All these matters were heard by Fang Er of Fang Family Village.
After the last reconnaissance on Chai Shao, Lai Yifa dispatched all his subordinates, assigning scores based on the intelligence they gathered, which also served as an assessment.
Fang Er, seated on a chair, listened to Lai Yifa recount these events, his smile so wide his mouth nearly split.
Old Zhang had almost been ruined by his own son! And then he turned around to ruin Chai Shao!
Li Shimin had confiscated all of Chai Shao’s medicine again!
So, next, would the imperial palace usher in a baby boom?
Speaking of which, wasn't he himself contributing to the Fertility Decree?
Heh heh heh heh.
It felt exhilarating just thinking about it!
Chai Yue remained at the Chai residence. As the year drew to a close, Xiao Qing and the others began to get busy.
Xing’er, in particular, was being utilized by Fang Er as the family's bookkeeper.
Someone who could write and calculate should not be wasted.
Ledgers upon ledgers were piled on the desk in the study. Xing’er studied them with great seriousness, never having imagined that the Marquis would entrust such important matters to her.
Meanwhile, Fang Er was in the courtyard, examining the newly made ammunition chain back and forth.
Wherever there was a problem, he would casually take out a small file and work on it a few times.
Finally, satisfied, he nodded and stored the chain in a wooden box.
"Bring that brat out to me! If he doesn't give me an explanation today, I'll break his legs!"
Suddenly, an angry roar echoed from outside the courtyard.
Fang Er blinked in surprise.
What the hell? Who were they talking about?
Before he could even process it, he saw Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui walking side-by-side.
Behind them followed a group of household guards.
"What the hell!"
What were they trying to do?
"My lords, what is the matter? Speak your minds calmly. Don't be so rushed, or you'll faint again."
Fang Er quickly got up to greet them.
"You brat, you smuggled contraband inside the beans! Watch me beat you to death!"
Old Fang finished speaking, snatched a stick from a guard behind him, and swung it towards Fang Er's backside.
Fang Er: ...
Damn it, he was discovered!
He then scrambled to evade Fang Xuanling's pursuit in the courtyard.
Fang Er, in his teens, was young and strong. How could the fifty-two-year-old Old Fang catch up, especially with his recent overwork making his legs feel weak?
After only two rounds, he sat down on a chair, panting heavily.
Du Ruhui patted his shoulder, "Alright, Old Fang, calm down."
"I can't calm down! You've just had a child and didn't think carefully!"
"Let me ask you, if your sister-in-law hadn't shown up that day, what would have happened?"
Old Fang asked Du Ruhui with fierce anger.
"What would have happened if Lady Lu hadn't appeared?"
Two grown men, in the same room, getting drunk, taking… medicine…
Hissing…
Instantly, Old Du felt a tightening in his lower back. Damn it, the thought was terrifying!
He snatched the stick from Fang Xuanling's hand, "Brat, stop! Eat this stick!"
Fang Er: ...
"It's a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!"
"The brat just wanted to give Duke Fang a surprise. He didn't know you were drinking together!"
"So, the brat was just a seller of knives. If you bought a knife to kill someone, you can't blame the brat, can you?"
Du Ruhui paused, it seemed to make some sense.
"Misunderstanding, my ass! Couldn't you have just made things clear directly? What, you wanted to see me embarrassed, didn't you!"
Fang Xuanling's anger had not subsided.
The day after drinking with Du Ruhui, thinking about his own abnormal behavior, he suspected the beans had something wrong with them.
So, he went to his study alone and poured out all the beans. The small pills hidden inside were thus discovered.
Thinking that Old Du had covered for him, he sent a few pills to Old Du.
In the following days, he remained immersed in the sense of accomplishment from conquering the tiger in his household.
But today, the more he thought about it, the more it felt wrong. Damn it, if Lady Lu hadn't gone that day, and the two of them had succumbed to the effects of the medicine, the consequences…
Fang Xuanling, having recovered his breath, stood up again to chase Fang Er.
Fang Er no longer dared to run. He was afraid that if these two important figures stumbled, his guilt would be even greater.
"Alright, alright, the brat admits his mistake. I ask for your punishment!"
Saying this, he stood his ground and truly stopped running.
Fang Xuanling raised his stick high, but it didn't fall.
Du Ruhui did the same.
After all, one had added to his lineage, and the other had risen from serfdom to sing.
They had come this time just to vent their frustration. Seeing Fang Er like this, they lowered their hands.
"Brat, I won't hit you, but this matter cannot end like this!"
"That's right! It cannot end like this!"
Du Ruhui echoed Fang Xuanling's words.
Upon hearing this, Fang Er sheepishly leaned closer, "Heh heh, my lords, what do you suggest then?"
Fang Xuanling extended his hand, "Ten catties of beans, ten catties of wine, and another ten catties of small pills!"
Du Ruhui: "The same for me, ten catties of each!"
Fang Er: ...
Ten catties of peanuts and ten catties of wine were no problem.
But, were they serious about wanting ten catties of blue pills?
Weren't they afraid of dying in bed?
Ten catties of pills would kill people!
Fang Er looked at them in disbelief.
Fang Xuanling waved his hand, "You don't need to worry about that. I have my own uses for them."
"Brother Fang is right!"
Du Ruhui nodded.
Fang Er felt as though he had dug his own grave.
Twenty catties… how much would that be in exchange? The five million points suddenly felt precarious!
Thus, he tentatively extended a finger in response.
"Ten catties is too much. How about a thousand pills each?"
"Deal!"
Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui agreed readily.
Fang Er: ...
Damn it! He had haggled too little! How come it felt like he could have negotiated for a hundred pills each?
ps: Fifth update