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With the wind in their favor and the pursuit underway, the Changjing Gang had no intention of sparing manpower, and the boat's speed was quite astonishing. They arrived at their destination, Wuyuan Island, in just one day and one night.
This is the closest large island to Luoling Island and one of the strongholds of the Red Flag Gang. However, it is completely different from when they passed by it before. At this moment, the sea is covered with red flags and sails are like a forest.
The merchant ships that were driven here did not rush directly into the arranged fleet formation, but were driven by several ships to dock on both wings, making the fleet formation look even larger and more solid, with its own momentum.
Standing at the bow, Xu Hei couldn't help but praise: "As expected of Qiu Sheng's daughter, this formation really looks like the work of the government army."
How could ordinary pirates deploy such a fleet? I'm afraid even the navy of Panyu doesn't have such courage.
Looking at the vast fleet, Ning Fu was thinking about something else. Hiding such a large fleet wouldn't be easy; it would likely be hidden offshore. The signal smoke signals were meant to warn them of enemy movements. But what could signal smoke signals truly reveal? Without foresight, who would dare act in such a way? That young woman's audacity was truly extraordinary.
However, she was right in her prediction and was able to outsmart him in strategy, something that Qiu Sheng had not been able to do back then.
The scar at the corner of his mouth started to ache slightly again, but Ning Fu managed a smile. "They are not government troops. Even with so many boats, even with deserters included, they can't make up such a large army. They are just a group of fishermen who have been training for a year or so. As long as we can break through the main formation, we can make them flee in all directions."
This was also the most crucial point. The Red Flag Gang had only been around for so long that, even after a major battle, they would still have a large number of new recruits who had never seen combat. This was a naval battle, and it wasn't enough to just put on airs. As long as they kept pressing and breaking their formation, the sheer number of ships and their combat experience alone would be enough to determine victory.
This hit the mark on Xu Hei's mind, and he laughed heartily: "Indeed, I don't mind these few soldiers, but I have to be careful of the foreign gunboats."
They had superior numbers and comparable firepower, making direct engagements simpler. The only thing to be wary of was the Xisai people. There were no signs of soft sails in the opposing fleet, and no idea where the foreign gunboats were hiding. If they suddenly appeared, that would be trouble.
Ning Fu, however, was not worried: "Since they refuse to show their faces, they are probably planning to set an ambush. We just need to proceed steadily and avoid splitting up our forces and taking detours. As for the Qingfeng Gang, we don't know where they are hiding right now, so we have to be on guard against them as well."
"Send out more patrols, keep a close eye!" Xu Hei ordered immediately. A fleet at sea couldn't hide; as long as enough small boats were deployed, they'd be able to find clues. He didn't want to make any more mistakes in this battle.
Putting aside their previous contempt, the Long Whale Gang also arranged their ships in a similar manner. After a brief test, the two sides started fighting.
The fighting here was intense, and many in the Doumen camp breathed a sigh of relief. Kong Mutian almost wanted to pray to the Buddha. He had thought he had no chance of escape this time and would have to fight the gang to the death. But before the battle even began, the enemy turned around and attacked the Red Flag Gang, and the siege of Panyu was finally broken.
As for the fight between the two boat gangs, what did it have to do with him? As long as Panyu City was stable, he could hold his position as the commander-in-chief of the central army. Unexpectedly, before he could be happy for two days, news came from Panyu that bandits were attacking the city and Panyu was in danger.
Normally, in such a situation, the navy would be dispatched to provide support. However, unexpectedly, the order issued by the Governor's Office this time was for them to send troops immediately to attack the rear of the Changjing Gang.
Kong Mutian was stunned by the news and couldn't help asking the messenger, "Panyu City is in danger, why don't you send troops there instead of attacking the Changjing Gang?"
The messenger's face was solemn. "You may not know, Governor, that this time the attackers are the same bandits as last time. I'm afraid they're connected to the Long Whale Gang. We can hold the shore for now, but if another enemy ship comes from the sea, Panyu will be in danger."
Kong Mutian wasn't very good at fighting, but he was quite capable as an official. Hearing this, he was even more surprised and suspicious: "This... the Governor's Office really wants to fight? After all, Xu Hei had just received a reward from the court..."
The high officials of Panyu City have always been more interested in business than war, not to mention Wang Ling's greed for merit and the numerous incidents he had caused. Who would dare to start a war? Is this sudden order a rift with the Changjing Gang? Is this a sudden increase in courage, or is there something else going on that he's unaware of?
Seeing that there were no outsiders around, the messenger whispered, "The Long Whale Gang has been causing too much trouble. They've disobeyed imperial orders and sent troops across borders, which is already a taboo. Now they want to attack Panyu City. How can we let them continue to act so arrogantly? It might have been fine before, but the Long Whale Gang is currently fighting the Red Flag Gang. Isn't this a good opportunity to launch a surprise attack?"
