Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 940: Chapter 668: Capital City Surrounded (2)

"After the two children get married, the situation in Da Rong should be stable, and we can come back then!"

Zhou Lan didn’t specify the Yang family’s plan, only mentioning in the letter that an engagement had been arranged with Yang Zhenshan, asking the Zhou family to go to Divine Wood Island to handle the engagement matters for the two families, and to stay on Divine Wood Island for three to four years until the two children are married.

In fact, Zhou Lan just wanted to give the Zhou family a suitable reason to go to Divine Wood Island, so it wouldn’t seem like the Zhou family was shamelessly seeking refuge with the Yang family.

Zhou Mao was still hesitating. He was already so old, and didn’t have many years left to live. Was there really a need to leave?

"What are you still doing here? Hurry up and pack your things and leave!"

At that moment, a scolding voice rang out in the room.

Hearing this voice, Zhou Mao and Zhou Xu immediately stood up tremblingly.

"Grandfather!"

"Great-grandfather!"

A gray-robed elder with graying hair and a displeased expression walked in from outside.

This was Zhou Tianci, Zhou Mao’s grandfather, and an Innate Martial Artist who had never appeared at the Duke Ning Mansion.

In his prime, Zhou Tianci was a renowned figure. It was just that he had always been traveling, unlike Liang Shengze, who only traveled within the Da Rong territory. Zhou Tianci often left Da Rong.

Each time he went out, it would be for several years, or even over a decade.

Zhou Tianci glared at Zhou Mao, "I told you long ago to take everyone and leave the Capital City, but here you are, still not gone!"

"There are so many people in our family. If you’re not quick, many might suffer!"

The Zhou family was indeed a big family; Zhou Tianci had three sons and six grandsons. Although most of his sons and grandsons had passed away, he still had a bunch of great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

While he didn’t have deep feelings for those great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, he also didn’t wish to see them die in these chaotic times.

"Don’t worry, great-grandfather, all the branches have already left the Capital City. Only the main family hasn’t left yet!" Zhou Xu quickly explained.

In fact, Zhou Xu had long arranged for the Zhou clan members to move out of the Capital City. Initially, their destination wasn’t the Yang family’s Divine Wood Island, but the Liusheng Dynasty in the east of Da Rong.

The Liusheng Dynasty was merely a small dynasty, with a population of merely three million, and its territory comprised some small islands. It was a very humble dynastic power.

Yet the Liusheng Dynasty had always been a vassal state of Da Rong. The Zhou family had a good relationship with the Liusheng royal family and even kinship ties, so the Liusheng Dynasty was the Zhou family’s first choice.

Three years ago, Zhou Xu had already arranged for his clan members to start migrating to the Liusheng Dynasty. By now, clan members of all branches had already moved to the Liusheng Dynasty.

Now, within Da Rong, only their main lineage’s direct descendants remained.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Tianci’s expression improved significantly, "Hurry and leave; I, the old man, will go with you!"

Zhou Mao still had some lingering feelings for Da Rong, but Zhou Tianci had no feelings left for Da Rong. For so many years, he had been traveling and had visited countless places, even staying for several years in the Dazhao Dynasty across the Stormy Sea Area. If it weren’t for his attachment to his descendants, he wouldn’t have returned to Da Rong.

Now that Da Rong was on the verge of collapse, he didn’t care about Da Rong’s affairs. He just wanted his descendants to have a place to go, ensuring that the Zhou family could continue its legacy.

In this way, the entire Zhou family moved out of the Capital City. Simultaneously, the Liang family also moved out of the Capital City.

Outside the Capital City gates, Liang Shengze and Liang Chu looked back at the majestic Capital City.

Both of them sighed in unison.

At this moment, the Capital City seemed particularly desolate, the entire city filled with an oppressive atmosphere.

"Let’s go!"

Liang Shengze turned his head and rode away.

Liang Chu nodded slightly and also turned to leave.

In chaotic times, even the noble families were largely compelled and helpless.

The once-prosperous Capital City was now abandoned by them. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to stay, but that the Capital City had become a place of disaster.

For their own sake, for their relatives, for their family, they had no choice but to leave.

Whether royal power or the court, in chaotic times, they were just sources of trouble.

With the Liang family’s help, Wang Sheng also left the Capital City with his family. Wang Bin had died many years ago, and now Wang Sheng was the head of the Wang family.

Wang Sheng’s son Wang Qianzhong was also married to a granddaughter of the Yang family. Since the Yang family was evacuating the Capital City, they naturally wouldn’t forget the Wang family.

Aside from the Wang family, there’s also the Xue family, and in fact, the first to leave was the Xue family.

Xue Chang’an has already passed away, and the current Marquis Haichang is Xue Chang’an’s eldest son, Xue Feng, who is also the elder brother of Xue Ping, and Yang Chengmao’s brother-in-law.

