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“Boom!”
There was a deafening thunder, splashing waves, and breaking rocks. The shell hit the rocks in the sea, causing a cheer.
"I got it, I got it! You can do it, bro!"
"This method is really useful! Oh, why can't I learn it?"
A group of gunners excitedly surrounded a kid and shouted. Meanwhile, Yan Yuan was quite emotional: "It wasn't easy to shoot so accurately back then. Just this one move is enough to surpass my master."
When Cheng Xi first started teaching the gunners how to count, Yan Yuan thought it was a way to select talent. Who would have thought that those things, which used to be so frustrating, could actually be effective in battle? Just one "jumping eye method" significantly improved the accuracy of the artillery fire. Not only could every gunner learn it, but if there was just one gunner on each ship who could use it, the accuracy of the salvos would be significantly improved. This not only saved ammunition, but could also make the difference in a critical moment.
Yan Yuan also knew that this method was definitely not taught by the military commander. The military commander valued diligent study and practice, just like archery and horseback riding; the more you practice, the better your accuracy will become. As for the other generals, they cared even less, believing that artillery accuracy depended on sincerity. There were even those who practiced incantations and rituals, and they considered themselves lucky if they didn't harm their own men.
That's why he was so surprised by this real innovation. In terms of talent alone, he felt inferior to her.
Cheng Xi looked at the group of excited gunners and smiled slightly: "The range of the artillery we have now is not enough. Once Yichi develops a new measuring instrument, we can truly improve our accuracy."
Modern navies rely on sextants and telescopes to determine enemy ranges and calibrate artillery. Observers standing on the mast lookouts often report numbers, which are then relayed to the gunners. If they want to use this method, they'll have to wait and see when Yichi can develop a sextant.
However, the range of the ship's guns is similar to that of mortars, and they can only reach a few miles. Accuracy isn't crucial, so the "jump-eye method" can handle it. The so-called "jump-eye method," a common sight in military-themed films and TV series, involves extending your arm, raising your thumb, and alternately closing your left and right eyes to measure distance using a scale. It's a crude technique, and with the wave fluctuations at sea, it's not as accurate as on land, but it's better than nothing at all.
Yan Yuan was surprised to find a more precise method, but then he laughed: "Those gunners will probably cry for their parents again."
Math class was truly unpleasant. He attended two sessions, but realizing he wasn't cut out for it, he immediately ran away. But even though he, the big boss, could escape, the soldiers couldn't. This meant the gunners in the fleet would have a much harder time.
This made Cheng Xi laugh. Universal education was indeed not easy. It was only because of her prestige that she was able to convince everyone. Otherwise, there would have been chaos. However, after laughing, Cheng Xi sighed softly: "With a strong enemy nearby, we always need to be more prepared. Now that all the forces have finally united, we can fight the Long Whale Gang."
Yan Yuan's expression also grew serious. Now that they had dealt with the imperial court, the Changjing Gang was their biggest enemy. Not to mention their ability to control the pepper trade, just the time the Ghost Scholar came to Panyu had already caused them a lot of trouble. Now all of Cheng Xi's arrangements were to stabilize the rear. The ransom had made the government stop its activities, the bank had attracted wealthy businessmen and given them a new way to make money, and the grain route was to intimidate the powerful, officials and businessmen, so that they would not cause trouble behind the scenes. Coupled with the swift reaction of the family annihilation raid, it was even more likely to make all the big and small people in Panyu City stay quiet, and no one dared to collude with the Changjing Gang anymore.
However, this alone was not enough. Their forces were still insufficient, and even the captured ships could not easily replenish their manpower. Winning the hearts and minds of the coastal residents was easy, but getting them to fight to the death for the Red Flag Gang was difficult.
"There are many salt fields near Panyu. Why don't we send people to attack them and recruit some salt farmers?" Yan Yuan suggested.
The salt households are much more obedient than the boat people, and they are often oppressed, so they are easy to subdue and are a good source of soldiers.
Cheng Xi shook his head. "Sending troops rashly will alarm all parties and might even cause chaos. It's safer to continue to incite them. Besides, our army is already quite large, and further expansion may not allow us to finance it. We have to wait until we get through the bank before we consider this."
The Red Flag Gang's rule is now practically military-first, with only war reparations and previous looting keeping the economy afloat. Maintaining an army is prohibitively expensive, and with such a "loving soldiers like sons" approach, they'll likely turn to "war bonds." However, issuing bonds requires waiting for the right time; they can't be slaughtered prematurely before the sheep are trapped.
I just hope that the Changjing Gang can stay in Qiongzhou for a while longer so that they can develop with peace of mind for a while longer.
As the two were talking, a small boat suddenly approached. A short while later, a messenger boarded the boat and reported, "Boss, a small group has violated gang rules and has been apprehended."
Cheng Xi's eyebrows furrowed. "Which one did you break?"
"Yes, it's the second one..." the messenger whispered.
