Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 251 Attracting all nations to pay homage to China, governing thousands of people to cleanse their robes and hats.

On the other side, in Jingzhou, the river flowed turbulently, its turbid waves crashing against the warships on both banks, causing them to rise and fall.

On the south bank, Yuan Jun's naval camp launched a massive fleet of warships that surged forward, while on the north bank, the Jingzhou navy was not to be outdone, raising their brocade sails one after another.

On the lead boat, Gan Ning, dressed in brocade robes, held his sword horizontally and looked up at the approaching enemy on the opposite bank, squinting at him. He said to Zhang Yun:

Why is Zhang Gong hesitating to move forward?

"Let me witness how I slay this general, thus proclaiming my glorious name."

Zhang Yun smiled and repeatedly agreed, but only he knew the panic in his heart.

Some time ago, he was fighting Jiang Qin on the Yangtze River. With the help of Gan Ning, he won one battle after another and almost drove Jiang Qin out of the Jingzhou waterway and into the Jiangdong region.

Can.
While they were still pressing their advantage, news came from Xiangyang that their lord had misplaced his trust in a scoundrel, and his army had been handed over to a bunch of rats. The 100,000 Jing soldiers were terrified and retreated.

Now Xiangyang has fallen, Cao Cao has fled, and even his own lord has been defeated and surrendered, and is being tried in the capital.

Upon hearing the devastating news, Zhang Yun felt his mind go blank, and for a moment he didn't know what to say or do.
We are still fighting to the death, why did you surrender first, my lord!

He had no choice but to suppress the news for the time being and dared not tell anyone else, otherwise his 20,000-strong Jingzhou navy would collapse without a fight.

However, before he could recover from the news, figure out a solution, or figure out what to do next, he was still in shock.

The Yuan army, which had been suffering repeated defeats, actually launched an attack.

At this moment, they faced Gan Ning, who was determined to fight and kill the enemy, vowing to slay generals and raise the banner to make his name known.

Zhang Yun opened his mouth several times, but didn't know how to speak.

After all, Gan Ning had been invited several times by his own people to the waterways of Sichuan and Chongqing, and it took a lot of persuasion to convince him to come and help.

Now, things have turned out differently. Gan Ning has come from afar to lend his full support, and in more than ten battles, large and small, he has killed several of Jiang Qin's generals, destroyed three warships, and countless smaller boats and warships.

And what happened? Now we're telling them we fought for nothing, and that our lord, who called for our help, has already surrendered.

This...this is just playing a joke on people, isn't it?

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yun feared that Gan Ning would turn around and chop him down with his sword, just as Gan Ning would kill a general and raise a flag to demonstrate his heroic reputation.

"General Gan, what's the news about this military expedition?"

"General Zhang, please don't say any more. I know that Yuan's army is cunning and Jiang Qin is skilled in naval warfare. They are not easy to deal with either. I will be careful."

"General, please take your seat and witness how I will defeat the enemy."

Zhang Yun: "."

No, the problem we have now isn't about whether or not we can defeat the enemy.

Helpless, Gan Ning didn't wait for Zhang Yun to consider his words. With his order, dozens of brocade-sailed pirate ships sailed in formation.

Gan Ning stepped onto the bow of the boat and suddenly raised the command flag in his hand. Hundreds of oars plunged into the water at the same time, and turbid waves lapped against the side of the boat. The brocade sails fluttered in the wind, and the shouts of the water bandits mingled with the sound of the oars striking the water, creating a melodious sound.

"The brocade sails cut through the vast waters"

Men are born to kill!
For a thousand miles, where there are no chickens, people eat each other.
The official on the shore returned in brocade robes.

Smash the glass mirror bit by bit.
The delicacies were poured onto the plate and buried in the water!
Dragon King, please open your eyes!
Today's wild behavior wasn't caused by their parents.

He'll have to rebel when pushed to the forefront!

After the last shout, dozens of ships shouted in unison, and grappling hooks were used to climb onto the ship's side. The pirates used their feet to push off and climb onto the ship.

A group of water ghosts jumped into the water and swam to the bottom of the ship, intending to destroy it and kill everyone on board.

