MLMD -Chapter 180 Fang Jiuming’s Scheme

After draining the cup of wine in his hand, Yue Yang ignored the venomous, snake‑like looks from Fang Jiuming and his son and calmly sat back down. Ever since he had learned that very morning that it was the Fang family who had driven up the price of salt in Hunyuan City, he had already marked them as one of his targets. Since he had decided to strike at them, there was no need for any more empty pleasantries.

Yue Yang’s open hostility toward the Fang family did not escape the notice of those in the hall, yet everyone pretended to be collectively blind, acting as if they saw nothing.

After a few more rounds of drinking, Fang Yingdi’s originally dark face had turned a purplish black. With a bit of alcohol going to his head, he leaned over and whispered a few words to Lu Youyuan. Lu shook his head at once. Fang Yingdi sneered and spoke again in a low voice. In the end, after thinking for a moment as though he had made up his mind, Lu Youyuan clenched his teeth and nodded.

Seeing Lu agree, Fang Yingdi smiled smugly, patted him twice on the shoulder, and exchanged a few more words with him, after which a trace of a smile finally appeared on Lu Youyuan’s face.

Yue Yang had no idea what the two of them were talking about, but he had an uneasy feeling in his heart, as though something was about to happen. The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became. Finally, he lowered his head and barked at Feng Xiaoming and the other officers behind him, who were flirting with the courtesans, “That’s enough, stop drinking. You all look like you’d throw your lives away for wine. You hear me?”

“Uh… yes…”

Though they did not understand why their boss had suddenly lost his temper, none of them dared to take his words lightly. From that point on, they restrained themselves and stopped fooling around with the courtesans.

The welcoming banquet lasted until the moon had climbed above the treetops, ending only at the Hour of Hai. When it was over, Yue Yang declined Jiang Xin’s offer to stay the night at the Zhuangyuan Tower and insisted on returning to the military camp. Seeing this, Feng Xiaoming and the others naturally felt too embarrassed to remain, so they all escorted Yue Yang back to the drill ground west of the city.

Standing in front of the Zhuangyuan Tower, Jiang Xin watched their retreating figures, narrowing his eyes in silent thought. Beside him, Liao Chunyu, the Hunyuan Prefecture education commissioner, stroked his beard and nodded slightly. “This Lord Yue is quite self‑disciplined. He doesn’t seem like those rough and vulgar military men—he might be worth befriending.”

After the banquet dispersed, everyone went their separate ways. Lu Youyuan, the garrison commander, was about to leave with several officers when Fang Yingdi called out to stop him.

“Lord Lu, didn’t we agree earlier to gather at my residence? Why are you leaving already? My father has been very much looking forward to talking with you.”

“Well… it’s already quite late. I’ll visit your honored father another day,” Lu Youyuan replied hesitantly.

“Another day?” Fang Yingdi sneered darkly. “I’d like to talk another day as well, but may I ask, does Lord Lu still have another day to spare? I’ve heard that the newly arrived Assistant Commander will start checking the muster rolls and account books tomorrow or the day after. Now tell me—do you really still want to wait for ‘another day’?”

As Fang Yingdi’s words fell, an autumn wind blew by, and a chill seemed to seep through Lu Youyuan’s clothes, making him shiver. In the end, he could only nod helplessly. “Very well. I’ll trouble your honored father tonight.”

“Ha ha… that’s more like it.” A deep smile appeared on Fang Yingdi’s dark face.

Half an hour later, in the study of the Fang family’s rear courtyard, Fang Jiuming sat in his usual grand chair, slowly sipping fragrant tea. A brazier of glowing charcoal burned beside him, filling the room with warmth.

After a long while, Fang Jiuming set down his cup and smiled at Lu Youyuan. “I’m old and afraid of the cold. Every autumn I have the servants light a brazier, or else my back and legs start aching. I hope I’m not making a fool of myself in front of you, Lord Lu.”

“Not at all,” Lu Youyuan hurriedly replied with a smile. “Though you have reached the age of sixty, your health is still so good—it really makes us juniors envious.”

“Heh… old, old…” Fang Jiuming waved his hand, his wrinkled face smiling like a chrysanthemum. Then he asked, “Lord Lu, as the garrison commander of Hunyuan, you’ve controlled the city’s defenses for many years. What do you think of this new Assistant Commander, Lord Yue?”

Lu Youyuan gave a bitter smile and spread his hands. “What can I say? I’m just a small garrison commander. Since the court sent Lord Yue here, it must have its reasons. As an imperial officer, all I can do is obey.”

