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Not many people in Leren City knew what Gongshan Sect was, but the General Temple was well known to everyone.
At some point, storytellers began to appear in and around the city. From the high platform at the government gate, they would tell stories about General Qiu's injustice and the origins of the Red Flag Gang. Outside the city, in the refugee camps, they would tell stories about how the Red Flag Gang provided relief to the poor, distributed land, and observed certain rules. Even trivial matters like how to use the restroom and wait in line for food were turned into rhymes, passed down to children.
No matter where they were, these people never forgot to talk about the efficacy of the General Temple, especially exaggerating the story of the gang leader leading the fleet to avoid the hurricane.
After these speeches, everyone realized that the Red Flag Army was different from other rebel soldiers. So many people entered the city but did not burn, kill, or loot. They even arrested a group of thieves who took advantage of the chaos to commit crimes. In addition, their previous heroic deeds of redressing grievances for the people made the people in the city more awed by the Red Flag Gang and its female leader.
This person is blessed by the gods. Who wouldn't wish for someone like him to save people from suffering, quell disasters, and quell rebellions? Therefore, when the General Temple officially opened, quite a few people came to burn incense. However, the person presiding over this temporary temple was not a proper Taoist child, but a skilled practitioner selected by Taoist Master Le from the gang.
This was the order of the gang leader, and they were also the first batch of missionaries they trained. They were able to memorize the precepts of Gongshan Sect by heart, and they were deeply convinced that this theory could bring peace to the people and the world. Therefore, when they preached the doctrine, they were more sincere and without any pretense.
The presence of such people gradually aroused the interest of the people who came here to learn Gongshanjiao.
"This female believer does not need to pay any money to pray at the General Temple. She can just wait for her wish to come true one day and then come to fulfill it." The host smiled and answered the woman with a sad face.
The woman hesitated for a long time before whispering, "The general will agree to not offer incense?"
The host's face suddenly turned serious. "The general is talking about fairness and kindness. As long as your wish is for good, why bother paying for redemption? If you donate rice to fulfill your vow, the temple will also use it to help the poor."
This was beyond the woman's expectations. She was born into a wealthy family and had naturally worshipped many gods and Buddhas. Wasn't it normal for a temple to donate a golden statue and burn incense?
However, the words "If you want to do good, why redeem yourself?" made her tears fall. A great chaos had destroyed her family, and most of her family members had died. Even her house had been burned down. Wasn't all she could ask for a safe life?
However, after crying for a long time, she finally asked in a low voice: "Is what Gong Shanjiao said true?"
"Of course it's true. Doing good to others is good for yourself. If the rich are unkind, seizing land and bullying the poor, then in the future, when people can't survive, won't they resort to violence?" The host sighed softly, "If you had been kind earlier, wouldn't you have ended up like this?"
When the woman heard this, she cried even harder: "But everyone is kind-hearted. How could someone resort to violence and destroy our family?"
The host said sternly, "Because justice must come before goodness, if Heaven is unfair, there will naturally be someone to rectify it. Just like when someone does evil, there will be someone to stop it. If the world is fair, where will there be room for evildoers?"
The woman only half understood what he said, but she did understand the principles of kindness and justice, and the suffering that comes with being treated unfairly. Before, she might not have believed it, but these Red Banner soldiers were truly innocent, even more disciplined than the imperial army. If they had always been like this, then wouldn't it be natural for them to be fair and kind?
Feeling that she had figured it out, the woman clasped her hands together and bowed, then slowly walked out.
Looking at the other person's back, the host sighed. They couldn't speak too deeply to the wealthy, and at most, they could offer advice on good deeds. But for the poor, they could offer more, such as saying that everyone deserves fairness and a good life. There's really no distinction between high and low in the world; it's only because of injustice that such distinctions exist. Another example is being kind to others. When you see minor evil, you can dissuade them; when you see major evil, you can fight it. If there's no justice in the world, we'll take up arms to create a world of justice and great kindness.
But these things that have been churning in my mind cannot be told to everyone. I must first spread the teaching of fairness and kindness, so that more and more people will know what fairness and kindness are. Then the world will be a lot better, right?
