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After the Red Flag Gang occupied Wuyuan Island, it was used as a place to detain prisoners of war for a long time. It was also with the prisoners carrying things on their shoulders that barracks were built bit by bit, the docks were repaired, and even farmland was opened up.

In time, we should be able to build a village that is no less beautiful than the one on Luoling Island.

However, when there are few people, they can be used as hard laborers. But when there are too many people, this cannot be done. They must be strictly monitored to prevent anyone from causing trouble.

Three to four thousand prisoners, guarded by only a hundred or so men—what a burden that must have been! Even if they were only given one meal a day, starving them to the point of exhaustion, it wouldn't be a long-term solution.

Even a dog can jump over the wall when it is forced into a corner, let alone a human.

Originally the guards on the island were terrified and felt that they could no longer suppress the situation. However, the situation immediately changed when Chief Yan arrived.

"Hurry up and take it to the side to eat, don't get in the way!"

The cook, holding a big spoon, cursed as he served food to the group of disheveled prisoners.

Each person was given a large spoonful of porridge, which was made from brown rice and mixed with bran, and it was very choking to eat.

Fortunately, there is some salted fish in the porridge. It tastes a bit fishy, ​​but not lacking in saltiness, which can help people endure it for a longer time.

Those who got the porridge squatted aside and drank it with great enthusiasm. It was because they were so hungry that their eyes turned green, but the more important thing was that they had to finish eating quickly and make room so that they could listen to others' conversation.

In just a short while, hundreds of people had finished their porridge. Without anyone driving them away with sticks, they obediently lined up in several rows, sat on the ground, and looked up at the front.

No one dared to chat. The food they had eaten had finally cleared their drowsy minds, and anticipation welled up in their hearts. Life on the island was harsh and terrifying. The vast ocean surrounded them, and there wasn't even a boat at the dock. A bunch of people were like pigs and dogs in cages, huddled in a palm-sized space, unable to move, and starving. No one knew what their fate would be. If they were really being dragged into hard labor, it would be fine. But now, if they weren't killed, they weren't allowed to live well either. Who could endure this?

Some people went crazy in the past two days, but all those who dared to make trouble were dragged out and beheaded. This made people even more frightened and silent, and it was not until the last two days that they felt some hope.

Soon, a young man walked onto the stage. He put the iron cylinder he was holding to his lips and said loudly, "Today we're talking about the old story of General Qiu leading his troops to defend the three counties and repel the bandits! It was during the Yuanping period. At that time, General Qiu was the deputy commander and had only one battalion of soldiers under his command..."

The man had a loud voice, and the iron cylinder amplified it, allowing hundreds of people to hear him clearly. If he had spoken of anything else, the captives probably wouldn't have listened, but he chose to talk about General Qiu. All the captives present had come from the Navy, so who hadn't heard of General Qiu's fame? While they knew Qiu Sheng personally, they didn't necessarily know his past. Now that he was recounting his story in such vivid detail, the effect was completely different.

It turned out that General Qiu had also come from a garrison. In his early years, he had slew bandits along the Bohai Sea and led a large army to conquer the Rong and Di tribes in the northern border, saving the people of several states. This was more than just "pacifying the sea"; it was clearly a man who traversed the world, conquering many lands, and in exchange for countless years of peace and stability for Dagan.

He had been wounded, led hundreds of men in a surprise attack at night, and nearly died in a dispute with his superiors, not to mention his experience in the South China Sea. Each story was not long, not comparable to a storyteller's script, but if you listened carefully, it would still make your heart tremble and your blood boil.

But what was the final outcome for such a great general who was invincible in hundreds of battles and dedicated himself to the country and the people?

"...In this battle, over 470 enemies were killed. The people of the three counties built a shrine in his honor, offering sacrifices day and night." The young man paused, his tone suddenly changing. "Now, before General Qiu's body is even cold, the imperial court has already led its troops to attack the Red Flag Gang, attempting to kill the last of the Qiu family. This is truly shameless! Is this the kind of person you wish to pledge allegiance to?"

With that, he turned away with a cold expression, leaving behind a group of men with varying expressions. They were all captives, hardly even seeing anyone they knew. Those high-ranking officers, including the Hundred Households and the Thousand Households, had all disappeared. They were already terrified and powerless, and now, after hearing such a story and considering the reasons for the imperial court's military action, I wonder how many of them were tormented.

Who among us soldiers wouldn't respect General Qiu's ability? But after a lifetime of military service, what did he get in return? Only an imperial decree to execute his entire family. The Red Flag Gang hadn't even come ashore to harass villages or towns, let alone kill civilians. So, what was the imperial court's purpose in sending troops?

Now that the Red Flag Gang had captured them, they were still able to suppress their hatred and not use their heads to appease General Qiu. Who else could be in the wrong?

