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"Master, General Qiu's family affairs have been thoroughly investigated. He lost his wife very early and never remarried. He only has one daughter, and I haven't heard of any close children or nephews being raised by his side."
Listening to the news, Lu Jian frowned slightly: "What about those with more distant relationships, such as disciples, confidants, and other young people?"
"It's impossible to find out about this, but the emperor has been on guard against General Qiu for the past two years, and all his promoted subordinates have been assigned to remote states and counties. A large number of people were implicated when the case broke out, and many are still in jail." The spy said hurriedly.
This is difficult to check... Lu Jian thought for a moment and suddenly asked, "What about Qiu Sheng's daughter? Has she been betrothed to anyone?"
The spy shook his head. "I heard that General Qiu treated his daughter like the apple of his eye and remained unengaged until she was seventeen. Later, when the Qiu family fell into trouble, she didn't want to be a member of the Imperial Music Bureau, so she committed suicide by jumping into a well."
The famous general was wronged and even his only blood and bones could not be protected. Such a tragedy sounds unbearable, but Lu Jian's expression did not change at all.
Qiu Sheng died because he provoked a powerful family.
Everyone knew who benefited from the maritime ban, but he insisted on clearing the sea borders, burning large ships, and even wanted to advise the emperor to reopen the maritime ban.
How could someone not harbor resentment when their financial resources were cut off like this? It wasn't surprising that this was the outcome.
However, the clues he was looking for were once again lost, and the young man's life experience was once again lost, without any basis or reason, as if it had appeared out of thin air.
There may be amazing geniuses in this world, but no one can escape the influence of their background, let alone be calm and knowledgeable at a young age.
After a long pause, Lu Jian asked again, "Has the news from Dongning come back?"
Before, they were in the Red Flag Gang camp and did not have the opportunity to investigate carefully, but it was not difficult to leave two people to pass on the message.
Dongning County is the base of the Red Flag Gang. How could he turn a blind eye to it?
Lu Sanding immediately said, "I've already found out. Gang Leader Cheng has three capable subordinates. They're from the Lin family of Linjia Village, the Li family of Xiagou Village, and the Sun family of Yanglin Village. There's nothing worth mentioning about the other two families, but the captain of the Li family was in trouble a few months ago and was captured by the government."
Lu Jian immediately perked up: "How did he get out?"
He had seen Li Niu before. He was competitive and reckless, and seemed like someone who would cause trouble. If he offended the government, he would probably not be able to get away easily.
And from the time point of view, that was when Cheng Xi was returning from his second visit to Hepu.
He remembered clearly that there was no "Red Flag Gang" at that time, and the three captains who followed him were also at odds with each other, and it seemed that they had never been completely subdued.
Then there must be a reason for the establishment of the Red Flag Gang and the three people's obedience to orders. Could this be the reason?
As expected, Lu Sanding said, "We can't find out the details, but the ones who framed the Li family are believed to be the county magistrate of Dongning and a grain merchant named Wan. They seemed to have been intimidated, so not only did they not pursue the matter further, they even went to Xiagou Village to pay compensation and apologize. The county gatekeeper also said that a man and a woman came to visit the county magistrate and then took Li Niu and the others away."
"A man and a woman?" Lu Jian immediately asked, "Did you see their appearance clearly?"
"I heard that the man is of average appearance, neither tall nor short, with no special features. The woman is wearing a veil, so her appearance cannot be seen clearly." Lu Sanding did not dare to be negligent and answered carefully.
The man's description reminded Lu Jian of the captain of the Sun family, perhaps Sun Erlang, Cheng Xi's right-hand man.
The woman with the veil made people curious. Going to the government office to rescue someone was a big deal, so why would they send a woman? What was the origin of this woman?
However, after thinking for a moment, Lu Jian's expression suddenly became strange: "Are these really the only two people going to the county government office?"
"We've asked in detail during the investigation, and it's true that there are only these two!" Lu Sanding said quickly.
"...The one wearing a veil hat may not be a woman." Lu Jian chuckled.
Confused by the patriarch's words, Lu Sanding said carefully, "Even if she's wearing a veil, you can still tell whether she's a man or a woman, right? Maybe she's someone's wife or concubine..."
Lu Jian raised his hand to stop him and asked, "What woman would dare to go to the county magistrate and rescue a prisoner? No matter what Li Niu was imprisoned for, he must have been smuggling."
Lu Sanding was speechless. Yeah, who would dare to entrust such a big thing to a woman? But if it wasn't a woman, who else would have gone? A sudden flash of inspiration struck him, and Lu Sanding was speechless: "Could it be...could it be..."
"If he disguises himself as a woman, he must look pretty good." Lu Jian smiled and shook his head. "That's a clever idea. No wonder the county magistrate was scared."
