Chapter 5: Gan Ning’s Regret

"Xingba, please."

"My Lord, please."

After Liu Zhang and Gan Ning each finished their cups of wine, they extended their arms and turned their cups forward, showing the bottoms to each other to signify that they had been drained.

After three rounds of wine, the atmosphere was harmonious.

Liu Zhang spoke first, voicing his curiosity: "Xingba, I recall that you were renowned throughout Ba County for your martial prowess. How did you end up becoming an Assistant Administrator of Shu County, dabbling in brush and ink?"

"It was my mother's counsel. She believed that being a warrior was not a proper path, so I abandoned the martial arts for literature, setting my heart on an official career," Gan Ning replied candidly, hiding nothing.

Liu Zhang nodded in agreement. In this era, warriors were viewed with disdain. For instance, the famous Jing-Chu scholar Liu Ba held such contempt for Zhang Fei that when Zhang Fei came to stay at his home, Liu Ba would not speak a single word to him, infuriating the fierce general. Even later, when Zhuge Liang tried to persuade Liu Ba, saying, "Although Zhang Fei is a warrior, he deeply admires you. Our Lord is gathering literary and martial talents to achieve great things. You may be naturally high-minded, but you should lower your standards," Liu Ba still retorted unceremoniously, "A man of honor should associate with heroes of the world; how can you ask me to converse with a mere brute?"

With someone as formidable as Zhang Fei, and even with Zhuge Liang’s mediation, Liu Ba still looked down on him. It was no wonder Gan Ning’s mother felt the same. While warriors could earn titles through military merit, in the eyes of aristocratic families who valued classical learning, they were merely "soldiers." The aristocratic sons were even ashamed to rise through military achievement. When Emperor Wu of Jin was mocked by Consort Hu, saying, "You campaigned against Gongsun in the north and resisted Zhuge in the west—are you not just a product of military stock?" the Emperor was visibly shamed by the term "military stock."

Liu Zhang set down his cup, straightened his posture, and said to Gan Ning, "In times of peace, one should indeed abandon the sword for the brush and study the classics to make one's mark. But today, the world is in chaos, and strife is endless. This is the time to set aside literary education and revitalize military preparedness. With your prowess, Xingba, surely you desire to achieve something great. In my view, attaining the rank of a Ten-Thousand-Household Marquis would not be difficult for you."

"A Ten-Thousand-Household Marquis..." Gan Ning murmured, his eyes flickering. Emperor Gaozu of Han had made a blood oath with his subjects: no one without the surname Liu could be King, and no one without military merit could be a Marquis. Thus, those outside the imperial clan could only reach the rank of Duke or Marquis, with the Ten-Thousand-Household Marquis being the pinnacle.

Gan Ning sat upright and asked, "Just now at the market, I heard you promise the Eastern Province migrants that should the situation change, you would lead them home. You seem to have grand designs. Therefore, I dare to ask: what is your ambition?"

Hearing this, Liu Zhang knew the main course had arrived. A wise bird chooses its tree; a wise minister chooses his lord. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, it was common for ministers to pick their masters. Just as Zhang Song deemed Liu Zhang cowardly and incompetent and thus defected to Liu Bei, this was standard practice.

Liu Zhang answered the test question. Having seen the answers beforehand, it was not difficult: "The Han Dynasty is crumbling, treacherous officials have usurped power, and the Emperor is in exile. Unheeding of my own meager virtue and strength, I wish to uphold righteousness throughout the world."

Liu Zhang’s eyes burned with intensity as he looked straight at Gan Ning, continuing to reveal his heart: "Ruffians like Li Jue and Guo Si are throwing the world into turmoil. As a member of the Han imperial clan, I must cut through the thorns and thistles to purge the filth from the Han house. I wonder, Xingba, are you willing to lend me your strength and serve as my vanguard?"

Upon hearing this, Gan Ning felt his blood surge, as if it were about to burst forth. That Liu Zhang possessed such ambition and such spirit—this was the enlightened master he was meant to follow. He rose, walked to the front of Liu Zhang, knelt, and expressed his loyalty: "Though I am untalented, I am willing to serve you, my Lord, even at the cost of my life."

Hearing Gan Ning address him as "My Lord" and pledge his allegiance, Liu Zhang felt neither joy nor surprise. He thought of everything recorded in history regarding Gan Ning.

