Chapter 925 767: Using Grandsons to Command Scholars_2

Among the commoners, a woman carrying a vegetable basket disdainfully said, "Aren't these the notorious ruffians of the marketplace? How did the Fang Family come to recruit such people? Can they even resist the Wokou?"

"Zhang Ermazi robbed my family's cow some days ago!"

"That Li Bing is involved in usury... Might he have been helping the Fang Family with usury earlier?"

"No wonder I heard Zhang Ermazi boasting in the tavern last night that he's become an official, and now his brothers can live the high life with him."

Fang Zhongqing's expression changed, and his eldest son whispered, "This is bad, these people came to Guangling County early to investigate... how did they even uncover Zhang Ermazi and Li Bing?"

Yuan Xing raised his right hand to silence the commoners: "Everyone knows about these people and what they have done. How can my Anti-Japanese Army let these people bring calamity upon the village? Do not panic, my Anti-Japanese Army will only take three hundred soldiers away for training and will not keep them away for good... once they're trained, they will return."

The commoners exchanged glances, whispering among themselves.

On the stone steps, the eldest son of the Fang Family whispered to Fang Zhongqing, "Father, what should we do? Those people taking our family's strong men away are like a dog with a meat bun—it won't give it back!"

Fang Zhongqing reprimanded softly, "I already said not to mix with those market layabouts, so why did you solicit them?"

The eldest son of the Fang Family, aggrieved, replied, "Father, now is the critical time for spring planting, and if you don't seek help from these layabouts, what proper family's men would come to serve as soldiers? We can't even manage our own fields."

Fang Zhongqing frowned silently.

Yuan Xing leaned forward on the saddle bridge, teasing, "Old man, where is Fang Jingzhong? He's entered my Anti-Japanese Army's 'Age and Appearance Book,' and with the Ministry of War's documentation, he's now one of us."

Fang Zhongqing stroked his beard and gestured to his eldest son, who went into the house.

Yuan Xing, intrigued, questioned, "Trying to alert him to escape?"

Fang Zhongqing looked up at Yuan Xing: "Sir, Fang Jingzhong went to visit relatives in Jinling yesterday. Could you give us a few days until he returns, and then he'll report to the Anti-Japanese Army?"

Yuan Xing sneered, "Trying to buy time so he can seek help from high officials in Jinling? It's too late for that."

As soon as he finished speaking, a pained cry followed by heart-wrenching wails came from the back alley.

Fang Zhongqing's heart tightened, hastily exclaiming, "Don't hurt him!"

Yuan Xing nonchalantly said, "Hey, could it be that Fang Jingzhong was caught by my brothers while trying to climb the wall and escape? Ah Xi, how should deserters be dealt with?"

Yuan Xi pondered, "According to... our Daning Law, those who disobey orders and are deemed deserters are to be flogged a hundred times and sent back to their original garrison to serve. Those who harbor deserters and the village chief are both flogged fifty times."

Fang Zhongqing listened to the two of them cooperating and became gloomy, asking in a low voice, "What exactly do you intend to do? After receiving the money and selling the military merit, are you going to renege? There's no place in the world that does business like this!"

Yuan Xing retorted with a sneer: "The pirates are at our doorstep, no time for your kind of business deals."

Fang Zhongqing considered for a moment, "Peace brings fortune. Since you've come to our doorstep, there's no reason for you to leave empty-handed. Our Fang Family is willing to donate an additional three thousand taels of silver, please show mercy."

Yuan Xing and Yuan Xi exchanged glances; this scenario hadn't been part of their prior plan, prompting them to glance back at Chen Ji among the crowd.

Chen Ji, wearing a bamboo hat, masked his expression, simply shaking his head slightly.

Yuan Xing turned back to Fang Zhongqing, dismissively saying, "Old man, do you take us for mountain bandits descending to extort silver? This isn't about the silver; we are determined to take the people."

Fang Zhongqing looked at Yuan Xing, then at Chen Ji. He remembered that young man, always mentioning Official Hu and Official Chen.

After pondering, Fang Zhongqing looked up at Chen Ji: "And who might you be?"

Chen Ji calmly stated, "Zheng Jiye of the Anti-Japanese Army."

Fang Zhongqing sighed: "I don't know what you are all trying to accomplish, but if you insist on making things difficult for my Fang Family, then just take Fang Jingzhong alone; he's your man now in the Anti-Japanese Army, but as for recruiting soldiers, our Fang Family hasn't mustered any yet."

Yuan Xing piped up, "Sacrifice the rook to save the king? We anticipated as much."

