Chapter Thirty-Three: Gan Xingba (Please vote for recommendations!)
Outside the city of Xiangyang, Tao’er’s eyes were moist. Jiang Wen gently tapped Tao’er’s small nose and laughed softly, “We’re going to war, not to die. Why are you crying? Wait for my return.”
The city gates stood wide open, and the pounding of war drums overhead echoed like distant thunder. Jiang Wen mounted his warhorse, and Sun Ce, after nodding his approval, drew his sword and shouted with blazing, fervent eyes, “Victory is certain!”
“Victory is certain!”
“Victory is certain!”
“Victory is certain!”
Their voices soared like a rainbow across Xiangyang, shaking every ear and stirring the blood of every citizen and soldier. Amid such power and rallying cries, both the common folk and every warrior felt their spirits surge.
“Set out!”
Sun Ce’s army banners fluttered high as five thousand soldiers marched out from the eastern gate of Xiangyang.
Zhou Yu, clad in armor, sat atop his jostling horse and spoke to Sun Ce, “I have heard that Liu Bei, descendant of the Prince of Zhongshan Jing of Xuzhou, along with his two brothers, performed an oath of brotherhood in the Peach Garden. United in purpose, they have now established themselves in Qiao County and seem to have accomplished much.”
Sun Ce laughed heartily, admiration evident in his words, “That Lü Fengxian is no simple man either. I once thought that after my father beheaded Dong Zhuo, the Western Liang army would be thrown into chaos. Who could have guessed Lü Bu’s command was so exceptional? He has crushed Ma Teng in the west, advanced upon Cao Cao in the east—truly, I underestimated him.”
Zhou Yu nodded in agreement, “Currently, Yuan Shao in Hebei is held in check by Gongsun Zan. Once he overcomes Gongsun Zan and recovers the north, he can then move into the Central Plains. I am curious to see how Lü Fengxian and Yuan Shao will contend with each other. Yet, when two tigers fight, the true beneficiary is always the bystander among the lords.”
Jiang Wen said, “Now that our army has taken half of Jingzhou, once we reclaim the lands of Jiangdong, we can reorganize our troops there and proceed to conquer the remaining half of Jingzhou. In doing so, we will unite all the regions south of the Yangtze, establish a foundation for imperial rule, and then strive for the realm!”
All three nodded, and the thought of future grandeur stirred their blood. Zhou Yu glanced at Lü Meng and, seeing his troubled brow, teased, “Ziming, why are you frowning so? Is it the longing for gentle company?”
Lü Meng sighed, “After this great campaign, I must return home to marry. All because of my drunken folly!”
“Hahaha.” The three burst into laughter.
After an hour of travel, the army reached the Xiang River. The soldiers dismounted and boarded ships. The river flowed endlessly, the mountains were vast and majestic, ancient trees towered high, their branches lush and green, vibrant with life.
On the warship, Jiang Wen placed the imperial edict into a bamboo tube and handed it to a soldier. “Once ashore, ride swiftly ahead and deliver this letter to Liu Yao, the governor of Moling.”
“Yes!” The soldier prepared the deck and stood at the rail, keeping watch. Nan Shi squinted his eyes, seeing a ship approaching in the distance.
“Deng Tian, is that a bandit ship ahead?”
“Let me see…It is! Quickly, report to the adjutant, there are river bandits ahead!”
Jiang Wen stood at the stern, enjoying a glimpse of spring’s beauty in nature, when a soldier in a red scarf knelt behind him, “Adjutant, we have detected river bandits approaching ahead!”
“River bandits?” Jiang Wen refocused, puzzled. With dozens of warships here, why would the bandits approach instead of fleeing from the official army?
He ran to the bow, squinting ahead. Indeed, a wooden boat was approaching slowly. There were no other vessels on the river, and the boat bore no flag.
“Notify the entire army to proceed slowly.”
Sun Ce and Zhou Yu stepped out onto the deck, standing at the central bow. Seeing the lone vessel, they beckoned two soldiers, “Notify the archers to draw their bows taut.”
No arrows were fired, and no battle commenced. Jiang Wen watched as the boat came alongside Sun Ce’s ship. Several men disembarked and boarded Sun Ce’s vessel.
There were indeed many river bandits aboard, at least three or four hundred, all with fierce expressions.
A soldier knelt on the deck, cupped his hands in salute to Jiang Wen. Jiang Wen asked, “Do you know who boarded the ship of the Commandant?”
“Adjutant, the man claims to be Gan Xingba, the Deputy of Shu Commandery. Hearing of the Commandant’s valor, he has come to offer his service, hoping to realize his ambitions.”
“Who?” Jiang Wen’s eyes brightened in delight, eager to confirm he had heard correctly. The soldier, fearing he had misspoken, lowered his head, “Adjutant, it is Gan Xingba of Shu Commandery.”
“Hahaha, go tell the Commandant that this man is exceptionally brave and must be given important duties. He is a formidable warrior for the battlefield!”
Relieved, the soldier hurried away.
The Tiger General of the Riverlands—he battled Chu Pass, seized Yiling, fought Guan Yu: Gan Ning, Gan Xingba! Truly, this was the time Gan Xingba would pledge himself to Liu Biao. With such a tiger general, their chances in the coming battle soared!
Jiang Wen pondered, following this route, before long they would encounter Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, who also roamed the Yangtze as river bandits.
How is it that all these former bandits are so formidable, surpassing even many regular army generals…
The river bandits all boarded Sun Ce’s warship. Jiang Wen, seeing the scene, knew Gan Xingba had entered official service.
On the tenth day of their journey, though the scenery remained beautiful, its unchanging aspect brought inevitable boredom. Jiang Wen sat idly at the bow.
The ships stopped, reaching the shore. “Adjutant, our army has arrived at Xiakou!”
A few troops stayed behind to guard the ships, while the rest disembarked to rest. Zhou Yu approached from afar and, after saluting Jiang Wen and Lü Meng, gave a mysterious smile, “Changsu, Ziming, you’re about to witness a fine spectacle!”
No sooner had he spoken than Sun Ce, clad in armor, disembarked with a long spear in hand. The spear, known as the Overlord’s Spear, was the king of all weapons.
Carved with a tiger’s head and fire motifs, its tip forged from gold, its shaft crafted from golden wood, making it unique—a spear thirteen feet and eight inches long.
Sun Ce’s strength was legendary—a single sweep could cause an enemy to spit blood by the pint, and a wound from its tip meant near-certain death!
Gan Ning also disembarked, armored like Sun Ce, wielding twin halberds. The halberds had peculiar curves, their blades sharp enough to kill with a single stroke.
Iron chains connected the halberds, weighing dozens of pounds—any strike from them would shatter flesh and bone.
The soldiers cleared a space for the two and gathered around. Jiang Wen, Zhou Yu, and Lü Meng watched with great interest. Lü Meng asked Zhou Yu, “Who is this man?”
Zhou Yu smiled, “Gan Ning, courtesy name Xingba, Deputy of Shu Commandery. He has come to pledge himself to Bofu. He possesses great martial strength, and hearing of Bofu’s reputation as the Young Overlord, he’s been itching for a contest. Bofu, knowing his intentions, exchanged a few words, and now a duel is set. Bofu also seeks to establish his might through this.”
The sparring between generals is much like arm wrestling among strongmen—each eager to discover who has the greater strength.