Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

"You’ve spent quite a bit of time in Jiangnan these past few years, do you have any understanding of the sea merchants there?" Yang Zhenshan suddenly asked.

Luo Shang looked up in surprise and said, "My lord is interested in sea merchants?"

"I do have some ideas, but I know little about sea merchants, so I’d like to understand more before proceeding!" Yang Zhenshan said.

Luo Shang thought for a moment and said, "Becoming a sea merchant is difficult!"

"Difficult? What aspects are difficult?"

"Firstly, to set out to sea, the investment is substantial—a small merchant ship alone costs upwards of a thousand taels of silver, while larger ones could require tens of thousands!"

"Secondly, the dangers at sea are numerous—natural disasters and human calamities can strike at any time. Natural disasters aside, the most troublesome are the human calamities!"

"My lord may not know that many of the southern sea merchants are both traders and robbers. Once they are out at sea, they can turn into pirates at any moment, robbing and killing any merchant ships they encounter!"

How could Yang Zhenshan be unaware of this—with figures like Li Dan and Zheng Zhilong, he had made in-depth investigations in his previous life.

It was precisely because of this understanding that he was interested in sea merchants.