How much of a risk would a young man, the leader of a gang, take going to the county government? But who would dare to offend the gang leader's concubine? Just a disguise could bring greater benefits, so I don't think Brother Cheng would care, right?
But having said that, if you think about the key points carefully, it still makes people laugh and feel deep admiration.
Such methods and such mentality are truly one in a million.
Lu Sanding felt his mind was in a mess. He was stunned for a long time before he said, "After all, he is the leader of a gang..."
"For a person like him, this little thing would probably make him laugh." Lu Jian sighed, "But from this, we can also infer how he managed to form a boat gang and open up a supply route to the shore."
This was a matter of life and death, yet he managed to pull it off, winning the hearts of the people and building his foundation.
Lu Jian himself thought it was difficult to achieve such decisiveness when he was fifteen or sixteen. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have thought anyone else could do it. But that person did it, and even went on to achieve greater things, which made people marvel at it.
But since we have already formed an alliance, let’s not think about it anymore.
Although Cheng Xi's background was not discovered this time, his past methods were found out, which also made Lu Jian certain of one thing: the young man had no family support.
He had fought tooth and nail to achieve everything. If that was the case, would Yan Yuan be a helper or a threat to his power? Perhaps we would have to wait until our next meeting to find out.
"Since we can't find out, let's put it aside for now. Time waits for no one, so we must prioritize the overall situation." Lu Jian made a decision. "We need to arrange matters in Jiaozhi as soon as possible. I need to arrive in Panyu before March to open up the situation."
Lu Sanding also knew the importance of this matter and nodded quickly. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "What about Luoling Island?"
Lu Jian smiled slightly. "The gift has been delivered. This little trouble shouldn't be too much of a problem for Boss Cheng. We'll need to ask them to help us gain a foothold in Panyu later. We can discuss this with him in detail then."
…
"Dad! Is this our ship?!" Looking at the intact sloop, Zhong Daliang was extremely excited!
This is what they fought for with their lives!
When the pirate ship was surrounded that day, the Zhong family was one of the baits and was chased for more than half an hour. When the enemy realized something was wrong and turned around to run away, they were the first to react and catch up with them.
As a result, the enemy ships were unable to dodge and one of them was hit head-on and turned sideways on the spot, which delayed the escape speed of the other ships. All six ships were successfully stopped.
Although the Zhong family's ship was severely hit and sank into the sea, the merit is still merit. Chief Yan reported the truth, and the gang leader rewarded them with one of the captured ships.
This is a single-masted boat! Their village hasn't bought a new boat in years, and they got one so easily. Isn't it exciting?
Zhong Ping smiled and said, "Exactly. The gang leader specifically picked one that's in good condition. It doesn't need any repairs and can be used directly."
"Great! Alas, it's a pity there aren't many surrendered soldiers this time. I wonder if we can get any." Thinking of the joy of killing people when he boarded the ship, Zhong Daliang slapped his thigh in regret. If he had spared a few, wouldn't he be able to find some surrendered soldiers to supplement his manpower like the other leaders?
Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, his father glared at him and said, "What are you thinking? Don't you know what the gang leader meant by giving us the boat?!"
Zhong Daliang was stunned: "What do you mean?"
He had met the gang leader when he received the reward, but this time he didn't even dare to raise his head.
Before, I had only heard of the gang leader's reputation and knew how powerful the Red Flag Gang was. Who would have thought that today I would witness the scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Seventy or eighty people died in the tunnels just in front of the village gate! The mud was stained red, and the few who survived didn't even dare to bark, as obedient as dogs.
It is said that more than 300 bandits died in this attack, which was almost like slaughtering an entire village.
Facing such a vicious person, what else could Zhong Daliang dare to think about? He just wished he could grow a tail and wag it.
Zhong Ping sighed, "You should also pay attention and stop thinking about those things that are not there all the time. We seized seven boats this time, and gave us one. The remaining six were all distributed to the leaders. This is to help the leaders strengthen their power. Even if there are surrendered soldiers, they will definitely be given to them, and will never be given to us newcomers."
Zhong Daliang was stunned: "Then what should we do with this boat..."
"What to do? Of course we have to find young and strong men from the village! Don't we have the ability to train soldiers? We can't even control the surrendered soldiers!" Zhong Ping almost cursed out loud. This kid has a stupid head. He doesn't pay attention when he should, and he thinks about things that he shouldn't. He really needs to be taught a lesson!
Zhong Daliang finally realized what was happening and nodded repeatedly, then started to grumble again, "But two boats require fifty people. I don't think there are that many strong men in the village willing to join the gang..."
"If the village doesn't work, then we can look for them in some familiar villages. If we want to truly control these two ships, how can we do it without some close friends? Not to mention us, even the leaders can't rely solely on surrendered soldiers. They must find another way to recruit sailors.
