Chapter 1461: Five Hundred Taels Starting Bid

“Due to the unique circumstances, His Majesty granted me permission to construct the Secluded Lake Villa here. I have no idea how much more I can build or for how long. Every one of these residences is a limited edition!” He Lingchuan spoke eloquently, yet every word was logical. “You all surely understand the principle that rarity increases value better than I do.”

He was practically saying that if you buy it, its value will surely increase in the future!

Everyone exchanged glances.

He Xiao's identity was that of a foreign merchant. Merchants are cunning and driven by profit. Taking an average of twelve residences, if each sells for ten thousand taels of silver, Island Lord He would rake in over a hundred thousand taels!

Officials from the Ministry of General Affairs and the Ministry of Works were even more aware. How much did He Lingchuan actually pay for that plot of land?

A thousand taels!

A land acquisition cost of one thousand taels, yielding over a hundred thousand in profit—how many times the profit is that?

Moreover, he had also mentioned that this was just the first phase. If sales went well, more would be built later.

However, reflecting on it, Island Lord He's words were not without reason.

He Lingchuan helped himself to a piece of sweet-skinned duck, savoring it slowly. “These residences could only be built thanks to His Majesty's special approval.”

He emphasized the last four words.

Why did he emphasize what he had already said? While everyone was still pondering, Yuwen Xu had already asked, “Island Lord He, when will sales begin?”

“The night after tomorrow, I will put the first residence up for auction at Red Citadel. The starting bid will be only five hundred taels.” This first unit was for promotional purposes, and He Lingchuan did not intend to profit from it. “Time is a bit tight, but I hope you will all come to support the event.”

Like Spirit Void City, Heavenly Water City also had over a dozen auction houses of various sizes. Red Citadel Auction House was one of the top three. It was known for its honesty and fairness to all; although its fees were slightly higher, it had an excellent reputation and frequently featured rare treasures.

Red Citadel held a small auction every seven days and a large one monthly. He Lingchuan's property, set to be listed the day after tomorrow, would perfectly coincide with a small auction.

Everyone smiled and assured him they would be there.

Five hundred taels was as good as a giveaway, but going with only five hundred taels would likely mean coming away with nothing.

Having said what he needed to say, He Lingchuan then smoothly transitioned to other topics, such as discussing the grandeur of King Yao's past birthday celebrations, and casually listening to some gossip from the business and official circles.

Yuwen Xu had taken the lead in organizing this meeting today precisely to introduce He Lingchuan to various connections, so that he wouldn't be unfamiliar with Heavenly Water City and would avoid delays in his affairs.

Evidently, King Yao also hoped his Secluded Lake Villa would begin construction quickly.

The meal concluded with everyone satisfied, and the gathering dispersed amicably.

After everyone had left, Yuwen Xu personally escorted He Lingchuan to the restaurant entrance, waiting until he had boarded his carriage and departed before instructing a servant to settle the bill.

Someone called out to him from behind: “Brother Yuwen.”

Gu Xuan hadn't left yet, and came to walk beside him.

“Brother Yuwen, are you going to Red Citadel the day after tomorrow?”

“Yes, even if I don't buy anything, I must show my support for Island Lord He.”

Gu Xuan nodded, knowing this was King Yao's will, and how could the Yuwen family dare not comply?

The late summer night breeze was cool, having long dispelled the daytime heat. The two decided to walk a few more steps along the street.

“That fellow Fan Shuang has been making quite a name for himself lately,” Gu Xuan began casually. “I used to barely see him once a year, but in the past two months, I've seen him more times than in the last three years combined.”

“Fan Shuang finally caught a break,” Yuwen Xu chuckled. “He's usually not very clever, but this time he allied himself with the right person. As soon as he stuck with He Xiao, he rose rapidly through the ranks.”

Noble families from Yao Kingdom studying in Spirit Void City also naturally formed social strata. Aristocratic scions like them usually didn't associate with Fan Shuang, or only kept him as an attendant.

Yet now that Fan Shuang was by He Lingchuan's side, not only had he been promoted, but others also had to show him respect.

Though neither spoke aloud, both inwardly felt that He Xiao truly had some skill, to be able to elevate even a mediocre talent like Fan Shuang. If those resources were given to them...

They did not know that He Lingchuan had intentionally kept Fan Shuang by his side.

Gu Xuan walked a few more steps. “For the Red Citadel auction the day after tomorrow, what do you predict He Xiao's residence will sell for?”

“Not many people have received the news yet...” Yuwen Xu mused. “Around two thousand taels, I'd say. It's hard to go higher.”

That price was no longer cheap.

“Do you think He Xiao truly dares to develop Secluded Lake so recklessly, without considering the reaction from the other side?”

“The other side” referred to Regent Qingyang.

Yuwen Xu gave a bitter smile. “If I were given this task, I'd be so worried I couldn't eat or sleep.”

They were all seasoned veterans of officialdom. What King Yao wanted He Xiao to do, they could pretty much guess after some thought.

If given a choice, he wouldn't want to offend either His Majesty or the Regent.

However, He Xiao seemed quite content to be His Majesty's instrument.

“What reliance does He Xiao have?” Gu Xuan's gaze shifted slightly. “Could it be National Master Shuangye?”

“If he didn't have that connection, His Majesty wouldn't use him.” Yuwen Xu prided himself on not having such audacity. “News from the palace says that the development of Secluded Lake was He Xiao's own suggestion to the King.”

“He Xiao proposed it himself?” Gu Xuan was surprised. “Wealth is found in risk. He's truly bold.”

This was tantamount to mortally offending Regent Qingyang.

Even if He Xiao truly earned those hundred thousand taels, he might not be too envious.

That was money bought with his life.

“If he hadn't acted with such resolve, how could His Majesty entrust Secluded Lake's development to a foreign merchant with no foundation?” Yuwen Xu let out a small chuckle. “Besides, it's not the first time He Xiao has offended Regent Qingyang; perhaps he has some experience with it.”

After he finished speaking, both men laughed.

It was indeed amusing.

Early the next morning, the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce submitted the Secluded Lake Villa's documentation to various government offices.

He Lingchuan intended to develop the land around Secluded Lake. Even with King Yao's approval, he still had to go through procedures at eleven or twelve government agencies.

After all, this involved royal territory, not merely digging a ditch in the countryside. All necessary procedures had to be followed, and every required seal had to be collected.

The efficiency of Heavenly Water City's government offices was unparalleled across all of Splendid Gold. With King Yao's special dispensation for “handling matters expediently,” the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce reached the final two steps in just seven or eight hours.

Then, they hit a snag.

The Ministry of Works determined that the Secluded Lake Villa's planning and layout were unreasonable, the labor and material usage were unclear, and the blueprints required revision.

The Yangshan Chamber of Commerce revised the documents overnight and resubmitted them the next day.

Still, it wasn't approved. The Ministry of Works found three more discrepancies, telling Yangshan to revise them again.

He Lingchuan knew that there was no end to such “revisions.” If they wanted to, they could always find a hundred or eighty faults, and send it back for revision as many times as it was submitted. So he immediately sent someone to find Huang Naxuan, who had been dining at the Maochun Tower the day before, to inquire about the situation.

Huang Naxuan privately sent back only one message:

Lord Heyang, an official under Regent Qingyang, had visited the Ministry of Works the night before last.