Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 150: Chapter 146 I want to watch you practice sword!

After inspecting four garrisons, Yang Zhenshan returned to the city.

On the way back, Xie Yuan couldn’t help but ask, ”Sir, do you not plan to deal with those garrison commanders?”

Yang Zhenshan looked at him and asked, ”Why didn’t you deal with them before?”

Those three garrison commanders were subordinates of Xie Yuan; logically, it would not have been difficult for Xie Yuan to handle them.

Xie Yuan lowered his head and after a moment of silence, said, ”They are Tian Gui’s men!”

Yang Zhenshan revealed a cold smile at the corner of his mouth, ”Let them celebrate the New Year first; it also prevents anyone from saying that this official is unkind.”

In the following two days, Yang Zhenshan revisited all the garrisons outside the city, a total of nine, except that Shaling Castle was slightly in better condition, the rest were already in a state of disrepair.

When the inspection was completed, Yang Zhenshan returned to the garrison office and said to Wei Cen, ”Do me a favor.”

”What favor?” Wei Cen had been busy these days, keeping an eye on Yi Shan and others while also investigating Sha Pingchuan, for which he had even reassigned many people.

”Help me check the specific details about Xie Yuan and Tian Gui, the information you gave me before was too brief; I need more detailed information!” Yang Zhenshan said.

Previously, Wei Cen had given him a booklet with information about Tian Gui, but the information was quite simple, and Yang Zhenshan was not very satisfied.

Wei Cen frowned, ”This is not our responsibility.”

Yang Zhenshan glanced at him sideways; indeed, it was not something the Secret Martial Guards should handle.

”Investigating smuggling cases is not my responsibility either!”

”I help you investigate the smuggling cases, and you help me investigate the situation in the garrisons below, isn’t this mutual assistance?”

The Secret Martial Guards were not something Yang Zhenshan could command, but since Wei Cen was here, he naturally wanted to make use of him.

Moreover, Yang Zhenshan had faith in the capability of the Secret Martial Guards; he could also send Yang Minghao or Song Dashan to investigate, but clearly, they were not as useful as the Secret Martial Guards.

Wei Cen thought for a moment and said, ”I understand, I will get you the results as soon as possible!”

Seeing that he agreed, Yang Zhenshan chuckled, ”No rush, the New Year is approaching, let the brothers relax a bit; you can give me the results after the New Year!”

Wei Cen did not want to deal with him and said coldly, ”Understood!”

Getting a bargain and still playing cute, Yang Zhenshan was typical.

Yang Zhenshan smiled, stroking his beard, and walked briskly back to the backyard.

It was almost New Year, and the Yang family was preparing for the celebration, cutting Chunhua, pasting couplets, hanging lanterns, it looked especially festive.

”Dad, look, this is the deer I just bought, and I managed to snatch it up!”

Just as Yang Zhenshan walked into the backyard, he saw Yang Mingcheng along with two servants carrying a deer towards the kitchen.

”Ah!”

Yang Zhenshan looked at the dead deer, smiled, and nodded, ”Not bad, let the kitchen prepare it, we’ll have roast meat tonight!”

To the south of An Yuan City lay a continuous forest, part of Thousand Layers Mountain, dense with vegetation and home to many wild animals, thus in An Yuan City there were often people selling wild game.

Although there were many who sold wild game, deers like this were quite rare.

Being able to buy a deer near the festival was indeed a fortunate event.

”Alright, I’ll prepare it now!”

Pleased with Yang Zhenshan’s praise, Yang Mingcheng eagerly hurried the servants towards the kitchen.

Yang Zhenshan watched him go, couldn’t help but shake his head amusedly.

Back in the main courtyard, as he walked into the hall, Yang Zhenshan saw Yu Qingyi sitting on a Luohan bed in the west room doing needlework.

Today, Yu Qingyi wore a moonlight white brocade jacket, a simple silver hairpin on her head, as she sat sewing a cape, looking very serious.

Yang Zhenshan hesitated for a moment before walking towards the west room.

”Greetings, Master!”

The maid and the young girl serving saw Yang Zhenshan and quickly paid their respects.

Hearing the noise, Yu Qingyi quickly stood up, ”Greetings, Sir!”

”No need for formalities! What is this you are making?” Yang Zhenshan asked, looking at the white cape, puzzled.

Cheeks flushed, Yu Qingyi replied, ”This is for you, Sir!”

Yang Zhenshan was taken aback.

He had not expected Yu Qingyi to be making clothes for him.

But he quickly regained his composure, a warm smile unconsciously appearing on his face.

”You may all leave now!”

He sent the maid and the young girl away.

Yu Qingyi felt somewhat uncomfortable.

”Sit down,” Yang Zhenshan smiled and said, ”Continue your work, let me try it once you’re done!”

Having someone willing to make clothes for him was a good thing.

His clothing previously, aside from ready-made ones bought from outside, were all made by Yunyan and Yunxue.

Daughters making clothes for dad was very common, but a woman making clothes for a man!

Yang Zhenshan felt incredibly pleased.

He looked at Yu Qingyi, seeing her face blushing, and his lips involuntarily curled upwards.

Feeling the unease under his gaze, Yu Qingyi couldn’t help but say, ”Sir, you’ve been busy all day, perhaps you should rest first!”

Yang Zhenshan realized that staring at her might be inappropriate and averted his eyes, chuckling, ”It’s fine, I’m not tired!”

