quick-witted and intelligent, having just received courteous treatment from Liu Feng.

At this moment, the two of them also developed a great curiosity about Gan Ning.

Liu Xian should have been somewhat embarrassed, since Gan Ning was a military general sent by Jingzhou to escort him on his mission, yet he was treated with such great respect by the young master of the state. Logically, Liu Xian's situation should have been very awkward.

But Liu Xian seemed completely unconcerned, standing there as if nothing was wrong, not in a hurry at all, more like someone watching a show.

Liu Feng, unaware of the differing thoughts of the people behind him, was only trying to win over Gan Ning. So he smiled and explained, "My father and I have long admired General Gan's demeanor and have been eagerly anticipating meeting him. Today's meeting is enough to satisfy our lifelong desires. General Gan has relieved our longing, which is a great favor to me. There is no reason for me to feel guilty."

Liu Feng's words shocked everyone present.

Everyone originally thought that Liu Feng had already elevated Gan Ning to a high position, but unexpectedly, Liu Feng was able to take him to an even higher level.

Gan Ning was even more emotional, feeling that all the pent-up feelings he had accumulated in Jingzhou had vanished.

He immediately bowed deeply to Liu Feng and said in a booming voice, "I am living in a chaotic world, drifting with the tide, not knowing what tomorrow will bring. Yet I yearn for a wise ruler and think of a patron at all times. I only wish that a wise ruler would accept me and allow me to display my talents and serve the country loyally."

"Today I am fortunate to meet you, sir; I only regret that we met too late."

Gan Ning suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with eagerness: "If you do not despise me, I am willing to die for you."

Liu Feng was overjoyed, completely disregarding the possibility that this might anger Liu Biao and Huang Zu. He immediately lifted Gan Ning up and replied solemnly, "It is my good fortune to have General Gan serve me. How could I dare to refuse?"

Teng Zhou watched this scene unfold, blinked, and quietly moved a step closer to Xu Shao, whispering, "I didn't expect that Liu Xuzhou's son, though young, already possesses the qualities of his ancestor."

Xu Shao glanced back at Teng Zhou, a smile playing on his lips, clearly sensing the unspoken meaning in Teng Zhou's words.

This "ancestor" refers to which generation of ancestors?

Teng Zhou then added, "However, it is somewhat frivolous for a mere military man to offend a regional governor."

Xu Shao shook his head slightly, and under Teng Zhou's curious gaze, he offered a suggestion: "This warrior is no ordinary man; he is an outstanding naval commander."

Teng Zhou was somewhat surprised, but he trusted Xu Shao's judgment completely, as Xu Shao was known for his ability to judge people.

He couldn't help but ask, "With such high regard for naval generals, could it be Liu Xuzhou...?"

Xu Shao slowly shook his head: "I can't say for sure. After all, Guangling is also close to the Yangtze River waterway, with a dense network of waterways and numerous lakes. Without a navy, Guangling would just be an exclave isolated outside of Xuzhou."

While Teng Zhou and Xu Shao were whispering amongst themselves, Xun You and Liu Xian were also busy.

Xun You stood beside Liu Xian and said with a smile, "Brother Shizong, this Gan Ning is one of your generals in Jingzhou."

Liu Xian, however, showed no displeasure: "Gongda only knows one side of the story. This man is a powerful figure in Shu. When Liu Junlang died, he rebelled, but was defeated by Zhao Zhengyan and fled to our prefecture. Your Excellency and Lord Huang both love and hate him. They love his extraordinary bravery and skill in naval warfare, but they are also often angered by his audacity and recklessness."

Zhao Wei, courtesy name Zhengyan, was a local general of Yizhou under Liu Yan and one of the important ministers entrusted by Liu Yan to care for his son.

"It was truly unexpected that I would have him escort us to Xuzhou."

Liu Xian continued, "This man will certainly not return to Jingzhou with me, so why should I needlessly play the villain?"