The second rule was that anyone who raped another's wife or daughter would be put to death without mercy. Yan Yuan's expression changed immediately. Ever since he lost contact with his young lady, he had hated those who bullied women the most. Now someone dared to break the law, and a whole group of them at that. How could he not be infuriated? Unconsciously, he looked at the woman beside him.
However, Cheng Xi's face remained calm and he only asked, "Whose men are they?"
The messenger immediately said, "It's the Li family. Chief Li is already waiting in the courtyard..."
…
"I told you to pick someone, and you picked such an idiot?!" Li Niu was furious and kicked over the subordinate who came to report. He couldn't afford to lose face when someone dared to break the law, and he was one of his family members!
The kick was truly powerless, and the little leader was nearly in tears from the pain. He struggled to crawl over and cried out in injustice, "Uncle, I didn't expect this either! I was just collecting fish, and this idiot dared to bully a woman and even dragged several of his brothers into it. It's all my fault! It's all my fault!"
As he spoke, he slapped himself in the face, looking extremely distressed.
Looking at this hypocritical nephew, Li Niu sneered: "Of course it's your fault. You don't know how to judge people, and you want to conceal the truth. Even if the gang leader doesn't punish you, I will make you suffer."
These words frightened the little leader so much that he shuddered and said quickly, "Uncle, the people chosen this time are really our own people, and they are all brave men who have been on the battlefield. I was also confused for a moment. Why don't we find someone to replace them..."
"For your mother!" Li Niu slapped him to the ground. "Who among the girls in the surrounding area doesn't want to marry in our village? Even if you don't want to get married, are you going to bury all that salary and bonus money with you? You won't go to a brothel to find a prostitute?!"
This really made the little leader lose all words. He covered his bleeding mouth and grumbled, "Well, how about we do it ourselves? We can't lose face for the Li family..."
"You still have some dignity!" Li Niu waved his hand in disgust, "Take him away!"
"Uncle! Uncle!" He never thought that begging for mercy would implicate him. He shouted loudly, but Li Niu ignored him.
After the others were dragged away, Li Fu couldn't help but ask, "Boss, what should we do now?"
Hearing this stupid talk, Li Niu couldn't help but glare at him: "What else can we do? Naturally, we should leave it to the gang leader to deal with!"
This was the first case of a gang violation, and he should have made an example of them. Actually, he was pretty good at controlling his subordinates, but his own family members had been overly reliant, leading to arrogance. If even his family was like this, the others wouldn't be much better. After a big victory, it was inevitable they'd let their guard down. He needed to discipline them; he couldn't let these bastards off so easily!
Without hesitation, Li Niu immediately took people to find Cheng Xi.
After waiting in the courtyard for a while, Cheng Xi and Yan Yuan came in together. Li Niu was not afraid of being laughed at. Without saying a word, he knelt on the ground and leaned over and said, "I have not been strict in discipline. My subordinates have violated the gang rules. Please punish me, gang leader!"
This attitude was truly unspeakable, yet Cheng Xi's expression remained unchanged as he asked coldly, "How many people are there?"
"There are five people in a team, three of them colluded to bully women, and the remaining two were on guard and did not participate. I also brought along the small leader who was assigned to the mission and wanted to cover up." Li Niu replied immediately.
Cheng Xi asked again: "How do you think we should deal with it?"
Li Niu's heart tightened, and he shouted, "The gang rules are set by the leader. All who join the gang swear an oath of blood. Those who violate the rules will be killed without a burial place. Now that someone from the Li family has violated the rules, they should be executed in public! Anyone who tries to cover up the crime should also be severely punished. As the leader, I have failed the leader's trust and shall be punished together with him."
Seeing Li Niu's straightforwardness, even Yan Yuan couldn't help but admire him. No excuses, no fear of losing face—that was the true attitude of confession. He also knew this matter would only get bigger, not smaller, so public execution was indeed the best option.
"As the village chief of the Li family, you failed to discipline your subordinates. You will be fined one hundred taels of silver. The small-time leader who attempted to cover up the crime will be punished with thirty lashes and dismissed from his post for investigation. Those who assisted and failed to report the crime will be considered accomplices and will receive fifty lashes of the cane and be expelled from the army. As for the three main culprits, I have a new execution platform that we can use for testing."
Listening to the unhurried yet clearly structured punishment, Li Niu felt a sense of relief, knowing he had made the right choice. He didn't care what the execution platform looked like; rather, the crime he was more concerned about was the reason. The name "Village Chief Li" was used, rather than the captain of the fleet. There was a lot hidden in this. I'm afraid that clan leaders and village heads of fishing villages, big and small, will have to be on high alert in the future.
Cheng Xi didn't care what he thought and said directly to Yan Yuan: "Gather all the leaders in Panyu and Dongning, big and small, to watch the ceremony on the island in five days."
Yan Yuan's heart trembled. This was going to be a grand ceremony. It seemed that they were preparing to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys.
However, he was not surprised at all by this order and immediately bowed and accepted it.
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