My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 573 Returning Home in Triumph
There were also a large number of catapults on the fortifications on both sides of the river, with a range covering the entire river surface.

There are even iron chains connecting the two banks, which can be raised at any time to immediately cut off the river. Not only can large ships not pass through the Three Gorges area, but even multi-story ships would be destroyed and sunk if they hit these iron chains.

Another crucial aspect of Qianguan Pass is that it not only blocks the Yangtze River waterway but also land transportation. Therefore, any attempt to attack Qianguan Pass from the land to reduce the difficulty is simply wishful thinking.

Looking at the magnificent and imposing Kuimen Pass before him, Liu Feng couldn't help but blush.

He had previously planned to sail upstream along the Yangtze River and launch a strong attack into Shu, but he had fallen for Huan Wen's old trick.

At that time, Huan Wen was in turmoil in Shu and had lost popular support, which rendered the river defenses completely ineffective, allowing Huan Wen to advance unimpeded.

Otherwise, Huan Wen's small force wouldn't have been enough to breach the pass and sink the ship.

But upon closer reflection, wasn't it precisely because of the internal strife in Sichuan that I was able to cross the Three Gorges so easily and even seize Qianguan Pass?

Without Zhao Wei's rebellion, even if a mediocre talent like Pang Xi were to defend the Three Gorges Pass, as long as the enemy didn't take the initiative to engage in reckless battle, or became so complacent as to neglect their duties, it would probably cost tens of thousands of casualties and seven or eight hundred warships to take the pass.

After inspecting the Three Gorges, Liu Feng couldn't help but instruct Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, and others beside him: "The pass must be heavily guarded, with elite troops selected, to ensure absolute safety."

Zhuge Liang nodded and replied, "Now it is Wang Wei, a veteran general from Jingzhou. Colonel Wang is always cautious and meticulous, so there shouldn't be any problems."

"Wang Wei?"

Liu Feng was stunned for a moment, then fell silent.

I do remember Wang Wei and Liu Feng. They were loyal ministers of Liu Biao, the kind who would remain loyal to him until death.

This person's experiences in official history and in the novel are exactly the same, without any difference whatsoever.

He once helped Wen Ping restrain Zhao Yun, creating an opportunity for Cai Mao to assassinate Liu Bei, but they failed.

Later, when Kuai Yue, Cai Mao, Fu Xun, Han Song, Liu Xian and others persuaded Liu Cong to surrender to Cao Cao, Wang Wei volunteered to lead several thousand elite troops to ambush and kill Cao Cao when Liu Bei withdrew and Cao Cao was caught off guard, but Liu Cong refused.

In the end, while escorting Liu Cong to Qingzhou to take up his post, he was killed by Cao Cao's pursuing troops in order to protect Liu Cong.

Such a loyal general didn't flee to Luoyang with Liu Biao, but instead surrendered to me?

Liu Feng didn't suspect that Wang Wei had gone to great lengths to lie low in order to assassinate him; he just felt that the world was truly unpredictable.

However, considering Wang Wei's loyalty to Liu Biao and Liu Cong in the original timeline, Liu Feng was still somewhat uneasy.

Therefore, Liu Feng said, "Wang Gonglie is a veteran general. It would be disrespectful to have him guard this remote pass."

After feigning a moment of contemplation, Liu Feng ordered, "Kongming, take note. Commandant Wang's troops will enter Shu with the army. Two thousand men under Huo Jun will be transferred to the Qianguan fortress, and two thousand naval troops under Su Fei will be transferred to the Qianguan water fortress."

Huo Jun was meticulous and skilled at defending cities. He was stationed at the fortress on the ridge, while Su Fei's navy was stationed at the riverside camp below Qianguan. Huo Jun was in charge of all affairs at Qianguan. The naval camp and the land fortress complemented each other, which was enough to defend Qianguan. Even if 10,000 men attacked, it would be enough to hold out until Liu Feng sent troops to reinforce it.

Moreover, the two major towns upstream and downstream of Qian Pass, Jiangzhou and Jiangling, are already under Liu Feng's control, so it is impossible for an enemy force of more than 10,000 men to appear in Qian Pass.

