Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 942: Chapter 669: Choices of Innate Martial Artists

In contrast, Jian Chengfeng, who came later, does not hold as high a position in Da Liang as those two.

However, Zhang Luan, Li Zhen, Jian Chengfeng, and Yang Jiushi are all elders among the Innate Martial Artists, and with their support, it is enough to compensate for Da Liang’s shortcomings in high-level combat power.

"What is the situation inside the city?" Emperor Tianwu asked, looking at the Capital City.

Zhang Luan, with a slight smile, replied, "Rest assured, Your Majesty, everything is already prepared. As soon as we attack the city, someone inside will surely respond to us!"

Unlike Jian Chengfeng, Zhang Luan did not have such complicated emotions at this moment. He only felt the pleasure of dispelling his grievances.

"Hmph, you caused chaos, and now I will pull your son down from the throne," he scoffed.

Yes, his resentment towards Emperor Yanping ran deep.

Although Emperor Yanping had long since passed, the resentment in his heart had not diminished; it grew even stronger.

There was also a bit of frustration, like iron that could not be beaten into steel.

Previously, he was loyal to Da Rong, but unfortunately, Emperor Yanping betrayed his loyalty and turned the court into a mess.

"The deeper the love, the deeper the hate."

Although this description might not be entirely appropriate, it roughly captures the essence.

It was Zhang Luan who was responsible for liaising between Da Liang and the inside of Capital City.

Zhang Luan was naturally well-versed in the nobles and prominent families within the Capital City; he would never fail to win someone over if he chose to.

"Hmm, with your assurance, senior, I am at ease!"

Emperor Tianwu said with a hearty laugh, "But we mustn’t rush the siege. We need to ensure everything is foolproof. Ideally, we should take the Capital City in one decisive battle!"

The Capital City’s walls were high and its moat deep, making a frontal assault difficult. They needed inside assistance.

Da Liang was in no hurry to besiege the city; they had time to wait here. But once they attacked, they needed to capture the Capital City quickly.

Otherwise, the longer the battle dragged on, the lower the morale of Da Liang’s soldiers would drop.

Therefore, they were not in a hurry to attack the city.

The siege of the Capital City had already lasted for more than half a month, and during this time, news of the siege spread throughout Da Rong.

Jiangnan, Yingtian Prefecture.

Chen Hengchang and others were discussing the siege of the Capital City.

In the hall, a dozen people were seated, including Ji Feiyu, Yan Huichun, Lin Fuan, Wang Chongzhen, Ling Bufu, Lv Hua, and Chen Ruishu.

Ji Feiyu and Yan Huichun were unquestionably the people Chen Hengchang trusted most and were his right-hand men.

Lin Fuan, Wang Chongzhen, and Ling Bufu were all members of the Divine Sun Sect. But now, the Divine Sun Sect had completely gone underground, and they had become open Innate Martial Artists, becoming Chen Hengchang’s most powerful supporters.

Lv Hua, compelled by circumstances, currently helped Chen Hengchang form the Blood Clothes Guard. He had recruited personnel from the Secret Martial Guards and also drew strength from the Divine Sun Sect, mainly providing intelligence support for Chen Hengchang.

Chen Ruishu, the eldest son of the New River Prince, represented the Jiangnan nobility, and he was among the first to align with Chen Hengchang, eventually stabilizing Jiangnan under Chen Hengchang’s control.

Here were also some Jiangnan nobles who had recently defected to Chen Hengchang.

Although Chen Hengchang’s strength couldn’t match Da Liang’s, it was not far behind.

Gaining control of Jiangnan, Chen Hengchang acquired substantial Silver Coin and Martial Artists.

However, Chen Hengchang’s foundation was still somewhat thin, and he was busy converting Jiangnan’s financial and human resources into his own strength.

"What do you think about the situation in the Capital City?" Chen Hengchang asked the group, his voice heavy.

Ji Feiyu glanced at Lin Fuan and was the first to speak, "My lord, Da Liang’s Fake Emperor is strong and his troops are plentiful; he will surely conquer the Capital City!"

"And once Da Liang captures the Capital City, they will inevitably move south to attack us! Jiangnan is the wealthiest region of Da Rong, and the Fake Emperor of Da Liang will definitely want to take it quickly!"

Chen Hengchang had no need to claim kingship, as he could inherit the title of Prince Qing. Although the court would not recognize him as Prince Qing, it did not prevent him from using the title.

Of course, they also would not recognize Emperor Jianxing; to them, Emperor Chengping, Emperor Yanping, and the current Emperor Jianxing were all usurpers and traitors.

Their lineage of Prince Qing was the true royal family of Da Rong.

