Chapter 32: Weighing The Pros And Cons
Gan Ning sat in the official residence drinking hard liquor sullenly. He had expected too much from Liu Xun’s army, so it was understandable that he felt disappointed once those expectations fell through.
It could be said that Liu Xun was his biggest boon in the early stage of his rise. Once he obtained this boon, he would have firmly established his footing and could enter the mid-stage of his rise.
Unfortunately, the money and grain supplies for over ten thousand troops and several hundred ships were all intercepted by Cao Cao. How could Gan Ning not feel depressed?
“Lord, the Chief Clerk is here!”
Gan Ning sighed, “Invite him in!”
Lu Su walked in quickly. Before he could speak, Gan Ning preempted him: “I’m just feeling sullen and venting a bit. Sir, no need to worry.”
Lu Su said with a smile, “I’m just here to report the situation in Lujiang Commandery to the Lord!”
Gan Ning invited Lu Su to sit down and asked, “What’s going on in Lujiang Commandery?”
“I just received news that Sun Ce has captured Shu County. Liu Xun was killed in battle, and his entire army surrendered.”
Gan Ning said indifferently, “That’s to be expected!”
Lu Su continued, “Lord, you must understand why Cao Cao wanted to swallow Liu Xun’s army instead of giving it directly to us?”
Gan Ning sneered, “How could I not understand? Deep down, he simply doesn’t trust me!”
“If it were me, I probably wouldn’t trust General either, let alone Cao Cao who is known for his suspicion. Especially since Cao Cao wants to tie down Sun Ce’s Northern Expedition, for such a major matter, he naturally wants to place his own men in Jiangnan. Once the war with Yuan Shao ends, he will withdraw from the south. He will still return this army to the Lord; the key is whether the Lord is useful to him?”
“Sir is advising me not to act on impulse, right?”
“Exactly! To achieve great things, the Lord must endure when necessary. To truly gain Cao Cao’s support, just one Imperial Seal is not enough. We also need to let Cao Cao see with his own eyes that the Lord can be of use to him. Only then can we obtain Cao Cao’s support in the upcoming war to annex Huang Zu. This point is crucial. Otherwise, with our modest family property, how can we compete with the powerful Huang Zu?”
Gan Ning nodded lightly, “I understand. Family property not earned through one’s own hard work is always unreliable. I didn’t expend any effort to cultivate Liu Xun’s forces, so how could there be a harvest in autumn? I understand Sir’s intentions.”
Lu Su smiled faintly, “I believe Cao Cao will surely send someone to explain this matter clearly to the Lord!”
No sooner had the words fallen than a soldier reported from below the hall, “Report to the Lord, a scholar has arrived from the dock. His name is Jia Xu, and he claims to be an old acquaintance of the Lord!”
Lu Su and Gan Ning exchanged a glance and burst into laughter together. Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives.
“Please ask Sir to receive him on my behalf first. I’ll freshen up a bit and change clothes before coming to meet him.”
Jia Xu rode a carriage into Chaisang, observing Chaisang County Town along the way. He saw that commerce inside the county town was prosperous, the citizens mostly wore smiles, and there were almost no refugees begging along the streets.
Jia Xu couldn’t help but secretly praise in his heart: This Gan Ning truly has some talent, governing Chaisang in an orderly manner.
In fact, all this was due to Lu Su’s governance. Gan Ning had always been busy with campaigns and fully delegated authority to Lu Su. But a wise minister implies a wise lord; praising Gan Ning was not wrong.
“May I ask Strategist Jia, has Liu Ye gone to Xuchang?” Lu Su asked.
Jia Xu stroked his beard and smiled, “He went to the Imperial Court. If Zijing is interested, I can recommend you!”
Lu Su smiled, “I am shallow in learning and talent; how can I compare to Liu Ye? He has the talent to govern the country and bring peace, while I am merely a county clerk.”
“Zijing is too modest. Liu Ye holds you in high regard. However, you are now Gan Ning’s strategist, so I can’t poach you. If one day Zijing wishes to seek a new path, I will certainly assist with all my strength!”
“Thank you for your kind intentions, Strategist Jia!”
……..
Arriving at the government office, Gan Ning personally came out to greet him, laughing loudly: “Since we parted in Xuchang, I’ve always looked forward to seeing Strategist Jia again. I didn’t expect it to come true so soon.”
Seeing Gan Ning’s smile as warm and sincere, without a trace of anger or dissatisfaction, Lu Su immediately felt relieved. That’s how it should be—any inner dissatisfaction must be endured and not shown, lest Jia Xu see their bottom line.
Jia Xu was also a bit surprised. He thought Gan Ning would question him about breaking his promise and vent his anger, but instead he was so relaxed and at ease, showing no sign of displeasure. Jia Xu wondered inwardly: Could it be that Liu Ye’s letter wasn’t clear enough?
