MLMD -Chapter 134 A Conspiracy in the Night

Faced with this sudden stroke of good fortune, Lu Xiangsheng and the other man felt as though a meat pie had fallen straight from the sky and struck them on the head. Shocked as they were, both Lu Xiangsheng and Yang Tinglin were no ordinary people—once the initial excitement passed, reason quickly returned to them.

Their ancestors had long said: when gifts are given without cause, there must be something sought in return. Yue Yang would never present such a generous gift simply because he had too much silver on hand, nor because he thought especially highly of their character. And since they were accepting such a gift, they would naturally have to repay it in kind—otherwise, why should someone give you silver for no reason at all?

Coming back to his senses, Yang Tinglin said solemnly to Yue Yang, “Lord Yue, as the saying goes, one should not accept rewards without merit. This generous gift of yours truly leaves us feeling unworthy.”

Yue Yang replied with a genial smile, “Sir Yang is too polite. His Excellency the Governor works wholeheartedly for the nation, training troops while suffering from shortages of grain and pay. As a subject of the Great Ming, how could I not do my small part? However…”

At this point, Lu Xiangsheng and Yang Tinglin exchanged a glance, both knowing that the real point was coming. Such generous support could not possibly come without conditions.

After a moment’s thought, Yue Yang continued, “Your Excellency knows full well that my marriage to a Mongol woman is already known both at court and beyond. Grand Secretary Wen even intended to request an imperial edict to punish me for this matter. Fortunately, Lords Yang and Hou spoke up for me before the throne, allowing me to escape disaster.

“It is also true that I have close relations with the Khorchin tribe. I often send merchant caravans to trade tea bricks, salt, and clothing for horses. Thus, the roads from Datong to beyond the passes are indispensable to me. I have no other requests—only that when Your Excellency takes charge of the Xuan garrison, you might show some leniency toward my caravans. For that, I would be endlessly grateful.”

Lu Xiangsheng fell silent for a while. Though this was his first posting in Shanxi, he was no stranger to the province or to the Jin merchants. The Jin merchants were notorious for their lawlessness, and their dealings with steppe tribes and even the Jurchens were hardly secret. Thus, he was not surprised by Yue Yang’s request.

“That can be arranged,” Lu Xiangsheng nodded. “So long as you, Zhenghong, can guarantee that you will not sell ironware, weapons, or armor to the Mongols or the Jurchens, what harm is there in agreeing?”

“Thank you, Your Excellency!” Yue Yang was overjoyed. With Lu Xiangsheng’s assurance, his caravans would face no trouble passing the checkpoints in the future. The Khorchin tribe had already become a vital source of livestock and warhorses for him. As Wulizhai continued to develop and land reclamation expanded, demand for livestock kept growing—especially draft oxen, which were in acute shortage. Ties with the Mongols could not be severed under any circumstances.

Both sides were satisfied after reaching this agreement. One had seized the opportunity to latch onto Lu Xiangsheng’s powerful backing; the other had given up something insignificant in exchange for enough weapons, pig iron, and thousands of dan of grain to equip several thousand soldiers. It was truly a win-win situation.

Yue Yang glanced at the sky. The sun was already setting, and it was time for dinner. He was about to invite Lu Xiangsheng to stay for the evening meal, but Lu Xiangsheng saw through his intention and said with a smile, “Zhenghong, it is getting late. I must take my leave. I originally wished to see the elite troops you have trained, but there is not enough time today. That will have to wait for another occasion. I shall depart now.”

“You’re leaving, Your Excellency?” Yue Yang asked in surprise. “Is it that I have failed to receive you properly?”

Yue Yang’s face showed surprise, confusion, and even a hint of irritation. What was going on with these two? They had finished their business and were leaving without even staying for a meal—was this dissatisfaction with his hospitality?

Lu Xiangsheng did not notice the change in Yue Yang’s expression, but Yang Tinglin did. Seeing Yue Yang’s subtle shift in demeanor, Yang Tinglin immediately realized that their actions could be seen as discourteous—taking the gifts and leaving at once might suggest displeasure with the host. Although Lu Xiangsheng’s rank far exceeded Yue Yang’s, leaving immediately after receiving benefits was indeed improper.

Thus, Yang Tinglin hurried to explain, “Lord Yue, you misunderstand. His Excellency and I did not come alone—there are several thousand soldiers stationed thirty li outside the city. His Excellency has a habit: whenever he commands troops in the field, he eats and lives together with his soldiers. We failed to explain this earlier and hope you will forgive us.”

At this point, Lu Xiangsheng also realized that his behavior might have been excessive. Leaving right after receiving benefits was hardly the conduct of a gentleman. His face flushed slightly as he added, “Zhenghong may not know this, but our army’s provisions have been running low these days. The soldiers can only manage thin porridge twice a day. I fear they may grow resentful, so I am somewhat uneasy and wish to return early to check on them.”

