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It was said that he would not stop until he was drunk, but Cheng Xi did not get drunk in the end.
It's not that her body has a high tolerance for alcohol, or that her subordinates are good at blocking the alcohol, but it's because of her status.
In a bar, anyone who forces a woman to drink is, without a doubt, a vulgar person with the intention of "playing with" her, and he has no good intentions.
And she is now the leader of the Red Flag Gang, a big shot on the sea who can stand on equal footing with Shen Feng. Naturally, no one dares to get drunk and act crazy and make mistakes in such matters.
As for the normal "drinking contest", no one would look for her. If you compete with a woman in drinking capacity, it would be unfair if you win, and you would lose face if you lose. Why bother yourself with this?
So even Shen Feng was drunk to the point of staggering, but she was not seriously injured. She went back to sleep and had a refreshed day.
Others were not so lucky. Except for Tian Yu who did not attend the banquet, all her subordinates, big and small, got drunk. When Yan Yuan came to see her the next day, his face was green.
As a former soldier, Cheng Xi was not surprised by this. He smiled and joked, "Ayuan, your alcohol tolerance is not good. You should pay attention to your skills in the future and don't let others trick you into drinking too much."
Yan Yuan's face darkened even further. If he hadn't been wary of Shen Sanda's mischief, would he have killed a thousand enemies and lost eight hundred of his own? However, he knew he was in the wrong. He coughed dryly and said, "I lost my composure a bit last night. I won't do that again."
Cheng Xi hadn't called him here just for a drink, so he changed the subject. "Dan Hui and I have discussed this, and we plan to exchange the captives for ransom. As long as they are over a hundred households, their prices will be clearly marked according to their military rank, which works out to about 100,000 taels of silver. And the group of sea merchants who colluded with the Changjing Gang will each pay 20,000 to 30,000 taels of compensation. This way, we can offset the losses we suffered in this battle."
This was more than just a way to offset the losses; it was a windfall. However, Yan Yuan had to admit that exchanging prisoners for ransom was quite feasible.
One hundred thousand taels might seem like a lot, but how much does it cost to fight a war? The losses in ships and artillery alone would have cost millions of taels. Furthermore, even if reinforcements were to be sent from other garrisons, not to mention whether they could win, it would cost hundreds of thousands of taels in military pay. It would be more cost-effective to just pay the ransom.
Regardless of whether the imperial court agrees or not, the families of those people are probably willing to pay the money. If it is handled properly, it may even be possible to cover up some of the guilt. Who knows how many people might be tempted by this.
As for those sea merchants, if they could settle the matter with just tens of thousands of taels of silver, they would probably breathe a sigh of relief and pay the money happily, right?
But if we only mention these two, we're still missing one thing. Yan Yuan couldn't help but ask, "What about the captives on Wuyuan Island?"
Among the three or four thousand prisoners, only a few were officers above the rank of centurion, while the majority were ordinary soldiers. The government might not be willing to spend money to redeem these people, so if the soldiers were gone, they could just recruit more, and maybe even conceal some heads and collect some empty salaries.
Cheng Xi said, "I called you here for this matter. Those surrendered soldiers are our key targets. We need to select a group to keep and send the rest back with the generals."
"How do we screen them? Do they have families?" Yan Yuan frowned. This was a way to recruit them, but not everyone would be willing to join them. If it was just to save their lives, it would be fine. But now that they were all being released, who would be willing to stay?
"Of course not. We have to choose those who have grievances." Cheng Xi didn't keep the secret and said directly, "It's best to choose those who respect my father, have many complaints against the court, or have been bullied and humiliated. These people are most likely to join us."
Yan Yuan understood immediately. The names "Former General Qiu's Men" and "Qiu's Orphan" were very attractive to some soldiers. If they hadn't believed them before the war, they would surely believe them now that they had suffered a crushing defeat. These men were originally from the navy, and with a little training, they could serve on ships. It was a good way to fill the manpower gap.
