Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Yang Zhenshan entered the study, "Let him come in, and also bring the list you've compiled recently!"

Lu Shou responded and went to call Luo Jingsong over.

Moments later, Luo Jingsong arrived at the study, and Lu Shou also brought over a register.

"Greetings, Marquis!" Luo Jingsong said with a delighted expression.

Yang Zhenshan smiled and said, "How is it? What's the situation on Star Moon Island now?"

Luo Jingsong replied, "Everything is good on Star Moon Island. Following Marquis's instructions, I've relocated some islanders to live on Star Moon Island."

"There are now over three thousand islanders on Star Moon Island. I've allotted them land and houses, and this year's harvest was not bad, so there's no problem with feeding those islanders!"

"Additionally, as per Marquis's instruction, I've gotten in touch with the Zhu family from Earth Fire Island. The Zhu family has acknowledged our rule over the surrounding isles of Star Moon Island and is also willing to supply us with various kinds of materials."

Yang Zhenshan nodded with satisfaction.

Star Moon Island was the retreat that Yang Zhenshan had prepared for the Yang family and naturally couldn't be left desolate.

He left Luo Jingsong on Star Moon Island to develop it. Even if they couldn't return to the period when the Star Moon Sect controlled the island, he wanted Star Moon Island to be self-sufficient.

As for the Zhu family's willingness to acknowledge the Yang family's rule over Star Moon Island, this was also expected.

As long as the Zhu family wasn't foolish, they would not be hostile to the Yang family; in fact, they would try to please the Yang family in every possible way.

The reason was simple; the Tenglong Guard had already started a collaboration with the Zhu family on Dongyang Island, earning the Zhu family substantial benefits in just a year.

They knew how to choose.

"These are the tenants and slaves who are willing to relocate to Star Moon Island. I've already spoken with the Tenglong Guard, and they will transport these people over. Take good care of them upon arrival!"

Yang Zhenshan pointed to the register in Lu Shou's hands.

Lu Shou handed the register to Luo Jingsong, who opened it and glanced through, spotting several familiar names.

"Rest assured, Marquis, I will arrange everything properly!"

The register didn't just include tenants and slaves; it also listed the families of the Yang Family Guards, including Luo Jingsong's own family.

These people would settle on Star Moon Island in the future, which would become the main developmental focus for the Yang family, gradually moving tenants and slaves there.

As for whether the tenants and slaves were willing to move, they certainly were.

Because by relocating, the Yang family would allocate them land, and Yang Zhenshan had personally set a rather low land tax rate.

Moreover, the Yang family's benevolence towards the tenants and slaves over the years had earned them high loyalty.

Currently, the Yang family had about two thousand tenants and slaves, with six hundred slaves and roughly one thousand five hundred tenants.

The slaves naturally need not say much, as their lives revolved around the Yang family, while the tenants relied on the Yang family for their livelihood.

Yang Zhenshan had decided to gradually move the tenants and slaves from Liaodong to Star Moon Island, and those from Capital City would also relocate over time.

There were approximately ten thousand people in these tenant and slave households, and when adding the families of the Yang Family Guards, the total was about thirteen thousand.

The farmland on Star Moon Island and its surrounding isles was sufficient to provide for thirty thousand people.

Thus, Yang Zhenshan's plan was to make Star Moon Island home to thirty thousand islanders, completely turning it into a private domain of the Yang family.

Luo Jingsong hesitated for a moment and said, "Marquis, should we form a Navy?"

"Oh? You want to form a Navy?" Yang Zhenshan asked.

Luo Jingsong grinned, "The brothers are too bored on the island!"

Yang Zhenshan thought for a while and said, "Forming a Navy is not out of the question, but we can't build a force as large as the one the Star Moon Sect had."

"How about this: start training the able-bodied men and buy a few more ships, set up the framework first, and when I have time, I'll come over to see for myself!"

Forming a Navy was not difficult, as long as there were people and ships.

Warships could be provided by the Tenglong Guard, and Yang Zhenshan could purchase them directly from the Tenglong Guard. Of course, he could also get them for free, as Yu Tonghai and others would likely be willing to give them without cost, but Yang Zhenshan wouldn't feel right taking them for free.

As for the people, once the tenants and slaves were relocated, forming a Navy of three thousand was entirely possible.

