Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 688 Disaster
Before Wei Cen even left Jiangnan, a bloody storm had already swept through the region.

Songhe Prefecture, the old residence of the Liu family.

Thousands of soldiers surrounded the Liu family's old residence.

The Liu family was the largest jade merchant and the largest salt merchant in Songhe Prefecture. Wealthy merchants like the Liu family had intricate connections in the officialdom of Jiangnan.

The Liu family has a deep connection with the Yang family's business. Back when Tenglongwei was just starting to develop maritime trade, Luo Shang found many partners in Jiangnan, and the Liu family was one of them.

When Yang Zhengshan came to Jiangnan that time, Liu Fuzhang, the head of the Liu family, tried to use his power to lower the price that he had already agreed on with Luo Shang.

To teach the Liu family a lesson, Yang Zhengshan raided their treasury, stealing 500,000 taels of silver. He also severely punished Liu Fuzhang, staging a dramatic scene of dripping candle wax on him.

Later, the Liu family behaved themselves and obediently cooperated with Luo Shang.

After the establishment of the Yang Family Trading Company, the Liu family became one of the important partners of the Yang Family Trading Company in Jiangnan.

Over the years, the Liu and Yang families' businesses have expanded continuously, generating a considerable amount of money and increasing their wealth several times over.

However, the Yang family didn't care about partners like this at all; the relationship between the two parties was just a simple business one, with no other entanglements.

Moreover, to put it bluntly, the Yang family business looked down on wealthy merchants like the Liu family.

The Yang family business was not unaware that such a blatant transaction might provoke Chen Hengchang's anger, but since the wealthy Liu family and other merchants were not afraid of Chen Hengchang, the Yang family business would not care about Chen Hengchang's feelings.

Anyway, the high seas are the home turf of the Yang family business. As long as the ships of the Yang family business do not dock, no matter how angry Chen Hengchang is, he can't do anything to the ships of the Yang family business.

Therefore, in the past two years, with the cooperation of wealthy merchants from Jiangnan such as the Liu family, the Yang family business has purchased a large amount of goods from Jiangnan.

In order to make money, local gentry, powerful families, officials, and wealthy merchants all tried their best to trade with the Yang family's business.

Liu Fuzhang has long since passed away, and now the head of the Liu family is Liu Fuzhang's eldest grandson, Liu Tinghu.

A large number of soldiers surrounded his old house. Liu Tinghu was both shocked and furious. He summoned hundreds of his servants and guards to the front yard and pointed at the general who had led the troops, asking, "Whose soldiers are you? How dare you cause trouble in my Liu family's house?"

The general was tall and burly, with a rugged face and fierce eyes, exuding a brutality that made it impossible to look directly at him.

Liu Tinghu felt that he had something to rely on and was not afraid of these soldiers at all. However, he only had time to utter a sentence before a long sword pierced through his chest.

The cold blade pierced his chest. Liu Tinghu didn't even have time to react. He looked down at the hilt of the knife and the large hand in front of him, first stunned, then terrified.

With a soft thud, the long sword was drawn, and blood spurted out, drenching the tall general's face.

The general grinned, licked the blood from his lips, and revealed a cruel and ferocious smile.

"kill!"

The next moment, the entire Liu family home turned into a bloody slaughterhouse.

The servants and guards fought fiercely with the soldiers, while the servants and maids fled in all directions. The Liu family members cried out for their parents and begged for mercy.

However, all struggles were in vain; the killing had begun and would only stop after every member of the Liu family was wiped out.

In fact, the Liu family is quite powerful. As a wealthy merchant family, the Liu family has hundreds of martial artists, including many who are at the seventh or eighth level of the Acquired Realm.

However, they were not facing ordinary soldiers, but members of the Shenyang Cult.

Before the massacre was over, some soldiers began to suck the blood from the corpses of some warriors.

They were like demons, frantically devouring the corpses.

In just half an hour, the Liu family's old house was littered with corpses. Apart from the soldiers walking around, there was no one left alive from the Liu family.