I just don't know which one has the better tactics." Zhong Ping suddenly glared, as if he had thought of something. "Boy, when the leaders of several families become powerful, conflicts might arise. If I asked you to choose one to cling to, which one would you choose?"
Zhong Daliang was stunned by his father's question. He was stunned for a long time before whispering, "Why do we have to choose a leader? We must follow the gang leader..."
Hearing this, Zhong Ping's expression softened and he nodded. "That's right. Our Red Flag Gang was founded by the leader, so naturally we must follow him. We can act according to circumstances, but we must know who to listen to and don't forget our roots."
Zhong Daliang no longer had any objection to this statement and immediately nodded in agreement.
In the great victory of killing the enemy and seizing the ship, everyone had a lot of credit, received the reward and cleared their names, and everyone was happy. However, the people who were discussing the matter were not so relaxed.
"Boss, since torture won't reveal anything, we need to increase our manpower and expand our fleet as soon as possible. We don't even have enough sailors to operate the ships, how can we resist the enemy?" Yan Yuan had been busy for the past two days, interrogating many prisoners and trying every possible way to find out why Lu An valued Luoling Island so much, but to no avail. Since there was no way to get any information about the enemy, the only option was to strengthen ourselves, and manpower was always a critical issue.
Today, the Red Flag Gang's fleet has expanded to eighteen ships, with five large and small ships waiting to be repaired. If these ships want to go out to sea, they will need at least four hundred people to operate them. If they are arranged according to warships, it would not be surprising if the number of people doubled.
A three-masted ship like the one intended to serve as the flagship would need at least a hundred men to be effective in a naval battle, but how many men did the Red Flag Gang have right now? With two more camps awaiting expansion, their manpower was stretched to the limit.
"It's almost time to collect debts. Li Lai, take the boat back and help Ah Niu collect grain and seafood, and recruit soldiers at the same time." Cheng Xi had already made plans for this matter and gave the order directly, "Now that the Red Flag Gang has made a name for itself, those who have benefited from it will inevitably be tempted. Dongning is our foundation, and recruiting talented people from the countryside is the most reliable way to do it."
Li Lai nodded repeatedly after hearing this: "Boss, that's right. We give them grain on credit, help them with tax, and even help them sell fish. What's the point? Anyone with a heart should be grateful and repay the favor."
This is a rough statement, but the truth is right. People who come from fishing families have always been looked down upon, and those who are banned from the sea can be bullied by anyone.
Now that the Red Flag had helped them escape and given them a livelihood, who wouldn't be grateful? Even if they didn't have that desire, they should have known how much benefit there was to joining a powerful boat gang. These fishermen were natural boatmen, and they were brave and courageous, so training them was much easier.
Yan Yuan was also stunned when he heard this, and then he smiled bitterly in his heart. He really couldn't adapt himself and didn't put his identity in the right place.
Back when the bandit movement was underway, weren't there always thieves and bandits? As soon as a major pirate emerged, countless villagers would rush to join him. Not to mention that they'd used Erwang Village as an example to scare the monkeys, so some villages might deliberately send people to join the Red Flag Gang to show their obedience.
Even if the population of a county is small, three to five hundred people can still be recruited.
After thinking it over, Yan Yuan said, "If that's the case, it would be best to recruit another 400 people. We'll place some on the ship, and we'll also have more guards on the island."
As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Erlang frowned. "We can't afford to support another four hundred people. We don't have much money or grain in the treasury anymore, and we have to settle people on the island to reclaim the wasteland. I'm afraid we won't be able to produce anything for a year or two. Even if we find people, we still have to train them. The burden is too heavy. We should reduce the number of warships first and focus on transporting goods."
The Red Flag Gang was ultimately a shipping gang, not a bandit gang. What was the point of maintaining so many soldiers? Besides, they didn't rob merchant ships, so their other ways of making money were even fewer. How could they afford to be so extravagant?
This kind of talk was all too familiar. The commanders of the army and the grain often had this kind of conflict, and every time before the troops were dispatched, they had to argue for a while. Yan Yuan said patiently, "We occupy an island that even the Lu family values. It's in such a prime location, who wouldn't covet it? If we don't expand our army and acquire more warships, we won't be able to hold it. Moreover, the island will be staffed with government soldiers in the future. There will be a large number of young and strong people who will farm and fish in their spare time, and go out to sea with us when they are busy. Training is necessary, and we can't be stingy with the money. It will definitely be beneficial in the future."
It costs money to maintain an army. Besides, the gang leader wants more than just a boat gang. He also wants to wipe out the pirates along the coast. How can he do that without a strong military force?