“Oh? Is that really so?” Fang Jiuming sneered. He pointed toward the door and barked, “Since Lord Lu is so open‑minded, then there’s no need for me to waste any more words. The door is over there—please see yourself out.”

“Uh…”

Lu Youyuan froze. He hadn’t expected this elderly man to be so short‑tempered, kicking him out at the slightest disagreement. He wanted to leave, but when he thought of the consequences, his legs felt as heavy as lead. In the end, he slowly walked up to Fang Jiuming, dropped to his knees with a thud, and cried out, “I beg you, Lord Fang, please save me!”

A flicker of something unreadable passed through Fang Jiuming’s eyes, while a barely restrained delight flashed across Fang Yingdi’s face behind him. Fang Jiuming then said calmly, “Lord Lu, you mustn’t do this. You are an imperial officer; I am just a withered old man on my last legs. I can’t accept such a bow. Yingdi, help Lord Lu up.”

“Yes.”

Fang Yingdi stepped forward to help him, but Lu Youyuan refused to rise, wailing on the floor instead. “Lord Fang, tomorrow Yue Yang will inspect all the soldiers’ muster rolls, the payroll records for past years, and the weapons inventory. But I… I’m just a rough fellow—I don’t know how to keep rolls or records! And as for the weapons, there aren’t any left! I’ve heard Yue Yang is a butcher who kills without blinking. If he finds my weaknesses, I’m as good as dead! Please, save me!”

Fang Jiuming’s eyes flashed with anger. “You… as the garrison commander of Hunyuan, it’s bad enough that you don’t have payroll records—but you don’t even have a muster roll? How on earth have you been doing your job?!”

Fang Yingdi looked on with undisguised contempt. This Lu Youyuan was not merely stupid—he was a complete idiot, good for nothing but drinking and chasing women.

Lu Youyuan could only keep kowtowing, his head thudding against the floor. By now he had no ideas left in his mind at all.

At last, Fang Jiuming sighed and had Fang Yingdi help him up. Lu Youyuan’s forehead was already bruised and bloodied, a miserable sight.

Judging the moment ripe, Fang Jiuming pondered briefly before saying, “Lord Lu, since you’ve come to me for help, I can hardly refuse. Let me ask you first—what do you think of Yue Yang?”

“Well…” Lu Youyuan hesitated, then said fearfully, “Lord Yue is decisive and fierce in battle—a rare and formidable general.”

“A formidable general? Heh…” Fang Jiuming chuckled darkly. “In my view, Yue Yang is nothing more than a blustering fool—brave but without brains.”

“What? A blustering fool?” Lu Youyuan exclaimed.

“You don’t believe me?” Fang Jiuming glanced at him sideways. “Then try this. Isn’t Yue Yang checking the muster rolls and armory tomorrow? Go incite the soldiers to riot over unpaid wages. Just watch how Yue Yang handles it.”

“This…” Lu Youyuan felt his head spin. “That’s no small matter. If it gets out of hand—”

At this point Fang Yingdi spoke up. “Lord Lu, that’s where you’re mistaken. From Hunyuan to Datong, how many times a year do the troops riot over pay? Has anyone ever really come to grief over it? As long as you keep it under control, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Fang Jiuming added, “And you don’t need to show yourself. Have a few of your thousand‑ and hundred‑man commanders take the lead. Once Yue Yang has seen what we can do, you can step in to clean things up. Then we’ll see whether he still dares to check the muster rolls.”

Lu Youyuan took several deep breaths, then clenched his teeth. “Fine. Soldiers are entitled to their pay. The court hasn’t issued rations for two months—what’s wrong with making a fuss? I’ll do it.”

Seeing him finally agree, Fang Jiuming and Fang Yingdi exchanged a glance, a trace of delight flashing in both their eyes.

Late at night, in a residence within Hunyuan City

“What? Lord Lu is going to stir up a pay riot?” A thousand‑man commander stared in shock at the hundred‑man officer before him.

“Yes, sir. It’s absolutely true. Just now Lord Lu summoned Commander Wang, Commander Qiu, and more than ten hundred‑man officers to his residence. I was there myself—that’s how I found out.”

The hundred‑man officer answered firmly. The thousand‑man commander he faced was named Chu Di, a local Hunyuan officer whose family wielded considerable influence. He rarely kowtowed to Lu Youyuan and was therefore often suppressed by him. The man before him was one of Chu Di’s secret confidants.

After a moment’s thought, Chu Di said, “Zhang Lifeng, remember this well—you must not get involved in this. Lu Youyuan is useless in success and disastrous in failure. I’m certain he’ll fall flat on his face this time. Pretend you never heard of it. Understand?”

“Yes.”