At that moment, only a few panicked shouts could be heard from the ship!
"Misunderstand!
Could the visitors be the Gan brothers, Gan Xingba and Gan Xingba?
The flood washed away the Dragon King Temple; it's like family members meeting each other!
"Quickly stop showing off your skills; I, Old Xing, know absolutely nothing about water skills."

Then a cold shout was heard.

"Who's family to you?"

As they spoke, a figure in brocade robes appeared, bells jingling at his waist, and leaped onto the boat, pulling on a hook and chain.

It was Gan Ning!

He looked up at the man standing at the bow of the ship. He saw that the man was big and burly, strong and powerful, a true warrior.

His eyes lit up. "Well done! Thief, state your name. I'm going to use you to make a name for myself today."

"Hey, Xingba, we're family."

To be frank, I am none other than Xing Daorong, the General of Lingling, who is one of the candidates for the adopted son of the King of Han!
The King of Han once said he wished to adopt Xingba and his brothers as his seventh adopted son. Once you enter the family, won't you be part of the family?

“What a mess?

Take this!

kill! "

Gan Ning frowned, only half understanding what he was hearing, but he did realize that the person in front of him was Xing Daorong, who was known as the number one general in Jingzhou.

I had heard before that this man was secretly colluding with Yuan Shikai, which led to the great defeat at Lingling. Now that I have met him, how can I not be happy?

"The top general of Jingzhou? That's a perfect way to prove my illustrious name!"

He rushed forward with his knife and slashed at Xing Daorong.

Xing Daorong never imagined that someone would be so unmoved by the King of Han's desire to adopt a son, and whose desire to attack was so strong that he only wanted to kill the enemy.

He just couldn't understand why someone who had just been invited from Bashu would work so hard if Liu Biao had already surrendered.

You're already at your wit's end, and instead of rushing to surrender, you beat me up.

Xing Daorong had no choice but to raise his pear blossom axe to parry, but he was no match for Gan Ning. After only three exchanges, he was already in grave danger.

Fortunately, just as he was about to swallow his pride and cry for help, he heard a call coming from a ship not far away.

"General Gan, please stop."

The situation was hopeless; Zhang had already surrendered.

Gan Ning: “???”

When he turned around blankly, he saw a large ship bearing the Chinese character "Han" rushing towards him.

Above, Zhang Yun, with a smile on his face, was holding hands with a general dressed in Yuan's army armor, and they were chatting happily.

Gan Ning: @#&*!

It turned out that unlike Xing Daorong who came from Gan Ning's place, Cai Mao was on the ship heading towards Zhang Yun's direction!
Cai Mao and Zhang Yun had worked together for many years and were very close.

If it were someone else, Zhang Yun might have hesitated and pretended to be reserved, waiting for a way out, and then used his 20,000 online trolls to dictate the price.

But who would have thought that the one who came to persuade them to surrender was their own good brother and comrade-in-arms, Cai Mao!
What is there for Zhang Yun to hesitate about?
In particular, upon learning that Cai Mao was doing very well under the command of the King of Han and had been nominated for a position, he was working hard to become the King of Han's adopted son.

When he heard Cai Mao say, "Brother, please help me out. I'm only three minor merits away from making one major merit," he was overjoyed.

When I become the adopted son of the King of Han in the future, I will certainly not betray the kindness shown to me today.

Good friend, lend a hand!
What else is there to say?

Knowing that his family was not isolated and helpless under Yuan Jun's command, and that his elder brother Cai Mao would be his support in the future.

Zhang Yun immediately offered his assistance!

He led his 20,000 naval troops to surrender with courtesy, which became two minor merits on Cai Mao's list of achievements.

As the boat approached, Cai Mao saw Xing Daorong being beaten badly by Gan Ning and laughed loudly, "Brother Xing, it seems that the credit here has already been mine. Brother Xing, you should look for credit elsewhere."

Having narrowly escaped death from Gan Ning's blade, Xing Daorong looked at Cai Mao's smug face with a frustrated expression.

How come Yuan Gong's "Help-Up Merit Register" is tainted with cheating? Without a good friend offering a helping hand, this really won't work.

