Chapter 35: A Difference Of A Hair’s Breadth
Chaotic shouting reached the main ship. Huang Gai rode on horseback along the shore and shouted loudly: “Lord, our cargo ships are under sneak attack!”
Sun Ce was furious and ordered: “Untie the towing ropes!”
The main ship’s towing ropes were untied, and the soldiers hurriedly poled with bamboo poles. Bamboo poles could only be used along the Yangtze River edge, and only for turning and maintaining balance.
The main ship’s sails were also raised. The river wind blew strongly, filling the sails, and the main ship sped toward the cargo ships.
Sun Ce held a bow and arrows, standing at the bow shooting at Gan Ning’s subordinates on the sampans on the river surface. His arrows never missed, and in moments, he had shot and killed nearly twenty soldiers.
Gan Ning watched helplessly as his subordinates were shot down, his eyes turning red. He took a bow and arrows from a waterproof leather pouch, with the quiver on his back, and drew a barbed arrow.
At that moment, Sun Ce also spotted Gan Ning. He drew his bow and shot an arrow at Gan Ning. The arrow flew with great force and was upon him in an instant. Gan Ning reacted swiftly, tilting his head to the side. “Whoosh!” The arrow grazed past Gan Ning’s ear.
As Sun Ce drew another arrow, Gan Ning also drew his bow to full like a full moon and shot an arrow aimed at Sun Ce’s chest.
This arrow was also fast as lightning, reaching Sun Ce’s chest in an instant. Sun Ce heard the whistling sound through the air. He hurriedly dodged, but was slightly too slow. “Pfft!” The arrow struck Sun Ce’s left shoulder squarely, with tremendous force, piercing through the armor.
Sun Ce cried out in pain, his body swaying, nearly falling into the river.
His several personal guards reacted swiftly, tackling Sun Ce to the deck and quickly carrying him into the cabin. His subordinates desperately poled to bring the lord’s ship to shore.
The Jiangdong fleet slowly came to shore and anchored. Zhou Yu heard that the lord had been wounded by an arrow and hurried to Sun Ce’s main ship. He was truly worried in his heart. Though the lord was brave and skilled in battle, he had the weakness of being careless and unprepared. Charging ahead every time, this would sooner or later lead to disaster.
Inside the cabin, the lighting was soft. Sun Ce lay on the couch, the arrow had been removed by the military doctor, blood pooling on the floor. Sun Ce had lost a bit too much blood, his face pale, lips without a trace of color.
Zhou Yu knelt beside Sun Ce, held his hand, and asked softly: “Lord, how are you?”
“Just a flesh wound, I won’t die!” Sun Ce said weakly.
Zhou Yu glanced at the military doctor and saw the anxiety in his eyes, knowing this arrow wound was not light, far from just a simple flesh wound.
“Lord, our grain ships are lost. Let’s go back first!”
Sun Ce sighed and said: “This arrow could actually pierce my armor. At least a three-stone bow. I heard Gan Ning got Lu Bu’s bow. This must be him. Truly a fierce general!”
“Lord, let’s go back! Next year in early spring, we’ll come fight him again.”
Sun Ce nodded lightly and closed his eyes wearily.
Underestimating the enemy was the key to their defeat this time. Both knew it well but did not say it aloud.
Zhou Yu immediately left the cabin and ordered: “Pass the order for the shore guards to board the ships. The army returns to Wu Commandery!”
……..
The next day at noon, Gan Ning led three thousand soldiers, using small boats to tow one hundred fifty cargo ships fully loaded with money and grain back to Chaisang, with seventy thousand shi of grain and twenty thousand wu zhu coins.
Chaisang’s money and grain stores were full. Gan Ning took out thirty thousand guan to reward the entire army, averaging three guan per person. Instantly, cheers erupted, and the soldiers were overjoyed, as if celebrating the New Year.
In the Three Kingdoms period, soldiers had no salary. Enlisting was to have enough to eat, and supporting the family relied on rewards from victory or plundering.
Almost no army in the Three Kingdoms did not plunder. Even Liu Bei, famed for benevolence and righteousness, did not plunder citizens but would plunder the official treasury. Otherwise, no army would follow him. Of course, there were also Xuzhou wealthy men like Mi Zhu following him.
Gan Ning, like Liu Bei, did not rob citizens but robbed the official treasury, so his reputation was good in Yuzhang Commandery and Lujiang Commandery. He did not rob citizens of Haihun County or Liling County, news of which spread through Yuzhang Commandery. He also did not rob citizens of Wan County or Juchao County, which likewise spread through Lujiang Commandery.
