Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Emperor Chengping’s control over the court could be described as absolute. Having held his position for thirty years, to this very day, not a single person in the court dares to disrespect or neglect the imperial power, even though the current Emperor Chengping has aged, and even though several Princes are engaging in a fierce struggle for power, none dare to defy him openly or covertly.

After Emperor Chengping’s outburst of rage, officials from the Ministry of Criminal Justice, the Imperial Examination Hall, and the Ministry of Justice were dispatched to Liao’an Prefecture on the same day.

At the same time, an imperial decree was sent to Liao’an Prefecture at the speed of an eight-hundred li expedited relay.

And just as the imperial decree was sent out from the Capital City, Prince Xin Mansion also received a pigeon-transmitted message from Liao’an Prefecture.

The newly adult Prince Xin, standing within the magnificently decorated hall, saw the piece of paper that had been delivered and his face turned deathly pale in an instant.

“Your Highness, what’s happened?”

A middle-aged man dressed in a Confucian robe sitting beside him saw the unpleasant expression on his face and couldn’t help but ask aloud.

“Mr. Ji, something happened to Luo Fu!” Prince Xin handed the piece of paper to Mr. Ji.

Mr. Ji, Ji Zhonghuai, had entered the civil service as an Imperial Scholar in the twenty-first year of Chengping’s reign and was now serving as the Governor of Shuntian Prefecture; a close official to Prince Xin and an important adviser by his side.

Ji Zhonghuai, in his forties with a face as white as jade showing no sign of aging, exuded a mature and elegant temperament, giving him an air of graceful charm.

Ji Zhonghuai took the paper and glanced at it, his brow immediately furrowing tightly.

Luo Fu was a significant ally to Prince Xin, almost akin to his financial purse. Over the years, Luo Fu had provided Prince Xin with a tremendous amount of money, and Prince Xin, relying on this wealth, had managed to draw many people to his side in the court.

If Luo Fu fell, it would be akin to Prince Xin losing an arm.

But losing an arm would be minor; if His Majesty found out that Luo Fu was supported by Prince Xin, it might result in a total loss for Prince Xin.

“Your Highness, we cannot keep Luo Fu!” said Ji Zhonghuai gravely.

The best course of action now was to have no incriminating evidence through Luo Fu’s death—as long as Luo Fu didn’t talk, no one would be able to connect the events back to Prince Xin.

Although many in Liao’an Prefecture suspected Luo Fu was backed by Prince Xin, only Luo Fu had a real connection with Prince Xin.

Prince Xin’s expression wavered slightly; he was somewhat unwilling.

Without Luo Fu’s aid, he would be heavily restricted in his future endeavors.

Silver wasn’t omnipotent, but without silver, nothing could be done.

Money was needed for the Mansion’s expenses, for hosting dinners, and for buying loyalty.

“Your Highness, now is not the time for hesitation or indecision!” Mr. Ji spoke up in reminder.

Prince Xin sighed slightly, “I understand.”

“Ah Da, take some men to Liao’an Prefecture and see Lord Luo off,” he said.

In a corner of the hall, a man dressed in black, revealing an exceedingly ordinary face, stepped forward and replied, “As commanded!”

“Go!” Prince Xin waved his hand, his mood becoming somewhat despondent.

The man known as Ah Da bowed with a fist, exiting the main hall, causing Ji Zhonghuai to let out a slight sigh of relief.

He felt that as long as Luo Fu died, the situation hadn’t reached an irreparable state.

However, he had let out his breath far too early.

Suddenly, a commotion arose in the front courtyard of the Mansion, and soon, a eunuch wearing a triple-peaked hat and dressed in a black round-collar robe, followed by a group of guards wearing mountain pattern armor, arrived in the main hall.

“Your humble servant pays respects to Prince Xin. His Majesty summons Prince Xin to the palace for an audience!” The eunuch bowed to Prince Xin with a beaming smile upon reaching the main hall.

“Mr. Zhang!”

Upon seeing the visitor, Prince Xin’s face shifted colors, as he knew he could not conceal the truth from Emperor Chengping; he just didn’t expect it to happen so soon.

“Prince Xin, please!” Mr. Zhang said with a smiling demeanor.

This Mr. Zhang was the same person who had delivered the imperial decree to Yang Zhenshan; he was Emperor Chengping’s personal eunuch.

Prince Xin nodded slightly and could only obediently follow the guards out.

Mr. Zhang remained smiling as he followed behind Prince Xin, yet upon leaving, he cast a glance towards Ji Zhonghuai standing in the hall.

Ji Zhonghuai’s face was an ugly shade of discomfort, yet all he could do was watch as Prince Xin was taken away.

With Prince Xin summoned to the palace, a reprimand was inevitable, and whether there would be further consequences depended on Emperor Chengping’s intentions.

In fact, Emperor Chengping proved lenient; he did not punish Prince Xin severely but only docked his salary for one year and put him under house arrest for half a year.

June 23.

Yang Zhenshan in Liao’an Prefecture received the will of Emperor Chengping.

Emperor Chengping’s request was simple: to seal up the Salt Transport Department, detain Luo Fu, and await the arrival of the Three Divisions Office to adjudicate the case.

Upon receiving Emperor Chengping’s decree, Yang Zhenshan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although Emperor Chengping did not mention pardoning his act of marching his troops out of the border without authorization, the receipt of His Majesty’s decree indicated that Emperor Chengping was not too angry with his actions.

Inside the Zheng family estate, Zheng Xiao also let out a heavy sigh, “With His Majesty’s decree in hand, the rest should be easier to handle!”