Historically, Gan Ning was a man of great ambition, but also a man of tragic fate. After Liu Zhang succeeded as the Governor of Yi Province, Gan Ning, unwilling to endure the oppression of the Eastern Province migrants, rebelled. He failed, and having failed, he had to abandon his homeland. He fled to Jing Province, serving under Huang Zu, who treated him as a mere commoner and failed to reward his contributions. Disgruntled, he left for Jiangdong. Once in Jiangdong, he met Sun Quan and presented a strategy to annex Jing-Chu and eventually take Ba-Shu, believing he had finally found his master. But Sun Quan was a different breed, and Jiangdong was a different place; Gan Ning’s talents were never fully utilized. He could only strive to climb higher by constantly demonstrating his martial prowess to realize his aspirations.

Thus came his fearlessness at Yiling, defending against Cao Ren’s six thousand men with only a few hundred; his bold claim to Lu Su that with five hundred more men, he could hold off Guan Yu’s thirty thousand; his heroic feat at Wan City, climbing the walls first with a chain-hook; and finally, his most valiant raid on Cao Cao’s camp with a hundred cavalrymen. Yet, after all these deeds, he only attained the minor title of General who Defeats the Enemy. He never received a marquisate in Wu simply because he was an outsider. After his death, Sun Quan merely lamented the loss of a good fighter. His son, Gan Gui, was even exiled to Kuaiji after committing a crime and died shortly after, receiving no special favor for his father's service.

History held too many regrets for Gan Ning. He spent his life drifting from Ba-Shu to Jing-Chu, and from Jing-Chu to Jiangdong. He spent his life wanting to achieve greatness and earn a title, only to die empty-handed. Such a talented man of strategy, vision, and unparalleled martial skill had been utterly wasted by the likes of Sun Quan.

At this thought, Liu Zhang’s gaze softened. In this life, he would never let Gan Ning have any regrets. He wanted the man who, in his youth, raised silken sails, accompanied by the pleasant chime of copper bells in the wind, and whose authority swept through the lands of Ba, to always be able to unfurl those sails and roam the world freely.

He stepped forward, lifted Gan Ning up, held his hands, and said with profound sincerity: "Xingba, you and I, lord and minister, shall never fail each other."

"Never fail each other," Gan Ning replied loudly, gripping Liu Zhang’s hand tightly.

Liu Zhang smiled slightly and joked: "Also, Xingba, I do not want you to sacrifice your life for me." Seeing the confusion in Gan Ning’s eyes, he continued: "I want you to join me in bringing peace to the world, saving the people from fire and water, and witnessing the prosperity of the realm together."

"Acknowledged," Gan Ning responded clearly to Liu Zhang’s request.

"Xingba, stop being an Assistant Administrator. That business of dabbling in ink is not for you."

"I want you to serve as a Colonel. I wonder if you are willing?"

Liu Zhang stated his intent directly. A man like Gan Ning was too wasted in the position of an Assistant Administrator; such waste was a shame. The army was Gan Ning’s true home, the only place where he could fulfill his ambitions. He offered the position of Colonel, a highly prestigious rank. Some might think it low, but that was a stereotype born from the devaluation of military titles in the late Eastern Han. One must remember that Emperor Ling, to divide the power of the General-in-Chief He Jin, established the "Eight Colonels of the Western Garden" in Luoyang; among them were Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, the future masters of the North. That was the weight of the position. In this current climate, where military ranks had not yet been cheapened, it was the highest military post Liu Zhang could bestow.

"Colonel." Gan Ning was dazed for a moment. A Colonel’s rank was equivalent to two thousand shi, while the Assistant Administrator position he held was only six hundred. In the blink of an eye, his salary had tripled. But the salary was nothing; what mattered was the position itself. He had expected a mere Captaincy. That Liu Zhang would offer a Colonelcy right out of the gate showed such boldness and grand spirit—it suited his wandering-knight nature perfectly.

"Xingba?" Liu Zhang prompted, seeing Gan Ning’s prolonged silence.

"Thank you, my Lord." Gan Ning was overjoyed and, without further hesitation, bowed his thanks.

After sharing a few more drinks, Liu Zhang struck while the iron was hot, deciding to follow the Han custom of hosting Gan Ning properly. Though he did not personally favor the tradition, he would "do as the locals do."

He spoke. "Xingba, would you be willing to share my bed tonight?"

"Ah."

"Acknowledged."