…
Although it rained intermittently and some places continued to suffer from disasters, resulting in the creation of refugees, after Cheng Xi inspected the three cities and accepted several surrounding counties, the summer planting in the territory was successfully completed. However, it was a bit late to plant rice at this time, so the crops planted were soybeans, taro and other crops, which were enough to fill the stomach, but it was hard to say how they tasted.
It seems we need to quickly advance the breeding and selection of sweet potatoes and peanuts, so we can have more crops in the future and avoid wasting the farming season. We also need to build a few more water mills. Not only will pounding rice be easier, but grinding tofu will also be much easier.
When Cheng Xi returned to Le Ren Mansion, an acquaintance was already waiting for him in the city.
"I didn't expect Brother Sun to come in person. Why didn't Mr. Fang come along?" Cheng Xi was naturally a little surprised to see Sun Yuanrang. Wasn't this man now the big boss of the Suoyi Gang? He actually came in person, and he didn't even bring his aide Fang Tianxi with him.
Looking at the heroic woman in a red dress before him, Sun Yuanrang was almost distracted. With his keen eyesight and ability, he hadn't realized her identity. It was truly rare for such talented women to have lost their minds. No wonder Military Advisor Fang had always been critical of his poor eyesight; he wasn't wrong.
Fortunately, he calmed down in a split second and laughed heartily, "Since this is such a major event as forming an alliance, it's only right that I go there in person. It's a pity that General Fang went to Jiujiang and couldn't come with us."
Cheng Xi raised an eyebrow as soon as these words came out: "Are you still planning to contact the Tianding Army?"
The one entrenched in Jiujiang was none other than Yuan Tianding, who called himself Marshal Tianding. He started out as a salt smuggler, and although his army was not large, he was better at fighting than the average bandit. He now occupied several cities and could be considered a powerful force.
Sun Yuanrang nodded seriously: "Since we are attacking the rebels, we must naturally encircle them from three sides to prevent future troubles."
Now, the Suoyi Army is in the east, the Tianding Army is in the north, and the Chiqi Army is in the south, which means they have surrounded the rebels on three sides. If an agreement is truly reached, the rebels will be unable to escape.
Cheng Xi listened to him but didn't agree immediately. Instead, he asked, "Since you've already contacted the Tianding Army, I think you're not short of ships, and your forces are more than enough to crush those rebels. If that's the case, why are you still coming to me? Don't even think about the three of us dividing up the territory in the future. I'm already expanding too fast, and I don't have the energy to send a large army to fight someone else."
This sounded like a refusal, but in reality it was about the distribution of benefits. How could Sun Yuanrang not understand this? With a slight smile, he said, "Why would I need a large army? I'm only here to borrow a special force from the gang leader."
When these words came out, everyone who was listening was shocked. She really guessed the gang leader's thoughts! Didn't she say that she could launch a surprise attack?
Cheng Xi looked at Sun Yuanrang with interest: "Is this Mr. Fang's idea?"
There was a hint of amusement in her eyes, not at all like she was talking about a life-or-death fight, but rather like some kind of game. The young man had been like that back then, too, but beyond her years, it always seemed a bit frivolous. But now, she had regained her womanhood, and her words were spoken with a confidence and ease that captivated everyone.
Sun Yuanrang then smiled as well: "Military Advisor Fang naturally hopes for as many troops as possible, but I think a single surprise attack is enough. I still remember the battle of Tingzhou that year."
Originally the main force, they found themselves in a state of flux, demonstrating this woman's mastery of the situation. Perhaps she didn't need a large force; a strategy like the one at Tingzhou would be enough to determine victory or defeat. He knew better than anyone else that the Red Banner Army had expanded too far and might not have sufficient manpower. Therefore, a surprise attack would be the best strategy, catching them off guard.
Seeing Sun Yuanrang's confident expression, Cheng Xi leaned back in his chair. "It seems like Brother Sun has a plan in mind. I wonder what he has prepared to lure me into sending troops?"
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