Ang Lee asked the officers and soldiers under his command to brainwash the captured pirates. He asked them to join the Vanguard Battalion of the Tang Army and fight on the battlefield. They could offset their mistakes by performing meritorious deeds. After offsetting their sins, those who performed new meritorious deeds would be rewarded, and the rewards would be generous.
As for the soldiers of the Vanguard Battalion who died in battle, they would be given generous pensions. These pensions would be sent to their families as soon as possible. If the pirates had no family, they would be buried with dignity.
Such generous conditions naturally tempted the pirates. Moreover, they were all criminals. They had to accept such conditions even if they didn't want to. Otherwise, the lightest punishment they would face would be imprisonment. If it was more serious, they would even be beheaded.
Beheading was not in the main criminal law of the Tang dynasty. Generally, the minor crimes would be spanked, and the more serious ones would be exiled. The death penalty was rare. However, to deal with the pirates who had committed heinous crimes, beheading was still a deterrent. After all, the place where the pirates lived was very remote. Even the most serious punishment, exile, would be too easy for them.
The pirates scrambled to join the Vanguard Battalion of the Tang Army. They also received weapons and armor and were ready to practice in preparation for future battles.
In order to prevent these pirates from changing sides, in addition to brainwashing them with ideological education, Ang Lee also provided them with the most common weapons. These weapons were not as good as those of the general Tang Army, but they were more advanced than the weapons usually used by the pirates. In addition, they were also equipped with defensive equipment, which could greatly improve the combat effectiveness of these pirates. However, they were still not as good as the elites of the Tang Army. This was to prevent them from being too strong and doing dangerous things to rebel.
"Big Brother, the Vanguard Battalion has been reorganized. There are a total of 2,000 soldiers and horses. They are all willing to atone for their crimes by performing meritorious deeds."
Li Feiyu walked into the tent and said happily.
"Good, very good. With these 2,000 soldiers of the Vanguard Battalion, the following battles will be easy to fight. I don't have to worry about paying too many casualties anymore. If we encounter a dangerous task, let the Vanguard Battalion go out."
Li An said with a happy smile.
In Ang Lee's mind, the pirates of the Vanguard Battalion were all subsidiary troops, just like the fake army in the future. It didn't matter if a few of them died. After all, their lives weren't worth anything. Letting these pirates charge at the frontlines of the fight against other pirates was the best deal. And in order to clear their names, these pirates were willing to risk their lives.
Of course, Ang Lee would not go too far. He could not let these soldiers of the Vanguard go to their deaths for nothing. He was only more willing to let them carry out the most dangerous mission, so as to protect the elite troops.
"Big Brother, we have already stayed on this island for seven or eight days. The dredgers and some of the soldiers from Yazhou have already arrived here. The remaining pirates in Zhancheng and Yazhou have basically been eliminated. We can continue to head south."
Li Feiyu suggested.
Ang Lee waved his hand and said, "There's no hurry. It's still early. This island doesn't seem big, but for my Tang dynasty, it's very important. We will soon establish a county here. Of course, we can't be careless. We have to guide more work, and then continue to head south. "
In fact, in addition to guiding the construction of the county, Ang Lee also had to receive all kinds of information from the direction of Guangzhou, so as to have a better understanding of the pirates behind.
"Big Brother, the port is in the midst of expansion. The five dredgers from Guangzhou are working day and night. I believe that we will be able to build a large dock soon, enough to berth more than a hundred large ships."
Li Feiyu said.
At this moment, because the area of the dock was too small, the fleet commanded by Ang Lee was not all docked at the dock. More than half of the ships were floating in the nearby sea, taking turns to enter the dock to rest. This was the only way to solve the problem.
Ang Lee nodded and said, "You're right. If we want to establish a county here, the first thing we have to do is to build a good port. Without a large enough port, we won't be able to berth a sufficient number of ships. This will seriously affect the progress of establishing a county, and also affect the role that the county can play on the Maritime Silk Road. Let's go to the new port and have a look."
Under the guidance of a group of guards, Ang Lee and the others came to the coral reef not far from the dock. A large seaport was going to be built here, and it was the most powerful deep-water port. Large ships of tens of thousands of tons could berth freely in it. In this way, the passing merchants and fishermen would be blessed.
