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The attack of the straw raincoat bandits was a major event for Tingzhou City. The prefect had already dispatched troops to guard the city tightly, and the inspections at the city gates were tightened.

This is also a long-standing precedent. When rebel troops attack, people fleeing often flock to the city. One has to be careful to prevent thieves from taking advantage of the chaos to break in and attack the city from both inside and outside.

At that time, it would not only be a matter of losing land, but even lives would be in danger. Which official would dare to take it lightly?

Because of this, the city suddenly became tense. Some high-ranking families sent servants to patrol their homes, while others quickly packed up their luggage and fled to a safe area by boat before the rebel army surrounded the city.

Logically speaking, the Ye family had long been prepared for such a situation, and with experts in charge, they only needed to wait for an alliance with the Lu family to eliminate their worries.

However, no one expected that the first fire to break out in the front yard would be in his house.

"Mr. Ning!" Ye Dan's face turned ashen as he strode in. "Those traitorous beasts rebelled, and I've captured them all!"

Ning Fu raised his eyebrows in surprise: "Have they taken action? Have they contacted anyone?"

"No!" Ye Dan felt a surge of anger boiling in his heart, unable to suppress it. "Someone has been keeping an eye on us the whole time, but I haven't seen anyone behind the scenes. I've also sent people to interrogate them, and they all said they didn't accept me as the head of the family and didn't want to ally with the Lu family. They said someone was trying to sabotage them and ruin the Ye family forever. If I hadn't seen the situation and taken action directly, these people might have fled the city!"

The more Ye Dan thought about it, the more scared he became. If he let someone escape now, who knows what kind of trouble might happen once he returned to the farm.

If Ning Fu hadn't said that he wanted to play the long game and catch the big fish, and wanted to play with the enemy in the palm of his hand, how could such a mistake have happened?

Ning Fu glanced at him calmly: "If it weren't for me, could Boss Ye have caught them?"

Ye Dan was choked. This was indeed true. If the ghost scholar had not informed him in advance, he would not have been able to find out those people with evil intentions.

Seeing that he had nothing to say, Ning Fucai slowly asked, "Did Boss Ye tell anyone else about my visit to Tingzhou?"

Ye Dan immediately said, "Absolutely not. Even those who were arrested didn't know about this."

"Even if they don't know, others might know." Ning Fu chuckled. "A good hidden chess piece was suddenly thrown away. There must be a reason, right?"

Ye Dan pondered for a moment and understood why Ning Fu said that.

Those bastards could say "someone was interfering", so they must have heard some information that he didn't reveal. Where did those people get it from?

Unable to resist, Ye Dan said, "If that's the case, the person who attacked us in secret is no ordinary person. Now that the enemy is in the dark and we are in the light, how should we respond?"

Ning Fu said calmly, "If they knew I was here, it would be easy to deal with. If they want to stop the Ye and Lu families from forming an alliance, killing me, an unarmed lobbyist, would be the easiest way."

Ye Dan blinked: "Mr. Ning is saying..."

Ning Fu smiled faintly: "The previous bait didn't bite, so why not change it? Boss Ye, why don't you ask Lu's people to come out for a meeting? I will accompany you personally."

Ye Dan immediately understood the other party's plan. He was going to use him as bait. Should he say that he was confident or just too bold?

However, after thinking for a moment, Ye Dan nodded and said, "Since Mr. Ning is willing to take the risk, I will go and prepare."

The more tense the situation is, the more dangerous they will be. It is actually a good thing that they are willing to use themselves as bait.

Only by finding the enemy hiding in the dark can we get rid of it once and for all!

…

Only a few days after the news of the invading rebels spread, Tingzhou City became visibly in chaos. Countless families fled with their children and luggage on their backs.

The stricter the inspection at the city gate, the slower the speed of entering the city. If you don’t have money to clear the way, you may be blocked outside the city.

Along the city wall, rows of simple tents were built. Many dusty-looking civilians huddled outside the city, surviving on the few remaining dry food. Their cries grew louder and louder, making people feel uneasy.

At the same time, ox carts and horse carriages carrying countless luggage marched out of the city. With the help of maids, the nobles boarded the ships docked on the shore and set sail.

The wealthy leaving the city and the common people entering the city were like two muddy streams, mixing together yet clearly separated.

This was also the first time Lin Mo had seen such a scene. The more she saw it, the more uneasy she became and the more restless she became.

The countless refugees truly hurt her heart. So many people fled into the city to escape the war. What would they do if the city broke out into chaos?

