gnovel Chapter 35 Crossing the River, Taking Steps East of the River
Chapter 35 Crossing the River, Taking Steps East of the River
After standing up, Jiang Qin asked Liu Bei, "Does my lord intend to cross the river at Ruxukou?"
"That's right." Liu Bei nodded, his tone tinged with helplessness. "Liu Yao is unwilling to open Hengjiangjin and Danglikou, so we have no choice but to detour through the ferry crossings in Lujiang County."
"Liu Yao, I spit on him!"
Upon hearing the name Liu Yao, Zhou Tai couldn't help but spit on the ground, his face full of disdain.
Liu Bei immediately understood.
Liu Yao was probably among those whom Jiang Qin previously referred to as "high-ranking officials refusing to accept bribes from the people".
Sure enough, Jiang Qin took over the conversation, his voice still tinged with anger.
"Liu Zhengli is a high-ranking scholar who only sees the nobles and gentry and cares nothing for the suffering of the common people."
I also heard that,
A brave warrior traveled all the way from Xuzhou to join him.
Because of his humble origins, he was ultimately only assigned the job of a scout.
Liu Bei's heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, "Is that man named Taishi Ci, or Taishi Ziyi?"
Jiang Qin looked up in surprise and asked, "My lord, do you know him?"
Liu Bei sighed deeply and shook his head, saying:
"I once wanted to recruit Ziyi as a general in the army, but unfortunately he left Xuzhou first."
Unexpectedly, he went to serve Liu Yao.
To his utter surprise, Liu Yao treated him so poorly.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yong couldn't help but add from the side: "Liu Yao values social status and looks down on poor scholars."
Taishi Ci came from humble beginnings and was also burdened with the stain of being a fugitive.
Liu Yao feared being ridiculed among scholars for employing Taishi Ziyi, so naturally he wouldn't give him an important position.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Qin couldn't help but exclaim, "Our lord has an exceptional eye for talent; he far surpasses Liu Yao in this regard!"
Liu Yao valued social status and looked down on scholars from humble backgrounds.
But Liu Bei wouldn't.
Then, Liu Bei looked at Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai, a warm smile on his face, and said:
"Since we are going to take over Jiangdong, we will naturally need a navy."
"Gongyi, I appoint you as Colonel of the Vanguard, responsible for organizing and commanding the navy."
Jiang Qin's eyes lit up, and he clasped his hands above his head, saying, "Your subordinate obeys!"
Liu Bei turned to Zhou Tai, his gaze lingering on the rugged face for a moment, and said:
"Youping, you will be my personal guard commander."
Zhou Tai was taken aback upon hearing this.
He originally thought Liu Bei would at most give him the rank of squad leader or platoon leader, Dangdang.
I never expected that Liu Bei would appoint someone like me, a newcomer with a reputation as a river bandit, as his personal guard commander.
This is tantamount to handing over one's own life to oneself.
"My...my lord..." Zhou Tai was so moved that he could hardly speak his thanks: "Aren't you afraid..."
"What are you afraid of?" Liu Bei interrupted him with a smile, asking in return, "Afraid you'll sell me out?"
Zhou Tai stared blankly at Liu Bei, finally managing to squeeze out only one sentence:
"My lord, rest assured. If anyone tries to harm you, they will have to step over Tai's corpse first!"
Lu Yong watched this scene unfold, and another thought suddenly popped into his mind.
Zhou Tai was one of the most famous bodyguards in the history of the Three Kingdoms.
Liu Bei now has this new doorman by his side.
Zhao Yun would then be completely freed from his position as a bodyguard and could stand alone on the battlefield.
[System Log: The host helped Liu Bei subdue Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, today's achievement +1. Currently pending achievements: 1.]
When the news reached the fleet on the river, thunderous cheers erupted from dozens of small boats.
Someone raised the oar above their head and swung it forcefully.
Some people knelt on the deck of the ship, kowtowing repeatedly to the sky while muttering incantations.
They were cheering because they had finally found a way out.
It was to comfort their ancestors, to show that they had finally cleared their name and would no longer embarrass them.
Zhou Tai quickly got into character, standing behind Liu Bei with a large sword on his back.
