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"Tian, Mr. Tian, this is probably inappropriate..." As the official of a county, he should be the person who has the final say in Dongning. However, at this moment, County Magistrate Cao was trembling with fear, sweating profusely, and wished he could pretend to be dead on the spot.
We were making good money, so why were we suddenly going to war again? And wasn't Dongning the Red Flag Gang's main base? How could they not even leave a fleet? What could those few county yamen runners do?
Tian Yu, however, was not joking. "Dongning is the territory of the imperial court, so it must be guarded by imperial officials. I have already informed Commander Liu of the East Gate, as well as Magistrate Wang of the neighboring county. If the three counties jointly guarantee it, there should be no problem."
Even the three counties' joint guarantee couldn't stop the Changjing Gang! County Magistrate Cao was almost crying, trembling as he said, "But, but there's still the main camp, and so many workshops..."
Tian Yu said coldly, "Your Excellency, have you forgotten that the establishment of Donglin Town has long been reported to the court. The two official records are complete, and taxes have been paid in full. As for the workshop, I don't know how many wealthy families have invested money and manpower, so they will naturally send people to guard it."
The former Linjia Village, Donggou Village, and Yanglin Village were merged into one, renamed "Donglin Town." This was indeed reported, and taxes were even paid in the autumn. But no matter how they try to hide it, this is still the Red Flag Gang's main base! And those workshops, only a few of the county's wealthy families have invested in them, and they're not Red Flag Gang assets. Now, they're pretending to rely on the imperial court. Can they really be trusted?
Seeing County Magistrate Cao's lips trembling as if he were about to say something, Tian Yu interrupted him directly: "Your Excellency, don't you understand? The Long Whale Gang is now considered an imperial force. If they allow their soldiers to plunder the county, they should be treated as rebellious soldiers. To protect the village, we should naturally dispatch garrisons, call on local militia, and have the wealthy families send their soldiers to assist in the defense, but we must not allow the Red Flag Gang's fleet."
This… this… County Magistrate Cao's mind was a mess. The Changjing Gang had surrendered, but their banditry wouldn't change. Now that the army was approaching, how could they leave Dongning, a piece of fat meat, untouched for a mere reputation?
Behind him, Master Yang, the lawyer, had reacted quickly. He tugged at Magistrate Cao's sleeve and said with a smile, "Mr. Tian is right. We are all members of the imperial court, and our righteous cause is clear. The Changjing Gang... well, didn't Xu Youji claim to be suppressing bandits? They should have gone to sea, not harassed local people. As long as the county magistrate gives the order, people like the Donglin Town militia and the guards of the various workshops will naturally respond."
This fragmented explanation made Magistrate Cao suddenly realize that it wasn't that they were ignoring Dongning, but rather that they were just changing the name. The people were still the same, but without the boats, they were now innocent civilians. If the Changjing Gang attacked, they could really mobilize the garrison to defend themselves.
However, even so, he still felt a little uneasy. "But what if the Long Whale Gang doesn't care about these things and still wants to attack Dongning? It's not that I'm a coward, it's really that the imperial army is not strong enough to fight. What if they are defeated?"
"If you can't win, just defend the city to the death. Delay for as long as you can. If you can hold back their troops on the shore, the outcome will be decided at sea." Tian Yu said directly.
Master Yang quickly chimed in: "County Master, this battle will ultimately be fought primarily at sea. We just need to defend the city and there's nothing else to worry about."
The words of these two people did reassure County Magistrate Cao a little. However, the next moment, he remembered something and looked over hesitantly: "Well, what if someone sues us for collaborating with bandits..."
Just by looking at him, Tian Yu knew what he wanted to say: "The criminal official has been burned to death in the prison in Panyu City. If they want to overturn the verdict, who knows how many people will be implicated. Is it possible that the Lord of the Palace does not understand the ins and outs of officialdom?"
This chilling remark immediately made County Magistrate Cao sit up straight and serious. He smiled and said, "Mr. Tian, you're joking. I didn't mean that. After all, I'm a local official. It's my duty to protect the territory. I'm sorry to trouble you, Mr. Tian."
Seeing County Magistrate Cao's almost humble demeanor, Tian Yu felt an inexplicable revulsion, then waved him off. If considered an imperial official, this useless fellow was more trouble than help. But if considered a subordinate, he was a competent lackey—not brilliant, but obedient enough. Now that his position had completely changed, why should he care about the incompetence of a local official? The more foolish and incompetent these people were, the more they relied on the Red Flag Gang, which was actually a good thing.
If the Great Gan Dynasty could also decay, it would suit him even better. However, even if the Changjing Gang could transform into a government army, the foundation supporting the dynasty would probably be severely damaged and shaky. As long as they could survive this battle, the situation of the Red Flag Gang would be greatly improved.
Compared to Dongning's situation, she was facing real danger. Being at the rear, this was all he could do.
…
"Manager Wang, it's not that we don't want to help, but the Changjing Gang is such a powerful force, how can we deal with them?" Someone sitting in the courtyard shouted with a frown.
Shopkeeper Wang Caiwang still had that amiable face that brought him wealth. He smiled and said, "Didn't everyone invest money in building this ship just for this day? Now it's finally time to decide the outcome. If we back out, wouldn't it be all in vain?"