With Huo Jun stationed at Qian Pass, Liu Feng felt very reassured.

"Here!"

Zhuge Liang respectfully acknowledged the order, lowered his eyes, and relayed Liu Feng's command.

Pang Tong, standing to the side, frowned in thought. Everyone present was intelligent and could see that Liu Feng was not showing respect for the virtuous, but rather that he did not trust Wang Wei.

However, Liu Feng's methods were extremely gentle, and no problems could be seen on the surface. Wang Wei might even be grateful to Liu Feng.

After all, entering Shu would be a great opportunity to make a name for oneself, while staying behind to guard Qian Pass would be a thankless and arduous task.

At Liu Feng's command, the army was immediately mobilized.

Huo Jun and his troops, along with two thousand soldiers from various commanderies and kingdoms, abandoned their boats and went ashore to take over Qian Pass. As Pang Tong had predicted, Wang Wei's troops in Qian Pass were indeed excitedly preparing to board the ships, hoping to enter Shu and make a name for themselves and receive rewards.

In contrast, aside from the troops of the prefectures and kingdoms, Huo Jun's own forces were quite resentful, but were suppressed by Huo Jun.

"The drums, gongs, banners, and flags are the means to guide the people; the rules of advance and retreat are the means to unite the strength of the three armies. In the past, Sun Tzu executed concubines and Rang Ju killed Zhuang Jia. Was he fond of killing? If orders are not followed, the army will surely be defeated!"

Huo Jun said, "Now that we have received the Lord's clear order, we should obey it without question. Why should we discuss it further?"

Huo Jun's troops immediately returned to normal and no longer complained.

As for the relocation of Su Fei's troops, messengers will naturally deliver the orders, so Liu Feng doesn't need to worry about it.

After dealing with the gatekeeping issue, the fleet continued westward, passing through Quren along the way.

Suddenly, someone boarded the ship and said that Gan Ning was requesting an audience.

When Liu Feng stepped out of the cabin, he saw that Gan Ning had already steered a small boat to the side of Liu Feng's boat.

"Xingba, why are you here instead of leading the army at the front?"

Liu Feng smiled as he watched Gan Ning leap from the small boat onto the large ship, then stepped forward and took his arm, clearly showing his great affection for him.

With a silk ribbon on his head, Gan Ning beamed with joy: "My lord, my hometown Linjiang is just ahead. I would like to ask for a few days' leave so that I can go back to pay respects to my ancestors and inform them that I have made great contributions under your patronage."

Liu Feng chuckled to himself, realizing that most of his generals wouldn't have done something like this.

To put it nicely, it's called taking leave; but if you're really picky, it's called deserting in the face of danger.

Although there was no battle at this time, it was already a time of war. Perhaps only troublemakers like Gan Ning and Pan Zhang would dare to ask him for leave.

Gan Ning is impulsive, concerned with his reputation, unruly, cruel, cold-blooded, and has a violent temper. These are all very distinct characteristics of Gan Ning.

But beneath these surface layers, Gan Ning has deeper characteristics. First of all, Gan Ning is actually an extremely contradictory person. He is both arrogant and insecure.

He despised civil officials like Zhang Zhao for their "sitting and talking," yet at a banquet, when Ling Tong drew his sword to seek revenge, he hid behind Lü Meng—this fierce general of Jiangdong showed rare cowardice when facing his sworn enemy, and had to rely on Lü Meng to repel Ling Tong. (The Book of Wu records, "Ning rose and returned to his seat, and Lü Meng rebuked Tong until he stopped").

Furthermore, Sun Quan's assessment of Gan Ning was spot on—though he was rough, fierce, and fond of killing, he was also straightforward and resourceful.

Gan Ning may appear rough and rugged, but he possesses the insight of a renowned general. His strategies—such as the plan to capture Jingzhou, the attack on Wancheng, and the night raid on Cao Cao's camp—were all quite sophisticated and proved to be correct.

Therefore, Liu Feng always treated Gan Ning with caution, praised his achievements, and encouraged him to read more, think more, and offer more advice.