However, Cheng Xi hadn't finished speaking yet: "But the selection method needs to be put into practice. You take some eloquent boys to Wuyuan Island, and every day when you have dinner, tell a story about my father's achievements in the past. Don't talk about those things that the court values, but stories about eliminating harm for the people and protecting the country and the people. You can find a storyteller to polish them in advance. They should be short and powerful, so that people will feel awe when they listen to them. In addition, you can arrange some small meetings, organize the captives into teams of 200 to 300 people, and separate them from their original teams. Let these groups take turns to talk about their experiences in the army and at home, whether they were bullied by superiors or oppressed by bullies. As long as they complain, it will be fine. It should make people empathize and grit their teeth. Anyone who is willing to talk can get an extra bowl of porridge."
Recounting General Qiu's story wasn't difficult for Yan Yuan. He admired military service and was already accustomed to the storytelling styles of the Red Flag Gang, so a simple sprucing up was all he needed. But the subsequent arrangements were different. The captives only had one meal a day, and if they asked, they could have an extra bowl of porridge. Who knew how many would flock to him? Was it just to complain?
After thinking for a moment, Yan Yuan suddenly said, "Could it be the same as the time in Erwang Village?"
When he first joined the Red Flag Gang, he had been involved in the destruction of Erwang Village, a fishing village that had harbored ill will towards the Red Flag Gang and had been a guide for the bandits. He had killed their village chief and elders, divided up their ancestral property, and brought justice to the oppressed villagers. That time, he had followed the gang leader's instructions and let all the villagers state their grievances. Now, would letting the captives "complain" unleash their frustrations?
Cheng Xi smiled and said, "Yes, it is similar, except that there is no step to redress their grievances."
Yan Yuan immediately said, "Giving them more porridge might make them lie! When people are starving, they can say anything."
He had gone hungry as a child, so he knew what people would do when they were extremely hungry. Furthermore, he had deliberately separated them from their former teammates, so no one would recognize him, which would only lead to more lies.
"What does it matter if it's a lie? Most people will be sent back anyway. And they have all heard the resentful and treasonous words of their companions. What do you think will happen if someone informs?" Cheng Xi asked back.
These words were spoken lightly, yet a chill ran down Yan Yuan's spine. What could possibly happen? A bunch of wicked men, resentful of their superiors and hostile to the wealthy, had been sent back by the pirates without question. Could such soldiers still be trusted? Could they even be used? Forget about using them to attack the Red Flag Gang; even finding a place to house them became a problem. Thinking of this, even Yan Yuan felt sympathy for the officers in charge. It was truly a difficult situation, a situation that only a leaking roof could bring.
Thinking of this, Yan Yuan also smiled: "Don't worry, Boss, just leave these to me. I will definitely make those surrendered soldiers perform well."
Cheng Xi gave another reminder: "Remember to select the truly useful people among them and keep as many as possible. We have seized too many ships this time, and we need to put them to use quickly."
There is never too few soldiers. Although Cheng Xi defeated the government army, he did not forget the Changjing Gang hiding in the dark and eyeing them covetously. They did not have much time.
Yan Yuan immediately agreed, but before leaving, he hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Boss, that Shen guy is cunning, we still have to be careful."
Two shoulder-to-shoulder battles were enough to make two people friends for life and death, but the relationship between the two major maritime gangs was by no means that simple. Moreover, Shen Sandao was known for his cunning thoughts. Last night, when they were drinking, the look in his eyes when he looked at the gang leader was a little strange. How could such a dangerous person be allowed to stay by the gang leader's side?
Is this the old lady's temper again? Cheng Xi laughed in his heart, but his face turned serious: "Why, do you think I will be deceived?"
Yan Yuan quickly said: "Of course not, it's Shen Feng...he..."
Before Yan Yuan could finish referring to "him", Cheng Xi said, "Don't worry, I won't suffer any loss."
Seeing her straightforward words, Yan Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. Without daring to say anything more, he immediately retreated. Cheng Xi chuckled and shook his head, then went back to dealing with the documents on the table.
There was nothing to do in the morning. After lunch, Shen Feng came over to visit.
"Huh? Why aren't you wearing a red dress today?" Shen Feng looked surprised as she entered the door.
