Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 315: Chapter 305 Memorials to the Imperial City

Yang Zhenshan’s gaze fixed on Zhang Maosheng, stroking his beard, then he said to Song Dashan, “Let the brothers withdraw. Seal off the Zhang family, forbid anyone from the Zhang family from going out. As for the internal affairs of the Zhang family, there’s no need to investigate for now!”

Upon hearing this, Song Dashan had yet to react, but Zhang Maosheng suddenly lifted his head, looking at Yang Zhenshan.

Yang Zhenshan smiled and said, “Investigation is not under this general’s authority. This general is only responsible for blockading everything related to the Salt Transport Department!”

The Zhang family’s behavior was beyond his expectation, but it also made him realize that the Zhang family was not just a simple group of wealthy merchants.

A family with a long inheritance must have their ways of survival.

Just like the Changping Marquis Mansion and the Zhang family right in front of him.

Over three hundred years span not just a few generations, but more like a dozen generations. To not have declined after all these generations, there must be sound reasons.

Yang Zhenshan was not entirely clear about the depths of the Zhang family’s roots, but he understood that the Zhang family would neither flee nor resist.

Because once they resist, that would be equivalent to cornering themselves, and in the end, they would have only one dark path to follow.

Since the Zhang family would neither resist nor flee, Yang Zhenshan saw no need to imprison them. It was sufficient to confine them.

Confinement surely is better than imprisonment, right?

“Thank you, General, thank you so much!” Zhang Maosheng kept thanking profusely.

Yang Zhenshan looked at him, “No need for thanks. I hope your Zhang family doesn’t do anything to make this general embarrassed. Otherwise, you should understand the consequences!”

“Yes, General, rest assured. My Zhang family will stay at home honestly and wait for the court’s investigation,” Zhang Maosheng assured sensibly.

Yang Zhenshan nodded slightly, then glanced at the gleaming silver ingots in front of the hall and turned to leave the Zhang residence.

At the same time, Song Dashan also led the soldiers to withdraw from the Zhang family.

“Arrange for someone to guard here.”

Yang Zhenshan ordered, then went back to the Zheng family with Zheng Xiao.

On the way back, Zheng Xiao couldn’t help asking, “Aren’t you afraid the Zhang family will pull some tricks?”

“They won’t.”

“Why?”

“Because they are not on the same side as Luo Fu!” Yang Zhenshan said with a smile.

“Not on the same side?” Zheng Xiao was surprised.

Yang Zhenshan explained, “The Zhang family has recorded all the dealings in silver with Luo Fu over the years. Evidently they have long been prepared. Once Luo Fu runs into trouble, they will abandon him!”

“They might have had many dealings before, but the Zhang family never regarded Luo Fu as one of their own, otherwise, they wouldn’t keep such accounts.”

Collusion between officials and businessmen is mostly the businessmen being tools for officials to accumulate wealth, but the Zhang family has turned the tables; they made officials their tool to ensure their security.

Since they’re tools, they can be discarded at any time.

Maybe the Zhang family had previously invested a lot and spent much silver on Luo Fu and others, but a tool remains a tool; they will not hesitate to throw it away when necessary.

This is the cleverness of the Zhang family, as well as their helpless move.

Of course, the Zhang family dared to do so also because they had other foundations; they definitely sponsored more officials than just Luo Fu. With Luo Fu gone, they could ask for assistance from other officials.

As long as they are willing to spend silver, many officials would likely aid them, helping them navigate troubles.

By the time crimes are discussed, all they need to do is spend wealth to avoid disaster.

Zheng Xiao quickly understood the key point and couldn’t help cursing, “Merchants truly are cunning!”

“Heh heh…”

Yang Zhenshan chuckled softly, not saying anything more.

This night, the fortress city was very quiet, even more than usual; there was no disturbance, as if everything seemed extraordinarily peaceful.

However, many people understood that beneath this veneer of calm, undercurrents were swirling.

With Luo Fu captured and the Salt Transport Department shut down, many officials involved were sleepless through the night. Dark shadows occasionally darted across the gloomy streets, quickly vanishing into the night.

Messenger pigeons and shadows jumped over the city walls, leaving the fortress city.

On top of the South City Gate, Song Dashan and a group of soldiers lit bonfires, roasting delicious pigeons.

“My Lord, we’ve shot down another one!”

A dark-faced soldier ran over with a pigeon, grinning widely.

“Roast it, roast it!” Song Dashan said with a mouth full of grease, still overjoyed to see the pigeon.

“But many pigeons have flown away!” the soldier whispered.

Song Dashan waved his hand indifferently, “The general said there’s no need to worry.”

Messenger pigeons are supposed to be the simplest and quickest way to send messages here, but preventing message delivery by pigeon isn’t easy.

Don’t think that sending messages by pigeons is just releasing one; in reality, a proper messenger pigeon system involves releasing several birds at once to prevent accidents from stopping the delivery.

Moreover, the cost of messenger pigeons is not low; raising and training pigeons is not an easy task.

But tonight, it seemed that all the pigeons in Liao’an fortress city had been released, and even though Song Dashan and his men shot down more than a dozen, there were still many that got away.

Not just pigeons, but people too. The walls of Liao’an fortress city weren’t low – almost ten meters high – but such walls could not stop Martial Artists.

Yang Zhenshan had no intention of obstructing them; indeed, it would have been too troublesome to do so.

