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This memorial service, or pre-war mobilization meeting, played its due role.
The morale of the entire Red Flag Gang stabilized. They were no longer panicked or confused, and they focused all their attention on preparing for war.
Even when the residents on the island were being relocated, many wanted to stay and contribute to the gang.
Such unity is certainly a good thing for Cheng Xi, but the benefits end there.
The rumors were thoroughly confirmed, and the Red Flag Gang and General Qiu were firmly tied together. Those who had been wavering before began to take sides.
"Boss, the situation on those islands near Panyu is not good. Not to mention the boat gangs, those who used to be pirates probably won't follow us anymore." Li Niu looked unusually serious. The situation was really too bad.
After the war, he took the sea merchants who had defected to him to inspect the territory.
The government troops had quietly reached the vicinity before, but this posed a huge hidden danger. All the islands under the Red Flag Gang had to be cleared and even reallocated to ensure that information could flow smoothly.
After this trip, Li Niu realized something was wrong.
The nearby islands were fine, but the closer to Panyu, the weirder the attitudes of the garrisons became. Some of the small boat gangs that had previously been affiliated simply ran away, and there were also hints of rebellion on the two main roads.
Due to lack of manpower, Li Niu simply did not go to the island and came back after a short walk.
The reason for all this lies with "General Qiu".
Li Niu sighed, "If it were just ordinary business, it would be fine. But anyone who robbed merchant ships or committed murder and looting on shore was punished by General Qiu. Back then, countless lives were lost. This is a blood feud. Furthermore, we've suppressed bandits before and used pirates to train our troops. When these people heard the Red Flag Gang was connected to General Qiu, how could they trust us? And now, you, the leader, have announced this to the world, this... sigh..."
It would have been fine if they didn't acknowledge it before, and they could even say that it was a rumor spread by the government troops under a pretext. But now that they have acknowledged it, they can't blame others for seeking profit and avoiding harm.
This did not surprise Cheng Xi. She said, "Since it's a major war, fence-sitters are unreliable. It's better to expose them in advance. They won't be used by the government army anyway."
Li Niu agreed with this point, but then again, didn’t the Qingfeng Gang also originate from pirates and were almost driven to Japan by the general?
But it was hard to ask this question out loud. Li Niu scratched his head and asked, "So what should we do now?"
Cheng Xi asked, "How's the situation with the Tanka people?"
Li Niu immediately said, "The Tanka people don't really care about our identities, but they also don't want to be enemies with the government troops, so a lot of them are willing to help us."
"What about the boats? Can you get some?" Cheng Xi wasn't surprised by the Tanka people's attitude. They were too disorganized. General Qiu hadn't touched them during his sea raids, so naturally, they had no grudges against them. However, no matter how much they disliked the imperial court, the Tanka people's fishing village was still on the coast, and it was the fishing season, so they certainly didn't want to cause trouble. But if the people weren't coming, getting some boats would be helpful. The Red Flag Gang had suffered heavy losses in their ships in the previous battle, and a naval battle would require boats.
Li Niu thought for a moment before saying, "Borrowing a boat might be a little difficult, but most of the boatyards in the Tanka villages are connected to us, and there are many people who come here to learn the craft. Maybe we can actually find some old boats."
"Then let's find a way to get some boats first. The government troops have cannons, so small boats are indispensable." Cheng Xi said simply.
Li Niu naturally understood this and started to make arrangements without saying anything. He had been selling groceries along the coast and had extensive connections, making him the most suitable person to do this.
A few days later, the fish shop's manager Zhong Ping also returned with his men.
Panyu is now considered an enemy camp for the Red Flag Gang. Even if the fish shop does not use the name of the Red Flag Gang, it is still likely to be targeted.
For this reason, Cheng Xi ordered Zhong Ping and his men to evacuate early and only leave some spies in Panyu.
However, despite the danger, Manager Zhong stayed until he could no longer stay, then hurried back and brought back the bad news.
"Boss, the situation in Panyu is tense right now. The Dusi has already begun mobilizing troops. Not only the Doumen Navy, but also the Hushan, Guanxi, Feipeng, and even the Haijie Guards will send troops. Just from these few garrisons, there are over five or six thousand soldiers and at least two hundred warships. They are ready to kill us!" Such a large-scale deployment is impossible to conceal, but how many people and how many ships does the Red Flag Gang have now? The thought of the future battle situation makes Zhong Ping shudder.
"It's like a tiger slaying a rabbit, sparing no effort." For Cheng Xi, the size of the government troops and where they were dispatched revealed a great deal about the commander's temperament. Such a large-scale deployment of troops suggested either excessive prestige or a thirst for power, hoping to establish prestige and gain credit for the Red Banner, a crippled enemy.
In this case, some targeted strategies are necessary.
Without hesitation, Cheng Xi gave the order: "Send someone to Panyu to spread the news that someone has wrongfully killed General Qiu on the charge of collaborating with bandits, and now they are trying to frame General Xu, intending to monopolize military power and plotting something nefarious."
The more civil unrest there is, the more the court becomes wary of military commanders. If someone dares to use her as an example, don't blame her for resorting to unconventional tactics. Besides, having served in the military before, Cheng Xi couldn't help but understand the intricacies of the military. If one oversteps the boundaries, one must be wary of backlash. It's doubtful that such a large-scale mobilization of troops would ensure unity. Given the lessons learned from the past, the generals under her command are likely to be wary of any potential dangers.