Liu Xian had another reason he didn't mention: Gan Ning was tyrannical, bloodthirsty, and extremely audacious. With Liu Xian's intelligence, it wasn't hard for him to realize that if he dared to interfere, Gan Ning would dare to kill him in public.

Liu Xian was not afraid of death, but he did not want to get into such a mess with a mere warrior.

As Liu Xian himself said, since Lord Huang had already let Gan Ning go, why should he deliberately play the villain?
Liu Xian was unaware that the person who released Gan Ning was not Huang Zu, but Su Fei, the Jiangxia governor under Huang Zu.

Xun You smiled and nodded, saying, "Indeed, in my opinion, it is indeed not appropriate for Brother Shizong to show his face."

"Oh?"

Liu Xian's curiosity was piqued. Although the journey hadn't been long, Liu Xian had already learned what kind of inner talent was hidden beneath Xun You's humble and low-key exterior.

So he pressed on, asking, "What does Gongda have to teach me?"

Xun You lowered his voice and said, "Gan Ning's coming and going is not Brother Shizong's responsibility, but Lord Huang's. However, the alliance with Xuzhou is Brother Shizong's most urgent matter. How could Brother Shizong not understand which is more important?"

Liu Xian smiled broadly upon hearing this, for Xun You's words were exactly what he had been thinking.

Zhao Yun, Taishi Ci, and other generals from Xuzhou, however, did not share the same cunning as these two groups. They were simply surprised by Liu Feng's kindness towards Gan Ning and discussed Gan Ning's special skills.

Afterwards, Liu Feng grasped Gan Ning's hand and led Xu Shao, Xun You, and others into Guangling.

A banquet had already been set up in Guangling City to welcome the envoys from Jingzhou and Yangzhou.

At the banquet, Liu Feng specially invited Zhao Yun, Taishi Ci, Dong Xi, Zhou Tai, and Jiang Qin to demonstrate their abilities, so that Gan Ning would know the capabilities of the generals of Xuzhou.

Therefore, his horsemanship and spear skills were inferior to Zhao Yun's, his archery and horsemanship were inferior to Taishi Ci's, and his naval warfare and boat handling were only slightly better than Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin's, and he was on par with Dong Xi.

This greatly diminished Gan Ning's arrogance, and he was shocked.

Unexpectedly, Guangling alone had so many fierce generals. In the past, he had been arrogant and looked down on everyone. Although he respected Su Fei, he also thought that Su Fei's ability was far inferior to his own.

However, they suffered two consecutive defeats today. Even though they won the water battle, they had to admit that Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were formidable opponents on the water.

Gan Ning couldn't help but admire him; Xuzhou actually had such a fierce general.

These are just the generals around Liu Feng; how much more hidden talents must be around Liu Bei?

Liu Feng first showed kindness, then added pressure. With an extremely smooth and skillful approach, he had already won over Gan Ning's heart, leaving Xu Shao, Xun You, Liu Xian, Teng Zhou, Bu Zhi, and Wei Jing speechless with astonishment.

Regardless of their character, all six men were intelligent and resourceful; none of them were weak.

The clearer the view, the more astonished one becomes by Liu Feng's skill.

More importantly, the impressive demeanor displayed by the Xuzhou generals undoubtedly shocked the envoys from Jing and Yang provinces, leaving them with mixed feelings. Yang province had come seeking aid, while Jing province had naturally come seeking an alliance.

For them, the stronger the Xuzhou army, the better.

But now it seems that this power is a bit too much.

When will a tiger form an alliance with a pig?

Xu Shao and Liu Xian couldn't help but feel a little worried.

Whether it's forming an alliance or seeking aid, it's a major matter for the entire province, so it's impossible to discuss it with Liu Feng.

So, at Xu Shao's urging, the next day at noon, Liu Feng personally accompanied Gan Ning, Dong Xi, Bu Zhi, and Wei Jing to escort Xu Shao, Liu Xian, Xun You, and Teng Zhou northward to Tancheng.