Cheng Xi didn't wear a red dress today, but a dark blue chiffon dress. The weather was getting hotter, and she didn't plan to go out for work today, so there was no need to be so particular.
But this question was a bit frivolous. What kind of thing is it for you to control a girl's clothes? Shen Feng's demeanor was extremely natural, a bit nonchalant, yet also a bit curious in a non-offensive way. If it weren't for the clothes he was wearing, Cheng Xi would have thought it was just a casual remark.
Shen Feng didn't wear his usual fancy clothes today, but a dark red robe instead. It wasn't so ostentatious, but his handsome face suddenly had a more seductive and aggressive aura, which was very eye-catching.
Cheng Xi raised her eyebrows: "Why? I can't wear other clothes?"
This was quite casual, without any intention of being offended, but rather like a normal chat between brothers. Shen Feng laughed: "I thought you liked red clothes, tsk tsk, change clothes for nothing."
This is really shameless. Cheng Xi smiled unchanged and changed the subject easily: "I thought you were going to sleep until the afternoon. Does that sugar wine make you drunk?"
Shen Feng didn't wait for anyone to invite him. He slumped down in the chair and sighed, "It's because there are too many guys in your family who can get you drunk. They are cruel and ruthless. I haven't vomited in years. But the sugar wine is really good. What's the matter? Do you want to discuss business with me?"
This was indeed her goal. Without any politeness, Cheng Xi said directly, "Now that you have taken care of the Ye family, you will have the final say in Fujian. In the future, you will probably also grow sugarcane in Xiaoliuqiu. I am planning to expand the winery and start brewing large quantities of wine. If you can sell me sugarcane, I can give you the monopoly rights of this sugar wine in the southeast."
Shen Feng touched his smooth chin and said, "It's not that difficult to make sugar wine. Isn't it more profitable for me to open my own winery than to have a monopoly? On the other hand, it's not easy for you guys to get sugarcane now, right?"
If she wanted to harvest sugarcane, the easiest way would be to find Lu Jian. However, the waterway to Hepu was now blocked by the Changjing Gang. If she wanted to go east, she would have to go through Shen Feng. He was obviously not satisfied with the terms of the exchange and wanted to raise the price.
Cheng Xi didn't care: "I have a lot of islands on hand. At worst, I can open some sugarcane fields myself. I can buy grain wine first, so I don't have to work hard to find a market."
This is really not giving an inch. Shen Feng laughed: "So the alcohol is made from grain?"
He's quite well-informed. It seems he's set his sights on alcohol. Only the Red Flag Gang can produce this stuff these days, so no wonder he wants to test the waters.
Cheng Xi smiled but did not answer.
Shen Feng sighed again and waved his hand casually: "Well, who told us to have a good relationship? How could I be stingy with just sugarcane? Even if it's alcohol, if you can spare some for us, the price can be negotiated."
This is really generous. Cheng Xi also smiled: "Alcohol brewing is not easy, and we can't produce much, but since Brother Shen has asked, how can I not agree?"
This smile was truly the perfect fake, and she was wearing a light gauze dress today, which made her look even more delicate. Shen Feng's heart felt like it was being scratched by a small claw, but her expression remained unchanged. She changed the subject swiftly: "By the way, how did that lunatic Ning Fu get his hands on you?"
The topic changed too quickly and the direction was a bit off, but Ning Fu was always involved in all the previous battles, and you can find out by just asking around, so it's normal to be curious.
"I had some conflicts with Ning Fu in Tingzhou before, and the Red Flag Gang occupied this place, so it was inevitable that I would be a match for him." Cheng Xi did not hide it, but did not reveal more details.
"Ning Fu is a guy like a poisonous snake. It's really troublesome to provoke him. Come to think of it, even if Lu Er hadn't run away with the Changjing Gang, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to keep your food supply. Alas, these days the more people you have, the harder it is to feed them." Shen Feng said it casually, but every word was full of deep meaning, and he had gathered a lot of information.
"Don't worry about that, Brother Shen. I've already rearranged the food supply." Cheng Xi smiled. "But Brother Shen, don't you think the Changjing Gang should be killed?"
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