However, Yang Zhenshan wouldn't want a ragtag group; the Navy he planned to establish had to be the elite of the elite.

But to train the elite, Spiritual Spring Water would be indispensable, so Yang Zhenshan had to personally visit Star Moon Island.

"Yes!" Luo Jingsong happily complied.

Yang Zhenshan stood up, smiling, "The rest is up to you. If you need warships and supplies, go find Yu Tonghai."

After that, Luo Jingsong left the Marquis Mansion to return home for a family reunion.

Next, he would take his wife and child to Star Moon Island; this year, they would celebrate the New Year there.

...

The following day, in the morning.

Inside the Imperial City, in the Imperial Study Room.

Zhang Mingzhong, leading two junior eunuchs, brought a large stack of petitions to the Emperor's presence.

"Your Majesty, these are today's petitions!"

Emperor Yanping looked at the petitions, revealing a scornful smile on his face.

"What are these petitions about?"

Zhang Mingzhong replied, "They are all to impeach Elder Zhou and Marquis Jing'an!"

"How many are there to impeach Marquis Jing'an?" Emperor Yanping asked.

Zhang Mingzhong took the top four petitions, "Only these four!"

"So few?" Emperor Yanping exclaimed in surprise.

He had thought it would be half and half, but there were only four. Then, the rest of the dozens must all be aimed at impeaching Zhou Yunsong!

He skimmed through the petitions, "Impeaching Marquis Jing'an for harboring a private army! That is no small accusation!"

Yang Zhenshan had three hundred guards, and this was no secret; Emperor Yanping was naturally well aware.

Of those three hundred guards, two hundred were previously Yang Zhenshan's trusted aides, and one hundred were guards trained by the Yang family; Emperor Yanping was also clear on this.

Even the fact that many of the Yang family's servants were Martial Artists was known to Emperor Yanping.

But this was a common occurrence among Capital City's noble and official families, except that the strength of the Yang family's guards was notably more formidable.

Even the Yang family taking over Star Moon Island and migrating tenants and slaves to the island were things Emperor Yanping was fully informed about.

To this, Emperor Yanping paid no mind.

How to say it?

For one, because Yang Zhenshan conducted affairs by the book, many things were done openly, without any intention of concealment.

The more aboveboard Yang Zhenshan was, the less doubt Emperor Yanping held toward him.

Second, Yang Zhenshan had illustrious military achievements for the court and, moreover, had no love for power, not personally wielding military command, which was undoubtedly Emperor Yanping's most assured aspect.

As for Yang Zhenshan keeping a few hundred private troops, that was not considered a major issue at all.

And Star Moon Island, too, was given to the Yang family intentionally by Emperor Yanping.

The court did not have much use for Star Moon Island; rather than letting other forces in the East South Sea Domain take it, it was better to let the Yang family have it.

Of course, there were things Emperor Yanping did not know, such as the exact strength of the Yang Family Guards, and how many Martial Artists the Yang family had trained over the years.

How many Martial Artists the Yang family had trained over the years, actually, even Yang Zhenshan did not have an exact figure.

Every grown male from the Yang family's slaves would train in the Guard Camp for three years, and the Martial Artists who had graduated from the Guard Camp over the years numbered over a thousand.

And these Martial Artists were servants of the Yang family, mainly responsible for managing the Yang family's business and rarely had opportunities to showcase their strength.

To put it simply, visiting the Yang family's farm, randomly picking a youth, there was a one-third chance that he was a Martial Artist, and the other two-thirds likelihood was that the young person belonged to the Yang family's tenants, not their slaves.

Yang Zhenshan's intention in training these servants was not to harbor private troops; he merely believed that young people should study diligently and practice hard.

Training in the Guard Camp involved not only practicing Martial Arts but also learning to read and write, establishing moral values, and cultivating loyalty.

Emperor Yanping picked up another petition, "Impeaching Marquis Jing'an for embezzling military provisions, now this is a bit far-fetched. With the Luo family providing Silver Coin, does he need to embezzle these provisions? This is a false accusation, punishable!"

"Impeaching Marquis Jing'an for indiscriminate killing! Hmm, this is rather credible, Marquis Jing'an indeed tends to be heavy-handed!"

"Impeaching Marquis Jing'an for framing loyal officials in Fuhai Province!"