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After defeating the enemy, Cheng Xi ordered his men to clean up the battlefield and count the surrendered soldiers, while he himself and his men entered the city first.
The city had been invaded by the enemy and was now in a state of disarray. Relying solely on her troops to clear out the mess was definitely not enough to restore order. Therefore, the first thing Cheng Xi did upon entering the city was to have someone find the remaining officials in the government office.
The person brought before them was a middle-aged man in his thirties, skinny and shrunken. When he saw Cheng Xi and the others, he knelt down and begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, please spare my life, Your Majesty, please spare my life. I am just a low-ranking clerk, not an official appointed by the court!"
It seems that the rebel army has specifically killed officials. However, Cheng Xi is looking for such people. She said coldly: "You are the only one left in the government office, but you are colluding with foreign invaders and causing chaos in the prefecture?"
The man was so frightened that he sank to his knees, kowtowed, and cried, "Your Majesty, I am innocent. I was too cowardly to follow Master Fuzun and escape, and that's why I'm lucky enough to be alive. Those evil thieves wanted to capture me and make me their advisor because I could read. I have no intention of rebelling!"
Unexpectedly, just as he finished speaking, the woman in the red skirt said sinisterly, "I am a traitor appointed by the imperial court. Do you really have no intention of rebelling?"
The clerk's cry was choked in his throat, and he almost suffocated. He quickly slapped himself in the face and said, "It's my fault. Your Majesty has wiped out the rebellious army and saved the people from suffering. I am willing to serve you and work like a slave for you!"
Seeing him change so quickly, Li Niu, who was standing beside him, almost laughed out loud. Cheng Xi continued to ask, "Are you familiar with the granaries and household registration in the government office?"
The clerk nodded quickly, "Yes! I'm in charge of the household affairs department. I know everything about the land tax, business taxes, household registration, and granary affairs in the government office!"
No wonder he was spared by those bandits. Cheng Xi nodded slightly and said, "Very good. From now on, you will be the chief clerk of the government office. Go and compile a list of the wealthy families in the county government and give it to me for review."
This sentence made the clerk shudder violently, and he stammered, "This, this, I am not talented, I may not be able to do this job..."
Normally, he'd be overjoyed to be promoted to the position of county chief clerk. But things were different now. The city had been captured by another gang of thieves, and even as chief clerk, he was still an accomplice. Furthermore, they were demanding a list of wealthy families. Could it be that they were planning to kill the rich and help the poor? If he simply ran away, wouldn't he be the target of those local tycoons' wrath?
Seeing his reaction, Cheng Xi's face darkened: "If you are not competent, what's the point of keeping you?"
The clerk was so frightened that he burst into tears again and kowtowed repeatedly: "I dare not, I dare not."
After he had knocked his head until it was broken, Cheng Xi said, "Since the Red Flag Gang has recaptured this city, this place is under the Red Flag Gang's rule. I will treat anyone who works hard with all my heart with no ill will. Or do you think the Red Flag Gang is not worthy of your service?"
The words were neither light nor heavy, but they finally reminded the clerk of something. The woman before him was no ordinary bandit, but the leader of the Red Flag Gang, capable of defeating the imperial army, and the daughter of General Qiu. If she captured the city, would the court turn against her? Would the wealthy dare to act recklessly? Then, if he surrendered to them, wouldn't he be able to become a legitimate chief clerk?
The thought of this made saliva form in his dry mouth. He swallowed hurriedly before saying, "I have always admired the Marquis of Zhenhai, and I am eager to serve you. I am willing to serve you, Your Majesty, or rather, to be the vanguard of the gang!"
As he said this, he kowtowed twice again, looking very respectful.
Seeing that he even called him "Marquis of Zhenhai", it was obvious that he was really honest, so Cheng Xi waved his hand and asked him to go down to work.
After the others left, Li Niu's eyes sparkled as he came over and asked, "Boss, are we going to take over this prefecture?"
Cheng Xi asked in return, "Do you think we won so easily that we can seize the opportunity to occupy a few more territories?"
Li Niu was startled by the question and didn't dare to answer immediately. Zhong Daliang, who was standing beside him, was not so smart. He shouted, "Boss, the chaotic army is vulnerable, and the corrupt officials are useless. It's time for us to take over Yuezhou!"
Cheng Xi sneered, "Why, just because you defeated those starving people who lost their land and fled for hundreds of miles, you're so complacent and arrogant?"
Zhong Daliang was startled by the question, then his face flushed. Yes, they were soldiers who ate their fill all day, never worked, and focused solely on the battlefield. Now, how could they not easily capture a group of civilians who had just put down their hoes? Such a great victory was indeed not worthy of praise, and it certainly shouldn't have clouded his mind.
Seeing Zhong Daliang hesitate and unable to speak, Li Niu immediately said, "Don't blame me, Gang Leader. It's true that none of us brothers have ever fought a land battle. We were nervous before the expedition, and with such a great victory, we got a little carried away. We will definitely discipline our subordinates and follow your orders!"
He was telling the truth. Even before the march, officers at all levels had explained the importance of this expedition, and the Red Banner Army knew it was to protect their hometowns and ensure the safety of the rear. However, this wasn't a naval battle, and they had to face tens of thousands of chaotic troops. Who knew how many casualties they would suffer?
