Chapter 1542: Managing Storage The Lu Family

When He Lingchuan was building the official residence at Tranquil Lake Villa, he could salvage some green square stones from other abandoned villas for emergencies. However, gold-inlaid stones were not easily acquired, nor were there any old structures to dismantle for them—otherwise, He Lingchuan would not have set his sights on the Xilin Temple.

Zhang Zhan cleared his throat and reluctantly stated, "In a few months, temples will also be constructed in the new city. At this pace, they could be ready for use in six months and fully completed within a year and a half. I don't think Commissioner Liang will have significant objections."

"Ah, yes, yes," the others at the table echoed, just as reluctantly.

How could they possibly fathom Commissioner Liang's true thoughts? Yet, a mere year or two ago, the Yao Kingdom would never have acted this way.

In truth, a few privy to the situation knew this was the price of such rapid construction.

He Lingchuan had repeatedly urged the Yao King to accelerate the royal palace's renovation, prioritizing its construction within the larger Tianshui Eastward Expansion project.

With such persistent reminders and urging, the Yao King naturally grew anxious.

The Yao King's renovation of Tranquil Lake Palace was indeed a strong statement, an encouraging signal to reassure Tianshui citizens about buying homes and land in the new city. Building temples in the old city, regardless of the deity, could not achieve the same desired effect.

The scales in the Yao King's heart had already tipped, indicating his priorities.

At that time, news of Tianshui's eastward expansion was already circulating widely, and the renovation of the Yao King's palace was an imminent necessity, like an arrow on a drawn bow. Many people were watching closely.

The Yao King had no choice but to make this decision.

However, not wanting to further offend the Heavenly God, he quickly ordered a new proposal to be drafted and submitted to Commissioner Liang. It claimed that ten more temples, both spacious and magnificent, would definitely be built for the Heavenly Deity Miaozhan in Tianshui's new city.

He Lingchuan wondered what expression Commissioner Liang would wear upon receiving this proposal, and how he would react to the Yao King's delaying tactic. Yet, he still recalled the Yao King's original promise: to complete the temple, delayed for two and a half years, within five or six months.

Alas, such a large project was mired in far too many ambiguous and unclear matters.

By the time He Lingchuan returned to the banquet, the conversation had already shifted back to pleasantries.

Seeing him enter, Zhang Zhan immediately said, "We were just discussing the Fourth Prince. I hear he's doing very well in the East Suburb?"

"Diligent, hardworking, and practical," He Lingchuan replied. As a strong contender for the Yao throne, Prince Rui's performance in the capital's eastward expansion project was indeed commendable; he had not displayed any of the typical royal idleness in He Lingchuan's presence. "However," he added, "he's been unwell recently and took sick leave five days ago to recuperate at the palace."

What reason would He Lingchuan have to deny the Fourth Prince's sick leave request?

He asked Zhang Zhan, "How is the Fourth Prince recovering?"

Zhang Zhan shook his head. "After returning to the palace from the East Suburb, he suffered from vomiting and diarrhea for five hours."

He Lingchuan's expression changed. "He didn't get sick on my project, did he?"

The vast construction site in the East Suburb was constantly dusty, and the workers were a diverse bunch. Who knew about their hygiene habits or if they carried diseases? Some workers were even too lazy to go far to relieve themselves, simply squatting in a shaded corner.

Consequently, the air quality in the East Suburb had always been poor.

But if Prince Rui had fallen ill at the construction site, why hadn't You Rong mentioned it afterwards?

Zhang Zhan cleared his throat softly. "The imperial physicians discovered that the Fourth Prince had an upset stomach from food consumed within the palace; the food he had eaten was problematic."

He Lingchuan let out a long "Oh," realizing it wasn't his concern after all.

Yuwen Xu said, surprised, "Four or five days ago? Huh, could it be that Sir Zheng Da was reprimanded by the King because of this?"

