31
The Zhongs left with their worries etched in their hearts. Inside the tent, Lin Meng complained unhappily, "Boss, these privateers are taking it too far. We've already given up so much profit, and yet they still dare to be picky. If we run into thieves, we'll probably be a bunch of scattered sand."
Cheng Xi raised his eyebrows: "Maybe we won't encounter the enemy this time when we go to Hepu."
Lin Meng was startled: "Then Luoling Island..."
"There's news from Sun Er that Luoling Island and the Qingfeng Gang have started a war. They probably don't have time to deal with a large fleet." Cheng Xi directly threw out the news he had just heard.
"Qingfeng Gang?" Lin Meng was shocked. "Doesn't that fellow Shen Sandao usually go to Japan? Why is he here to attack Luo Ling again? Could it be that they want to occupy the shipping routes to the South China Sea? If we run into them, we'll have even more trouble!"
After all, they are seafarers, and Lin Meng has heard of the name of the Qingfeng Gang.
Shen Sandao is a ruthless sea tycoon who kills without blinking an eye. He is definitely not comparable to those weaklings on Luoling Island.
Now they are here to disrupt the situation. Could it be that the Red Flag Gang wants to confront them?
Cheng Xi smiled faintly: "Since Luoling Island has been able to hold out for so long, most likely the other party didn't use their full strength. The twists and turns here are not what we should be concerned about. We should think about how to use the opponent's strength to counter the opponent's strength. Only by establishing a connection with the Lu family and defeating Luoling Island can we have hope."
What was their fleet lacking most? Men or ships? Actually, neither was needed. What they lacked most was money to support their troops. Without money, they couldn't afford weapons, armor, food, or medicine, let alone firearms.
With money, all of these can be obtained. Therefore, showing strength and convincing Mr. Lu is the top priority.
These accompanying boats became a necessary component of the fleet. Giving the other party sixty taels of silver could essentially offset the "protection fee" they were required to pay, a temptation few could resist. Transporting a shipload of grain yielded a conservative profit of one hundred taels, so even if sixty taels were given, there was still forty taels left in the account. This meant making a profit without any manpower or boats involved, with no losses. To outsiders, these small boats transporting grain became clear evidence of the fleet's expansion.
The first time it was one ship of grain, the second time it was four ships, and if the third time it became seven or eight ships, would Lu Jian still turn a blind eye to this rapidly expanding fleet?
This is the real "get something for nothing".
While everyone was enthusiastically resisting taxes, selling grain, and recruiting new ships, only Cheng Xi understood the Red Flag Gang's current weakness. All their actions were intimidation and threats, not their true strength. To address this shortcoming, an alliance with the Lu family was imperative.
Now that the momentum in Dongning County is in place and the new season of Cochin rice is harvesting, it's time to set sail again and meet that "old friend."
Although there were 2,000 kilograms of rice, half of it had been exchanged for seafood and the other half had not yet been paid for. The fleet still had little money to spend, and they needed to get rid of the previous batch of camphor and shellac before they had money to purchase goods.
Cheng Xi was unable to leave, so he asked Sun Erlang to escort the ship to Panyu and take full charge of the transaction. He selected new goods to be shipped to Hepu, and ordered raw silk and cotton materials.
This was also the result of discussions between Cheng Xi and two experienced captains, Sun Erlang and Li Niu.
The southeastern coast was in dire need of textile raw materials. Silk and cotton, once shipped to Hepu, were immediately snapped up and sold to Jiaozhi, Pegu, Siam, and other countries. Furthermore, Panyu was a place where large trading houses could be found to cooperate with both commodities, ensuring a guaranteed supply unless there was a disaster.
Silk, porcelain and tea, which have higher profits, are often shipped directly to Southeast Asia or even across the strait to the West. Their sales in Hepu may not be guaranteed, and these things are too expensive and are not something they can get involved in.
However, if the fleet grows in the future, they can also consider bulk commodities such as ironware and salt. For the time being, keeping the line of textile raw materials will be enough for them.
Sun Erlang was a seasoned contraband trader with ample connections, so it didn't take him long to get everything done. When the ship, laden with silk and cotton, returned to the harbor, it was time to set sail.
At this moment, eight ships had gathered in Xiaziwo, four of which belonged to the Red Flag Gang, and four came from villages near and far.
This is the number of accompanying ships that Cheng Xi can currently suppress. Once the number of merchant ships involved exceeds the number of ships of the Red Flag Gang itself, it will be difficult to ensure safety.
After all, they were at sea. Who knew whether these people would be cowardly and desert the team when encountering the enemy, or whether they would harbor evil intentions and turn the tables and harm the fleet.
For this reason, this time they used a different formation than before: Sun Erlang and Lin Meng led the way, the flagship was in the middle, Li Niu was in the escort boat, and the four smaller boats followed at the rear. In the event of an enemy encounter, the formation would not be disrupted by these newcomers.
