Outside Jiangling City, spring scenery was beautiful. Many people were out enjoying the season by the river. Felt mats were spread on the ground, and people sat in small groups. Some engaged in composing poetry with flowing wine cups. The gentle water and warm breeze were intoxicating.
However…
Bandits in black suddenly appeared from the jungle onto the main road, shattering the peace and tranquility.
They surrounded a convoy of horse-drawn carriages. One by one, the bandits drew their weapons from their waists: tridents!
Under the sunlight, the sharp edges of the tridents gleamed with a chilling, ice-cold light.
Those enjoying the spring outing were terrified and quickly fled.
The people in the convoy also tensed up, gathering together and forming defensive formations.
Only Yang Xiu, in the center of the convoy, remained as composed as ever, seemingly unfazed by the drawn weapons.
"You son of a bitch, you dare to trick me!"
The leading black-clad man tore off his mask, revealing a face whose muscles twitched with rage.
"The gambling houses in Jiangling City were all bought out over a month ago. I bet you had something to do with it, kid!"
With a roar…
The leader plunged his left trident and right saber into the ground. His eyes seemed ready to devour someone.
At this moment, the people in the convoy realized that the approaching figure was none other than the "Banners of Camphor" bandit, Gan Ning, also known as Gan Xingba, who had lost heavily in the casino earlier!
Instantly, everyone felt a sense of dread. Gan Xingba's expression made it clear that he was not to be trifled with!
The guards exchanged glances, all looking towards Yang Xiu.
As for Yang Xiu…
"Ah…" He stretched his arms, letting out a massive yawn. Then, he slowly dismounted from the carriage and walked towards Gan Ning.
To everyone's stunned disbelief, he then spoke.
"Hello? Gan Xingba!"
"My young master and I have long heard of your name. However, the 'Banners of Camphor' are elusive. To draw General out of Jiangling City, I naturally had to use some special methods!"
Saying this, Yang Xiu narrowed his eyes and gestured towards a pavilion by the river.
"Brother Gan, shall we talk?"
Hoo…
Gan Ning let out a soft breath.
This fellow was not playing by the usual rules.
Wait… he specifically lured him out?
Then what was his objective?
Gan Ning stood motionless, a seed of doubt sprouting in his mind, fearing he was falling into this young man's trap!
"What?" Yang Xiu smiled slightly.
"General Gan dares not?"
"Afraid of you?" Gan Ning's eyes narrowed, and he walked alone with Yang Xiu towards the river pavilion.
…
…
The crimson-tipped pavilion, the dark green pillars, and the gray stone table formed a picturesque scene.
Beside the river pavilion, green trees provided shade, water flowed gurglingly, and bees and butterflies danced, making it feel like stepping into a fairyland.
A gentle breeze brushed past Gan Ning's face. As usual, he drew his short saber.
With a "bang"…
The short saber was plunged into the stone table.
"If you don't explain yourself properly, I fear you won't leave this pavilion alive!"
Gan Ning's voice was cold, his eyes filled with killing intent.
Yang Xiu, however, remained extremely calm.
He simply smiled, saying nothing.
"I don't have much patience. If you don't speak soon, this saber strike might kill you!"
As the words left his mouth…
Yang Xiu raised his hand. Gan Ning thought he was about to draw his own weapon and became wary. To his surprise, Yang Xiu merely clapped his hands.
Just then, accompanied by the roaring sound of the river, rapid, continuous footsteps echoed from all around the river pavilion.
Gan Ning's body trembled.
His first thought was that it was a trap, that the ambush was about to spring. But even so, Gan Ning was not afraid. If dozens of people couldn't subdue him, it was impossible!
At this moment.
"Brother Gan…"
"Boss, is that really you?"
"Boss Gan, I didn't believe it at first, but… it really is you!"
Excited, almost "mournful" voices came from all directions… and then, familiar faces appeared before Gan Ning's eyes.
His mind suddenly reeled, and he was completely stunned.
These…
Dozens, even hundreds of them… they were the brothers who had followed him when he was a pirate!
Due to the government's crackdown and frequent wars, their water fortress had long been destroyed, and these brothers had lost contact one by one.
Who knew where they had been all these years?
But then…
Who would have thought that they would all appear before him now.
"You… you're Ergou!"
Gan Ning looked at a six-foot man in front of him, instantly lost in memory. After Liu Yan's death, Liu Zhang had sent people to destroy his water fortress. Gan Ning rebelled. He was ambushed by the Shu army in the mountains.
