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The promotion of Lin Mo to captain had caused quite a stir within the gang, with even Li Niu coming over to grumble a bit. However, since his elder brother, Lin Meng, hadn't objected, and Lin Mo was a member of the Royal Guards, leading a group of female soldiers, few people were concerned.

A female gang leader with a female captain under her command, what's the big deal? Compared to the gang leader's sudden whim, everyone was more concerned about the Red Flag Army's future arrangements.

This military reorganization, which took several months, has been completely completed. Following the redistribution of ranks and the addition of new military titles, the biggest change is likely to be the unified logistics arrangements. From now on, it will no longer be the individual leaders who maintain the troops; instead, the Red Flag Gang will allocate funds, food, and weapons, effectively consolidating military power.

Even after the reductions, the Red Banner Army was still substantial, boasting over 400 large warships and over 6,000 regular troops, not to mention the smaller vessels, auxiliary troops, and militia. Maintaining 6,000 regular troops was equivalent to 6,000 unemployed men, and the cost of feeding them alone was a significant expense, not to mention the cost of artillery and other weapons. This wasn't just a show of force to intimidate others; it had to be truly effective. Only by fighting to support the war could we continuously train our troops and reduce our own losses.

So the question is, what should be the next strategic goal?

Cheng Xi naturally had plans for this.

"This is the distribution of the forces, is it accurate?" Cheng Xi frowned as he looked at the newly built sand table in front of him. The mountains on it were covered with colorful flags, which was really dazzling.

"Military affairs are changing rapidly, so everything may not be accurate. But the two armies that are closest to us are the two armies that split from the葑衣 Gang. They have now occupied most of Huguang. Behind them are the troops of Prince Xin who are right next to Fujian, and a group of miscellaneous soldiers who are entrenched in Jiujiang Prefecture and have proclaimed themselves Marshal Tianding." Yan Yuan replied immediately.

This doesn't even include the more distant forces of the Xia, Liang, and Rui clans, as well as two rebellious armies with distinctly religious roots. Cheng Xi lapsed into silence, staring at the sand table. The topography of this world was somewhat different from her memory. For example, Yuhang was closer to the sea, with its harbor, and the islands around Panyu were also somewhat different from her memory. She couldn't tell if this was simply the result of coastline shifts over time, or if it was simply a matter of living in a different world. Therefore, she couldn't guarantee that the unfamiliar-sounding provinces were exactly as she remembered them.

But regardless of how the terrain changed, just looking at the sand table, one could tell that the entire south was in chaos. Banners were changing, powerful individuals emerged, and began to claim supremacy and annex each other. Further north was where the imperial army was located. It was said that in order to fight for the throne, military garrisons sent troops to support the emperor, and millions of refugees were led by powerful generals, and the fighting was fierce.

This is a truly turbulent era, and the time required to change dynasties and unify the world is measured in decades. After staring at the sand table for a long time, Cheng Xi sighed: "The stronger these people become, the more they will invade prefectures and counties. We still need to intensify the training of the militia and open up the waterways."

"Boss, are you planning to go north?" Li Niu couldn't help but ask from the side.

"Our most important goal at the moment is to open up the strait and stabilize the waterway. Whether it's reorganizing the army, training soldiers, or clearing out nearby pirates and water bandits, it's all for the purpose of stabilizing the rear." Cheng Xi answered affirmatively.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the conference hall breathed a sigh of relief. These leaders who were born on the seaside really had no interest in getting involved in the chaotic fighting on land. If the gang leader planned to go north to avenge his father, it would be hard to say what would happen to the army's morale.

Yan Yuan also breathed a sigh of relief. When Cheng Xi had gone to Yuhang, he had been a little worried that the gang leader might be planning an attack on the imperial court, but now it seemed she had no plans to act rashly. Indeed, the Red Flag Gang was now unrivaled in the South China Sea, but with such a small force, it was far from enough to start a rebellion.

Cheng Xi knew what they were thinking. He looked around and said seriously, "The world is in chaos. We are safe in a corner. It seems that we can protect ourselves, but the changes in the situation on the shore will eventually affect us. While we open up the strait and occupy the sea, we must also pay attention to the movements around us. We must not be careless. If we lose our foundation, we will have no place to stay."

Hearing Cheng Xi's words, everyone immediately agreed. Everyone knew that they were safe now because the court had no time to worry about other things. Moreover, with the fighting so intense, they might be targeted by the thieves one day, so how could they not be on high alert?

Seeing everyone's agreement, Cheng Xi began to seriously arrange military affairs. Their most important goal now was to quickly open up the waterway and completely control the province. This required not only suppressing bandits and clearing the river, but also synergizing with the advancement of Minsheng Bank. They had to use the Qingmiao Loan to solve the people's livelihood problems, while simultaneously cracking down on some uncooperative local tyrants and drawing others into the ocean shipping industry that revolved around the waterway. They also had to curb the government's hostility towards the Red Flag Gang.

In the final analysis, it is a process of differentiation and disintegration. It is difficult to say how much resistance we will encounter and what kind of chaos will arise. However, without a stable rear base, all plans are out of the question.

The meeting lasted a long time, and everyone was assigned their tasks. Besides suppressing bandits, the most important thing was to form a militia. Cheng Xi planned to take Yan Yuan with him to Dongning to take a look. They also had to consider how to take in refugees and expand the military settlement.

However, although the idea was good, God did not give them the opportunity to realize it, as a typhoon came.

Unlike the last time, this time the typhoon's path passed right by Luoling Island. The sky was dark, and the wind was so strong it threatened to sweep everything off the island. Even though they had prepared in advance, fortified their homes, and called all boats back to the harbor, the raging wind still destroyed vast swathes of farmland, forests, and even those houses that hadn't been concreted yet.

But the disaster didn't end there. Torrential rain followed, driven by the wind, causing rivers to overflow and flooding widespread. Areas near Panyu were fortunate; the rice harvest had already begun. However, further north, the situation was different. Many areas were in the middle of summer harvest and planting, and the floods wiped out their crops. The people, who had endured a season of hardship, awaiting a life-saving harvest, now had no hope. The consequences were self-evident.

Baoxiong Prefecture was broken! Leren Prefecture was broken! Lianshao Prefecture was broken!

Urgent reports, one after another, brought bad news: refugees and rebels, being coerced by unknown forces, were closing in on Panyu. This was the heart of Yuezhou, a major trading hub. If they could capture it in one fell swoop, they might even find a full warehouse of grain, enough to feed them!

Under the threat of the rebel soldiers, all states and prefectures were in danger, and the military garrisons were unable to take care of themselves. The Red Flag Army, which had been sitting still, finally took action.