Chapter 719: Chapter 8: Gods, Monsters, and Scholars (Part 1) Chapter 719: Chapter 8: Gods, Monsters, and Scholars (Part 1) The Black Flag fluttered at the bow, and Zhao Xiaoyi closed his eyes, remembering Tianbao’s words in the Martial Arts Hall that day.

“In the past, the Five Flags shared the same root and origin. The heads of the Five Flags were once great generals under King Yanping, but now the Five Flags have withered. Xu Longsi, Bai Tianying and the like, having fallen to become the dogs of the officials, naturally do not deserve to be the heads of the Five Flags. I plan to reorganize the Five Flags, to select new heads from among you leaders, to gather together the remnants of the pirates scattered by the government over the past six years. This will allow for easier coordination,”
“Among the sixteen leaders, I naturally remain as the Red Flag Head, Xue Ba, Hu Bailing, and the other leaders, as well as all the ships and sailors under the eight hundred captains will retain the Red Flag.”

“Zhao Xiaoyi will be the Black Flag Head, assisted by leader Qian Tuo, and all the ships and sailors under him shall be the Black Flag.”

“Cha Daozi will be the White Flag Head, Zhi Nong…”
“Xu Chaoyi will be the Yellow Flag Head, Zhong Cheng, Liao Wenrui…”
“As for the Blue Flag, Qianjun Biao’s whereabouts are unknown, so the position of the head will be left vacant for now. Besides, the remaining eight hundred captains will all be under the Blue Flag.”

“Regardless of the past, from today onwards, the Five Flags passed down by the Zheng Family of Treasure Island will take Lantau Island as the rightful tradition.”

Zhao Xiaoyi came back to his senses, raising the cup of wine in his hand, looking at the sailors on the ship: “My brothers, whether you are old friends who are familiar with Zhao Xiaoyi or have only met me today. From now on, we will all eat from the same pot. I’ll drink first as a sign of respect.”

After speaking, he finished the turbid wine in his bowl. With the Zheng Family of Treasure Island’s endorsement, he, as the Black Flag Head, finally had legitimate authority.

The pirates on the Black Flag ship drank up together.

Zhao Xiaoyi smashed the clay bowl, and the sound of it breaking echoed all at once.

“Set sail!”

The harbour tangled like a forest, and the fleet bearing the Black Flag was the first to move. The fleet, with nearly six thousand men, turned their bows westward one after another, sailing out of the harbour.

…
The sea was covered with ironclad fleets in the shape of an arrowhead, with two types of flags planted all over the ships, one a yellow flag with a blue Dragon, the other a blue flag with a red “rice” character. The steamers’ chimneys emitted billowing black smoke, drawing a long line over the sea.

Qian Yongzhao, wearing a navy blue navy uniform with gold-threaded cuffs and a warm hat, held a Thousand-li Mirror in his hand, gazing into the misty horizon.

“To pacify the South Seas with this battle.”

He murmured softly.

“With Governor Qian in command, success is assured.”

The former Yishi pirate, now General Zhufen, with his round blue-patched uniform, went up to Qian Yongzhao unreservedly with his compliments. Xu Longsi followed behind, silent.

“General Zhu flatters me. If we can capture the Red Flag in one fell swoop, it will be thanks to the soldiers’ efforts. I dare not claim the credit. Now the island of the Red Flag is full of fierce bandits. In your opinion, General Zhu, who will take the lead in striking before our fleet reaches Lantau Island?”

Zhufen answered without a second thought, “It must be Zhao Xiaoyi of the former Black Flag Gang! Newly joined to the Red Flag, he draws suspicion, and Tianbao will surely use him as the vanguard.”

“Is that so?”

Qian Yongzhao’s response was noncommittal.

“Then, who should follow Zhao Xiaoyi?”

…
“Chaoyi, congratulations, congratulations!”

On the Treasure Ship, several Gaoli ghost brothers couldn’t help but congratulate Xu Chaoyi.

Although Xu Chaoyi was highly regarded in the past, besides the hundred elite Gaoli soldiers under his command, he had no fleet to command; having been Madam Shi’s personal guard in the past, not all the Red Flag leaders necessarily obeyed him. Now, having suddenly become the Yellow Flag Head, congratulations were naturally in order.

However, little joy could be seen on Xu Chaoyi’s face.

Zheng Xiu had used Tianbao’s name to discuss matters in the Martial Arts Hall, and he was involved. Xu Chaoyi, having followed Madam Shi for many years, was all too aware of the severity of taking part in such affairs. Although Tianbao didn’t fuss over it and even made him the Yellow Flag Head, the Gaoli elite troops have always been the personal guards of the Red Flag Head and the Leader Xiu; he couldn’t take them with him. Now he only had these four or five close brothers left; as for Zhong Cheng, Liao Wenrui, and others, they might not recognize him as their Yellow Flag Head.

“A warning to all by punishing one.”

Xu Chaoyi drew his treasured sword from his waist, sweeping away the slight despondency in his chest.

