Chapter 426: Preparations for Selling the Properties

Once the new town project is underway, we can start collecting reservations and selling ahead of time—that way, the money will come in.

"Yes, Your Majesty. We've already made plans." Zhao Wenji said hurriedly: "The Academy's students have already been sent home, and after the reform we'll recruit new ones. This is the perfect opportunity to move the Academy out."

"Once construction of the new Academy begins, the old Academy can be vacated, and the entire demolition can be completed before the new year. The Ministry of Works has already finished the blueprints—following Your Majesty's planning and the different zoning, we've produced different designs. The materials can be sent over right away."

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said: "Just send over the planning maps."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Zhao Wenji quickly acknowledged.

"Alright, you may go for now." Zhu Youxiao waved his hand, signaling that Zhao Wenji could leave.

Zhao Wenji naturally didn't dare linger any longer, so he said: "Your servant takes his leave."

Having said this, Zhao Wenji bowed and retreated out backwards.

After Zhao Wenji left, Zhu Youxiao thought for a moment and said: "Go to the Imperial Household Department and fetch Huang Zongchang."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Chen Hong quickly bowed in acknowledgment.

Huang Zongchang was a talent recently discovered by the Imperial Household Department. He had risen through the ranks very quickly and had a sharp head for commerce—he could be called the main person in charge of the Imperial Household Department's commercial affairs.

The reason Zhu Youxiao had summoned Huang Zongchang was, naturally, for the matter of selling the houses.

Although houses sold well in these times—and houses in the capital were especially in short supply—it still required a capable man to manage the affair in order to reap the greatest profit. In the end, Zhu Youxiao had settled on Huang Zongchang.

Since the Imperial Household Department's establishment, it hadn't made any major moves. Zhu Youxiao had only been pouring money in, never drawing money out. The reason was simple: it was for the department's development.

From its founding to now, the Imperial Household Department had been continuously optimizing internally, integrating its own resources, familiarizing itself with trade routes, developing the transportation industry, laying out industries across the nation, and cultivating all kinds of talent. It could be said to have been in the foundation-building stage all along.

Apart from occasionally having someone report on the Imperial Household Department's development updates, Zhu Youxiao basically didn't interfere, so it was very difficult for the department's people to get an audience with him.

This time, being summoned, Huang Zongchang naturally rushed toward the palace with great urgency, moving very fast.

By the time he arrived at the palace, Zhu Youxiao was flipping through maps.

After being led in, Huang Zongchang hurriedly knelt and kowtowed, saying: "Your servant Huang Zongchang, paying respects to Your Majesty!"

Zhu Youxiao raised his head and said: "Rise and be at ease."

After Huang Zongchang stood up, Zhu Youxiao looked him over from head to toe, and his expression immediately turned somewhat strange.

In the court, officials came in all shapes and sizes—he had seen plenty, so Zhu Youxiao normally wouldn't be this surprised.

But the Huang Zongchang before him still left Zhu Youxiao somewhat taken aback.

He was simply too fat.

You see, in this era of the Great Ming, material goods weren't all that abundant. The wealthy mainly ate mutton and rarely pork, so there weren't many very fat people. Especially for officials, who had to mind their appearance—they had to pay even more attention to their figures.

But this Huang Zongchang before him—he really was too fat.

Looking at him drenched in sweat and panting heavily, Zhu Youxiao said directly: "My dear minister, how did you get so fat?"

Hearing Zhu Youxiao's words, a flash of embarrassment crossed Huang Zongchang's face, and then he said: "To answer Your Majesty, when your servant was a child, his family was poor and often went hungry. Meals were a mix of starvation and plenty."

"So whenever there was food, your servant would eat more. Your servant always felt that if he ate more, he could hold out longer when hunger came. So all along, every meal, your servant would try to eat as much as possible."

"Later, your servant became an official and had some money, and life at home improved, but this habit still hasn't changed. Every meal, your servant must eat more—if he doesn't eat enough, his heart always feels uneasy. And so, eating and eating, your servant ended up like this."

"During a previous physical examination, the imperial physician already told your servant that if this continued, his body might run into problems. These past days, although your servant has often tried to control it, the results haven't been very good."

Hearing this, Zhu Youxiao nodded and said: "So that's how it is. This is this Emperor's fault."

Huang Zongchang looked utterly bewildered—how had it become His Majesty's fault?

He wasn't a Censor, and stubbornly impeaching the Emperor wasn't his job either. But what did His Majesty's words mean?

Huang Zongchang didn't dare speak.

If he said the wrong thing, would his head be gone?

After a long silence, Zhu Youxiao seemed to emerge from his own emotions.

Looking at Huang Zongchang, Zhu Youxiao said: "Not being able to fill the bellies of the Great Ming's people—that makes this Emperor, as the sovereign, unqualified. So it is this Emperor's fault."

So His Majesty was blaming himself over this matter—truly a good emperor.

