Chapter 1476: Making trouble

It was just that if they bought it slowly, they would provoke the Sovereign's suspicion.

Why were you hesitant and dragging it out until now to buy? Does expressing loyalty to the Sovereign require thinking and pondering? Do you need to make a choice between the Sovereign and the Supervisor first?

Someone immediately steadied himself and said to Gu Xuan: "There is something at home, I'll go back first, you guys talk slowly."

They had just left when other officials realized: "Oh, that guy must have gone to buy a villa!"

"Cunning!" Two more people left immediately.

The remaining people also lost the motivation to talk, all burdened with worries.

Gu Xuan smiled without saying a word.

He knew that most officials didn't want to choose a side. The Yao King and the Qingyang Supervisor were fighting for great power; no matter who won in the end, what did it have to do with them? Weren't they still working this job?

The Yao King's move, however, forced them to make a choice. Black or white, no middle option.

The price of pleasing the Yao King was offending the Qingyang Supervisor, which was likely to bury hidden dangers for the future; but not expressing a stance to the Yao King now, I'm afraid they would be classified into the opponent's camp.

Being hated by one's own sovereign, what good end could there be?

It's difficult; for officials who want to sit on the fence, this question is really too difficult.

After seeing the mystery here, I don't know how many dignitaries suffered from insomnia tonight.

The new problem the Office of Works gave He Lingchuan was the qualifications of the construction team.

Yangshan had been operating all over the central and western parts of the Shanjin Plain, but it hadn't yet established a firm foothold in Tianshui City and didn't have its own construction team, so it could only recruit as needed.

Building a dozen villas, it was only two or three stories high; it wasn't a high-rise building or a pagoda, how difficult could it be? Folk house building, as long as you hire a few carpenters and masons, it's fine; some are even built by themselves, and don't need others.

The craftsmanship of official residences and villas was just a bit more complicated.

However, it wouldn't do. The Office of Works told the Yangshan Society that breaking ground on royal territory was no small matter, and it wasn't something that could be started by just pulling together a grassroots team. That team must have at least three or more experiences in building royal official residences, and everyone must have ten years or more of experience in building luxury houses.

This was the rule.

Reasonable and well-founded.

He Lingchuan shrugged when he got this requirement and went to find Yuwen Xu.

The Yuwen family snapped up the paper villas of Youhu Villa, which was the first certificate of allegiance submitted, indicating that they were firm royalists. If He Lingchuan had any difficulties, he had to find a way to help solve them.

Even things the Yuwen family couldn't do before, they could now.

So Yuwen Xu nodded repeatedly after hearing He Lingchuan's request: "Yes, it's not difficult! The team that is currently renovating my house has also renovated the facades, gardens, and rooms for five or six other noble families, and even expanded half of the mansion for Lord You Rongzhi. Their qualifications are fully qualified, and everyone is a skilled master; take them with you."

He Lingchuan thanked him.

That afternoon, this team rushed over from the Yuwen family, about ten people, fewer than He Lingchuan expected.

Fewer people were better.

The foreman was surnamed Guan, not yet forty, but already had more than twenty years of construction experience. He was from the suburbs of Tianshui City and had been taking villagers into the city to earn a living since he was a teenager, and because of his superb craftsmanship, he gradually made a name for himself.

However, he rarely did it himself now, mainly taking jobs, supervising work, purchasing materials, and coordinating the site.

He Lingchuan chatted with him for a few moments and knew why Yuwen Xu recommended this person to him.

Foreman Guan was well-mixed in the industry, had good popularity, and knew all the rules, both bright and dark, and how to handle things up and down.

He was also the soul of this team; without him, it would be like Tonglin Ji without Tu Yuanhong, and it wouldn't be able to play at all.

He Lingchuan used an empty glove to catch a white wolf, took such a big job, and especially had to break ground on royal territory, so he really needed a helper like Foreman Guan.

Foreman Guan finished reading the blueprints and approvals, and after hearing He Lingchuan's requirements, he stroked his chin and said: "So, build the gate first and repair the road first, and the house can't be built for the time being?"

"Yes." He Lingchuan laughed. "Remember to build with precision. Only slow work can produce fine work."

He emphasized the word "slow."

Foreman Guan immediately said "Ah," and realized something.

"This gate—" that is, the main gate of the villa, "needs to be six zhang six high?"

"Yes. It must be luxurious and grand, showing the style of an official family." When the time comes, officials will gather here, and the residents will all be people with status and style; the main gate of Youhu Villa must be as grand as possible, as exquisite as possible.

"It can't be higher, otherwise it will be higher than the temple's pagoda, which will offend the gods and invite taboos."

"Foreman Guan is indeed familiar with the local customs; I really invited the right person." He Lingchuan sent him a high hat, then continued, "So you pad the ground under the gate and pad it into a small hill."

He couldn't add height to the gate, so he added height to the ground.

No one stipulated that the ground couldn't be raised, right? "..." Foreman Guan was embarrassed. "Pad the ground, then build the gate, and the height will exceed the Youhu Small Abode opposite."

"Is there a problem?" It shows that the "status" here is higher than the opposite side, which is very good, the Yao King will be very happy to hear it.

"Uh... there is indeed a problem." Foreman Guan said seriously. "We need blue square stone to carve the gate, and the larger the stone, the grander it is. But the trouble is, we can't get big stones right now."

He Lingchuan wondered: "Why?"

"The blue square stone market in Tianshui City is not big, and the source is originally single, basically produced in Bai Gang County in the north and He Township in the west, and then transported to the city after cutting." Foreman Guan explained, "Building official residences and luxury houses is not urgent anyway, and it takes ten years to build, so the process has always been that we evaluate the amount of stone used here, and then those two townships receive orders to mine and process. Stones are rough and heavy, and there is no place to put them if they are mined first."

"So, there is no ready-made blue square stone?"

"I inquired before I came. There is no specification that meets your requirements now. In fact, the Li family ordered a batch of stone two months ago, all seven feet square, but the Li family's officials were subsequently reported by the Supervisor and imprisoned, and many of their family assets were confiscated, so they couldn't build their villa. This batch of stone is very suitable for building the gate. But the strange thing is, I asked, and it was bought three days ago. The strange thing is, I can't ask about the buyer's news, and I don't know where the stone was transported to. The township only said that the other party brought their own fleet to pull it away."

As a senior insider, the fact that he couldn't inquire about the news itself was a bit strange.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1477 =====

As a senior insider, the fact that he couldn't dig up any news was in itself a bit strange.

(End of chapter)