While this was for safety, it wasn't just about safety. This voyage was still an "armed parade," and it wasn't just for deterring pirates.
"Dad, you've been watching for most of the day, and there's nothing to do. Why don't you go to the boat and rest?" Zhong Daliang advised with some concern. His father was not young anymore, and his back was not in good condition. Standing in the winter sea breeze for so long would hurt his health.
Zhong Ping shook his head: "Let me watch for a while. Don't just stand there like an idiot. Look at how they sail."
Zhong Daliang looked up, puzzled, and saw four boats ahead, two in front and two behind, moving steadily, essentially unchanged from an hour ago. What was so interesting about this?
Seeing his son's confusion, Zhong Ping sighed and said, "Look at our four ships again."
Zhong Daliang turned his head and looked left and right, and immediately found the difference.
After sailing for half a day, the four boats that were originally sailing side by side now had some boats in front and some behind, leaving a large distance between them.
Forget about the formation, just being able to keep up was already a good thing. It was in stark contrast to the fleet ahead that remained unchanged.
"Did they walk like this on purpose? There are no enemies!" Zhong Daliang was shocked.
The sea is so vast, why do they have to sail like this? Besides, the water current and wind speed are difficult to control. I don’t know how much effort it would take to sail so neatly. Don’t their crews rest?
Zhong Ping cursed, "You're just ignorant! Even the imperial court's official ships must form a battle array when they sail. With a few ships, it's barely noticeable, but when there are many, they truly block out the sun and sky, making it intimidating to look at. How could they form such a formation without regular practice? We've practiced for days, and all we've learned is to gather at the drums and disperse at the gongs. I'm afraid the Red Flag Gang's ships have quite a few hidden tricks up their sleeves."
Zhong Ping had seen officers and soldiers at sea before. Back then, the Zhenhai General was a master at naval warfare, and his fleet formations had infuriated even the coastal pirates. Seeing such a fleet formation again now, how could he not be terrified?
Zhong Daliang was concerned about something else: "Wait, Dad, are you saying this is the imperial court's military training method?"
His father immediately glared at him: "How can you say that?!"
Zhong Daliang was startled and quickly shut his mouth.
Yes, how could he say such nonsense? The Red Flag Gang was a boat gang, what relationship did it have with the officers and soldiers? However, when he thought of the men training on the shore, Zhong Daliang began to have doubts.
What if there really was someone capable within the Red Flag Gang? After all, General Zhenhai had just died, and perhaps many of his men had fled. If they had such connections, he'd be tempted. After all, anyone from the government would surely be different from ordinary pirates, right?
Zhong Ping didn't care what his son thought and ordered, "You should stay and watch carefully, and learn some skills. Alas, they can sail like this on a daily basis, no wonder they dare to go out to sea with only four ships. I really don't know how they will deal with pirates if they encounter them..."
The old man was just saying it casually, but who would have thought that the fleet would actually encounter thieves, and not just one wave at a time.
At first, there were small groups of two or three boats that would poke their heads out for a few glances before quickly scurrying away. Then came the large fleets, sometimes numbering more than ten.
Seeing the lookout flags on the flagship flying up and down and hearing the sound of drums, everyone was scared out of their wits.
The flagship also seemed quite nervous. Facing the opposing fleet, Lin Hu felt his throat tighten. "Captain, look at that flag, it could be the Qingfeng Gang!"
Why didn't they run into the Luoling Island gang, but instead ran into the Qingfeng Gang? They looked like they had a lot of ships, but they only had four that could actually fight. If they really went up against the Qingfeng Gang, they probably wouldn't be enough to deal with them.
Cheng Xi stared at the opposite fleet for a long time before shaking his head: "He's not coming for us. It's probably just a chance encounter."
Lin Hu said anxiously, "Even if we encounter each other by chance, there's no guarantee that a war will break out. How many ships do we have?!"
The Qingfeng Gang traded with Japan and were the most aggressive. Half of the "Japanese pirates" on the Liangzhe Sea were Qingfeng Gang members. It was only during the reign of General Zhenhai that they retreated to Ryukyu. So why were they now heading to the South China Sea?
Cheng Xi glanced over and asked, "If you have a mission, would you easily start a war with others?"
Lin Hu was stunned by the question. Cheng Xi didn't wait for him to respond and ordered: "The fleet will form a swallow scissors formation and bypass them directly."
The so-called "Swallow Shears Formation" was a formation Cheng Xi named after an ancient battle formation. The entire fleet advanced in a diagonal formation, with three frigates at the outer edge, the flagship at the inner edge, and four merchant ships trailing behind. It was not an offensive formation, but a defensive retreat.
