Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 499: Chapter 457: Deep Benevolence and Profound Virtue Nurturing 10 Million People in Liaodong!_2

Compared to Jizhou, the situation in Chongshan Town is much better.

As long as refugees enter Chongshan Town, they can have a full meal, and once the refugees reach the resettled village, they can receive three months of rations.

With food in hand, the work of accepting refugees in Chongshan Town becomes smoother.

By September, the number of refugees settled in Chongshan Town had exceeded 300,000.

The influx of a large number of refugees has also had a significant impact on Chongshan Town.

First of all, commodity prices have skyrocketed; food, cotton fabric, cooking oil, seasonings, tea, and almost all items have increased in price by 30 to 50 percent.

Even tea leaves have increased in price!

Naturally, refugees cannot afford to buy tea leaves, but it is not only the refugees who have come to Chongshan Town; many wealthy families have also fled here.

The most terrible thing about severe drought is the lack of water. Whether ordinary people or affluent families, once there is no water, they must flee.

These wealthy families do not care for the wastelands arranged by Chongshan Town, so they have not joined Chongshan Town but have merely sought refuge in Chongshan Pass.

A large number of affluent families have flooded into the town of Chongshan Town, especially Chongshan Pass. In just two months, hundreds of wealthy families, along with their families, have moved into Chongshan Pass.

Hundreds of families may not sound a lot, but in these wealthy families, each family includes numerous members, sometimes up to a dozen or even dozens, plus servants; a family is not considered wealthy unless they number in the hundreds.

Not to mention other things, even the price of houses in Chongshan Pass has increased by thirty percent.

Inside the General Mansion, Yang Zhenshan, listening to Lu Wenhua’s report, shakes his head in distress, ”If I had known this earlier, I would have built more houses in the city!”

He can’t make money from the refugees, but he can make money from these wealthy households.

Lu Wenhua smiled and said, ”Marquis, this time the Tenglong Guard may really strike it rich!”

”...”

Yang Zhenshan was speechless.

Indeed!

This time, the Tenglong Guard has really made a fortune, not just the Tenglong Guard, the six major agencies, and the merchants in Chongshan Town are likely to make a decent profit.

With soaring prices, the demand for various commodities increases, allowing merchants to make a hefty profit.

With a severe drought in Liaodong, all goods from Chongshan Town can only be transported through Liaoxi and the Tenglong Guard.

Liaoxi is a land route, and along with the previous plundering by the Wuliang army, it has not yet recovered, so this time the Tenglong Guard became the channel for goods to enter and leave Chongshan Town.

The Tenglong Guard is fortunate, as their area is less affected by the disaster. Although the crops in their fields are somewhat affected, the profit from transporting goods far exceeds the impact of the drought.

However, whether it is the price hike or Tenglong Guard seizing the opportunity to make a profit, it is a normal market change. Yang Zhenshan can neither stop the price hike nor prevent Tenglong Guard from profiting.

Of course, Wu Chongzhe is not a greedy person; up to now, the Tenglong Guard and the six major agencies are still helping Chongshan Town procure food.

Now they are literally spending their own money to help; although Yang Zhenshan has increased the purchase price of grain by thirty percent, they are still not making a profit.

”Send a decree to all the Assistant General Mansions, instructing them to monitor the prices closely, and absolutely not allow profiteers to take advantage and jack up the prices!”

Yang Zhenshan thought for a moment and then said.

Normal market changes he could ignore, but if profiteers attempt to hoist prices and profit from the disaster, he would absolutely not allow it.

”Yes!”

Lu Wenhua responded and went back to his study to write the decree.

Meanwhile, Yang Zhenshan deepened his focus on governmental affairs.

Although more and more refugees are pouring into Chongshan Town, in fact, as everyone becomes familiar with the work of receiving and settling refugees, things have actually become smoother.

As refugees enter the territory of Chongshan Town, various reception points record the refugees’ identities and origins and provide medicine and meals, then soldiers escort the refugees to the Northern region, where soldiers arrange for the refugees to enter villages, distribute materials, and allocate wasteland.

Everything has now formed a set procedure, and everything appears organized and methodical.

And now, the first batch of refugees who were resettled have begun to build their new homelands, led by the soldiers, they reclaim wasteland while gathering usable materials, such as food, firewood, stones, etc.

Actually, the earlier they received resettlement, the luckier they are because they have nearly two months to prepare for the upcoming harsh winter.

Those who enter Chongshan Town later will face harder times.