He could laugh, but others couldn't. Someone said pitifully, "No one wants to waste money, but if you're dead, what good is money?"
"It's just defending the city. Bandits have come here for years. What's the difference this time? If we don't contribute, we'll lose our lives." Wang Cai chuckled. "Or are you guys interested in joining the Changjing Gang and doing something different?"
There was a knife hidden in that smile. No one dared to speak. It was Tang Yansheng who spoke first. "I know you are all worried that the Changjing Gang is too powerful and has colluded with the government and soldiers, making it difficult to deal with. But in fact, you are overthinking it. County Magistrate Cao has issued a notice, saying that the three counties will jointly guarantee to resist the bandits."
The three counties’ joint guarantee sounds good, but if soldiers and bandits really come, who won’t have to take care of their own business?
Someone muttered, "The Long Whale Gang isn't a bandit anymore. What if they join forces with the government to encircle and suppress us?"
Wang Cai exclaimed, "Who among you is the bandit? How come I don't know?"
Some people cursed inwardly, "Aren't you the biggest bandit, the Red Flag Gang's grain manager? What the hell are you doing here?"
Wang Cai didn't care about the expressions on their faces. "The people in Dongning County are all honest businessmen. Several workshops have paid taxes correctly and support many people. It's no wonder that the government protects them. But I wonder if you have heard that there is news from Panyu City that dozens of companies and hundreds of ships are preparing to join the Red Flag Gang to resist foreign enemies."
Tang Yansheng added aptly, "I heard that China Merchants Bank launched a new futures contract for pepper, and the profits are quite high. Doesn't Minsheng Bank have something similar?"
Some people had heard about this, but others were completely clueless. What futures? How did it end up in the pepper business?
Shopkeeper Wang immediately said, "That's true, but don't forget, everyone, you've invested in the fleet. When the shipping route to Southeast Asia opens up in the future, why would you need help? You can just join the Red Flag Gang's caravans and transport goods yourself."
Of course, no one had forgotten about this, but now that the matter had come to a head, they still felt uneasy. If they lost their money, they would just consider it a loss in business. But if the Long Whale Gang targeted them, what would they do if they lost their lives?
As if he had guessed what everyone was thinking, Wang Cai put away his smile and said, "Now that the war is imminent, we should only worry about how to protect Dongning's safety. Defending the city is much easier than going out to sea to fight. We have the support of the county magistrate, the help of the garrison, and the powerful soldiers of Donglin Town. What are you afraid of? The boss said that those who have made contributions will be rewarded and those who have made mistakes will be punished. This is wartime. One wrong step can lead to the annihilation of the entire family. I hope you will think carefully."
That one sentence hushed the crowd. Dongning's wealthy had already been dealt with by the Red Flag Gang several times before, so who wouldn't have some scars in their hearts? Even if they had any thoughts, they dared not reveal them. After all, no matter how easy the Red Flag Gang was to talk to, they were still a major shipping gang on the sea.
Tang Yansheng intervened again, saying, "Don't worry too much, everyone. Just look at the situation in Panyu and you'll understand what the higher-ups are thinking. The navy is staying put, while the garrisons are protecting Dongning. Don't you understand what's going on here? Panyu is, after all, a seaport built on commerce. Those high-ranking officials all have businesses, so they'll naturally choose partners they can partner with for the long term."
This statement truly relieved many people. Regardless of whether it was a shared sentiment or not, it was true that most businessmen preferred to make money in peace. Who would want to disrupt their trade routes unless absolutely necessary? Furthermore, the Long Whale Gang dominated the pepper trade; what huge profits must there be? In the past, they had no solution, but now that they had the opportunity to overthrow this overlord, they were likely to sit back and watch.
And they couldn't escape it. Their home was in Dongning, so what else could they do but fight? At least the situation wasn't too bad, and it seemed they still had a chance to fight.
This group of people locked themselves in the house to discuss things secretly, but some people were spreading the news openly outside.
"Everyone knows what kind of people the long whale thieves are. If they really attack us, all the people living along the coast will suffer." Taoist Le said to his believers in a serious tone.
"Can't we just fight them? Or maybe General Zhenhai can send a hurricane to swallow all their ships..." someone whispered.
"Good and evil will be rewarded, but someone must uphold justice." Taoist Le immediately interrupted him, "Just like General Zhenhai, the Red Flag Gang is the one who protects you. General Zhenhai was able to subdue the Long Whale Bandit back then, and now the Red Flag Gang can do the same."
This statement immediately drew praise from the audience.
Taoist Le stroked his beard and said, "It's just that war is swift and swift. Each village must be cautious in responding. We are all fellow villagers, and we must unite to resist the enemy."
"That's true!"
"The Red Flag Gang has also come to our village. Since she's General Zhenhai's daughter, we have to listen to everything she says!"
Such an impassioned speech immediately drew another wave of agreement. Taoist Le nodded with satisfaction: "As long as we believe in General Zhenhai, we are all family. Only by sharing adversity can we share prosperity. From now on, I will burn incense and pray for you all every day, hoping that the bandits can be eliminated as soon as possible and that everyone can live in peace."
Under the push of an invisible big hand, Dongning gradually became an iron plate.
Luoling Island began to evacuate the elderly and weak family members, and became a completely different place.
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