After enduring for a few days, she finally asked, "Boss, if the city falls, will many people die?"

"Even if the city is not taken, many people will die." Cheng Xi did not hide the truth and told it.

Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat. Yes, how could there not be casualties when the rebels attacked? Back then, what she feared most was the invasion of bandits and the destruction of the village. Now, she had become the one who would bring disaster.

To protect the Red Flag Gang, they had to take risks. However, it wasn't just the wealthy like the Lu and Ye families who would be implicated; perhaps innocent people as well...

When he thought of this, Lin Mo felt confused and didn't know what to say.

Looking at the silent little girl, Cheng Xi sighed, "When people are about to starve to death, they will rise up in rebellion, burning, killing, looting, and running rampant. Those straw raincoat bandits are probably also people who have suffered a disaster and were coerced."

Lin Mo raised his head suddenly: "They can kill the corrupt officials and the nobles who eat their flesh and drink their blood. Why should they embarrass the poor people who are just the same?"

“Which of the dignitaries is not hiding behind high walls and deep houses? If you want to kill them, you must first trample on countless civilians. Moreover, once the rebellion is launched, there will be tens of thousands of mouths waiting for food and drink. If you don’t lead these bloodthirsty people to attack the city, who can control them?” Cheng Xi spoke out the facts behind the peasant uprising. Between "rebellion" and "mopping up", there are countless bloody lives. Except for a very small number of superiors, who is not an innocent person?

Lin Mo was speechless for a moment. He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

Cheng Xi sighed. "Even the imperial officers, soldiers, and generals have families to support. They defend the city and suppress the bandits, mostly to protect the common people. They are doing their utmost to defend the land. If we encounter them, do we have to surrender?"

How can we not fight?

Lin Mo clenched her fists. Of course she had to protect the Red Flag Gang and her brothers and sisters in the gang. Even if the soldiers came, she would fight hard.

But if you know that the "enemy" is not a "bad guy", is there any morality in fighting against him?

Seeing what she was thinking, Cheng Xi said sternly, "As long as it's war, there's no such thing as 'morality'. It's more of a disagreement on positions and a continuation of politics. If you're in it, thinking too much will backfire. It's better to concentrate on completing your mission, do your best to preserve your strength, and kill the enemy. Therefore, soldiers should be like swords, without conscience, without thoughts, so they are easier to control."

Lin Mo immediately sensed something was wrong: "But Gang Leader, you always tell us what to do and what not to do."

"Because you are not just soldiers, you are also human beings." Cheng Xi sighed softly, "As a human being, you must know good and evil. Sometimes this will become a burden, but more often, it will save more people. Now, you just need to remember why we came to Tingzhou City."

We are here to help our allies, resolve future troubles, and make the Red Flag Gang more stable.

Lin Mo followed the gang leader all day long, so he naturally heard countless discussions between her and Mr. Fang. How could he not know the purpose of this trip?

What they had to do, of course, was to deal with the powerful and thwart the plans of those dignitaries, rather than to capture the city and bring suffering to the people in the city.

Those are the plans of the Suoyi Gang.

They are different from the Straw Clothes Gang.

Nodding thoughtfully, Lin Mo whispered, "I'll remember that."

Looking at the little girl whose expression became determined again, Cheng Xi sighed in his heart.

What she said today is actually just the superficial aspects. The real war is not as simple as she said. “A kind man cannot command an army” is not a joke.

She has witnessed countless inhumane scenes on modern battlefields, not to mention the ancient times thousands of years ago when even "humanitarianism" had not yet sprouted.

And living in this era, one day, she will also use Fang Tianxi's vicious schemes, and use methods that are almost the same as those of the Suoyi Gang, in order to survive, for development, and for the lives of more people.

These are unavoidable, she only hopes that by then, she can still keep her original heart and remember her previous beliefs and ideals.

These things do not belong to this era, but they are also the anchor for her to maintain herself, and she will never abandon them.

…

Looking at the secret report on the table, Xiao Lin sneered.

The Lu and Ye families seemed to have reached an agreement, and they had been openly holding banquets and drinking wine to build up momentum in the past few days.

The fact that two of the most powerful families in Tingzhou formed an alliance at such a critical moment can also reassure people's hearts.

Even if they were unwilling, no one dared to cause trouble at this time. The two families had good intentions and good tactics.