"Where will the money come from?" Sun Erlang asked directly without refutation. "Once the food in the warehouse is eaten up, are we going to rob it? Each person needs at least one jin of grain a day. To feed a hundred people, that would consume more than thirty dan a month. You just mentioned adding four hundred more people. That means the number of mouths to feed would exceed seven hundred, which is more than two hundred dan a month. We also need to equip them with weapons and clothes, build houses, and have people to cook. We also need women to do the chores and we need craftsmen, right? How much money is that? The new season's rice hasn't even come in yet, and the camp can't even supply it."
The attack on Luoling Island had yielded considerable advantages, but how long could they continue to live on their resources? Furthermore, during their previous trip to Hepu, they had only brought back 1,500 dan of grain, which they had to sell for cash and give to the various villages on credit. Even if the three families refused to share in the profits for the time being, how much grain would be left?
Yan Yuan was suddenly speechless. He was good at leading soldiers, but he didn't care about money and food.
But no matter how you look at it, insufficient military force is still a huge hidden danger. This matter cannot be compromised. Any concession may mean the difference between life and death.
Helplessly, Yan Yuan turned to look at Cheng Xi: "Boss, how about asking Mr. Lu for some more benefits?"
It was Lu Jian's suggestion to occupy the island. Since there was such a big moneybag, he had to be exploited.
Cheng Xi shook his head. "It's never a good thing to be too dependent on others. They're probably just waiting for us to beg for mercy. We need to be prepared not only on the island, but also in the main camp. Lu Jian will open the grain road to Panyu, or even further. The food we can get may not be guaranteed."
Sun Erlang was shocked: "Is this why the boss is collecting grain in Dongning?"
If the Lu family cannot guarantee the supply of food, the local production in Dongning will gradually become important. Only by purchasing enough food can the price of food in a certain area be adjusted.
He originally thought that this was just a way to win over people's hearts and squeeze out other local grain merchants, but he didn't expect that there was such a mystery hidden.
"That's right, this is also a concern. Now that the Red Flag Gang has grown stronger, we can't just rely on food supplies." Cheng Xi thought for a moment and ordered, "Since money and food can support it for the time being, military strength should still be given priority, but the training formula must be changed.
Now, no one can match our fleet on this waterway. We can allocate several ships to transport goods. The fleet can be mixed with veterans and new recruits. After making more trips, they can become familiar with operating the ship and forming the battle array.
If we encounter bandits, we can try our hand at fighting. After running a few times, we will rotate and start practicing land and boarding battles. This way, neither side will be delayed."
These words made Sun Erlang and the others feel relieved. They had trained in the same way in the beginning and knew that this method was effective.
And I can continue to transport goods, at least the money I earn is guaranteed.
Yan Yuan was still a little worried: "What about suppressing the bandits? If we don't have enough troops and our combat effectiveness is not strong enough, it will cause big problems."
"When you encounter a small group of bandits, you should try to absorb them and make them a member of the Red Flag Gang or an external aid. When you encounter a large group, you must find out the enemy situation before deciding how to fight. From Luoling Island to Panyu, there are countless islands of all sizes, not to mention the villages on the shore. Bandits can be hidden everywhere. How can we deal with it if we don't understand the situation? In the future, we will also send some boats to sell grain and fish along the coast, and even sell some necessary goods in the fishing villages, so as to find out the enemy situation." Cheng Xi looked at Yan Yuan and strengthened his tone, "Ayuan, we are a boat gang, not soldiers. You must remember this."
Yan Yuan was silent for a moment before nodding: "Don't worry, Boss. I'll remember this."
This was completely different from what he had known and learned. When soldiers and officers were suppressing bandits, they would definitely capture small groups and enlarge them. Small groups of bandits would be completely wiped out, while larger groups would be considered for recruitment and used to rectify the coastal areas.
But with the boat gangs, things were different. Small gangs of bandits would be considered helpers if they were recruited, but large gangs were mortal enemies, fighting for territory and not stopping until one of them died.
If we still follow the same method as before, we will naturally not have enough troops, but if we change our thinking, the world will be completely different.
Seeing that everyone had no objection, Cheng Xi asked them to go down and make arrangements, leaving only Yan Yuan behind.
After everyone had left, she asked, "Ayuan, can we find a few more of my father's former subordinates? There are so many things going on on the island, and we need help."
Yan Yuan's heart ached, and he whispered, "I left early and wasn't implicated. Most of my other close associates have suffered, either murdered or captured. I'm afraid it will be difficult to find someone useful."
Cheng Xi couldn't help but sigh inwardly upon hearing this. This was also foreseeable. If there was someone available, why would the original owner be accompanied by only an old servant who was murdered and replaced by a ghost like her?
After a long pause, Cheng Xi said, "This time, you should follow the fleet to Panyu for a tour. Besides investigating the bandits, you should also find out where the captured ones are being held and whether you can rescue them."
Hearing this, Yan Yuan's eyes turned red and he nodded heavily: "Don't worry, Miss, I will find out everything."
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