twenty one

"If it were just a fleet, just three small villages, no one would care! There would be evil people who would bully your parents, wives, and children when you board the ship and leave home."

"There will also be evil people who will try their best to rob you of your money when you take it home."

"If you want to protect these things and your homeland, you need a more resounding name and a more intimidating team."

"We want to form a gang, a gang like the Long Whale Gang and the Blue Phoenix Gang, a gang that no one dares to offend!"

Cheng Xi's words caused a buzzing noise in the audience, and someone shouted loudly: "Are we going to be pirates?"

Cheng Xi asked loudly, "If you hold a knife and rob other people's villages and humiliate other people's wives and children, how is you any different from the evil thieves you hate?!"

The man was suddenly stuck and lowered his head in shame.

Glancing at those faces, some enlightened, some bewildered, Cheng Xi smiled: "This is a ship gang. Those who join are all brothers. When you board the ship, they can fight alongside you, and depend on you for life and death. They can also help you take care of your family and protect your hometown when you go out to sea."

"Are you willing to join such a boat gang?"

"Yes!" At this moment, the voices of response were uniform and drowned out the waves on the sea.

Someone reacted faster and asked loudly, "Master Cheng, what is the name of our gang?"

Yes, do they have names?

Like the Changjing Gang and Qingfeng Gang, do they have a resounding and awe-inspiring title?

Cheng Xi smiled and gently tugged. A corner of bright red hair ripped out of his sleeve and fluttered in the sea breeze. "The name of our gang is 'Red Flag'! It's stained with blood from necks, hearts, and palms, whether it's yours or the enemy's! As long as the red flag doesn't fall, we will not be destroyed!"

This is the color of the flag she once loved, and it will also be the color of the flag she will hold in the future.

We are all people who do not want to be slaves, so isn't it appropriate to use this flag as a symbol?

The crimson color floating in the wind made the blood in everyone's chest burn. Cheers, laughter, and screams resounded everywhere, as if they were going to burst this small harbor.

Standing not far away, listening to the deafening roar, Carpenter Li, Uncle Lin and Uncle Sun all changed their expressions.

The idea of ​​forming a gang hadn't been approved by the village chiefs and elders of the three villages, but did it need approval? All the young and strong men from the three villages were present, and they agreed with the idea.

Even if it is too arrogant and reckless.

Once the boat gang is truly established, the three village elders and even the three captains will no longer be able to control the overall situation. Everyone will obey the man on the stage and let him drive them.

How long had it been? How could they have achieved this in just two months? But even with all the turmoil in their hearts, the three of them had to admit that they were no match for that young man.

He's inferior in skills, vision, courage, and boldness. So maybe entrusting the fate of Sancun to him would be a good thing?

But at this moment, no one cares what they think.

Cheng Xi waited until the cheers died down a bit before issuing another order: "Now, obey the orders of your captain, mate, and clan elders. Those who need to train should train, those who need to sell grain should sell grain, and those who need to repair the water mill should repair it. I will arrange for manpower to rescue Li Niu. You must not act on your own and ruin the overall situation. If anyone shakes people's hearts and ruins the friendship within the gang, I will punish them severely!"

If I had said this before this speech, it would certainly have led to rebuttals, and some people would have been angry and unwilling to obey.

And now, they are a "ship gang", and there is no doubt that the one giving orders is their leader, the one who trains them and commands them.

Everyone agreed in unison, without a single complaint.

Several ship's officers hurried forward, leading their men to continue their work, while Lin Meng, his face flushed, greeted them: "My benefactor... no, boss, with you here, our Red Flag Gang will surely become famous in the future!"

Lin Meng changed his address in a hurry, but Sun Erlang could understand his uncontrollable anxiety.

Even though he was prepared and had made up his mind, those words still made his blood boil, like a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy.

As long as this gang leader is here, nothing can stump them?!

However, Cheng Xi waved his hand: "Not yet. Only by rescuing Li Niu can the Red Flag Gang truly become one."

This gang is made up of three villages, and none of them can be missing.

If the Li family cannot be rescued, all those nice words will be empty talk.

Lin Meng and Sun Erlang were both shocked. This was true.

If Li Niu is not rescued, the Li family will become alienated, and this newly established boat gang may even fall apart.

But how to save it?

Sun Erlang whispered, "Are we really going to knock on my door?"

This is the pirates' most adept method, and it is also the reason why coastal officials are afraid of bandits. But with their strength, can they do it?

Cheng Xi shook his head: "Your family is all here, so it's better to use some tricks. But we have to establish our authority. First, find out the background of that grain merchant, and then make plans."

