Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

After sailing around the sea for a while, Gan Ning steered his ship back into the Yellow River and then returned to the sea once again. Despite receiving regular reports from Taishi Ci, there was no apparent progress. Frustrated, Gan Ning swung his large blade at a shark in the water. He was the type of person who had confidence and courage, but no patience. If you asked Gan Ning to charge into Yuan Shao’s camp, he’d do it without hesitation. But asking him to wait near the coastline for the right moment was just too much. The longer he waited, the more irritated he became.

Were it not for his confidence in Chen Xi, Gan Ning would have long lost his patience. Even so, he had already gotten so bored that he ended up fighting several battles with nearby pirates. Whether they were from the Three Hans or Gongsun Du’s forces, anyone who dared to provoke Gan Ning found themselves at the receiving end of his wrath.

As he watched merchant ships pass through his territory one by one, Gan Ning couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. When had Youzhou become so busy with merchant ships? Ship after ship carried goods such as horses, cattle, sheep, hides, medicinal herbs, and incense—anything you could imagine. On more than one occasion, Gan Ning was tempted to rob them, but he held back, reminding himself of the current situation. He even resisted his habitual urge as a career bandit to demand a toll, letting ship after ship pass through his waters unscathed.

Over the next few days, Gan Ning noticed that the number of merchant ships kept increasing, and some of them clearly weren’t suited for the open sea. These flat-bottomed boats were purely for transporting cargo, and in Gan Ning’s eyes, they were practically sailing to their doom. Yet, the merchants persisted, even hugging the coastline just to carry more goods.

”Move aside! Move aside!” Gan Ning grumbled as another merchant ship, nearly the size of his flagship, approached. Annoyed, he ordered his men to spread out and let the ship pass. He wasn’t here to rob these people, so he turned a blind eye to them. As long as they didn’t act foolishly and attack him, Gan Ning treated them like annoying flies—something to ignore as long as they didn’t bother him.

But this time was different. The merchant ship stopped not far from Gan Ning’s flagship, and a voice called out from the deck.

”Brothers over there! I’m a merchant from the Tian family. I see your ships aren’t fully loaded. Would you be willing to rent them to us? We’ll split the profits fifty-fifty!” A wealthy-looking man in silk clothes shouted from the merchant ship.

”Not interested!” Gan Ning replied bluntly.

”Come on, brothers! Let’s talk this over. The Tian family is wealthy, and we’ve brought a lot of goods to Qingzhou this time. We’re overloaded. If you lend us two ships, you can make a fortune! Qingzhou and Taishan are now gathering places for merchants from all over the world. Miss this chance, and you might never get another like it! As a fellow ship owner, would you like to join in? The Tian family is willing to offer goods as compensation!” The man shouted, pressing his case from the ship’s deck.

This man was Tian Yu’s younger brother, Tian Tian, who had no interest in anything but business. The head of the Tian family was furious at his lack of ambition, but over time, he had given up and allowed Tian Tian to do as he pleased. As a result, the Tian family’s chief steward held significant power.”You’re headed to Qingzhou? What’s going on there? Why say it’s a gathering place for merchants from all over the world?” Gan Ning had intended to drive these people away, but the man’s mention of Qingzhou piqued his interest.

”My good brother! Listen to me, and quickly follow us to Qingzhou. I promise you’ll make a fortune! Miss this opportunity, and you may never find another like it!” The man, realizing that Gan Ning was unaware of the situation, quickly explained. After all, it was common knowledge among savvy merchants that Qingzhou was currently the place to be. Whether for buying or selling, it was the ideal market.

As the man explained, Gan Ning’s thoughts began to wander. Could it be that the strategist stationed me here to protect the trade routes as well? There were plenty of pirates and bandits in this area before! If that’s the case, it’s not impossible...

”Steward Tian, I am Gan Xingba, commander of the Qingzhou navy. I am stationed here to protect the trade routes! Have you encountered any pirates or bandits on your journey?” Gan Ning laughed, fully embracing his role.

”Huh? You say you’re here to protect the trade routes?” The man was momentarily taken aback. ”Oh, I see. My ship is overloaded, and those scoundrels made off with all the ships in Youzhou. Now, I’m stuck with this slow journey to Qingzhou. Well, if General Gan is guarding the sea route, then I won’t trouble you any further.”

After speaking, the wealthy man turned to his guard and whispered, ”Yue Wen, instruct the crew to give the toll we prepared for the pirates and bandits to General Gan. We’ve had a smooth journey without any interference, and even though he didn’t ask, we should leave something as a token of appreciation.”

”Steward Tian, please proceed to Qingzhou without delay.” Gan Ning ordered his fleet to make way for the merchant ship, noting how deep the ship sat in the water. It was clear that they weren’t joking about being overloaded—Youzhou must have really run out of ships.

The merchant ship moved slowly, weighed down by its cargo.

”What’s this?” Gan Ning asked curiously as a small boat approached.

”The journey must have been exhausting for General Gan and your men. Our Tian family didn’t realize the situation before, but now that we know, please accept some food, drink, and supplies as a token of our gratitude,” the guard who had been standing beside Tian Tian replied with a smile.

”Very well.” Gan Ning stroked his chin. He wasn’t the type to stand on ceremony, and besides, he had indeed been protecting the trade routes and had taken out quite a few pirates.

”Gan Yan, take some men and use the pirate ships we captured to help transport their goods to Qingzhou. If those ships sink with all that cargo, it would be a disaster,” Gan Ning ordered after some thought. Returning favors wasn’t a bad thing, after all. Besides, his regular fleet now had more pirate ships than military ships.

”Understood!” Gan Yan saluted and accepted the order.

After the exchange, Gan Ning felt much better. It turned out he was still very important—guarding the sea, waiting for an opportunity to strike Yuan Shao, and possibly even rescuing Gongsun Zan’s forces. With so many responsibilities, the pressure didn’t weigh him down but instead fueled his burning desire for action.

Watching the Tian family’s fleet disappear into the distance, Gan Ning’s fighting spirit surged. He turned to his officers and ordered, ”Spread out! Gan Luo, Gan He, each of you take a portion of the navy and patrol the coastline. If you find any pirates or bandits, attack immediately! Anyone who dares to steal from Qingzhou will die!”

”Understood!” Gan Ning’s men shouted in unison. The navy quickly split into three groups. Gan Ning stayed behind with five hundred men, while the other two groups patrolled the coast, seeking out those who dared to disrupt Qingzhou’s trade routes. In Gan Ning’s mind, since he had accepted the role, he would fulfill it to the best of his ability. Anyone who dared to reach for Qingzhou’s wealth would have to pay the ultimate price!

As he watched his fleet sail away, a sudden sense of unease washed over Gan Ning. He shook his head to clear it and pushed the feeling aside, finally managing to quell the anxiety that had been gnawing at him.