Gan Ning possessed neither the pent-up resentment he developed under Huang Zu in the original timeline, nor the dejected spirit he felt from his inability to integrate under Sun Quan. Under Liu Feng, Gan Ning was filled with pride and high spirits.

Therefore, Gan Ning was both grateful for and convinced by Liu Feng's guidance, and he diligently studied a lot of books. He also greatly respected the famous scholar whom Liu Feng sent to teach him.

Gan Ning was personally recruited by Liu Feng in his father's name. After meeting him, Gan Ning took the initiative to join Liu Feng's ranks. Gan Ning's life under Liu Feng's command is much more comfortable and pleasant than under the Sun family in the original timeline.

Gan Ning was always an outsider in the Sun family, but under Liu Feng, he was a trusted confidant.

The difference is like night and day, not to mention that Liu Feng's strength now far surpasses that of the Sun family at its peak.

Gan Ning now regards Liu Feng as his master, and he is completely convinced of it. The more unruly a person like Gan Ning is, the more loyal he becomes, like a devoted dog, once he is tamed.

"How many days do you need? I will grant your request."

Liu Feng didn't mind Gan Ning asking for leave at the last minute, which made the people around him only envious. Liu Feng continued to remind him, "But Zhou Xiang should be settled in the military affairs."

"Here!"

Gan Ning laughed happily, then knelt on one knee and pleaded with Liu Feng, "My lord, I have a request. Although I know I am being presumptuous, I am still unwilling to accept it. I would rather be punished by you than refuse to do this."

"Oh?"

Liu Feng chuckled, glancing around at Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Xu Chu, and others, and said with a smile, "Xingba is brave and fierce, and his nature is upright. I never expected that he would be so willing to compromise his principles today."

Everyone burst into laughter. If it were anyone else, Gan Ning would have glared at them fiercely, but now he was meekly smiling and obedient, almost unlike himself.

"Alright, alright, tell me about it."

Liu Feng laughed and said, "However, if the request is too unreasonable, I really cannot agree to it."

Although Liu Feng uttered words of refusal, anyone could hear the affection in his words. Sun Quan, Sun Jiao, Sun Yi, Zhou Fang, Zhou Jun, and others who were serving Liu Feng were very envious and couldn't help but feel the desire to take his place.

Gan Ning didn't care about other people's opinions at all. He was overjoyed when he heard Liu Feng agree. He kowtowed and said, "My lord knows that I have been away from home for many years and have not offered incense for more than ten years. I am really uneasy about returning home this time. I humbly request that you come ashore with me and honor me with your presence. This would not only give me a chance to entertain you, but also allow me to show off to my ancestors and let my hometown and ancestors know that I, Gan Ning, have now made a name for myself."

Upon hearing this, Gan Ning's eyes suddenly gleamed brightly. Ignoring his armor, he knelt down with a thud, as if a mountain of gold and a jade pillar were collapsing. His iron helmet slammed heavily against the ship's deck, causing the golden bells at his waist to jingle erratically, while his mouth emitted a metallic sound.

"My lord, you are wise!"

He suddenly looked up, and a hint of tears glistened between his bushy beard: "For the past ten years or so, I have been adrift in the world, never having had the chance to offer sacrifices to my ancestors. If today, my lord were to show me mercy—"

As he spoke, Gan Ning suddenly ripped open his battle robe, revealing several hideous old wounds on his chest: "When I left home back then, I swore an oath in front of the ancestral hall that I would never return home without achieving fame and success!"

He pounded his fist on the deck, making it tremble: "I beg your grace, my lord, to allow Ning to wear fine clothes and walk in broad daylight, to boast before the elders of his hometown! And to let the ancestors of the Gan family know that this good-for-nothing prodigal son of the Gan family is now a general of two thousand shi in the Han Dynasty!"

A sudden gust of river wind blew, making the golden bells at his waist jingle.

The bell still bore traces of blood, clearly an old item from when they were thieves.

Liu Feng sighed and stepped forward to help Gan Ning up.

Gan Ning, however, kept his head bowed to the ground and refused to raise his head.

Liu Feng's expression changed, and he said in a low voice, "Get up!"

