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"I, Jiang Su, am the County Magistrate of Qingxi County. I have come here to ask the leader to take care of the people's livelihoods, lead the troops into Qingxi, and maintain peace in the area."
The visitor was wearing the green robe of a ninth-rank low-rank official and was quite young. However, it was very rare for him to come alone to a city occupied by a rebel army and face a powerful local tyrant, a woman in a skirt, without changing his expression and acting neither servile nor arrogant.
The Qingxi County he mentioned wasn't far from Leren Prefecture, being located right beside the Beijiang River. She had even passed by here before when she led her troops there. The problem was that she hadn't even hinted at any intention of sending troops, yet she had already offered her services, which made people curious.
Cheng Xi didn't suppress his curiosity and asked, "Since you've become a county magistrate at such a young age, you must be a Jinshi (Jinshi) graduate and a legitimate court official. Why are you begging me for help?"
A high official must pass the imperial examination. Even a small position like this, that of a county magistrate, would have ranked him among the top three. But she, a notorious pirate, has already begun landing and seizing prefectures and counties, all that's left is a rebellion. By surrendering the city so rashly, aren't you afraid of attracting a band of thugs as vicious as the rebel army?
Jiang Su replied sternly, "Since the Emperor has already rehabilitated General Qiu, the leader of the gang is the newly appointed Marquis of Zhenhai. With the rebellious army now wreaking havoc, it is only natural for me to come and seek assistance."
This answer was quite flattering. Cheng Xi smiled and leaned back in his chair. "I haven't accepted any title. Besides, Qingxi is such a small place. What makes you think I would waste troops to defend it?"
The words were spoken lightly, but the threat was overwhelming, especially in this lobby where the bloodstains hadn't been completely wiped clean. It was even more intimidating. Jiang Su took a deep breath and dropped the pretense. "Since the gang leader has captured Lianshao and Baoxiong, I think he's planning to deploy defenses along the Beijiang River. Qingxi is between the two cities and not far from Leren City, making it a perfect place to connect the three areas. Just looking at the arrangements in Lianshao City, I know the Red Flag Gang can protect the territory and the people. So, rather than watching Qingxi County become a battlefield, it's better to hand it over to the gang leader."
This statement was truly well-reasoned and coherent, even hinting at some of the strategic intentions. Indeed, after occupying these three cities, the surrounding prefectures and counties would be considered within the Red Flag Gang's sphere of influence and would need to be strictly controlled. However, whether to seize them by force or other means was uncertain.
This kid was able to surrender voluntarily before I took action. He can really be said to be bold and careful. What he meant by that is even more interesting.
After looking Jiang Su up and down, Cheng Xi said slowly, "If that's the case, even if you surrendered to the enemy, aren't you afraid that the court will hold you accountable?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Su calmed down. "We are in troubled times. Who knows when the imperial army will arrive in a remote county like Qingxi? Seeing the tragic situation in Leren Prefecture, the people of Qingxi are worried. I have the courage to persuade the county magistrate and get the approval of the county's wealthy families to come and pay a visit to the gang leader. If anyone really wants to punish me, I am willing to accept the punishment."
He spoke so eloquently, and he truly exuded the pride of being upright and serving the people wholeheartedly. Cheng Xi, however, smiled and said, "Even if Dagan is destroyed, I can still leave behind a reputation as an efficient official, and I won't have to worry about my future career."
Jiang Su's pupils shrank at these words, but she pursed her lips and didn't refute. This gesture confirmed to Cheng Xi the fundamental reason for his surrender of the city. Perhaps it was true that he was pleading for the people, but more importantly, he was seeking a way out for the future. After all, any wise person could sense that the world was about to collapse. If he didn't want to be buried with Da Gan, he would of course have to find another wise leader.
But since he was already here, Cheng Xi didn't hesitate. "Since the people have asked for my permission, I will send someone to take over Qingxi County. However, Leren Prefecture is still lacking a leader. I wonder if you are willing to take over this city and serve as my subordinate?"
This was a serious recruitment, and it also gave enough face to both sides. Jiang Su felt relieved and bowed: "Thank you for your support, the leader. I will serve you."
This was a ninth-rank county magistrate appointed directly from the imperial court, leapfrogging several ranks to become a prefect of a patriarchal region. While Le Ren was in ruins and likely needed significant remediation, and there was also concern about the Red Flag Gang's ability to prevail in future battles, this surrender was truly a wise move. At least this gang leader wasn't just a crude military expert; his strategies and tactics were truly top-notch. In the future, the Red Flag Gang might not only dominate the South China Sea, but also become a regional hegemon.
When Jiang Su thought of this, he felt a surge of warmth in his chest. This made his life in these troubled times worthwhile.
However, before he could straighten his back, the woman sitting next to him asked, "Where are you from? Has anyone in your family ever been an official?"
