Chapter 1475: What exactly are they buying?

"Doing things should be done beautifully, not to mention I heard that he and Qingyang really don't get along." Dong Rui burped: "Didn't you say that you only want to make a small fuss in Tianshui City at the beginning?"

"This is a small fuss; I want to let the Yao King see that while I am making things difficult for Qingyang for him, I am just taking the opportunity to earn a little money." He Lingchuan spread his hands. "The timing of our entry into Tianshui City is excellent; Qingyang has just taken full advantage of Xue Zongwu's death, and her mood should be quite good, and those who have the upper hand are always relatively magnanimous. As long as the Yao King doesn't go too far, she probably won't bother to care; conversely, the Yao King himself has his birthday celebration coming up, and he doesn't want to make things big, just wants to vent his anger. So, their willingness to fight is not strong now."

"What's good about this?"

"If they were to fight each other, outsiders would be crushed as soon as they entered, with little room for maneuver." He Lingchuan laughed. "I said it's best to be calm when entering, but I didn't say Tianshui City would always be so peaceful. The Yao King thinks he only gave me a small job, small people doing small things. But the smaller the matter, the greater the space for operation."

He would definitely give them a hard push behind the backs of Qingyang and the Yao King.

Dong Rui curled his lips; the Yao King is inviting a wolf into the house, doesn't he know that this person in front of him is best at making things big?

He Lingchuan stretched. "Rest, there will be a good show tomorrow."

The next day, the Yao Court convened a morning meeting for all officials.

Large-scale court meetings were held at most once or twice a month. Usually, the Yao King would pull a few officials to the side hall for meetings, discussing matters as they arose, rarely making such a big fuss.

After all, the birthday celebration was coming up, so this meeting was held under the name of preparing for the birthday celebration. The Yao King checked the progress of various preparations, and the problems raised by officials in court had to be solved in court.

Then, he reassigned the important position of foreign reception for the day to the Qing Prince's Mansion! The officials looked at each other, not saying anything, but very surprised in their hearts.

A while ago, the Qingyang Supervisor "secretly" collected the criminal evidence of the Qing Prince's Mansion, and also made it public, although not explicitly stated, it pointed to the Qing Prince's Mansion.

Although the Qingyang Supervisor suddenly stopped bothering these people, the Yao King didn't have a good face for the Qing Prince's Mansion and took away many of the Zhang family's powers on the pretext.

The Qing Prince's Mansion had always been high-profile in Tianshui City; how many people clapped their hands and cheered for this lesson? The day before yesterday morning, the Sovereign even scolded the Qing Prince's Mansion bloody on the pretext. In less than two days, he suddenly became kind to the Qing Prince's Mansion again, not only comforting them with kind words but also entrusting them with important tasks.

What was the reason for the Sovereign's 180-degree attitude change? What did the Qing Prince's Mansion do in these two days? Or rather, what did they do right? The second item on the agenda was the expansion of Tianshui City. The court was still divided, with no consensus—

Just like in the past.

Because this agenda was discussed without results again, the Yao King had a stinky face, and when he entered the next agenda, he blocked two projects from being approved, and directly cut off three funding applications.

"The national treasury is empty, and I and the Wang Ting have no money. How dare you report such a high budget? Are you planning to fill the gap with your own money!"

Several officials were scolded until they lowered their eyebrows and eyes, not daring to lift their heads.

Finally, the Yao Court announced a batch of official promotions.

After the court, it was time for officials to gather and discuss privately. They soon received two pieces of news: first, the Chibao auction sold the first villa of Youhu Villa last night, which was bought by the Qing Prince's Mansion for thirty-eight thousand taels.

Most officials were shocked when they heard the so-called "Youhu Villa" and asked what was going on.

That royal territory had beautiful scenery, raising flowers, grass, and mosquitoes, but outsiders were not allowed to live there. What was this "Youhu Villa" project? Naturally, someone explained to them that this was a plot of land specially approved by the Sovereign for foreign merchants, which would be built into villas and sold to the outside world.

The four words "sold to the outside world" shocked another batch of officials.

Can you live there if you have money, without royal status?

Then there was endless imagination.

But how could a villa be worth thirty-eight thousand taels? What opportunity did the Qing Prince's Mansion smell to buy such an expensive house? The second piece of news was that the Yuwen family and the Gu family also pre-ordered villas in Youhu Villa.

The Yuwen family wanted a good house in the first row facing the lake, the price was a bit lower than the Qing Prince's Mansion, the area was smaller, and the scenery directly facing was not as good, but the price was also not cheap, thirty-three thousand taels.

The Gu family booked a villa in the back row, which was said to have hot springs introduced directly into the backyard, and the price was twenty-seven thousand taels.

Everyone heard it and called it outrageous.

Youhu Villa hadn't even started construction, only submitted a few blueprints, and three luxury houses were sold?

That hundred thousand taels of silver, was it earned too easily!

Naturally, all officials would associate, why did the Qing Prince's Mansion, the Gu family, and the Yuwen family all rush to buy Youhu Villa?

They didn't lack places to live.

That meant Youhu Villa had additional "added value," and it was very expensive!

And these three families were willing to spend a lot of money to buy it, indicating that they felt it was very worth it.