"This will expose our weakness. There are twelve ships on the opposite side..." Lin Hu's heart was tense, fearing that giving an order would lead to a fierce attack.
Cheng Xi shook his head: "If the Qingfeng Gang was really as strong as the legend said, they wouldn't attack."
How come he won't attack even though he's stronger?
Lin Hu simply couldn't figure out the leader's thoughts, but once the order was given, no one dared to disobey.
The flagship immediately changed the flag and the drums sounded again. The entire fleet re-formed itself in front of the enemy and slowly took a detour.
This scene also caught the eyes of the people on the other side. On the largest brig, a bearded man raised an eyebrow and said, "This fleet is quite courageous. They are retreating in a side-by-side formation. Could it be that they have artillery?"
The distance between the two sides is quite far, and it is difficult to see the configuration of the ship clearly, but how can one dare to expose the belly and back without some confidence?
Someone beside him asked, "Boss, do you want to give it a try?"
"What the hell are we doing here?" the big man snorted. "Stop the boats and let them go first. These people are well-trained and probably have serious backgrounds. We're going to attack Luoling Island, so don't look for trouble!"
That being said, if you really encounter a small boat, it's no big deal to take a bite of the fat one. However, who would want to take on such a hard bone if they were to steal food? If they really cause trouble, they will be eaten alive by the boss!
So the pirates didn't move and just watched the fleet go away.
"Really? They really didn't catch up?" Zhong Daliang, steering the ship himself, was already sweating profusely. He kept looking back and saw that the pirates had no intention of pursuing him. So, had he escaped disaster?
Zhong Ping's forehead was covered in sweat as he cast a long glance at the flagship. What kind of courage did that handsome young leader possess to bravely retreat in the face of so many pirates? Was it simply because the fleet had a formation, or was there something else he relied on?
At this moment, even the calm and capable old captain couldn't help but waver. If the Red Flag Gang was truly that powerful, he would have to seriously consider joining them. Only by joining them while their power was still relatively weak could he reap the rewards. If the Red Flag Gang could become a major gang like the Blue Phoenix Gang or even the Long Whale Gang, small boat owners like them would be in for a huge boost!
And Zhong Ping is not the only one who has this idea!
However, no matter how excited these little captains were, it did not affect the operation of the flagship.
Cheng Xi had already ordered the fleet to resume its previous formation and continue on its way. The Swallow Shears Formation might be useless to other pirates, but for a bandit gang that likely possessed firearms, it was a deliberate maze.
If they really attacked without caring about anything, she would start to doubt whether the Qingfeng Gang lived up to its name.
Fortunately, she did not make the wrong choice.
Perhaps the thieves from Luoling Island were tied up by the Qingfeng Gang, and they never encountered any large fleets during the subsequent voyage, and the group arrived at the Hepu private port smoothly.
The four captains were delighted to be able to disembark safely and quickly went off to sell their goods. Cheng Xi called his three subordinates and assigned them tasks: "Erlang and Aniu, stay at the port to sell the goods and keep an eye on the captains. Mengzi, come with me to find Master Lu."
Li Niu quickly said, "Boss, don't we need to go together? We can help you out!"
Cheng Xi glanced at him and asked, "Do you dare to sit and eat with Master Lu?"
Li Niu was stunned and speechless for a moment. He really didn't dare! For a nobleman like that, he didn't even dare to fart, let alone eat, for fear of being laughed at.
Seeing that he was silent, Cheng Xi smiled and said, "One person standing behind me can still support the show, but three people standing behind me will ruin it. Besides, there are so many ships, someone needs to look after them. Erlang can't be the only one busy."
Hearing this, Li Niu finally calmed down. With Sun Erlang in charge, there was no need to worry about any trouble. Cheng Xi said no more and directly sent someone to deliver the visiting card and took Lin Meng to the Lu Mansion.
It was still the same mansion, and the same handsome young man, but when they met again, their attitudes were different.
"The new rice has just been harvested, and a distinguished guest has come to visit. My dear brother, you are truly a trustworthy person." Lu Jian personally went out to greet him with a sincere smile, as if he had met a good friend who had come from afar.
Cheng Xi also smiled and said, "Thanks to Brother Lu's kindness, I was able to set up my stall. How could I miss this new rice season?"
This casual gesture made Lu Jian smile even more. "I have prepared a banquet today. I wonder if you would be so kind as to have a few drinks with me?"
Lin Meng, who was standing behind, was shocked when he heard this. The leader was right. This Mr. Lu really wanted to treat people to a meal as soon as they met!
Cheng Xi remained calm, only nodding slightly: "Brother Lu, how dare I refuse such a kind offer?"
The question and answer were just right, and the host and guest got along well. Lu Jian didn't even look at Lin Meng standing behind him, and walked into the courtyard with his only distinguished guest.
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