Jiang Su's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately said, "I was born in Nanzhang, Fujian Province, from a middle-class family. My father was once the prefect of a place."
"So you are from Minzhou, no wonder you are so daring and enterprising. Since you are from a family of officials, I guess there must be some scholars in the Jiang clan?" Cheng Xi looked at the young man who was respectful but also had the demeanor of a scholar, and a smile appeared on his lips.
She was all too familiar with this gesture. Wasn't it just a low-profile version of Lu Jian? A family just embarking on the path of "farming and studying to pass on the family tradition" wouldn't have just one scholar. Rather than letting these guys bet on everything, it would be better to just keep them all in his sleeve.
This was not a simple inquiry. How could Jiang Su not hear the meaning behind the other party's words? This was to tie his entire family to the Red Flag Gang's ship. If he refused, his loyalty would be immediately questioned. But if he agreed, what would he do if the Red Flag Gang failed to gain a foothold in the future?
However, after much deliberation, Jiang Su finally gritted his teeth and said, "There are a few educated people in my clan. I will send a letter to recruit them to come and serve the leader."
Since they had already come to serve, they might as well do it all in one go. The Jiang family was just a small family anyway, powerless to compete with such a powerful and dominant tycoon. Instead of being hesitant, it would be better to become his confidant early on.
This answer made Cheng Xi very satisfied. He nodded gently and said, "First, go and familiarize yourself with the household registration system in the city, count the land and population. We will have a lot of refugees to resettle later, and we can't miss this season's summer planting."
"Yes, sir." This time, Jiang Su bent down deeply and was very polite.
There were more than a few clever individuals like Jiang Su. Over the next ten days, some came alone, others brought their subordinates and entire cities with them. It seemed that the hundreds of boats deployed, swiftly crushing the rebels, had truly spread the Red Flag Gang's reputation. And once they penetrated inland and established a stronghold, the Red Flag Gang was no longer just a pirate force on the seas, but a truly formidable force worth betting on.
Naturally, this sudden change alarmed the officials of Panyu. After all, capturing the city wasn't simply a matter of taking the government seat and capturing the government offices. It also required restoring local agriculture, appeasing the people, and even ensuring the implementation of government orders. If the Red Flag Gang achieved all of this, the taxes, labor, and soldiers in these territories would no longer belong to the court, but would become the private property of the woman. If they could maintain their foothold and eliminate the threat posed by the rebels, this would be a vast territory suitable for garrisoning troops.
So, what would Panyu, caught in the middle, do? The Red Flag Gang's flag-hanging fees had already replaced a portion of the customs duties. If they used the trading grounds to completely seize the commercial taxes, would they dare to object?
The officials were terribly worried, but the merchants behind them were overjoyed. Who could have imagined that in just two weeks, the Red Flag Gang had taken over so much territory, and even intended to establish a foothold in the Beijiang River? If they could really open up the Yue River, wouldn't merchant ships be able to roam freely in the future, just like in the South China Sea?
Compared to the imperial court that doesn't care about merchants, it is more worthy to rely on the forces that focus on maritime trade and banking!
Suddenly, more ships were sending food to the north. Many people were afraid that the refugees would not be able to settle down, which would ruin their plans.
However, for Cheng Xi, these were just side effects of the expansion of power. What she cared about most was why these rebels were heading south. After all, the south was the first place to be hit by the typhoon and the floods. If these disaster victims wanted to escape the flood, they should have fled to the north where the disaster had not occurred. Why did they go south instead?
After careful investigation, the final conclusion was that it was an outrageous rumor. The refugees had heard that there was a place called Panyu in the south, with abundant fish and rice, countless merchants recruiting workers, and the wages were good. They just needed to go there to make a living. These peasants had no idea how far Panyu was from them, let alone the numerous government troops and bandits along the way. They were simply incited and fled south at all costs.
Hunger and fear drove the refugees to become rebellious soldiers, coerced by the strongmen. If the Red Flag Gang hadn't stopped these bandits in time, the prosperous situation in Panyu and Dongning might have been disrupted. So who was spreading this news?
Before Cheng Xi could investigate further, a letter from an acquaintance came into her hands.
After reading it hastily, Cheng Xi sighed: "It's a letter from Fang Tianxi, inviting me to go north and fight the enemy together with the Suoyi Gang."
Yan Yuan had returned to Cheng Xi's side by now. Upon hearing this, he immediately frowned. "We've just taken over three cities, and we still have to properly resettle the refugees and develop military settlements. How can we have the time to join forces with the Suoyi Gang? I wonder if that old man is up to something."
Cheng Xi shook his head: "We do have a common enemy. I heard Ning Fu joined the group of straw raincoat rebels."
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of everyone around changed.
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