What do the Qing Prince's Mansion, the Gu family, and the Yuwen family have in common? These three families were all in high positions and wealthy; the Qing Prince's Mansion didn't need to be said, and the Gu family and the Yuwen family were both official merchants deeply trusted by the Yao King, and they themselves had several officials in the court.

Could things that even they were fighting for have no value?

Some noble children who relied on their good relationship with Gu Xuan hurriedly found him to ask: "Brother Gu, what is going on with Youhu Villa?"

Gu Xuan was debating the expansion of the capital with other officials and was speaking generously: "The last expansion of Tianshui City was sixty years ago! I passed by White Wax Street the day before yesterday, and because a carriage wheel broke in the middle of the road, the whole street was blocked for more than half an hour! That is one of the busiest main streets in Tianshui City, but it can only accommodate two carriages side by side! Who dares to believe it if it's said out?"

After saying this, he turned back to the crowd and said:

"Don't you all know? Youhu is going to build villas, and we can all go buy them."

Being able to buy doesn't mean you want to buy.

One of them laughed: "What mystery has your family realized? Tell us, don't keep us in the dark."

Gu Xuan asked back: "Who lives in the Youhu Small Abode now?"

"Qingyang Supervisor, of course." Everyone knew.

Gu Xuan dipped his finger in water and drew a map on the table, then pointed at it:

"This is the location of the Youhu Small Abode."

He added a dozen small dots opposite:

"This is the location of the upcoming Youhu Villa."

Everyone looked, and their eyes widened: "Ah, this, isn't this directly opposite the Youhu Small Abode?"

"Yes, separated only by a shallow bay." Gu Xuan laughed. "After the villa is built, the people living here will be neighbors with the Qingyang Supervisor."

The scene was silent.

Youhu is so big, where can't you build a building? Why must this villa be built south of the Youhu Small Abode? Everyone is not stupid. Think about the tension in the court recently. Can this matter have nothing to do with the Qingyang Supervisor? It is said that one should not allow others to sleep soundly beside one's bed. Youhu was originally exclusively enjoyed by the Qingyang Supervisor, and even the royal family dared not live there. Now that so many "neighbors" have popped up, can the Qingyang Supervisor be happy?

Conversely, the guests here will make the Qingyang Supervisor unhappy.

So, whoever buys a house here is touching the bad luck of the Qingyang Supervisor.

Someone stammered: "Then, this, Brother Gu still spent more than twenty thousand taels to buy this place?"

Isn't this deliberately spending money to offend the Qingyang Supervisor? Gu Xuan laughed: "Twenty thousand is still the friendship price given by Island Master He. Last night, old General Bai Tan went to buy the first-row villa facing the lake and spent fifty thousand taels!"

All officials were shocked: "What?"

"When did this happen?"

"On the way to the palace this morning, General Bai said it himself, and I heard every word." Bai Tan said it with a loud voice and a proud look.

Seeing his expression, Gu Xuan was even more glad that he had taken action early yesterday.

Officials on the side had already realized: "No wonder the Qing Prince's Mansion is favored by the Sovereign today!"

"It can be seen that the Sovereign is quite satisfied with the Qing Prince's Mansion's move."

"By the way, by the way, in the personnel appointment and removal just now, Bai Hengbo was also promoted to the Court Lieutenant Supervisor." Who doesn't know that Bai Hengbo is Bai Tan's nephew? He had been waiting for a promotion for a long time.

Those who bought Youhu Villa last night all received the Yao King's commendation today. The Yuwen family and the Gu family also had other rewards, and Yuwen Xu's brother also received a royal sword, which was also a divine weapon from the medieval period.

Smart people realized that this was not buying villas built by foreign merchants at all? This was clearly a certificate of allegiance to the Yao King!

Buying real estate in Youhu Villa meant standing opposite the Qingyang Supervisor—both as a locational fact and as a practical meaning.

In such a large Wang Ting, how many officials had their own thoughts.

People's hearts are separated by skin; were they loyal to the Yao King or leaning towards Qingyang? How could the Yao King distinguish them?

Now, Youhu Villa is an opportunity.

Officials and nobles who bought villas here would be stamped with a seal: Loyal to the Sovereign!

This is an opportunity to express loyalty to the Sovereign.

This opportunity is extraordinary, this weight is extraordinary.

Spending twenty or thirty thousand taels to please the Sovereign, it is very likely to be valued by the Sovereign and rise through the ranks.

Didn't the Qing Prince's Mansion set an example?

Is it worth it? It's simply too worth it! How many people here racked their brains to send a unique birthday gift, and suddenly there is such an easy way to please the Yao King, why not use it! Now you know why these big bosses had to rush to buy villas, right? First-hand information, first-hand benefit.

Those who understood turned slightly pale: "Ah, if you don't buy..."

If you don't buy, it's easier to be labeled.

Are you half-hearted? Are you sitting on the fence? Are you disloyal to the Sovereign? Are you secretly throwing yourself at Qingyang? The Qingyang Supervisor can indeed call the wind and rain in the Yao State and indeed has great power, but the officials' salaries are given by the Yao Court, and the officials' promotions are decided by the Yao King. The Qingyang Supervisor has the capital to offend the Yao King, but they don't! That foreign merchant surnamed He wanted to build some villa in Youhu for no reason, and suddenly threw this multiple-choice question into their faces.

Stand with the Sovereign, or lean towards Qingyang?