Then…
"Ergou, back then… back then you stayed behind to cover our retreat! It was thanks to you that big brother escaped with his life. It's so good that you're still alive… still alive!"
As Gan Ning spoke…
The man called Ergou embraced Gan Ning.
"Boss Gan, you… you still remember me, remember me!"
At this time…
Another person spoke, "Brother Gan? Do you remember me? When we were in Yiling and the officials sent people to surround us, I took an arrow for big brother. The scar is still here!"
As he spoke… this man pulled open his shirt, revealing the arrow wound…
"I remember, you're Huzi! The one who always rushed to the front in fights, Huzi!" Gan Ning patted his shoulder, appearing exceptionally excited!
"Brother Gan, I'm Niu Zi!" another person said, "Back then, when our water fortress was surrounded, there was only one last flatbread left. Big brother didn't eat it himself, insisting that I eat it… I couldn't bear to eat it either, and we argued, which resulted in it falling into the water. I watched the flatbread get eaten by fish, and I felt like sinking into the river."
"Hahaha…" Gan Ning laughed. "Yes, I felt heartbroken then too…"
One sentence after another came from these people…
One by one, they spoke. These were all Gan Ning's former brothers, his long-lost brothers!
As they talked more and more engrossed, even the iron-willed Gan Ning, who had never shed tears even in bloodshed, was moved at this moment. He could no longer contain his emotions.
"Huzi, Niu Zi, Ergou… Heiwa, and you, Linzi!"
"Big brother has missed you all these years! Where have you all been? Why… why didn't you come find me?"
"And… how did you all gather in Jiangling City?"
Gan Ning asked incessantly…
Everyone sighed, it seemed that over the years… they had all experienced immense hardships. After a brief silence, they all started talking about their respective circumstances.
Nine deaths and one life…
It could be said that over the years… the brothers had faced near-death experiences again and again!
Only Yang Xiu sat in the river pavilion, smacking his lips, patiently listening to the pirates' stories.
Indeed…
As Master Lu had said, Gan Ning's pirate brothers were all passionate youths, men who aspired to be "Pirate Kings." Their camaraderie was truly touching!
Similarly, Yang Xiu admired Master Lu very much…
For people like Gan Ning, mere money or fame could not sway their minds. Only the word "righteousness" could be used as a breakthrough!
Master Lu was still Master Lu, insightful and skilled at understanding people's hearts.
If not for his letter, how could Yang Xiu have mobilized the Jiangbei Alliance to search for these men who dreamed of becoming "Pirate Kings" for a month and a half?
As it turned out…
Although it took considerable effort, it was worth it!
At the same time…
The conversation between Gan Ning and his pirate brothers gradually turned to the main topic.
"It… it was the Jiangbei Alliance… the Jiangbei Alliance searched for us across Jingzhou, Yizhou, Jiangdong… and the Central Plains…"
"There was also a newspaper, the one listing Liu Xuande's scandals. On the back of it was a small line of a missing person notice… it said… it said that Brother Gan was summoning us to plan great things."
"So, we came…"
"And… we met Young Master Yang!"
Upon saying this…
The pirate brothers turned to look at Yang Xiu, their eyes filled with gratitude. "We were slaves, and Young Master Yang redeemed us… Young Master Yang also gave us money, food, and settled our families in the north, ensuring our children could go to school and our parents had food and clothing."
"Young Master Yang also said that in the north there is a Young Master Lu, a great philanthropist, who would build farms for us in the north, where our families could live for generations, no longer drifting about."
Upon saying this…
The pirate brother who was speaking paused. He looked at Gan Ning with immense gratitude. "He also said… he also said that all this was at Brother Gan's request, and that's why he… he did all this!"
"Brothers… all the brothers are grateful for his kindness. That's why… that's why when we heard Brother Gan was summoning us, we… we all came."
Hoo…
Hearing this, Gan Ning let out a long sigh. He was somewhat surprised, somewhat overwhelmed with emotion, and could no longer hold back.
On the contrary, Yang Xiu let out a long breath…
Good heavens.
After listening for so long, they finally got to the main point.
It had almost driven him mad with anxiety.
However, judging by the current situation, the outcome seemed to be quite good. It was not in vain that Master Lu had advertised in the newspaper, mobilized the Jiangbei Alliance, and arranged for the families of these hundred or so people.
