Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 690 The Test for Lü Hua
A moment later, the attendant brought an elderly man into the tea room.

Yang Zhengshan stood up to greet him, "Brother Wei, haha, it's been a long time!"

"This old man pays his respects to Your Excellency!" Wei Cen's expression was quite complicated.

When he first met Yang Zhengshan, Yang Zhengshan was just a garrison commander, but now Yang Zhengshan is high above all others, above the imperial power.

In the blink of an eye, more than 30 years have passed.

Seeing his aged appearance, Yang Zhengshan sighed inwardly at how time waits for no one.

"My old buddy's still being polite with me, haha~~"

Yang Zhengshan affectionately put his arm around Wei Cen's arm and laughed loudly.

"Come on, let me introduce you!"

"This is Chen Zhongshu, Brother Wei should have met him before!"

Wei Cen was surprised to see Chen Zhongshu. He had naturally met Chen Zhongshu before, since he used to accompany Lü Hua in and out of the capital.

Chen Zhongshu probably didn't remember Wei Cen. Wei Cen was plain-looking and easily overlooked.

Moreover, the two were of vastly different social status at that time, and Wei Cen was not even worthy of Chen Zhongshu's attention.

"Wei Cen pays his respects to Eunuch Chen!" Wei Cen quickly bowed and greeted him.

Chen Zhongshu waved his hand, "No need, I'm not a father-in-law anymore!"

Not all eunuchs could be called "Gonggong" (公公). "Gonggong" was a respectful title for senior eunuchs. However, outside the imperial city, people would generally address eunuchs as "Gonggong" with respect.

Actually, "eunuch" is also a respectful term. However, in the past, all eunuchs in the imperial city were called eunuchs.

A term of respect, over time, becomes just an ordinary form of address.

Yang Zhengshan invited Wei Cen to sit down, and they began to reminisce.

He mainly wanted to know where Wei Cen had been all these years.

Wei Cen did not hide anything and told Yang Zhengshan about his experiences over the years without reservation.

This is a long story, starting from when Emperor Yanping eliminated Nansheng and the Red Lord of the Shenyang Sect. It was Yang Zhengshan who killed that Red Lord.

Although they wiped out all of the Divine Sun Sect's people in Kyoto that time, the Divine Sun Sect also exposed the true nature of the Secret Martial Guard.

The identities of many of the Secret Guard's spies and shadows have been exposed to the Divine Sun Sect.

In order to revitalize the Secret Martial Guard, Wang Zhongzhi spent several years making many arrangements for it. However, as time went by, Emperor Yanping began to have designs on the Secret Martial Guard. Around the time Emperor Yanping intervened in the Shangwu Temple, he also placed a large number of people in the Secret Martial Guard.

Emperor Yanping's idea was simple: he wanted to keep the Secret Guard firmly under his control. Whether it was Wang Zhongzhi or Lü Hua, they were actually people left behind by Emperor Chengping, and there was always a layer between them. So he thought of placing his trusted people in the Secret Guard.

However, Emperor Yanping had a major flaw: he liked to play the game of balancing things out.

It's one thing for him to try to maintain balance elsewhere, but to do so within the Secret Martial Guard is practically tantamount to abolishing the Secret Martial Guard altogether.

When Wang Zhongzhi was alive, he could suppress the internal conflicts of the Secret Military Guard by relying on his own prestige, but Wang Zhongzhi was getting old after all.

With Wang Zhongzhi's death, the Secret Military Guard was largely rendered ineffective.

Lu Hua had no choice but to leave, and Wei Cen and other of Lu Hua's confidants hid their identities and became ordinary people.

During the five years that Lü Hua was imprisoned on Black Mountain Island, Wei Cen was actually in Jing'an Prefecture in Liaodong. He controlled the forces left behind by Lü Hua, namely the secret agents and shadows of the Zhenbei Division of the Secret Martial Guard.

On the surface, he was just an ordinary citizen, but in secret, he was the top intelligence chief in Liaodong.

