Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 262: Chapter 253: Good News Reaches the Capital City, A Letter from Home

Capital City, on the official road outside the North City Gate.

Three couriers on horseback raced towards the gate, shouting before they even reached the city entrance.

”Make way, great victory at Chongshan Town!”

”Make way!”

”Great victory at Chongshan Town!”

Their urgent cries immediately caused the soldiers guarding the gate and the commoners waiting to enter the city to turn their heads.

Hearing the shouts clearly, the flag officer in charge of the gate hurriedly called out, ”Quick, make way, move the caltrops aside!”

A group of soldiers bustled about, moving the caltrops that blocked the city gate, clearing the path.

The three couriers, one holding high the war report and another wielding an identity token, zoomed through the city gate like a gust of wind.

In the meantime, a continuous chorus of shouts rang down the streets within the city.

”Make way, make way!”

”Great victory at Chongshan Town!”

The busy streets immediately erupted with noise, and many commoners began to cheer.

The couriers carrying the triumphant report shouted all the way from the city gates to the front of the Imperial City.

In front of Xuanwu Gate at the Imperial City, the Crown Prince lifted the curtain of his magnificent carriage and watched the three couriers deliver the war report into the Imperial City, heaving a deep sigh.

”What a pity!”

”What does Your Highness regret?” Inside the carriage, a handsome young man asked.

”It’s a pity the Marquis Changping cannot be used by me,” the Crown Prince said with a look of regret.

He truly admired Liang Chu and really wanted to win him over, but now he dared not make contact with him at all.

The Emperor’s rebuke still rang in his ears!

The young man was about eighteen or nineteen years old, exuding an undeniable aura of nobility. He was Sun Yuanrui, the eldest legitimate grandson of the Duke Chang Mansion.

Initially, when Wang Zheng from the Duke Shou Mansion sought to obtain the post of Commander of the Songzhou Guard, he had relied on the relationship with Sun Jizong, the Princely Heir of the Duke Chang Mansion—and Sun Yuanrui was Sun Jizong’s eldest son.

Sun Yuanrui also glanced through the carriage window at the couriers in front of the Imperial City Gate, and said, ”Since the Marquis cannot be approached, why not reach out to other Military Officers from Chongshan Town?”

The Crown Prince was momentarily startled, then turned his head to look at Sun Yuanrui before bursting into laughter.

”Yuanrui, are you indeed exceptionally astute?”

Indeed, why not win over the other Military Officers from Chongshan Town?

This battle has been a resounding success, and the officers of Chongshan Town will certainly receive commendations, with promotions and fortunes now within immediate reach.

He couldn’t win over the Marquis Changping, but he could certainly win over others!

Sun Yuanrui, with a gentle smile, did not get carried away with the Crown Prince’s praise, but humbly said, ”Your Highness flatters me, I simply have a bit of cleverness.”

While the two conversed, the triumphant report from Chongshan Town had already been presented to the Emperor.

Chen, beaming with joy, handed the triumphant report to Emperor Chengping, ”Your Majesty, your military and civil achievements shine, Da Rong expands its territory, this humble servant congratulates Your Majesty, Your Majesty’s holy virtue!”

Though only a faint smile graced Emperor Chengping’s face, he could not conceal the joy in his heart.

Since his ascension, there had been numerous campaigns, both south and north, but this was indeed the first time claiming an expansion of territory.

Although the Northern lands were harsh and cold, it was also a territory spanning thousands of miles. For Da Rong, to expand its territory by thousands of miles allowed him, as Emperor, to leave his mark on the pages of history.

After finishing reading the triumphant report, the joy in his eyes was unmistakably evident.

”Very good, this battle has demonstrated the might of our great Da Rong, celebrations and rewards are in order!”

”Summon ministers from the Cabinet, the Chief of Staffs of the Six Ministries, and the Left and Right Commanders of the Five Army Commandery to enter the palace for a meeting!”

...

