Chapter 1478: Decisive and Swift

Bai Tan walked down the street, and people made way.

However, tonight, a luxurious and spacious carriage approached from the opposite direction, pulled by four reddish-brown horses with golden feathers adorning their heads, and guarded by over thirty elite cavalrymen both front and back.

This single carriage was enough to completely block Ding'an Street.

Bai Tan recognized it at a glance: it was the Regent's entourage.

Pedestrians on the roadside also stopped—at this point, even they couldn't pass through, so they simply halted to watch the spectacle.

Both sides represented powerful clans. Which one would yield first?

Both parties came to a halt, silently confronting each other at the intersection.

"General Bai, that's the Regent's carriage ahead," the aide whispered. "Perhaps we should..."

He was worried the General would approach the other carriage. No matter how high-ranking the official, when two met on this narrow old street, one had to yield, otherwise neither could pass.

No matter how big a scene it caused, it would eventually have to conclude.

But before he could finish, Bai Tan waved his hand: "Fall back, pull over."

At his command, the entourage quickly retreated to the Old Tree Intersection, yielding to let the Regent's carriage pass first.

The dozens of cavalrymen, escorting the carriage, majestically passed through the Old Tree Intersection. The space here was narrow; the two parties passed by each other less than four feet apart.

The weather was hot, and the carriage's small window was open. Bai Tan caught sight of Qingyang at a glance.

Qingyang also looked back, following Bai Tan's gaze, and smiled slightly: "General Bai, I thank you for yielding."

Bai Tan, seated on his horse, cupped his fist and said in a booming voice: "Regent, have a safe journey."

Their gazes met for barely two breaths before they each looked away.

No conversation, no expression; they behaved like strangers.

The shopkeepers and vendors along the road were somewhat disappointed, having expected a dramatic confrontation between General Bai and the Regent today, given their supposed antagonism.

Qingyang's carriage rumbled away, eventually disappearing around the street corner. Only then did Bai Tan withdraw his gaze and say: "Move out."

After both parties had left, Ding'an Old Street returned to its bustling and crowded state.

It was as if this small interlude had never happened.

The grand construction project of Youhu Villa finally began.

After the groundbreaking ceremony, the construction team began excavating and backfilling, manually elevating the site of the villa's main gate.

This meant raising the ground about ten feet from the flat plain, connecting it with particularly wide, gentle slopes at the front and back, with the main gate to be built at the top of the slope.

Manager Guan had initially been skeptical, but after personally seeing cartload after cartload of massive bluestones transported to the south bank of Youhu Lake, he couldn't help but give He Lingchuan a thumbs up: "Master, you are truly impressive! You actually managed to acquire such large bluestones, even if some have been used before."

His keen eye immediately spotted that some of the bluestones had likely been dismantled from existing structures, showing uneven textures and even traces of moss on their surfaces.

He Lingchuan smiled: "Are they still usable?"

"They're fine; a polish will make them like new. These treasures have already lain underground for millennia," Manager Guan said, patting a large stone. "Some of the existing textures can even be utilized, which will save a good deal of time."

"Master, you truly have a knack for getting whatever is needed," he chuckled softly. "The King should have put you in charge of building the Grand Temple; then it wouldn't have been delayed for two and a half years and still unfinished."

He Lingchuan casually asked: "What happened with that?"

"There's been a persistent shortage of golden-veined stone from the quarry; they extract a little, use a little, and that's how the project has been dragged out for two and a half years," Manager Guan lowered his voice further. "I hear a huge sum is still owed for the stone materials, and the national treasury hasn't disbursed any funds for the past six months."

He Lingchuan understood: "Alright. From now on, the villa's main gate must be built quickly, the faster the better!"

Needless to say, this batch of bluestones was sourced by Tonglin Inc. Bluestone indeed has limited output; ordering from the original production site typically requires a two-month waiting period for delivery. With conventional channels restricted, Gu Lin found an alternative route: he located a derelict mountain villa, dismantled its building materials, and had them delivered to the south bank of Youhu Lake.

The original owner of this derelict villa had been beheaded by the monarch forty years ago, and their family exiled, leaving the villa vacant. Over time, it became overgrown with ferns and vines, and few people remembered it.

Gu Lin's display of such a feat showed He Lingchuan that his understanding of the ins and outs of Tianshui City was indeed unparalleled.

Tonglin Inc. still had its old prowess; they were good partners.

Manager Guan quickly assented.

Just a few days prior, this Master had instructed that the gatehouse should be built slowly, the slower the better, but now it was to be built quickly, the faster the better.

However, the one who pays is the boss, and this Master was also a favorite of the monarch, so Manager Guan couldn't complain. He simply quietly added two hundred more workers.

A team of a dozen people suddenly swelling to two hundred—a few days ago, the Board of Works would surely have rejected them for insufficient qualifications.

But now, they turned a blind eye.

In fact, the reason He Lingchuan changed his mind was that the Board of Works was now willing to cooperate.

Originally, only one main gate was approved for him, so of course he would build it slowly; but now that the second phase of the villa was nearly approved, wouldn't he have to work overtime and speed up?

All other materials had long since arrived, and now the most crucial stone materials were on site. Manager Guan, with his sleeves rolled up, led his team, working with great fervor. With ample manpower, the construction site became even more chaotic—no, even more bustling, and the project progress significantly accelerated.

Clang-clang, thud-thud, whoosh-whoosh—the entire south bank of Youhu Lake echoed with the rhythmic din of sawing wood and chiseling stone.