Sun Erlang nodded immediately: "I'll do it right away!"

---

Sun Erlang was quite capable and a native of the country, so he quickly found out the origins of the grain merchant.

This man's surname was Wan Mingquan. He was a well-known wealthy man in Dongning County. The largest grain shop in the city was his property.

Not to mention the amount of land he owns, this man also likes to invade other people's land and oppress the good people. Even this year's grain prices were inflated by him.

It is said that his wife, Zhang, was a distant cousin of County Magistrate Zhang. It was because of this that he had someone to look after him and was able to run rampant.

Li Niu was unlucky; while selling grain, he happened to run into the Wan family's second steward returning to the village to worship his ancestors. It was late rice harvest season, and whether grain prices would rise or fall, and by how much, was a major concern for the Wan family.

How can we not pay attention to this sudden grain team?

"It's Li Niu's impatience that led to this mistake," Sun Erlang sighed. "If it were just grain, it would be fine, but selling on credit has touched a sore spot for the Wan family. This year, there have been typhoons and banditry, making life difficult for families along the coast. Most of them are likely to have to borrow money. The Wan family has two money houses that charge extremely high interest rates. At a time like this, it's a perfect opportunity to defraud people of their land and force them into slavery. How can we let others ruin our good fortune?"

After hearing what Sun Erlang said, Cheng Xi was speechless for a moment.

In her mind, local tyrants and evil gentry were just historical figures. Only when she really encountered one did she realize how difficult it was to deal with them.

After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Does Wan Quan live in the city or in the countryside? Does he have any servants to guard his house?"

"He usually lives in the city, so he should have guards. A few years ago, before the government troops launched the sea raids, banditry was rampant. How could a major grain merchant like him dare to go out alone? Besides, the Wan family also has troops dedicated to escorting grain convoys, so kidnapping him would be a challenge." This was Sun Erlang's biggest headache. In a pure battle of strength, the three villages might win, but taking Wan Quan hostage would be more difficult. He was a powerful country tyrant, as vicious as a bandit.

Cheng Xi raised an eyebrow: "Who said I wanted to tie him up?"

Sun Erlang was stunned. "But if we don't kidnap him, how can we get Ah Niu out? The Li family is all imprisoned in the county government office. Are they really planning a prison break?"

Cheng Xi shook his head and asked, "Besides County Magistrate Zhang, what is the county magistrate's background? What is his temperament like? How many years will he have left in office?"

This was a rather detailed question, but Sun Erlang was able to answer it: "The county magistrate's surname is Cao. He's a bit greedy. It's said that the increase in the salt tax was ordered by him. I'm not sure of his term of office, but he was in office before General Qiu arrived, so he must have been magistrate for four or five years."

What kind of background could he have after being in such a remote and poor place for four or five years? More importantly, he took office when the banditry was at its worst. If he was not extremely capable, he must have no one in the court.

Judging from the way they were collecting the salt tax, it was most likely the latter. What did such officials care about, and what did they fear?

After a moment's contemplation, Cheng Xi asked again, "Does Wan Quan have the habit of staying out overnight? Or does County Magistrate Zhang have a habit of drinking and visiting brothels?"

"Any man will have it. There is a Pinfang Pavilion in the city, which is one of the most famous red houses. Many officials and wealthy businessmen come here to drink and have fun." Sun Erlang said.

"Then send someone to find out if these two people go to Pinfang Pavilion in a regular pattern, whether they stay overnight, and what the layout of the building is like." Cheng Xi said immediately.

"Could it be that they're setting up an ambush at Pinfang Pavilion?" Sun Erlang frowned. "Even if we can capture the person, it's not easy to take him out. This kind of brothel has guards, and there are so many people coming and going. I'm afraid..."

Cheng Xi raised his hand to interrupt him: "You're mistaken. Kidnapping won't save Li Niu. Instead, it will encourage those officials and wealthy merchants to raise an army to attack us. Since we can't fight them head-on, we must use both force and force, dealing with them separately. We must intimidate Wan Quan and County Magistrate Zhang, and also win over other officials and even the grain merchants in the city."

This was much more complicated than Sun Erlang had imagined. He hesitated for a moment, then said cautiously, "But if Wan and Zhang were injured or disabled, it would also invite retaliation. How can we scare them off?"

In his opinion, Cheng Xi probably wanted to secretly abduct and intimidate the two of them while they were visiting the building.

But there are so many people in the brothel, and if you shout, they will come and you will not be able to escape.

