Hua Xiong gave a few final instructions to Gan Ning before leaving half of his personal guards behind and departing. As he mentioned, he had technically left his post without permission, so it was better for him to return and report back as soon as possible.
"Take care, Hua Xiong. Strategist, don't worry, I will protect you well," Gan Ning waved to Hua Xiong, who didn't try to convince him to stay. Hua Xiong knew that it was better to return quickly after leaving his post, even if he had a valid reason. Cavalry always caught Gan Ning's eye, but unfortunately, he still didn't have any cavalry under his command. He figured it was better for Hua Xiong to return and continue training his cavalry, so maybe one day, Gan Ning could get a few hundred cavalrymen of his own.
After watching Hua Xiong leave, Gan Ning made a gesture to Chen Xi to follow him. The soldiers behind them removed the barricade, lit torches, and stood in two rows, holding long spears and staring sharply ahead without moving.
"You've trained your soldiers well," Chen Xi commented. Having experienced several battles, he could sense that these were no ordinary soldiers—there was a certain aura about them.
"Thank you, Strategist! These men are handpicked by me to guard the camp entrance," Gan Ning laughed. "Look at their physique, their eyes, and their equipment. Each one of them has been through at least ten battles and has some real skills." Gan Ning looked proud. "Impressive, right?"
Chen Xi looked at the soldiers guarding the gate, and one of them even managed a strained smile when he noticed Chen Xi looking at him. Gan Ning wasn't lying—he had indeed carefully selected these men. Ever since he had successfully raided an enemy camp with just a hundred riders, he had become particularly concerned about the security of his camp. He prided himself on his ability to raid others' camps, so if someone managed to do the same to him, it would be a huge blow to his reputation. As a result, Gan Ning took the defense of the camp gate very seriously.
"This way, Strategist," Gan Ning led the way around the camp's main gate.
"Alright," Chen Xi nodded, though a bit puzzled.
"There are traps there, at least ten of them. Some of the gate guards are former hunters, so I had them set up some traps," Gan Ning explained, noticing the group's curious expressions. He picked up a stone from the ground and threw it toward the gate.
With a series of clicks and thuds, thick crossbow bolts shot toward the gate, followed by a rain of arrows, a net, and a burst of flames. Finally, a large boulder rolled into a pit that had opened up in the ground.
Chen Xi broke out in a cold sweat. Gan Ning had certainly gone to great lengths to defend the camp gate. With so many traps, any enemy force attempting a night raid would be in for a nasty surprise, buying time for the rest of the camp to prepare for battle.
"Gan Ning, with these traps at the gate, isn't it difficult for your own men to come and go? Won't it affect your ability to deploy troops?" Chen Xi sighed, glancing at Gan Ning.
"I'm in the navy. We leave the camp by boat, not by land," Gan Ning replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Chen Xi could only sigh—his logic was sound, after all.
"Alright then, keep doing it your way," Chen Xi gave a thumbs up to Gan Ning, who was grinning. Gan Ning was indeed a talented general, though his thinking might be a bit unconventional. Still, his tactical acumen was undeniably sharp.
When Gan Ning brought Chen Xi to the central command tent, Taishi Ci was already waiting with his weapons, along with Mi Fang, who had gained some weight, and Gan Lan.
"Strategist, General Gan," Taishi Ci and the others saluted when Gan Ning and Chen Xi entered the tent, then took their places.
Chen Xi gestured for Gan Ning to take charge. He wasn't one to lead the troops himself, especially when it came to naval warfare, which he knew nothing about. Even on land, where he had a bit more experience, he preferred to leave the command to more capable generals like Liu Bei or Guan Yu.
Gan Ning took the main seat without hesitation, placing Chen Xi at his left-hand side. The other officers took their positions accordingly.
"General Mi, how are our supplies?" Gan Ning asked. As Chen Xi had guessed, Gan Ning had entrusted Mi Fang with overseeing the logistics, assuming that someone from the wealthy Mi family wouldn't be tempted to embezzle from the military. In Gan Ning's eyes, maintaining good relations with someone so rich was beneficial for everyone.
"We have twelve carts of dried meat, seventy thousand shi of unprocessed grain, with thirty thousand already loaded onto the ships. We have enough fresh water for twenty days, with seven days' worth of dried rations stored in the camp. We also have seventy thousand high-quality arrows, forty thousand arrows that haven't been properly treated yet, seven hundred spare bows, a thousand spare sabers, eight hundred spare spears, and various other cargo for ballast. We're ready to set sail at any time," Mi Fang reported in detail.
"Good. Taishi Ci, how are the troops?" Gan Ning asked next.
"General Mi has successfully calmed the newly conscripted men. Our morale is high, and we are ready to deploy," Taishi Ci replied diplomatically. Mi Fang's method of "calming" the troops was essentially a financial assault.
Mi Fang no longer cared much about personal wealth. His family's fortunes were still vast, and unlike in the historical narrative where the Mi family had lost everything after years of turmoil, they remained extremely wealthy. Even if Mi Fang sold all of the navy's supplies, it still wouldn't compare to the wealth his brother had given him to win favor with the naval commanders. So, for Mi Fang, overseeing logistics wasn't particularly interesting since he had no intention of skimming off the top. This was exactly why Gan Ning had assigned him to the role.
"Load the private goods as ballast, bring the captured Cao troops, and prepare to set sail!" Gan Ning ordered, openly mentioning the private goods in front of Chen Xi. Such cargo was considered a perk for the navy.
Chen Xi just smiled and said nothing. He didn't mind the private goods, as long as they didn't affect combat readiness. A little extra cargo for the sailors' benefit wasn't something he was concerned about.
Seeing Chen Xi's smile, Gan Ning felt relieved. He preferred to be upfront about such things—if the higher-ups were aware and didn't mind, then it could be considered an established rule.