The soldiers quickly began clearing out the Liu family's old house. They moved the shriveled corpses to one place and burned them, moved all the valuables in the house, and transported away all the grain, cloth and other supplies.

Soon, thick black smoke billowed into the sky above the Liu family's old house, and the strong smell of burning could be smelled for more than ten miles.

However, the Liu family was not an isolated case in Jiangnan. In various prefectures of Jiangnan, wealthy merchants like the Liu family were slaughtered, and in some prefectures and counties, several gentry and powerful families were even slaughtered.

In just seven or eight days, more than 100,000 people fell victim to the Shenyang Cult, and tens of thousands of acquired martial artists became food for the Shenyang Cult.

From the Prince of Xinjiang's mansion to numerous local gentry and wealthy merchants, as well as many martial arts sects, even martial arts gangs like the Songhe Gang were slaughtered by the Shenyang Sect.

After this experience, Chen Hengchang's strength has greatly increased.

He not only acquired a large amount of money and food, but also gained the help of many martial arts masters.

Those Shenyang Sect members recklessly drank the blood of acquired martial artists, and their cultivation levels rose rapidly.

Of course, the Blood Refining Technique also has its flaws. Absorbing other people's blood and devouring their essence will distort one's temperament.

Eccentricity, brutality, bloodthirstiness, and all sorts of negative emotions can overwhelm the mind for a long time, and even the most determined person will find it difficult to resist these negative emotions.

If it's only a small amount, or taken only once in a long while, it can still suppress these negative emotions.

Lin Fu'an, for example, used the Spirit Renewal and Blood Refining Technique to improve his cultivation in his early years, but now he has not used the Spirit Renewal and Blood Refining Technique for a long time, so he is now similar to an ordinary innate martial artist, without any violent aura.

This time, many Shenyang cult members drank a large amount of martial artists' blood, and thousands of Shenyang cult members turned into demon-like beings.

Cruel and bloodthirsty!

However, channeling these negative emotions onto the battlefield could be beneficial.

Chen Hengchang's strength has greatly increased, but Jiangnan has suffered a devastating disaster.

The illusion of prosperity was completely shattered, and the once affluent Jiangnan region instantly became a land of poverty.

Chen Hengchang killed those wealthy merchants and gentry, but instead of distributing his wealth to the poor, he pocketed it all.

Without the gentry and wealthy merchants, many industries in Jiangnan suffered devastating losses, and many people engaged in handicrafts or services lost their livelihoods.

Restaurants, teahouses, weaving workshops, embroidery workshops, etc., where the employees and embroiderers used to be able to support their families, are now all unemployed.

At the same time, the martial arts in Jiangnan suffered a devastating blow, with countless martial artists becoming prey for the Shenyang Sect. Originally, Jiangnan was the most prosperous region for martial arts in the entire Darong area, but now it has almost become a forbidden zone for martial artists.

News of Chen Hengchang's antics in Jiangnan quickly reached Yang Chengye's ears in Kyoto. Although Da'an did not currently have an intelligence agency similar to the Secret Guard, the Yang family's trading company could still play a role in gathering intelligence.

In particular, the events that occurred in Jiangnan could not be kept secret from the Yang family's business.

In the imperial study, Yang Chengye listened to Da Gui's report.

"The Prince of Xinjiang's Mansion, the Marquis of Nancheng's Mansion, the Marquis of Linjiang's Mansion, the Earl of Liu'an, the Earl of Jian'an, and eight other noble families from the previous dynasty have been exterminated!"

"The Li, Wang, Liu, and fourteen other official families were wiped out!"

"Seven sects, including Nanshan Sect, Jiuhua Island, and Miaoyu Sect, have been wiped out! Apart from the Shen family of Xiangyuan Prefecture, most of the martial arts families in Jiangnan have been exterminated."

"In addition, many local gentry, powerful families, and wealthy merchants were also brutally wiped out!"

