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With the power of a great victory and some thoughts he couldn't share with outsiders, Sun Yuanrang galloped at full speed, his heart agitated. However, the moment he entered Luling City, his arrogance was completely blown away.
Only one day had passed since the city was captured, but it had become orderly. There were no soldiers looting everywhere, no houses burned to the ground, and if it weren't for some bloodstains on the streets, there would be no signs of fierce fighting. The cries that should have been there were no longer audible, as if the city had never changed hands.
Sun Yuanrang knew the Red Flag Gang had strict discipline, but he hadn't expected it to be this strict. It was hard enough to restrain one's murderous intent after a bloody battle, let alone maintain order. He considered himself one of the best in the Suoyi Gang at controlling his men, but against Cheng Xi, he was still far inferior.
Even more surprising was the intact city gate. How did they get in? Could they have deployed spies to help them from the inside? Whether it was a brute force attack or a clever move, the fact that they had managed to arrange it so perfectly in just two months was truly astonishing. If she could capture a city thousands of miles away in two months, was there anything in the world she couldn't take?
All his thoughts were put away at this moment. Sun Yuanrang found himself unable to speak out, at least when he was inferior to the other party and could not be on equal footing. Therefore, when he saw Cheng Xi, who was dressed in men's clothing, Sun Yuanrang straightened his expression and bowed solemnly. "Thanks to the master's brilliant move, we have won a great victory. On behalf of the soldiers of the Suoyi Gang, I thank you."
This gesture was truly amazing. Cheng Xi smiled and said, "Thank goodness Brother Sun won a great victory. Otherwise, it would not have been easy for me and my two thousand men to defend the city."
This is the case of everyone carrying the fancy sedan. It is indeed not easy to defend the city with one or two thousand people, but even the head of the enemy commander has been chopped off, so why would they be afraid of those cowardly rats?
However, Sun Yuanrang reacted very quickly and said immediately, "I will send troops to strengthen the city defenses. However, the Suoyi Gang has taken in many refugees, and we are bringing them here to resettle them locally. I need to collect some food and fodder from the city to reward the soldiers."
Are they planning to take over the city defense and plunder the city? Cheng Xi smiled and said, "It's all agreed upon. Brother Sun, you can do as you please."
She answered nonchalantly, but Sun Yuanrang couldn't help but explain, "Don't worry, Gang Leader. My soldiers won't harass the people. It's just that the world is corrupted by those high-ranking officials with generous salaries and greed. Therefore, our gang has a tradition of killing the rich and helping the poor. Whenever we go to a place, we first raid and even out the rich and the poor."
Cheng Xi had naturally heard of this and understood that this was one of the means of primitive peasant uprisings. Opening warehouses to release grain and killing the rich to help the poor were all simple means of class struggle. She naturally would not stop it. What's more, she also wanted to see how Sun Yuanrang led his troops.
Seeing Cheng Xi's unfazed expression, Sun Yuanrang felt a sense of relief. After all, under her, she often simply forced wealthy families to surrender their hidden fields and servants, not to kill them all. Sometimes, she even brought people with her to engage in maritime trade. She was a descendant of a military family, after all, so her actions were definitely different from those of someone like him, an orphan who had wandered the world since childhood.
But Sun Yuanrang knew deep down that even if Cheng Xi disapproved, he would continue to act this way. After all, he had truly suffered at the hands of these wealthy families and understood what his fellow rebels wanted. If he couldn't avenge them, they would likely lose their support. Coming from humble backgrounds, they didn't have the wealth of the wealthy.
However, Sun Yuanrang kept all these thoughts in his heart and only ordered his men to go into the city to capture wealthy merchants and families. After the battlefield was cleared, he would behead a group of them in public to boost morale and appease people's hearts.
Seeing that he had no intention of allowing his troops to plunder, Cheng Xi couldn't help but nod inwardly. This was the "talent" Fang Tianxi had chosen, so he must have some merits. Although she had the intention of poaching him, she didn't reveal it in front of him. After Sun Yuanrang finished his work, she asked, "I wonder if Brother Sun has captured the ghost scholar Ning Fu on the front line?"
Sun Yuanrang was stunned: "Isn't Ning Fu the military advisor? Isn't he in the city?"
He left in a hurry and didn't take care of the battlefield at all. Besides, the bandit leader Wang Hengjiang had not left the city. How could a cunning man like Ning Fu follow him to the front line?
Cheng Xi knew what was going on as soon as he heard it, and explained, "I heard that Ning Fu was sent to the front line by the bandit chief to contact Prince Xin's troops. Could it be that he ran off with someone?"
Sun Yuanrang immediately said, "Don't worry, I'll send someone to look for him. I'm sure he won't be let go."
He knew very well how much the ghost scholar played a role in Cheng Xi's decision to send troops. If he could avenge such a huge grudge for her, it might make her happy.
Cheng Xi nodded slightly, but changed the subject: "I don't think the Tianding Army is cooperating with you. What's the matter? Didn't they reach an agreement?"