But…
Yang Xiu's biggest doubt was, was this Gan Ning reliable? Was he worth Master Lu doing all this for?
"You…"
Gan Ning walked up to Yang Xiu. The killing intent in his eyes had completely vanished, replaced by confusion, bewilderment, and perhaps even a hint of gratitude.
Everyone has their weaknesses.
Just as Huang Zhong's weakness was his son, Zhao Yun's weakness was his "benevolence" towards the common people, Lu Bu's weakness was his glorious past and former pride, and Xun Yu's weakness was his kindness!
As for Gan Ning's weakness…
It was just one word: "Righteousness"!
Subduing Gan Ning with promises of high official positions or large sums of money was useless. Only "righteousness"!
Whoever could help him take care of his brothers, whoever could help him take care of his brothers' families, he would follow them to the death!
— He would give his all, sparing no effort!
Of course…
If following the course of history, Sun Quan was the one who made Gan Ning loyal…
However, the current Yang Xiu… or more accurately, Lu Yu, had done so one step ahead!
The Great Wei Navy was indeed lacking a competent commander!
And without exaggeration, for a southern campaign, one Gan Ning was equivalent to nine Xiahou Duns, equivalent to five Xiahou Yuans, equivalent to three Cao Rens!
"Cough cough…"
The atmosphere was sufficiently built up. Yang Xiu coughed lightly. "Why don't you, Brother Gan, gather with your brothers first? We're not in a hurry, we can chat anytime!"
"In Jiangling City, I have booked all the brothels and pleasure houses. There is wine, meat, and women. Brother Gan might as well relax with your brothers."
"I… I'll be leaving now."
Yang Xiu spread his hands, signaling his subordinates to leave all the money from the convoy behind, putting on a display of extreme generosity.
"Step…"
But as Yang Xiu took a step forward.
"Wait!" Gan Ning suddenly called out to stop Yang Xiu. "It seems you are Young Master Yang?"
"Indeed!" Yang Xiu replied truthfully.
"Haha!" Gan Ning slung an arm over Yang Xiu's shoulder. "From now on, Young Master Yang is my brother, Gan Ning. Anyone who dares to touch you must step over me!"
Swish…
Gan Ning drew his short saber and immediately nicked Yang Xiu's thumb. Then, he licked the blood from the saber and cut his own finger, extending it towards Yang Xiu.
Was this… a blood pact?
Yang Xiu didn't understand the rules of these pirates…
He found it rather disgusting, but… the atmosphere had been built up to this point, and refusing seemed inappropriate.
He took a sip, it was incredibly腥味十足!
At this moment…
Yang Xiu felt his body being pulled violently, and he was directly linked with Gan Ning in a shoulder-to-shoulder embrace.
"How can we go to the brothels and pleasure houses without Brother Yang?"
"Besides, doesn't Brother Yang intend to introduce this Young Master Lu to 'your elder brother'?"
Uh…
Yang Xiu was stunned.
Had they already reached the point of brotherhood?
This was really happening too fast!
…
…
Guanzhong, Hexi Corridor.
By a riverbank, the water here was turbid. To fetch water, one had to risk taking off their boots.
Zhang Xiu was extremely cautious. He led a few trusted subordinates, bare-footed, into the bone-chilling lake water. Step by step, he sank into the mud, then slowly moved forward. After walking several zhang, the lake water was already up to his knees. Only then did he pick up a bucket to scoop water.
He was already very thirsty…
The entire group of Hu people was very thirsty. The desolation of the Hexi Corridor far exceeded their imagination.
Finally, he reached the center of the riverbank, where the water seemed cleaner. Zhang Xiu squatted down and scooped up a mouthful of water to drink. Instantly, a sense of clarity and refreshment swept through his entire body.
After feeling satisfied, he looked at his disheveled reflection in the lake water and instinctively wanted to wash his face, but then remembered he was wearing a human skin mask and couldn't wash it!
However, just as he bent over, he suddenly trembled.
Beneath the knee-high lakebed, mixed with the mud, there seemed to be something!
It looked like sand, but it wasn't…
Zhang Xiu rolled up his sleeves, extended his arm, and grabbed another handful of mud from the lakebed. Visibly, within this mud, there was something the size of a grain of rice, which instantly made Zhang Xiu's hand stiffen!
