Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Yang Zhenshan glanced at him, "Isn't your grandfather giving you silver to spend?"

Sun Anyang was stunned. "What do you mean, Marquis Yang? I really don't understand!"

This fellow was still playing dumb, actually not believing Yang Zhenshan could do anything to him.

Although Yang Zhenshan, Marquis Jing'an, was a rising star in the Capital City, he thought Yang Zhenshan should show some respect to his grandfather. It was just tens of thousands of silver, didn't it deserve consideration for the dignity of his grandfather?

Tens of thousands of silver!

In just a few months since he came to the Martial Arts Pavilion, he had raked in tens of thousands of silver!

Yang Zhenshan couldn't be bothered to talk nonsense with him, and directly ordered: "Beat him, one hundred military baton strikes, just don't kill him!"

A man of Marquis Jing'an's stature would not waste time talking with a junior, better to beat him first.

Two personal followers, without a word, stepped forward and grabbed Sun Anyang.

"Wait, Marquis Yang, Marquis Yang, my grandfather is Marquis Suning!"

"Marquis Yang, ah~~"

A scream rang out.

The personal followers beside Yang Zhenshan didn't care who his grandfather was, if Yang Zhenshan ordered a beating, they would beat, and they would not be lenient.

The military baton kept striking Sun Anyang, and with every strike, he let out a miserable scream.

After more than twenty strikes, Sun Anyang fell unconscious.

"Marquis, he's passed out!" Li Chang ran over to report.

"Is he dead?"

"No!"

Yang Zhenshan glanced at him, "Splash water on him and continue!"

Li Chang shrank his neck and immediately fetched a bucket of water to splash Sun Anyang awake.

At this time, many officials and disciples of the Martial Arts Pavilion had gathered around, and all shivered at the sight of the tragic Sun Anyang.

Especially the officials, many of them trembled in fear.

This was a real beating!

Even the grandson of Marquis Suning was beaten!

Marquis Jing'an was truly ruthless!

Sun Anyang passed out, was splashed with water to wake up, and after several times, he could no longer even scream.

"Marquis, the account book has been cleared!" Hong Yanfeng approached Yang Zhenshan tremblingly, speaking with some fear.

"How much is missing?"

"A total of thirty-five thousand taels don't match up, and there's also a lot of poor quality weapons and medicines!"

Yang Zhenshan glanced at the account book, "Go, make up two hundred thousand."

"Ah!" Hong Yanfeng was somewhat puzzled.

Yang Zhenshan said, "Get two hundred thousand taels together, I'm going to collect a debt!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Understanding at last, Hong Yanfeng hurriedly went to amend the account book.

Was thirty-five thousand taels worth Yang Zhenshan's intervention?

Of course not!

Another quarter of an hour passed, and Hong Yanfeng came out again with the account book, "Marquis, two hundred thousand taels are gathered, but~~"

"But what?"

"But this account book won't stand scrutiny!" Hong Yanfeng said bravely.

Turning an account of thirty-five thousand into two hundred thousand was a difficult task.

The Martial Arts Pavilion's annual expenses had increased from sixty thousand taels at the beginning to five hundred thousand taels this year. Although Sun Anyang had embezzled a lot of money, at most, he was substituting good quality weapons and medicines with poor ones, in addition to reducing the meat allowance of the Pavilion's disciples.

Actually, the silver he embezzled was not more than fifty thousand taels, far less than two hundred thousand.

But Yang Zhenshan didn't care about that, since Sun Anyang dared to reach into the Martial Arts Pavilion, he should not blame him for extorting the Marquis Suning Mansion.

"Fine!" Yang Zhenshan took the account book and said, "You two, a penalty of three months' salary. All officials in the Martial Arts Pavilion who knew of this shall have their salary deducted for two months!"

"Additionally, conduct a thorough investigation of the entire Martial Arts Pavilion. If any other officials are found embezzling, kick them out directly!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Hong Yanfeng quickly agreed.

Yang Zhenshan glanced at the now utterly unconscious Sun Anyang and shouted: "Take him with us, let's go to settle accounts with Marquis Suning!"

Immediately, he mounted his horse, leading five personal followers towards the Marquis Suning Mansion.

The Marquis Suning Mansion was not far from the Yang family's Marquis Jing'an Mansion, located right behind it. Exiting the western back door of Marquis Jing'an Mansion and walking few steps would lead right to the front door of Marquis Suning Mansion.

Today, Marquis Suning Mansion was bustling; nearing the New Year, many relatives and friends came to deliver gifts and New Year greetings. However, Marquis Suning Sun Yunbo was not in residence, for he was always stationed in Da Rong's western Wusi Town, and the head of the household was his eldest son, Sun Decang.

The Sun family of Marquis Suning Mansion represented a typical case of 'great father, mediocre son, and useless grandson.' Sun Yunbo was considered a hero of his generation, having established distinguished military achievements for Da Rong, primarily active during the initial period of peaceful years, roughly emerging around the same time as Zhang Luan.

Back then, the western part of Da Rong was unstable, and both Zhang Luan and Sun Yunbo became fierce generals through the battles they fought.

Sun Yunbo had two legitimate sons and three illegitimate children. Except for his eldest son, Sun Decang, who was somewhat intelligent, the other four sons were muddle-headed, lacking in responsibility, and none even held a military post.

Even Sun Decang only held a nominal post in the Front Army Commander's Mansion. As for the Sun family's younger generation, they were even less promising.

Among the dozens of grandsons, not one was successful.

In contrast, Zhang Luan's three sons were all military officers in the western border forts, if not a Guerrilla General, then an Assistant General. Zhang Luan also had two grandsons in the Martial Arts Pavilion.

Being a disciple of the Martial Arts Pavilion was definitely an indicator of the crème de la crème of the younger generation.

Despite having over two thousand disciples now, these disciples came from many of Da Rong's noble families, Martial Arts Families, and worldly society factions, essentially gathering nearly half of Da Rong's Martial Arts talents in the Martial Arts Pavilion.

Take the Sky Blue Sword Sect, for example, the sect had flourished in recent years, but only two disciples had joined the Martial Arts Pavilion.