Vol 8 Chapter 36 (1/2)
VOLUME 8 CHAPTER 36: DON’T TELL ME THIS IS A SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE WINDS (3)
Lu Meng POV
Hu… I heaved a long sigh of relief as I sat on the s.h.i.+p.
“Lord Lu Meng, the river has been cleaned up. All s.h.i.+ps that are destroyed have been sunk and those that are salvageable have been sent for repairs at the dock.”
Good. I didn’t say anything and only nodded and clapped. This action is so refres.h.i.+ng. You got to act like this to really feel like a commanding officer.
“Is Lord Major going to reward me with money?” Pan Zhang said, putting a dampener on my high spirits once more.
“No. If you want monetary rewards, then go find our lord.”
Un?
“Pan Zhang, has the matter of Huang Zu been settled?” I said as I s.h.i.+fted my gaze to Pan Zhang. My body was still wet but I didn’t have any intention to dry myself yet.
Pan Zhang’s purple braids were raised slightly more than usual. Looks like she used that weird technique of hers just now.
“It’s settled. Administrator Huang Zu and Vanguard Chen Jiu were slain on the spot while Su Fei was taken prisoner.”
“Su Fei?”
“Yes,” She nodded and leaned on the railing of the s.h.i.+p, “I was planning on ending her quickly but Gan Ning stopped me.”
“That Gan Ning huh? Is it because that Su Fei took care of her before?”
“Seems to be the case. When she asked me to spare her, she did mention that Su Fei stood up for her and recommended her before.”
“I see.”
“In any case, we have kept that general alive for now. What do we do next?”
“That isn’t up to us,” I said softly and began to use a woolen towel to dry my hair, “Our lord Sun Quan will be here shortly, and how things will go will depend on her.”
I’d thought that Gan Ning would be more cold-blooded but looks like she’s quite the sentimental person after all.
But now that I think about it, it’s only human for her to be like that.
“Ma Zhong, Pan Zhang, let’s go.” I said as I picked up ky hookswords and got ready to disembark.
As I looked toward the stern, behind my flags.h.i.+p was an even larger s.h.i.+p which was 4 storeys tall. Be it capacity or size, it’s greater than my flags.h.i.+p by several times at least.
And on that s.h.i.+p was my lord, as well as Lord Zhou Yu and Lord Lu Su, I thought as I descended the wooden staircases.
Waiting for me at the end were several people. I don’t know if sister Dong is being sensitive or if it’s her kindness but she very naturally stood in the middle, between Ling Tong and Gan Ning. She was also rather large so there was no way their eyes would meet and conflict wouldn’t arise.
“Lord Lu Meng.” Sister Dong greeted me and saluted and bowed when she saw me disembark while the other 2 quickly followed suit.
“Sister Dong need not be so formal. You both should arise as well.” I hurriedly went forward and helped Dong Xi up before I continued, “How is it? Have we taken Jiangxia city?”
“There was no resistance in the city. They surrendered immediately.”
After sister Dong finished, Gan Ning continued, “Seems like Huang Zu gave an order that if she died, they need not continue defending.”
Oh?
“Of course, there isn’t much left to defend the city anyway.” Ling Tong was still in a dour mood, though it seems like she’s ever so slightly better after this victory. This might be related to why she isn’t clas.h.i.+ng with Gan Ning anymore.
“Let’s go then. Our lord is waiting for us in the big s.h.i.+p to the back. Gan Ning, don’t forget the necessary proprieties later.”
Gan Ning wordlessly nodded.
“Ma Zhong, Pan Zhang, go ahead with Ling Tong and Gan Ning.” I said and went to the back, to speak with sister Dong.
“Are the people in the city alright?” I asked sister Dong in a very soft voice when I came up beside her.
Ling Tong might not have realised that the reason why I sent sister Dong with her was so that she could stop Ling Tong if she went wild.
As I said to Imperial Uncle Liu from before, I don’t wish to make the people suffer.
However, sister Dong only shook her head relaxedly when met with my doubts and worries, “Lu Meng worried too much. Ling Tong didn’t do anything when she entered the city.”
Sister Dong’s eyes were filled with kindness as she said so, looking every inch like a kind older sister. If it weren’t for my current position as the commanding officer, I would probably have leapt into her arms.
“Oh? So I worried too much then?” But I can’t do that now. Got to control myself.
“You did…” When she said so, her gaze s.h.i.+fted to Gan Ning before she continued, “If I have to say why, then it’s thanks to the newcomer Gan Ning.”
“What’s up with Gan Ning? Did Ling Tong stop after they had another fight?”
“Hahaha, how could that be? I already said that Ling Tong didn’t do anything.” She elegantly laughed before closing her eyes as she continued relaxedly, “Gan Ning was able to retrieve Lord Ling Cao’s intact corpse.”
“Eh?!” I’d heard that the siege from before was disastrous and Zhu Zhi and Zhu Ran lost close to half of their troops. To think that Gan Ning was able to retrieve Ling Cao’s corpse from the corpses strewn all over.
“And what happened?” I continued.
“Lord Ling Cao’s corpse had no slash nor stab wounds.”
“Oh? So that means that it wasn’t Gan Ning who killed her then.”
“Un… You can say that, but that isn’t entirely correct either.”
“What do you mean?”
Sister Dong raised her left hand and extended her index finger, “If we were to say that Gan Ning didn’t kill her, then that would mean that Ling Cao lost balance and fell off the walls.”
She then extended her middle finger and continued, “It’s not entirely correct to say that Gan Ning didn’t kill her either, as Ling Cao wouldn’t have fallen to her death of Gan Ning didn’t force her back.”