Zhao Zuo departed just as the sun began its descent in the late afternoon.
By the time the sun had fully dipped below the horizon, Liu Bei was stepping over the threshold of Yan Yan's home.
"Wait for me here," Liu Bei instructed Gan Gui.
Technically, the eight hundred elite Jinfan pirates belonged to Gan Gui, but the youth had waved a hand dismissively, spinning a silver dagger between his fingers as he declared with a dramatic flourish, "Oh, come now, my lord. Everything I have is at your disposal. Treasure, men, wine. And should you ever need my brain for one of those clever schemes, well... I do own one. It is a bit waterlogged, but it works in a storm."
Liu Bei shook his head. He was starting to understand that Gan Gui had far too much river water sloshing around in that skull of his. So he had not been polite about it either. He promptly handed the lot of them over to Guan Yu to assist in training the burgeoning navy. The blueprints for the huge warships Gan Gui had brought back were already in Huang Yueying's hands, waiting for her and the master shipwrights to decipher the complex structures and adapt them for river warfare.
This left Gan Gui with far too much free time, and free time for a man like Gan Gui was a receipt for disaster. So Liu Bei had arrived at a simple conclusion: better to bring the walking headache along than leave him behind to cause chaos. Thus Gan Gui joined the trek into Yizhou, chattering the whole way about hidden river routes and which local merchants or great clans were worth stealing from.
What puzzled Liu Bei was that as they passed Linjiang, Gan Gui showed no desire to stop and visit his old home. He had leaned against the ship's rail, staring at the city from a distance, the silver bell at his waist chiming softly as he swayed with the current.
"I was born here, true enough," Gan Gui had said, his usual playful lilt giving way to something softer before he quickly masked it with a lazy grin. "But I do not care to go back there alone. A grand entrance requires an audience. And preferably a few barrels of good drink with all the Jinfan pirates. What kind of homecoming is it without fanfare? Too lonely, right?"
The novelty of Jiangzhou had lasted about half a day for the boy. It possessed neither the bustle of Dantu nor the vibrant energy of Gong'an. The streets were too quiet, the food too plain, the girl not atratctive enough, and the locals too wary of strange men with silver bells and brocade sails.
Thus, when Liu Bei set out to visit Yan Yan, Gan Gui had slipped back into his role as a personal bodyguard, though he spent most of the walk muttering about how they should have brought faster horses, good wine, and enough meat to throw a proper party along the way.
With his instructions delivered, Liu Bei entered the small gateway. This was no grand manor of a high official, but a simple courtyard.
An old man with hair turning silver was holding a heavy wooden staff in his hands, moving it with a ferocity that whistled through the air.
Seeing a guest, the old man spun the staff into a blur before slamming it into the ground with a dull thud that kicked up a cloud of dust.
"Who are you?"
Liu Bei blinked, realizing that when he had called for the city's surrender beneath the walls of Jiangzhou, he had been fully armored and helmeted. Naturally, Yan Yan did not recognize his face.
"I am Chen Dao, a personal guard of Liu Huangshu. I have come to seek the General's service for the nation."
"Hahahaha!" Yan Yan erupted in laughter, his voice booming with scorn.
"You thieving scoundrel! Your master is an unreasonable predator who invades my lord's province without cause, and yet you have the thick-skinned face to come to my door and seek me out?"
The old man's eyes flashed with cold defiance. "In this place, you will find only a general who would lose his head, but never a spineless coward who would surrender!"
Liu Bei frowned. Is his temper always this explosive?
But before Liu Bei could even to respond, Gan Gui, who had been lurking just on the other side of the wall, could not contain himself.
He burst in with all the subtlety of a war drum, silver bell jingling wildly, and shouted, "Old man! If you will not surrender, then do not! But how dare you insult my lord? That is a different matter entirely!" He waved a hand as if shooing away an annoying fly. "And I do not give a damn about your old bones anyway. Oh, look at you. One foot in the grave and still so eager to spit fire. That temper of yours is hotter than a blacksmith's furnace!"
Yan Yan did not waste words. He raised his staff and swung.
Gan Gui, quick as a cat, darted to the side of the wall, snatched up another wooden staff resting on the ground, and lunged back into the fray with a dramatic whoop. He moved with loose, lazy grace, weaving around strikes like he was dancing to a tune only he could hear, always just out of reach before snapping back with a quick jab of his own.
The two traded blows for several rounds. Yan Yan had already been practicing his spear forms before they arrived, and the exertion was beginning to make his breathing heavy.
Gan Gui, sensing an opening, smirked as he kept up the pressure, spinning his staff with one hand for flair. "Old man! Have you learned the strength of the Gan clan spear yet? Or shall I demonstrate another dozen moves just to be thorough?"
Yan Yan froze, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "The Gan clan of Linjiang?"
