Tiger Guards

Chapter 376 The mob
Nanyang, on the banks of the Yu River.

Gan Ning was leading more than 3,000 officials and soldiers, rowing upstream. He sat on the bow deck with his clothes open.

Since April, Nanyang has experienced little rainfall, resulting in lower water levels in the Yu River in May and June compared to the dry season in previous years.

Even so, it was only barely possible for the boat to sail.

When he passed through Xinye, Gao Shun, who was stationed there, came out of the city to watch and couldn't help but shake his head.

What they saw before them was not the 5,000 elite troops of Jingzhou that Liu Biao had promised, but clearly a ragtag bunch meant to fill quotas and appease the court.

More than three thousand people operated various small boats and rafts to go against the current, but Gao Shun did not see any transport ships carrying military equipment and armor.

During the dry season, the Yu River is also difficult to support the navigation of transport ships.

Therefore, the equipment condition of Gan Ning's troops was basically as described, making them a typical lightly armed force.

They didn't even have neat military uniforms or flags. If it weren't for the "Anti-Rebel Captain" battle flag displayed in the fleet, Gao Shun would have wanted to wipe them out on the spot.

Gan Ning also saw Gao Shun's hundred or so cavalrymen watching from the shore, but Gan Ning was too lazy to stop the boat and greet them.

When Liu Yan died, Liu Biao sent his advisor Liu He to persuade them to rebel, but Liu Biao suddenly cut off support.

Gan Ning and his men had no choice but to retreat to Jingzhou. However, Liu Biao had a great deal of resentment towards these powerful figures and officials in Yizhou who had rebelled against Liu Yan and Liu Zhang.

He could easily incite Gan Ning and others to start a rebellion in their hometown. Now that Gan Ning and his ilk are living in Jingzhou, they are even less hesitant and more eager to rebel when incited and misled by others.

Under this strange moral fastidiousness, coupled with his far-sightedness and the inherent arrogance of a scholar, Liu Biao did not like people like Gan Ning.

Even supplies were frequently delayed, with the intention of wearing down Gan Ning and his men until the troops disintegrated before taking any action.

People like Gan Ning could only do part-time jobs such as transporting supplies, fishing, or hunting in the Han River basin.

According to Liu Biao's initial plan, the campaign against Yuan Shao required the dispatch of elite troops, and he intended to send Han Xi with 5,000 long spearmen from Xizhou to assist in the battle.

However, the powerful clans of Jingzhou were worried that Lü Bu would turn around and attack Jingzhou, so they opposed sending elite troops to help them and also opposed sending troops to Yangzhou.

Cai Mao, Huang Zu, and the Kuai brothers also tried to dissuade Liu Biao, but he couldn't resist Cai's persistent pleading and had no choice but to abandon and change his previous decision.

However, it wouldn't be right not to send troops, so they could only use the excuse that Zhang Jin, the governor of Jiaozhou, was launching an invasion and that they needed to prepare troops for defense to temporarily send Gan Ning and his group out.

Gan Ning and his men had dwindled to just over two thousand. They then temporarily recruited refugees from the Han River basin to form a force of over three thousand men to march north and serve the court in the campaign against Yuan Shikai.

The situation in Yizhou was also not optimistic. Liu Zhang wanted to send Zhao Wei, the chief official of the province, to the capital, and also wanted to use this opportunity to adjust the composition of the Yizhou army and strengthen his own rule.

The intensity of the battle in Guandong was so high that the people of Yizhou dared not travel five thousand miles to fight.

The Dongzhou troops, whom Liu Yan and Liu Zhang relied on as a pillar of strength within Yizhou, were ultimately nothing more than remnants of defeated soldiers from Guandong.

Calling them remnants of a defeated army is an understatement; it's an exaggeration to praise these disaster victims from Dongzhou.

These disaster victims from Dongzhou were actually driven out of their homes and families, fleeing to Yizhou in order to save their lives.

Upon arriving in Yizhou, these weaklings who dared not raise arms in Guandong became the tools Liu Yan and his son used to suppress the powerful clans of Yizhou.

Anyone with a modicum of rationality knows the principle that tigers eat wolves, wolves eat sheep, and sheep eat grass.