Jia Xu also smiled faintly, “General’s arrow forcing Cai Yan—it feels like it happened just yesterday. Time passes so quickly.”
“That’s why they say time flies like an arrow! My one arrow shot away all the time.”
The three laughed heartily and entered the guest hall together. The host and guest took their seats, and Lu Su promptly arranged for tea.
Jia Xu stroked his beard and said, “I came to Chaisang for two matters. First, Cao Gong sent me to take away Yuan Shu’s family. General knows about this, right!”
Gan Ning nodded, “I previously received Cao Gong’s letter and preemptively brought Yuan Shu’s family to Chaisang. Sir can take them. By the way, does Cao Gong intend to kill Yuan Shu’s family?”
Jia Xu shook his head gently, “General, you’re mistaken. Although the victor is king and the vanquished a bandit, if even their wife and children are killed, who would dare surrender to Cao Gong in the future? To be honest, Cao Gong wants Yuan Shu’s family to send them back to Yuan Shao, leaving a fallback for his own family.”
Gan Ning laughed, “It seems Cao Gong lacks confidence in defeating Yuan Shao!”
“Man proposes, Heaven disposes. With both sides evenly matched, who can know the future? Leaving a lifeline for others makes things easier for oneself; it’s never a bad thing.”
“Strategist Jia is right. Please state the second matter.”
Jia Xu pondered for a moment and said, “The second matter concerns this incident with Liu Xun. Since it is of great importance, Cao Gong has decided to personally handle tying down Sun Ce to prevent his Northern Expedition on Xuchang. Please forgive us, General Gan!”
“I understand. I want to know who the commander in Pengze County is.”
“It’s Yu Jin!”
“Oh——”
Gan Ning let out a soft ‘Oh!’, Cao Cao actually sent Yu Jin to be stationed in Pengze. It seemed he truly attached great importance to Jiangdong.
“Does Cao Gong hope that I will ally with Yu Jin?” Gan Ning laughed.
“Exactly right. Yu Jin’s twelve thousand men alone are definitely not enough. Only by you two allying to deal with Sun Ce together can you tie him down. General, feel free to make any requests?”
Gan Ning nodded, “Liu Xun is in my hands. He told me he brought 300,000 shi of grain and 100,000 guan qian this time. I’m short on money and grain right now and hope General Yu Jin can share some with me to boost my army’s morale.”
“That can absolutely be arranged!”
Jia Xu agreed readily, “I’ll arrange it as soon as I return.”
“Will Strategist Jia stay in Jiangdong?”
Jia Xu shook his head, “I need to quickly escort Yuan Shu’s family back to Xuchang. General Yu Jin will be fully in charge here in Jiangdong. I hope you two can get along harmoniously.”
Gan Ning smiled faintly, “Prioritizing Cao Gong’s overall strategy!”
Jia Xu gave a thumbs up. With these words from Gan Ning, Cao Gong would surely think highly of him.
Gan Ning pondered and then asked, “Regarding Liu Biao and Huang Zu, does Cao Gong have any arrangements?”
“General, rest assured. Cao Gong has already sent a letter to Huang Zu, explicitly requiring him not to send troops to Chaisang and Pengze. Huang Zu will surely give Cao Gong face and remain neutral, not stabbing Cao Gong in the back. Chaisang should be safe!”
“Huang Zu has a generational feud with the Sun Family. Why doesn’t Cao Gong ally with Huang Zu to tie down Sun Ce together?”
Jia Xu sighed faintly, “How could Cao Gong not want to? But Huang Zu has Liu Biao behind him, and Liu Biao is not easy to deal with. After weighing the options, Cao Gong believes it’s better to have Huang Zu remain neutral—better to seek stability than give others a handle.”
In fact, Cao Cao’s real means to tie down Liu Biao was to use Zhang Jin of Jiaozhou to tie him down. Zhang Jin did not disappoint Cao Cao’s trust, sending troops every year to vigorously attack Guiyang Commandery and Lingling Commandery. Liu Biao, harassed endlessly, had no choice but to station his nephew Liu Xin in Changsha to fight Zhang Jin.
The unrest in the south not only left Liu Biao with no mind to attack the Central Plains but also seriously delayed his plans to attack Yuzhang, ultimately giving Gan Ning the opportunity.
Of course, Jia Xu would not tell Gan Ning about Jiaozhou. He was worried Gan Ning would take an interest in it.
Seeing Lu Su go out to arrange for Yuan Shu’s family, Jia Xu lowered his voice and said to Gan Ning, “Cao Gong is worried that if Liu Biao sees through it, he might take advantage of Xuchang’s empty troop strength to ally with Sun Ce and attack Xuchang.”
“I see. Gan Ning has learned from this!”
A thought suddenly struck Gan Ning’s mind; he remembered something major.