As long as the rumor spreads, the commander will definitely not be able to kill Xu Xianrong. Plus, with Lord Lu trying to protect him, he should be able to save his life...
…
Today, Panyu is filled with warships and fluttering flags.
The imperial court has no time to deal with pirates at sea, but since it is related to Qiu Sheng, it cannot be ignored.
After all, if such elite soldiers and generals rebelled, the consequences would be disastrous. Even if there was not much evidence, we still had to be careful and guard against it.
The commander-in-chief Wang Ling took advantage of Shangguan's thoughts and got him a job leading troops, becoming the chief commander in suppressing bandits.
This is somewhat unreasonable. After all, people who train soldiers and those who lead soldiers should be separated to prevent someone from becoming too powerful in the army.
But the matter is based on power. How many people can lead troops on the sea now? Anyone who can lead the navy is suppressing the rebellion in Jinghu, which gives Wang Ling an opportunity to take advantage of.
But now that he had obtained the official position and had begun to deploy troops, rumors emerged from nowhere that he was plotting against his colleagues and wanted to monopolize military power.
The second half of the sentence was certainly true, but the first half was completely unjust. What did Qiu Sheng's death have to do with him? And that kid surnamed Xu was just a stepping stone. Who would have thought that he would actually hurt someone?
"Taiwan Governor, I'm afraid that Minister Lu is the one who is interfering?" Seeing that Wang Ling's face looked strange, the confidant below spoke cautiously.
Wang Ling snorted coldly, "As a minister of the Ministry of Personnel, you're overreaching. What? Can't I wipe out the Red Flag Gang?"
The confidant hurriedly smiled and said, "The governor has been in Panyu for many years, his reputation is far-reaching, and his prestige is growing. It's normal for some people to be jealous. Now that Minister Lu is under attack from all sides, I'm afraid he's getting anxious."
These words, mixed with flattery and some subtle consolation, actually made Wang Ling's expression brighten a little. "I'm punishing the Xu guy not because I want to turn against the Lu family, but because he suffered a defeat and deserves to be punished."
No one can tell whether it is right or wrong, but it is true that they took advantage of it.
However, the wishful thinking was good, but now it is a little out of control. After all, Wang Ling is just a commander-in-chief, and he does not have the reputation and military achievements like Qiu Sheng.
It is indeed worrying to have to suppress the strongholds of various garrisons and compete with high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Personnel. If something goes wrong, the morale of the army may be shaken.
After pondering for a long time, Wang Ling waved his hand. "Well, let's have that Xu guy, isn't he one of Qiu Sheng's former subordinates? Let him think carefully about who is leading the troops in the Red Flag Gang. If the information he provides is helpful in this battle, perhaps he can redeem himself."
These were just polite words. To put it bluntly, with the Lu family protecting him and rumors of him plotting against the general, Wang Ling didn't dare to touch Xu Xianrong. However, letting him lead the troops again was impossible. It would be better to offer him a sweet reward of redemption and confirm his relationship with Qiu Sheng. That way, the Lu family would have a hard time defending him.
The people below understood what he meant and immediately sent someone to the prison to pass on the message.
The prison cells in the army are much simpler than those in the capital city. In addition, if someone is targeting you, your fighting spirit can be worn down in a short period of time.
Even with his ragged clothes and disheveled hair, Xu Xianrong didn't look haggard at all. His eyes were surprisingly bright, and when he was filled with anger, he really had murderous intent bursting out: "The villain is just pretending to be General Qiu. Lord Wang, I'm afraid you've asked the wrong person!"
The visitor shuddered at the sight of those eyes. "What are you saying? Those bandits have admitted it themselves. How can it be false? Lord Wang said that as long as Lieutenant General Xu is willing to confess, he can naturally atone for his sins..."
Xu Xianrong spat directly: "Xu is a defeated general and is willing to accept punishment!"
This guy is really stubborn! The man couldn't help but feel a headache. This was really taught by Qiu Sheng. His temper is like a donkey, and he can't be led away.
However, the matter was of great importance, so he did not dare to neglect it. He tried to persuade him several times and even pulled Minister Lu out. However, the man sitting cross-legged in the cage had his eyes closed and never spoke again.
Helplessly, the visitor had to retreat and go to report to his superiors.
After everyone left, Xu Xianrong slowly opened his eyes, but his eyes revealed deep hatred.
There might indeed be some former subordinates of the general in the Red Flag Gang, but so what? They're already thieves, yet they're still using the general's name to tarnish his reputation. What does it matter who these bastards are? If only they could have defeated that fleet and beheaded the bandit leader!
But it’s not too late now. Wang Ling sent someone here, most likely because Lord Lu was behind it.
As long as he insists that he has nothing to do with the thieves, the other party will have no way to do anything to him.
It would be fine if he could wipe out the Red Flag Gang this time, but if he fails, he will kill all those rebels when he is released from prison!
After taking two deep breaths, Xu Xianrong closed his eyes again.
Things started to get chaotic in Panyu, with all kinds of news circulating. At the same time, a speedboat returned from Fujian, and as if it had wings, it headed towards Luoling Island.
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