"According to news from the Yang Family Trading Company, all business in Jiangnan has ceased. Not to mention overseas trade, even in the wealthy prefectures, most shops have closed down, leaving only a few ordinary small merchants cautiously operating!"

After Da Gui finished speaking, he looked at Yang Chengye.

Yang Chengye sat behind his desk, falling into silence. He didn't quite understand why Chen Hengchang would do this. In his opinion, even if Chen Hengchang wanted to deal with those local gentry and powerful families, he shouldn't have been so brutal.

In this way, the prosperous land of Jiangnan was completely ruined.

Chen Hengchang may be able to acquire a large amount of wealth in a short period of time, but this is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst.

"Have they gone mad?" Yang Chengye couldn't understand Chen Hengchang's madness.

Da Gui said, "Young Master, perhaps they really have gone mad. After all, with the Divine Sun Sect around, it's not surprising that they might do something crazy!"

Yang Chengye pondered for a moment and said, "Go and invite the Grand Secretaries and the Commanders of the Army."

He felt this was an opportunity; perhaps they could take over Jiangnan now.

A moment later, six cabinet ministers—Lu Wenyuan, Lin Zhan, Li Wenchun, Zheng Yulin, and Qin Jing—along with Liang Shengze and Yang Mingwu, also arrived.

Zhou Lan was appointed Left Commander-in-Chief of the Central Army Commandery, Qu Changkong was appointed Left Commander-in-Chief of the Vanguard Army Commandery, Guo Ying was appointed Left Commander-in-Chief of the Rear Army Commandery, Liang Shengze was appointed Left Commander-in-Chief of the Left Army Commandery, Yang Mingwu was appointed Left Commander-in-Chief of the Right Army Commandery, and Yu Tonghai was appointed Left Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Commandery.

However, only Liang Shengze and Yang Mingwu are currently in Kyoto.

Zhou Lan was still in Gansu Province, keeping an eye on Tingzhou Town and Suzhou Town.

Qu Changkong was still in Nanjiang Town, and at the same time he also had to assist in the management of Yunling Town. He not only had to keep an eye on the dynasties in the south, but also on the Sun family who occupied Anxi Town and Wusi Town.

Guo Yingzheng took over the Taiping Army in Sichuan and Chongqing and has not yet returned to Beijing.

Yu Tonghai was responsible for keeping an eye on Chen Hengchang, and at the same time, he was also in charge of reorganizing the naval forces in Da'an.

Now that the Yang family has gained control of the world, they will naturally not allow the Tenglong Guard to operate independently.

Therefore, after Yang Chengye ascended the throne, his first target was the Four Guards of Tenglong.

The Tenglong Four Guards were abolished, and even the military households were gone. What was the point of keeping the Tenglong Four Guards?
The original North Sea Fleet was also divided up, and the North Sea, East Sea, and South Sea Fleets were rebuilt based on the soldiers and warships of the North Sea Fleet.

As for whether the soldiers of the North Sea Fleet would be dissatisfied, of course not, because they had all been promoted.

Da'an is different from Da Rong. Da Rong does not value the navy and sea areas, but Da'an does.

According to Yang Chengye's plan, Da'an will have a navy of 200,000 in the future, and the North Sea, East Sea and South Sea of ​​Da'an will all become Da'an's sphere of influence.

That is, the western part of the Wanli Sea extends all the way to the northeast of Jialuo.

Besides the navy, there was also maritime trade.

Yang Chengye would definitely encourage merchants to go overseas to trade, from Da'an to Shenmu Island, and then to the Dajing Dynasty, the scope of maritime trade covered almost the central and western parts of the vast sea area.

Furthermore, sailing south from Da'an, one can reach the Galo Sea. This route is frequented by numerous dynasties and represents a vast trading market.

With such a huge trade market, how could Da'an's maritime trade not develop?

So these are the things Yu Tonghai is busy with now. He wants to hand over everything that Tenglong Guard originally owned to the new Da'an Dynasty.