The Xue family has accumulated a considerable fortune over the years, having always controlled the Jin Hai Guard, benefitting from maritime trade to build a deep foundation and possess many ships.

So, it was relatively easy for the Xue family to flee Da Rong.

In the sixth year of Jianxing, on the fifth day of April.

Three hundred thousand troops of Da Liang are at the gates of the Capital City, with clouds of dust rising, the army presses forward, the cavalry surges with a black tidal wave, sweeping across the suburbs of the capital.

Since the first year of Jianxing, King Da Liang began his uprising, and now it’s been just over four years.

Yet in a mere five years, King Da Liang occupied the four northern provinces of Da Rong, commanding an army of five hundred thousand, among them many elite soldiers.

This may sound incredible, but in reality, it is to be expected.

The court is corrupt, the people’s livelihood is difficult, a natural disaster caused unspeakable suffering for thirty million people in the three provinces of Longyuan, and with bandits arising everywhere, the result is that within just three years, less than one-tenth of Longyuan’s population remains, with the rest almost entirely turning into bandits.

King Da Liang was able to achieve success so quickly with the aid of both natural disasters and human turmoil.

At this time, although the three hundred thousand Da Liang troops may not all be elite, among them are one hundred thousand battle-hardened soldiers.

They are well-armed, with robust warhorses, and these daredevil warriors have survived countless deadly confrontations.

The one hundred thousand elite Da Liang troops are by no means a mere rabble.

The thunderous sound of hooves echoed, causing great anxiety among the Emperor’s personal army stationed on the walls of the Capital City.

The sixteen camps of the personal army were once the most elite forces of Da Rong, but over the years, Da Rong’s military has decayed, and both the Emperor’s personal army and the Capital City’s imperial guard have long lost their former prowess.

To put it bluntly, twenty years ago, both the Emperor’s personal army and the imperial guard could be considered elite, but now it’s uncertain how much fighting power they actually have.

The twelve camps of the imperial guard in Shanhe Province were so battered while suppressing a group of bandits that it shows the so-called elite guards are nothing more than a façade.

And now the Emperor’s personal army is much the same, as the soldiers stand on the city walls, gazing at the vast and boundless army of Da Liang, each can’t help but feel a little frightened.

They haven’t been to battle in many years, and even the most basic military drills have been neglected for a long time.

Moreover, with the current dispersal of spirit within the Capital City, and the exodus of aristocrats and powerful families, the morale of the personal army soldiers has hit rock bottom.

At the Guang’an Gate tower of the western city gate of the Capital City.

Li Feihe, the Marquis of Hai Ning, held a telescope, looking at the Da Liang army setting up camp outside the city, his expression extremely grave.

Li Feihe is forty-three years old this year, a rising figure of recent years.

Speaking of Li Feihe, one cannot help but mention his grandfather, Li Chao.

Li Chao, an Innate Martial Artist, broke through to the Innate Realm probably over thirty years ago, belonging to the same era as Yang Zhenshan.

However, before Li Chao became an Innate Martial Artist, the Li family of Marquis Hai Ning had been in decline for many years, so Li Chao hadn’t held any particularly important positions in the military before that.

It wasn’t until he became an Innate Martial Artist that the Li family began to rise gradually.

Back then, when Yang Zhenshan set out on an expedition against the Star Moon Sect, Li Chao joined the campaign, but in that battle, Li Chao seemed very unimpressive, almost just playing a marginal role.

But later, when Da Rong established the Navy Commander’s Mansion, Li Chao was appointed as the first Left Governor of the Navy Commander’s Mansion, which marked the real beginning of the Li family’s rise.

That is to say, it was around the time Yang Zhenshan left Da Rong that the Li family became a new power in the court.

Li Feihe also has some connections to Yang Zhenshan, as Li Feihe was a concubine-born son of the Marquis Haining Mansion and normally wouldn’t be qualified to inherit the title.

However, Li Feihe was once a Disciple of the Martial Arts Pavilion, considered a student of Yang Zhenshan.

This person is naturally gifted and amiable, performing remarkably well during his time at the Martial Arts Pavilion. Back when Yang Zhenshan was selecting a husband for Yang Wanqing, Li Feihe was even considered.

But because Li Feihe was a concubine-born son and the Li family had internal disruptions, Yu Qingyi vetoed him.

And just as Yu Qingyi predicted, when Li Feihe inherited the title, some level of conflict within the Li family was inevitable.

Li Feihe’s outstanding talent and potential in Martial Arts allowed him to inherit the title with Li Chao’s support.

Li Feihe did not disappoint Li Chao’s expectations. Now, Li Feihe’s cultivation has reached the Half-step Innate realm, and he is also the commander of the Emperor’s personal army, known as the Golden Crow Four Guards.