Five days later, the fleet had passed Ping'an and entered Sheyang Lake.

That night, the fleet rested on the shore of Sheyang Lake, waiting to continue their journey after dawn.

Suddenly, at midnight, tiny sparks rose in the distance, and shouts could be faintly heard.

The guards on night duty immediately notified Liu Feng and the other generals, and soon the entire fleet's leadership knew the news.

Liu Feng stood on the wooden platform on the second floor of the ship, gazing into the distance.

The ship he was on was a large vessel with a three-story wooden platform. Although it was far inferior to ships of later generations, it was still six or seven meters above the water at that time.

Gan Ning, eager to try, volunteered, saying, "Young Master, give me a small boat and a few attendants. I will personally lead the team, and I will surely deliver a definite message within half an hour."

Liu Feng thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement, but added, "General Gan, our Xuzhou army has strict discipline and cannot kill innocent people indiscriminately. Since you are willing to join our Xuzhou army, you must not be careless about military discipline."

Gan Ning immediately replied, "Young Master, rest assured, I will definitely keep it in mind."

Liu Feng smiled bitterly to himself. Gan Ning had many good points, but he also had quite a few bad points.

One of its most notorious flaws is that it keeps its promises.

He is indeed sentimental, and once he finds a lord he approves of, his loyalty is beyond question.

Later, when Sun Shiwan was defeated by Zhang Babai and forced to flee to the ford, it was Ling Tong and Gan Ning who fought desperately to cover the rear.

However, Gan Ning often failed to keep his promises, especially due to his excessive bloodlust.

However, this is also related to the fact that Gan Ning was looked down upon and isolated within the Wu Kingdom.

Sun Quan himself actually valued Gan Ning quite a bit. No faction under him, whether it was the Huai-Si conquest faction, the Huai-Si exile faction, or the Jiangdong local faction, was willing to accept Gan Ning.

When Zhou Yu and Lü Meng were still alive, they were magnanimous enough to use Gan Ning, but like Sun Quan, they were often driven half to death by Gan Ning.

It is evident that Gan Ning was actually quite frustrated in Eastern Wu, which led to his more extreme personality.

Liu Feng didn't have any good ideas about this at the moment, and could only try to influence Gan Ning slowly.

"good."

Liu Feng nodded in agreement and said, "In that case, you will take five small boats and thirty armored soldiers to go and investigate."

Gan Ning was overjoyed and respectfully bowed, saying, "Young Master, please rest assured, I will be right back."

After Gan Ning left, Liu Feng continued to gaze into the distance and ponder for a moment. He then turned to Dong Xi beside him and said, "Yuan Dai, you also take five small boats and thirty armored soldiers to provide backup in case General Gan suffers any mishap."

Dong Xi didn't say much, just obeyed the order, turned around and disembarked.

Soon, the distant flames grew larger and larger, and Liu Feng's fleet was also awakened.

Xu Shao, Xun You, and the others also woke up and came to the wooden platform.

"Young master, what has happened?"

Xu Shao looked at the distant firelight and asked with some doubt.

Liu Feng respectfully replied, "I do not yet know. General Gan has already led men to investigate the situation. I expect news to come back soon."

Xun You also walked to Liu Feng's side, stood on the edge of the wooden platform and looked out for a moment, guessing, "It seems that there are river bandits causing trouble. Young master, you can have the fleet on alert and send someone to meet General Gan. In my opinion, the enemy has quite a few people, probably several hundred."

Liu Feng nodded in agreement, saying, "Mr. Xun is absolutely right. I have already sent word to the fleet to be on high alert, and we are just waiting for a reply from the front."

As they were talking, a small boat turned back, and the armored soldiers on board jumped onto the large ship. After being inspected, they went up to the wooden platform.

Upon seeing Liu Fenghou, the armored soldier immediately knelt on one knee and reported, "Reporting to the young master, there is a fleet of ships ahead that is camping by the lake for the night, but they have attracted the attention of river pirates. The pirates approached the fleet under cover of darkness, intending to seize the ships, but they were discovered by the fleet's guards, and a fierce battle is taking place between the two sides."