"Elder brother, look, all five dredgers are here. Since they arrived here, they have been digging sand nonstop and burying the sand in the required places. According to the current progress, it might take them several months to dig out a satisfactory harbor!"
Li Feiyu pointed at the dredgers and said.
Ang Lee nodded and said, "That's right. It's not easy to dig a large port. It may take many years to complete the construction to a satisfactory port! However, the port can be built slowly step by step, and the area of the port can be gradually expanded. We can't eat until we are fat. "
"Big Brother is right. That's what I asked them to do. Let them concentrate on digging sand in one place first, build a port that can berth large ships as soon as possible, and then expand the area of the port step by step."
Li Feiyu said.
Looking at the five dredgers working hard to dig sand on the surface of the water, Ang Lee was in a wonderful mood. These large machines would make outstanding contributions to the Maritime Silk Road of the Tang dynasty. They would greatly improve the convenience of the Tang dynasty's Maritime Silk Road, and they would be loyal to the Tang Empire.
"Assistant Minister Li, there's news from Guangzhou. Zhang Batian, the old fox, hasn't made any moves. He looks like a legitimate businessman."
One of his subordinates ran to report.
Ang Lee frowned and said lightly, "He's really an old fox. He does things flawlessly, as if nothing had happened. I'll catch him sooner or later."
"Big Brother, we have some of the confessions of the pirates in our hands. They can completely prove that Zhang Batian colluded with the pirates. We're not afraid that he won't admit it."
Li Feiyu said.
Ang Lee shook his head and said, "It's useless. This old fox can say that the pirates colluded to frame him. There's nothing we can do if he refuses to admit it."
"If that's the case, we have to think of another way!"
Ang Lee nodded and said, "Let's ignore Zhang Batian for now. These businessmen are just small fries. After the pirates are eliminated, these guys will lose their backing and won't be able to be arrogant anymore."
"Big Brother, look here. These are the soldiers of the Vanguard Battalion. 1,000 of them are training, and the other 1,000 are building houses in preparation for the future county."
Li Feiyu pointed to a large open space in the distance and introduced.
Ang Lee glanced at the 1,000 soldiers of the Vanguard Battalion who were training. They were divided into 10 groups, and each group had 100 people. The soldiers in charge of training were the soldiers of the Dragon Martial Army.
The other 1,000 soldiers of the Vanguard Battalion were completely acting as coolies. They were responsible for building the buildings needed for the county.
This was a very dirty and hard work. In addition to the 1,000 soldiers of the Vanguard Battalion, there were also more than 500 civilians from Yazhou. Naturally, they were resentful to have the Vanguard Battalion work as coolies. However, they were criminals and their status was much lower than the ordinary Tang Army soldiers. They could only endure the resentment in their hearts. After all, they had done bad things in the past.
"Fei Yu, did these guys cause trouble when they were working?"
Ang Lee asked with a smile.
Li Feiyu smiled and said, "In the beginning, there were indeed many troublemakers who caused trouble. There were many who were lazy and didn't want to work. However, there were still many ways to deal with these troublemakers. They were all dealt with. After that, no one dared to cause trouble and slack off. You see, they are working so hard!"
Indeed, Li An could clearly see that the thousand over soldiers of the Vanguard worked even more diligently than the commoners that were hired. Almost all of them used brute force to work, and this was clearly the result of training. Otherwise, with the moral character of these pirates, it was impossible for them to work so hard.
"Tell me! How did you deal with these disobedient guys? How did you manage to make them so obedient? "
Ang Lee asked curiously.
"Isn't this easy? It's just recording merit. Those who work hard will be recorded merit, those who slack off will be recorded demerit points. Having merit can offset the mistakes they made when they were pirates, and having demerit points will add to their crimes. In this way, these guys will naturally work hard to atone for their crimes as soon as possible. This method is very powerful!"
Li Feiyu explained proudly.
