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Xu Xianrong screamed out loud. He shouldn't have called Miss Qiu by her maiden name in front of outsiders, but the horror at the moment overwhelmed everything in his heart.

Girls change a lot when they grow up. Logically, he should not have recognized Qiu Yuehua after not seeing her for four or five years. The woman in red was indeed completely different from the little girl in his memory. However, the more he saw her, the more he could detect her similarities with General Qiu, not only in appearance, but also in expression and demeanor.

Isn't this what General Qiu's daughter should be like? But how could such a delicate and frail lady end up like this?

At that moment, Xu Xianrong even forgot what he was doing there. The next moment, he saw the man standing next to Miss Qiu. He knew this man! A string in his head seemed to snap, and Xu Xianrong shouted angrily: "Yan Yuan, did you kidnap Miss Qiu?!"

Yan Yuan frowned and was about to answer when a hand interrupted him. Cheng Xi stood up and said calmly, "I got separated from A Yuan when I was escaping. It wasn't until I founded the Red Flag Gang that I took him in. If you're talking about kidnapping, it should be me who kidnapped him."

Xu Xianrong hadn't expected Miss Qiu to say that, much less to admit that she founded the Red Flag Gang. He shook his head and said, "Ridiculous! How could you have founded a gang like the Red Flag Gang? You..."

"I'm just a weak woman?" Cheng Xi didn't give him a chance to finish. "If a woman like me didn't resist, I would have died at the hands of pirates long ago. Even if I defeated the pirates, I would have no place to live and would have been killed by the government sooner or later. To survive and to seek revenge, why can't I build my own boat gang? Am I going to do what my father did and let them do what they did, ending up with my entire family being executed and left without a burial place?"

Xu Xianrong's heart sank at the words "die without a burial place." The next moment, his anger flared up. "It's because of General Qiu that you shouldn't have joined the bandits and used his name to wreak havoc on the land! If you do that, wouldn't the court's accusation be proven? How can you redress your grievances?"

These words were like a sword, sharp and cruel, but they hit a solid wall. Cheng Xi just asked calmly: "Then what are you here for?"

What was it for? To recruit him, to clear General Qiu of his wrongful charges, because some people were frightened by the beatings and feared the Red Flag Gang would become too powerful to be eradicated. Xu Xianrong suddenly shut up. Because of that idiot Wang Ling, all his scolding and worries became a joke, incredibly foolish.

Cheng Xi smiled, but there was not much warmth in his smile: "It seems that I was right. Are you here to persuade us to surrender, or to recruit us?"

Xu Xianrong's lips moved, and he finally spoke: "The Marshal wishes to return to Panyu as soon as possible. He is willing to petition the court to recruit you and clear the general's name."

When Yan Yuan heard the word "recruitment", he was still a little disdainful, but the second half of the sentence made his expression slightly change, and he couldn't help but look at Cheng Xi.

Unfortunately, Cheng Xi's expression did not change: "Can the emperor admit his mistakes?"

Yan Yuan's heart sank. He wanted the emperor to admit his mistake of killing loyal officials, but that was a bit unrealistic. It seemed too strong to offer him amnesty under such conditions.

Xu Xianrong hesitated for a moment, then said, "The Marshal said that the emperor is old and the crown prince has been chosen. Once the new emperor ascends the throne, order will be restored..."

Yan Yuan was furious upon hearing this. If the gang leader hadn't been standing right before him, he would have cursed him out. Not only was this outrageous, it was also a complete lie. How could Wang Ling, a mere general, possibly influence the Crown Prince's succession? How dare he use such nonsense to deceive them!

Xu Xianrong also felt uncomfortable, and it goes without saying that he was very angry, but at this moment, he wanted to use this statement to persuade Miss Qiu to change her mind. No matter how much he wanted to clear his father's name, he shouldn't do this.

Both men were upset, but Cheng Xi alone didn't seem to mind. History is littered with examples of meritorious officials and generals being executed: Bai Qi, Han Xin, Zhou Yafu, Tan Daoji... Once the rabbit is dead, the dog is cooked, and once the bird is gone, the bow is put away. This is how feudal power operates. "This unhappy person is not the young master's minister." A single word can determine a person's fate. And it's common practice for a new monarch to show favor and win over people's hearts, just like Song Xiaozong, who rehabilitated Yue Fei. To put it bluntly, loyal officials and generals are nothing more than tools; whether to use them, hide them, kill them, or pardon them all depends on the monarch's whim.

Shaking his head slightly, Cheng Xi said, "What I want is revenge, not vindication for my father."

This made Xu Xianrong look up suddenly: "Are you going to rebel?"

