Aside from the reason that the Rebel Army lacks the means to compel this civilian-operated fleet to heed their demands, there is another reason.
The Rebel Army absolutely would not, and cannot, act against these ships carrying numerous civilians.
The reason lies within the Rebel Army itself.
The Rebel Army is not orthodox, so they must garner support from civilian forces when facing attacks from the Government Army.
If the Rebel Army dares to directly destroy civilian ships, then with massive civilian casualties, the morale of the entire Rebel Army and its external support would vanish.
Losing a Cheng Xinghai and gaining the erasure of the Rebel Army's greatest advantage, perhaps even benefits the Government Army.
When a good person does something bad, they are condemned by all, but when a bad person does bad things, it's seen as normal.
This is the biggest difference between the Government Army and the Rebel Army right now.
Public support is the foundation of the Rebel Army.