Should we look elsewhere?
During this period, with Liu Biao's surrender and Yuan Shao's establishment of Jingzhou, the two of them, as the top surrendered officials in Jingzhou, had long regarded the remaining counties in the nine commanderies of Jingxiang that had not yet been recovered as an achievement of helping their friends and relatives.

This is the last place Zhang Yun and Gan Ning have come to. Once they pass this village, there will never be another treasure trove like Jingzhou where they can quickly accumulate merit.

With this in mind, Xing Daorong, almost earnestly, once again advised Gan Ning.

“Brother Xingba, as you have seen, Liu Biao has now surrendered, and the tide has turned. In the vast Jingzhou, there is no place for you to stay.”

Why should we risk our lives for Liu Biao? We might as well surrender to the King of Han and become his adopted sons, just like us.

Didn't you want to make your name known throughout the world? I secretly suspect that the King of Han might bestow upon you a title of king and a record of your merits in the future.

"You've helped me today, and I can help you in the future. In Yuanying, it's all about having more friends and more options. Trust me, Lao Xing, this time; I promise I won't let you down."

Gan Ning: “???”

Who am I? Where am I? Why are all the people here so strange?

I want to go back to Sichuan!

Although Gan Ning found it all rather strange and confusing, he had witnessed the surrender of General Zhang Yun's main force of 20,000 naval troops halfway through the battle.

I also heard that Liu Biao of Jingzhou in Xiangyang had already surrendered, and I was also surprised to hear that Yuan Gong of Huainan across the river had declared himself king, and even called himself the King of Han.
Gan Ning: Am I still in the Han Dynasty?
I was excitedly called over from Sichuan to help out, and we were just getting into the game when suddenly my teammates started groaning in despair. I looked around and saw that they had all surrendered.

With just this few Jin Fan thieves, how could he possibly fight a ghost?
Just as he was drawing his sword and looking around in confusion, Xing Daorong persuaded him, and he finally sighed and had no choice but to go with him to pay respects to the Prince of Han.

Otherwise, on this vast river, there were only Yuan's troops or surrendered Yuan troops. How could his mere Jin Fan bandits possibly survive?
Nanyang, Wancheng.

When Xing Daorong, Cai Mao, Zhang Yun, Gan Ning and their entourage returned to Wancheng, they announced their arrival to see the Prince of Han.

When the attendants announced the arrival of the emperor, they happened to see a handsome young man wearing a bronze mask leading a young man in fine clothes away.

Everyone was puzzled, and Xing Daorong hurriedly asked the attendant leading the way beside him.

"Who is this person? I've never seen him before."

Since Xing Daorong had often drunk with others and made many friends after arriving at Yuan's camp, his attendants, knowing his reputation, dared not underestimate him and quickly replied:

"This man is Li Dian, a general who surrendered from Cao Cao's camp and was posthumously granted the title of General Who Pacifies the West by imperial decree."

The person beside him was even more distinguished, none other than the current Prince of Lu.

He had previously been defeated by Lu Dudu, a disciple of the king, in the State of Lu. After surrendering, he personally led the King of Lu here, presumably to discuss with the king when to return to Shouchun and establish a council of princes.

What was said without malice was taken seriously by the listeners. Not to mention Cai Mao and Xing Daorong, even the two newly surrendered officials, Zhang Yun and Gan Ning, were all taken aback.

After all, Cao Cao's trusted confidants, the General Who Pacifies the West appointed by the imperial court, have now surrendered to the King of Han, let alone them.
No longer daring to be arrogant or underestimating others, he felt more and more that his previous decision was not wrong, and that surrendering to the King of Han was indeed the general trend of the world today, and that it was necessary to restore the Han Dynasty.

Instead, Xing Daorong couldn't help but sigh softly, "If I had known this would happen, why would I have troubled General Li Dian to make this trip?"
Xing was supposed to travel to the State of Lu, and he asked Governor Lu for a helping hand.

"."

Everyone fell silent and quietly distanced themselves from him.

The candlelight in the main hall was dim.

As the group entered the hall, only the sound of a bronze chime could be heard.

Looking up, they saw a hazy figure on the high platform, amidst swirling clouds and mist. The figure closed its eyes, slowly lowered the hand that had been holding the chime, and then slowly opened its eyes, its strange and deep gaze settling on the group.

