Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 821: Chapter 614: Self-Preservation and Development

On Star Moon Island.

Yang Mingcheng was pacing back and forth in his home’s main hall.

“Ah, what are you doing walking back and forth like this, it’s making me dizzy!” Ms. Wang, sitting nearby, said somewhat discontentedly.

Yang Mingcheng glanced outside the door and said, “Why haven’t Second Brother and Third Brother come back yet?”

“What on earth is going on?” Ms. Wang asked, somewhat baffled.

Yang Mingcheng gave her a helpless look, “Even if I told you, you wouldn’t know!”

“If you don’t tell me, how would I know!” Ms. Wang glared at him.

Yang Mingcheng was speechless and could only say, “Chen Zhaoxuan is dead!”

Ms. Wang was slightly taken aback, “Who is Chen Zhaoxuan?”

“It’s Prince Dai!” Yang Mingcheng replied.

Ms. Wang couldn’t help feeling a bit annoyed, “How could I not know Prince Dai, wasn’t he Dad’s disciple?”

Ms. Wang was naturally not familiar with Chen Zhaoxuan. Although Chen Zhaoxuan used to visit the Yang family often, he never entered the inner quarters of the Yang family and only had a few fleeting encounters with Ms. Wang, who didn’t even know his name.

“How did he die?”

“Killed by bandits!”

“Where did the bandits come from?”

“There are many bandits in Longnan!”

“Why are there so many bandits in Longnan?”

Ms. Wang’s questions were more than the proverbial ten thousand whys.

She hadn’t returned to Da Rong for more than ten years and wasn’t interested in Da Rong’s affairs on ordinary days, so she was completely unaware of the current situation in Da Rong.

Yang Mingcheng still received letters from Da Rong frequently, having some understanding of the situation there, but he hadn’t expected Da Rong to be in such a state now.

“Ah, stop asking!” Yang Mingcheng felt immensely annoyed.

“You fool, you actually find me annoying!”

“I don’t!”

“You still say no, you just find me annoying!” Ms. Wang said.

Facing the unreasonable Ms. Wang, Yang Mingcheng could only patiently explain the current situation in Da Rong.

The more Ms. Wang listened, the more surprised she was. By the end, she couldn’t help but say, “Da Rong is this chaotic now?”

“Yes, it’s very chaotic!” Yang Mingcheng also calmed down.

Just now, he was indeed a bit flustered; Chen Zhaoxuan’s death had a significant impact on him.

First, because Chen Zhaoxuan was Yang Zhenshan’s disciple, and second, because Chen Zhaoxuan was the Prince Dai of Da Rong.

Chen Zhaoxuan’s death meant that the turmoil in Da Rong had reached an unbearable degree and had linked to the Yang family.

Today it was Chen Zhaoxuan who died; tomorrow it might be the Yang Family descendants, or even the Yang Family members.

Leaving aside how many Yang Family descendants were scattered all over Da Rong, even the Yang family members were spread throughout Da Rong.

Yang Chengye was in Chongshan Town, Yang Wanqing was in Southern Border Town, Yang Wanting was in the Capital City, Yang Wan Ning and Yang Wanyu were in Tenglong Guard; many of the Yang family’s relatives were in Da Rong, as were many old friends. If something happened, the Yang family would inevitably feel distressed.

While they were talking, Yang Mingzhi and Yang Minghao finally arrived.

“Elder Brother, what happened, that you called us back in such haste!” Yang Minghao strode into the main hall and shouted.

“You finally arrived!” Yang Mingcheng let out a long breath.

“What’s the matter?” Yang Mingzhi also asked.

After they sat down, Ms. Wang immediately ordered someone to serve tea and water.

Yang Mingcheng took out a large stack of letters and handed them to them, saying, “These are the letters I’ve received in the past two days!”

“Prince Dai was besieged by bandits in Dai State City of Longnan and died in battle. It’s said that only Prince Dai’s daughter escaped!”

Yang Mingzhi and Yang Minghao exchanged a glance, both showing a serious expression.

They naturally knew that there had been bandit troubles in the Long Yuan Three Provinces these past two years, but they didn’t expect the bandits to be so formidable, to the point where even Chen Zhaoxuan was besieged and killed.

They opened letter after letter and began reading.

The sources of these letters varied; some were sent by the Yang Family Trading Company themselves, and others were delivered through the Yang Family Trading Company’s shops by many of the Yang family’s relatives or old friends.

These letters all revealed one thing: Da Rong is very chaotic now.

“Hmm! This is?” Yang Mingzhi looked at a letter, somewhat surprised, and said.

“What’s the matter?” Yang Minghao asked.

“The Imperial Commerce Bureau is being investigated, and the eight major Imperial Merchants have been arrested and imprisoned!” Yang Mingzhi said.

Since Luo Shang and Zhen Yang withdrew from the Imperial Commerce Bureau, internal turbulence had ensued, and four new Imperial Merchants had been added, all wealthy merchants from Jiangnan.

But now, even the eight major Imperial Merchants have been arrested and imprisoned.

“It seems the court really lacks money now and has even started taking action against the Imperial Merchants!” Yang Minghao said.

Yang Mingzhi put down the letter in his hand and sneered disdainfully, “Those greedy bastards, they should have been dealt with long ago!”

“Now that they’re being punished, I don’t know what the Emperor was thinking!”

If properly controlled, the Imperial Commerce Bureau could be a hen that lays golden eggs, but if it couldn’t be controlled, it would be a ferocious beast that harms the country and its people.

More than a decade ago, when Luo Shang and Zhen Yang followed Yang Zhenshan to Star Moon Island, the Imperial Commerce Bureau had already shown signs of being out of control.

But Emperor Yanping was reluctant to touch this hen that laid golden eggs, letting them wreak havoc.

Now, it’s gotten to the point where their unruliness only makes the court poorer.

The chaos in Bashu and the Long Yuan Three Provinces couldn’t have occurred without the Imperial Commerce Bureau’s contribution; during the great drought, a group of merchants, led by the Imperial Merchants, collectively raised the price of grain, pushing the already survival-struggling commoners over the edge.

“What do you think we should do next? Dad’s not home, we should come up with a plan!” Yang Mingcheng directed the topic to the main point.

Yang Mingzhi shook his head, “What can we do? In this situation, there’s nothing we can do with the court!”

“Not only can we do nothing, but if we try to do something, we might become the thorn in the eyes and the flesh in the sides of the Emperor and the court officials!” Yang Minghao said.