His towering, imposing figure and stern, rigid face instantly gave Liu Bei a strong sense of security.
Three hundred bandits were also officially incorporated into Liu Bei's navy, with Jiang Qin as their commander.
After relaying the message back, Jiang Qin returned to Liu Bei and asked, "My lord, how many ferries do we currently have in the army?"
Lu Yong answered for Liu Bei: "We bought or rented about a hundred ships from the common people and wealthy gentry along the way."
Jiang Qin pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "It's not enough!"
With only a hundred or so boats, it would take an unknown number of years for 100,000 people to cross the river.
"I have some influence along the Yangtze River, and I am willing to help you raise funds for a ferry!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction and said with a smile, "Gongyi has considered everything very well. Thank you for making this trip."
"Serving our lord is no hardship!" Jiang Qin said, head held high, his whole body brimming with energy.
Let alone finding a ship,
Even if he were to immediately engage in a battle with that detestable Jin Fan Arms Company, he would be more than capable!
Jiang Qin only took one ship with him, leaving the rest to Liu Bei.
The people at the forefront have already arrived at Ruxukou.
Lu Yong then began to direct the crossing of the river.
Even late into the night, the riverbank remained brightly lit.
The lights on the river twinkled like stars, and the sounds of oars paddling and boatmen shouting never ceased.
Lu Yong was busy at the ferry crossing until midnight.
Only when the system notification sounded in his mind at midnight did he lean against a large rock by the river to catch his breath.
[It's midnight; let's begin today's settlement.]
[Host's achievement for today: Helped Liu Bei recruit Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin.]
Overall rating: Grade B.
[Reward: Naval Combat Ability +20%]
……
Two days later,
Jiang Qin finally returned.
More than two hundred small boats and over four hundred strong men followed behind them.
Jiang Qin strode ashore in three quick steps, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Liu Bei, and reported:
"My lord, while I was preparing to build ships, I encountered many skilled sailors who also wanted to abandon their banditry and join the army."
But please rest assured, my lord, those I have selected have never harmed the people.
Those who committed numerous evil deeds, all confiscated.
When he finished speaking, his palms were already sweating, fearing that Liu Bei would hold him accountable.
But Liu Bei did not hesitate at all and said, "Well done. These people will be part of your navy from now on."
Jiang Qin felt a surge of warmth in his heart and turned to wave to his brothers by the river.
The four hundred-plus men cheered in unison.
Then they surged ashore and began helping the people move their belongings and lead their livestock.
With more small boats and skilled boatmen, the speed of crossing the river increased significantly.
More than 300 boats of various sizes lined up along the Yangtze River mudflats, shuttling back and forth.
……
When Liu Bei led his army and civilians across the Yangtze River southward...
In the Liyang military camp, hundreds of miles away,
Two people with worried expressions were staring blankly at a simple map of the river defenses.
Looking at the map, Wu Jing said with a worried expression:
"That scoundrel Liu Yao has set up Hengjiangjin and Danglikou like an iron barrel."
Yuan Shu has urged us several times to take Qu'a as soon as possible.
But we only have a few thousand remnants of our army, and we can't even muster enough boats to cross the river. How are we supposed to fight?"
To be honest, although Wu Jing's status is not low, his strength is rather mediocre.
Sun Ben had no other choice but to tentatively suggest, "Uncle, how about we send someone to Shouchun again to plead with Yuan Gonglu to send some more troops and supplies?"
"Ask him?" Wu Jing sneered and said, "He was the one who told us to welcome Liu Yao to Qu'a, saying that we should use Liu Yao's name to control Jiangdong."
The results of it?
Liu Yao turned around and drove us out, even losing Danyang County.
Did Yuan Shu, besides reprimanding them, ever give a single soldier or a single grain of food?
"What can you gain by begging now, other than humiliating yourself?"
Just as the two were fretting, a guard's voice came from outside the tent:
"General! General Sun has arrived! He has also brought over a thousand brothers with him!"
Wu Jing and Sun Ben's eyes lit up at the same time, and they quickly walked out of the tent.
Outside the camp gate, a group of soldiers stood solemnly.
The leader, clad in armor and with a heroic face, was none other than Sun Jian's eldest son, Sun Ce.