Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

In the study, Yang Zhenshan looked at the memorial sent again by Emperor Yanping, his expression somewhat ugly.

It was as if a seven-year-old child helping a ten-year-old child had committed some sort of outrage against societal norms.

Especially this phrase about a seven-year-old child also having the heart of a beast, damn it, wasn't this directly calling his grandson a beast?

"Damn, this rigid old pedant!"

"Go call Wu Zheng over!"

Yang Zhenshan walked out of the study angrily, shouting to Li Chang who was standing outside the door.

A moment later, Wu Zheng arrived at the study.

"Marquis!"

Yang Zhenshan said, "Go investigate this Zhou Ningwei, see if he really is incorruptible!"

He didn't know Zhou Ningwei at all. If it weren't for Zhou Ningwei's impeachment, he wouldn't even have known there was such a City Patrol Imperial Censor in the Capital City.

If this Zhou Ningwei was merely rigid, Yang Zhenshan couldn't be bothered to argue with him.

But if Zhou Ningwei proved to be a hypocrite, then Yang Zhenshan wouldn't be polite.

...

Wu Zheng's capability in handling affairs goes without saying; in less than two days, he had thoroughly investigated Zhou Ningwei.

"Marquis, this Zhou Ningwei comes from a humble background, but he owns a three-entry mansion in the East City!"

"And this Zhou Ningwei also has four concubines. His daughter, born to one of the concubines, is indeed beautiful but quite willful!"

"That, I heard~~"

Wu Zheng hesitated.

"Heard what?" Yang Zhenshan glared at him and said, speaking hesitantly as if trying to tease.

Wu Zheng chuckled, "I heard that his daughter has taken a fancy to Mr. Jiang."

"..."

Yang Zhenshan's temples twitched.

"So, it means that their father and daughter are trying to cling to my grandson!"

Wu Zheng nodded, "It seems so. Zhou Ningwei has three daughters; the eldest married the grandson of Assistant Minister of Ministry of Justice Shen Ming, the second daughter became a concubine to Marquis Wujing, Yang Pu! It's said that Marquis Wujing inadvertently helped his second daughter, and he shamelessly claimed Marquis Wujing tarnished his daughter's reputation."

Yang Zhenshan finally understood, this was a set-up, and Zhou Ningwei was an expert at such schemes.

The reputation of Marquis Jing'an Mansion in the Capital City was still very good, especially concerning matrimonial matters. Many daughters from powerful and official families wished to marry into the Jing'an Mansion.

Because the Yang family had a family rule 'men can only take concubines at thirty years old if childless', many daughters from influential and managerial families aspired for the Yang family.

Although Jiang Feng was not a direct descendant of the Yang family, he was Yang Zhenshan's grandson and had always lived in the Mansion, no different from the Yang family's own children.

Zhou Ningwei probably mistook Jiang Feng as Yang Zhenshan's direct grandson.

In Yang Zhenshan's eyes, grandsons and grandsons by marriage were the same, but in the eyes of others, there was a difference.

One surnamed Yang, the other surnamed Jiang, was the biggest difference.

Zhou Ningwei wanted to climb up to the Yang family; the Yang family definitely looked down upon them, particularly disliking the Zhou family's nature.

"This official is too disgraceful!" Yang Zhenshan laughed in anger.

"Marquis, do you want to discipline him?" Wu Zheng asked.

Yang Zhenshan looked at him curiously, "How to discipline?"

Wu Zheng grinned, "There are many ways in the worldly society, like setting up a false adultery trap!"

"What is setting up a false adultery trap?" Yang Zhenshan was unfamiliar with these.

Wu Zheng explained, "It involves getting a woman to seduce him and then have the woman's husband catch them in the act!"

Yang Zhenshan raised his eyebrows, wasn't this just a honey trap?

"Would he fall for it?"

Wu Zheng said, "Zhou Ningwei is extremely lecherous and often frequents brothel areas."

Yang Zhenshan stroked his beard and thought, "We must ruin his reputation utterly!"

Damn it, daring to disgust me, does he really think I am easy to provoke?

"You go arrange it, make sure to stir up a big fuss when the time comes, best if the entire Capital City knows."

Wu Zheng smirked somewhat evilly, "Marquis, just watch!"

What has Wu Zheng been doing all these years?

Collecting various kinds of information for Yang Zhenshan.

Previously, Wu Zheng mainly dealt with the court, but in recent years since Yang Zhenshan came to the Capital City, he shifted his focus to collecting sneaky tidbits of information.

Collecting gossip meant dealing with all sorts of people.

Inside Capital City, who among these various people wouldn't respectfully call him Lord Wu.

Being able to call out Lord Wu in front of him was a matter of prestige.

What was Lord Wu's status?

One of Marquis Jing'an Mansion's guards, a Ninth-rank Martial Artist.

The former identity signifies Lord Wu has backing, the latter signifies Lord Wu has strength.

In the eyes of those people, Lord Wu was definitely a big shot, no less than those officials inside the government offices.

Lord Wu asking you to do something was a sign of respect.

...

Upon receiving Yang Zhenshan's instruction, Wu Zheng immediately headed to an underground gambling den in the South City.

The person in charge of the gambling den, Liu Dashan, lit up upon seeing Wu Zheng.

"Lord Wu, oh, what wind has blown you here, please come in, please!"

Liu Dashan, bearing a big yellow-toothed grin and a sycophantic smile, came forward to greet him.

This Liu Dashan was also a figure within the lower rungs of society in Capital City, owning several gambling dens and brothels, commanding several hundred brothers.

Of course, he too had connections.

Who his backer was, Wu Zheng wasn't too sure, but it was likely to be some official from Shuntian Prefecture.

His official rank wasn't very high; after all, although these gambling dens and brothels made money quickly, they weren't high-class places that the noble and high-ranking officials favored.

Wu Zheng had only met Liu Dashan a few times, but his subordinates knew this Liu Dashan quite well.

His subordinates were also guards of the Yang family.

Had this matter not been instructed by Yang Zhenshan personally, he wouldn't have come himself, letting his subordinates make a trip instead.