Annoyance, guilt, resentment, regret... a myriad of emotions washed over them, but the guards didn't give them time to reflect. They herded them back to the barracks, where they were assigned to tidy up the camp, wash dishes, clean the toilets, and even twist some hemp rope. The work wasn't strenuous, but it was enough to finish off the bowl of porridge. As the sun set and their stomachs began to growl again, the prisoners were gathered again, this time into small groups of around a hundred men each, separated by a wide gap, sitting in a circle on the ground.

This wasn't the first time. As soon as they sat down, someone raised their right hand, and then another one followed. The guard randomly pointed to someone and had him stand in the middle of the crowd.

The man who was chosen was short and not young, with a scar on his face, making him look rather ugly. Seeing the wide-eyed people below, he rubbed his hands nervously and muttered, "I, I... When I was working, I was beaten by a wealthy businessman..."

Such a straightforward opening didn't pique anyone's interest, and some even looked impatient. The man's voice suddenly lowered: "...I, I just want my wages. He said he'd give me five cents, but he insisted that I broke something, so he didn't give it to me..."

His voice grew quieter and quieter, becoming increasingly flustered and confused, until he practically mumbled to himself. However, after he finished speaking, the guard said nothing, simply waving his hand at him and saying, "Go get your meal."

The man quickly retreated, walked around to the other side, took a bowl of porridge from the cook, and squatted there to drink it. The porridge was thicker than the morning porridge, still warm, with some cooked vegetables in it. It was no longer pungent with the salted fish, and it tasted better. After two mouthfuls of porridge, the man suddenly remembered what happened in the past.

He was only a teenager at the time, carrying goods for a wealthy merchant. After a long day of toil, his back nearly broke. But when it came time to pay him that evening, the merchant insisted he had broken something and refused to pay a cent. Being young and impetuous, he tried to argue, but was severely beaten by the servants. His leg was injured for over two weeks, and he went hungry for another two weeks. Finally, unable to make ends meet, he enlisted in the army.

That beating had been truly painful, more painful than any he had received since. He could even remember the stinking mud on the ground and the corner of the rich merchant's robe embroidered with bamboo leaves. If he had received the five cents, would his mother have kept his sister? If he hadn't been beaten, would he have found another job instead of risking his life in the army?

The tears in his eyes suddenly rolled down and dripped into the bowl. He didn't even wipe them away, just sipping his porridge mouthful by mouthful, his porridge slurping down more and more slowly. Suddenly, a cry broke out from the crowd, probably someone talking about the tragedy of that year. Crying out loud in front of everyone must be more painful than a beating, right? There were always people who lived a worse life than him, but why did he also feel so much grievance in his heart?

Holding the bowl of porridge, this man who had never shed tears in the face of enemy swords and guns suddenly burst into tears and cried like a child.

Team after team, lecture after lecture, there were cries, curses, roars of venting, and the sound of people silently slurping porridge from their bowls. Even when the sun set and everyone returned to their homes, a faint sob lingered.

Standing at the doorway, looking at the completely darkened camp, Yan Yuan was filled with emotion. These were surrendered soldiers, numerous in number, and all legitimate imperial naval officers, yet they dared to use such a method to deal with them.

When they recounted their military exploits, their expressions were filled with excitement, unbearable. And when they "complained," tears and curses would often rise in unison. Such intense emotions, let alone prisoners, would likely lead to mutiny and chaos in even an ordinary military camp. But here, with each passing day, the hatred in their eyes diminished. They weren't just numbly eating and sleeping, nor were they toiling away, exhausted to the point of unconsciousness.

They began to think about the reasons for this battle, the reasons why they were captured, why they joined the army, and why they obeyed their superiors and the court.

However, all this has nothing to do with the Red Flag Gang.

Although they were captured, and although they had no food to eat and could not sleep well all day, the one who made them suffer was not the Red Flag Gang, nor the only surviving daughter of the Qiu family.

On the contrary, the Red Flag Gang told them about General Qiu, allowed them to complain and vent their grievances, and even gave them hot meals.

What's there to hate about such a person? Once your captive no longer hates you, the threat will naturally be minimized.

With just a few speeches and a bowl of hot porridge, he achieved what others could not.

Even though Yan Yuan had been mentally prepared, he was still surprised. Even more unexpectedly, the crying and fussing of a group of surrendered soldiers actually made the guards respect the leader even more and love the Red Flag Gang from the bottom of their hearts.

People always make comparisons. Only by comparing misery and suffering can we discover that we are blessed.

Now, let alone surrender, even if they don't say anything, there are surrendered soldiers kneeling at their feet, wanting to join the Red Flag Gang.

No matter how many people stayed, those who returned would certainly not forget the past. How could the imperial court rally the troops' morale?

The overall situation has been decided. It just depends on when those who went to Panyu to demand the ransom can come back.