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"Boss, why did you shave your beard? Is it to wear new clothes?"
Seeing his men laughing and joking, Li Lang didn't get angry at all. Instead, he puffed out his chest as if to show off: "That's right, I finally got some new clothes, so I have to show them off!"
The clothes he was wearing were indeed newly issued, and the style had been changed. Three red lines, one long and two short, were embroidered on the front. The lines were zigzag like waves, making them very easy to distinguish. However, if his beard grew too long, it would probably be covered up. As a result, a number of soldiers in the army shaved their beards, and they had to show this bright mark no matter what.
"This is the lieutenant, boss. What's the difference between a lieutenant and a battalion commander?" someone asked, scratching his head.
Li Lang chuckled, "You don't understand, don't you? Lieutenant is an official position, and battalion commander is a mission. You have the ability to lead a team, but it doesn't necessarily mean you can become an official."
Some of the rough men understood what he said, while others were still confused. However, they all nodded in agreement. Some even said enviously, "He's already an official. When he walks out in public, everyone will give him some distance."
"Look at what you're saying. We're the Red Flag Army, how can we bully others by taking advantage of our power? All your studies and lessons have been in vain?" Li Lang sternly rebuked him, then patted his chest. "Even if we meet in the army in the future, others will know I'm a lieutenant and will show respect."
For a long time, all members of the Red Flag Gang wore the same clothes, all in the same gray and black color with red belts. Only brothers on the same boat could easily recognize their colleagues and superiors. When they went into battle, they could only be identified by the armor on their bodies.
But things were different now. Ever since the Red Banner Army launched with such fanfare, this became the first widespread designation. From fleet captains commanding dozens of ships to squadron commanders, everyone began wearing markings on their lapels. Unlike the designs worn by true imperial officials, these featured no flowers, plants, or animals, but simply long and short red lines and a star and crescent moon, marking the nine ranks of official rank. This was a stark difference for those who had previously been fishermen or even boat dwellers. Consequently, they attached great importance to these lines and stars, wishing they could display them daily.
Many people had doubts about these arrangements. Although they were very different from the official positions in the imperial court, and they were all lieutenants and colonels, which did not seem as respectable as the generals appointed by the imperial court, they were still officials after all. In the future, would their Red Flag Army grow stronger, or even have some plans?
It's just that these thoughts in the heart will not be said out loud. After all, everyone has heard about the chaos on the shore. After finally dealing with the Long Whale Gang, they still need to train their troops in an orderly manner and stabilize the South China Sea.
However, these unpredictable things made the chiefs more confident. On board, no one really needed to use these rules to distinguish superiors. For a ship to go out to sea, it took years of practice, and it was impossible for it to be unable to distinguish between superiors and subordinates. No matter how fierce the battle, it would not be entangled with other ships. But what if they reached the shore? What if they were to be involved in a major battle, or even be disbanded? Then, just by drawing a few lines on the front of the lapel, they could probably find the team leader and the battalion commander and regroup. This was just like the militia, and it was all about planning for the future.
These eager thoughts were nothing. Perhaps it was because the Red Flag Gang had really gained a reputation, but more and more of General Qiu's former subordinates came to join them.
"Miss! I'm too late! I should have robbed the execution ground and rescued the soldier..." As soon as he saw the person, the burly man knelt on the ground and burst into tears.
Cheng Xi said gently, "General Wu, why do you have to be like this? Please stand up quickly."
When it comes to acting, you have to do it thoroughly. After hearing Miss Qiu's kind words of comfort, Wu Daquan kowtowed several times, wiped his tears, and stood up. Needless to say, the next step was to inquire about the recent situation and persuade the enemy to surrender. He was just trying to form his words, thinking of how to make his words more moving, when the little girl across from him suddenly spoke up: "Has Lieutenant General Wu resigned, or is he rebelling?"
Wu Daquan hadn't expected to be asked this question right away, and quickly replied, "Of course they're rebelling! The two hundred or so people I brought with me were all former subordinates of the military commander. They were forced to flee by the bastard emperor, and so they came to the sea to seek a way out."