He Lingchuan specifically instructed that all stone materials, whether for cutting, excavation, carving, or polishing, should first be transported to the south bank of Youhu Lake for processing.

Youhu Retreat, across the lake, was separated from the south bank only by a shallow stretch of water; it was simply too close. Although the trees provided good sound insulation, the construction noise from the south bank still clearly reached them.

Youhu Retreat was originally Qingyang's place of quiet contemplation, but now they had no choice but to activate a sound-insulating barrier.

While the retreat became quiet once the barrier was activated, the Beka people who accompanied Qingyang still couldn't ignore the construction across the lake.

Near the entrance bridge of Youhu Retreat, the ground was dug up and uneven, with ruts, muddy water, mortar, and construction materials scattered everywhere.

The formerly serene and elegant lakeside now resembled a muddy pit where elephants bathed.

Qingyang entered and exited through here every day, meaning she had to witness this disheartening sight daily.

Moreover, the villa's construction had only just begun, with no end in sight.

What was most exasperating was that the main gate of Youhu Villa was less than sixteen feet from Youhu Retreat's gatehouse. The latter, viewed alone, was exquisite and delicate. But the Youhu Villa's main gate was both taller and larger, and standing behind it, it made Youhu Retreat's gatehouse appear like a meek, put-upon junior wife.

Soon after, King Yao dispatched a guard detachment to the villa project.

Though only a few dozen strong, their presence clearly indicated King Yao's stance.

For a foreign merchant to build a structure, and to be guarded by royal forces, was an immense show of prestige.

Conversely, as soon as this guard detachment appeared, the notion that "He Xiao's construction of Youhu Villa was at the monarch's behest" was essentially confirmed.

Thus, the idea that "buying a villa residence means aligning with the King" was once again validated by facts.

That afternoon, Yuwen Xu brought an important piece of news:

Two deputy officials from the Board of Works were sentenced to death, to be executed after autumn, due to the exceptionally large amounts of bribes they received, their shocking power-for-money transactions, undeniable evidence, and their own confessions.

Other arrested officials from the Board of Works also faced trials and were subsequently convicted.

Fast, too fast.

The simultaneous removal of the head and deputy head of a crucial functional department had never happened in Yao Kingdom's history, except during wartime. Furthermore, such swift and decisive action, with results in just two days, was unheard of:

King Yao, citing the particularly massive amount of bribes received, sentenced the former deputy official of the Board of Works to execution!

Therefore, this news caused a ripple effect, creating layers of implications.

If the deputy officials received death sentences, how could Liang Xiaohao, as the head official, be an unsullied white lotus rising from the mud? Officials knew exactly what was going on.

Though death might be avoided, punishment was inevitable. Even the most obtuse official keenly felt King Yao's fury and determination.

Did the Board of Works think that by "acting according to regulations" they could obstruct He Xiao and defy the monarch? Naive!

In Yao Kingdom, only two individuals had the authority to act this way:

The Monarch and the Regent.

King Yao's move was also a warning to others, dealing with Liang Xiaohao and the Board of Works officials with swift, thunderous action. Thus, everyone understood: obstructing the construction of Youhu Villa meant opposing the monarch!

After this incident, who would dare underestimate King Yao's determination to challenge and confront Qingyang?

The monarch was about to fire a shot at Beka's Regent; as subjects, which side should they choose?

Those who bought a villa residence to pledge loyalty to the King were simultaneously rewarded.

Meanwhile, those who covertly wished to align with Qingyang would soon face execution.

Who else?

The Yao Royal Court was in turmoil, with everyone pondering this question.

Offending Regent Qingyang could lead to exposure and denunciation;

But offending the monarch meant, at best, a hopeless career, and at worst, losing one's head. After all, not everyone had a powerful backer like Liang Xiaohao.

How to choose?

Actually, it wasn't difficult.

At this time, many also noticed that major construction was underway on the south bank of Youhu Lake.

Youhu Villa had truly begun construction, right across from Regent Qingyang's residence!

Many curious individuals had already rushed to see it, and upon returning, confirmed the claims. The previous rumors predicting that He Xiao couldn't or wouldn't dare to begin construction were disproven without effort.

It seemed Regent Qingyang was also helpless. The construction of Youhu Villa didn't appear as difficult as everyone had imagined?

Did the smooth start of Youhu Villa's construction signify that the monarch had gained the upper hand?

King Yao, who had been blackmailed by Qingyang and lost some power just days earlier due to Xue Zongwu's death, had now finally managed to reclaim a small victory.

"The approval for the second phase has come through," He Lingchuan said, holding a stack of documents as he went to find Manager Guan.

The latter was slightly astonished: "That fast? Unprecedented!"

In all his years working in Tianshui City, he'd never known the Ministry of General Affairs and the Board of Works to be so efficient. A single application for approval would take anywhere from two to three months, or even a year or two, to pass. Of course, expediting it wasn't impossible.

He Lingchuan chuckled: "When everyone is eager, things get done faster."

This time, the Board of Works was so cooperative they practically escorted him out the door.

This time, even Manager Guan was very interested: "Master, what will be the starting price for the residences in the second phase of your Youhu Villa?"

It was quite extraordinary; the timber and stone for the first phase had only just arrived, and the main gatehouse wasn't even built, yet the second phase was already going on sale. Manager Guan was delighted; at least he would have work for the next few years.

"Are you looking to buy?"

"I have a friend who's interested; they asked me to inquire."