Sun Yuanrang's face darkened. "I think they want to sit back and watch the fight. Military Advisor Fang said back then that while the Yuans don't have big ambitions, they're extremely arrogant. They're willing to send troops, but they might not be willing to work hard. That's why we kept the news of the Red Flag Gang's dispatch a secret from them."
These were all predicted before the war, and Fang Tianxi was right. Now that the rebels have been defeated, they should at least condescend to take action and gain some results, right?
Without hiding anything, Sun Yuanrang said, "Before I arrived at Luling City, I heard that fighting had already broken out on the river, and it was a chaotic battle. I guess the rebels are not united, and the outcome will be decided soon."
Cheng Xi said, "If the Tianding Army is not on the same page with you, then you really have to be on guard. It's best to clean up the mess as soon as possible to avoid any further trouble."
This was pertinent advice, and Sun Yuanrang understood her meaning. Just as when the rebels were defeated, the first to retreat were Prince Xin's reinforcements. Once the situation changed, it was hard to say whether these alliances, formed out of mutual benefit, could still be maintained. This was likely why Military Advisor Fang was so intent on him proposing to Cheng Xi; marriage was far more stable than a blood oath.
But now, he really couldn't speak hastily.
His thoughts wandered for a moment, but Sun Yuanrang quickly cleared them from his mind and replied, "We're attacking in different directions from the Tianding Army, so there shouldn't be any fatal conflicts. It's just a matter of how we divide the spoils."
They were short of ships, and this expedition was also intended to reorganize their fleet. If the Tianding Army engaged in a major conflict, they might capture a significant number of ships, but whether they could then be surrendered would be a question. However, with Military Advisor Fang by their side, they might still be able to negotiate.
Sun Yuanrang's reasoning was not wrong, but when Fang Tianxi hurriedly arrived with the rear army, he brought extremely bad news: "The rebel naval commander led his troops to surrender to the Tianding Army and killed all those who refused to surrender."
Upon hearing this, Sun Yuanrang's face changed. He and Cheng Xi exchanged glances, and they both said a name almost in unison: "Ning Fu!"
Fang Tianxi's face darkened as he sneered, "Who else could it be except that devil? I didn't expect him to resort to such tactics. This is going to be troublesome."
In this way, the Tianding Army had essentially acquired a massive naval force for free. From now on, no nearby force would be able to challenge them on the water. And by recruiting this rebel army, their attitude towards the Minoyi Gang would likely change dramatically. How could this possibly be a good thing?
There is no one else who can stir people's hearts so accurately and is full of malice towards them except Ning Fu.
After a moment's silence, Sun Yuanrang said, "I want to go aboard and pay a visit to General Zhou."
The commander of the troops this time was Zhou Wang, a general under Yuan Tianding, who was also a general that Sun Yuanrang had had contact with.
Fang Tianxi shook his head: "From my perspective, Zhou Wang is not the only one who is concerned. Without Yuan Tianding's approval, who would dare to make such a decision?"
The only person who could make such a decision in the entire Tianding Army was probably Yuan Tianding. In other words, General Yuan should be on the boat at this moment, secretly controlling everything.
Sun Yuanrang couldn't help but frown when he heard this: "If that's the case, we have to meet him first. Otherwise, if Ning Fu stirs things up, who knows what will happen."
As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Xi said, "I'll go and take a look too."
"Not right!" "No!"
Sun Yuanrang and Fang Tianxi cried out in unison, but Fang Tianxi was more eloquent and said hastily, "Ning Fu knows you. If he finds out you're in Luling, there might be some trouble."
Ning Fu had caused great harm to the Red Flag Gang in the past, and he also had a grudge against Cheng Xi himself. How could he take the risk with such a poisonous snake by his side?
Cheng Xi said, "It's okay. He won't show up in front of anyone. I'll have Lin Liangtian bring a few more people with him, disguised and follow behind. No one else will be able to tell."
There were quite a few short men in the Red Flag Gang, and she dressed up and blended in with them, making it difficult for others to notice her.
Seeing that the two were still about to refute, Cheng Xi said, "Since Ning Fu has surrendered, I'm afraid the Tianding Army will oppose the Red Flag Gang in the future. They can go along the river and into the sea, and they might even attack Yuhang. How can I not meet this General Yuan in advance?"
Fang Tianxi had heard that the Red Flag Gang had opened a bank in Yuhang, and thought they had some plans. He was also afraid of Ning Fu, so how could he miss this opportunity?
Sun Yuanrang thought for a moment and nodded first: "Since he belongs to the gang leader, he should be able to hide it if he dresses well."
They are all masters of disguise, so he still believes in Cheng Xi's ability. Moreover, this time they have caused trouble to others, so naturally they have to make some compensation.
Seeing both leaders nod, Fang Tianxi opened his mouth but ultimately didn't utter a word of rebuttal. He understood Cheng Xi better than Sun Yuanrang did. This girl had made a decision, and even nine oxen couldn't change it, so why bother arguing?
With a plan in mind, the two men went to make arrangements separately. After the city was stabilized and the army was gathered together, a group of people followed and boarded the ship where the generals of the Tianding Army were.
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