While Emperor Chengping received the triumphant report, the Cabinet, the Five Army Commandery, and the Ministry of War also received the news.

At the Ministry of War, Wang Qing, the Minister of War, could hardly believe the report he received from his subordinates.

It wasn’t that he doubted Chongshan Town’s ability to defeat the East Sea Hu Clan, but rather, he was astonished at how swiftly they had breached Fushan City.

Having served as Minister of War for ten years, he was well aware of the situation in Chongshan Town, especially under Zhang Shouwang’s command. He still remembered how furious the Emperor had been when Zhang Shouwang suffered a defeat at Fushan City.

But just a few years had passed, Chongshan Town had just been deployed for a few months?

And now Fushan City had been taken!

He had thought this war would last at least until the end of the year, yet here it was, late June, and Chongshan Town had already sent back a triumphant report.

This somewhat caught him off guard.

Were the troops of Chongshan Town now so formidable?

Wang Qing called over several Vice Ministers of War, sharing the news of the overwhelming victory with his colleagues, and said, ”Gentlemen, prepare yourselves. With the great victory of Chongshan Town, His Majesty will surely grant generous rewards. Think ahead and prepare a draft of commendations!”

...

At the Central Army Commander’s Mansion, Duke Ning Zhou Mao also received the news, and his report was even more detailed than that of the Ministry of War. After the couriers delivered the triumphant report into the Imperial City, they sent him a detailed account of the battle.

Looking at the war report in his hand, the silver-haired Zhou Mao stroked his long beard and sighed deeply.

”If only Lan’er were born a boy, how wonderful that would be!”

Although Da Rong did not forbid women from enlisting in the army, there were significant restrictions for women in officialdom, and their achievements could not be too high.

Even Zhou Lan, born into the Duke Ning Mansion, could not break through these restrictions.

Becoming an Assistant General was already extremely difficult, let alone getting promoted again, which was almost impossible; at most, there could be a lateral move.

The better Zhou Lan performed, the more regret Zhou Mao felt in his heart.

”However, this is also good, it’s better to return to the Capital City first!”

Zhou Mao’s thoughts were turning; he was considering the current situation of the Duke Ning Mansion. Although the Duke Ning Mansion appeared prosperous and powerful, he understood the principle of decline following prosperity.

His Majesty was getting old, it would be better for the Duke Ning Mansion to keep a low profile.

He then glanced at the battle report in his hand, his gaze landing on the name Yang Zhenshan.

Zhou Mao could be said to be extremely familiar with Yang Zhenshan.

Whether in public or private, he had often heard this name.

There was no need to mention the relationship between Yang Zhenshan and Zhou Lan, and Zhou Xu also held Yang Zhenshan in high esteem.

Yang Zhenshan’s private relationship with the Duke Ning Mansion was deeper than one could imagine; it was just that he hadn’t met Zhou Mao.

”His strategies and bravery are both extraordinary, and his cultivation may have reached the Postnatal Ninth Layer!”

The battle report made it clear that Yang Zhenshan had captured Meng Temu, and it was well-known that Meng Temu had the cultivation of the Postnatal Ninth Layer. Yang Zhenshan’s ability to capture him was sufficient proof of Yang Zhenshan’s cultivation and strength.

The Postnatal Ninth Layer, in the entire Da Rong, is also considered a strong fighter.

Zhou Mao pondered for a long time before calling in an attendant from outside and ordered, ”Go tell the Princely Heir to prepare a congratulatory gift to be sent to the Yang family!”

Since Yang Zhenshan was so extraordinary, the Duke Ning Mansion naturally wanted to make good relations as much as possible.

Although Yang Zhenshan had relied on the Duke Ning Mansion a lot in the past, Zhou Mao knew very well that one should gather as much favor as possible when it could be gained.

The favor in the past was owed by Yang Zhenshan, but that didn’t mean he could assume Yang Zhenshan should always obey the Duke Ning Mansion.

...

