Chapter 31: An Unexpected Turn
Gan Ning stood on the sampan, watching the massive fleet anchored on the north bank in the distance. It was now October, with northwest winds blowing on the river surface. Liu Xun’s fleet was sailing against the wind and current, making navigation difficult, and at night they had to anchor on the shore to rest.
Gan Ning suddenly discovered a paradox here. If Cao Cao wanted to help him, he could just have Liu Xun’s subordinate great general surrender directly to him. Why did he still need Gan Ning to capture Liu Xun?
Similarly, if he captured Liu Xun, wouldn’t Liu Xun just order the entire army to surrender? It would be the same thing. There was no need for Cao Cao to lend a hand. Why did Cao Cao go to such unnecessary lengths?
Gan Ning felt a bit uneasy in his heart. He vaguely sensed that Cao Cao was not so kind-hearted; there was probably some trick to this.
At that moment, the lanterns on the opposite fleet suddenly lit up. Wang Xiaoman immediately spotted the target and pointed, shouting, “Lord, there, that’s the ship!”
Gan Ning quickly pulled back his thoughts and looked closely. It was a large ship of at least five thousand stone, with lit lanterns hanging on it—not too many, not too few, exactly eight.
This was the second ship in the entire fleet.
“Let’s close in on it!”
Gan Ning was worthy of his origins as a river pirate; his experience was extremely rich. Of course, the Gan Ning from later generations had also inherited this one’s experience.
The best way to sneak attack a large ship at night was to use sampans. Sampans are very thin and won’t be detected by the large ship on the water surface. Everyone hides underwater, holding the sampan with one hand, and quickly approaches the large ship.
In just moments, seven or eight sampans pressed close to the large ship. An iron hook was thrown up, hooking precisely onto the rear of the ship. Wang Xiaoman, with his small and agile body, climbed up the rope like a monkey.
Moments later, he threw down a rope ladder. Gan Ning fixed the other end of the rope ladder to a sampan. He and his subordinates climbed up the large ship one after another along the rope ladder.
“Who is it?” They were discovered by patrolling soldiers.
Gan Ning made an immediate decision, drew his steel whip and charged forward. One whip smashed the skull of the leading squad leader. The squad leader didn’t even have time to scream before collapsing softly. His subordinates joined in, and the ten patrolling soldiers were instantly dealt with and thrown into the river.
Gan Ning kicked open the cabin door and rushed in, his subordinates right behind him. The cabin was immediately filled with screams. In moments, dozens of guards were all beaten to death, none left alive.
Gan Ning kicked open the inner cabin door fiercely again, holding a torch as he rushed in. Inside the cabin, Liu Xun was scared pale, holding a treasure sword with his whole body trembling.
Two personal guards roared and charged with knives. Gan Ning was faster. ‘Crack! Crack!’ Like smashing eggshells, he crushed both their skulls, killing them on the spot.
One subordinate leaned in and whispered to Gan Ning, “Lord, that’s Liu Xun!”
Gan Ning nodded and pointed at Liu Xun, saying, “Put down your sword, and I won’t kill you!”
Liu Xun leaned weakly against the cabin wall, his drawn sword dropping from his hand. With a trembling voice, he asked, “You’re Gan Ning?”
“That’s right!”
“Who told you I was here? Who?”
Liu Xun’s eyes blazed with fury. His face was no longer pale but flushed red with rage over the betrayal.
Gan Ning waved his hand lightly. Several soldiers stepped forward, took his sword, pressed him face-down to the ground, and bound his hands and feet behind his back.
Gan Ning walked up, squatted in front of him, and said, “What is the lantern signal for the entire army to surrender? Tell me, and I’ll let you go!”
Liu Xun bit his lips and said nothing. Gan Ning drew a dagger from his boot, weighed it in his hand, then flicked his wrist. Liu Xun’s left ear disappeared, and blood immediately sprayed from his cheek. Liu Xun screamed in agony.
“Ah—ah!”
Gan Ning said coldly, “I’ll ask you again. What is the lantern signal to order the flagship to surrender to Chaisang? If you don’t say, I’ll cut off your right ear!”
“At the fifth watch, extinguish seven lanterns!” Liu Xun shouted in pain.
