Chapter 279: Chapter 270 Previously, this General slaughtered tens of thousands of Hu Clan mbers.
“I have a question for you!”
“What is the connection between your Lan family and the Prince Qing Mansion?”
Yang Zhenshan asked.
Lan Buqi shuddered, while waves of turmoil flickered in Lan Buzheng’s eyes.
“So you are unwilling to confess?” Yang Zhenshan said.
Lan Buqi showed a bitter expression, “General, our Lan family has no connections with Prince Qing!”
Hearing Yang Zhenshan’s question, he understood why Yang Zhenshan would co to Tenglong Guard!
Before, he was puzzled why Emperor Chengping decreed Yang Zhenshan as the Commander of Tenglong Guard, but now he finally understood!
It was for Prince Qing!
“No connections?” Yang Zhenshan was slightly surprised.
“Our Lan family rose to prominence forty years ago!” Lan Buqi said with a sowhat hoarse voice.
Yang Zhenshan suddenly realized.
Indeed, the Lan family had co to Qinghua Prefecture a hundred years ago, and through the efforts of three generations, they rose rapidly starting about forty years ago.
Prince Qing was ennobled thirty years ago, and he was only five or six years old at that ti.
By the ti Prince Qing grew up, the Lan family had already dominated Tenglong Guard.
“He must have tried to win you over?” Yang Zhenshan continued to ask.
“Yes, but we refused!” Lan Buqi said.
Yang Zhenshan nodded slightly, “Then how much do you know about Prince Qing, or let’s say, do you know any secrets about Prince Qing? I think you should understand what I an!”
Lan Buqi fell silent, but Lan Buzheng spoke, “We know a little, but what can we get in return?”
“You don’t have the right to negotiate terms now!”
“Yes, we do. We have sothing you want! That’s our bargaining chip!” Lan Buzheng said calmly.
The corners of Yang Zhenshan’s mouth raised slightly; this guy was indeed smart.
But unfortunately, it seed he was a bit too confident!
“Have you forgotten sothing?”
“What?” Lan Buzheng asked.
Yang Zhenshan bared a smile, “Previously, this General slaughtered tens of thousands from the Hu Clan, and these Hu included grown n, the elderly, won, and children!”
“Your youngest son is only seven years old this year, right?”
As he spoke, he also stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, as if he was talking about sothing delicious.
Lan Buzheng beca completely rigid and could no longer maintain his previous composure.
His temperant was certainly steady, able to remain calm in the face of anything, stronger in this aspect than Lan Buqi.
But faced with Yang Zhenshan, looking at that faintly smiling face and listening to those calmly spoken words, his composure completely dissipated like smoke.
“You!” Anger showed on Lan Buzheng’s face.
He was a man who could be ruthless to anyone, but he had great affection for his own children.
“Speak up, tell us everything you know.” Yang Zhenshan was indifferent to his anger and said calmly.
Lan Buqi sighed weakly, glanced at Lan Buzheng, and finally spoke, “We don’t know much, we only know that Prince Qing Mansion has many rchant ships.”
“rchant ships!”
Yang Zhenshan’s eyebrows raised; this information was sowhat useful.
Qinghua Prefecture was by the sea, with many fishern in the coastal areas, so it was not surprising that Prince Qing Mansion had rchant ships.
“What are his rchant ships used for?” Yang Zhenshan asked.
“We don’t know; our Lan family has always stayed away from Prince Qing Mansion!” Lan Buqi said in a deep voice.
For local officials and prominent families, a Prince often represented trouble, and most people would keep their distance, preferring not to deal with them if possible.
“Where do they anchor these rchant ships?” Yang Zhenshan continued to ask.
“At Prince Qing’s Guard Departnt, which is located by the seaside, and there’s also a part of the Navy there,” Lan Buqi said.
Yang Zhenshan nodded slightly, and then fell into deep thought.
Prince Qing’s rchant ships could be of two types: warships or rchant vessels.
If they were warships, since Prince Qing’s Guard Departnt had the Navy, there was no need to hide, and they could go to sea openly and aboveboard.
But if they were rchant vessels, then they might be involved in so unsavory activities.
Da Rong’s mariti trade was not thriving, but there were still many sea rchants, especially in the Jiangnan and southeastern regions where there were many wealthy sea rchants.
As for the North, there were also so sea rchants, but mostly concentrated in the Jin Hai area. Although the Liaodong Region was coastal, there were not many sea rchants.
The reason for this was because the Liaodong Region was poor, and very few wealthy rchants had the capacity to build rchant ships, establish a fleet, and engage in sea trade.
Prince Qing making money off mariti trade was not an issue, but would he honestly just do business?
After contemplating briefly, Yang Zhenshan gathered his thoughts.
Now was not the ti to target Prince Qing. His current urgent task was to establish the frawork for Tenglong Guard and then train an elite force.
Standing up, Yang Zhenshan looked at the three Lan brothers again, “You know best what you have done. Rest assured, this General will act according to the court’s laws!”
Finishing his words, he didn’t wait for the brothers’ reaction and turned to leave the room.
While Yang Zhenshan was eting with the three Lan brothers, in the study of Prince Qing’s King City, Prince Qing also received the news that the Lan family had been taken down.
After listening to the report from his subordinate, the corners of Prince Qing’s mouth raised slightly, “This General Yang’s thods are truly fierce!”
“This Prince originally thought he would be entangled with the Lan family for a long ti, but I didn’t expect that in just one day, he took down the Lan family!”
The robust man standing before him, however, frowned deeply, “Prince, your subordinate feels that we should get rid of Yang Zhenshan sooner rather than later. If he really trains Tenglong Guard, he may beco a major threat to his Highness in the future!”
The more formidable Yang Zhenshan appears, the greater the threat to Prince Qing.