Ang Lee said with a smile, "Good method, it's really a good method! Clearly distinguishing between reward and punishment is always the most appropriate. It applies at any time. Let these guys work hard. The quality of the food must be guaranteed. We must let all these guys eat until they are full. We can't let anyone starve. "
Since these guys were willing to work hard, they naturally had to improve their living conditions. Only when they were well treated and had enough to eat and drink could they work better. If they were hungry, it would definitely seriously affect the progress of their work.
"Big Brother, don't worry! These guys have slowly shed their pirate habits. They are more and more like the soldiers of the Tang dynasty. They are all obedient to us. Big Brother, you don't have to worry at all. "
Li Feiyu said proudly.
Ang Lee nodded and said, "That's good. However, in order to improve the enthusiasm of these guys, I still have to talk to them personally. Let them be full of enthusiasm for work and finish the buildings as soon as possible. After all, we will soon go south."
"Yes, Big Brother. I'll arrange it."
Li Feiyu said.
When it was time for dinner in the evening, Ang Lee personally went to the Vanguard Battalion to see the quality of the food these guys were eating and whether anyone was dissatisfied.
"Assistant Minister Li."
The pirate leader who had been pardoned was now a low-level officer of the Tang Army. Seeing Ang Lee personally come to inspect, he quickly got up and saluted.
"Don't be so polite. Sit down and eat."
Ang Lee waved his hand and let everyone sit down.
"Big Brother, look, there are vegetables and meat. There is enough white rice. The soldiers are eating very well."
Li Feiyu pointed at the food that would be served in the Vanguard Battalion and introduced.
Ang Lee nodded with satisfaction. He looked at these guys who were eating and asked, "Are you full? Are you satisfied with the food? "
"Yes, the food is very delicious."
"It's better than what we used to eat. I'm very satisfied."
"Thank you, Assistant Minister Li. We will work harder and build the house as soon as possible."
Everyone knew that they were criminals. In addition, Ang Lee treated them well, so they did not dare to complain. Even if they were a little unhappy, they did not dare to show it casually, so as not to leave a bad impression on Ang Lee and affect their efforts to atone for their crimes.
Li An knew that these were just pleasantries, so he paused for a moment before saying, "It's good that everyone is satisfied. This official knows that all of you are used to being free, so you might not be used to working when you first start. Some of you might not feel comfortable, but all of you have robbed merchant ships. If I don't let you work to atone for your crimes, this official will have a hard time getting the court to forgive you for your crimes. Therefore, all of you will have to work hard and complete the work as soon as possible. As long as you do well, this official will definitely report it to the court and record your merits according to your performance to offset your past crimes. In the future, when we fight against pirates, all of you must actively contribute, and the rewards will definitely not be small."
Although it was just an empty promise, the soldiers of the Vanguard felt their blood boil when they heard it. Everyone wanted to make a name for themselves. In the past, they were pirates and robbed merchant ships for the sake of making a fortune. But now, by serving the imperial court, they could also obtain military merits. What they could obtain was very likely to be much more than before. As such, they were naturally very happy.
Moreover, being a pirate was a thief and had a very bad reputation. But being an imperial army to fight against pirates was a much better reputation. So when they had this opportunity, they were all willing to grasp it tightly, thinking that they would have a good future.
Ang Lee came from the future and had some knowledge of brainwashing education. At this time, he could not hide it and took it all out. Through brainwashing language, he forcefully instilled these former pirates, forcing them to agree with his point of view. He also loudly swore an oath to further strengthen their agreement with this idea.
After brainwashing the two thousand soldiers of the Vanguard Battalion, Ang Lee felt rather tired. How many of these fellows were truly brainwashed and how many of them were just pretending to curry favor was not easy to determine. In short, he still needed to closely monitor these fellows to prevent uncontrollable matters from happening.
After a few more days, the direction of Guangzhou sent another five dredgers, as well as a large number of supply ships. The direction of Yazhou had also sent the county magistrate. It could be said that they were officially going to establish a county on this small island.
This good news made Ang Lee rather happy. However, the specific matters were handled by his subordinates. Ang Lee only needed to grasp the overall situation.
One morning, Ang Lee brought Yun 'er and Jiaren, as well as a dozen or so guards to catch fish on the coral reef beside the island.
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