Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 352: Chapter 340: The Situation of the Li Sheng Dynasty

June 18th, Yu Tonghai and Sun Cheng returned to the Tenglong Guard Pier with their fleet.

Before they even docked, Yang Zhenshan had received the news and once again came to the pier.

”Sir!” Yu Tonghai and Sun Cheng saw Yang Zhenshan and hastily greeted him with a clasped fist.

”What happened?” Yang Zhenshan asked.

Yu Tonghai glanced behind at the ships and said, ”Sir, let’s go back to the camp and talk!”

Yang Zhenshan also noticed an unfamiliar ship among the fleet, it was a Hai Cang ship. Although similar to the Tenglong Guard’s Hai Cang ships, it differed in many details and Yang Zhenshan recognized it was not one of their ships.

”Alright,” Yang Zhenshan nodded and returned with Yu Tonghai and Sun Cheng to the Navy camp.

The camp here serves as both a training ground for the Navy and the headquarters for the Tenglong Advanced Guard, but as Yang Zhenshan had been staying in Guard City, the office of the Tenglong Advanced Guard seemed exceptionally simple.

In the main hall, Yang Zhenshan sat in the seat of honor, waiting for tea to be served before he asked, ”What exactly happened?”

Yu Tonghai and Sun Cheng exchanged a helpless look and said, ”The Li Sheng Dynasty has been overthrown!”

”What?” Yang Zhenshan was astonished.

The Li Sheng Dynasty has been overthrown!

This~~

”Were they overthrown by the rebel army?”

Yang Zhenshan remembered Sun Cheng mentioning that there were people within Li Sheng Dynasty fomenting a rebellion.

”Sir, yes, the original Royal Family of the Li family has been driven out of the Royal Capital, and now the rebel army occupies it. They say the Li family has fled to the snowy plains in the north,” Sun Cheng reported.

The snowy plains, that is to the north of Fuzhou, originally the territory north of the East Sea Hu Clan.

If the Li Sheng Dynasty were to travel by land to Da Rong, they would have to go around through the snowy plains.

The snowy plains are not an easy place to traverse—constantly cold aside, there are also many wild beasts and Hu Clans.

Hu Clan is the collective term Da Rong uses for the northern tribes; they are divided into many groups.

The Hu Clan in the snowy plains have no connection with either the East Sea Hu Clan or the Wuliang Hu Clan; they are a completely different group.

The Hu Clan in the snowy plains are even more barbaric, brutal, and substantially strong.

The harsh environment makes their survival more challenging, but it also hardens them, resulting in the emergence of numerous Martial Arts Strongmen.

Indeed, although they are savage and brutal, they are not uncivilized barbarians.

In fact, the snowy plains are vast and host many powerful forces.

Yang Zhenshan furrowed his brows, he didn’t care about the current situation of the Li Sheng Dynasty, what he did care about was whether the trade had been successful or not.

”And then? With the change in government, did they refuse our trade?” Yang Zhenshan asked.

”No, they not only didn’t refuse, they even want to expand trade with us!” Sun Cheng shook his head.

”Expand trade!” Yang Zhenshan narrowed his eyes, ”So the ship that came back with you guys wants to collaborate with us?”

”Yes, they want more goods!” Sun Cheng said.

Yang Zhenshan fell into deep thought. If it was just about expanding trade, that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Whom to trade with is not the issue, as long as it brings profit.

As for the rest~

This involves the Royal Family of the Li family; all the Kings of the Li Sheng Dynasty were titled by the Emperor of Da Rong since the establishment of Da Rong, and hence Li Sheng Dynasty became a subordinate state of Da Rong.

’Rule the people, prosper the descendants.’

This was the title bestowed upon the Li family by the Great Rong Grand Ancestor.

For over three hundred years, the Li Sheng Dynasty always regarded Da Rong as the sovereign state, contributing tributes three times a year, almost without interruption.

Even beyond the regular three tributes, the Li Sheng Dynasty has also sent Gratitude Envoys, Plea Envoys, Incense and Condolence Envoys, Celebration Envoys, Offering Envoys, and Escort Envoys as reasons to enter Da Rong to pay tribute.

It could be said that the Li Sheng Dynasty had the closest relationship with Da Rong among its subordinate dynasties, and Da Rong had always regarded the Li Sheng Dynasty as a younger sibling, having helped them fend off foreign invasions several times.

And now, for the Royal Family of the Li family to have their Royal Capital seized by the rebel army, it’s unclear what stance the Da Rong Court is taking.

Would they help the Li family regain the throne, or would they enthrone a new King?

Yang Zhenshan stroked his beard in deep thought for a long time. This issue involved a lot—the interests of a great nation, the old Emperor’s stance, and the ideas and perspectives of the critical ministers in the court; making a decision would likely take a long time of debate.

Now, the issue before him was whether to cooperate with the rebel army of the Li Sheng Dynasty?

From a revenue perspective, cooperation is natural; a dynasty that has just experienced a change in kingship is definitely at the stage of recovery, providing many business opportunities and potential immense profits.

But from the standpoint of court interests, this problem might need further evaluation.

After pondering for a moment, Yang Zhenshan told Yu Tonghai and Sun Cheng, ”You two go back first and compile a dossier on this trip’s observations in the Li Sheng Dynasty and the situation there. I will meet the envoy from the Li Sheng Dynasty first!”

”Understood!” Yu Tonghai and Sun Cheng responded and then took their leave.

Afterwards, Yang Zhenshan sent someone to invite the envoy from the rebel army of the Li Sheng Dynasty.

A man in his forties appeared, whose appearance was nothing special, but his demeanor was calm and composed.