Gan Ning dared not be stubborn anymore and obediently stood up from the deck following Liu Feng's hand.

Seeing that Gan Ning was obedient and compliant, Liu Feng smiled with satisfaction. Under Gan Ning's pitiful gaze, he slowly said, "Let you be smug for once."

"Thank you, my lord!"

Overjoyed, Gan Ning, who had just stood up, suddenly knelt down again, filled with gratitude and wishing he could immediately kill the enemy generals and seize the flag for Liu Feng.

Linjiang is the later Zhongxian County. Although it is not a big city, it still holds a high position in Sichuan and Chongqing because it has salt wells that produce salt, and it also has the advantage of transportation along the Yangtze River.

During the late Eastern Han Dynasty, there were five major surnames in Linjiang: Yan, Gan, Wen, Yang, and Du. Among them, Gan was the descendant of Gan Ning, Yan was the descendant of Yan Yan, and the other three surnames also had their own origins.

Among them, the Yang surname is not only related to the Yang family of Hongnong, but also to the Yang family of Jianwei in Shu.

The Wen family later produced a great Confucian scholar named Wen Li, who was a disciple of the leader Qiao Zhou. He was later appreciated by Sima Yan and became the Grand Commandant, one of the Three Dukes.

As for the Du family, they were somewhat lacking, as they didn't have any well-known figures.

Liu Feng, accompanied by Xu Chu and two thousand personal guards, landed on the river. Naturally, the main force could not stop at Linjiang. Instead, it was handed over to Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong to continue upstream, taking over the defense of the counties and passes along the way, and arranging defenses and replacing county officials.

Liu Feng's personal visit brought Gan Ning a great sense of honor and satisfaction.

The Gan family was a prominent clan in Linjiang. Although they suffered some setbacks due to Gan Ning's rebellion, with many clansmen following Gan Ning to join Liu Biao, who then assigned them to Huang Zu, and later recruited them to Xuzhou by Liu Feng, a large portion of the clansmen remained in Linjiang.

After Gan Ning left, these people reorganized the Gan clan and survived the most difficult time under the protection of their relatives and fellow villagers.

As a result, the Gan family plummeted from one of the top five surnames in Linjiang to the very bottom. They lost their salt official position, their land, and even their few remaining low-ranking official posts. Now, the Gan family of Linjiang has been completely kicked out of the top five surnames and has fallen to a third-rate position among the powerful clans of Linjiang.

When news of Gan Ning's return to Linjiang with Liu Feng spread, the main branch of the Gan clan and Gan clan members scattered throughout Linjiang rushed to Linjiang County with their elders and children. Meanwhile, the local Yan and Wen clans were in a state of panic.

Upon seeing his fellow villagers, Gan Ning wept bitterly, rarely shedding tears in his life, but at this moment he was sobbing uncontrollably.

The boy does not cry easily, but it is not when he is sad.

Back then, I acted impulsively and rashly participated in that rebellion, which led to the downfall of the entire Gan family.

Forced by circumstances, the clan's members either fled to remote and desolate places or went into hiding. The once magnificent mansion of the Linjiang top family was reduced to ruins in the blink of an eye, and the members were left to wander aimlessly, while he himself could not return home.

Gan Ning would wake up in the middle of the night and see the tearful faces of his father, grandfather, and clan elders floating before his eyes. Such pain was beyond description, even if a steel knife were used to cut out his heart.

Fortunately, Heaven has been kind to us, and we have now met a wise ruler like General Zuo.

Look at the brocade sails once again, look at the golden bells hanging, look at the banners embroidered with the character "Gan" again. The brocade sail thieves who once wandered the world can now walk in glory.

If the Gan Clan Ancestral Hall could be restored to its former glory, allowing the scattered descendants to reunite under the clan emblem, then my heart, burdened with guilt for over a decade, might find some peace.

That evening, relatives and in-laws such as the Wenshi, Yang, and Du families sent a large amount of fruits, vegetables, chickens, ducks, pigs, and sheep. Gan Ning ordered them all to be slaughtered and feasted to entertain the elders of his hometown.

(End of this chapter)