430 Naval combat methods

Mi Fang couldn't help but look embarrassed upon hearing Gan Ning's words. He was, after all, the one in the Navy who was most fond of smuggling contraband. Coupled with his wealthy background that spared no expense, he occasionally paid out of his own pocket to provide the entire army's soldiers with an extra serving of meat and vegetables. Before long, the sailors, who originally came from backgrounds as water pirates and river bandits, showed great loyalty in helping Mi Fang smuggle goods onto the ships. As a result, everyone in the Navy turned a blind eye to Mi Fang's activities.

Of course, part of this was due to the fact that Mi Fang never made things difficult for the Navy. He merely added some ballast goods; if the Navy's ships were full, Mi Fang wouldn't bring any extra cargo. But on the other hand, Gan Ning's Navy often operated with their holds mostly empty. Trailing behind were supply ships; so with seven or eight out of ten ships empty, Mi Fang benefited greatly.