Gan Gui puffed out his chest, looking immensely pleased with himself. "The very same! Famous across every river and port from here to the sea!"
"Is your father that Jinfan pirate, Gan Ning?"
Gan Gui's face flushed a deep crimson, and he renewed his assault with even greater intensity, shouting, "Do not call him that! He is a great admiral! A legend! A... a..."
Yan Yan struck.
After five more exchanges, Yan Yan deliberately left a gap in his defense.
Gan Gui bit, swinging his staff and catching the old man in the leg.
But Yan Yan simply smiled. He pressed the tip of his staff against Gan Gui's chest and gave a gentle shove.
"You are dead, kid."
Though they were using staves, the techniques were those used for killing in the chaos of a battlefield. Gan Gui knew that if they had been using real spears or pikes, he would indeed be a corpse. Not one for bruised egos, the boy dropped his staff cleanly and bowed with a deep flourish that somehow managed to feel like mockery.
"I know, I know. This old man has got some moves. Good. I will give you that." He straightened and stretched as if the whole duel had been a mild inconvenience. "How about a rematch after I have had a proper meal and a nap, though? I was not at my peak."
Yan Yan snorted. "If your father were here saying that, it might mean something. However..."
He paused, looking Gan Gui over with a frown. "Did Gan Xingba betray Jiangdong?"
"Betray who? My father has not betrayed Jiangdong. I simply follow the river." Gan Gui dusted off his sleeve with exaggerated care. "I joined the lord on my own. For the sake of adventure, a better future, and slightly better wine rations. And who are you, old man?"
Yan Yan grunted. "Tch. You come to a man's home and do not even know the name of your host. Is the Gan clan raising its children with no manners these days?" He shook his head. "I am Yan Yan of Linjiang. Before your father ever left Yizhou, he had to call me Big Brother."
He then turned his gaze toward Liu Bei, who had been watching the spar with great interest. "Liu Huangshu?"
Liu Bei bowed slightly. "General Yan, your prowess is legendary."
Before Yan Yan could launch into another tirade, Liu Bei cut him off, his voice steady and sincere. "General, just tell me. Do you owe your loyalty to the Great Han, or to Liu Zhang, who sits idly by while this land suffers? If you tell me to my face that your loyalty is to Liu Zhang alone, I will turn around and leave this instant. I will not trouble you again."
"I..." Yan Yan's words caught in his throat. Finally, he sighed. "I am, of course, loyal to the Han."
Liu Bei's face broke into a wide, triumphant grin. "Haha. In that case..."
He stepped forward in a blur, seizing Yan Yan's hands before the old man could react. "I beg the Old General to help me strike down the traitors and restore the Han dynasty!"
"Uncle Yan!" Gan Gui added from the side, his face full of genuine expectation, silver bell jingling as he leaned forward eagerly. "Think of the battles! The glory! The great stories we will tell while drinking! Some of them will even be true!" He waved his hands as if painting an invisible banner in the air. "Stories about you beating the Cao dog. Can you imagine it?"
Yan Yan's heart softened significantly. He looked at the eager, chaotic youth, then at the man holding his hands with such sincerity.
Finally, he gave a slow, solemn nod.
Liu Bei laughed, his grip tightening in a firm, shared bond.
Gan Gui, meanwhile, could not help but chirp. He was physically incapable of resisting a good poke. "Uncle, I think I heard something about a general who would lose his head earlier when I was outside. Something about never surrendering?" He tilted his head, feigning deep thought. "I may have misheard, of course. My ears are not what they used to be."
Yan Yan's face turned several shades of red. He snatched up his staff and started chasing the boy around the yard, shouting over his own laughter.
"I will teach you some manners on behalf of the Gan clan today! Do not you run, you little rascal! I will catch you and hang you from the highest flagpole by that ridiculous bell of yours!"
---
By mid-July, Zhao A was squatting in the dirt by his field, busy with his accounts. In reality, he did not know anything about math.
He was just staring at a series of circles and crosses he had drawn, a silly grin on his face.
This was the system old Li had helped him work out.
Which symbol meant what? He could not quite remember.
How much more money had he made this year compared to last? He did not remember that either.
Zhao A only knew one thing for certain. Beneath his bed was a buried clay jar, and it was filled to the brim with bright, shining copper coins.
Last year, that same jar had held only ten coins, barely enough to cover the bottom.
Squatting there on the ridge, even though he could not read old Li's logic, he could not bring himself to wipe the marks away. Eventually, he moved a few heavy stones to cover the accounts, planning to come back and admire them tomorrow.
But what should he do with his day?
In previous years, this time of the season would have been spent entirely on the back-breaking labor of processing grain.
But this year, the water-powered mills did the work for a pittance. For the first time in his life, Zhao A had a July with nothing but free time.
A single thought quickly took root and grew until it filled his mind. Go see Jiangling.
He ran all the way to the riverbank, where a small pier had always stood.
