"Godfather, I'm here." Lan Tian dashed over.
Though it was midsummer, Gan Ji's body had suddenly gone cold. Lan Tian hurriedly found a thick quilt and covered him with it.
Li Yang glanced at Gan Ji on the sickbed and said, "The Manor Master keeps alternating between chills and fever. It looks like a febrile illness. We need to find a physician as soon as possible."
"Looks like I'll have to go into the city to find a physician, and ask about my elder sister while I'm at it." Lan Tian rose to his feet.
"Going into the city right now, I'm afraid..." Li Yang had meant to dissuade him, but Lan Tian's gaze was unusually resolute.
"Little Li, I'm counting on you to look after my godfather."
"Young Manor Master, go ahead. Your father's my father, too. I won't be going home tonight." Li Yang thumped his chest as he spoke.
"All right." Lan Tian changed his clothes, gave Li Yang a few instructions, then set off toward Xiaopei beneath the fading glow of the sunset.
When Lan Tian reached the city gate, several soldiers were getting ready to close it.
"Please wait!" Lan Tian shouted as he ran.
The soldiers found it strange. After Xiaopei fell, everyone else was doing all they could to escape, yet this kid was actually rushing in. Laughing, they let a "fool" like Lan Tian through.
Lan Tian had visited Xiaopei City several times, but things were different this time. The streets were nearly deserted, with only a few patrols of soldiers about.
Lan Tian wandered alone like a headless fly, and was soon spotted by a patrol.
An officer pointed at him and barked, "Who are you? Why are you wandering around here alone?"
Lan Tian cupped his hands in a bow. "My father is gravely ill, so I've come into the city to find a physician. Could you tell me where I might find one?"
The officer burst out laughing. "You've got quite some nerve. Where are there any physicians now? The city's about to impose a curfew. Hurry home, before you're mistaken for a spy and arrested."
Lan Tian's heart sank. Ancient times are nothing like the later generations, when shops stay open until late at night.
Xiaopei City had just fallen today, and its residents were still in a state of panic. With dusk settling in, finding a physician really would be difficult. But the city gates had already been shut, and Lan Tian had nowhere else to go.
"May I ask whose command you serve? General Zhang Wenyuan's?"
At this point, Lan Tian could only burn his boats and try to use his connections in this critical moment.
He didn't know that Gao Shun had brought in reinforcements, but when Zhang Liao had first led troops to attack Xiaopei, Lan Tian had guessed from the banners at a distance that the man might know Gao Shun. Perhaps he could ask him for a favor.
The officer's brow suddenly furrowed. He drew his sword and demanded, "Could you really be a spy? How do you know General Zhang's name?"
Lan Tian was startled. He hadn't expected the man to be so vigilant. He hurriedly waved his hands. "I'm a friend of General Gao's. I heard General Zhang's name from him."
"General Gao? Which General Gao?"
"General Gao Boping."
"You know General Gao? And you say you're his friend?" the man asked suspiciously, slipping his sword back into its sheath without even realizing it.
Lan Tian cupped his hands. "I don't know if you could call us friends. We've only met a few times, and I once brought him some local specialties."
"You're Lan Ziyu?" the officer exclaimed.
"You know me?" Lan Tian stared at him, bewildered.
"Haha! I was the one who helped carry the local specialties you sent to Xiapi into the barracks. Forgive my offense just now. I'll take you to see the general." The man smiled and clasped his fist.
Lan Tian wondered when Gao Shun had arrived. And now he'd run into a soldier who knew him. What luck—meeting a benefactor on the road.
"May I ask your name, sir?" Lan Tian asked as he followed behind the man.
"My name's Gao Yuan. I'm from the same hometown as General Gao. I'm just a lowly officer, not a general or anything." The man spoke bashfully.
The military establishment of this period was broadly similar across the board: five men made a squad, led by a squad leader; two squads made a fire, led by a fire leader; five fires made a company, led by a company commander; two companies made a unit, led by an officer; two units made a battalion, led by a battalion commander; two battalions made a division, led by a major; two divisions made a regiment, led by a colonel; two regiments made a corps, led by a general of the rear; and two corps made an army, led by a general and deputy general.