Revenge, not vindication, was the clearest implication, tinged with murderous intent. She had no intention of accepting the offer of amnesty. Why? Was she angry about the unjust death of her military commander and unwilling to serve the court again? However, the other party's answer once again surprised Xu Xianrong.

"The imperial court has the responsibility to ensure the peace of the people. Now that it fails to do so and instead oppresses them, some will naturally rise up in rebellion." Cheng Xi looked directly into the other party's eyes and said slowly, "No matter what conditions they offer, I will not agree. If the imperial court cannot ensure the peace of the South China Sea, then I will do it."

Her words were steady and firm, without much emotion, yet serious and solemn, and would not tolerate any disrespect. Xu Xianrong's lips trembled: "No matter what, this is still a rebellion. The court will send troops to suppress it. Those officers and soldiers, your own men, will die in vain because of your momentary lapse of judgment. How can there be peace?"

"Nothing in this world comes for free." As if she had thought of something amusing, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. "What you can't gain by giving in, you can gain by fighting."

"What about General Qiu's reputation? Don't you care about it?" Xu Xianrong couldn't help but take a step forward and shouted.

"My father's reputation was earned through his lifelong dedication to the country and the people." Cheng Xi's expression became solemn again. "This reputation cannot be given by the emperor, nor can it be taken away by others. History will tell the story."

Standing behind Cheng Xi, Yan Yuan closed his eyes. All his struggles, guilt, and faint expectations vanished at this moment. He was just like General Xu in the beginning, but the longer he stayed with the gang leader, the weaker those thoughts became. Because he saw the smiling faces of those people, the joy and expectations on the faces of those fishermen, farmers, craftsmen, merchants, women, and even the boat people. They actually asked for very little, just to survive, but the gang leader gave them a lot, money to make a living, skills to survive, and even education to urge them to be good. She can see these people, and she is willing to help these people, just like the general did in the past. Although the two people's methods are different, their hearts have never changed.

He trusted the woman in front of him more than the imperial court.

Xu Xianrong refused to admit defeat: "Then you disregarded the general's will? The Qiu family refused to rebel until their death. Are you worthy of your family name?"

"I've changed my name to Cheng Xi, no longer Qiu Yuehua." After saying this, Cheng Xi suddenly reached into her bosom and pulled out a letter. "My father did leave a suicide note, and now it's time to return it to its rightful owner."

She had kept this suicide note carefully, but when she knew that Xu Xianrong was in the enemy camp, she kept it with her, just for this moment.

What? Not only was Xu Xianrong taken aback, even Yan Yuan's eyes widened. Didn't the general's last wish ask her to seek refuge with someone surnamed Xu? How could she give it to him!

Xu Xianrong didn't care about that. He snatched the letter and started reading. The next moment, his hands began to tremble, tears flowed, and he choked with sobs.

It was indeed a moving letter, and it was also General Qiu's true last words. However, Cheng Xi didn't want to say that. After Xu Xianrong finished reading the letter, she said, "My late father asked you to take care of me. Are you willing to obey his instructions and stay with the Red Flag Gang?"

This sentence was so out of the blue that it was beyond the expectations of the two grown men in the room. Yan Yuan choked in his throat and clenched his fists tightly, while Xu Xianrong raised his head and looked over blankly.

There was confusion and astonishment in his eyes, struggle and pain. However, after a long time, Xu Xianrong shook his head and said, "I can't follow a thief."

Yan Yuan felt relieved, but then anger surged up and he shouted, "The Red Flag Gang is not thieves!"

"You are unwilling to obey the court, and everything you do is to seize power. Yuehua, will you really not be swept away by the general trend and rebel in the future?" Xu Xianrong changed his address. He no longer called her by the bandit nickname, but called her by her maiden name.

Cheng Xi had nothing to hide about this: "The court wants to ban the sea, but I don't want to see the sea fall into the hands of others. Yes, if necessary, I will raise an army and use guns and cannons to defend what belongs to me."

These words were so strong that Xu Xianrong's pupils shrank. The next moment, he shook his head: "I am a general of the imperial court. How could I be plotting treason?"

"Even if there is a tyrant emperor, even if there are treacherous officials in power?" Cheng Xi asked back.

"Even if there are incompetent rulers and treacherous ministers, Dagan should not have perished like this. The world is in turmoil and heroes are vying for supremacy. It sounds good to say it, but it is only millions of ordinary people who suffer. Instead of allowing bandits to cause chaos, it is better to cleanse the court and the country, put down the chaos, and bring peace to the people." His voice was trembling and the tears on his face had not been wiped away, but every word he said was emphasized, with a kind of stubbornness that was sincere and unyielding.

