Although Lu Jun didn't fully understand what his father was thinking, from his father's expression, he knew that any thoughts of pursuing Cai Yan had been completely dismissed. It seemed that his son, Lu Xun, would not have the fortune to marry such a beauty.
"The Mi family then. When the time comes, you can discuss it with Mi Zizhong," Lu Kang sighed. In his view, the Mi family was the most suitable in all aspects. It wouldn't be seen as social climbing, nor would it diminish their status. More importantly, Mi Zhu was one of Liu Xuande's most low-key ministers.
"That's fine," Lu Jun nodded. "Mi Zizhong is indeed a gentleman."
With that, the father and son said no more about the matter. They sent a trusted servant to gather intelligence, while they themselves settled into the role of a wealthy landowner. Lu Kang lounged lazily on a large stone outside, wearing a straw hat to shield his face from the sun. From time to time, passing villagers would tiptoe quietly by, never suspecting that the dozing old man was actually Lu Kang.
"The time is almost up. If we don't get any news today, we'll have to retreat. Jiangxia County is too close to Lujiang, and with the river current flowing downstream, staying here any longer could force us into a direct confrontation with Sun Bofu's Jiangxia navy," Chen Xi sighed as he spoke to Gan Ning.
"It can't be helped. When I find Lu Jicai, I'm going to give him a good beating. I've been searching so hard, and he still hasn't shown himself," Gan Ning replied with frustration. He wasn't foolish—he knew that the longer they stayed in Lujiang, the greater the risk of ambush, and the more dangerous their situation would become.
Just as Chen Xi and Gan Ning were debating whether to withdraw in stages or make a clean break under the cover of night, Gan Luo appeared outside the tent.
"Yo, Gan Luo, don't tell me you've found them. Your timing is impeccable," Gan Ning immediately asked. Lately, he had scolded Gan Luo so often that the man had been avoiding him. If he dared to show up now, it had to be with good news.
"We've found the Lu family. Wenxiang, bring in the man you captured," Gan Luo said with a smile, not directly answering Gan Ning's question. He then called out to the guards outside.
Soon, a burly man entered the tent, escorting someone who looked like a simple farmer. "Xu Wenxiang greets General Gan and Strategist Chen," the man said.
"General Gan, I'm one of the lord's personal guards. We've met before," the farmer-looking man said happily when he saw Gan Ning.
Gan Ning raised an eyebrow, thinking for a moment. "Lu Liang? That seems like the right name. How is Lu Jun and the old master? Take me to them. Damn it, I've been searching for ages, and now that we're about to leave, you finally show up."
The guard felt a bit embarrassed. His name wasn't Lu Liang, but this wasn't the time to correct Gan Ning. As long as Gan Ning recognized him, that was what mattered. He hadn't expected to be discovered, let alone captured by Xu Sheng and brought here. At first, he thought he had fallen into Sun Ce's hands, but to his surprise, it was Gan Ning's men who had caught him.
"Release him," Gan Ning instructed Xu Sheng. "Your name is Xu Wenxiang, right? You captured Zhao Yan last time and helped us take Pengcheng. I didn't give you much of a reward back then. Now that you've found the Lu family, when we return to Mount Tai, you'll be in charge of a new warship. You'll be the captain of that ship."
Gan Ning felt a bit guilty. Every ship in the navy already had a captain, and none of them were underperforming. In his opinion, they were all doing a good job. Since he didn't have any existing positions to promote Xu Sheng into, the best reward he could offer was command of a new ship, allowing Xu Sheng to lead his men as part of a small fleet. Anything else would be insufficient recognition.
Xu Sheng's face lit up with joy. Even if it was a small warship, outfitted with a few smaller boats, leading his five hundred men aboard such a vessel would be a mighty sight.
"General Gan, my master is unharmed, aside from the old lord suffering a minor injury from Huang Gai's intimidation. The rest of us have no injuries and have been hiding in a small village west of Lujiang City these past few days," the guard, whose real name was Lu Ming, reported.
"Oh, that's great news! Let's go pick up the Lu family," Gan Ning laughed heartily.
"Xingba, start packing up the camp. We're preparing to retreat. Have Wenxiang and Gan Luo escort the Lu family. We'll break camp entirely. If we all go, it could cause trouble for the villagers," Chen Xi said as he waved his hand, now understanding why they hadn't found the Lu family during their earlier searches in the western villages.
"Oh, Gan Luo, go with Wenxiang and bring the Lu family. Just don't disturb the villagers," Gan Ning ordered, quickly grasping Chen Xi's point. While Sun Ce and Zhou Yu might not care about the villagers, lower-level officials could very well take out their frustrations on them.
From the city walls, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu watched as Liu Bei's army dismantled their camp in the distance. Sun Ce frowned. "Gongjin, why are they moving camp again? They won't fight us head-on, and breaking camp is getting tiresome."
"They're not just moving camp; they're retreating. Chen Zichuan has timed this perfectly. If they delayed any longer, our Jiangxia navy would be in place. As it stands, only the vanguard of our forces has arrived, and Chen Zichuan doesn't want to risk a confrontation," Zhou Yu replied, shaking his head.
Zhou Yu's thinking was logical under normal circumstances, but it didn't apply to Chen Xi. Knowing his intelligence couldn't match these top strategists, Chen Xi preferred to act cautiously, relying on experience or even brute force rather than clever schemes to overcome his opponents.
For a strategist, the most frustrating scenario is when you have the advantage in every aspect—when every plan is flawless, yet you still can't decisively defeat your opponent. Even if you win, it's only a small victory, while the larger strategic picture remains unchanged.
So far, Zhou Yu hadn't experienced this frustration. The most brilliant minds of Jiangdong and Jingxiang, like Pang Tong, had surprised him but never truly pressured him. No strategist had yet made Zhou Yu feel that overwhelming weight.
The proud heart beneath Zhou Yu's refined exterior craved a challenge, a real test. The conflicts in Jiangdong, Jingxiang, and with Yuan Shu had been too easy. Even battles that had seemed stunning to others hadn't stirred his pride.