123

When the summer monsoon blows, countless ocean-going ships will return from the South China Sea on the monsoon, heading towards Panyu, Quanzhou and even further south.

Therefore, this is the time when there are the most pirates on the sea. They travel in groups on the sea, hoping to rob a fat sheep.

At this time, even the powerful private salt dealers would be worried, fearing that their salt transport ships would be robbed. However, the ship that Cheng Xi was on was different. Just a token of the Red Flag Gang made many thieves retreat, and even those wanton boat people were given a break.

Faced with this situation, Fang Tianxi couldn't help but marvel at it. "Who would have thought that just building a boat could make the Tanka people obey? With this method, aren't you afraid that they'll learn the boat-building techniques and sell them to others?"

Fang Tianxi spent a lot of time and effort to find out how the Red Flag Gang wins over the people. This unconventional approach is truly admirable, but the hidden dangers are also not small.

After all, once you learn a skill, it's yours. Although the Red Flag Gang has some power now, it can't use all the boatyards of the boat people for its own use.

If someone hired the boat people to build ships, wouldn't that just be adding more opponents to themselves?

Cheng Xi said, "If we don't find more people to pool our resources, the Red Flag Gang will probably never be able to build its own shipyard. It's not a good idea for a gang to rely on others for shipbuilding and repairing. Compared to this, letting others learn some skills is actually insignificant. How can a gang that hires boat people to build ships be considered a major force? The soldiers I raise are not just for show."

Does a gang need to build ships?

Fang Tianxi doesn't think so.

As far as he knew, not even the largest merchants, let alone the shipping gangs, would bother with shipbuilding. Wouldn't it be easier to just order from the shipyard? Trying to build one on your own would be not only time-consuming and laborious, but could also lead to a complete loss. After all, keeping a ship safely afloat at sea wasn't something you could learn in a matter of days or even months.

So why build your own shipyard?

Sometimes Fang Tianxi even suspected that Miss Qiu had read some miscellaneous books and had a strange obsession with building a workshop. If it succeeded, it would be fine. But if it failed, could she really afford the loss?

Seeing the expression on his face, Cheng Xi suddenly smiled and said, "Speaking of which, sir, you've traveled extensively. Do you know anyone who's proficient in unusual or ingenious skills? For example, math, painting, geomancy, engineering... I'm in urgent need of talent here, and I'd be willing to hire you for a substantial sum."

Fang Tianxi's expression became even more strange, and he glanced at Cheng Xi: "I am from the Suoyi Gang..."

"Yes, yes." Cheng Xi said before he could finish, "Sir, you are naturally a member of the Suoyi Gang, but the Suoyi Gang may not want these people, right? Instead of wasting your life and failing the imperial examination, why not come to the South Sea and try your luck?"

Your thoughts on poaching people never stop, but after thinking about it, Fang Tianxi said, "After this trip, I can ask for you."

He is a strategist, so naturally he knows people from all walks of life; otherwise, he would not be able to support his diverse knowledge.

Although some of these people live well due to their own abilities, there are also those who have failed in exams repeatedly and have difficulty making a living.

Although the Red Flag Gang is not safe now, this Miss Qiu is obviously not an ordinary person, so it is not impossible for her to come here to make a living.

Of course, the most important thing now is the current plan.

Because of the favorable wind, it only took a few days for the salt ship to reach Chaozhou and enter Yinjiang from Haimen.

As we entered the inland river from the sea, there were more ships. After all, this place was close to Panyu and Quanzhou, and had always been an important transportation route. There were also two large salt fields next to it, and it was crowded with ships transporting salt.

Therefore, the two ships of the Red Flag Gang hid in it, not being noticeable, and were quite safe.

However, inland rivers are different from the sea after all. It is not just the way of sailing, but also about setting up checkpoints and dealing with those greedy officials.

Fortunately, Cheng Xi brought a few veterans from the Zhao family who were used to transporting smuggled salt, so this little thing was naturally not difficult for them.

After sailing slowly along the Yinjiang River for a few days, the two ships passed the Songmen Salt Field and headed towards their destination, Tingzhou.

