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Lin Meng started preparing for this trip to Tingzhou early. After all, he was going to Lu's territory and had just robbed Lu's ocean-going fleet. If he was discovered, he would probably not be able to escape.
However, even though it was so dangerous, Lin Meng was never afraid. Instead, he had some vague expectations.
After all, it was Yan Yuan who followed the gang leader on previous occasions. As his earliest confidant, Lin Meng felt somewhat anxious.
Escorting the fleet and training new recruits are of course important, but in the final analysis, you still have to stay by the side of the gang leader.
This time, not only did the gang leader choose him, but most of the people he brought were members of the Lin family. Of course, this made Lin Meng extremely excited.
Unexpectedly, before setting sail, he encountered some shocking news.
"A-Mo is going too?" Lin Meng almost jumped up from his seat. "Boss, this girl is so stupid, how can she go?"
Lin Mo's lips tightened immediately, but Cheng Xi asked, "Do you doubt my judgment?"
Lin Meng choked and said quickly, "No, it's just that her rudimentary skills are probably useless. Besides, this trip is dangerous. If she ruins the plan, it could cost someone their life!"
"I won't!" Lin Mo couldn't help but retort in a low voice, "I'll do whatever the gang leader tells me to do, and I won't do anything bad!"
"Ridiculous..." Lin Meng couldn't help but get angry and wanted to curse.
Cheng Xi interrupted him: "I want to dress up as a woman this time too. If I'm a woman of status, I can't be without a maid. Is there anyone else on the island who can do this?"
"Miss He is smart and should be better than her." Lin Meng said immediately.
Lin Mo's eyes were red: "I know everything that Ah Ling knows, and I also know everything that she doesn't know. Why am I not as good as her?"
"You know nothing. You can't even speak and have never done any work. How can you be as smart as Miss He!" Lin Meng said without hesitation.
Lin Mo wanted to say something, but Cheng Xi stopped him and looked at Lin Meng seriously: "Meng, you are the one who has always been by my side. Have you ever seen me use the wrong person?"
Lin Meng moved his mouth but couldn't utter a word.
"I taught you and A'mo myself, but it took you longer to learn and she took less time. If you can learn it, why can't she?" Cheng Xi asked again.
"She's just a girl..." Lin Meng stopped talking halfway through.
Having followed the gang leader for too long and often seeing her wearing men's clothing, he almost forgot that the person in front of him was also a woman. How could he say such things casually?
As expected, Cheng Xi sneered, "I can become the leader of the Red Flag Gang, but not by relying on those two pounds of meat. Lin Mo is your sister. If you don't recognize her, how will she survive in the gang? Would you say that to He Ling? Would you do that to the nurses in the hospital? Why treat her differently?"
Lin Meng's mind was in a mess, and he stammered, "She, I am her brother..."
"An elder brother is like a father. I understand that you don't want her to be in danger. But more women die in childbirth than men die on the battlefield. Do you want her to never get married?" Cheng Xi asked.
"How can that be!" After the words came out of his mouth, Lin Meng realized that he had made a stupid mistake. If giving birth was more dangerous than going to the battlefield, what he said was indeed inappropriate.
After struggling for a while, Lin Meng finally said, "A-Mo and I are the only ones in my family. If we go together, who will take care of Mother?"
Lin Mo shut his mouth suddenly, with a hint of guilt in his eyes.
Cheng Xi sighed, "If that's the case, I should take Ah Mo with me and let you stay. After all, you are the only male in the family. You should stay at home and have children, leaving behind incense for the Lin family."
"This...this..." Lin Meng's head was about to explode. Shouldn't women be the ones giving birth to children? Why were they saying this to him?
But how can one refute this? After all, he is the only son and he is the only one who can inherit the family line. And he has not married yet, let alone any children.
Suddenly, Lin Mo spoke up, "Brother, I know this is a dangerous situation. Anyone on board could die. But the leader cannot be harmed. She's the only reason the Red Flag Gang exists. Since the leader wants me to go, I should go. She's our family's benefactor. Isn't it only natural to risk my life for her?"
There was stubbornness and sharpness in those eyes. Lin Meng suddenly realized that he didn't know this girl very well anymore.
She grew up and was no longer the quiet fisherman's daughter who only knew how to work.
She also knew elegant words like "natural and right", and could say such a long string of words, putting "loyalty and righteousness" first.
So was it right or wrong for me to try every possible means to stop it?
After a long silence, Lin Meng spoke with difficulty: "Everything must be done according to the leader's orders. You must not act on your own."
This was said to Lin Mo, and also to myself.
At least Lin Mo was right about one thing. As long as the gang leader thinks it is right, they should obey his orders. Otherwise, if important things are delayed, who can take responsibility?
Seeing Lin Mo's face suddenly brighten up, Cheng Xi's expression also relaxed a little.
When every girl wants to prove herself, the first thing she faces is doubts from others, which may come from parents and elders, brothers and sisters, or teachers and friends. All the care and love will turn into resistance at that moment and become countless sentences of "It's for your own good."
She had seen this before, more than once, and had used all her strength to break free from the cage.
Now, it's someone else's turn to face it.
In this era, she certainly couldn't remove all the shackles on them, but at least she could reduce the resistance and give them some space to breathe and rest.
