Mi Fang couldn't help but feel embarrassed after hearing Gan Ning's words. Among the entire navy, he was the one most enthusiastic about sneaking personal goods onto the ships. Being a wealthy man, he often spent his own money to provide extra meals for the soldiers. Because of this generosity, the navy, which had roots as water pirates and river bandits, was more than happy to help Mi Fang when he needed to smuggle goods. As a result, the entire navy turned a blind eye to his actions.
Of course, part of the reason was that Mi Fang never made things difficult for the navy. He only brought extra cargo when the ships weren't fully loaded. If the navy's ships were full, he wouldn't add any goods. But more often than not, Gan Ning's navy sailed with mostly empty cargo holds, dragging supply ships behind them, which meant Mi Fang had plenty of room for his private goods.
"Gan Lan, as usual, have the supply ships towed by the larger vessels. Load the first batch of captured Cao soldiers onto the spare supply ships—three hundred per ship. Assign fifty men to guard each one," Gan Ning instructed after considering the size of the supply ships, showing no mercy as he packed three hundred prisoners onto each vessel.
"Understood!" Gan Lan saluted and quickly went to the prisoner camp to carry out the orders.
"Captains, conduct a final inspection of your ships' facilities and backup equipment. Assemble your crews and prepare to board. We are heading to the Yangtze River to rescue the Lu family!" Gan Ning stood up and issued his final command.
"Yes, sir!" All the captains rose, saluted Gan Ning, and left to prepare.
As Mi Fang was about to leave, Gan Ning called out to him, "Mi Fang, bring extra private goods this time. Take all the unsold stock from before. We're not just going to rescue the Lu family; we also need to head to Yizhou. The date of our agreement with the local chiefs is approaching, so let's take care of everything in one go."
"Ah..." Mi Fang looked embarrassedly at Chen Xi. Being exposed by Gan Ning in front of Chen Xi made Mi Fang uncomfortable, but before he could explain, Gan Ning turned to Chen Xi and respectfully said, "Strategist, please don't mind. We need some cargo for ballast during our voyages to prevent capsizing, so I instructed Mi Fang to bring goods for trade with the locals. This also provides some welfare for the navy's soldiers."
Mi Fang was taken aback, then felt deeply grateful to Gan Ning for covering for him. Initially, he had been worried about how to explain himself to Chen Xi. After all, using official resources for personal gain could easily provoke Chen Xi's displeasure. If his brother, Mi Zhu, found out, he'd surely get a scolding. Mi Fang had come to the navy and learned nothing but smuggling.
"These matters fall under your responsibilities, as long as you approve," Chen Xi said with a wave of his hand. He understood the reasoning behind Gan Ning's actions and saw no need to interfere. Gan Ning knew how to handle things appropriately.
"Thank you, Strategist. Thank you, General," Mi Fang said excitedly, scratching his head. With Gan Ning taking responsibility, he felt relieved. Gan Ning had always turned a blind eye to his smuggling activities, so he wasn't too worried now.
"Don't thank me just yet. Let me clarify something, Mi Fang. You're using our navy's ships, and our safety is guaranteed, right?" Chen Xi glanced at Gan Ning, who immediately took the cue.
"Of course, our navy can go wherever we want," Mi Fang nodded vigorously, then quickly caught on and added, "I'm willing to donate half of my profits to the navy as welfare for the soldiers." He wasn't stupid and understood the importance of creating a shared interest.
"Good. Don't worry, Mi Fang. Our navy has your back. We'll protect you better than those bandits who charge tolls. No one will dare rob your goods, and if anyone tries to strong-arm you, we'll be your shield," Gan Ning said smoothly, his years as a river pirate clearly showing in how easily he handled such negotiations.
Mi Fang didn't mind giving half of his profits to the navy. As someone sent by his brother to gain life experience, he had little concept of money, just like how telling people like Mi Zhen or Zhen Mi about money wouldn't mean much to them. They simply didn't have a sense of its value.
In fact, Mi Fang had lost a lot of money in previous trades, failing to sell many of his goods. This was why Gan Ning suggested bringing along the unsold stock. Several shipments had been returned and were now piled up in warehouses, enough to fill several ships. Even Gan Ning felt the waste, thinking, "That's money just sitting there!"
Despite the losses, Mi Fang never hesitated to continue providing good food and drink for the navy, even after losing a significant sum. This generosity greatly pleased Gan Ning, who appreciated such a straightforward and generous man.
"Alright, go ahead and get your ship attached to the main vessel," Gan Ning said, waving Mi Fang off to handle his tasks before they set sail.
"Taishi Ci, how are things with the navy? Are you getting used to it?" After the others had left, it was just Gan Ning, Taishi Ci, and Chen Xi in the tent. Chen Xi casually asked.
"I'm learning naval command from Gan Ning. Overall, I find commanding a navy much more challenging than leading troops on land," Taishi Ci said as he sat down. "Looking back, I realize how difficult Gan Ning's role is."
"Hahaha, Taishi Ci, I've told you many times, you don't need to worry about ship maneuvering. What you need is a flagship, a main ship. Our navy has a special move called 'Ram it!' Just learn that, and you'll be fine. My ship maneuvering skills are average, but we have big ships—just crush the enemy's small boats!" Gan Ning laughed wildly.
In his days as a river pirate, Gan Ning had relied on small, agile boats, where tactics and maneuvering were key. But after upgrading to larger ships provided by the Lu family, he found that ramming was often the most effective tactic. Ten large ships lined up and charging at full speed could even devastate mythical creatures.
Since then, Gan Ning's combat style had become much more aggressive. Forget fancy tactics—just ram the enemy and be done with it.
Taishi Ci could only smile wryly at Gan Ning's words. He couldn't accept such a brutish approach—there was no skill involved, and if the enemy had bigger ships, they'd be doomed.
Chen Xi glanced at Gan Ning, realizing that sometimes brute force really was the simplest and most effective solution.