novelSusiti Chapter 30: Bought a house, settled down, and from now on, I'm a Beijing tycoon!
Chapter 30: Bought a house, settled down, and from now on, I'm a Beijing tycoon!
Life has many great joys, and meeting an old friend in a foreign land is one of them. Li Xuan and Li Ji didn't meet an old friend, but they did meet members of their own clan. Although they had separated their family two or three hundred years ago, the family genealogy clearly recorded that they had separated into different branches of the same ancestor.
If in times of peace, such blood ties could only maintain a superficial appearance, then in today's turbulent and chaotic world, every connection and every possible resource will be utilized efficiently by everyone.
Li Fang's overwhelming enthusiasm and excitement for the two distant relatives who suddenly appeared was not without reason. Born in a chaotic world, what good is becoming a prime minister? A single war can kill the emperor, and prime ministers are slaughtered in droves.
For civil officials to survive the chaos and crises of war, the only hope of escaping with their lives in critical moments lay in having trustworthy allies in the army. And what kind of allies could compare to one's own people?
Li Xuan and Li Ji were even more delighted. They hadn't expected that a mere Left Remonstrance Official or Academician of the Jixian Hall would need them. Their minds were now filled with the excitement of having a relative who was a close advisor to the Emperor. With this person protecting them above and a thousand fellow villagers supporting them below, all that remained was the prospect of meritorious service and promotion—their future was bright!
Wende Hall
After dinner, everyone said their goodbyes and left, except for Wang Qian, who stayed behind.
Guo Rong was also preparing to return to the inner palace to sleep. As the emperor, he still had the important responsibility of procreation. He had to work both the court and the government, and he had to be on time. Seeing that Wang Qian had not left, he stopped in surprise and asked, "Yongzhi, is there anything else?" That's right, Wang Qian's courtesy name was Yongzhi. When he introduced himself as Wang Yong to the Li Xuan brothers, it was not entirely a lie, but a slight alteration.
Wang Qian inquired, "Your Majesty, placing the selection of generals and training of troops under the Privy Council is fundamental to national stability. If we set a precedent by having generals personally recruit and train soldiers, it may be detrimental in the future. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider."
Wang Qian was an upright minister, as well as a minister who cared deeply for his monarch. He was not satisfied with Guo Rong's decision to allow the Li Xuan brothers to return to their hometown to recruit soldiers, but he did not say anything harsh on the spot. Instead, he spoke to the emperor privately after everyone else had left.
Guo Rong understood everything. Wang Qian was not dissatisfied with the encroachment on the Privy Council's authority; he was genuinely worried about the endless troubles to come.
Guo Rong explained to Wang Qian, "Most of the Imperial Guards of this dynasty come from Hebei, with the next few originating from Hedong. There are almost no Imperial Guard officers from outside these two regions. The reason I placed all the Imperial Guards under the Palace Guard Command and established the Imperial Bodyguard Command is twofold: first, to check and balance the Palace Guard Command; and second, to cultivate talent for the future unification of the empire. I want to be the ruler of the empire, not just the ruler of Hebei or Hedong. The Great Zhou should encompass the entire world, not just a small corner of the land."
If the talented individuals from various regions lead troops recruited by the Privy Council in Zhongzhou, Hebei, and Hedong, their foundation will be very weak. It might take ten years before the Imperial Guards can even compete with the Palace Guards. Even so, we must also include the group of elite generals I transferred from the Palace Guards to strengthen the Imperial Guards.
"I cannot wait that long, nor can I tolerate a Imperial Guard that cannot be improved even after ten years. Therefore, these generals from various regions, as long as they are truly talented, will be allowed to return to their hometowns to recruit a group of elite troops as their initial core. I believe that within a year they will be of great use. My decision is limited to this one time only; future recruitment and allocation will still be overseen by the Privy Council."
After hearing Guo Rong's explanation, Wang Qian truly understood the Emperor's meaning and nodded happily, saying, "Your Majesty's judgment is wise beyond measure; I understand."