This is inevitable; Yang Zhenshan has done all he could.

Now what he can do is to ensure that refugees don’t die of cold or starvation in the coming year.

While the whole Chongshan Town is busy receiving refugees, high up on Black Cloud Mountain in the Northern region, several figures stand on a cliff, overlooking Black Cloud City below.

If Luo Jingsong were here, he would have recognized one of the figures among these people.

Yan Huichun looked down upon Black Cloud City, frowning slightly, ”Yang Zhenshan is truly beyond the reach of ordinary people! In less than two years, he has built a city in this barren land!”

”Heh, well said! But I think people still underestimate Yang Zhenshan!” The young man stood in front of Yan Huichun, twirling a string of black pearls in his hand.

”How shall we deal with Yang Zhenshan then?” Yan Huichun felt it was a bit challenging.

Now, Yang Zhenshan’s influence has been firmly established.

At the court, he is the only Marquis conferred by Da Rong in nearly forty years, holding a high position and commanding a large force, striking fear far and wide.

For himself, he possesses Half-step Innate cultivation and is known as the first beneath Innate, unmatched unless an Innate himself appears.

With their current capabilities, it’s nearly impossible to confront such a man.

The young man’s gaze was deep, his face wearing a faint smile, draped in a gray-white cloak, silently twirling the pearl string in his hand.

”One does not necessarily need a sword to kill! Besides, we don’t need to kill Yang Zhenshan, just drive him away from Chongshan Town and out of Liaodong!”

”Drive him out of Liaodong? Make him return to the capital?” Many thoughts surfaced in Yan Huichun’s mind, though complex, he felt he should catch on to his master’s line of thinking.

The young man continued, ”That’s right, making Yang Zhenshan return to the capital is simple, his merits could outshine the master!”

”Merits that outshine the master!”

Yan Huichun felt bewildered once more, ”Are you suggesting provoking the Wuliang Hu Clan to start a war with Chongshan Town?”

To outshine the master, one must first establish military merits.

And the only enemy that might start a war with Chongshan Town is the Wuliang Hu Clan.

The young man glanced at him, scoffed, ”Right now, we have no way to provoke the Wuliang Hu Clan, probably even their hatred towards us surpasses that towards Yang Zhenshan!”

”Merits do not necessarily have to be military; other achievements count too!”

”Such as loving the people like his own children, saving them from disaster, and profoundly nurturing millions of people in Liaodong with great benevolence!”

”Do you think these merits are high enough?”

Yan Huichun stared blankly at him, ”High, indeed very high!”

Military accomplishments for the nation, benevolent governance for the people, merits that overshadow all, naturally becoming famous throughout the land.

Now is the best time for Chongshan Town to shelter refugees and establish Yang Zhenshan’s reputation for benevolence.

When a man known for his benevolence, military accomplishments, and control of military power in a border town appears before all, how will the court view it, and how will the Emperor act?

A good bow hides once all the birds are gone, the crafty hare dead, the hunting dog cooked.

Da Rong is not without such precedents!

Even Chongshan Town has such precedents.

Over thirty years ago, after the battle of Black Cloud Mountain, that tragic battle Yang Zhenshan’s predecessor experienced, Jiang Zhen, Great General of the North, Central Army Right Commander, Duke Protector of the Crown Prince, General of Chongshan Town, became a taboo name in the court.

Now, Yang Zhenshan is far from what Jiang Zhen was then, but if Yang is crowned with a great reputation for benevolence, how is he different from Jiang Zhen?

Yan Huichun’s eyes brightened.

Without the need for arms or risks, Yang Zhenshan could be removed!

”The master is brilliant!”

”Hehe, what if we added a bit about a calamity from heaven as a warning, suggesting the new Emperor lacks virtue and brings disaster upon his people?”

The young man said with a smiling face.

A smile also appeared on Yan Huichun’s face, ”Your subordinate understands, I will take care of it!”

Merits that outshine the master, do not necessarily require the subordinate to establish more achievements than the ruler; one can also elevate the subordinate while discrediting the ruler.

Promoting Yang Zhenshan’s name for benevolence while spreading rumors of the Emperor’s lack of virtue.

How will the world view this? What will the civil and military officials of the court think?

Can Emperor Yanping still remain seated securely?

”Carry it out cleanly, don’t leave any trace! It’s not yet our time to appear on stage!” the young man reminded.

”Yes!”

Yan Huichun joyfully responded.