Prince Qing naturally understands this fact; he rely sighs softly, “We have no way to deal with him now!”
Executing Yang Zhenshan is not an option. Should Yang Zhenshan die, Emperor Chengping would surely trust him even less and might even confine him or summon him to the Capital City to keep an eye on him, which would be even more disadvantageous for him.
As for other thods, be it forming alliances, intimidation, or bribery?
Prince Qing has thought of these, but after analyzing Yang Zhenshan, he is certain he is not a man easily dealt with.
Recalling Yang Zhenshan’s past in his mind, Prince Qing feels like he is facing a hedgehog.
Not only is there nowhere to start, but he must also be careful not to get pricked by him.
“Forget it, let us proceed with our plan. As for the Tenglong Guard, you just need to keep an eye on them!” Prince Qing ultimately gives up on dealing with Yang Zhenshan.
Although Yang Zhenshan may beco a hindrance to him in the future, for now, Yang Zhenshan is not yet able to affect him.
He needs ti to lay out his plans; compared to dealing with Yang Zhenshan, the sches he is enacting are far more crucial.
At this mont, Yang Zhenshan is unaware of Prince Qing’s thoughts; if he knew, it would probably lighten his heart quite a bit.
After eting with the three Lan brothers, Yang Zhenshan arrives at the study in the Front Office.
Zhou Ren and Lu Wenhua have already tidied up his study, and he can now work within the governnt office.
“My lord, the assets of the Lan family have been organized for your review!”
Just as Yang Zhenshan takes his seat in the study, Zhou Ren cos in, carrying a docunt.
Zhou Ren’s capability is quite comndable. In just a day and a night, he has tallied up the Lan family’s assets.
Yang Zhenshan begins to examine the docunt.
There is quite a bit listed, including the Lan family’s fertile lands, tenant farrs, servants, house servants, treasures of gold and silver, grains, and real estate properties, among others.
Fertile land, 180,600 mu.
Tenant households, 2,320.
Servants within the mansion, 765 people; house servants, 368 people.
Gold, approximately 38,000 taels.
Silver, approximately 220,000 taels.
Copper Coin, about 34,000 strings.
Estates, seven; shops, twenty-three.
Grain in sixteen warehouses!
Yang Zhenshan raises his head in astonishnt, “Grain in sixteen warehouses?”
“Yes, my lord, I have just checked; the warehouses are full!” Zhou Ren says.
Yang Zhenshan’s mouth twitches slightly.
He had seen the Lan family’s grain supplies before; they were located to the east of the Lan family’s mansion, with sixteen granaries built of green bricks. From the surface, they seem small, but Yang Zhenshan knows they are underground silos, similar to the ones used by the official granaries in Da Rong.
“If I am not mistaken, one underground silo can store ten thousand shi of grain, right?” Yang Zhenshan says sowhat dryly.
Zhou Ren nods repeatedly, “My lord is correct, each is a silo that can store ten thousand shi!”
Yang Zhenshan draws a sharp breath. Sixteen silos, doesn’t that an 160,000 shi?
How much grain is that?
However, considering the Lan family owns one hundred thousand mu of fertile land, with each producing two to three shi of grain, minus the share given to the tenant farrs, the remainder indeed roughly totals 160,000 shi.
And don’t forget that the Lan family also controls the grain trade of the Tenglong Guard.
“Damn, the Lan family really are despicable!”
Yang Zhenshan can’t help but curse.
The wealthier the Lan family is, the more it suggests they’ve plundered from the Tenglong Guard.
The Lan family has so much grain, yet the military households of the Tenglong Guard can’t even get enough to eat.
Huff~~
Yang Zhenshan exhales deeply, saying, “Hand this over to Xie Yuan, have him draft a report to the Central Army Commander’s Mansion exactly as it is. Also, ntion to Song Dashan to arrange for soone to guard this gold, silver, and grain for .”
The amount is too large; Yang Zhenshan has no choice but to report it.
“My lord, report it exactly as it is?” Zhou Ren asks in surprise.
“Mmm, report it exactly as it is. The grain is negotiable, but we can’t handle so much gold and silver on our own!” Yang Zhenshan nods firmly.
In theory, as the Commander of the Tenglong Guard, he could handle the Lan family’s case within the scope of his authority since the Lan family was part of the military households of the Tenglong Guard, and the highest rank they held in the Tenglong Guard were just a few households.
It was within his power to handle a few households; all that was needed was to report to the Central Army Commander’s Mansion and the Ministry of Criminal Justice afterward.
However, dealing with so much gold and silver requires extra caution.
Especially since he has just assud office, and the old Emperor might have arranged for soone to watch him.
The old Emperor likely wouldn’t surveil him, but he would certainly pay attention to him.
In any case, being cautious never leads to mistakes.
The higher the office, the greater the authority, the more cautious one must be.
And now, having caught the eye of the old Emperor, he must be even more cautious in his actions.
The old Emperor is capable of killing, and Yang Zhenshan maintains a respectful fear of him, worried that the old Emperor might chop off his head.
“Yes, I will go to Mr. Xie and Mr. Song right away!” Zhou Ren sees that Yang Zhenshan’s mind is made up and says no more.
Once Zhou Ren leaves the study, Yang Zhenshan reflects for a mont and decides to write a morial to the old Emperor.
This is his second ti writing a morial; the last was after receiving the imperial edict when he wrote a morial of gratitude.
However, a morial of gratitude is just a formality; the old Emperor probably wouldn’t look at it closely.
But this morial is different; he needs to write in detail about the situation of the Tenglong Guard, the Lan family’s situation, and the gold, silver, and grain seized from the Lan family.
After all, having waved the old Emperor’s banner, he should give an account to the old Emperor.
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