Yizhou is rich in resources and has a prosperous economy. How pleasant it would be to stay in Yizhou!

What significance did official positions in the imperial court hold for Zhao Wei?
However, Liu Zhang and the powerful families of Yizhou also had to consider their reputations, and they could not mobilize the troops of Yizhou or Dongzhou.

They had no choice but to assign troops layer by layer, from Ba soldiers, old soldiers, and Qiang soldiers, to the guards and hunters, to finally assemble a mixed volunteer force, which was then handed over to an unlucky captain named Li Yi to lead, and they sailed down the Yangtze River to Nanyang.

The allied forces of Jing and Yi provinces were reduced to a minimum. However, after Gan Ning arrived in Wandu, he changed into his treasured Western Shu brocade robe, with seven bells and a precious sword hanging from his waist, and led more than a dozen strong followers to pay homage to Lü Bu.

Gan Ning arrived in high spirits, wanting to show his best side to Lü Bu.

Liu Biao was a pedantic scholar who didn't know his worth. He thought that a general from a border region would definitely value him.

However, at this moment, Lü Bu was irritable and depressed due to the large-scale failure of the summer wheat and summer grain harvest in Nanyang; the greater his original expectations, the greater his current disappointment.

He was fed up with the fate of having to eat wherever he could find food. Although he could get enough to eat, it was embarrassing.

As for the rabble sent by Liu Biao, how could Lü Bu, in his anger, possibly give it a second glance?
Inside the General's headquarters, the more Lü Bu looked at the flamboyant Gan Ning, the more he felt that the guy had a strong bandit aura.

If Zhao Ji were wearing a brightly colored, red and green Shu brocade robe, Lü Bu could at least bear to look at him.

Gan Ning was a burly man, and although he looked like someone not to be trifled with, could such extravagant attire be afforded with a normal salary?
Lu Bu had no shortage of true warriors around him, and Gan Ning's pride in his bravery... was really nothing special to Lu Bu.

Out of courtesy, after Gan Ning sat down with the sound of bells, Lü Bu questioned him, "Why did Liu Zhennan send Commandant Gan? As far as I know, Commandant Gan is from Ba Commandery in Yizhou and once served as the Assistant Prefect of Shu Commandery?"

"Reporting to the General, my ancestral home is Nanyang."

Gan Ning replied: "After Zhang Xian, the former governor of Changsha, along with Han Song, Lou Gui, and others, fled to Jiaozhou, Zhang Jin, the governor of Jiaozhou, raised troops and marched along the Ling Canal. Jingnan was in turmoil, and Liu Zhennan had to prepare troops for defense, so it was really difficult to send a large army to participate in the campaign against Yuan."

"Could those five thousand spears from Guanzhong also be suitable for the Jingnan battlefield?"

Lu Bu continued to question him, but then stopped pressing him and instead asked, "What is Colonel Gan's opinion on the Central Plains battlefield?"

"We should send out light troops to seize the grain supplies of Ru and Ying prefectures."

"Heh, do you think I don't know? It's just that Yuan Shu is holed up in Chen. If he doesn't move, how can I?"

When Lü Bu saw that Gan Ning actually dared to offer his opinion, he sneered, "I wonder if Colonel Gan's troops have sufficient weapons and provisions?" Upon hearing this, Gan Ning cupped his hands and said, "I am willing to request the General's order to serve as the vanguard. Any weapons and provisions that are lacking can be replenished by Ru Ying."

"Hmm, allow me to think it over. You may leave now."

After Lü Bu finished speaking, he turned to look at Wei Xu. Wei Xu stepped forward to Gan Ning's side and extended his arms, saying, "Captain Gan, please."

Gan Ning didn't say much. If Liu Biao dared to contradict him to his face, Liu Biao would execute him, let alone Lü Bu.

After Gan Ning bowed and took his leave, Lü Bu squinted and scrutinized Gan Ning's retreating figure. He felt very uncomfortable with this person, just like he felt with Zhao Ji.

They are disobedient and show no respect for their elders.

Wei Xu returned quickly, picked up the honey water and took a sip: "Brother, what do you think of this man?"

"He is unruly and rebellious. Let him go to Ruying. Perhaps he can make a name for himself and become another Sun Ce after he grows up."