Downstream lay Jingzhou. Carefully patting his pocket to make sure the coins did not clink together and draw unwanted attention, Zhao A paid his fare and boarded a boat.
For the first time in his life, the city of Zigui shrank behind him, and a world he had never imagined began to unfold.
He never grew tired of the scenery flying past, and the boisterous chatter of his fellow passengers filled his ears.
"Did you hear? Fighting has broken out near Chengdu."
"Again? Did they not just finish off a General Zhao a few years back?"
"That was ages ago! I heard the general this time is named Pang, and he is going after Governor Liu."
"Pah!" someone spat loudly. "Let them fight. It would be better if Liu Huangshu just took over as Governor and be done with it!"
This drew a sharp rebuke from the boatman. "Hey! Watch where you are spitting, and watch your tongue while you are at it!"
"Where is Liu Huangshu now, anyway?"
"I heard he is in Jiangzhou."
"Where is that?"
"Who knows? Somewhere far away, I guess."
"Do you think Liu Huangshu will come back through Zigui to Jingzhou this year?"
"Probably... hey, hang on tight! We are coming up on the rapids!"
Half an hour later, a trembling Zhao A gripped the gunwale with white knuckles.
He decided right then and there that he would take the land route back home.
This river was far too terrifying.
But it all seemed worth it when, before the sun had even reached its zenith, he saw a city looming on the horizon.
He knew in his heart it was Jiangling. The boatman steered them toward the docks, and Zhao A stepped off, clutching his money bag.
He felt like his head was not big enough to take it all in.
His eyes could not contain a city this large. His ears could not process the sheer volume of street cries and haggling.
His nose was hit by dozens of scents he had never smelled before. This is Jiangling?
Zhao A felt like he was fleeing into the city from the sheer overwhelming scale of the docks.
The roads inside were wider, and the shops were endless.
He found himself wandering in a trance. But a sudden reality check snapped him out of it. A single bolt of silk at the textile shop cost one thousand coins.
He did not even have a wife to impress yet. Why would he buy that?
He lingered near the butchers, the smell of roasted pork and dog meat making his mouth water, but he realized that in this sweltering heat, the meat would not survive the trip home.
He carefully skirted the paper-making workshop. He could not read a lick, so why bother looking?
The ironworks made him hesitate. Those hoes and rakes looked incredibly sturdy, but the wooden ones back in Zigui still worked, did they not?
Leaving the workshop behind, Zhao A finally turned his attention to the food stalls lining the street.
He checked the prices, reached into his bag, and finally rediscovered the joy he had felt before he set out. As he stood there, debating what to eat, he felt someone bump into him, nearly knocking him over.
He looked up, and his first thought was: What a magnificent beard.
His second thought was: What a terrifyingly powerful general.
"Are you alright, little brother?"
Zhao A snapped out of it and scrambled to his feet, dusting himself off.
He gave his limbs a quick shake and nodded. "I am fine, I am fine."
He watched the bearded general walk away before turning into a nearby noodle shop.
He could not read the sign, but he recognized the little lamb tethered by the door. "Lamb noodles! A large bowl!" Zhao A shouted, patting his money bag with newfound confidence.
---
Guan Yu did not give the small encounter a second thought.
He continued his conversation with Zhao Lei at his side. "The navy should continue training according to the current methods."
Zhao Lei nodded, then switched topics. "The Jinfan guards suggested that since the lord is taking Chengdu, we should establish a shipyard in Jiangzhou. That way, we can build vessels to support the lord directly."
Guan Yu shook his head slightly. "Why would we need huge warships for a place like Chengdu? Within three months, Chengdu will surrender on its own."
Zhao Lei agreed. "The Jinfan pirates probably just want an excuse to build a giant ship so they can sail home in style."
Guan Yu found the possibility highly likely.
He sighed and shook his head. "Tell them if they suggest such nonsense again, they will be assigned to escort duty for the grain transport fleet heading to Jiangzhou."
Zhao Lei made a note of it, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
With the current workload being light, patrolling Jiangling was more of a personal habit for Guan Yu.
Walking through the city, he often found himself thinking of the things he had seen on the Lightscreen, and that other General Guan Yunchang, with the white hair.
"A fortress this strong, built with my own hands... surely it will be the foundation of my eternal fame?" Guan Yu whispered to himself.
"What was that, General?" Zhao Lei asked, having missed the words.
Guan Yu shook his head and looked at Zhao Lei, the man who, a thousand years later, would still be by his side in the Martial Temple.
"What is the report from Jiangdong?"
"Last month there were rumors that they were arguing every day about the lord's westward expansion," Zhao Lei replied. "They even put the relocation of the capital on hold. But this month, it has suddenly gone still. Not a single word. It is strange."
Guan Yu stroked his beard, his eyes narrowing. "Those rats of Jiangdong... they are coming."