At that time, although the Yang family had a strong control over Liaodong, they did not have their own intelligence agency. In addition, Wei Cen was very well hidden, and most of the spies and shadows remained silent, neither collecting nor transmitting intelligence.

Therefore, the Yang family and the Yang clan did not actually discover their existence.

After Lü Hua chose to submit, Wei Cen and the others were reinstated.

After listening to Wei Cen's explanation, Yang Zhengshan asked, "So, all the actions in Chongshan Town are under your surveillance?"

Wei Cen shook his head. "It's not exactly surveillance, but we have indeed received a lot of news about Chongshan Town, such as the troops training outside Fuzhou City, and the fact that Tenglong Guard has been stockpiling a large amount of grain since the year before last."

"Didn't you tell Chen Hengchang?" Yang Zhengshan asked.

Wei Cen said softly, "Lord Lü did not sincerely pledge allegiance to Chen Hengchang; he was only forced into it."

Yang Zhengshan's expression shifted slightly. "So he sent you to find me?"

Wei Cen nodded, "In this world, the only person we can trust is the Marquis!"

Yang Zhengshan tapped the table lightly. He didn't know what Lü Hua was thinking, but it wasn't hard to understand why Lü Hua wanted to pledge allegiance to him.

They are old friends, and there is a foundation of mutual trust between them.

While the Yang family may not have secured their position as emperor, they are undoubtedly the most likely to create another golden age.

If Lü Hua isn't stupid, he'll definitely know how to make the right choice.

Yang Zhengshan pondered for a moment and said, "Then let's rebuild the Secret Guard in the new Da'an Dynasty!"

"There's no need to wait until later. Send a message to Lü Hua now and tell him to come to the capital immediately!"

“Well, Lord Lü has many arrangements to make in Jiangnan.” Wei Cen said somewhat awkwardly.

Yang Zhengshan smiled and said, "His arrangements are not important to me. His loyalty to the new dynasty is the most important thing!"

"do you understand?"

Sending Lü Hua to Beijing now is tantamount to having him betray Chen Hengchang.

This is a test for him, and also a test of our trust in him.

Wei Cen understood Yang Zhengshan's meaning after a moment's thought, and after pondering for a while, he said, "Alright, I'll send him the message right away!"

"No rush, tell me about your situation first!" Yang Zhengshan looked at him, feeling a mix of emotions.

He has been in this world for forty years, and many of his old friends have passed away. In the future, there will certainly be more old friends who will pass away.

Yang Zhengshan is a sentimental person. He doesn't want to see his old friends pass away one by one, so he wants to help them.

"My business? What business is it of mine?" Wei Cen asked, puzzled.

"Do you have a wife and children?" Yang Zhengshan asked.

Wei Cen shook his head, "I have lived a completely solitary life!"

“Well then, you should go to Shenmu Island from now on! You might have a chance to become a Xiantian martial artist in the future!” Yang Zhengshan said.

Wei Cen is now over seventy years old; he was only in his thirties when he met Yang Zhengshan.

Even in their seventies, they still have a chance to become innate martial artists.

A martial artist's peak age is around forty, but as long as their cultivation reaches the ninth level of the Acquired Realm, they have a chance to enter the Innate Realm no matter how old their body is.

Just like Ji Zhen, he didn't become a Xiantian martial artist until he was over eighty years old.

Wei Cen's current cultivation level is at the ninth level of the Acquired Realm. If he eats more Three Yellow Plums and Jade Dew Spirit Peaches, he should be able to condense innate true qi and step into the half-step innate realm.

If he then dedicates himself to cultivation for a few more years and consumes more spiritual fruits and pills, there is still a high chance of becoming a Xiantian martial artist. Of course, this method is not 100% effective; if Wei Cen were to pass away in a couple of years, all of this would be in vain.

Moreover, this method of cultivating innate martial artists is only feasible with Yang Zhengshan; other places cannot provide Wei Cen with so many spiritual fruits.