Lü Bu then asked, "What did he give you?"

"He didn't say a word, and gave nothing."

Wei Xu answered truthfully, adding, "However, such a person also seems to be capable."

“My family doesn’t need his things; all we want is his attitude.”

Lu Bu glanced at Wei Xu: "That's settled then. Go and collect three thousand shi of rice and give it to him. Liu Song is going to take up his post in Luoyang; have him lead troops to escort him."

If Zhao Ji angered him again, he would give him two thousand horses as promised on their first meeting, no less than promised.

Those two thousand horses were enough to demonstrate Zhao Ji's respect for him.

Compared to Zhao Ji, Gan Ning gave him a very poor impression.

With only three thousand men, poorly equipped and disorganized, Lü Bu had no intention of annexing them.

As a general, Gan Ning was leading troops to attack Yuan Shikai, so he couldn't skimp on the pomp and circumstance required.

Squeeze out a little grain and send it to Zhao Ji, and see how Zhao Ji will handle it.

After dealing with Gan Ning's matter, Lü Bu returned to his private chamber.

Inside the sealed room, tables and desks were pieced together, with a sand table map on top of them.

Yang Jun followed Lü Bu into the secret room and stepped forward to remove the cloth from the sand table.

Lu Bu rested his hands on the edge of the table, looking down at the sand table. He also wanted Ru Ying's summer grain.

But I want to clean Ruying up, just like I did in Nanyang.

Yuan Shu is sending people to collect grain. As long as the powerful families in the counties actively cooperate, they can be rightfully punished and exonerated later.

He was more looking forward to the Xuzhou battlefield than the potential decisive battle between Ru Ying and Chen Guo.

Xuzhou was Zhao Ji's private territory, and the appointment of officials there was basically decided by Zhao Ji's side.

He shouldn't interfere, but he can use Yuan Shu to completely destroy Xuzhou.

After Liu Bei's defeat, the generals and county magistrates of Xuzhou had no choice but to submit to Yuan Shu, who would naturally purge the Zhao clan's supporters.

Lü Bu didn't particularly want Xuzhou, but if he eliminated Zhao Ji's influence over Xuzhou, Zhao Ji would be confined to the area between Qin and Jin, lacking support from Guandong, which would be much easier to deal with.

Otherwise, Xuzhou could provide Zhao Ji with talent every year, and these people could help Zhao Ji suppress and stabilize Qin and Jin.

Zhao Ji could also use the county and prefectural official positions in Xuzhou to settle scholars from Xizhou.

Over the past six months, he has come to understand Zhao Ji's actions.

Unstable scholars were appointed to official positions in Xuzhou for detoxification and evaluation.

Scholars from Xizhou had the opportunity to serve as officials, and they would not stay in their hometown to fight against Zhao Ji.

Xuzhou served to boost Zhao Ji's reputation, act as a lubricant, and help him relieve pressure and detoxify.

Once Xuzhou is captured, Zhao Ji will have no way to shirk many responsibilities.

It wasn't that Lü Bu was particularly hostile to Zhao Ji, but rather that, given his current position, suppressing Zhao Ji was politically correct.

As an ally, preventing your ally from growing too strong is also a form of survival wisdom.

Especially since April, there has been little rainfall in Nanyang, creating a depressed and pessimistic atmosphere among the military and civilians.

Lu Bu had to prepare for the worst, and it was also because of the potential for a large-scale autumn harvest failure in Nanyang that Liu Biao and the scholars of Jingzhou dared not maintain their cooperation.

Before April, the rainfall was normal, and Liu Biao had no problems because the court and Lü Bu were able to support themselves at that time.

If there is a widespread crop failure this year, what will the million soldiers and civilians of Nanyang eat?
Should we travel thousands of miles to the Central Plains for food, or should we attack Jingzhou, which is right next door?
Climate change has led to reduced food production and poor harvests... so existing political stances must also change accordingly.

People will starve to death if they don't eat. When you're about to starve to death, who cares about covenants or long-term plans?
Lu Bu understood Liu Biao's concerns... After all, if there was a true crop failure, he would have no choice but to take action against Liu Biao.

Feeding the million soldiers and civilians of Nanyang is more important than anything else!

(End of this chapter)