"Young master, we must rescue them as soon as possible."

Xun You advised, "Water bandits are the common enemy. If we allow them to commit atrocities and plunder the fleet, it will also be detrimental to Xuzhou. There are only a few hundred water bandits. You can allocate two large ships to hold them off, and supplement them with ten small ships to drive them away from a distance with fire. This will ensure our safety."

Liu Feng readily agreed and looked at Xu Shao and the others.

Xu Shao and Liu Xian naturally had no objections and agreed together.

Liu Feng brought two hundred guards with him on his northward journey, while Xu Shao, Liu Xian, and others each brought dozens of guards. In addition, there were Gan Ning's troops, so these river bandits naturally had no chance at all.

After receiving unanimous agreement, Liu Feng decisively divided his forces, sending half of them to the rescue himself, while the other half stayed behind to protect Xu Shao, Liu Xian, and other envoys.

After setting off, Liu Feng decisively changed his position.

It was pitch black, and torches were lit on the wooden platform, making it the perfect target. Liu Feng didn't want to die before he even got started.

He went straight down from the wooden platform and back into the cabin.

At the same time, Liu Feng also ordered the small boats to try to contact Dong Xi and Gan Ning. If they made contact, they were to come to the large ship as soon as possible to take over command.

By the time Liu Feng and his men arrived at the battlefield, Gan Ning had already led five small boats directly into the enemy lines.

Dong Xi provided support from the outside with bows and arrows, and did not rashly join forces.

Upon receiving Liu Feng's order, Dong Xi immediately boarded the large ship and took over command.

After donning his armor, Liu Feng followed Dong Xi, observing how he deployed ships and commanded naval battles.

Dong Xi first ordered another large ship to launch a surprise attack. The bandits in this night raid were all small boats, with not a single large ship, and they could not stop Dong Xi's large ship from charging into the fray.

Upon seeing Dong Xi's large ship approaching, they hurriedly took cover.

Those who cannot dodge in time are knocked over, or even broken in two.

Then, at Dong Xi's command, archers on both sides of the large ship rushed out and unleashed wave after wave of fire arrows at the pirates' small boats.

These rockets had specially designed barbs on their arrowheads, which allowed them to stay firmly in place once they pierced a wooden boat, then ignite the enemy vessel. If they hit a person, the consequences were even more gruesome; a large chunk of flesh would be torn away before the burning rockets could be removed.

"Quickly put out the torches! Put out the torches!"

Among the bandits, a clever man shouted for his companions to extinguish the torches so that the small boat could disappear into the night.

Liu Feng was a little nervous and couldn't help but ask, "What should we do if they really extinguish their torches?"

Dong Xi, however, looked relaxed and said nonchalantly, "Young Master, don't worry. It's too late for them to think of extinguishing the torches now."

Sure enough, just as Dong Xi had said, many of the bandits' small boats on the water had been set ablaze by rockets, resembling large torches floating on the surface, illuminating their companions clearly.

If the torches had been extinguished at the beginning, this trick might have been somewhat effective; now it's truly too late.

Dong Xi directed the large ships to charge wildly, while simultaneously using torches to relay orders to the smaller ships, instructing them to break up the enemy's formation and strike hard on the drowning enemy.

The bandits, who had already been thrown into chaos by Gan Ning's charge, were now in complete disarray and on the verge of collapse.

“Young Master, if the bandits had concealed themselves from the beginning, we could have the small boats retreat and the two large ships maintained their formation, charging straight ahead.”

Dong Xi still had the mind to explain to Liu Feng: "Extinguishing the torches can only conceal our tracks, but it won't make us disappear on the spot. Our boats are big, so we can just ram them. Besides, even small boats will make the sound of flowing water when they are moving. With so many of them, how can we completely hide our tracks? It's just burying our heads in the sand."

(End of this chapter)