Yang Zhengshan has no shortage of spiritual fruits right now, so he doesn't mind giving his old comrade a hand.

In fact, there are many old brothers living on Shenmu Island, such as Xie Yuan, Han Cheng, and Wu Zhongzhe. They are all old and frail now, but they still have the opportunity to become innate martial artists. So they are all cultivating diligently on Shenmu Island, hoping to become innate martial artists before they die of old age.

Of course, some people don't have the opportunity; Luo Shang didn't have the chance to become a Xiantian martial artist.

He was never a martial artist, just a businessman. Although he practiced martial arts after following Yang Zhengshan, he did not achieve much.

Upon hearing this, Wei Cen's eyes flashed with excitement, "Really!"

"Of course, when have I ever lied to you!" Yang Zhengshan laughed heartily.

Wei Cen took a deep breath, slowly rose, and bowed deeply. "Your Excellency is merciful; this old man is eternally grateful!"

Yang Zhengshan reached out to help him up, "Alright, we're old friends, no need for thanks!"

After finishing their business, the three of them continued to reminisce.

As people get older, they inevitably start to reminisce more about the past.

This was true of Yang Zhengshan and Chen Zhongshu, and even more so of Wei Cen.

Wei Cen used to be a blockhead, never saying a word more than necessary, but the older Wei Cen seems to have become more talkative and no longer has the cold face he used to have.

Wei Cen is quite interesting, at least Yang Zhengshan finds him interesting.

After returning to Beijing, Yang Zhengshan met with many old friends. He originally didn't want people to know that he was in Beijing, but secrets don't stay hidden forever, and over time, news of his presence in Beijing spread.

Many old friends came to visit after hearing the news.

Chen Zhongshu and Wei Cen were just two of them.

Lu Baishu ran back and met with Yang Zhengshan, and they chatted for a long time.

After Li Chao brought Li Feihe back to the capital, he also came to visit Yang Zhengshan.

Chen Zhongshu and Li Shangxi ultimately chose to follow Yang Zhengshan. Chen Zhongshu wanted to go to the Great Zhao Dynasty with Yang Zhengshan in the future, while Li Shangxi wanted to find a new patron and join the Yang family.

Li Shangxi is not yet fifty years old, but his cultivation has already reached the half-step Xiantian level. It won't be long before he becomes a Xiantian martial artist.

To be honest, Li Shangxi's talent for cultivation is truly exceptional. Anyone who can cultivate to become a Xiantian martial artist through their own efforts is a true genius.

Most of the innate martial artists in the Yang family were actually mediocre. They became innate martial artists almost entirely through the use of spiritual spring water and various other resources.

The key point is that even with so many cultivation resources available, they still have to wait until they are around sixty years old to become innate martial artists.

Ji Zhen also made a special trip to Kyoto to visit Yang Zhengshan, and then went to guard Cuixia Valley.

The new dynasty of Da'an established a military department and a service office, and also restored the garrison duties of the Three Valleys and the Green Cloud Valley. Of course, with duties come salaries.

Yang Zhengshan did not transfer his cultivation and salary from Shenmu Island to the Da'an New Dynasty; he only increased the salaries of innate martial artists in the Da'an New Dynasty.

In order to meet the demand for spiritual fruits in the new Da'an Dynasty, Yang Zhengshan has recently been considering whether he can transplant some spiritual fruits to the Three Valleys and Cuixia Valley.

Since the Three Valleys and Emerald Cloud Valley can naturally grow spirit fruit trees, it means that these two places are blessed lands.

Perhaps these two places are not the inner land of the Spirit Spring Space, but Yang Zhengshan felt that some spirit fruit trees should be able to be transplanted there.

On this day, Yang Zhengshan and Yu Qingyi made a special trip to the Three Valleys.

The Three Valleys have now returned to their former glory and continue to serve as a secluded retreat for innate martial artists.