As for Da Liang’s Emperor Tianwu, they were unwilling to acknowledge him either, but with Da Liang’s formidable military strength, they had no choice but to accept it.

"Indeed, we are destined to clash with Da Liang, and this battle will come soon!" Lin Fuan also spoke.

Yan Huichun said, "The outcome of the battle with Da Liang will determine our survival. If we win, we will gain great prestige, but if we lose, our expansion momentum will be halted, affecting all our plans!"

Their original plan was to first take Jiangnan, and then occupy Fuhai, Yun Gui, Nanyun, and Bashu entirely.

In doing so, they would command five provinces, laying the foundation for a struggle for the world.

However, the rise of Da Liang disrupted their plans.

Initially, they didn’t take King Da Liang seriously; he was just a bandit in their eyes, not worth mentioning.

But they never expected King Da Liang to rise so quickly, to the point of being astonishing.

Previously, they had hoped to use King Da Liang and the bandits as a buffer against the court, intending to let these bandits hold the court at bay while they conquered the southern five provinces of Da Rong and then raised troops to attack the Capital City.

However, Da Liang attacked the Capital City first.

This situation disrupted their plans, but it hadn’t completely derailed them.

They had not yet come into conflict with Da Liang, and they still had time to prepare.

Chen Hengchang nodded slightly, "The most critical matter now is to prepare for the confrontation with Da Liang!"

Ji Feiyu’s expression shifted slightly, "My lord, we need to gather more strength!"

"Whom do you suggest we recruit?" Chen Hengchang asked.

Ji Feiyu said, "The Yang family in Chongshan Town, the Qu family in Southern Border Town, the Guo family in Yunling Town!"

Chen Hengchang breathed deeply, "The Yang family of Chongshan Town?"

Recruiting the Qu family in Southern Border Town and the Guo family in Yunling Town did not concern him; as long as they were willing to ally themselves with him, he would promise better conditions, even granting Southern Border Town and Yunling Town as their fiefs if necessary.

However, recruiting the Yang family of Chongshan Town was uncomfortable for him.

It was Yang Zhenshan who had driven his father out of Liaodong, and his father’s death was also connected to Yang Zhenshan.

After the defeat at Chongshan Pass, the former Prince Qing and Ji Feiyu fled together, though they eventually reached Black Mountain Island, the former Prince Qing fell seriously ill and soon passed away.

This debt could entirely be hung on Yang Zhenshan.

Ji Feiyu naturally also loathed Yang Zhenshan, but he still advised, "Chongshan Town has a formidable force of one hundred thousand troops. If we can win them over, they can launch an attack on Da Liang from Liaodong; by then, we could strike from both sides, and Da Liang would surely be defeated."

"My lord, those who achieve great things should not act out of emotion; for the sake of the world, my lord should forget past grievances."

Though the expression may seem inappropriate, it roughly carries the meaning.

Zhang Luan was responsible for the connections between Da Liang and the noble families within the Capital City.

He held a thorough understanding of the nobility and prestigious families within the Capital City, never failing to win them over if he so intended.

"Yes, with your word, my mind is at peace!"

Emperor Tianwu said with a hearty laugh: "But we must not rush the siege. We need to ensure absolute success; it’s best to seize the Capital City in one fell swoop, in a single battle!"

The Capital City was fortified and deep, making a frontal assault difficult. An inside response was necessary.

Da Liang is in no hurry to attack the city now; they have time to linger here. However, once they attack, they must capture the Capital City swiftly.

Otherwise, the longer the battle drags on, the lower the morale of Da Liang’s soldiers will sink.

That’s why they are in no rush to attack.

The siege of the Capital City had lasted more than half a month, and during that period, news of the siege spread throughout Da Rong.

Jiangnan, Yingtian Prefecture.

Chen Hengchang and others were discussing the siege of the Capital City.

Seated in the hall were a dozen people, including Ji Feiyu, Yan Huichun, Lin Fuan, Wang Chongzhen, Ling Bufu, Lv Hua, Chen Ruishu, and others.

For Chen Hengchang, Ji Feiyu and Yan Huichun were undoubtedly the most trusted allies and his right-hand men.

Lin Fuan, Wang Chongzhen, and Ling Bufu were members of the Divine Sun Sect, though now the Divine Sun Sect had gone completely underground. They had become open Innate Martial Artists and were Chen Hengchang’s most powerful supporters.

Lv Hua, reluctantly, had succumbed, and now assisted Chen Hengchang in forming the Blood Clothes Guard, with personnel recruited from the Secret Martial Guards and some resources from the Divine Sun Sect, providing intelligence support primarily for Chen Hengchang.

Chen Ruishu, the eldest son of the New River Prince, represented the Jiangnan nobility, and he was one of the first to ally with Chen Hengchang, eventually delivering all of Jiangnan securely into his hands.

