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They were all familiar with the war, so how could they not know what the so-called "蓑衣叛军" referred to?
The Suoyi Gang was already a group of gangs with many strongholds. After two of their leaders were captured, the gang leader Pan Anren only sent people to rescue the leader Chang who was close to him. This made the subordinates of the other leader Yan restless, and they were instigated by people with ulterior motives, leading to a great chaos.
Fortunately, Gang Leader Pan had some connections, and after a desperate fight, he managed to save his foundation. However, the rebels took advantage of the boats, making it difficult for them to catch up. Ultimately, the Suoyi Gang was completely split in two, occupying both ends of Jinghu Lake.
The group that defected were called "rebels" by the Minoyi Gang, and the territory they occupied happened to border Yuezhou. Now that they heard that Ning Fu had defected, it was easy to imagine where the rumor of inciting refugees came from.
How could a force that had taken in the Ghost Scholar and possessed a considerable fleet allow him to linger near the Red Flag Gang? Having failed to capture the cities of Beijiang might have been fine, but now that they had expanded into land, this "bad neighbor" must be dealt with as soon as possible. Fang Tianxi likely saw this in the act, sending the invitation.
However, after the letter was circulated, everyone looked hesitant. It was Li Niu who spoke first: "Boss, that Ghost Scholar must be eliminated, but it will take a lot of effort for our fleet to get there. We just finished the battle, and the territory hasn't been stabilized yet. How can we send troops out casually?"
This is the truth. Taking in so many refugees and the newly surrendered cities requires a huge investment of manpower and material resources to preserve them. Sending a large number of troops to help others fight at this time would be a loss.
Tian Yu, who was sitting nearby, was also unhappy. "Anyway, this summer's harvest will be used for farming, so I can't afford to provide food and fodder. Who knows if the rain will continue? If the disaster continues, I'm afraid we'll have to pay even more money and food."
To accommodate the refugees, in addition to allocating farmland, a large amount of land was also prepared for reclamation and settlement. This was equivalent to military settlement, the foundation for future military support. However, the problem was that food depended on the weather these days. If there was another typhoon or continuous autumn rain, the consequences would be unimaginable. Although Panyu's sea transportation advantages meant they would not be short of food, and no one dared to manipulate food prices in the Red Flag Gang's territory, the cost of food and money was still not a small amount.
These were all issues that lay before her, and Cheng Xi naturally wouldn't ignore them. However, she had some thoughts in her mind: "We definitely have to fight this group, but we don't necessarily need to use a large army. If we can let the Suoyi Gang draw the firepower while our elite troops advance, we might be able to achieve miraculous results."
Yan Yuan frowned. "Boss, are you planning to use a surprise attack? The rebels are too far away, and with the ghost scholar in charge, we might not be able to succeed."
General Qiu was a master of surprise attacks, with assaults and night battles being his specialties. He took it a step further with the gang leader, making it easy to take the head of a general amidst a mighty host. Just like the battle to capture Leren City, it was a clean and decisive move that intimidated the enemy, allowing the city to be taken without bloodshed.
However, having said that, a light cavalry charge still carries considerable risks, especially since from her tone, it seems that she wants to personally lead the charge, which makes people even more uneasy.
Cheng Xi said sternly, "It's precisely because of Ning Fu that we should have dealt with this matter as quickly as possible. He has a strong desire for revenge and is very good at talking. If we delay for too long, he might cause more trouble, and then the victims won't just be one city or one place."
She'd suffered before, and she knew just how resentful Ning Fu would be if he lost the support of the Changjing Gang. If this time bomb wasn't defused in time, she'd be the one to suffer.
Everyone in the circle fell silent. Tian Yu snorted, "That old bastard Fang Tianxi had predicted this."
This was indeed something Fang Tianxi would do, but Cheng Xi smiled: "Mr. Fang once said that if I revealed my identity as a woman, he would turn around and surrender. Now is a good time to ask him face to face and see if I can bring back a counselor."