Without saying anything more, Cheng Xi said, "Go down and get ready. It's time for us to leave."
…
Once again boarding the ship, Fang Tianxi glanced at the flag on board and asked, "Is this borrowed from someone else's name?"
"That's right. We contacted the Qian family through the garrison and used their name to go to Yuzhou, saying that we wanted to open up a new grain route." Cheng Xi said.
"Hasn't the Qian family joined forces with you? What if the Lu family finds out?" Fang Tianxi frowned.
He had heard that the Qian family and the Ling family had previously conspired to attack the Red Flag Gang, but the Ling family was destroyed, and the Qian family turned around and negotiated with them.
Although it wasn't long since the Lu family's fleet was destroyed, and the news might not have been passed on, but borrowing the Qian family's name is still risky, right?
"Because it's the Qian family's ship, we can't be too careful when passing through Tingzhou. With such a thin cover, if we're discovered, others will have to think twice before taking action." Cheng Xi knew the risks involved, but the truth is that the darkest part is hidden. Furthermore, the Qian family has the support of the garrison and a strong background. As long as they haven't completely torn their relationship, the other party won't easily kill them. In this era where news can take months to spread and political struggles can last for years, impersonating the Qian family is the safest option.
A strategist like Fang Tianxi naturally understood what was said as soon as he heard it. He could not help but glance at Cheng Xi and said, "You are quite courageous."
Is this okay?
Of course, it's too risky.
If you don’t have enough courage, how dare you ask for trouble?
"Sir, you already know that I'm bold, so why say more?" Cheng Xi said frankly.
Faced with this answer, Fang Tianxi really had nothing to refute. After all, this was a guy who was able to rescue people when the Suoyi Gang broke into the prison. What else could he not do?
With a snort, he changed the subject: "Since I have asked you to come here this time, I will definitely protect your lives. As long as you follow the plan, you will be able to escape safely. I also ask Gang Leader Cheng to restrain his men and not cause any trouble."
Cheng Xi smiled and said, "I can't say anything else, but I'm quite good at planning this kind of thing. Since this is a matter of life and death, please tell me the details, and we can make a decision after discussion."
Is this a bid to seize power right from the start? Fang Tianxi frowned, "Why, you don't trust me?"
Cheng Xi shook his head and suddenly asked, "Brother Sun, when you rescued people before, did you disguise yourself as the Fire Dragon Team and leave?"
Fang Tianxi was startled by the question and blurted out: "How did you guess that?"
Even someone as alert as Sun Yuanrang didn't notice the actions of the Red Flag Gang. This group of people definitely didn't follow Sun Yuanrang's actions closely.
To be honest, Fang Tianxi still hasn't guessed how they escaped from the chaos that night.
However, he did not guess the other party's method, but the other party was able to guess his, which made him feel a little embarrassed.
Cheng Xi smiled faintly. "When a fire breaks out in the city, the Fire Dragon Teams in various places will definitely be the first to be alerted. What if one of them passes by the government office and discovers that the Second Hall is also on fire? Wouldn't it be natural for them to rush to put out the fire? Sudden attacks are naturally hard to guard against. And that night, during the chaos, people who rushed to put out the fire with buckets of water were the least likely to be suspected, so Brother Sun could have led his men to evacuate calmly."
This deduction was in perfect agreement with his plan, even clearer than what he had told Sun Yuanrang.
With such thoughts and means, it's no wonder he wants to seize power... No, it can't be said to be seizing power. After all, he is from the Suoyi Gang, and the other party is from the Chiqi Gang. Isn't it a legitimate discussion for the two sides to cooperate?
Fang Tianxi pondered for a moment and said, "Well, since Gang Leader Cheng said so, I won't keep it privately."
This was a concession and also a recognition of her ability, but Cheng Xi did not feel complacent. Instead, she added, "There is one more thing, sir, please remember that I am a woman and can wear a skirt and a hairpin."
Fang Tianxi almost spit out his words. What kind of words are these? Doesn't he know...wait, this is indeed convenient.
No matter who you suspect, you will never suspect a weak woman, especially when she is young and pretty.
It will definitely be of great use in this plan.
Fang Tianxi couldn't help but look at the little maid standing behind Cheng Xi: "Have you had this plan for a long time?"
He originally thought that Miss Qiu's preference for using this kind of girl was selfish, just like the sharp-tongued girl in the camp who gave Tian Yu a lot of trouble.
Nowadays, even when doing such a big thing, you have to bring someone along. If nothing else, at least he can serve you personally. He didn't say much.
However, after hearing her say this, Fang Tianxi realized that this must have been premeditated.
Except for ordinary people, any woman with a certain status would bring a maid with her when going out. It would naturally be safer to have a maid by her side.
But, this is too bold... Fang Tianxi snorted halfway through the thought and cut off the idea.
He should have known that this was a lawless place!
"In that case, I won't be polite." Fang Tianxi agreed without saying a word.
If others dare to take risks, why should he, an outsider, stop them? Making the best use of people is the duty of a counselor.
"Then I'll trouble you, sir." Without saying anything more, Cheng Xi politely led his men into the cabin.
Soon, the two salt ships sailed out of Luoling Island and headed east along the coast.
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