NOVPUBThe appearance of Chen Xi piqued Zhou Yu’s interest, and the reason was simple: Chen Xi’s capabilities had been proven to many already. By now, Chen Xi had passed the phase where he needed to validate himself with military achievements or governance, as the prosperity of Mount Tai and Liu Xuande’s repeated victories were evidence enough of everything.
Of course, what was most important was that Chen Xi was only a year older than Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu was nineteen this year, and Chen Xi was twenty, both in the prime of their youth. It was precisely for this reason that Zhou Yu was even more eager to measure himself against Chen Xi. After all, only by defeating such "Sages" sung about in the world today could Zhou Yu feel the thrill of excitement.
After Chen Xi and Gan Ning led their troops to retreat, it wasn’t long before Gan Luo and Xu Sheng arrived with the four members of the Lu Family main line, along with Lul Jun’s wife.
"Patriarch Lul Kang pays his respects to Marquis of Yingshang Pavilion," Lul Kang swiftly surmised the identity of Chen Xi and Gan Ning upon meeting them.
"There’s no need for such formality, Patriarch Lu," Chen Xi responded in an even tone, his current status dictating that he couldn’t be as informal before others. "I presume this must be Lu Xun of the third generation of the Lu Family."
"The Lu Family, Lu Xun, pays his respects to Marquis of Yingshang Pavilion and to Uncle Gan," Lu Xun greeted Chen Xi and Gan Ning with extreme formality, his solemn and respectful demeanor reminding Chen Xi of Zhuge Liang.
"You’re quite impressive. Once the carriage arrives, we can leave. When we get to Chaohu Lake, I’ll introduce you to someone who is a year older than you; you can become playmates," Chen Xi said with a smile, thinking the idea of introducing Lu Xun to Zhuge Liang was truly excellent. The stimulation from two equally exceptional talents would be beneficial.
"Ji Cai, you guys are really unreliable, sigh. I rushed here all the way, and if you had held out for one more hour, we would have certainly defeated Sun Ce with a pincer movement. How could you not hold on for just one more hour? Such a waste," Gan Ning turned his head and said to Lul Jun, looking dissatisfied, "Even if the city fell, you should have left me a message. After all the trouble I went through to find you, sigh, if it weren’t for today, I would have left."
"My father was injured in the battle at Lujiang City; how could we have moved him lightly under such circumstances?" Lul Jun shook his head and said, "However, catching you just as you were about to leave is enough to show that destiny links us. We plan to go to Mount Tai—won’t you give us a lift?" Familiarity with Gan Ning had eased Lul Jun’s usual stiffness.
"I told you to come with me to Mount Tai earlier. No one there would dare touch you. But now, let’s not talk about such upsetting matters. We’ve gathered everyone; money lost can be earned back," Gan Ning said bluntly, making Lul Jun roll his eyes in exasperation. There was an undertone of mockery in these words said aloud, but thankfully, Lul Jun knew Gan Ning’s straightforward nature well; despite his personality, he wasn’t a bad person.
"Forget it, I’ll tell you later. The Lu Family is left with so few people; why would we need so much money?" Lul Jun shook his head, knowing the Lu Family’s core technologies and craftsmen were still with them. What was lost was just the facade; there was nothing they couldn’t endure. 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝔬𝔪
"Alright, enough talk. Help your uncle and sister-in-law into the carriage quickly. Once we’re on my turf, we can chat properly," Gan Ning looked at the carriage Xu Sheng pulled up and then remembering the promise he made to Xu Sheng, shamelessly said to Lul Jun, "This General Xu is the one who caught Lu Liang. Without him, I wouldn’t have found you. Remember to thank him."
As he spoke, Gan Ning extended his large hand and patted Lul Jun’s shoulder formally, immediately conveying his meaning. The expression in his eyes and the look on his face were the same as the last time when he didn’t have enough money to pay while changing boats, the same as when he ran a tab.
"Hahaha, Xingba, rest assured, rest assured." After helping his father, his younger brother, and his wife onto the horse carriage, Lu Jun laughed heartily. Then, turning to Xu Sheng, he said, "General Xu, my thanks for before. My Lul Family is currently amidst some inconveniences, but once we reach Mount Tai, my Lul Family will send a generous gift your way."
"I wouldn’t dare accept it. I wouldn’t dare," Xu Sheng repeatedly waved his hands. Although he did not know what the generous gift Lu Jun mentioned was, he had no intention of accepting gifts, especially in front of Chen Xi and Gan Ning. "It is merely part of my duties, and moreover, General Gan has already promoted my official position."
Actually, a garrison commander commands more people than a ship captain, but for the Navy, three land-based garrison commanders without ships are not as powerful as one ship captain with a ship. Besides, Gan Ning had promised to get Xu Sheng a ship, and then add a bunch of small sails—just enough to create a small fleet. That certainly beat being a garrison commander.
"Just take it, you," Gan Ning and Chen Xi each put a hand on Xu Sheng’s shoulder, saying so. With the old man Lu Kang gone, Chen Xi no longer needed to maintain the demeanor of a gentle, Erya-schooled gentleman.
"Oh, in that case, I congratulate General Xu on your promotion first. It’s Xingba’s affair to promote you, but our Lul Family’s return gift is a matter of our own," Lu Jun said with a smile, deciding to still invest some effort in Xu Sheng, as it was clear that Xu Sheng had caught the eye of Gan Ning and Chen Xi.
After saying this, Lu Jun didn’t bother with anything else and got onto the horse carriage. Xu Sheng stood there silently, almost feeling as if a pie had fallen from the sky, while the others looked on with a touch of envy. Over time, they had come to recognize Xu Sheng’s abilities, and although they were astonished by the speed of his promotion, they hadn’t done anything to disrupt the harmony.
"Let’s go, Wen Xiang, you probably don’t know what the Lul Family’s so-called gift is," Lu Jun said as he got into the wagon, and the army set off again. Chen Xi rode over to the man who should have been a renowned general of the Wu State, saying with a smile.
"I really don’t," admitted the young man, somewhat embarrassed. "Actually, I have no qualms about receiving gifts, but I would not wish to accept something that comes from an improper source."
"Oh, is that so?" Chen Xi smiled, his opinion of Xu Sheng rising a little. "Actually, the gift Lul Jicai mentioned is the warship you’ve always wanted. Xingba made you a promise, which he couldn’t fulfill, but he understands Lul Jicai’s character. He’s very clear that when the time comes, the Lul Family will fulfill this promise."
"Huh?" Xu Sheng looked at Chen Xi with a slightly peculiar expression. "Sage, are you saying that our armed forces don’t actually have a reserve of warships?"
"Do you think that with Xingba’s temperament, if he had a reserve of warships, he wouldn’t have used them by now? Our warships are all newly built by the Lul Family. Just wait, when the Lul Family rebuilds the shipyard in Donglai, the first ship made will be yours. All the effort we’ve put in, it’s not unrelated to the technical skills controlled by the Lul Family," Chen Xi said, sighing, and then extended his hand, "Do well, you’ll become an excellent Naval Commander. I have high hopes for you."
"Thank you for the praise, Sage. I’ll strive to become an excellent Naval Commander," Xu Sheng stated solemnly, thinking to himself, "A new ship, a ship that may accompany me through battles for the second half of my life... that would be perfect. I’ll personally inspect it when the time comes, hoping it will be to my complete satisfaction." (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