In the imperial study, after everyone was seated, Yang Chengye had Da Gui recount the situation in Jiangnan.

Lu Wenyuan and Lin Zhan were surprised after hearing this, but they didn't react much.

Yang Chengye observed the reactions of the crowd and asked, "What are your thoughts, my esteemed ministers?"

Li Wenchun, Zheng Yulin, and Qin Jing looked directly at Lu Wenyuan in front of them, without saying a word.

The cabinet in Da'an was very harmonious, with no infighting, because no one was qualified to compete with Lu Wenyuan.

In terms of ability and seniority, Lu Wenyuan is more than capable of convincing everyone. In terms of status, Lu Wenyuan is Yang Zhengshan's nephew and Yang Chengye's cousin.

It can be said that as long as Lin Zhan does not compete with Lu Wenyuan, no one in the Da'an court can shake Lu Wenyuan's position.

Of course, the most important thing is that Yang Chengye relies heavily on Lu Wenyuan. With Yang Chengye's reliance, Lu Wenyuan is practically invincible, and even Lin Zhan has to step aside.

"Does this old minister have any opinion?" Lu Wenyuan had no choice but to speak.

"Uh!" Yang Chengye looked at Lu Wenyuan in confusion, "Shouldn't we take this opportunity to attack Chen Hengchang?"

Lu Wenyuan shook his head. "Your Majesty, now is not the time for a southern expedition!"

"With the new dynasty newly established, everything is being renewed and all industries need to be developed. The court is currently simply unable to support the army's southern expedition!"

"We will need at least a year to prepare for the southern expedition!"

"In addition, the Uriyang Kingdom in the north has completed its unification, and it may not be long before they will invade the northern border of our Da'an. There is also the Great Yue Dynasty in the west, whose vanguard army has already entered Tingzhou Town."

"Now that our Great An is surrounded by enemies on all sides, the most important thing right now is not to launch a southern expedition, but to recuperate and stabilize the current situation. No matter what happens in Jiangnan, we must not take the initiative to attack!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Chengye frowned. "Wouldn't this put us in a too passive position?"

He felt this was a good opportunity; Jiangnan was in chaos right now, and it would be a great pity to miss it.

Moreover, as time goes on, the power of the increasingly fanatical Shenyang Sect will likely grow stronger and stronger.

Lu Wenyuan rubbed his temples and said, "There's nothing we can do about it! Your Majesty, more important than the southern expedition is to hold the imperial examinations!"

He knew it was a good opportunity, but the circumstances simply didn't allow it.

The troops were dispatched from Chongshan Town last April, and it is only August now. That is to say, it has only been one year and four months since the troops were dispatched from Chongshan Town.

In the span of one year and four months, they marched thousands of miles, destroyed the Great Liang, occupied two-thirds of the territory of the Great Rong, and established a new dynasty.

The Yang family has a deep foundation, and many nobles and officials have pledged allegiance to them. However, the new dynasty is still in a mess, and many things are waiting for the new dynasty to deal with.

The primary problem is the shortage of officials.

Many of the officials in the past were unusable, and the officials in Liaodong and Chongshan Town were simply unable to fill the gap.

This has resulted in many prefectural and county government offices now having only a chief official, without even an assistant official.

It might be easy to conquer Jiangnan, but the problem is that even if we conquer Jiangnan, the imperial court doesn't have enough officials to govern it.

Moreover, Chen Hengchang not only occupies Jiangnan, but also Fuhai and Yungui. We can't just take them and then ignore them.

Yang Chengye knew that Lu Wenyuan was telling the truth. After thinking about it, he finally gave up the idea of ​​a southern expedition.

"Let's forget about it then. Let's focus on improving our internal affairs first, and then think about unifying the world!"

The problems facing the new dynasty were not only a lack of officials, but also a lack of money, food, and military strength.

The operation is too large, and problems arise everywhere.

It would be impossible to make all parts of Da'an prosperous in less than ten or eight years.

(End of this chapter)