Saying this, he stood up and left the room only to return soon, this time with a book in his hand.

He sat down at the other end of the Luohan bed and began reading.

Yun Qingyi looked at him with suspicion for a few moments, but seeing that he was truly just reading, she felt somewhat relieved.

”Xiao Ya, make some tea for the master!”

She instructed the maid standing outside the door.

The young maid was diligent and quickly brought a pot of tea over.

Yang Zhenshan sipped the tea while reading his book, ”Do you also do needlework?”

”Mm!” Yun Qingyi lowered her head and responded.

Yang Zhenshan put down his book and remarked, ”I thought that a woman Jianghu warrior like you would only know how to wield swords and guns!”

Yun Qingyi felt somewhat displeased by his words, ”A woman Jianghu warrior still needs to eat and wear clothes!”

Yang Zhenshan thought for a moment and felt that this statement was very true.

Jianghu warriors too needed to eat and wear clothes.

People from worldly society are not noble sons and daughters, they cannot live a life where everything is handed to them.

In fact, the so-called worldly society is not a carefree world; Jianghu martial artists also need to eat, drink, and relieve themselves, they also have to struggle for their livelihood, and even for obtaining resources for cultivation, their hardships are no less than those of ordinary people.

And those sects in Jianghu are the same, they need to manage businesses and take care of the lands; they cannot solely focus on cultivation without taking care of anything else.

”How many people are in your Sky Blue Sword Sect?” Yang Zhenshan continued to ask.

Yun Qingyi thought for a bit and replied, ”Apart from me, there are four elders and forty-three disciples!”

”So few?” Yang Zhenshan was surprised.

He had thought that the Sky Blue Sword Sect would have hundreds of people, but it turned out to be only forty-three.

”It’s already not too few, any more and we couldn’t afford to support them!” said Yun Qingyi.

”Can’t afford to? Are your properties limited?”

Yun Qingyi brushed her hair from her forehead and said, ”My lord isn’t aware of the court’s order limiting armament?”

Yang Zhenshan thought for a moment; he seemed to have heard about the order limiting armament but wasn’t familiar with the specific details.

”Not very clear!”

Yun Qingyi wasn’t surprised, as the order targeted Jianghu schools and many officials were not clear on it.

”We cannot engage in commerce!”

Yang Zhenshan nodded, he knew this point, as in fact not only the Jianghu sects were prohibited from commerce, but also the official’s relatives.

He roughly understood what Yun Qingyi meant.

If Jianghu sects cannot engage in commerce, they would only be able to manage some land properties, or perhaps have their disciples work as guards or escorts.

In terms of commerce, Jianghu sects and officials were different, although officials were also banned from commerce, many loopholes existed for them, such as finding a trustworthy person to do business, which would allow an official to reap the benefits, or to take a few merchant-born mistresses for an official-business collusion, etc.

But for Jianghu sects, it wouldn’t work, leaving aside the issue of taking mistresses, the key is that Jianghu sects have no authority and no merchants would want to spend silver on them.

Relying solely on land and property, indeed, could not support too many people.

Thus, Yang Zhenshan and Yun Qingyi chatted casually; this was their first time sitting together chatting.

Through the chat, Yang Zhenshan gained a better understanding of the Sky Blue Sword Sect; although the sect was fairly well-known, it was actually just a small sect.

The entire sect had just dozens of members, naturally, it couldn’t count as a major sect.

Actually, within the great boundary of Da Rong, there were no powerful major sects either.

Most sects had only dozens of members, the larger ones just over a hundred.

This was understandable, if there were sects with thousands of members, the court and government would certainly not tolerate them.

”My lord, would you like to try it?”

Yun Qingyi, having prepared the cloak, said with a hint of shyness.

”Sure!” Yang Zhenshan smiled, set down the book in his hand, and stood up.

Yun Qingyi draped the cloak over Yang Zhenshan’s back and fastened the buttons for him.

Yang Zhenshan looked down at the woman close in front of him, his eyes involuntarily filled with tenderness.

Her clean forehead, long eyelashes, skilled hands flipping through the clothes in front of him.

These hands were not soft and boneless, but rather were calloused, especially around the base of the thumb where the calluses were thick and hard.

Looking at those calluses, Yang Zhenshan was reminded that the woman in front of him was not a gentle woman, but a martial artist with a cultivation of the Postnatal Sixth Layer.

Cultivation was a very hard task, Yang Zhenshan understood this very well.

Practicing in the heat of summer and the cold of winter.

Yun Qingyi’s calluses were formed from practicing swordsmanship.

Suddenly, Yang Zhenshan grasped her hand, ”Your swordsmanship must be very impressive!”

His abrupt action startled Yun Qingyi, although she was somewhat mentally prepared, Yang Zhenshan’s sudden move still made her instinctively want to step back.

”I want to see you practice swordsmanship!”

However, Yang Zhenshan didn’t give her a chance to retreat and pulled her out of the room.

”I haven’t taken my sword yet!” Yun Qingyi said softly.

Yang Zhenshan stopped, ”Xiao Ya, go get the sword!”

The young maidservant dared not look up; hearing Yang Zhenshan说s words, she scurried into the room like a startled rabbit.

The sky was dim, and unknowingly, snowflakes had begun to drift down.

Yun Qingyi held her sword and danced amidst the snow; her swordsmanship was not the graceful type, each move was filled with fierce killing intent.

The sword’s edge was chill, piercing through flake after flake of snow.