Tiger Guards

Chapter 721 Three Bowls of Tea
The following day at noon, Gan Ning led a thousand cavalrymen along the official road of the Hui River.

Gan Ning was in a bad mood the whole way, not because of anything else, but because the cavalry battalion that Han Meng and Wei Xing had promised to give him was delayed.

But he was in a hurry to return to the Pingyang camp and could not stay in Hanoi to argue with the two men.

The reasons given by these two men were relatively valid: the cavalry must be sent back to the Pingyang camp and then transferred to Gan Ning by Grand Tutor Zhao.

After all, none of the military dispatches sent by the shogunate to Hanoi required Gan Ning to hand over the goods on the spot.

Gan Ning always felt that he was being targeted by former colleagues from Hedong and surrendered generals from the north.

As one of the very few generals from the south, Gan Ning's position and situation in the army were always relatively lonely.

When they were thirty miles from Jiangyi, Gan Ning’s scout squad arrived on horseback. The captain was in a panic: “General, the Grand Tutor is holding a banquet at the Xintian military camp. The curtains have been set up on the north bank of the river!”

"Master?"

Gan Ning's stiff expression immediately came to life, and he pressed, "Who else?"

"Only the Grand Tutor's canopy was visible; the banners of Protector Pei, Chief Secretary Zhang, and Military Advisor Jia were nowhere to be seen."

The scout officer answered urgently, and Gan Ning also did not expect that Zhao Ji would cross the Fen River and come to Jiangyi to welcome him.

The unpleasantness that had been weighing on his heart vanished instantly. He turned to his subordinate commander and said, "You all proceed in order. I am going to pay my respects to the Grand Tutor."

"Here!"

The commander bowed and accepted. Gan Ning then spurred his horse and led the army column away, followed by dozens of his personal cavalrymen, separating from the main force.

After standing by the roadside for a dozen breaths, a group of spare horses, being led and driven, approached from behind. Gan Ning immediately changed horses and then led his guards westward at breakneck speed.

When crossing the Huishui Bridge, one can see in the distance the old camp where the elite troops once gathered.

Gan Ning spurred his horse and galloped away. He turned his head to observe for a moment and couldn't help but feel impressed by Grand Tutor Zhuo Qun's wisdom and courage once again.

East of Jiangyi City, at Xintian Military Camp, which is the southern camp area within the Pingyang Grand Camp system.

When troops are assembled, they should be dispersed as much as possible and occupy different areas. This will increase the efficiency of resource extraction and reduce dependence on external resource transportation and supplies.

By being as self-sufficient as possible, the various armies stationed along the river could also reduce the pressure and waste of logistical transportation.

Outside the camp, on the riverbank, Zhao Ji set up a triple curtain. The central curtain had a simple wooden platform built on it, with the opening facing the wide, flat riverbed.

On the riverbank, two groups of warriors, dressed only in sleeveless leather armor, one with a red turban on their heads and the other with a blue turban, were wrestling and fighting over a soft, heavy leather ball that symbolized the head of an enemy general.

This ball is made by sewing together layers of scrap leather, with a stone in the center.

Unlike Cuju, this game of scrambling and throwing the ball has no rules whatsoever and is full of violence and unpredictable tactical maneuvering.

Just twenty paces away, in Zhao Ji's eyes, these warriors selected from the army were nothing special.

It wasn't that he was arrogant; these warriors were rarely taller than nine feet, usually just over eight feet, and some were even shorter than eight feet. Their advantage lay in their robust physique and large, round waists, making them well-suited for attacking the enemy's lower body.

In terms of physical strength and explosive power, these people standing in front of Zhao Ji were like middle school students bullying elementary school students.

Moreover, whenever Zhao Ji stared intently at them, the various fighting and snatching movements of these warriors became slow motion.

When they played the ball-grabbing game with him, they could barely catch Zhao Ji's clothes, and Zhao Ji nimbly weaved through the crowd.

Therefore, Zhao Ji tried his best to use ordinary eyesight to watch the game of competition.

When he sees some particularly well-coordinated moments, he will clap and cheer, trying his best to immerse himself in the fun of watching the game.

Even if he praises someone highly, he will not arbitrarily reward or promote outstanding warriors or squads.

Wen Hui stood behind him on the wooden ladder. Upon hearing the news, he quickly stepped forward to Zhao Ji's right side and cupped his hands in greeting: "Grand Tutor, General Fubo is on horseback and has arrived outside the curtain."

“Gongyou is down below; have him go and greet them.”

After making the arrangements, Zhao Ji changed his sitting posture, leaning against the right armrest, making his posture appear more casual and arrogant.

A short while later, Gan Ning arrived, slightly out of breath. He quickly climbed the wooden ladder to the platform, then followed Wen Hui past the simple screen behind Zhao Ji, and came before him, bowing deeply: "This humble general Gan Ning greets the Grand Tutor. May the Grand Tutor enjoy boundless blessings." "Xingba, please take a seat and have some tea."

