Lu Zijing fell silent.
To fulfill one's lifelong wish and be enfeoffed as a marquis, to rise in a single move and have one's name known across the realm.
Who could refuse such temptation? One could even say this was the lifelong pursuit of the vast majority of people.
But now…
Did he still have the qualification to pursue such things?
Lu Su was not certain. And rejecting the offer outright also seemed inappropriate. In the end, he chose silence, sitting in his chair without speaking for the moment.
Gan Ning beside him, however, was a bit displeased.
"What about me? What about me?"
He had heard it clearly. The Jiangling Prefect's invitation was directed solely at Lu Zijing. There was no one surnamed Gan mentioned at all.
To be fair, if not for Gan Ning's decisive actions and early planning, Zijing would probably be facing Sun Quan's thunderous wrath right now.
So seeing Jiang Wan pass over him entirely, Gan Ning immediately felt unconvinced.
Jiang Wan did not press Lu Su to make a decision. Instead, he turned his head and smiled.
"If General Gan wishes to go to Chang'an and have a look, you would naturally be most welcome."
"Only, is General Gan certain he does not wish to remain in Jiangling or Jiangxia to await Young General Gan's victorious return?"
Gan Ning's dissatisfaction came fast and went just as fast, but he immediately showed confusion.
"Young General Gan?"
He was no fool. In the next instant, disbelief crossed his face.
"Gan Gui?"
Jiang Wan pressed his lips together and smiled.
"Precisely."
Gan Ning sucked in a sharp breath, feeling the current situation grow increasingly difficult to comprehend.
If one counted carefully, after the New Year he had fled to sea and drifted for over a month. He entered Jiaozhou, then traveled south to Yizhou on diplomatic business, and afterward joined forces to enter Jingnan.
Limited by geography, the people he had dealt with in between, Wu Yi, Zhang Yi, Shi Hui, Wu Ju, and the like, could hardly be considered well informed.
Thus, Gan Ning and Lu Su only knew that Lü Meng had been defeated and killed. As for anything more detailed, they had guesses but no concrete sources.
Now, hearing the Jiangling Prefect speak this way, even Lu Su raised his head in curiosity.
Gan Ning simply sat down without ceremony, drained his tea in one gulp, then tapped the table with the bottom of the cup, his face full of impatience.
"Since the Prefect has time, why not just tell Zijing and me how the situation stands now?"
"And also, how did the Prefect learn that Gan Yi and Lu Meng were actually Gan Xingba and Lu Zijing?"
Watching Gan Ning pour himself another cup of tea and stare with unabashed interest, Jiang Wan could not help but feel both amused and exasperated. Was this brocade sail bandit here to listen to a storyteller?
After taking a sip of tea himself, Jiang Wan's expression took on a hint of reminiscence.
"To speak of how Jiangling was relieved, one must begin with General Zilong's modao troops achieving a great victory over Zhang Liao."
"To speak of General Zilong's merit, one must first speak of Lord Xuande leaving Hanzhong and reclaiming the Three Qins."
"And to speak of reclaiming the Three Qins, one cannot avoid Kongming using medicinal decoctions to subdue three armies, nor Ma Chao's fierce assault that broke Jieting."
Gan Ning was momentarily stunned. Lu Su's brows shot upward.
From the time they left Jiangdong to becoming honored guests in Jiangling, barely three months had passed. Yet this sounded as though three years had gone by.
If the two of them had listened to Shi Hui and taken refuge in Jiaozhou for half a year before heading north, by then would Liu Bei have already captured both Cao the bandit and Marquis Sun?
Shaking off this unreliable thought, the two focused their attention and listened carefully as Jiang Wan continued.
From noon until the moon first rose, Jiang Wan spoke without pause.
Zhou Qun came by once during that time. Unable to find Jiang Wan anywhere, he learned that the Prefect was here receiving two distinguished guests from Jiaozhou.
Standing outside the hall, he could clearly hear the voices inside.
"Prefect Jiang, tell us more about the effects of that cassia twig decoction."
"Gongyan, why not bring those coal briquettes over so the two of us can see their effect?"
"Cavalry so fierce as this? A two hundred li raid in a single day, still able to fight and win. How valiant!"
"Elite troops and fine cavalry actually broken by modao? Brother Gongyan…"
Zhou Qun pressed his lips into a smile and quietly left without making a sound.
Inside the hall, as servants lit the lamps, Jiang Wan finally spoke of the reasons behind Lü Meng's defeat.
Hearing how Han Dang fought to the death, neither retreating nor surrendering, both men could not help but sigh in regret.