The words were said jokingly, but everyone present understood Cheng Xi's seriousness. The more the territory expanded, the more manpower was needed. Although a group of scholars, merchants, and people from humble backgrounds had joined the army, and the army had gradually cultivated a number of core generals, those who truly understood military strategy and the overall situation were still a minority. Fang Tianxi was Qiu Sheng's military advisor, and his ability and character were both reliable. If he could be brought in, he would be able to solve a major problem.
But despite this, Yan Yuan still said: "Why bother going there in person? Since you need help from someone, you should ask that old man to bring people over to discuss it."
This was also done out of consideration for potential safety concerns. After all, the Straw Clothes Gang had been in a major turmoil. Not to mention the spies, there were probably quite a few people with unpredictable minds. It would be too dangerous to just take a few people with you.
Cheng Xi did not refuse this time: "Even if we start a fight, we have to wait until autumn. We should send someone over to negotiate and see what the other party is thinking."
Fang Tianxi's letter didn't clearly state his intentions. This was a common tactic used by strategists: either they kept things secret or they used shocking statements. Now that they needed help, they couldn't indulge them.
Of course, Cheng Xi was still quite curious about the Suoyi Gang. This was a "righteous army" that could destroy the prefectures and counties. They had also raised their flags early on, and were known as marshals and generals. One could imagine the ambitions of this group of people.
If even the rebels were wiped out, the power of the Straw Clothes Gang would surely expand further, and she would have to observe this "friendly neighbor" carefully.
Since the decision had been made, the messenger set off quickly, and Cheng Xi buried his head in handling official business. The refugees were still a big problem, so he had to think of more solutions and not act rashly.
…
These days, Jiang Su has been very busy. All the affairs of the city have fallen on her shoulders. The government office is basically vacant, and she has to face the difficult situation of rebuilding its structure. Even if she had two more hands, it would not be enough.
Fortunately, the Red Flag Gang wasn't a ruthless gang. They already had established procedures for settling refugees and conducting household registration checks. These procedures were clearly designed by someone skilled in government affairs, and some of them seemed like revelations to him. It wasn't until Mr. Tian arrived in the city by boat that Jiang Su learned of his origins.
General Qiu's finance officer was also a second-place Jinshi, far more formidable than herself, a third-place Jinshi. Despite his disability, Jiang Su didn't dare look down on him. He was Miss Qiu's confidant. If she thought becoming a prefect put her on equal footing with him, she was completely lost.
However, even though he was mentally prepared, he still felt confused when he encountered some things.
"Minister Tian, why do the soup kitchens in the east of the city arrange for women to receive meals on odd days and men to receive meals on even days? Is it because they want to prevent physical contact between men and women?" Jiang Su went to find Tian Yu with the document in hand.
Current regulations dictate that newly arrived refugees must be quarantined in a large camp outside the city for a period of time to ensure they are free of disease before they can begin construction and cultivation. Since they must be isolated, no heavy labor can be assigned. Wouldn't it be faster to separate the men and women into two teams to receive food?
Tian Yu didn't even raise his head and said directly: "The people who were resettled over there are all with their families."
"Ah?" Jiang Su didn't understand at all. What's wrong with bringing her family along?
Seeing that he really didn't understand, Tian Yu frowned and said, "If only women could receive food, some people would think of selling wives and daughters. As a local official close to the people, you should go out more often, think more and observe more."
This answer was so cold that Jiang Su was stunned for a moment. However, the next moment, he took a deep breath and nodded vigorously: "Thank you, Minister Tian, for your guidance."
Despite the Red Flag Gang's ban, human trafficking is unstoppable, especially for impoverished men like these who have lost their fortunes, who are more likely to sell their wives and children for money. If they have to rely on women for food half the time, they will think twice and not do such unscrupulous things just to make a living.
In troubled times, human life can be worth less than grass, and evil thoughts naturally flourish. He needs to do more than just settle the refugees; he must also find ways to discipline and educate them. These things aren't taught in the sages' books. Perhaps he should call those Taoist children over and listen carefully to what Gongshanjiao has to say.
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