“Oh… so that is the case?” Yue Yang looked at Lu Xiangsheng anew. Any lingering displeasure vanished, replaced by a look of respect. It was clear why this man would be remembered in history—not everyone could resist comfort and return to share thin porridge with their soldiers.

“Your Excellency’s righteousness commands my admiration,” Yue Yang said after a moment’s thought. “In that case, I will have provisions and pay prepared tonight, along with one hundred fat pigs. Tomorrow I will send them to Your Excellency’s camp as a small token of my regard.”

“Very well. On behalf of the soldiers, I thank you, Zhenghong,” Lu Xiangsheng said. Seeing the sincerity on Yue Yang’s face, he reached out and gave Yue Yang’s shoulder a firm pat, saying nothing more. Lu Xiangsheng was not one for empty praise—this gesture alone spoke volumes.

After seeing Lu Xiangsheng off, Yue Yang suddenly thought that he should have asked this famous late-Ming figure to leave behind some calligraphy or paintings. If he could take such an autograph back to the modern era and sell it, he would surely make a fortune.

As Yue Yang was pondering how to obtain a piece of Lu Xiangsheng’s calligraphy next time, far away in Datong at the Xuan–Da Governor-General’s Office, the current Governor-General, Zhang Zongheng, held a secret report just received from the capital, his heart turning icy cold.

“How could this be… how could it come to this? How could the court suddenly remove me from office and send that barbarian Lu to replace me? Could something have changed at court again?”

Zhang Zongheng was slightly plump, with a large round face and small eyes. If he changed into a commoner’s long gown, he would look like a shopkeeper on the street, as though he might say “Congratulations and prosperity” at any moment. But those who knew him understood that this Governor-General was no gentle soul—describing him as ruthless, greedy, and lustful was no exaggeration.

A middle-aged man who looked like a private secretary stood respectfully before him and said in a low voice, “My lord, this letter was written personally by Grand Secretary Wen, so there can be no mistake. The letter also states that His Majesty has long been dissatisfied with your lack of achievements since assuming the post of Governor-General. Moreover, Lu Xiangsheng has recently won the emperor’s favor, so it is hardly surprising that he has been sent to replace you. This matter is already settled and cannot be changed. What is most important now is to erase all traces of our past dealings before Lu Xiangsheng arrives, so that he cannot seize any leverage. That man is famous for his integrity.”

“Mm, that makes sense,” Zhang Zongheng said. After his adviser’s words, his anger gradually subsided. To him, losing this post simply meant returning to the capital and, after some maneuvering, finding another place to continue holding office and scraping profits. The most urgent matter was exactly as the adviser said—cleaning himself up quickly. Lu Xiangsheng would arrive in a few days, and being caught by him would be disastrous.

“Oh no…” the adviser suddenly remembered something. “My lord, we have forgotten one thing. A few days ago, you sent Brother Ni to Yingzhou Prefecture to collect tribute from that Yue Yang. But Brother Ni has not returned yet!”

“That’s right!” Zhang Zongheng’s face changed as well. He slapped his thigh and shouted, “Damn it, how did I forget this? Steward Ni is still in Yingzhou. I wonder how his business is going. We must immediately send someone to recall him.”

“It’s too late,” the adviser said with a bitter smile, shaking his head. “My lord, by now it is already too late to retrieve him. Brother Ni must have already spoken with Yue Yang.”

“Alas… man proposes, but Heaven disposes!”

Zhang Zongheng sighed. Once obscure, Wulizhai had suddenly become dazzling after news from the capital’s courier stations spread. At a time when the entire realm was lamenting reduced harvests and empty granaries, news of Wulizhai’s bumper harvest was like a flare fired into the night, blinding everyone’s eyes.

As someone who valued money as life itself, Zhang Zongheng learned for the first time that there was such a local tycoon under his command. Regret gnawed at him, and he immediately sent his own trusted agents to Yingzhou, hoping to extort a hefty sum. But now it seemed time had run out—instead, he had offended a powerful local military figure.

Seeing the pained look on Zhang Zongheng’s face, the adviser knew well that his master was lamenting the loss of that fat opportunity. He chuckled softly and said, “My lord, why grieve so? Although we can no longer extract tribute from Yue Yang, it does not mean there is no other chance.”

“Oh?” At the mention of silver, Zhang Zongheng immediately perked up. “What idea do you have?”

“My lord, I have learned that Yue Yang happens to have a merchant caravan returning from beyond the passes. That caravan carries several hundred head of livestock, along with a considerable amount of wool and hides…”

“No!” Before the adviser could finish, Zhang Zongheng interrupted him. “Times are different now. Those wool, hides, and livestock are not like ordinary goods. In the past it might have been feasible, but now that Lu the barbarian is about to take office, we do not have the leisure to act slowly.”