The Phrase "Be Cautious, and the End Will Be Auspicious" Has a Certain Charm

Though Lan Tian had verbally refused, his actions told a different story. When the fleet docked at Jiangling to rest, he sent Gao Yuan to deliver a letter to the Post House by the wharf.

Lan Tian needed to discuss the Tiger Guards Martial Hall with Guan Yu in advance. He also wanted Lan Ji to be mentally prepared, since several years of further study at the academy would push back her chance to go to the battlefield.

The fleet turned from the Yangtze River into Dongting, and the current shifted from flowing with them to against them. The boatmen had to row with greater effort, but the Xiang River basin and the Yu River basin in Jiao Province were well equipped, with docks offering rest and supplies every few dozen miles.

In early May, Lan Tian's fleet reached the Panyu wharf. Gao Shun received word and hurried over to welcome him at once.

The Trap-Breaking Army escorted the convoy as it slowly made its way toward Guangzhou City. When the people along the route saw the large Lan character on the banners, they spontaneously ran to the roadside, cheering with delight.

After word of Lan Tian's journey into Shu spread through Jiao Province, many people guessed he would never return. The common folk, who had only just begun to enjoy better lives, had been dejected and dispirited these past few months. Whether ordinary people lived well depended most directly on their local administrators. Fortunately, Jiang Wan was also a capable administrator, and while Lan Tian was away, he had kept Jiao Province in good order.

Lan Tian liked to let facts speak for themselves. Even with a mouthpiece like the Lingnan Newspaper, he was not in the habit of staging political spectacles to win public favor. The Provincial Governor's