However, others did not dare, but the Xiao family would not be afraid of this. Now that he had received the secret report, Xiao Lin felt even more at ease. There really were people in the Ye family who were unwilling to form an alliance with the Lu family.

This was something Xiao Lin had guessed early on. The two families had previously fought over land, and several people had died, but outsiders didn't know about it.

The head of the Ye family was bent on fighting the Qingfeng Gang, which also made several branches feel dissatisfied. It would be rare if this could be easily covered up.

The result was just as he expected. There was a big commotion in the Ye Mansion two days ago, and many people were arrested. It was probably caused by Ye Dan's ruthless suppression.

It's not surprising that the fish caught in the net would feel resentful and attack the Lu family. When they encounter disaster, they can still vaguely find traces of the "real culprit". By then, the alliance between the two families will probably be broken.

Xiao Lin smiled slightly and said to his confidant, "Send the things to Madam Jiang, and remember to give them some instructions to be careful."

He naturally didn't want to dirty his hands, but fortunately there were others available.

Now that the bandits are attacking, we must get this done as soon as possible. If we delay for a few days, it will cause chaos in the city, which will be bad.

She picked up the page of secret report and held it close to the candlelight. The flame suddenly rose up, illuminating the smile on the old man's face.

…

The preparations were quite thorough. Looking at the clothes and accessories sent by the spies, Sun Yuanrang secretly praised them in his heart.

Obviously, the hidden chess pieces have been exchanged out, but who would have thought that Fang Tianxi still got so many things that have hidden traces of the Ye family. If they wear them and make a scene, who can tell the real from the fake?

Nodding slightly, Sun Yuanrang said to the spy, "Please inform Mr. Fang that there are no problems on my end. Please ask him to arrange for someone to come and assist."

The spy immediately said, "Don't worry, Chief. Gang Leader Cheng will personally take care of it. There will be no mistakes."

Upon hearing this, Sun Yuanrang was completely relieved. That was a person who could make Lu Jian humble himself to befriend him and Fang Tianxi personally invite him. He must be quite capable.

And what he had to do was much easier than the original plan.

To be honest, this was something Sun Yuanrang had not expected.

After all, as soon as they entered the city, they heard the news of the ghost scholar's arrival. In a blink of an eye, most of the hidden tricks they had planted were dug out. It was impossible for them to interfere and cause a fight between the two families.

Sun Yuanrang originally thought that Fang Tianxi would come up with other tricks, but unexpectedly he would take a different approach and do this.

A mere fifty people were certainly not enough to attack the Lu Mansion and burn down the shops, but they were more than enough to assassinate people on the street. As long as the retreat was safe, this was a profitable business.

I just don't know how the Red Flag Gang will arrange it...

Sun Yuanrang cast aside all distractions with a flash of thought and said to his men, "Everyone, get some rest tonight. We'll start tomorrow!"

The army was outside, and he could not delay in the city any longer. He only hoped that this time he could really cause chaos in Tingzhou City, so that he could reap enough benefits and make great contributions.

…

"It's time to wrap it up." Looking at the densely packed map in front of him, Fang Tianxi snorted softly, "We finally managed to lure the guy out, so we have to make a big fuss."

This plot took up a lot of his energy.

One has to be on guard against the evil schemes of the ghost scholar, worry about Sun Yuanrang's safety, and there is also a troublesome girl who is trying hard to stir up trouble. It is really exhausting both physically and mentally.

Who would have thought that in the end, it would turn out to be such a simple and crude method.

Alas, I was still led astray...

Thinking of this, Fang Tianxi couldn't help but glance at the person beside him: "But let's make it clear first, the most important thing this time is to destroy the alliance between the two families, so that they can no longer join forces. Don't be so bloodthirsty that you delay important matters!"

He knew very well how courageous this girl was, but his opponent was no simple person. If he was really outmaneuvered and held back by someone, he would lose everything.

Cheng Xi smiled slightly: "Don't worry, sir, I know what to do."

Just looking at your arrangements, you don't seem like a sensible person! However, even though he was thinking this in his heart, Fang Tianxi had to admit that there was no more appropriate arrangement at the moment.

He heaved a long sigh and leaned back on a chair beside him. "Then I won't care. Just take me aboard when the matter is settled."

Without paying any attention to the lazy old man, Cheng Xi turned around and said, "You must remember all the arrangements. Success or failure depends on this one time."

From Lin Meng down, everyone roared in agreement.

This is the gang leader's careful arrangement. With her leading the way, what is there to be afraid of? After staying in the city for so long, it's time to do something special!