Who could say that losing a horse was not a blessing after all? Did Xu Chaoyi ever wish to be a house slave following a lady’s beck and call for the rest of his life? Who could have imagined that, having once come with the Yellow Flag as a dowry to Lantau Island, he, Xu Chaoyi, would one day become the Head of the Yellow Flag?

Xu Chaoyi didn’t resent Tianbao, and even felt somewhat grateful.

“All leaders, set sail!”

Another fleet, of more than four thousand people, set off with the treasure ship in the center, flying the Yellow Flag, its prow pointed eastward as it left the port.

…

“It must be Xu Chaoyi without a doubt! This man is a favorite of both Tianbao and Zheng Xiu. Once Zhao Xiaoyi’s men have fought each other to a near exhaustion, he will certainly lead the elite Red Flag troops to engage in a fight to the death with our army!”

Zhufen was spitting as he spoke.

Qian Yongzhao nodded, “I’ve heard of this person, the Red Flag Gaoli ghost, capable of taking on a hundred by himself.”

“Uh…” Zhufen rubbed his hands together, “That’s an exaggeration. Xu Chaoyi was originally nothing more than a dowry slave who came to Lantau Island with Mrs. Yan. What extraordinary people can bandits employ anyway?”

“Hahaha~”
Qian Yongzhao chuckled, then asked, “But they say that Zheng Xiu is precocious, possessing some of Mrs. Yan’s flair, who once dominated the South Seas. She surely wouldn’t favor only slaves who know nothing but flattery, would she?”

Zhufen laughed playfully, “Tianbao is one thing, but as for Zheng Xiu, hehe. Governor Qian, you must remember, despite Zheng Xiu’s title as the Great Alliance Leader, she’s nothing but a child. She has the Lin Family’s bloodline of Treasure Island, and even Lantau Island is extremely nervous about her. If you ask me, Zheng Xiu must have prepared her ship a long time ago to make her escape.”

…

“Had the Red Flag had ironclad warships like the Red Hair, maybe we wouldn’t be facing the situation we have today, right?”

Zheng Xiu gazed at the sea, where everyone only remembered the East India Company’s defeat at Guangzhou six years ago, but nobody recalled that during the initial battles, the ratio of casualties between the pirates and the East India Company’s warships was fifteen to one, and the manpower disparity was as high as thirty-five to one. Only with hundreds of thousands of South Seas pirates rising in unison, supported by the government, were they barely able to repel the enemy.

“All talk is useless. As long as the government cooperates with the East India Company, losing Lantau Island will sooner or later happen. After all, we only have one port, one island.”

Suo Heier stood beside Zheng Xiu.

“Does Lantau Island have the capability to build ironclad warships, Mr. Suo?”

Suo Heier immediately shook his head, “Forget ironclads, the South Seas do not have a single power, including the government, capable of producing even quality pig iron. Tianbao Dragon Head once tried to establish an ironworks on Lantau Island, but due to the scarcity of resources on the island and the enormous cost of shipping ore by sea, the effort was abandoned.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Suo Heier added, “As far as I know, Mr. Cha has a new trade route, bringing many exotic goods I’ve never seen before, but the quantities are too small. Perhaps, we can gather some good news from him.”

“Ah, me?”

Cha Xiaodao coughed. He didn’t have any new trade routes; he simply brought over some materials and tools that were in short supply on Lantau Island, yet unavailable in the South Seas, under the pretext of “Western Ocean trade,” such as the three Dragon Bones for Lin’s Treasure Ship and some ship parts. However, all this required strict inspection by the Yan Zhao Club and didn’t address the problem of creating ironclads at all.

“It was just a casual remark.”

Zheng Xiu smiled, “Mr. Cha, shall we set off now?”

“Yes.”

With a wave of Cha Xiaodao’s hand, a flagman signaled with a banner, and an impressive fleet of more than eight thousand started moving, escorting the Divine Tower Ship and turning into a U-shape towards due south.

…

“If it’s as General Zhu has said, this eradication of pirates will surely be a great victory.”

Qian Yongzhao gazed at the vast ocean.

Xu Longsi couldn’t hold back and joined the conversation, “You can’t say that, Governor Qian might not be aware. That Tianbao…”

Clang~
All three turned around as a plume of thick smoke erupted from the cabin of a ship on the right. An elderly man with white hair from the Mediterranean, wearing a filthy red Western suit, stumbled out, vomiting a mixture of yellowish wine and food.

Alarm bells sounded, and many guards in pointed leather shoes scrambled in disarray to prepare for firefighting.

Qian Yongzhao furrowed his brows, “Who is that person? How did such riffraff come aboard the Allied Fleet?”

Zhufen pondered, “Governor Qian, I believe this man is a living scholar awarded generously by the East India Company, he’s called something… Saint Watson, highly esteemed in Europa. He’s here to research some new species, new water samples in Milk South Ocean. We don’t need to bother with him.”