More than 200 people were indeed under General Qiu's command at that time, but they were his Wu family's private soldiers. They were a group of people that had been gathered before and were dispersed. Otherwise, why would they kneel before a maid?
Cheng Xi nodded slowly and asked again: "If they rebelled, where were they defeated and by whom?"
"Huh?" Wu Daquan was practically stunned by the question. "Are you here to recruit talents? Aren't you going to offer a position first, even if you're just praising your loyalty and bravery?" Since he was being asked, and since he considered himself a retainer, he couldn't help but answer. He half-boasted, half-complained about his "rebellion." He recounted the court's injustices, his struggle to avenge the great general, the excessive oppression of corrupt officials that had driven them to despair, the march of an army of 30,000 or 50,000 men only to be dispersed by government forces, the drought, the locusts that had caused the widespread displacement, and so on.
He spoke passionately, but Cheng Xi just listened expressionlessly. After a long while, when everyone stopped talking, Fang nodded slightly and said, "So, Lieutenant General Wu also participated in the battle of Xiangzhou. It seems that the King of Liang suffered a lot of losses in this battle."
Wu Daquan's expression suddenly changed, and he quickly lowered his head to hide his thoughts. He had indeed answered the question irrelevantly, and his description of the final defeat was even more vague, not mentioning the names of the others. But this girl suddenly pointed out the problem. He had indeed participated in the Battle of Xiangzhou and served under King Liang. He was one of the earliest bandits to claim the throne, but he was defeated by those peasants in the straw raincoat gang.
That's right, they weren't fighting against the government troops, but the straw raincoat bandits who had been severely weakened by a previous split. Now the Jianghuai area had become a battlefield for bandit fighting, and the imperial court was still busy suppressing the rebellion in the north and struggling to suppress the refugees, so who would care about them?
But saying this would make him look inferior. Yan Yuan came from afar to save people, but he just followed another mountain king. How could he have the intention of protecting his master?
With a dry cough, Wu Daquan pretended to feel guilty and said, "I thought that Wang was a hero who could save the world, but I didn't expect him to be so despicable."
Cheng Xi nodded with interest: "Then do you think I can save the world?"
Wu Daquan nearly choked to death and quickly said, "Miss Qiu is the only daughter of a military family, so she's naturally different from others. As soon as I heard that she was in the South China Sea, I immediately brought people here to join her."
"Has the reputation of the Red Flag Gang spread to Xiangzhou?" Cheng Xi suddenly asked back.
Wu Daquan nodded vigorously: "That's right! The reputation of the Red Flag Gang is now known to everyone in the world."
"What did they say?" Cheng Xi continued to ask calmly.
Wu Daquan immediately said, "Everyone says that apart from that evil thief from the Long Whale Gang, the young lady of the Red Flag Gang is as majestic as the military commander back then!"
Of course, there were also rumors that Qiu Sheng's daughter was eight feet tall, a master of horizontal training, and had mastered the Qiu family's martial arts. There were also rumors that Miss Qiu had countless admirers, was shrewd and ruthless, and had a vengeful nature. These confusing rumors were not necessarily inappropriate to be told to the person himself.
"No one has ever said that Miss Qiu's military management is just like General Qiu's. The Red Flag Gang has never harmed the civilians. Is the military discipline strict?"
The gentle voice had somehow grown quieter, and Wu Daquan instinctively raised his head, meeting the woman's dark eyes. Sweat suddenly broke out on Wu Daquan's back at this glance. This woman looked too much like Qiu Sheng. Even though there were differences between men and women, their facial features were incredibly similar, even the pressure in their eyes was the same.
With a thud, Wu Daquan knelt down. "Miss, no, the leader's reputation has naturally spread. When I heard it, I immediately thought of the general!"
He had escaped when Qiu Sheng was imprisoned, and had since been gathering troops to rebel, certainly looting cities and attacking towns. If he had been under General Qiu's command, he would have been beheaded long ago. But could he be blamed for this? With the world in such turmoil, was he really just waiting to be exiled to the frontier and die on the battlefield?