After all, it is a big matter that I have to deal with personally, so how can I be careless?

Unexpectedly, Cheng Xi smiled slightly and said, "If you want to scare people, why do it in person? The fear of the unknown is the most shocking. Just go and check. The more detailed the better."

Looking at the still confident face, Sun Erlang suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. After all, if they could even get through the dangerous sea passes, how could such a small matter stump their head of the family?

Nodding vigorously, Sun Erlang said, "Give me two more days, and I'll definitely get to the bottom of it!"

…

"Master, no one from the Li family has come to beg for mercy. Could it be that you don't want to take care of these people anymore?" The steward asked cautiously with a fake smile.

Whether it was discovering someone selling grain privately or arranging officers and soldiers to arrest people, it was all handled by the second manager.

The Wan family's chief steward was also deeply resentful about this matter, feeling that he had been upstaged. If the second steward had succeeded, how could he have gotten away with it? He would have had to secretly show some disdain.

The portly, fleshy Master Wan Quan slowly skimmed the tea foam with the lid of his cup, took a sip, and then spoke, "That Li Niu is the captain of the Li family. Even he doesn't care. You don't want to sail anymore? Just wait. No matter how much money and food you have on hand, you will spit it out sooner or later."

Hearing this, the chief steward no longer dared to find fault and quickly bowed and said, "Master, you're right! How dare this stinking fishmonger touch the rice grains? Isn't that asking for trouble?"

Wan Quan chuckled, "He's quite capable, having been able to get the food. If we hammer it hard, it might be of some use."

The chief steward sighed in his heart. The Li family was lucky to be of some use. Otherwise, they would have been skinned alive by the yamen runners long ago.

But no one has come to the yamen to clear the way for three or five days. Could someone be doing something behind the scenes?

He rolled his eyes and said carefully, "But the Li family is so powerful, who knows if there are people behind them? Master should be more cautious and not let the bugs bite your feet..."

This made Wan Quan's fat face darken. After a moment's thought, he chuckled, "It's already the middle of the month. Send someone to invite my uncle to have a drink at Pinfang Pavilion tonight. Invite Sister Hong'er and Amelia Su to accompany the party, so that my uncle can have some fun."

The meaning of this statement was very clear. He was just trying to get the favor of Zhang Xiancheng, the cheap brother-in-law, to stop the Li family. Seeing this, the chief steward didn't dare to say anything. He just said yes and retreated.

No one disturbed him. Wan Quan leaned back in his chair, and immediately a maid came over to massage his shoulders. Enjoying the gentle massage that was just right, Wan Quan narrowed his eyes.

There are not many people in the county who can make him unhappy. No matter who is standing behind the Li family, he will get rid of them in one go.

With County Magistrate Zhang backing him up, who else does he need to fear? He's determined to secure this grain route!

…

A young man in sackcloth slipped into the inn, said a few words to Sun Erlang who was sitting in the lobby, and then quickly retreated.

Sun Erlang drank the tea in his cup and stood up to go upstairs. This inn was not big, and there were not many rooms for guests. Fortunately, it was in a remote place and there were few guests, so it became the place where the Red Flag Gang stayed.

Entering the house, Lin Meng stood up quickly when he saw Sun Erlang. "Second brother, have you found out anything?"

Sun Erlang nodded and whispered to Cheng Xi, "Boss, that Wan invites County Magistrate Zhang three or four times a month. He sent someone to the county government office today."

"Will they come to Pinfang Pavilion tonight?" Cheng Xi was excited. They had been in the city for two days just for this kind of news.

"It should be correct. This is the information I got from the driver." Sun Erlang said immediately.

The driver looked unremarkable, but he was quite familiar with the master's itinerary.

Moreover, she has not allowed the Li family to take any action in the past few days. They have neither pleaded for mercy nor cried out for injustice. It is foreseeable that the Wan family will become restless and try to win over Zhang Xiancheng to force the Li family.

She immediately took out a piece of paper, spread it on the table, and pointed to the small building drawn in the upper right corner: "Will they stay at Meixiang Tower at night?"

"They always book here, they can't be wrong!" Sun Erlang looked at the map that could be called detailed and couldn't help but admire it in his heart.

He sent people to inquire about the layout of Pinfang Pavilion and the patrol routes of the guards, but he didn't expect that Master Cheng would just draw a map.

Although the map style is simple, the markings are extremely detailed. The number of floors and rooms of each house, whether there are flowers, trees, pavilions and terraces around it, and the locations where guards are on duty are all marked on the map.

This picture alone is enough to steal from Pinfang Pavilion!