Chapter 924 - 767: Using Grandsons to Command the Scholars

Just as the morning bell rang out from the Guangling County Tower, before the sound had fully dissipated, the people heard the clatter of gongs and drums, and they emerged from their houses, wondering: "Why is this morning bell such a mess today?"

The neighbors were confused and said, "Is someone getting married with all this gong and drum beating?"

As they spoke, Yuan Xing charged ahead, straight towards the Fang Family manor. Behind him, over a hundred members of the Anti-Japanese Army, both elderly and young, were carrying broken gongs and old drums, looking jubilant all the way.

Some curious Guangling County folk went up to them and asked, "Lord, what are you doing?"

Yuan Xing laughed heartily, "With mountain bandits and pirates wreaking havoc, the three major families of the Fang, Li, and Wang in Guangling County are each willing to recruit a hundred soldiers to join our Anti-Japanese Army to fight the bandits and resist the pirates. A few days ago, documents from the Ministry of War arrived, and today we’ve come to take them back to the Anti-Japanese Army camp."

The people gathered around the Anti-Japanese Army, puzzled, "We just heard about pirates causing trouble in Jingjiang County, killing many."

Zhou Chang, looking sorrowful, said, "Only one out of ten people in the city survived."

The people’s cries of alarm resounded, "So many deaths? Those pirates deserve to die!"

At this time, an older person among the populace, suspicious, said, "Resisting the pirates is a must, but are the Fang, Li, and Wang families really so kind-hearted? If the fire isn’t burning on their heads, would they really spend money and effort?"

Yuan Xing patiently explained, "The masters of the Fang, Li, and Wang families are all scholars well-versed in classic texts. If they don’t lend a hand when the people of Jingjiang County are in trouble, wouldn’t all those classic texts they’ve studied be as good as wasted?"

Yuan Xi, amidst the Anti-Japanese Army, interrupted coldly, "If you don’t believe it, you can come along with us."

The people, without even washing their faces, hurriedly followed behind the Anti-Japanese Army, shouting, "Let’s go, let’s go!"

The Anti-Japanese Army, sounding gongs and drums, approached the Fang Family’s gates, banging louder as they got closer. This startled the Fang Family members, who emerged to investigate, standing on the stone steps with expressions of uncertainty.

Though the Anti-Japanese Army was of mixed quality, everyone had a Japanese sword hanging from their waist, with their clothes stained with pirate blood.

In the crowd, Chen Ji signaled with his eyes, and Zhou Chang and Li Si quickly led their teams, flanking both sides along the courtyard walls to the back, firmly surrounding the entire Fang mansion, allowing no one to escape.

The Fang Family, terrified and uneasy, shouted loudly, "What are you doing? Do you know whose residence you’ve surrounded?"

Yuan Xing, mounted at the foot of the stone steps, holding the reins, remained indifferent.

He looked around at the couplets of the Fang Family and boldly recited, "The main line reads: Preserve the past and accommodate the future, possessing three thousand volumes of poetry and classics; and the secondary line reads: Guard the territory and bring peace to the people, having an army of a hundred thousand households in the heart. What a fine couplet, but I wonder if the Fang Family is worthy of it."

The Fang Family members shouted angrily, "These were composed by Master Zhang, the Assistant Minister of War, personally inscribed when our master passed the scholarly exam. How dare you rural commoners talk nonsense about it!"

Yuan Xing knew the Minister of War, but he had no idea what that long prefix meant.

He turned to Yuan Xi and quietly asked, "You studied the Jiangnan of the Ning Dynasty at the Imperial Academy, what is this?"

Yuan Xi tersely replied, "The highest official in Southern Zhili."

Yuan Xing sneered, "Oh, so it’s Southern Zhili, I thought it was something else."

While speaking, the servant helped Fang Zhongqing, who tremblingly stepped over the threshold and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, our wells don’t disturb each other’s rivers, why have you suddenly come to the Fang Family?"

Yuan Xing laughed heartily, and said loudly, "I’ve heard that the Fang, Li, and Wang families have all recruited enough soldiers, and we have come to thank them and, by the way, to take the newly recruited Anti-Japanese Army for training."

The Fang Family’s expressions changed: "That’s not what you said before, our Fang Family recruited troops for..."

"Oh?" Yuan Xing interrupted, pointing at the people behind him, "Raise your voice so that the Guangling County people can hear what your Fang Family intends to do?"

On the stone steps, a middle-aged scholar said in a deep voice, "You rascal, are you trying to scheme against the Fang Family for profit without capital..."

Before he could finish, Fang Zhongqing pressed on his son’s wrist to stop him from speaking.

Fang Zhongqing’s gaze swept across the heads of the murmuring people, noticing some pointing at the Merit Flag Pole in front of the Fang Family door.

He slowly said, "Our Fang Family indeed intends to support the fight against the pirates. My eldest grandson Fang Jingzhong recently managed to fortunately secure a position as a commander after killing pirates, and is now gathering troops to continue resisting them."

Yuan Xing sat upon his horse, leaned forward, and praised, "The old man is indeed the stabilizing pillar of the Fang Family, more insightful than your younger kin."

The middle-aged scholar’s face was livid, "You!"

Yuan Xing mocked, "Still shouting? Do you want all the Guangling County people to know that your Fang Family is rich and heartless?"

Just then, Fang Zhongqing loudly addressed the people below the steps, "Fellow villagers, with the pirates rampant in Jiangnan, villages and counties near Ningbo Prefecture, Taizhou Prefecture, and Wenzhou Prefecture have suffered one after another, with countless deaths, wives and daughters abducted. A few days ago, the elderly here visited Jingjiang County and saw the houses burned, and the people displaced. Therefore, I returned to Guangling County to recruit soldiers to protect our own people."

The people erupted in astonishment, with someone shouting, "Exactly, why care about other places, protecting Guangling County is urgent!"

"What if the pirates come to Guangling County, what should we do?"

Fang Zhongqing continued, "I had previously discussed with the Lord that, once the one hundred soldiers were recruited, they would stay here in Guangling County to maintain peace. But I don’t know why the Lord changed his mind today."

Someone called out to Yuan Xing, "Lord, you cannot take away all the soldiers and horses."

Yuan Xing sized up Fang Zhongqing and said softly, "Old thing, well done."

Fang Zhongqing was unruffled, "Sir, listen to the people’s voice."

Yuan Xing laughed heartily and told the people, "Fellow villagers, do you know who the Fang Family recruited for their army? Li Bing from the west of the city, Zhang Erma and his brothers from the east..."