Inside the Capital City, there was a lot of discussion about the great victory in Chongshan Town, whereas Fushan City was still steeped in a somber atmosphere.

Although they had taken Fushan City, there was still a considerable residual force of the East Sea Hu Clan, so after several days of rest and reorganization, Liang Chu ordered his Camp and the three Rescue Camps under Liu Nanbo, Zhao Tianhai, and Zhou Yuchun to set off together to clear out the remaining Hu Clan settlements.

Meanwhile, Zhou Lan and Wang Bin were left in Fushan City.

There was no helping it; the soldiers under their command had suffered heavy losses, and they had earned enough merits already, there was no need to vie for more glory.

In view of this, Yang Zhenshan was also happy to relax.

Ever since he had left for the war, he had been on constant alert; now he could finally relax, and he felt physically and mentally drained.

After honestly resting in the camp for several days, he finally recovered.

”Sir, there’s a letter from your family!”

In the tent, Yang Mingzhen passed an envelope to Yang Zhenshan.

Yang Zhenshan’s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly took the letter and opened it.

Though they had always been in contact with Jia City, and he had written home to report his safety, this was still the first time he had received a letter from home.

The main reason for this was because it was easier for them to send letters back, as they could be sent with the teams transporting supplies and war spoils, or together with battle reports.

But for his family to send him a letter, it was much more troublesome, and it wasn’t guaranteed to reach him.

Reading the content of the letter, a softness spread through Yang Zhenshan’s heart.

The letter was written by Yu Qingyi, probably a month ago.

In the letter, Yu Qingyi first mentioned the situation at home, everything was fine; at the end of April, the Liang Family added a boy to the Yang family. Now all three brothers of the Yang family had descendants, which was a joyous event.

Next, Lin Zhan and Wang Yunqiao had become Martial Artists, calculating the time, they had just turned fifteen when they achieved this title.

Moreover, this year Lin Zhan participated in the county examination and achieved the top placement in Anning County, launching him on the path of the imperial examinations.

Apart from the good news, there was also some bad news. In mid-May, a member of the Lu family, Lu Qi, passed away—that is, the original body’s mother-in-law.

Yang Mingcheng and Yang Yunxue went to Anning County on behalf of Yang Zhenshan to mourn.

Upon seeing this news, Yang Zhenshan was slightly moved.

On the battlefield, he was accustomed to life and death, killing without hesitation, but the death of a familiar person still made him feel somewhat sad.

He had only met Lu Qi a few times, but the old lady had left him with a good impression, an elder who understood the ways of the world.

Finally, Yu Qingyi mentioned her own situation, saying all was well, including the child in her belly.

Seeing her mention the child in her belly, the hint of sadness in Yang Zhenshan’s heart quickly dissipated, replaced by a wave of tenderness.

Calculating the time, Yu Qingyi’s due date should be in September; if nothing unexpected happened, he should be able to rush back to witness the birth of the child.

After reading the letter three times, Yang Zhenshan spread out his writing materials and also wrote a letter home.

In fact, he had already written a letter the day before yesterday, but he knew Yu Qingyi was worried about him, and if a letter could make her worry less, he didn’t mind writing a few more.

At the same time, he also wrote a letter to Lu Songhe to express his sorrow for the passing of Lu Qi, and also briefly mentioned the situation on the battlefield.

The reason for mentioning the situation on the battlefield was partly to share the joy of the great victory with the Lu family and partly to hint at his own military achievements.

Although Yang Zhenshan’s remarriage had created some distance between the two families, the relationship between the Yang family and the Lu family was connected by blood. The Lu family was the external family of the three brothers Yang Mingcheng, a relationship that could not be severed.

Whether now or in the future, the Yang family and the Lu family were the closest of in-laws.

The higher Yang Zhenshan’s rank, the more the Lu family would benefit.

As Yang Zhenshan had earned military merits on the battlefield, he was bound to receive rewards, which was something to be happy about, and the Lu family should also feel joyous.