Gan Ning stood up and ordered, “Stop his bleeding and bandage him!”
He turned and left……
Finally, the fifth watch arrived. Gan Ning ordered the lanterns extinguished.
Seven lanterns on the large ship went out, leaving only one still lit. The ship behind was the flagship, which would act according to the lord’s ship’s orders.
The flagship used flag signals, which could only be raised after dawn. The surrender flag signal was a white flag; raising three white flags meant the entire army surrendered.
Gan Ning felt something was very off. Normally, the flagship should send someone to confirm. How could they just surrender like that?
‘Perhaps the flagship has already been taken over by Cao Cao’s people.’ Gan Ning could only comfort himself this way.
Dawn finally broke, and the fleet set off again. After sailing about a hundred li, at noon, the flagship behind suddenly raised three yellow flags. Three yellow flags meant the destination had been reached; prepare to anchor on shore.
Gan Ning watched for a moment and was stunned. This place was still forty li from Chaisang, in Pengze County territory. What did anchoring immediately mean?
The flagship turned directly, raised its sails, and with the north wind, sailed toward the south bank. The warships behind raised their sails one after another.
Gan Ning turned and rushed into the cabin, dragging out Liu Xun who was resting with eyes closed.
Gan Ning pointed angrily at the fleet behind and said, “What’s going on? Why anchor now?”
“Isn’t that Chaisang opposite?” Liu Xun asked with wide eyes.
“Opposite is Pengze County, forty li from Chaisang. We should go another forty li to reach the south bank.”
Liu Xun was stunned, then shook his head after a moment. “I don’t know either. Why wouldn’t they follow my orders?”
“Who is the commander?”
“Chen Lan and Lei Bo. Each leads half the army. The ship behind should be Chen Lan’s. Strange, did they get the location wrong?”
Gan Ning was furious. “Nonsense! They raised yellow flags, not white flags!”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you raise three white flags again and see if they follow?”
Gan Ning ordered loudly, “Raise three white flags again!”
The main ship raised three white flags again. After waiting a moment, the flagship still showed three yellow flags, and large ships one by one raised yellow flags as well.
At this time, Gan Ning suddenly saw the character ‘Cao’ on the flagship’s main banner.
A flash of realization struck Gan Ning’s mind like lightning. He suddenly understood: Chen Lan and Lei Bo had indeed surrendered to Cao Cao, but Cao Cao had no intention of letting them surrender to him.
Gan Ning also figured out the puzzle that had puzzled him last night. Cao Cao didn’t trust him at all. He used Gan Ning to take down Liu Xun while arranging for his subordinates to swallow Liu Xun’s twelve thousand troops, letting his subordinate commander twelve thousand troops to garrison Pengze County.
He had been fooled by Cao Cao. Gan Ning hated it so much he smashed his fist into the cabin wall. “Bastard!”
Wang Xiaoman and the other subordinates were all confused and at a loss.
After a moment, Gan Ning calmed down a bit and ordered, “Return to Chaisang!”
With no other choice, Gan Ning could only sail the lone main ship toward Chaisang. This ship had only Liu Xun’s personal property; there were no other supplies or grain and fodder.
…………
Gan Ning returned to Chaisang in a rage. As soon as he got off the ship, he saw a Cao Army banner. He flew into a fury, drew his steel whip and snapped the flagpole with one strike, then tore the flag in half.
Lu Su hurried over upon hearing the news. Seeing Gan Ning furious, he asked in astonishment, “What is this? Did the general not encounter Liu Xun?”
“Don’t mention it!”
Gan Ning said hatefully, “We were tricked by Cao Cao. He swallowed Liu Xun’s army and occupied Pengze County. We were like fools.”
Gan Ning was in a bad mood, mounted his horse, and returned to the city.
Lu Su quickly asked Wang Xiaoman, “What exactly happened?”
Wang Xiaoman recounted the detailed events. Lu Su was speechless and chuckled. The lord had truly never suffered such a big loss before; no wonder he was so angry.
But every situation has pros and cons. The lord had only seen the cons and not the advantageous side. He still needed to guide him properly.
Lu Su immediately ordered Liu Xun to be imprisoned first, then hurried off to find Gan Ning.
