Chapter 13: Plan to Raise Money and Generals’ eting
Hearing his mother’s voice, Lie Fan stopped hugging the frozen Ying Yue and turned around to see Yu Yan’s shocked expression, her hand covering her mouth. He felt a little embarrassed, since he had never told his family about his relationship with Ying Yue. Although he knew his parents would approve, Ying Yue still felt insecure—she believed that, as a maid, her status was not worthy of him.
As expected, upon hearing Yu Yan’s voice, Ying Yue turned pale and hid behind Lie Fan. Embarrassed and afraid, she worried that Yu Yan would disapprove and force them apart.
But instead of anger, Yu Yan’s face broke into a wide, happy smile. She laughed joyfully and clapped her hands.
Yu Yan: “Finally, the two of you are together! Fan’er, why didn’t you tell your mother that you were in a relationship with Ying Yue?”
Lie Fan: “Haha… sorry, Mother. Fan’er has been so busy with many things that I forgot to tell you. You’re not angry, are you?”
Yu Yan: “Angry? Why would I be angry? Of course, I’m happy! You don’t know how much I wanted the two of you to be together all this ti. But I didn’t want to push you—you’re a man now and should make your own choices.”
Lie Fan: “Thank you, Mother! Yue’er, no need to be shy. You heard what my mother said—co, greet your future mother-in-law.”
Though Ying Yue’s heart overflowed with joy at Yu Yan’s approval, her shyness lingered. Slowly, she stepped forward and bowed slightly.
Ying Yue: “Hello, Madam. Thank you for your approval.”
Yu Yan: “Haiyah, why call ‘Madam’? Just call ‘Mother’ from now on, Yue’er.”
Ying Yue: “Yes, Mad— I an, Mother.” blushes
Watching his mother and Ying Yue interact filled Lie Fan with happiness. Now, Ying Yue was recognized by his family, and they could openly be together. On the side, Wannian—still too young to understand—saw her big brother hug Ying Yue and quickly ran over to hug her as well.
The four of them spent so warm ti together in the garden. Yu Yan eventually ordered Lie Fan to take a bath after his long expedition and told him to join them in the dining room afterward. She had instructed the kitchen to prepare all of his favorite dishes and snacks to celebrate both his return and the start of his relationship with Ying Yue.
After a refreshing bath, Lie Fan changed into clean clothes and joined them in the dining room. Seeing the table filled with his favorite food, he began eating heartily, while Yu Yan smiled at the sight of her son’s appetite. She carefully served Wannian and Ying Yue as well.
Yu Yan: “Fan’er, after you finish eating, let’s go to the study. We need to talk about our plans.”
Lie Fan: “Okay, Mother. I’ve co up with so new ideas that might fit our situation better.”
Yu Yan: “That’s good. But eat slowly—the food isn’t going anywhere.”
Planning in the Study
Once they finished eating, Lie Fan and Yu Yan moved to the study.
Yu Yan: “Fan’er, I’ve seen your schematics for the copper mirror and wine production. I think they’re feasible, but we need capital. Most of our money is still tied up in rebuilding my caravan.”
Lie Fan: “Don’t worry, Mother. I have money we seized from the bandits—enough to serve as starting capital. For the wine, since we already own a distillery, we only need trusted people and the right ingredients. As for a tavern or restaurant, we can buy a modest one and place it under our clan’s ownership so all profits co directly to us.”
Yu Yan: “That’s an excellent idea. But copper will be a problem. Huai’an doesn’t have much supply, and the rchants charge hefty prices.”
Lie Fan: “I noticed potential copper deposits while hunting bandits around Huai’an. We can send people to investigate. At the sa ti, we should purchase small workshops and smithies, run them ourselves, and produce the mirrors directly. If we brand them as state property, other rchants will hesitate to undermine us.”
Yu Yan: “Good. Show the areas where you think copper can be found, and I’ll handle buying the ingredients for wine and acquiring a few taverns or restaurants. Their profits will help fund the mining and smithy operations.”
Lie Fan: “Alright. I’ll prepare a map with the potential copper sites. I’ll also have Chao Bai send you the money we took from the bandits.”
The mother and son continued brainstorming for nearly two hours, considering every detail, including possible legal loopholes they could exploit. Their discussion ended only when a servant announced that Lie Shang had returned and was waiting for Lie Fan.
The Generals’ eting
Lie Fan went to the eting room, where Lie Shang was hosting the military commanders of Huai’an—leaders from the army, city guards, and navy. The atmosphere was heavy and serious, the n deeply engaged in discussion.
Lie Shang: “Ah, my son has arrived. Sit here beside .”
At his words, the commanders rose to salute both father and son. Lie Fan quickly told them to be at ease before taking his seat.
Lie Shang: “Fan’er, I’ve already told the commanders what you discovered about the Yellow Turbans. Since you were the one who uncovered the true situation, we all agreed you should be included in this discussion. You know more than any of us.”
Lie Fan: “Thank you, Father, and thank you, commanders, for your trust. I’ll share everything I know.”
He spoke carefully, revealing enough to be useful but not so much that others would suspect how he had obtained the information. He explained that the Yellow Turban movent was led by Zhang Jiao, assisted by his brothers Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang. Around Huai’an alone, there were so 7,500 Yellow Turbans scattered in various groups—over twice the number of defenders, as Huai’an only had 3,000 soldiers, 250 city guards, and 300 marines.
He also described the brutality he had witnessed and explained how the Yellow Turbans spread propaganda, claiming that Heaven no longer supported the Han Dynasty. Many starving, desperate peasants were swayed by this ssage, especially with the empire plagued by famine while the emperor ignored his people.
Character Status
Na: Lie Fan
Title: Bandit Vanquisher
Age: 15 years old (33 years old)
Level: 9
Next Level: 512,000
Renown: 17
Cultivation: Art of War (Level 7)
SP: 99,700
Attributes:
STR: 108
VIT: 75
AGI: 75
INT: 88
WIS: 60
WILL: 22
Available Points: 0
User Comments
0 comments from readers