Chapter 1458: Preparing for a Rainy Day

He promptly paid the remaining balance and then personally poured Gu Lin a cup of tea.

Gu Lin took the cup and took a sip, then asked He Lingchuan, "Island Master He, what goods do you need to purchase this time?"

"Our first collaboration was pleasant. As expected, Tonglinji is a well-established merchant house, guaranteeing quality, timely delivery, and quantity," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "I'd like to ask Manager Gu to help me order a few more things."

Gu Lin, of course, was delighted. "Please tell me," he said.

When Tu Yuanhong was alive, he had a wide network and was very popular among officials and nobles, so he was responsible for client acquisition. Gu Lin, on the other hand, was primarily in charge of preparing goods for downstream delivery.

According to He Lingchuan, one took orders, and the other fulfilled them.

They divided the work and cooperated well.

After Tu Yuanhong's death, Tonglinji's business sharply declined. The main reason was a drastic reduction in upstream clients, meaning Tonglinji could no longer secure large orders and was left with only small, sporadic jobs they previously wouldn't have bothered with.

In the long run, the channels Gu Lin had painstakingly developed would gradually shrink.

At this time, the appearance of a major client like Island Master He was invaluable.

The profit from those three thousand catties of Xiang Le Powder was just enough for Tonglinji to pay this month's salaries.

He Lingchuan asked him, "What kind of stone and timber are used to build temples and mansions here in Tianshui City?"

"There are five grades of stone. The highest grade is Panjin Stone, followed by Qingfang Stone..." Gu Lin explained in detail, then added, "There are strict regulations for stone used by the common folk; the top two grades are forbidden. Panjin Stone can only be used for temples and by the royal family, while Qingfang Stone is reserved for officials and nobles."

Although called "Qingfang Stone," it's actually a general term for a category of stones, encompassing a variety of colors.

He Lingchuan said, "Oh. If I were to build a villa by Tranquil Lake, I could only use...?"

Building at Tranquil Lake? Gu Lin was startled. "Island Master He, who told you that you could build a house there? They're trying to harm you! Tranquil Lake is royal territory!"

He Lingchuan chuckled, "Don't worry, His Majesty personally agreed to this. It's just a matter of completing a few procedures."

The King of Yao agreed to him building a house at Tranquil Lake? Gu Lin froze, taking a long time to process the information. He still found it incredible. "This... you... this can't be a joke. For over a hundred years, only small structures on the island in Tranquil Lake have existed; no one has dared to touch any other part of it."

If Tranquil Lake could be developed, it would be highly sought-after work. How could it fall to an foreign merchant, the Island Master of Yangshan?

"This news will certainly spread in a couple of days. Then you can verify if what I'm saying is true," He Lingchuan said as he shelled and ate a peanut. "However, you must acquire the items I want within the next two days. Regarding the Qingfang Stone, can you get large slabs of it? Fewer seams will make it look grander."

"What specifications?"

"At least two *zhang* in length."

Gu Lin gasped slightly. "I'll try," he said.

"Are there common channels for purchasing Qingfang Stone in Tianshui City?"

"Yes, there are several stone merchants in Tianshui City specializing in Panjin Stone and Qingfang Stone. Most buyers order from them," Gu Lin chuckled. "Over the past twenty years, Tianshui City has seen extensive construction. More than three hundred new temples have been built inside and outside the city, and over thirty new statues of the Heavenly God Miaozhan have been erected, the largest of which is ten *zhang* tall, surrounded by spacious plazas that can accommodate a thousand worshippers simultaneously."

He Lingchuan paused, surprised. "So many new temples?"

Gu Lin gave a slight cough. "According to the ancestral laws of the Yao court, the number of palaces cannot exceed the number of temples. So..."

So, if the royal family wants to build new palaces, they must first erect several structures for the deities. He Lingchuan nodded. "Understood," he said.

The Yao Kingdom certainly shows great reverence for their deities.

"The number of new imperial residences, gardens, high terraces, and mountain villas built by the monarch and royal family in Tianshui City and the secondary capital is countless. The palace city itself has been undergoing renovation and expansion for the past decade or so. If you've been there, you'd know how lavish and beautiful it is."

"I have," He Lingchuan replied. He had only recently visited the Yao Kingdom's palace city and was deeply impressed by its magnificent halls and exquisite courtyards.

To put it this way, even the palace city of Chiyan Kingdom isn't as grand or imposing.

Of course, all this grandeur, splendor, and magnificence relies on the backing of enormous wealth. Otherwise, why would the royal palace of Yuan Kingdom look so run-down?

If Tianshui City wants to build palaces, it must first build temples, which means more than double the expenditure.

Over thirty large-scale (non-essential) buildings are constructed each year, not including renovations of older structures.

It's worth noting that maintaining old buildings is also very expensive, sometimes costing more than constructing a new one.

He Lingchuan once again revised his understanding of the Yao Kingdom. This could no longer be called merely wealthy; it was utter extravagance.

"So, there are very well-established channels for the supply of Panjin Stone and Qingfang Stone."

He Lingchuan nodded. "When you purchase Qingfang Stone in bulk, can you avoid these particular suppliers?"

"Bypass them?" Gu Lin was surprised, immediately realizing there was something hidden behind the request. However, after a moment's thought, he said, "It's not impossible. I have a secret source that others might not know about, but the cost would be higher."

"That's fine. Whatever the price, just charge it," He Lingchuan said, his expression serious. "But one thing: it must be kept secret!"

"Please handle this matter secretly, Manager Gu. My transaction with Tonglinji today must not be leaked!"