Let them send their messages.

After all, Yang Zhenshan’s goal had been achieved. His purpose in coming to Liao’an Prefecture was to save Zheng Xiao, and now that Zheng Xiao was safe, other matters had little to do with him.

The night passed without event, and the next day Yang Zhenshan and Zheng Xiao went to the Salt Transport Department office.

The Salt Transport Department office had been completely sealed off; all warehouses and rooms had their seals affixed, and all officials were incarcerated in the backyard of the office, which was also Luo Fu’s residence.

Luo Fu and his family were even more significant as subjects of close supervision.

After inspecting the place and finding no issues, the two returned to where they were staying.

Like Yang Zhenshan, Zheng Xiao knew that the subsequent steps were beyond his control. A case of such magnitude would typically involve the Three Divisions investigating and presiding over the court proceedings. As an Imperial Censor of the salt inspection, Zheng Xiao was merely a whistleblower and not the judge of the case.

It was on the afternoon of the second day after Yang Zhenshan’s arrival at Liao’an Prefecture when Yang Mingzhi and Yang Minghao reached the Capital City.

The bustling Capital City was a real eye-opener for these two country bumpkins; neither Chongshan Town nor the Liaodong Region was as wealthy as Da Rong.

Apart from Jiangnan, the Capital City was the most prosperous and affluent area in Da Rong.

Compared to Liaodong, the Capital City was like another world.

However, the brothers were in no mood to appreciate this prosperity. After entering the city, they headed straight for the outer office of the Jingyun Gate in the Imperial City.

The outer office was specifically for submitting official reports, which were then delivered to the inner office, and from there, they would be carried to the Imperial Study Room by a eunuch.

Things proceeded smoothly, and soon Yang Mingzhi and Yang Minghao exited Jingyun Gate.

“We’ve entered the Imperial City!” Yang Minghao looked back at Jingyun Gate with disbelief.

Yang Mingzhi was filled with worry, especially about Yang Zhenshan. He was concerned that Yang Zhenshan’s private dispatch of troops to Liao’an Prefecture might cause trouble.

“Indeed, we passed through,” said Yang Mingzhi softly.

Ming Hao curiously glanced at the Imperial City, but alas, from his position, he could only see a corner of it and not the grandeur of its entirety.

“Let’s go, we need to find Wu Zheng!” said Yang Mingzhi softly.

“Okay!”

The two brothers departed, and their report was swiftly delivered to the Imperial Study Room.

At that time, it was the afternoon. Emperor Chengping, having rested for a moment, had just awakened and washed his face.

Eunuch Chen entered the study with two official reports.

“Where are these reports from?” asked Emperor Chengping.

“Your Majesty, these are from Zheng Xiao, the Imperial Censor of the salt inspection in Liaodong, and General Yang of the Tenglong Guard,” Eunuch Chen cheerfully placed the two reports on the desk by the couch.

Emperor Chengping gathered his slightly disordered white hair, then, supported by two young eunuchs, leaned back on the soft couch.

“Your Majesty, this is the lotus seed soup brought by Consort Ning,” said Eunuch Chen.

He took out a bowl of lotus seed soup from a food box and placed it in front of Emperor Chengping.

After taking a couple of sips, Emperor Chengping set it down and then opened the recently arrived reports.

He first read Yang Zhenshan’s report, and after finishing, he looked displeased.

No matter the reason, the unauthorized movement of troops was a major taboo, especially as Emperor Chengping was particularly sensitive at the moment, extremely averse to such matters.

However, his prior impression of Yang Zhenshan was not bad, so his annoyance was somewhat restrained, and he did not burst into anger immediately.

Setting down Yang Zhenshan’s report, he then opened Zheng Xiao’s.

As he read, his face grew darker, his eyes even more grim.

“Scoundrels!”

After reading, Emperor Chengping became furiously angry, sweeping the bowl of lotus seed soup from the desk with a sweep of his sleeve.

“Your Majesty, please calm your anger!”

Inside the study, Eunuch Chen and several young eunuchs quickly knelt and shouted.

Emperor Chengping paid them no heed, glancing once more at the report in his hand, he commanded, “Summon the Ministers of the Ministry of Criminal Justice and the Ministry of Justice, and the Left and Right Imperial Censors of the Imperial Examination Hall!”

“Yes!” Eunuch Chen responded, swiftly rising from the floor, bowed his head, and exited the study, hastening his pace to almost a jog.

As Eunuch Chen just left, Emperor Chengping began to cough violently, frightening the young eunuchs into a panic; they hurried to assist him, hastily bringing water to help him breathe. Eunuch Chen quickened his pace even further.

After a bout of coughing, Emperor Chengping finally caught his breath, but his complexion was rather poor.

His deep eyes were filled with scarcely concealed rage.

His fury was not because of Yang Zhenshan, Luo Fu, or even Zheng Xiao.

Having ascended to the throne for thirty years, what corrupt official had he not seen? Could it be that he would be enraged by a single Luo Fu?

It was the people behind Luo Fu who truly infuriated him.

Just by reading the report once, he knew there had to be others behind Luo Fu; otherwise, Luo Fu would never have had such audacity.

As for who was behind Luo Fu, Yang Zhenshan could speculate a little, but Emperor Chengping could guess most of it.

It was for this reason that he was so enraged.