The pressure they had faced over the last few days was immense. After all, with so many government offices and officials within the city fortress, any slight disturbance would make it difficult for them to manage the aftermath.

Especially when they were acting without the decree of Emperor Chengping, everything they did was done privately.

Now that they have the decree of Emperor Chengping, at least they have a title to their name.

“However, what comes next might not be so peaceful!” Yang Zhenshan picked up his teacup, taking a light sip.

“Hmm!”

Zheng Xiao nodded slightly, “Will there be danger?”

The matter had spread to the Capital City, and the Capital City would certainly respond. It’s not just the court that would react, but also the people and forces behind Luo Fu.

Yang Zhenshan set down his teacup and said with a faint smile, “I don’t know!”

“To be honest, I don’t know much about the experts in the Capital City!”

With his strength, he is considered an expert in Da Rong now. Although his cultivation at the Postnatal Eighth Layer is not the pinnacle, he possesses the strength of the Postnatal Ninth Layer. Below the Innate Realm, he’s already among the strongest few.

But how many experts there are in Da Rong and how many are hidden in the Capital City, he really does not have an estimate.

The Capital City is a place where dragons lie hidden, and no one knows just how many powerful Martial Artists are concealed within it.

Zheng Xiao pondered for a moment before saying, “There shouldn’t be too powerful beings!”

“Why?” Yang Zhenshan was somewhat curious.

Zheng Xiao smiled and said, “Innate Martial Artists are the Dynasty’s precious assets, besides His Majesty, hardly anyone can request their service.”

Yang Zhenshan became even more curious, “How many Innate Martial Artists does our Dynasty have?”

“That, probably only His Majesty is clear on!” Zheng Xiao spread his hands, speaking somewhat helplessly.

Innate Martial Artists are the very peak of existence in Da Rong. It can’t be said that they have transcended the mundane world or the Dynasty, but to the Dynasty, they are like nuclear weapons; even the Emperor has to treat them with great respect.

And when one reaches the Innate Realm, status and identity become secondary; what’s most important is their own cultivation.

Innate Martial Artists pursue higher levels, not wealth and honor.

Thus, most Innate Martial Artists prefer to find a place to cultivate in seclusion, rather than to take office in the court.

Therefore, Innate Martial Artists are regarded as rather mysterious by the populace.

How many in Da Rong are loyal to the Dynasty, loyal to imperial power, has also become a secret.

People can guess, but the true state of affairs is probably known only to Emperor Chengping himself.

While Yang Zhenshan was very curious about Innate Martial Artists, he also understood that Zheng Xiao probably did not know these secrets, so he did not continue to ask.

Of course, there is another reason; the Innate Realm, Innate Martial Artists—he will inevitably come into contact with them sooner or later.

Currently, his cultivation has reached the peak of the Postnatal Eighth Layer, just one step away from entering the threshold of the Innate Ninth Layer.

Considering the time, it has been about this time last year since he broke through to the Postnatal Eighth Layer, which means it took him over a year to find another opportunity for a breakthrough.

Of course, that’s not the key; if he proceeds by normal progress, after his breakthrough to the Postnatal Ninth Layer, it might take three to five years to reach the Innate Realm.

This is still under the condition of having enough Spiritual Spring Water to aid him; otherwise, it would take even longer.

This shows how difficult it is to make a breakthrough to the Innate Realm.

The key point is that Yang Zhenshan has now mastered the Yimu Chang Chun Skill.

The difference between Innate Cultivation Techniques and Postnatal Skills lies in that the Innate Cultivation Technique can refine Innate True Qi.

The difference between the Innate Realm and the Postnatal Realm is that Innate True Qi can nourish the body and return to its roots continuously within the body, allowing it to function naturally without being too cold or too hot.

Simply put, the True Qi in the body of an Innate Martial Artist can circulate on its own, reaching a state of perpetual flow. This indicates that the Martial Artist has reached an instinctive level of control over True Qi.

Now that Yang Zhenshan is capable of refining Innate True Qi, he is already considered to have one foot in the Innate Realm. The remaining half step is to continue accumulating Innate True Qi and practicing the control of Innate True Qi.

Currently, his cultivation level can be considered as Half-step Innate, even though he is still at the Postnatal Eighth Layer.

The Postnatal Eighth Layer and Half-step Innate are not contradictory, the standard for Half-step Innate lies in whether one can refine Innate True Qi, while the difference between the Eighth and Ninth Postnatal Layers depends on the accumulation of Jin Qi.

Of course, most Martial Artists do not encounter such a situation, as the vast majority of them reach the pinnacle of Jin Qi accumulation before suddenly refining True Qi in a breakthrough.

And Yang Zhenshan’s weakest point lies in his accumulation. Although he’s not young in age, he has twenty less years of cultivation than Martial Artists of the same realm.

He cannot build up gradually and breakthrough suddenly, but the Spiritual Spring Water has elevated his physique to a terrifying level, making it easier for him to refine True Qi.

Normally, after Postnatal Martial Artists enter the Innate Realm, Innate True Qi nurtures the body, allowing it to shed the old and bring forth the new, rejuvenating new life.

Yang Zhenshan’s body has always been rejuvenating, always undergoing transformation.

Even though his physique may not compare to that of an Innate Martial Artist, it’s not much less.

The strength of the physique is not only manifested in power but also reflected in cultivation.

For Martial Artists, the body is fundamental; if the physique is strong enough, cultivation will be much more efficient.

Yang Zhenshan being able to master the Yimu Chang Chun Skill is a testament to his strong physique.

However, the Yimu Chang Chun Skill is profoundly complex, and Yang Zhenshan has only just begun; to advance further, he will need a lot more time to hone his skills.