Cheng Xi's expression remained unchanged as he slowly nodded. "Life forces us to do what we have to do. Since Lieutenant General Wu is here, you should stay. I heard from Ayuan that you are also a good commander and can fight on water."
Wu Daquan quickly said, "That's right! I'm willing to die for the leader!"
At some point, Wu Daquan had finally woken up from his hallucination of seeing "Miss Qiu." While this person was Qiu Sheng's daughter, she wasn't just a "Miss," a ruthless figure capable of commanding a major gang and even taking down Xu Hei, the Black Whale. Back then, Qiu Sheng hadn't even managed to harm the Long Whale Gang. This little girl had built up such momentum in just two years, crushing the Long Whale Gang in one fell swoop. How could she be such a simple figure?
Cheng Xi smiled slightly: "As for the troops who came with you, they should all be veterans of hundreds of battles. It would be better to disperse them and take some new recruits with them. Don't worry, I will take good care of them."
Wu Daquan's mouth opened wide, and he was speechless for a moment. Those were not just veterans, but his trusted elite soldiers! He didn't know how much money and food he spent on these soldiers, how could they be taken away as soon as they arrived? However, looking at the smiling woman, he was still speechless. What were a hundred people in front of a wealthy man with tens of thousands of troops? What she wanted was not these soldiers, but to take away his means of survival, and to make him surrender completely without any other thoughts. He was reluctant to part with these soldiers, but if he really refused, could he still leave the room?
After swallowing several times, Wu Daquan said hesitantly, "I will follow the leader's instructions."
Cheng Xi had no intention of keeping him, so he waved his hand and had him taken away. After he disappeared, Yan Yuan, who was standing nearby, said, "When Wu Daquan was under the military commander's command, he didn't look like this."
This guy was also an old acquaintance of his, but where was his loyal and brave demeanor? He looked like a mere soldier. Occupying a mountain and becoming the king, dominating a region, could a person really change so drastically?
Cheng Xi smiled and said: "In troubled times, it's not surprising that the commanders become what they are. Let's keep him here and see if he can be transferred over. If not, we can use him as an example to scare the monkeys."
The surrender of General Qiu's former subordinates sounded encouraging, but in reality, Yan Yuan was a minority. The others simply abandoned their former principles and became vagrants like Wu Daquan, or held fast to them and continued to obey the imperial court like Xu Xianrong. Both types of people were already inferior to the trusted aides he had trained. If they continued to exploit their seniority, they would cause unrest within the army.
However, it is better to collect what should be collected. "Old subordinates come to surrender" is a signboard, which can also further spread her reputation, which is very useful in troubled times.
Yan Yuan nodded and changed the subject: "It seems that the Suoyi Gang has also regrouped and conquered Xiangzhou, which is another large piece of territory."
Due to the civil unrest, the Suoyi Gang had been quiet for some time. Now that they had suddenly launched an attack on the Liang King's forces, they had surely managed to regain control of the situation and regained public attention. Her information network wasn't fully established yet, and couldn't reach as far as Xiangzhou. Fortunately, with these firsthand accounts, she had a clearer understanding of the situation.
Even with this understanding, the next step remained a major issue. Rather than going to war, she naturally preferred to expand her bank first and recuperate in the South China Sea. However, the world was unpredictable, so one had to be prepared.
Taking a deep breath, Cheng Xi said, "It's good for us that the Suoyi Gang can revive. I will write to Fang Tianxi to see how they plan to develop. Let's wait for the Nanyang ship to return."
Yan Yuan understood from just these two sentences that Cheng Xi was in no mood to get involved in the chaotic battle on the shore. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. It would take time for the Red Flag Gang to digest the South China Sea. Moreover, with such a big change, everyone's thoughts were inevitably confused. If they advanced rashly, it would cause a big mess.
As for those old military subordinates, Yan Yuan really didn't take them seriously. He knew Cheng Xi's tactics very well, so he could just deal with them slowly in the future.
Unfortunately, none of them could have anticipated that within just two days, things would change again. A fast horse brought news from the capital: the emperor had passed away and a new emperor had ascended the throne.
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