Learning that Lü Meng had been wounded by powerful crossbows due to carelessness, and was ultimately beheaded by his own men who then surrendered, left Lu Su silent.
Gan Ning immediately made another request.
"Those powerful crossbows. Can I take a look?"
Jiang Wan gave a wry smile.
"General Gan, if everything you want to see today were brought here, whether this hall could even hold it would be questionable."
Then he offered a suggestion.
"If General Gan is truly curious, why not go have a look in Young General Gan's camp? On the ships of the Jing Province navy, such new military devices are far from rare."
This suggestion instantly silenced Gan Ning. Lu Su, on the other hand, laughed without any regard for face.
"To speak of the Brocade Sail Bandit now, I fear the world would think it refers to Gan Gui instead."
"Hey!"
Lu Su's words instead made Gan Ning completely relax. His cheeks flushed slightly as he laughed loudly.
"Worthy indeed of the Gan family bloodline!"
After speaking, he shot Lu Su a sidelong glance, the meaning in his eyes painfully obvious.
My son has already established merit. And you?
Such a provocative look left Lu Su momentarily speechless. Their back and forth made Jiang Wan at the head of the table burst out laughing without realizing it.
Gan Ning and Lu Su looked at each other, and in the end shared a laugh.
The laughter in the hall carried far. Hearing her son's carefree laughter, Lu Su's mother in the adjacent courtyard felt some of the worry between her brows finally ease.
Now that he understood the sequence of events, Lu Su found the questions in his mind only multiplying. After taking just a few bites of dinner, he impatiently asked.
"After the Battle of Red Cliffs… the affairs of Gong'an. Did Lord Liu of Jing Province rely entirely on Kongming's talent?"
What Lu Su was asking about was how Liu Bei's forces had expanded at breathtaking speed starting from Gong'an, something that had long puzzled him without answer.
It included the rapid development of agriculture, medicine, industry, and commerce, as well as the almost miraculous seizure of Yizhou and Hanzhong. Every matter struck precisely, achieving twice the result with half the effort.
As a former ally, Lu Su naturally found this abnormal. If such capability truly existed, then when Liu Bei had resided in Jing Province earlier and already invited Kongming, how could he have wasted so many years?
Jiang Wan naturally could not disclose anything in response. He only changed his wording.
"Lord Xuande has said that he merely wishes to invite Zijing to travel to Chang'an and take a look."
"After seeing it, Zijing may stay or leave as he wishes. There will be no coercion."
With this assurance, Lu Su finally nodded slowly in agreement, allowing Jiang Wan to let out a quiet breath of relief.
Lu Su then turned his head.
"Will Xingba travel with me to see Guanzhong?"
Gan Ning waved his hand broadly.
"If Lord Xuande summons me, then of course I must go. After all, my son Gui is already a naval general under Lord Xuande."
"But since Lord Xuande has not summoned me now, I will naturally go to Jiangxia to wait for Young General Gan's triumphant return."
Seeing how quickly Gan Ning had shifted his tone, Lu Su could only feel helpless, gaining a deeper understanding of the Gan family temperament.
A son surpassing his father in merit was not an easy bend for most people to navigate.
Yet Gan Ning only felt awkward for a moment. Now his face was full of pride, like a victorious rooster.
After resting for two days, Lu Su set out once more. This time, Jiang Wan dispatched a squad of guards to accompany him, along with fast boats and fine horses, making the journey far more comfortable.
Thinking of Lu Su's route, Jiang Wan shook his head and chuckled softly.
"When he reaches Chang'an, Zijing's journey will surely make Xianhe envious."
From Jiangdong, traveling by sea to Jiaozhou, then north to Jiangling, and next along the Han River to Hanzhong, finally taking the Baoxie Road to Chang'an.
Once this journey was complete, Lu Su would have practically circled half of China. Jiang Wan could already imagine Jian Yong pestering Lu Su with endless questions.
There were many ships traveling from Jiangling to Jiangxia. Perhaps as the ship owner had said, carrying goods back and forth between Xiangyang and Jiangling truly was good business now.
Watching Gan Ning wave his hand after arriving at Jiangxia, stepping off the ship with a casual expression and saying he was going to find General Zilong to chat, Lu Su's mood grew even more complex.
He had a faint premonition that from this moment on, his life might truly undergo earthshaking change.
What Lu Su did not expect, however, was that surprises always arrived so abruptly.
After heading north along the Han River past Xiangyang, the number of ships on the river suddenly dwindled, with only two or three vessels traveling alongside.
As Lu Su stood at the bow, letting his thoughts drift, he heard a voice filled with disbelief.
"General Lu?"
Lu Su turned back, equally surprised, raising his brows.
"Zishan?"