Yuan Xi softly corrected him, "Sacrifice the rook to save the general."

Yuan Xing scoffed, "Does his household even have a general?"

Just then, the sound of hoofbeats was heard from afar.

Fang Zhongqing turned to look and saw dozens of young men from the Anti-Japanese Army, wielding Japanese swords, driving a group of disheveled men toward the Fang Family's gate.

These men hung their heads without daring to utter a word.

Outside, the commoners whispered: "Aren't these the riffraff under Zhang Ermazi and Li Bing?"

"Where are Zhang Ermazi and Li Bing?"

"Here," Jiang Chai approached the gate and tossed two heads onto the stone steps: "The riffraff, Zhang Ermazi and Li Bing, defied orders and incited mutiny. They've been dealt with according to military law. We confiscated fifty-one broadswords, ten hard bows, and six hundred and twenty feathered arrows."

The two bloody heads rolled in front of the Fang Family's gate, causing the Fang Family members to scream repeatedly, and the previously crowded commoners began to retreat.

Chen Ji, riding Zhaolei, advanced slowly, ascending the stone steps. As the heads blocked the way, Zhaolei lifted its hoof and kicked the heads aside.

Fang Zhongqing watched as his view was clouded by the shadow, feeling Zhaolei's breath on his face, trembling as he said, "You little brat... How dare you tread on the Fang Family's threshold!"

Chen Ji looked down at Fang Zhongqing: "You claim the Fang Family hasn't recruited any soldiers, so why are these people gathered with ten hard bows? Planning to raise a private army for rebellion? I advise you to think carefully before answering, are they soldiers of my Anti-Japanese Army or of your Fang Family?"

Fang Zhongqing closed his eyes powerlessly: "They are soldiers of the Anti-Japanese Army."

Chen Ji casually said, "Borrowing your family's troops for use, every month bring supplies for a hundred men to Jingjiang County, and we'll return Fang Jingzhong and those you recruit. When Fang Jingzhong returns, perhaps the Fang Family will thank me."

Yuan Xing motioned to Yuan Xi, "Tell him how much grain and fodder need to be sent each month; you're good at this."

Yuan Xi thought for a moment: "Calculate four sheng of grain per person per day; no need for refined grains, coarse grains will do. For a hundred men a month, that's one hundred and twenty dan. As for meat, one liang every three days, a month equals..."

The Fang Family interjected: "Where do the garrison soldiers find meat to eat nowadays?"

Yuan Xi glanced at them, "Our Anti-Japanese Army does."

Chen Ji guided his horse down the steps: "Whenever supplies run out, Fang Jingzhong will be the first to charge against the pirates. Whether he survives or not, depends on his fate."

The Fang Family erupted in anger: "How is this any different from bandits kidnapping people for ransom?"

The eldest son of the Fang Family with a sinister tone warned: "Young man unaware of the vast heavens, do you think being a centurion is a great achievement? There are always others greater, and in the Imperial Capital..."

Yuan Xing and Yuan Xi suddenly burst into laughter: "What nonsense is this old man babbling about?"

Zhou Chang glanced at Old Ears, who was slacking among the Anti-Japanese Army, calmly said: "He's saying there's always someone greater, but here stands the sky before his eyes."

Fang Zhongqing didn't understand what they were laughing about, attributing it to their ignorance, patiently advising: "Boy, do you really believe that in Southern Zhili, having some troops allows you to run amok? Listen to an old man's advice, take our Fang Family's three thousand taels of silver and go back. Being a centurion is a rare opportunity to bring glory to your ancestors; don't waste it."

Chen Ji shook his head: "I said, it's not about the silver."

Fang Zhongqing's face darkened: "The Ministry of War could grant you the position of centurion yesterday; tomorrow, they could take it away again."

Chen Ji stood on his horse, looking back at Fang Zhongqing: "Try it."

Yuan Xing signaled to the Anti-Japanese Army: "Let's go, onward to Qu Xia, where there are over a hundred more people."

Fang Zhongqing suddenly panicked, cried out: "Wait!"

Yuan Xing turned his head: "Old man, what now?"

Fang Zhongqing puzzled, asked: "Why aren't you taking the soldiers recruited by the Li Family and Wang Family as well?"

Yuan Xing used his little finger to dig his ear: "We'll discuss that later."

Fang Zhongqing shakily descended the steps, came to Chen Ji's side, and grasped his reins, in a low voice said: "Our Fang Family will offer two thousand taels of silver, ensure the Anti-Japanese Army also takes away the soldiers of the Li Family and Wang Family!"