Everyone was apprehensive, but when they encountered the enemy, they found themselves vulnerable, easily dislocated by a single shot. They were far easier to deal with than the government troops or the Long Whale Gang. After the battle, it was inevitable that they developed a sense of arrogance and lost their composure.
Cheng Xi was most worried about how these people would react. In her opinion, any victory against refugees was unworthy of praise. Just like during the Three Kingdoms period, almost all factions emerged from the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Even the Yellow Turbans, with their beliefs and slogans, were nothing compared to the regular army.
The southern part of the country is now heavily engaged in water warfare and light infantry warfare, and the garrisons are so dilapidated that they appear so vulnerable. Otherwise, even if the northern troops fighting for the throne or suppressing bandits came over, they would be able to mow down these refugees like grass.
If this led to arrogance, or even to the army becoming bloodthirsty and rampant, she would suffer heavy losses this time. Sweeping the crowd with a cold gaze, Cheng Xi asked, "Ayuan, is this a great victory?"
Yan Yuancai, the commander of this battle, stepped forward upon receiving the order and said bluntly, "We have no cavalry, so we can't stop the fleeing army or capture the bandit leader. This is only a small victory, not a complete victory. I'm afraid the dispersal of the refugees will cause more trouble in the future."
As a regular soldier who had previously served under General Qiu in suppressing rebellions, Yan Yuan naturally understood the key to this battle. Only by gathering the refugees and eliminating the troublemakers, both large and small, could the rebellion be completely resolved. The Red Banner Army's disadvantage lay in its lack of cavalry and mobility. Their current route was confined to the river, leaving them with no means of dealing with the fleeing refugees.
Cheng Xi nodded. "We came here not only to occupy the land, but also to absorb the refugees and resettle them. This requires the cooperation of the officials of the prefectures and counties, as well as sufficient food and land. Once the refugees are settled and the prefectures are reorganized, do we need to tell you the names of these places?"
At this point, everyone present understood Cheng Xi's intention. She hadn't entered the city just to seize power, but also to gather the refugees as quickly as possible. Only when these famine-stricken refugees were pacified could the rebellious army be completely eradicated. As for what the refugees would eat and where they could farm, weren't there those wealthy families? No wonder the first thing they did was to investigate the household registration system. Which wealthy family didn't have hundreds or even thousands of acres of hidden farmland? Some even fled directly. Those vacant acres could be divided up however they wanted. Could they dare to turn against the Red Flag Gang?
This is the reason why the army came out in large numbers and with such a powerful force. They thought it was just to intimidate the rebel army, but they were really naive.
Without further ado, Cheng Xi ordered, "Ayuan, lead your men to pursue the refugees and see where they flee. Aniu, lead your troops to patrol the village. If you find anyone hiding bandits, arrest them all. Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy. Daliang, lead your men to round up the refugees, form teams of fifteen, and implement collective punishment. Anyone who disobeys military orders, rebels, and flees will be punished and executed together with all fifteen."
As soon as the three orders were issued, everyone was shocked. This was a time of chaos, calling for harsh punishments. Li Niu was even more shocked. The wealthy families had already instinctively taken advantage of the chaos to gather refugees. Now accusing them of harboring bandits was just another way to control them. Furthermore, by only ordering Yan Yuan to pursue them, without any orders to eliminate them, wasn't he also planning to let the bandits harass the area? Rescue after the city had fallen would be a blessing, and it would also help to clean out the city's officials and wealthy families, making it easier to take over.
However, no matter what they thought in their hearts, the generals still obeyed the order and left. Cheng Xi sent people to the city to maintain order, arrest the evildoers who took advantage of the chaos, clean up the streets, bury the bodies, help the people put out the fire, and even counted the treasury and distributed two batches of relief.
By the time the clerk surnamed Wei had compiled the list of the local wealthy families, the news had spread. Countless wealthy merchants and local tycoons had come to offer their support, bearing gifts of grain and money. Petty matters like reclaiming wasteland and lending crops were not worth mentioning. They had heard of the deeds of the great leader Li, and they knew that the woman before them was no ordinary pirate, but a ruthless figure capable of crushing the coastal navy and even the likes of the Long Whale Gang.
The world is in such a mess that any random enemy would be enough to break the enemy's path, let alone a ruthless person like this who drags artillery to the door. Even now, they can still pull out the Yellow Book and argue with you. If you don't give them face, the next time they come to negotiate, they won't be talking to people, but to weapons. No one will be foolish enough on this matter.
Cheng Xi didn't just gather the refugees; he also spread the news early on that Lianshao Prefecture had been taken over by the Red Flag Gang. The refugees were given food and land to farm, and as long as they took refuge, they would have a chance to survive. Furthermore, he even had the help of the General Temple's thugs, spreading the news of General Qiu and the Red Flag Gang's female leader.
In the past, a female gang leader might have been dismissed, but to the starving masses who had lost their fortunes, wasn't she a living Buddha? An army led by a woman was better than those mountain kings, right? And the fact that she was the descendant of a loyal and capable general was even more reassuring.
More refugees, bringing their families, gathered towards Lianshao Prefecture.
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