Xing Daorong and the others were startled and dared not look up. They quickly bowed and replied:

"Your Majesty, Zhang Yun has been persuaded by Mao and has now led the Jingzhou navy to surrender." "Thanks to Your Majesty's good fortune, I, Xiao Xing, have successfully carried out my mission and brought him back to Gan Ning."

On the high platform, Yuan Shu nodded slightly and smiled at Zhang Yun first.

"As the saying goes, those who understand the times are heroes, and Zhang Qing can be called a hero."

Zhang Yun bowed deeply, saying, "As a defeated general, I am ashamed and unworthy of such praise."

I humbly request the King of Han to accept me into his service.

Yuan Shu did not answer, but looked at Gan Ning, his smile widening.

"Is Xingba also willing to surrender?"

Gan Ning, his neck stiff, still spoke with some resentment, "I was not defeated. All my allies surrendered. It was not a fault of the battle."

If the King of Han grants my permission to return to Jinfan, to roam freely on the rivers and lakes, and to live idly in the countryside, I would be eternally grateful and would never dare to offend Yuan's army again.

Yuan Shu scoffed at this.

“To ride in a small boat, gliding across the rivers and lakes, and to return to the countryside and fields, without leaving a name for posterity, is this the way of a great man?”

A great man can ride a horse that is tens of feet high, build a nine-story building, and cross water as if it were flat ground.

They travel in and out of rivers, lakes, and seas, accompanied by countless people.

When the invaders attacked, the feudal lords avoided their sharp edge, returned home when their gains were exhausted, and the people were grateful for their kindness and righteousness.

This was a great pirate at sea, who conquered the barbarians of various islands, brought all nations and states to pay homage to China, and governed thousands of peoples and clans to be adorned in their official robes.

Though this body may perish, its name will be recorded in history!

Upon hearing this, Gan Ning was also captivated by the exploits of the maritime pirates described by Yuan Shu, but still harbored doubts and couldn't help but ask.

"Is what the King of Han said true? How can there be ten thousand nations and states on the sea? How can a large ship build a nine-story building?"

Yuan Shu smiled and asked in return, "Does Xingba know General Hai Gong and General Long Gong?"

"Of course I've heard it!"
Hai Gong and Long Gong started as river bandits, raiding across the four seas, plundering the feudal lords, dividing the grain in the treasuries, and bringing peace to the world.

He is a role model for us all; I regret never having met him, and my heart yearns to emulate him.

As Gan Ning spoke, he seemed to understand something and stared blankly at Lord Yuan.

Yuan Shu nodded. "This General Hai is none other than Jiang Qin, who fought against you earlier."

General Long Gong is my fifth adopted son, Zhao Yun, Zhao Zilong. It's a pity he's not by my side; otherwise, with his assistance, Jiang Qin might not have lost to you.

As Yuan Shu spoke, he asked again:
"I hereby grant you the position of Admiral, with the authority to plunder rebellious lords and invade treacherous rebel armies, to roam the four seas, and to act as you see fit. What do you say?"

Ordered to plunder?

Gan Ning's eyes lit up when he heard about this, and he readily agreed, bowing and paying his respects.

"I am willing to die for the King of Han."

"Not for myself, but for the Son of Heaven, for the state, for the common people, and for restoring the Han Dynasty."

After Yuan Shu finished speaking, he chuckled lightly.

"His skill and courage were unmatched in his time, a rarity in this era."

If I had a son like Xingba, what more could I ask for?

Gan Ning: "."

Yuan Gong's reputation for taking in adopted sons was renowned throughout the land, so he was not surprised. Since they had already joined his ranks, he could not refuse any longer and immediately bowed and paid his respects.

"Ning greets Father."

Subsequently, Yuan Shu appointed Zhang Yun as his deputy general, ordering him to lead his naval forces to assist Gan Ning in resuming his old duties, including transporting supplies to Youzhou to plunder the various warlords.

After everyone had taken their leave, Yuan Shu lowered his eyes slightly and asked the servant.

"How long has Cao Anmin been kneeling? Bring him to me."

(End of this chapter)