Guo Rong was an impatient man. Such a person, as emperor, would do everything with a single, decisive step, never giving up until the goal was achieved. Since he intended to support generals from all directions to establish the Imperial Guard to counterbalance the people of Hebei and Hedong, he certainly wouldn't allow a weak second-generation Imperial Guard to be created step by step. A serious illness requires drastic measures, and Li Xuan and Li Ji returning to their hometowns to recruit soldiers was one such drastic measure.
The Zhou court was extremely efficient. Early the next morning, Li Xuan and Li Ji received their official documents. The material for their official robes was allocated, and they were to find a tailor to make them themselves, as the court did not support idle people.
The Li brothers couldn't help but admire Guo Rong's ruthlessness at the extent to which the imperial court had been streamlined.
Filled with the excitement of finally achieving their goal after ten years of hard work, the two hurried to find Zhao Er to ask for his help with the house purchase. Li Xuan needed a large house to house his family and retainers. Li Ji was of age to be independent, so he decided to buy a house in Bianjing as well. Ideally, the two families could live together for mutual support, or at least in the same neighborhood, so they wouldn't be isolated and helpless during curfew.
Zhao Er was indeed a timely help; he immediately led the Li brothers to the most famous broker. The top-tier broker, seeing Zhao Er and his men arrive, didn't dare delay for even a moment.
Since the two brothers came from Guangling, which happened to be Bianjing City, which later became the inner city, there was a gate in the southeast corner called Yangzhou Gate. Going through Yangzhou Gate, there was an alley next to the city wall called Tianshui Alley. Because it was far from the wealthy areas of the city, it was still relatively deserted.
Li Xuan and Li Ji were overjoyed. The capital of a country has always been a place where land prices are high and living is not easy. They never expected that Sweetwater Lane was a poor area, with hardly any poor people and many abandoned houses.
Zhao Er, somewhat embarrassed, said, "We didn't shortchange you on the gift money, so why did you find such a shabby place for my brothers? Are you looking down on me, Zhao Er?"
The middleman said aggrievedly, "Young master, please don't be hasty. Although there aren't many places in Bianjing that meet the needs of these two officials, there are a few. I'm thinking of you two officials and we'll start by looking at the cheaper ones. Although this place looks dilapidated, the location is excellent. Just two streets to the west is Xiangguo Temple. Not far to the east of Yangzhou Gate is the East Water Gate Wharf. The wharf is directly connected to the Yongji Canal, echoing the hometowns of the two officials. I believe that if this place hadn't been destroyed by war in the past, it would definitely be an excellent place to buy property."
It's clear this alley was thoroughly destroyed in the battle. Most of the original inhabitants probably died, which is why so few dared to live here, and property prices are incredibly low. Li Xuan did some calculations and said to Zhao Er, "Brother Zhao Er's choice was reliable. This place really suits my taste. We can easily set up a large house here for now, and as for the rest, we can find other people to rest in."
Zhao Er asked in surprise, "Others? How many do you brothers want to buy?"
Li Xuan chuckled; "While this place is still in ruins, a house can be bought for forty-odd strings of cash. My brother Ji and I have some savings, so we plan to buy twenty houses and renovate them first."
Zhao Er, both amused and exasperated, bowed in admiration: "Brother Xuan, you're so generous! You dare to gamble so heavily on a place others wouldn't dare to stay. For that alone, I have to say I admire you. You can't stay long due to official duties, so let's do this: hand over the documents now, and you can go back and recruit soldiers with peace of mind. I'll find someone to build a large house for you first, and you won't have to pay for it. It's only polite to reciprocate, so consider it a gift from me to you for settling down in Bianjing. You can't refuse it; what kind of man would hesitate like that! As for the other houses, you can arrange them yourself when you return."
Li Xuan and Li Ji bowed and thanked him, marveling at how righteous Zhao Erlang was. Zhao Erlang's approval meant that the powerful and influential class in Bianjing had initially accepted the arrival of the Li brothers. Although this was all because of Guo Rong, it was still good news, wasn't it?
That day, almost half of Sweetwater Lane fell into the hands of Li Xuan and Li Ji, and the two became real estate tycoons in Bianjing overnight. However, when they could develop the houses was up to Feng Niaoniao to handle.
Li Xuan and Li Ji were entrusted with the imperial mission and could not delay for even a moment. The next day, they led their troops on horses provided by the court and quickly headed south, heading straight for Haizhou.