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Since he wanted to whet Tian Yu's appetite, Cheng Xi didn't go into too much detail and didn't directly say what he wanted to do in Dongning County. He just arranged matters on the island step by step and took Sun Erlang and Tian Yu on board.

This time the flagship was used, and there were houses on the deck of the brig, which were directly given to Tian Yu.

Without the oppressive and stuffy feeling in the cabin, Tian Yu's mood improved slightly, but the suspicion in his heart still did not stop.

Things are really strange. Those leaders who came from the fishing village did not know Cheng Xi's identity and just obeyed her orders. However, Yan Yuan knew the details.

The orphan of the Qiu family ran to see the officials, wasn't that like a mouse seeing a cat? He, a confidant and loyal follower of General Qiu, didn't stop him. Was he too bold or was he too deceived to be vigilant?

And even if this group of people have no sense of propriety, why did Cheng Xi bring him there specifically?

He was a wanted criminal who had just escaped from Panyu. Even if he was reported dead in a fire, it might not be safe.

You must know that General Qiu also stationed troops near Dongning. As a financial officer, he had met many local officials. If he was recognized, he would be in trouble.

How could Tian Yu's face look good when he couldn't guess what Cheng Xi was thinking?

Moreover, I was used to living in that special courtyard, and I felt uncomfortable when I was outside. I finally managed to endure two days and finally arrived at the Dongning beach.

Watching the ship sailing into the private port with only one pier and extremely dangerous surroundings, Tian Yu frowned slightly. The camp on the shore looked quite large. It seemed that the Red Flag Gang's assets had to be taken into account.

Li Niu had been waiting on the shore long ago. When he saw Cheng Xi, he hurried over to greet him: "Boss, you're finally back! I've been guarding the camp for so long that my bones are almost broken!"

Looking at the rosy-cheeked and considerably fatter Chief Li, Cheng Xi asked, "So, do you want to stay in the main camp, or go to the island?"

Li Niu immediately pounded his chest and said, "Do I even need to ask? I'll go wherever the boss tells me to go!"

This turn of events was so hilarious that even Tian Yu couldn't help but look at him a second time.

This man looks reckless, but he is quite cunning. Now the camp is being rebuilt, and they are planning to merge the three villages of Lin, Sun and Li into one.

Such a key position would bring great benefits as long as it was occupied, but he expressed his intention right from the start, leaving everything to the gang leader's arrangements. No wonder Cheng Xi was willing to let him stay in such a place far away from the jurisdiction.

Cheng Xi understood his implication and smiled slightly: "They need help on the shore right now, so you should stay there first. It won't be too late to go to the island when Lu's ocean-going ship returns."

Li Niu's eyes lit up, and he rubbed his hands together and laughed, "I'm relieved with what the gang leader said! I've never seen a ship as big as a thousand-ton ship before. It's really eye-opening!"

It would be nice to hold power in Dongning, but how could he expand his fleet without participating in the war? Li Niu knew this in his heart, and he felt relieved to receive this promise.

After calming people's hearts, Cheng Xi returned to the camp and asked about the current situation in Dongning.

Li Niu didn't waste any time and said directly, "The biggest shortage right now is food. Dongning's summer grain won't be harvested for at least two or three months. We have to prepare the grain for sale during the lean season, and some of it has already been sold on credit. Fortunately, groceries are selling well these days, and we can exchange them for a lot of seafood. If nothing unexpected happens, we can control all the seafood in the three counties..."

Although he always claimed that he didn't want to do clerical work anymore, Tian Yu listened to all of this very carefully and understood the methods involved.

The Red Flag Gang started out by selling grain. They first controlled the catches of several villages, then went deep into Dongning, squeezed out the big families, and began to seize the grain routes of Dongning County.

Afterwards, they took advantage of the change of ownership of Luoling Island to collude with other villages and continue to use the method of exchanging grain for fish.

Now, almost all the counties east of Panyu have fallen into their hands.

The profit from this business was actually not very high, and it was very complicated, but the Red Flag Gang relied on exchanging food and selling goods to win the hearts of the people along the coast.

Once we have a clear understanding of the power of each county and the details of other bandits, it will be time to expand the grain route from Dongning.

Even if Lu Jian's food supply is cut off, the Red Flag Gang can still survive by relying on the food on the shore, not to mention the young and strong men sent by the villages along the coast. Everyone is in cahoots with the bandits, and there will be countless spies along the line. It will be necessary to investigate the enemy's situation and report the news.

What’s even more rare is that all of this is accomplished imperceptibly, and the government may not be able to find out the truth by then. Isn’t that safe?

But in this case, will the Dongning camp be cleared?

Hearing Li Niu's complaints, Cheng Xi smiled and said, "We don't have to worry about food. Master Lu asked us to transport the food and promised to send 2,000 dan of rice. This year, the food supply route to Dongning must be secure, and we can fight for some land if we can."

Li Niu perked up when he heard this. Was this a sign of going all out? He couldn't help but ask, "How can we take the Wan family's land? They have a large area of ​​good land, and they sell at least 3,000 dan of grain in the county every year."

Cheng Xi knew what was on his mind and raised her eyebrows. "You need to make this matter clear to Shopkeeper Wang. You two are responsible for the grain supply. You must not act recklessly."