An Yuxing, Jian Chengfeng, Yue Gu, and Xun Shanshui have all returned, along with Li Zhen and Yang Jiushi.

They are now the innate worshippers of the new Da'an Dynasty.

The Xiantian Gongshou of the Da'an New Dynasty and the Royal Gongshou of the Da Rong Dynasty were actually similar, divided into two types. One type only needed to register at the Wubu Gongshouyuan and could receive a relatively small salary each year. The other type lived in the Sanshan Valley and Cuixia Valley, and were ready to obey the orders of the court at any time. Their salaries were relatively high.

"What brings you to our shabby place, sir!"

As soon as Yang Zhengshan and Yu Qingyi arrived at the Three Valleys, An Yuxing stepped forward and rushed into the narrow passage.

"Senior, are you making fun of me?" Yang Zhengshan laughed.

"Hehe, how could I dare? I don't even dare to go drinking with you anymore!" An Yuxing said with dissatisfaction.

That's true. Although Yang Zhengshan has been welcoming guests recently, he's only met with some old acquaintances. He doesn't have time to drink with An Yuxing.

"Alright, how about we drink until we drop tonight?" Yang Zhengshan said with a fawning smile.

"That's more like it!" An Yuxing said with satisfaction.

Afterwards, Yang Zhengshan exchanged pleasantries with the others. When dealing with enemies, Yang Zhengshan always preferred to take action rather than make a fuss, but when dealing with relatives and friends, he was always good-tempered and did not judge people based on their strength or status.

He can be chillingly cold when he's indifferent, and as warm as a gentle breeze when he's enthusiastic.

The laughter was hearty and carefree, and in no time, everyone was mingling and joking around.

The group chatted and laughed as they walked toward the Three Yellow Plums deep in the Three Valleys.

It's already July, and the Sanhuang plum tree is in its prime, with its branches and leaves flourishing. Looking at this Sanhuang plum tree, Yang Zhengshan couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.

This Sanhuang plum tree witnessed the four hundred years from the establishment to the fall of the Da Rong dynasty, and also witnessed the establishment of the Da An dynasty. In the future, it may also witness the fall of the Da An dynasty.

Time changes everything, and people are no longer the same. This Sanhuang plum tree is like a stubborn rock in the long river of time.

"So, what brings you here today?" An Yuxing asked.

Yang Zhengshan smiled and said, "You'll find out soon enough!"

Everyone looked at Yang Zhengshan with curiosity, but Yang Zhengshan did not explain. He just looked at Yu Qingyi, and Yu Qingyi nodded.

After that, Yang Zhengshan didn't waste any more words and immediately took action.

He simply spread his hands, and two three-foot-tall saplings appeared in his palms.

One is a Star Essence Fruit Tree, and the other is a Jade Dew Spirit Peach Tree.

The Jade Dew Spirit Peach helps martial artists at the ninth level of the Acquired Realm to condense innate true qi.

The Three Yellow Plum also helps to gather innate vital energy, but its greatest effect is to unblock the meridians.

The True Essence Pill refined from the Star Essence Fruit Tree can increase the upper limit of True Qi for innate martial artists.

In other words, the effects of these three spiritual fruits can enable martial artists at the ninth level of the Acquired Realm to enter the Innate Realm, and can also help martial artists who have just entered the Innate Realm to quickly stabilize their cultivation level and increase the upper limit of their Innate True Qi.

Yang Zhengshan now possesses more than ten kinds of spiritual fruits, but these three are the most effective for improving cultivation.

Fruits like Ice Heart Fruit, Nether Light Fruit, and Wind Spirit Fruit, although they can be refined into Spirit-Attaching Pills, are not very useful for improving cultivation.

While fruits like pine nuts and cloudberries do have some effect on improving cultivation, their effects are too weak and require long-term consumption to produce noticeable results.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Yang Zhengshan decided to transplant the Jade Dew Peach and the Star Origin Fruit.

(End of this chapter)