Zhao Ji then adjusted his posture, sitting upright and pointing to the empty table slightly lower on his left. Gan Ning looked up and saw that the table was the same as Zhao Ji's, with the same wine and dishes on it. The only difference was the chair.

Zhao Ji's chair was wide and large, a typical grand master's chair, while Gan Ning was left with a common square stool.

"This humble general obeys the order and thanks the Grand Tutor for the seat."

Gan Ning thanked him and bowed. After getting up, he was led to his seat by Wen Hui. As soon as he sat down, Zhao Ji said, "Xingba must be tired from his journey. Please have a bowl of cool tea first."

Upon hearing this, Wen Hui bowed and presented Gan Ning with a bowl of cool tea hidden under a saucer, saying, "General Fubo, this was left by the Grand Tutor."

"Grand Tutor, you are so kind to me, I am deeply grateful."

As Gan Ning spoke, he held up the teacup with both hands, tilted his head back, and gulped it down. This was a large bowl for eating, and Gan Ning drank five mouthfuls before finishing it, feeling a slight sense of fullness.

Then Zhao Ji said, "Wenman, bring another bowl of warm tea."

"Here."

Wen Hui then took out a large bowl of cool tea from under the plate, picked up the kettle from the small stove on Gan Ning's table, poured hot water into the tea bowl to make warm tea, and once again patiently handed it to Gan Ning with both hands.

After drinking a bowl of cool tea, Gan Ning, who had ridden his horse to this place, felt slightly sweaty and refreshed.

After accepting the bowl of warm tea, Gan Ning wanted to thank Zhao Ji again, but Zhao Ji simply raised the bowl and gestured for him to drink first, which Gan Ning then drank heartily.

The aroma of the warm tea was even stronger when it entered the mouth. After the warm taste entered the stomach, Gan Ning felt his pores open up, and waves of warmth arose and spread from his lungs and heart. He felt exceptionally comfortable, and his fatigue seemed to disappear.

At this moment, Wen Hui picked up the kettle again and began to brew hot tea for Gan Ning.

After Wen Hui stepped aside, Zhao Ji asked, "Xingba looked displeased when he first arrived. Who provoked him?"

Gan Ning was just picking up a cup of hot tea and smelling its aroma when he immediately put it down and replied, "I dare not conceal this from the Grand Tutor. It was Generals Wei and Han. The two battalions of cavalry that should have been handed over to me were insisted on being handed over in Pingyang, and they refused to hand them over to me in person in Hanoi."

Seeing that Zhao Ji was listening patiently, Gan Ning said, "This humble general and Supervisor Xiahou also have documents in hand. Fortunately, there is no war in Hanoi at present. The two of them are stubborn and inflexible. If they encounter war and the situation becomes critical, wouldn't that delay important matters?"

"Hehe, Xingba, ask yourself honestly, if there were a war, would those two be acting like this?"

Zhao Ji picked up his chopsticks and gestured for Gan Ning to start eating. He continued, "Han Meng and Wei Xing also sent military dispatches. They were concerned that the vegetation at Zhiguan Pass would be sparse after the spring, making it difficult for the horses to find food during a large-scale march. Actually, they weren't targeting Xingba, but rather they were being overly critical of details after the Pei family's rebellion, in order to avoid making any mistakes."

Upon hearing this, Gan Ning looked relieved, took out a handkerchief to wipe his cheek, and nodded slowly: "It was this humble general who was impatient."

“I understand Hung Ba’s feelings. With the stalemate in Hanoi, Hung Ba is eager to fight and establish merit. This is the sentiment of the soldiers and officers. How could I not know it?”

Zhao Ji didn't just talk to Gan Ning; even when speaking face-to-face with low-ranking officials, he wouldn't use any particular tone or mannerisms.

His voice was calm: "In the stalemate in Hanoi, Yuan Shao and Sun Ce have both gained something, as has our army. We have been relieved of the predicament of being surrounded on two sides and eliminated the internal strife. Relatively speaking, although Xingba has no military achievements in Hanoi, he has been of great benefit to the long-term situation."

"This was the Grand Tutor's plan. I was just doing my duty in garrisoning Hanoi and dare not claim credit for it."

"Xingba, there's no need to be so modest."

Zhao Ji raised his wine cup in a gesture of respect: "I will not forget the merit of not fighting in Hanoi. Now that we are about to wage war in Liaodong, Xingba must do his best. When I return from Jinyang, Xingba must train a strong, all-around army that excels in chariots, cavalry, ships, and archery!"

Gan Ning held up the wine cup with both hands, feigning difficulty: "Grand Tutor, the soldiers have limited talent, and I fear it will be difficult for this humble general to master it in a few months."

"If Xingba has any vacancies, write to Chief Secretary Zhang to explain the situation. Zhang will then dispatch brave and capable men from various camps to fill the vacancies. In this way, we can expect to see results within three months?"

"If it fails, I will bring you my head!"

Having said that, Gan Ning tilted his head back and drank the wine, finishing it in one gulp.

Zhao Ji smiled and said, "Xingba, just do your best."

After saying that, he took a small sip of his drink and gestured for Gan Ning to have a meal.

(End of this chapter)