Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 364: Chapter 350 Old Friends, Prince Qing’s Path to Wealth

May 17th.

Wuliang’s army has invaded Liaoxi, and the court has dispatched urgent orders for Chongshan Town, Beiyuan Town, and all armies of Liaoxi and Liaodong to lead their troops to reinforce at top speed.

May 18th.

Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War Chen Tonghui is elevated to the rank of Right Deputy Imperial Censor, overseeing the warfare in Liaoxi.

May 19th.

The Tenglong Guard, comprising 6,500 from the Five Army Camps and 10,000 ordinary soldiers, assembles outside Guard City, fully equipped with armaments and provisions, ready to march at any moment.

Inside the study of the Guardian Department, Yang Zhenshan is looking at the map hung on the wall, pondering the upcoming battles.

At present, Qinghua Prefecture City is under lockdown, completely fallen into the hands of Prince Qing, who has also summoned the his Personal Followers and Qinghua Guard into the city, totaling a force of over 11,000.

Additionally, Chongshan Town has sent back a lot of information; it’s confirmed that Assistant General Hou Yao of Fuzhou Guard on the north route and Assistant General Liu Zeqing of Songzhou Guard on the east route have defected to Ji Feiyu, while Chongshan Town Governor Lu Chongde and Assistant General Ji He of Dingliao Guard on the southern route have been taken as prisoners.

The only thing that makes Yang Zhenshan feel fortunate is that he has received replies from Niu Zhuang and Tang Feihu – these two have not been taken down by Ji Feiyu and are already preparing their armies for battle.

Currently, the situation facing Yang Zhenshan is divided into two parts: the first being Wuliang’s large army in Liaoxi, which is separated from Liaodong by Changqing Mountain, and thus Wuliang’s army should not enter the territory of Liaodong in the short term.

The second part is within Chongshan Town and Qinghua Prefecture, where Prince Qing’s rebel army and the court’s military forces are interlocked in a complex manner, each containing elements of the other.

Ji Feiyu, General of Chongshan Town, together with Assistant Generals Hou Yao on the north route, Liu Zeqing on the east route, and Cui Liang on the west route, should be able to assemble an army of 50,000 to 80,000.

Niu Zhuang and Tang Feihu are estimated to be able to gather an army of 20,000. Although there is a significant gap in military strength compared to the opposition, it is not certain that all officials from various garrison offices and guards would defect to Ji Feiyu. The strength of the garrison office and the guards may be relatively weak, but the troops they control are not an insignificant number.

However, the situation in Chongshan Town is now chaotic, and these garrison offices and guards are like scattered sand at this moment.

Yang Zhenshan marks the map, frowning as he thinks: ”I don’t even know if the court has received the news of Prince Qing and Ji Feiyu’s treachery!”

”The current problem is that Chongshan Town is scattered, and a powerful figure is needed to lead Chongshan Town in rallying this scattered sand into a force!”

This is the tricky part; with Ji Feiyu’s treachery, governor Lu Chongde being imprisoned, and both the Governor’s Office and Governor’s Office fallen, there is now no one in Chongshan Town capable of commanding the overall situation.

Niu Zhuang and Tang Feihu are definitely not up to the task. As Assistant Generals, they may manage well in their respective territories, but beyond the central route, it would be difficult for them to mobilize other guards and garrison.

Yang Zhenshan is even less suitable. He is the Commander of Tenglong Guard and has no relation to Chongshan Town.

Without hierarchical ties, he cannot mobilize the troops of the guard and garrison of Chongshan Town.

”I hope the court reacts quickly!”

Yang Zhenshan can only place his hopes on the speed of the court’s response.

Just as Yang Zhenshan was considering the situation in Chongshan Town, a Personal Follower quickly walked in, ”Sir, there is a visitor outside asking for an audience, a man surnamed Wei who claims to be an old friend of yours!”

”An old friend!”

Yang Zhenshan’s expression shifts as he says, ”Show the visitor in!”

It seems that there is only one old friend with the surname Wei.

Sure enough, as Yang Zhenshan expected, the Personal Follower brings Wei Cen to the study room in no time.

”Greetings, General!” Wei Cen is still the same way, stern-faced with no superfluous emotions.

But Yang Zhenshan’s lips curl slightly, ”I didn’t expect you to still be in Liaodong!”

”I’ve always been in Liaodong!” Wei Cen says.

Yang Zhenshan nods slightly, not surprised.

He has always known that the Secret Martial Guards have been keeping an eye on Prince Qing, only not knowing the leader of the Secret Martial Guards in Liaodong.

”Please sit! And serve tea!” Yang Zhenshan says unhurriedly.

Once the tea is served, Yang Zhenshan looks at Wei Cen, thinking that it’s been seven or eight years since their last meeting, and even now, Yang Zhenshan feels a sense of unfamiliarity.

”What brings you here?” Yang Zhenshan asks.

”Prince Qing!” Wei Cen answers concisely.

Yang Zhenshan nods, ”Go on, I’m somewhat in the dark right now!”

His current judgments are all based on speculation, unsure if they are correct or not.

Wei Cen sits across him and slowly begins, ”We have been investigating Prince Qing for years, but we have recently realized our focus was wrong—”

He shares with Yang Zhenshan the years of investigations on Prince Qing by the Secret Martial Guards.

The capabilities of the Secret Martial Guards are unquestionable, but the cunning of Prince Qing is also eye-opening for Yang Zhenshan.

According to Wei Cen, their attention, just like Yang Zhenshan’s, was initially drawn to Prince Qing’s fleet. However, the Secret Martial Guards had a lot more information than Yang Zhenshan.

Prince Qing does indeed have a fleet, and it is not insignificant in size. But this fleet is not located in Qinghua Prefecture, nor even in Da Rong, but at Black Mountain Island.

That’s right, the pirates on Black Mountain Island are Prince Qing’s fleet.

The pirates of Black Mountain Island rarely actively pirate merchant ships, only when the ships approach Black Mountain Island, because they are not true pirates.

All this time, Prince Qing’s Navy has been hidden on Black Mountain Island, but they don’t just stay there.

The pirates from Black Mountain Island had previously defeated the Navy of Li Sheng Dynasty, after which the Kim clan of Silla started their rebellion.

”So the Kim clan of Silla are Prince Qing’s men?” Yang Zhenshan’s brow tightens when he hears this.

If the Kim clan of Silla are aligned with Prince Qing, then that would be a problem.