Here, there were also a few others from the Jiangnan nobility who had recently pledged allegiance to Chen Hengchang.

Although Chen Hengchang’s power was not yet on par with Da Liang, it was not far behind.

Having secured Jiangnan, Chen Hengchang gained vast resources of Silver Coin and Martial Artists.

Nevertheless, Chen Hengchang still had a fragile foundation and was busy transforming Jiangnan’s financial and human resources into his own power.

"What are your thoughts on the situation in the Capital City?" Chen Hengchang asked the assembly with a deep voice.

Ji Feiyu exchanged a glance with Lin Fuan and spoke first: "My prince, the Da Liang Fake Emperor now has a strong and robust army and is certain to conquer the Capital City!"

"And once Da Liang captures the Capital City, they will surely move south to attack us! The land of Jiangnan is the most prosperous region of Da Rong; the Da Liang Fake Emperor will definitely want to seize Jiangnan as quickly as possible!"

There was no need for Chen Hengchang to claim kingship, as he could inherit the title of Prince Qing even though the court would not recognize his title. That wouldn’t prevent him from wielding the name of Prince Qing.

Of course, they would not acknowledge Emperor Jianxing either; to them, Emperor Chengping, Emperor Yanping, and the current Emperor Jianxing were all usurpers who usurped the throne.

Their Prince Qing lineage was the legitimate royal family of Da Rong.

As for Da Liang’s Emperor Tianwu, though they were also unwilling to acknowledge him, Da Liang’s military was now the strongest, and they had no choice but to acknowledge it.

"Indeed, we are destined to fight Da Liang! And this war is coming soon!" Lin Fuan also chimed in.

Yan Huichun said: "The outcome of the war against Da Liang concerns our survival. If we win, we will shake the world, but if we lose, our momentum of expansion will be broken, impacting all our plans!"

Their original plan was to capture Jiangnan first and then take over Fuhai, Yun Gui, Nanyun, and Bashu entirely.

In doing so, they would control five provinces and have the foundation to vie for supremacy over the realm.

But the rise of Da Liang disrupted their plans.

Initially, they didn’t take King Da Liang seriously; he was just a bandit, not worth mentioning in their eyes.

Yet, the rise of King Da Liang was so swift that it seemed impossible even to them.

Initially, they thought of using King Da Liang to deal with those roving bandits, planning to launch a campaign against the Capital City once they had seized the five southern provinces of Da Rong.

But Da Liang struck first by launching an attack on the Capital City.

The result was that Da Liang launched an assault on the Capital City ahead of them.

This meant they had yet to clash with Da Liang, and they still had time to prepare.

Chen Hengchang nodded slightly, "The most critical matter now is to prepare for the battle with Da Liang."

Ji Feiyu added, "My lord, we need to recruit more forces!"

"Who do you suggest we recruit?" Chen Hengchang asked.

Ji Feiyu proposed, "The Yang family in Chongshan Town, the Qu family in Southern Border Town, and the Guo family in Yunling Town!"

Chen Hengchang took a deep breath, "The Yang family of Chongshan Town?"

Recruiting the Qu family in Southern Border Town and the Guo family in Yunling Town would not be a problem; if they were willing to come over, he would offer them better conditions, even if it meant giving them Southern Border Town and Yunling Town.

However, recruiting the Yang family of Chongshan Town made him feel uncomfortable.

It was Yang Zhenshan who drove his father out of Liaodong, and his father’s death was also related to Yang Zhenshan.

After the defeat at Chongshan Pass, the former Prince Qing and Ji Feiyu fled together; they eventually reached Black Mountain Island, but the former Prince Qing fell gravely ill and soon passed away.

This was a debt that had yet to be settled.

Ji Feiyu, knowing Chen Hengchang’s deep resentment towards Yang Zhenshan, still advised, "Chongshan Town has a well-trained army of one hundred thousand. If we can recruit them, it will enable us to attack Da Liang from Liaodong with full force."

"My lord, those who achieve great things do not act from emotion. For the sake of the realm, you should set aside past grievances," he urged.

Ji Feiyu believed that if Chen Hengchang could take the realm, then it wouldn’t matter if the grudge against the Yang family was written off.

However, Chen Hengchang’s expression was tense, unable to forget the first time he heard Yang Zhenshan’s name, when he was just twenty. At that time, he had fled from Qinghua City in a panic with his father, Prince Qing.

He could never let go of the scene when he first heard the name Yang Zhenshan; at that time, he had just turned twenty, and he fled in a panic with his father when the city of Qinghua fell to Yang Zhenshan’s forces.

After his father’s death, he continued to regard Yang Zhenshan as his greatest enemy.

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