But at this moment, the flag on the ship had already changed. The Qian family flag was taken down and a Jiang flag was hung.

This is the second set of disguise that Fang Tianxi prepared. It is the banner of a small salt merchant in Miancheng. Once he arrives in Tingzhou, he can use this name to enter the city and wait for an opportunity to contact the people from the Suoyi Gang.

The reason for sailing so slowly was to gather information.

Although the time had been agreed upon long ago, there were always many variables when a large army was dispatched, and the Suoyi Gang was a rebel gang. Even if Sun Yuan let such a person lead the army, he could not ensure that everything would go smoothly.

As expected, we heard some news about the蓑衣杠 (Suozoo Gang) along the way, but the rebel soldiers had not yet entered Jiangdong, so the river was extremely peaceful and there was no sign of chaos at all.

"Will the Suoyi Gang break their promise?" Faced with such a situation, Cheng Xi couldn't help but ask one more question.

Fang Tianxi laughed: "I'm afraid few people can guess what I have planned. Since we are almost to Jiangdong, it is only a matter of time before we attack."

In fact, attacking Jiangdong is not cost-effective for the Suoyi Gang.

It is true that this place is rich, but there are also many powerful people and aristocratic families. Not to mention the private settlements and the manors and fortresses with strong military forces, even the city walls of the prefectures and counties are three times higher than those of other places.

This is not a fat sheep, but a wolf that bites people. Without courage and means, which rebel dares to come here?

Fang Tianxi took advantage of this mentality. After all, the focus of this battle was not the front line, but the various arrangements in the rear. Therefore, whether or not to win was not important at all. As long as Sun Yuanrang could make new contributions and become a leader of the Suoyi Gang who could truly lead troops and the army, it would be enough.

However, even so, some things have to be said first. After a pause, Fang Tianxi said: "But if they come late, I may have to trouble the gang leader to stay in Tingzhou for a few more days."

For the Red Flag Gang, Tingzhou is an absolute dangerous place. The longer they stay there, the more dangerous it will be. However, in Fang Tianxi's opinion, this crazy girl probably doesn't care.

Cheng Xi smiled and said, "Then I'll just stay in the city for a few more days. It would be best if I could find a new food route."

Was this a preparation for dealing with the Long Whale Gang? After all, with the Long Whale Gang occupying Qiongzhou, it would be difficult for the Red Flag Gang to rely on Lu Jian's food supply. Tingzhou was truly a land of plenty. Besides aristocratic families like the Lu and Ye families, there were also many lesser-known families. If they could really hook up with one of them, it would be a good option.

It seems that this girl's secret contact with the Qian family is not just a simple matter of borrowing a name.

However, it would be better for her to have her own arrangements. As long as her own plans are not disrupted, the more aboveboard she acts, the less likely it is to arouse suspicion from others.

But... after glancing at Cheng Xi, Fang Tianxi still asked, "Do you really want to discuss business as a woman?"

"Why, do you think it's inappropriate?" Cheng Xi asked back.

"It's a bit eye-catching." Since he said he would use a woman's identity, Fang Tianxi would not be polite. Using a woman's identity as a cover-up and using a woman's identity to do business are two completely different things.

Wouldn't it be troublesome if someone found out about this flaw?

"A woman with some extraordinary abilities is enough to surprise people. Who would have thought she had a second identity?" Cheng Xi asked with a smile, "Since we'll be staying in Tingzhou for a few more days, we might as well make this identity more secure."

This left Fang Tianxi speechless. After all, it was the Minotaur Gang who broke their promise, and it was they who had put the Red Flag Gang at greater risk. So, what right did they have to stop them? Never mind. With him around, if any trouble came up, he could just solve it.

Thinking of this, Fang Tianxi said: "Then please tell me the whereabouts of the gang leader so that there will be no trouble elsewhere."

Cheng Xi nodded: "Of course."

Three days later, the salt ship docked at the pier outside Tingzhou. A young woman, carefully supported by her maid, boarded the carriage. She was accompanied by her housekeeper and a group of servants, and headed towards the city in a grand procession.