This establishment followed a "quasi-block system" based on the binary progression of twos. The smallest unit was the "fire"—squad leaders were not considered officers. Each fire leader commanded ten men, each company commander fifty, each officer one hundred, each battalion commander two hundred, each major four hundred, each colonel eight hundred, each general of the rear sixteen hundred, and each army thirty-two hundred, under a named general.
Although the organization was broadly similar, actual circumstances varied greatly. The main reason was that units were already overstrength starting at the colonel level. If the troops exceeded their authorized numbers, a "separate division" would be added. It was like Li Yunlong's Independent Regiment: though organized as a regiment, it had the strength of a division.
Gao Yuan was from the same hometown as Gao Shun, yet he was only an officer in charge of a hundred men. This showed that Gao Shun was a man of uncompromising integrity.
When Lan Tian arrived at the main tent, Gao Yuan went in first to announce him. Upon hearing the news, Gao Shun strode out of the tent.
"What brings you here, sir?" Gao Shun came out and saw that it really was Lan Tian.
"General, I hope you've been well." Lan Tian cupped his hands in a bow. With Gao Shun here, Gan Qian should be safe.
"Master Ziyu, please come inside." Gao Shun took his hand and led him straight into the tent, then told Xu Shuang and the other officers to return and rest.
The two sat facing each other inside the main tent. Gao Shun said, "Have you come for Lady Gan? I've already had her settled at the county office. Master Ziyu, there's no need to worry."
"Thank you for looking after her, General. I came into the city not only to ask after my elder sister, but also to find a physician." Lan Tian bowed again in gratitude.
"A physician? Are you ill, Ziyu?"
Lan Tian shook his head. "My godfather suddenly fell ill today. The shops are all shut on the streets now, and I'm at my wits' end."
Seeing how sincere Lan Tian was, Gao Shun fell silent in thought for a moment, then summoned Gao Yuan and ordered, "Take your men out immediately and ask at every house. Bring every physician in the city to the camp to be at our disposal."
"Ah? We've only just finished restoring order this afternoon. If we go out again now, I'm afraid..." Gao Yuan looked surprised.
"Then restore order after you've found the physicians," Gao Shun said sternly.
"Yes, sir." Gao Yuan turned and left the tent.
"I can never repay such a great kindness," Lan Tian said, rising once more to bow.
"Please sit, sir. I'm sure we'll have news soon," Gao Shun said, waving a hand.
Lan Tian suddenly felt very small. Without Gao Shun's help, where could he have found a physician at a time like this? It seemed that in any era, power opened doors. No wonder countless heroes had fought and bled for it throughout the ages.
"When will you return to Xiapi, General?" Lan Tian asked.
"After two days of rest. Is there any message you want me to take to the Young Lady?" Gao Shun asked.
Lan Tian first shook his head, then said, "Why haven't I heard from Lady Lu in the past two years?"
"You didn't know?" Gao Shun asked, puzzled.
Lan Tian stared blankly and shook his head like a rattle-drum.
Gao Shun stroked his beard and looked at him in confusion, then said, "After the Young Lady returned from Xiaopei last time, she was constantly downcast. She said Liu Bei and our lord were at daggers drawn, so she didn't want you caught in the middle. I thought someone had told her something."
"It definitely wasn't me," Lan Tian said hurriedly.
Gao Shun nodded. "I know it wasn't you, sir. It's just that the Young Lady was often troubled after that. Though she was the one who cut off contact with you, she actually cared deeply about your safety. Before this campaign, she even asked me to look after you."
Lan Tian stood rooted to the spot. Most women in this era were little more than appendages to men. A brave young woman like Lu Lingqi was truly rare.
Thinking of this, Lan Tian felt he couldn't just sit by and do nothing. After all, Cao Cao hadn't left Lu Bu much time. He had to find a way to change this young woman's fate—even if she hated him for it someday, he would at least have a clear conscience.
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