Client requests varied wildly; Gu Lin had seen it all. "Secrecy" was already considered the most normal request.

"You can rest assured that no outsider will know until the goods are delivered to your specified location."

The two discussed for a while longer, finalizing the entire list of goods. Only then did Gu Lin stand up and leave without looking back.

What kind of place was Tranquil Lake? He knew perfectly well that Regent Qingyang resided there!

If what Island Master He said was true, and the King of Yao truly entrusted him with developing the southern shore of Tranquil Lake, there would be many difficulties ahead for him.

But this also meant the development of Tranquil Lake would have the monarch's support.

Island Master He coming to Tonglinji to order materials — was it a blessing or a disaster for Tonglinji?

Half a year ago, he would not have taken on such a high-risk order.

But now, Gu Lin decided to take a gamble.

If he didn't find a way to break the deadlock, Tonglinji would fade away without a trace.

This shouldn't be Tonglinji's fate, nor his own ultimate end!

After his figure disappeared around the street corner, the Soul-Shattering Mirror informed He Lingchuan, "Alright, it seems no one noticed him. Hey, you placed an eyeball spider on him, didn't you?"

"Yes." Given the importance of the matter, He Lingchuan was naturally cautious. "Ordering goods from Tonglinji is just a head start, a way to prevent future problems."

If he did business with any official monopolized merchant, Qingyang would find out.

But using Tonglinji for this task offered greater initial secrecy.

He Lingchuan finished his tea and stood up to leave.

Since he had left discreetly in disguise, it took some effort to return to the inn.

When He Lingchuan returned to the inn and changed back into his regular clothes, someone arrived with an invitation.

He Lingchuan read it, then invited Fan Shuang to his room. "Brother Fan, someone wants to host a welcoming banquet for me. Would you like to come along?"

"Oh, who?" They had been in Tianshui City for several days; why was someone only just remembering to welcome them?

"It's an invitation from Yuwen Xu, saying that old acquaintances from Lingxu City and new friends from Tianshui City are inviting me to Maochun Restaurant for a pleasant chat." Maochun Restaurant was one of Tianshui City's top establishments, always packed with distinguished guests and often frequented by influential figures.

Yuwen Xu specifically mentioned "old acquaintances from Lingxu" because the number of Yao Kingdom citizens studying in Lingxu City was the highest among all nations in the Blazegold Plains.

These two nations already had intricate ties. The Yao Kingdom was also very prosperous, and its upper-class citizens held great affection for Bega. Sending family scions to study in Lingxu had long become a popular trend.

For noble scions like Fan Shuang, if they returned after studying in Bega, it would be easier for them to enter officialdom in the Yao Kingdom.

Fan Shuang was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly. "Excellent, let's go together!"

He had originally been an unremarkable low-ranking official. At events, he was fortunate to be at the very end of the guest list. Most of the time, he wasn't even invited to gatherings of prominent families and nobles.

But after associating with He Xiao, the people he met and the gatherings he attended were more than ten times richer than before.

Even His Majesty had granted him an audience!

He Xiao was truly his lucky star.

The Soul-Shattering Mirror asked He Lingchuan, "Why are you specifically bringing this person with you?"

He Lingchuan smiled without answering.

Compared to the shrewd and sophisticated nobles of Lingxu City, Fan Shuang was indeed somewhat mediocre. Yet He Lingchuan consistently brought Fan Shuang with him for public appearances.

This was to let everyone know that even a mediocre person, as long as they stayed by He Xiao's side, could rise to prominence and achieve great success.

However, just as the two were about to leave, four or five people suddenly hurried into the inn from outside. He Lingchuan immediately recognized the palace guard uniforms.

Sanmen'tou Inn was one of Tianshui City's largest official inns. It was frequented by foreign envoys, so the presence of palace guards here was not at all surprising.

But they walked to the counter and immediately asked, "Which rooms are occupied by the Yangshan Merchant Guild?"

Before the innkeeper could answer, He Lingchuan spoke first, "Gentlemen, are you looking for me?"

The man in the lead turned his head. "Who are you?"

"I am the Island Master of the Yangshan Archipelago."

"First-Class Imperial Guard Captain, Liu Wu." The man introduced himself directly. "I'm here to ask you a few routine questions."

He Lingchuan immediately said, "This way, please."

He led the palace guards into his room, and Fan Shuang followed.

"By His Majesty's order, I am investigating the bloody incident at Xiaotao Mountain Villa," Liu Wu told He Lingchuan. "Where were you on the night of the incident?"

"Zhuo'an." He Lingchuan had already memorized this explanation. "Mang Continent was too lively, making lodging inconvenient, and I also wanted to discuss some business deals in Zhuo'an."

"Were the deals concluded?"

"Mostly, yes, except for Xiang Le Paste." He Lingchuan personally poured him a cup of hot water. "It's a bit surprising that Zhuo'an is the origin of Xiang Le Paste, yet its bulk import and export are not handled by Zhuo'an."

"Which companies did Island Master He negotiate with? Do you have their names?"

"Naturally, I do." He Lingchuan then listed the prominent local families he had visited in Zhuo'an.

At that time, he had indeed gone door-to-door to each family, ensuring there were plenty of witnesses. Thus, he was completely unperturbed now.

Liu Wu jotted notes. "Where were you on the night General Xue and Master Qi were murdered?"

"At Jièshān Inn in Zhuo'an." He Lingchuan pointed to the witness beside him, Fan Shuang. "I was drinking with this envoy, Fan Shuang, Imperial Guard Zhao Song, and General Chongwu."