He Lingchuan caught an unfamiliar name. "Sir Zheng?"

"Sir Zheng is the Secretary of the Imperial Guard Directorate, responsible for the scheduling and arrangements of the inner court guards."

In the Yao Kingdom, "Tingwei" (Judicial Minister) and the "Tingwei Jian" (Imperial Guard Directorate) were two distinct entities. The Tingwei was responsible for investigating and trying public cases, as well as handling difficult and complex cases reported from local areas.

The position sounded somewhat familiar to He Lingchuan. "There's more than one Secretary of the Imperial Guard Directorate, isn't there?"

"Yes," Zhang Zhan confirmed. "The other is Bai Hengbo. He's been with the Imperial Guard Directorate for many years and was just promoted to Secretary a little over a month ago. He's General Bai Tan's nephew."

He Lingchuan recalled that Bai Tan had sought him out that very night to purchase the prime residences in the front row of Tranquil Lake Villa.

At that time, the Yao King was locked in a fierce struggle with Qingyang and urgently needed to set an example of someone benefiting from taking his side. Therefore, the very next day, Bai Tan's nephew was promoted. However, it must be said that this individual's promotion was well-deserved; he already possessed the qualifications, prestige, and connections within the palace, only lacking this opportune boost.

Only then did Zhang Zhan explain, "The Fourth Prince suffered from continuous vomiting and diarrhea, and the imperial physicians confirmed the food was poisoned. Upon investigation, the King discovered that the imperial kitchen had unexpectedly run out of milk that day, and since the Fourth Prince's menu included a milk and vanilla soft cake, the kitchen had temporarily purchased milk from outside. However, this did not comply with the palace's 'two inspections, one test' regulation, so the person in charge of the imperial kitchen was punished."

"Oh, so there were loopholes in the Yao court's food safety control," He Lingchuan said, surprised. He asked curiously, "What does that have to do with Sir Zheng?"

"That was his cousin, whom he recommended years ago," Zhang Zhan explained. "Now that something has happened, he bears joint responsibility. Furthermore, the milk was delivered directly into the kitchen by an outsider without being intercepted along the way, which also violated regulations."

"I see," He Lingchuan said. "But Sir Zheng was only reprimanded, correct?"

"Yes," Zhang Zhan confirmed. "His cousin received a heavy penalty, and Sir Zheng was severely chastised by the King and had a month's salary confiscated."

"This is no small matter," He Lingchuan mused. It concerned the safety of the royal palace, and Sir Zheng had indeed been negligent.

After this minor topic, the conversation returned to the capital's expansion. Zhang Zhan cleared his throat softly. "That fellow Qi Shu'an has certainly been raking in money this past month!"

Nowadays, people in Tianshui City were rushing to buy residential land in the new city, and if they couldn't afford it, they had to find a way.

Usurious loans were one such method.

He Lingchuan was about to ask, "What are the interest rates now?"

"They say it's almost at eight fen interest," came the reply.

Eight fen interest meant nearly 100% annual interest. If the land price didn't double, they wouldn't be able to repay the loan.

It had only been a little over a month since Tianshui City began its eastward expansion.

"Qi Shu'an told me that yesterday another family borrowed three hundred thousand taels from him," Zhang Zhan continued. "You'll never guess who it was!"

Everyone urged him not to be mysterious. Only then did Zhang Zhan say softly:

"It was Lu Yuanzheng, the eldest son of the Lu family from Baihe."

Everyone gasped in disbelief. "No way? The Lu family needs to borrow money to buy homes and land?"

He Lingchuan's heart stirred upon hearing the name "Lu Yuanzheng." Wasn't that...

Sure enough, Zhang Zhan pointed at him. "A few days ago, the Lu family bid for the second row of prime residences at Tranquil Lake Villa in Chibao. Brother He, you should remember the price, right?"

He Lingchuan didn't even need to think; he just had to state the figure reported by the Soul Mirror: "Three hundred ninety thousand taels."

