Gan Ning grabbed Taishi Ci's arm, and with a few leaps, they covered over a hundred meters. They turned into an alley before the Gongsun infantry stationed outside had any chance to react. By the time Gongsun Zan and his men furiously emerged from the rubble, Gan Ning and Taishi Ci were long gone.
"Search for them! If you find Gan Ning, kill him on sight!" Gongsun Zan roared in fury, having made up his mind to eliminate the insolent Gan Ning who dared to challenge him.
"My lord, please reconsider!" Tian Kai immediately stepped forward to intervene. "Gan Xingba is a top general under Liu Xuande and has indeed rendered us great assistance. Although he has provoked you, why not turn a blind eye to show your magnanimity?"
Gongsun Zan glared coldly at Tian Kai before turning his head to gaze at the sky. "And where does that leave me? I'll capture Gan Ning and hand him over to Liu Xuande for an explanation!"
Tian Kai was stunned. How could Gongsun Zan think like this?
"Report, my lord!" Just as Tian Kai was about to continue his plea, a messenger rushed in. "My lord, General Zou reports that our troops stationed outside Zhuo County have run out of provisions. Please urge the Governor to release supplies, or we may face a mutiny."
"What?! That old fool Liu Bo'an dares to withhold my supplies! All generals, follow me to confront that old bastard Liu Bo'an!" Gongsun Zan roared in rage, instantly forgetting about Gan Ning and addressing the crowd.
Tian Kai breathed a sigh of relief. He believed that Gongsun Zan, embarrassed by Gan Ning's earlier actions, now had an excuse to step down thanks to Liu Yu's interference. With this thought, Tian Kai couldn't help but curse Gan Ning for being so tactless. If he had just shown a bit of humility earlier, the situation could have been resolved peacefully. Now there was a thorn between both sides.
Gongsun Zan might not have been aware of the situation in Youzhou, but Tian Kai, stationed at the rear, knew it well. Youzhou had been receiving a steady flow of provisions from Liu Bei, though the quantity wasn't large, it was consistent. This showed that Liu Bei had no ill intentions toward Gongsun Zan. Given this, why offend their strongest ally over a moment of frustration? Was Gongsun Zan tired of living?
Of course, Tian Kai wasn't trying to exonerate Gan Ning either. After all, from his perspective, if Gan Ning could burn Yuan Shao's provisions, why didn't he act sooner? Instead, he waited until after Gongsun Zan's defeat, which made Tian Kai very displeased. The same sentiment was shared by many generals in Youzhou after hearing about Gan Ning's feat.
"My lord, Liu Bo'an is ultimately a nuisance. Since we are now stationed at Zhuo County, why not..." Shan Jing suggested an idea that, although foolish, excited everyone present.
"Hmph, I've been fed up with Liu Bo'an for a long time. Not only did he secretly pass information to Yuan Shao, but now he dares to withhold my supplies!" A hint of madness flashed in Gongsun Zan's eyes. Shan Jing's suggestion matched his current thinking perfectly!
Meanwhile, on the other side, Gan Ning and Taishi Ci had leapt into a small courtyard. When they had entered the city, it was just the two of them; the rest of the men had been sent by Gan Ning to contact his main naval force. If they had more people, Gan Ning wouldn't have been so reckless.
"Xingba! How could you speak to General Gongsun like that?" As soon as they landed, Taishi Ci grabbed Gan Ning's arm and threw him aside, furious at Gan Ning's earlier actions.
"Hmph! What right does Gongsun Zan have to deal with me?" Gan Ning flipped in midair, adjusted his stance, and landed with a proud expression. "If it weren't for me, he might have already been captured and beheaded. Besides, I was following orders from my lord. I'm a subordinate of Lord Xuande, not Gongsun Zan! Who does he think he is?"
"But we are allies. Lord Xuande relied on General Gongsun's assistance to..." Taishi Ci couldn't finish his sentence.
"Hmph, that was in the past. I've heard about the Battle of Hulao Pass, but what's the big deal about three or five thousand infantry and cavalry? If it were the White Horse General of old, who kept the borderlands safe, I would endure the humiliation. But look at Gongsun Zan now! Does he still have that heroic spirit? He suspects us! With that attitude, who does he think he is?" Gan Ning sneered repeatedly.
"Xingba, calm down!" Taishi Ci, although educated, was no match for Gan Ning's sharp tongue, leaving him speechless. He could only try to calm Gan Ning down.
"Forget it, forget it. Good intentions taken for donkey's liver and lungs. I won't come to help again. What does Gongsun Zan's life or death have to do with me?" Gan Ning said irritably. "Ziyi, let's find a time to leave tonight. I originally planned to buy some white fox and white deer pelts in Youzhou as gifts for our lord and the strategist, but now my good mood is ruined!"
Taishi Ci was about to say that he had other tasks when Gan Ning changed his expression and asked with a smile, "Ziyi, do you know when the strategist is getting married? The exact date? I thought I missed it last time, but now it's been postponed. No one told me when it is."
"On the 28th of the intercalary eleventh month," Taishi Ci replied after thinking for a moment.
"Oh, there's still plenty of time. How about you come with me to catch a kun fish as a wedding gift for the strategist? Last time, the kun I killed didn't produce the Bright Moon Pearl because a bunch of damned fish ate it. How about it this time?" Gan Ning proposed a crazy idea—he wanted to hunt a mythical beast!
"..." Taishi Ci smiled wryly. This man was indeed bold, daring to challenge anything. But that was a mythical creature. If they encountered a strong one, even the two of them might not survive.
"Xingba, I have other tasks. I need to stay in Zhuo County and find an opportunity to take Liu Bo'an away!" Taishi Ci said helplessly. "I came to Youzhou with two missions: one was to protect General Gongsun, and the other was to take Liu Bo'an away if Gongsun Zan tried to kill him. My mission isn't finished yet."
"I see. I'll stay with you then," Gan Ning said after thinking for a moment. "That kun fish is really tough. If I go alone, half my fleet might sink again. With you, I'll have more confidence. The Bright Moon Pearl is a pair; we can each have one and give them as gifts. How about it?" It seemed that Gan Ning was determined to deal with the kun.
"Alright, we're already at odds with General Gongsun. With you around, it'll be easier to escape when the time comes. Let's just hope Gongsun Zan doesn't station too many crossbowmen on the city walls. If the clouds of arrows connect, it'll be troublesome for us to break out," Taishi Ci sighed.
"Don't worry. Gongsun Bogui doesn't have many men left. If he's going to kill Liu Bo'an, he won't mobilize a large force. There won't be that many archers. When the time comes, we'll each grab one of Liu Bo'an's arms and jump out of the city. But we need to be careful when Gongsun Zan makes his move, so I can position my navy," Gan Ning said with practiced ease.
Taishi Ci looked at Gan Ning, who awkwardly waved his hand. "I'm just used to it. After all, this was my main line of work before—stalking wealthy households and such. Just a professional habit."