Kong Mutian immediately understood that it was the Long Whale Gang that had aroused suspicion from the higher-ups. It was strange, actually. With the world in such chaos, who wouldn't want a more stable regime, or at least enough troops to protect themselves? But the Long Whale Gang had colluded with bandits on the shore, bribed the guards, assassinated people in the streets, and even brought an army of tens of thousands across the sea to attack. If they were bandits, it would be fine, but they were officials. Officialdom had no room for such people!
Not to mention that Panyu is a maritime trader. Even the Red Flag Gang has called for a share of the pepper trade, so there are probably many who are tempted. Now that the Long Whale Gang is in a tough fight, if the government forces can attack them from both sides, success or failure is hard to predict. This is clearly a case of taking advantage of their weakness to kill them.
When Kong Mutian thought about this, he was actually a little tempted. This was the order of the superiors. Besides, the battlefield was not in Panyu. Even if they didn't fight hard, as long as they sent troops to threaten the Long Whale Gang's retreat, it would probably have an impact on the war situation. At that time, they could get military merits without having to put in any effort. Isn't it a good thing to have the best of both worlds?
However, he was a cautious man after all. He thought for a long time and then asked in a low voice, "What about Panyu City? Will there be any mistakes?"
After all, there are bandits attacking the city. If he doesn't send troops to rescue, and the city gate is breached, he will be held responsible no matter how the battle goes at sea.
The messenger immediately said, "Fanyu is a big city after all. We can still defend it. We should be able to escape danger without any danger. Besides, as long as we can deal with the Changjing Gang, the bandits will fall without a fight."
He said it simply, but there were probably a lot of things involved. Kong Mutian swallowed his saliva and didn't ask any more questions. He just patted his chest and said, "Since it's the governor's office that has issued the order, how dare I be afraid? This time, I will make sure that group of evil thieves will never return!"
…
"The Governor's Office has finally issued an order. Now we can rest assured." In Panyu City, Prefect Liu breathed a sigh of relief. These days of running around had exhausted him mentally and physically. Fortunately, there was finally a result, and the pressure on his shoulders was finally lifted.
"Thanks to my uncle's efforts, we were able to defend Panyu. After this matter is over, my uncle will surely be commended by the superiors." Lu Jian smiled gently, and it seemed that the compliment was no longer worldly, but rather much more pleasant to the ear.
Prefect Liu couldn't help but laugh. "My dear nephew, what you said is true. As a local official, you should naturally serve the court and the people you govern wholeheartedly."
The words sounded nice, but both of them knew in their hearts that this had nothing to do with the court and the people. It was just that the Changjing Gang had gone too far and offended the real person behind the scenes.
Behind every big sea merchant stands a high-ranking official in the court and a prominent family. Panyu's maritime trade is controlled by them. Otherwise, who could instigate the court to issue a maritime ban, and who could ignore the ban and go to sea to smuggle?
The Changjing Gang, on the other hand, threatened this group's business, making them unhappy.
The Red Flag Gang was indeed a nuisance, but they didn't collude with bandits to repeatedly harass Panyu, nor did they disguise themselves as officials and attack the forts to show off their power. Merchants were accustomed to seeking wealth and fame through risk, and as long as they could make money, they would beg for mercy from anyone.
However, those who are truly in power don't buy it.
The etiquette they valued was comfort and everlasting wealth, and the Changjing Gang had stepped right into all of this.
They had taken on official positions and taken steps that were inappropriate for officialdom. If they had won, Panyu City would have been in turmoil. Meanwhile, the Red Flag Gang, while not without faults, hadn't disrupted anyone else's business, which was a significant difference.
If that's the case, why not justify sending troops to attack? After all, Xu Hei was the one who acted disrespectfully first, and even the officials in Hepu might not be able to protect him. A pirate should behave like a pirate, not act recklessly.
With this level of consensus, everything else will be easy. It's just a matter of adding some fuel to the fire. The navy camp is still there anyway, so why not use it?
Of course, these were matters of concern to high-ranking officials. Prefect Liu wasn't concerned with these major issues. The bandits were attacking again, and logically, he should have been hoping for the navy to dispatch troops, not rushing out. However, he still remembered the bombing of the government office and the assassination attempt on the street. If he didn't take down the Changjing Gang, the culprit, who knew what would happen in the city.
This is a matter of life and death, much more important than the safety of Panyu City.
Besides, Lu Jian had said that the Red Flag Gang wouldn't let Panyu be taken down. He'd heard the friendly Minoyi Gang had also made some moves, and they might be able to take down that gang of bandits directly. In that case, his own affairs were more important.
I guess there are quite a few people in the officialdom who think this way, so they can smoothly order troops to turn against the Changjing Gang.
In the future, when facing the central government and the Hepu officialdom, we can all be united and avoid any trouble. I just hope that the Red Flag Gang can do better and quickly defeat the Long Whale Gang.
Prefect Liu was relieved, and Lu Jian also breathed a sigh of relief. He had done everything he could, and now it all depended on the outcome on the battlefield.
If he were defeated, he would probably have no choice but to flee to Jinshan Island. Fortunately, a dense net had been woven, and the whale was already in it, so all that was left was to reel it in...
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