"Good memory!" Zhang Zhan exclaimed. "I reckon his family is out of ready cash, and since they wanted to buy more residential land in the new city, that's why they borrowed money from Qi Shu'an."

Over three hundred million coins—even a super-rich family couldn't easily produce such an amount. He Lingchuan, however, said, "The Lu family was severely depleted after buying the residential land, which suggests their family fortune isn't as robust as it appears."

Among those present, apart from Fan Shuang, which family would be short of funds?

"Brother He's insight is remarkable," Gu Xuan said, nodding. "The Lu family's ancestors were extraordinary, leaving behind a great legacy, but the past few generations have been mediocre. They could only live off their inheritance, which naturally diminished over time. Lu Yuanzheng, the eldest, manages warehousing under the Prefect of Granaries. Lu Er, the second son, just took over a monopoly business before the new year, trading with the Northern Luodian Kingdom. However, he lacked experience and botched his assignment, allowing Luodian to profit significantly. My King was furious and demoted him to a minor official in the west."

"On the third day after the Lu family purchased Tranquil Lake Villa," Gu Xuan continued, "my King ordered Lu Er to return to the capital. Although he wasn't reinstated to his former position, it seems he can still find a promising future."

The influence of three hundred seventy thousand taels was still very significant.

Jing Yuanxun added, "Currently, officials and merchants from all over are acting on the news. Even if they don't come themselves, they send proxies to acquire land in Tianshui City's new district, waiting for prices to rise. The information I've received indicates that for every ten plots of new city land sold, two and a half are purchased by outsiders."

If there were any business in the world that guaranteed profits without loss, everyone would flock to it.

Tianshui City itself was the most prosperous place in Shanjin, attracting everyone. With land prices in the new city rising so sharply, it would inevitably become a bottomless pit, siphoning capital and people from the surrounding areas.

This frenzy would spread from Tianshui City in all directions. The Yao Kingdom itself didn't have a large territory, so celebrities and influential figures from other regions rushed to join, only a beat slower than the locals.

Gu Xuan nodded. "Indeed, land in the Upper Lake District is limited and almost sold out. Those who enter later won't be able to acquire such prime locations. Tsk, tsk, land in the Upper Lake District truly changes price daily."

"Changes price daily? That's too slow!" Yuwen Xu shook his head. "It jumps in price every few hours; it's outrageous."

Even these nobles found it absurd, which highlighted the fervent demand for land in the Upper Lake District.

The Soul Mirror chuckled. "You truly have excellent financial luck. The plots you casually bought are skyrocketing in price. If you were to sell those seven plots now, it would be an amount an ordinary person couldn't spend in several lifetimes. How about we buy a few more?"

He Lingchuan smiled slightly.

Did it really think he bought them 'casually'?

He never did anything 'casually'!

The very core of the new city, Tranquil Lake Villa, was built under his direct supervision, so he naturally knew which plots of land were the most valuable.

Firsthand information was an advantage, a source of wealth.

But the mirror was right; in a few days, he planned to sell those plots of land. He couldn't let them become a burden.

And those who could take over these plots from him would certainly not be ordinary people.

Next, everyone chatted about some gossip. Hearing the patter of rain beginning outside, they quickly dispersed and went home.

When He Lingchuan returned to Springing Fountain Villa, the rain was already heavy. He stepped out of the carriage, and his guards also dispersed to their quarters to wash off the dirt.

Night deepened.

He Lingchuan changed his clothes and had just sat down in his study when he suddenly heard a rustling of leaves outside, as something moved across, followed by two squeaks.

It was a monkey's cry, but different from Lingguang's.

He Lingchuan looked up and saw a plump monkey enter through the window, landing on his spacious sandalwood desk.

Thump, it landed heavily.

It held a bulging pomegranate in its arms, yet it grinned and reached out to He Lingchuan.

So brazen—who else could it be but the Ghost Ape?