Looking at the young general, Cheng Xi recalled a familiar refrain from military forums: "The state has nurtured scholars for a hundred and fifty years; today is the day to die for integrity and righteousness!" Civil officials could die for their integrity, so why not military generals? Fighting and dying on the battlefield for their country was what they had learned from childhood, the immortal spirit that supported a nation and dynasty. Their chosen loyalty wasn't necessarily just to the emperor, but to the country they had grown up in and all the innocent people within it.

Was it precisely because he was this kind of person that General Qiu had chosen him? It was also because of this same persistence that Qiu Sheng calmly faced death, his only selfish concern being his only daughter, whom he loved like a pearl in his palm.

Such a person would naturally not be used by her, no matter how much sweet talk she used.

But the next moment, Xu Xianrong suddenly stepped forward and extended his hand to Cheng Xi: "Yuehua, why don't you leave with me? I will resign from my official position and take you to a safe place to live in seclusion. You will live a peaceful and happy life without being bothered by trivial matters."

That young, handsome face was filled with desperation, yet also with a sincerity that moved the heart. He was serious. If loyalty and righteousness couldn't be fulfilled, he would give up everything for gratitude, just for a promise.

Suddenly, Cheng Xi understood why General Qiu had entrusted his daughter to this young general from the far frontier. He was so handsome, so like himself, how could his beloved daughter not love him? Furthermore, this man was so meticulous even in his "rehabilitation," refusing to make any mistakes. How could he possibly rebel and cause chaos? With this letter of entrustment, he would simply swallow his heartache and take good care of Qiu Yuehua, allowing her to live a carefree life. Even if he didn't love her at all.

A perfect guardian, the only difference is that she is not Qiu Yuehua.

Shaking his head slightly, Cheng Xi said, "I still have ambitions in my heart, and it's impossible for me to retire to the countryside."

A woman openly spoke of her ambition, a woman who once shyly hid behind her father's back... At this moment, Xu Xianrong was in a trance. She truly didn't look like the Qiu Yuehua he remembered, yet she was so much like her father, the mentor who had nurtured him. Why had such a drastic change occurred? The next moment, Xu Xianrong's outstretched hand slowly dropped, clenching into a fist. What had she experienced when she left the Qiu residence and fled at night? She was supposed to come to him, as her father had promised, but she hadn't been able to do so. Why?

There is no need to guess what will cause a woman's temperament to change drastically.

Why hadn't he found her sooner?

At this moment, Xu Xianrong's regret was beyond words. He felt sorry for General Qiu, sorry for Yuehua, and even more sorry for the soldiers who died in the naval battle.

Cheng Xi did not give him time to regret: "In that case, Lieutenant General Xu, please go back."

Xu Xianrong shuddered: "You really don't want to surrender?"

This was nonsense. Cheng Xi smiled slightly, but what he said was different from before: "The promise of a mere general is not counted."

What did this mean? Xu Xianrong's mind was in a turmoil, and he couldn't figure it out for a moment. But there was no doubt that this mission had completely failed. Yuehua was now the leader of the Red Flag Gang. As long as she didn't agree, there was no way he could take her away in the enemy camp. This conversation also made him realize that he couldn't convince her. She had her own ambitions and her will was far stronger than ordinary people. How could she be easily persuaded?

Faced with the expulsion order, Xu Xianrong hesitated for a long time before asking, "What about you? Do you really want to continue to be an enemy of the imperial court?"

"I'm afraid you and I will have to fight each other in the future." Cheng Xi answered frankly.

This made Xu Xianrong's heart ache, and he laughed bitterly: "Not necessarily."

Having failed to complete Wang Ling's instructions, he might not have the chance to lead the troops again, but this time, it was a good thing for him. Without saying anything more, Xu Xianrong turned around and was about to leave. However, before leaving, he couldn't help but pause and whispered, "Take care..."

It was definitely inappropriate to say this to an enemy, but when he thought about the future, Xu Xianrong couldn't help but want to say something. He didn't agree with her decision, but Yuehua was still the daughter of a military officer after all.

Cheng Xi didn't answer, and Xu Xianrong didn't wait any longer and slowly walked out the door.

After waiting for the figure to completely disappear, Yan Yuan whispered, "Boss, aren't you going to kill him?"

Although he could understand Xu Xianrong's thoughts and even felt some sympathy, on the battlefield, those who could not be subdued were enemies. Letting such a strong general go might become a serious threat in the future.

Cheng Xi sighed softly: "There's no need for us to do anything."

Such a loyal minister and capable general was truly admirable, but he miscalculated one point. This wasn't a time of turmoil, but rather a period of intense conflict, forcing a complete reshuffle. To be a loyal minister at the brink of collapse meant dealing with more than just enemies; the surging tides made no distinction between friend and foe. The more upright one stood, the less willing one was to compromise, and the quicker and more miserable one's demise, like General Qiu.

But these are no longer her concerns.

"Call all captains, we're about to start fighting."