Generally, only after stabilizing and collecting taxes could there be money and grain to support an army. But to collect taxes, support from local aristocracy was needed.
Though Gan Ning was not aristocracy, he received widespread support from the Chaisang County aristocracy. The reason was simple: he was the county chief of Chaisang County appointed by the Imperial Court, legitimate like a proper marriage, so everyone naturally acknowledged him.
In the blink of an eye, it was November. The end of the year approached, tax collection time. The county officials were all busy.
That afternoon, Chief Clerk Yang Jing was busy as usual when a yamen runner at the door said: “Yang Zhubu, someone outside the county yamen is looking for you, says it’s your younger sister!”
Yang Jing hurried out of the county yamen and indeed saw his cousin Madam Yang, full of anxiety.
“Rui Niang, what happened?”
Madam Yang hurried forward and said: “This afternoon, a tall and fat merchant came. He said he was a subordinate of the Marquis of Wu, told me to pack up quickly, take the two children, and go with him to Wu Commandery. He gave me fifty taels of silver. I refused to take it no matter what, but he threw down the silver and ran. What should I do?”
Qiao An had been appointed by Gan Ning as Xunyang County commandant, living with his wife and children in Xunyang County, not in Chaisang.
Madam Yang couldn’t find anyone to decide for her, so she came to find her elder brother.
Madam Yang held out her hand, revealing a heavy ingot of silver.
Yang Jing was startled. What did the Marquis of Wu want with his sister? A thought struck him, and he immediately understood: he must have taken a liking to his two nieces.
He thought for a moment and asked: “Has the Marquis of Wu seen the two nieces?”
“The Marquis of Wu is Sun Ce, right?”
“Yes!”
“He might have seen them once. That was five or six years ago. He was a general under Yuan Shu then. My husband invited him to dinner at home once. I can’t remember if Sun Ce saw them, but the children were small then! One was eight or nine, the other just six or seven. He couldn’t have had improper thoughts even then, could he?”
“Where are the two children now?”
“They’re both at home!”
“Hurry back and watch them. Don’t let anyone take them away. Let me think about this matter.”
Madam Yang hurried back.
Yang Jing hesitated for a moment. Truly undecided, he hurriedly went to consult his father.
Yang Jing’s father was named Yang Kui, from Wei Commandery. He had served as an official in Chaisang for ten years, as chief clerk and county commandant, now nearly sixty and retired at home.
Yang Kui sat by the pond feeding fish, squinting as he listened to his son recount the story. The Marquis of Wu had taken a liking to Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao? Not surprising though—his two great-nieces were indeed beautiful as immortals.
“What is Gan Ning’s attitude?”
“Gan Ning’s attitude is clear: he wants both nieces!”
“Both?”
Yang Kui was somewhat displeased: “That’s too domineering!”
“He just said he would take responsibility for the safety of both young ladies, didn’t explicitly say he wanted both sisters in his household, but….”
“But what?”
“He also told me that the two young ladies are still young, raise them for a few years and then decide!”
“Xiao Qiao is only eleven, a bit young. But Da Qiao is fourteen, right? Not young anymore.”
Yang Jing sighed, “Son can’t make up his mind now. The Marquis of Wu wants them, Gan Ning wants them too. What should I do?”
Yang Kui thought and said: “We can’t offend Gan Ning, nor the Marquis of Wu. How about this: give Da Qiao to Gan Ning first, keep Xiao Qiao for the Marquis of Wu. Wait a few years for Xiao Qiao, observe the situation. If the Marquis of Wu unifies Jiangdong, offering Xiao Qiao to him then won’t be late. If Gan Ning rises, having gotten Da Qiao, he won’t mistreat us.”
Yang Jing worried: “But Gan Ning’s intention seems he doesn’t really want to marry Da Qiao, just take her as a concubine.”
Yang Kui knew well that the Qiao family’s status was too low; how could a daughter of the Qiao family be a vassal lord’s wife.
He sighed softly, “First send Da Qiao to Gan Ning’s manor! If she bears a son, her status won’t be low, at least an equal wife.”
“Should we ask Qiao An to come back and discuss?”
This was the Qiao family’s matter; indeed, Qiao An couldn’t be bypassed.
“Fine, write him a letter. I reckon Gan Ning already knows what happened today.”
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【Seeking monthly tickets from everyone again!】