This sounded harsh, but Li Niu was smart and immediately understood what the gang leader meant.

It is not impossible to engage in Wanjia, but there must be methods to ensure the stability of the food supply.

After receiving the confirmation, Li Niu was extremely excited: "Don't worry, boss, I am not the kind of person who would act recklessly. I will definitely reach an agreement with Shopkeeper Wang!"

Cheng Xi nodded slightly and changed the subject: "Have you found out about the illegal salt fields and salt dealers nearby?"

Li Niu rubbed his teeth and said, "Boss, this is a bit difficult to handle. The salt field next door alone has divided out more than ten private salt fields. I heard that they have all contacted the garrison, and two of them have connections in the court. If we seize them, I'm afraid we will stir up a hornet's nest..."

Cheng Xi smiled and said, "If the hard approach doesn't work, we can always try the soft approach. Let's smooth things over and find some connections. Are we still worried that we won't be able to succeed?"

Li Niu was stunned: "What kind of background do we have? Could it be from Mr. Lu's side..."

Cheng Xi said, "Lu Jian is busy taking care of himself, how could he have the time for this? But Lord Cao, the magistrate of Dongning County, has some friendship with us."

Li Niu was stunned. What kind of relationship did Lord Cao have with them? Hadn't he used coercion and bribery to make that foolish county magistrate suffer a loss last time?

He stammered, "This, this may not be appropriate. Cao is the head of a county, after all, and he's timid and afraid of trouble. How could he have the courage to compete with others?"

"Qian Zhuang is a coward. Besides, don't we still have Danhui? With his help, I'm afraid we can get twice the result with half the effort." Cheng Xi no longer concealed anything and put the words directly in front of Tian Yu.

Tian Yu's face turned dark. He never thought that Cheng Xi would have such an idea.

He proposed selling salt in order to let the Red Flag Gang commit dangerous acts so that they could one day oppose the government. However, he did not expect that the other party planned to collude with the government and live in peace with the guards.

He was being harmed by the imperial court, so how could he obey orders?

"I'm afraid the gang leader is asking too much." Tian Yu didn't give Cheng Xi a good look at all.

This answer left Li Niu dumbfounded. What was going on? Didn't the news say that Mr. Tian was a great talent favored by the gang leader? He even disobeyed the gang leader's orders. What was he trying to do?

Cheng Xi, however, was not surprised: "If Danhui is afraid, I can go alone. However, I need help to sort out the grain issue, so you have to come with me to Dongning County."

Who is afraid? Tian Yu glared at him but said nothing.

How could he fall for such a blatant provocation? But having already refused once, it was hard to refuse the grain route matter. This was his specialty, so a small favor wouldn't hurt.

Could this be Miss Qiu's plan? Although he couldn't figure out her true intentions, Tian Yu just snorted coldly in response.

Li Niu's eyes almost popped out of his head from watching this question and answer.

After finishing the serious business, he immediately ran to find Sun Erlang to inquire.

"Erlang, what's wrong with Mr. Tian? The gang leader treats him so well, why doesn't he know how to appreciate it?" Li Niu was genuinely curious. Wasn't this guy rescued from Panyu by the gang leader himself? He was well fed and well-served, and treated with all due respect. How could he be so mean?

Sun Erlang said, "The gang leader said he was already ill and lame, so he should be more tolerant. He definitely has talent. In the past few days, he has sorted out the yellow and white books on the island, and the soldiers have started making military badges. The rewards from the public treasury have also been re-established. I never thought of these things."

Sun Erlang is the one who actually handles the affairs on the island, so he is particularly sensitive to Tian Yu's abilities.

It was after this experience that he finally understood the difference between himself, a fisherman, and a second-class Jinshi. How could he still feel dissatisfied?

Li Niu snorted, "Erlang, you're just too generous. It was fine with Yan, but now you have to be tolerant of a newcomer. How are we supposed to deal with this?"

Sun Erlang glanced at him calmly and said, "Learn more, observe more, and serve loyally."

Li Niu was almost suffocated to death. He wanted to provoke some trouble, but how could he respond with such an answer?

Sun Erlang ignored him and warned him again: "The boss must have brought him here for a reason. Don't ruin his plan."

Li Niu's heart trembled, and he also realized it. Yes, the gang leader is a man who thinks three steps ahead and would never act rashly.

Bringing Tian Yu here wasn't just for the food supply, maybe he had other plans as well.

Well, no matter what this Sun Mu thinks, what he said just now is correct, and you have to learn it.

The Red Flag Gang was growing so rapidly, and he was in control of the entire camp, with so many things to deal with. Did he really think he was the captain of the smuggling ship? A good blacksmith must be strong himself. Without some skills, he would probably be squeezed out by the newcomers.

There is also such a big event as intercepting the Lu family fleet, which he absolutely cannot miss.

Military achievements are the foundation of a leader's career. How can he always be on the sidelines? He's not Lin Meng, who has a girl serving the leader... Wait, shouldn't he also send a few girls to serve the leader?

Li Niu's thoughts drifted away in the blink of an eye, but Sun Erlang sighed softly in his heart.

The gang leader probably still wanted to win Mr. Tian back, but he was a little too attentive, which made him a little jealous.

As soon as this thought came to his mind, he quickly put it behind his mind. Now it was more important to deal with business.