Instinctively, Zhang Xiu wanted to curse, but as this hard object slowly unfurled, a rice-grain-sized orange-yellow object came into view!
This was… gold?
Was it gold dust?
Zhang Xiu's eyes almost burst. He frantically began panning in the riverbank… in a short while, he discovered much more. Some were very large, shining with golden light. At this moment… Zhang Xiu's pupils widened, and he no longer cared about fetching water, but ran towards the camp like a madman.
"Princess Consort… Princess Consort!"
He had become accustomed to calling He Yan "Princess Consort"!
"Quick, quick, light the signal fires and summon everyone nearby. I've found gold dust. If there's gold dust in the water, then… following the source of this water, we can… we can find the gold vein!"
"As expected… Lord Bai Ma was right. This… this Hexi Corridor is truly covered in gold veins!"
As the words left his mouth…
He Yan's pupils tightened. When he saw the placer gold in Zhang Xiu's hand, suddenly… two streams of tears flowed from the corners of his eyes.
— Found it!
— Finally found it!
— There really is a gold vein here!
Then… this Hexi Corridor would no longer be a desolate land, but… but a prosperous land beyond the frontier!
Countless gold prospectors would flock here…
Innumerable Han people would gather, forming a city wall here, and the traces of Han civilization would continuously gather and spread!
This… this was the true meaning of completely conquering the foreign tribes and this frontier region!
They were forging a path far greater than "Feng Lang Ju Xu"!
…
…
Inside a brothel in Jiangling City.
Gan Ning did not drink. His eyes were narrowed, and his expression was one of astonishment. He stared intently at Yang Xiu.
"You mean… that Young Master Lu is the commander of the world-renowned Dragon Cavalry Camp, the current Imperial Censor, Lord Bai Ma, Lu Ziyu?"
A string of titles…
Gan Ning repeated them word for word.
Truth be told, even as a pirate, Gan Ning still paid attention to the changing times.
In recent years, besides Cao Cao, who else had been as prominent in the world as Lord Bai Ma, Lu Ziyu? In a certain sense, Lu Yu's reputation was even greater than Cao Cao's!
"That's right…" Yang Xiu took a sip of wine. "It seems Brother Gan has heard of my master's name. In my opinion, my master… has the ambition to roam the world, the desire to expand territories, the ability to conquer nations and establish new ones, the righteousness to cherish his subordinates, the virtue of loyalty to the emperor, the benevolence of loving the people as his children, and the talent for managing external wars and internal affairs!"
"The opportunity of history is laid before Brother Gan! The Great Wei now has millions of soldiers, and cavalry units like the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry roam the northern territories. The Dragon Cavalry Camp has gathered the White Horse Volunteers, the Vanguard Camp, the Mount Tai Army, the Elite Guards, the Bingzhou Wolf Riders, and many other forces. However, the Dragon Cavalry Camp's navy lacks a competent naval commander! This is a golden opportunity that occurs once in a hundred years, Brother Gan. You and your brothers are skilled in naval warfare… the commander of the Dragon Cavalry Navy? Who else but you?"
Saying this, Yang Xiu patted Gan Ning's shoulder.
"Brother Gan, on one hand, you are a pirate? Hunted by the government, constantly on the run. On the other hand, you are the commander of the Dragon Cavalry Camp, awe-inspiring the world! How to choose, I don't think I need to say much?"
"Besides, most of your brothers have families and children. Do they really want their families to remain pirate families forever? Don't they want their relatives to become regular soldiers, members of the Dragon Cavalry Camp? In my opinion, as long as Brother Gan joins the Dragon Cavalry Camp, who else but you can achieve the unparalleled military achievements in the southern naval campaign?"
"Who else but your brothers can achieve this merit? At that time, you can tell your children that you are a member of the invincible Dragon Cavalry Navy, and your glorious achievement will be the unification of the world through the southern campaign! This… this would not be a wasted journey for us men in this world!"
One sentence after another came from Yang Xiu.
Finally…
Gan Ning could no longer suppress the stirrings in his heart. He stood up abruptly.
"Good, good… good…"
He uttered "good" three times in succession.
Then, he heavily slapped Yang Xiu on the shoulder.
— "Virtuous brother, your elder brother accepts!"
Indeed, this matter was settled!
And at this moment…
Because of Gan Ning's strength, Yang Xiu was pressed to the ground.
Yang Xiu cried out in agony. Was this brother's hand made of steel?
…
…