”Left Assistant Cui Hongtao from the Li Sheng Royal Court’s Council Government greets the General!” Cui Hongtao greeted with a fist and palm salute, neither servile nor overbearing.

The highest institution in Li Sheng Royal Court was the Council Government, similar to Da Rong’s Cabinet, containing left and right political advisors, with the Standard First Rank. Followed by left and right assistants with Secondary First Rank, succeeding those were the positions like the left and right assistants and scribes of Standard Second Rank.

Below the Council Government were the Six Ministries and other government offices.

Cui Hongtao was a Standard Second Rank Left Assistant, a rank higher than Yang Zhenshan, who was a Secondary Second Rank Guardian General nation, also a nominal position, while his actual position was Standard Third Rank Commander of the Tenglong Guard.

Moreover, ranks of military officials in Da Rong were generally considered nominal; whether it be the Secondary Second Rank Guardian General or the Standard Third Rank Commander, neither held significant standing in the court.

Compared to that, Cui Hongtao’s position as a Standard Second Rank Left Assistant in Li Sheng Royal Court was relatively important.

However, since the Li Sheng Dynasty was a vassal state of Da Rong, despite close relations and mutual recognition of titles and ranks, a vassal state was still a vassal state, and officials from the Li Sheng Dynasty naturally could not use their ranks from there in Da Rong.

More crucially, Cui Hongtao was not an official of the Li Sheng Dynasty; he was an official of the rebel army. Although the rebels had taken over the Li Sheng Dynasty, as long as Da Rong did not recognize their legitimacy, they remained rebels and could not replace the Li family royalty.

Yang Zhenshan sat in the main seat, examining Cui Hongtao with a neutral expression.

The fact that he dared to come alone to meet him indicated that this Cui Hongtao was extraordinarily bold and wise.

And his calm and composed demeanor also proved that he was no ordinary person.

”Who is your master?” Yang Zhenshan asked.

Master!

This title was actually not quite appropriate.

A monarch and his officials are not master and servant. Whether in Da Rong or the Li Sheng Dynasty, the relationship between a monarch and his officials was more of a cooperative nature, although the notion of the monarch being a master existed, it was more about subordination than servitude.

Cui Hongtao did not point out the mistake in Yang Zhenshan’s words but clearly stated: ”My sovereign is Jin Shangjun of the New Silla.”

The surname Jin was an influential family within the Li Sheng Dynasty, and the New Silla Jin family being a patrician family, it was possible they had overthrown the Li royal family.

Yang Zhenshan slightly nodded, ”What kind of trade do you wish to establish with us?”

”We need a large quantity of goods, including extensive amounts of cotton, grain, medicinal materials, fur, porcelain, etc., and in return, we are willing to trade with iron ore!” Cui Hongtao stood his ground and spoke loudly.

Yang Zhenshan’s eyes flickered.

Iron ore?

Are you sure this isn’t setting me up?

I’m just the Commander of the Guard, and you expect me to handle a huge amount of iron ore? Are you trying to get me killed?

Although various levels of the garrison could forge their own armaments, they were not allowed to mine or trade iron ore privately. The reason was simple, the garrison was a military institution, definitely needing armaments, and armaments forged by the court usually went to the imperial guard or border army, rarely given to local garrison offices, hence if the garrison wanted armaments, they had to forge them themselves.

The garrison could forge armaments but required the allocation of iron ore from higher government offices.

Control over iron ore was the method used by the court to control the number of armaments in the garrison.

Yang Zhenshan could engage in any business, but he could not trade in iron ore. Even if the Tenglong Guard needed a lot of iron ore, he still could not buy it from other sources.

This was a taboo, more serious than engaging in salt trade.

Engaging in the salt trade might just be profiteering, but engaging in iron ore trade could indicate sinister intent, harboring malevolence, possibly even plotting rebellion.

If civil servants engaged in iron ore trade, it wasn’t a big issue, but a military officer absolutely could not.

Yang Zhenshan responded indifferently, ”Besides iron ore, what else can you trade with us?”

Cui Hongtao paused briefly, then said, ”Gold and silver ore!”

”... ”

Yang Zhenshan was somewhat speechless.

So, they could only offer ore for trade!

But thinking about it, that made sense, as the Li Sheng Dynasty really didn’t have anything particularly critical that Da Rong desperately needed.

The Li Sheng Dynasty basically had the same goods as Liaodong, and from a trade perspective, the Li Sheng Dynasty needed Da Rong’s trade much more than Da Rong needed theirs.

”Go and rest first; I will consider this matter carefully!”

”General, I can promise on behalf of my sovereign that as long as the general is willing to trade with us, we will surely provide a generous reward!” Cui Hongtao assured.

Yang Zhenshan slightly nodded and courteously saw the guest out with a cup of tea.

As Cui Hongtao exited the hall, Yang Zhenshan looked up at his retreating figure.

It seemed that the Jin rebel army was in desperate need of commodities from Da Rong, otherwise they wouldn’t have made such a firm guarantee or offered gold and silver ore for trade.

This also indicated that the situation in the Li Sheng Dynasty was not good; the urgently needed items like cotton and grain were essential survival supplies, clearly due to the chaotic situation plunging the entire Li Sheng Dynasty into a scarcity of resources.

After the New Silla Jin family controlled the Li Sheng Dynasty, they must first restore civilian life, stabilize the situation, eliminate the influence of the Li royal family, and then completely control the dynasty, establishing a new regime.

However, Yang Zhenshan was curious about the current state of the Li royal family, whether they had really escaped to the snowy lands and whether they might come to Da Rong from the snowy lands seeking help.