No matter what he thought in his heart, Huang Zongchang knew very well what he should say at a time like this.

He knelt straight down and said: "Natural disasters and man-made calamities—how could Your Majesty possibly control them? That Your Majesty loves the people so, always holding the realm in your heart, is truly the blessing of the common people under heaven!"

"To be able to benefit from such a sage ruler is truly a blessing cultivated by your servant's ancestors! Your servant believes that under Your Majesty's reign, the Great Ming will grow ever stronger, and the people of the realm will never again worry about famine!"

"Let us hope so." Zhu Youxiao looked at Huang Zongchang and nodded, saying: "Let us, sovereign and minister, encourage each other."

"Rest assured, Your Majesty—your servant will devote himself wholeheartedly and will never disappoint Your Majesty." Huang Zongchang said hurriedly.

Nodding with satisfaction, Zhu Youxiao said: "My dear minister, rise."

The probing and testing were complete—now it was time to discuss business.

Zhu Youxiao had Chen Hong hang up a map and said to Huang Zongchang: "Take a look at this map. What do you have to say?"

This map was actually the planning diagram for the Shoushan Academy, except that it would soon be demolished.

Of course, not everything would be torn down—after all, the Shoushan Academy had been designed with great care by many people. Things like the rockery garden, the pomegranate trees, and so on—these would be preserved and turned into the back garden of a large estate. It would just be divided into several parts, split among several households.

With these features in place, the price would certainly multiply several times over. And if they put some effort into the marketing—phrases like "a place where culture and education flourish" and "a hundred years of historical depth"—say such things plenty, and by then they'd surely sell for a good deal more money.

This was a new design drawing, with many places clearly marked—for instance, a commercial street in the center, a residential district in the back, and a private club.

Although he didn't know what this "club" thing was, Huang Zongchang could still grasp the general picture, and the expression on his face was quite colorful. His eyes, squeezed nearly shut by his fat face, were now gleaming with light.

Glancing at Zhu Youxiao, Huang Zongchang asked: "Your Majesty, could this be the design drawing for the new residences of the city's officials?"

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said: "It is indeed this drawing. Do you know why this Emperor is showing it to you?"

"Is it that Your Majesty wishes your servant to sell them?" Huang Zongchang said after thinking for a moment.

Huang Zongchang had a very clear understanding of himself. The reason he had risen meteorically in the Imperial Household Department and attained his current position was because of his commercial acumen, not his political wisdom. If it came to playing officialdom, he would have long been crushed into nothing by others.

His Majesty had summoned him—surely not to have him handle construction, since the Ministry of Works was far better at that than he was. Any official the Ministry of Works produced would do better than him.

If it were about allocating houses, he wouldn't be needed either.

The only thing in this entire affair that could use his services was selling.

Under such circumstances, if Huang Zongchang still couldn't guess what His Majesty wanted him to do, then he needn't work anymore—he might as well go home and retire.

Zhu Youxiao nodded.

Zhu Youxiao was not at all surprised that Huang Zongchang could guess it — it would have been surprising if he couldn't.

Nodding, Zhu Youxiao said, "Indeed, I want you to sell it. Make a copy of this map and take it with you, then spread the word. The specific details are here — go back and study them carefully."

"How to sell it? For how much? That's not written here — you draw up a plan yourself. I'm entrusting this matter to you. Handle it well, and don't disappoint me."

Huang Zongchang's heart immediately surged with excitement.

This was his first chance to do something for His Majesty. If he handled this well, and handled it splendidly, then wouldn't he have caught His Majesty's eye? And once that happened, wouldn't his career soar?

Huang Zongchang said excitedly, "Rest assured, Your Majesty. Your servant will study it immediately upon returning. Once I've worked out the budget, I'll send it to Your Majesty right away."

Having said this, Huang Zongchang bowed to Zhu Youxiao and said in a firm tone, "Your servant will not let Your Majesty down!"

Zhu Youxiao nodded with satisfaction and said, "Then take it back and get to work."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Huang Zongchang acknowledged, then remained bowed as he said, "Your servant takes his leave."

After Huang Zongchang had left, Zhu Youxiao stretched his limbs.

Although there was now income from the new city, for Zhu Youxiao it still wasn't enough — merely a drop in the bucket. He was still desperately short of money and needed to find funds from other sources.

Zhu Youxiao turned to look at Chen Hong and said directly, "I told you to send people to Zhangjiakou to fish for information — have they been sent out yet?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the men have already been sent." Chen Hong quickly answered. "It's just that those who went out haven't gained much so far. According to the message that came in yesterday, those people have deep roots in Zhangjiakou, and even in the Nine Border Garrisons around it, they know many people. If we keep digging deeper, I'm afraid quite a few people will be implicated."

Zhu Youxiao raised his head and glanced at Chen Hong, saying expressionlessly, "Since when did you start worrying about such things?"

Upon hearing these words, Chen Hong fell to his knees with a thud and said hurriedly, "Your Majesty, this servant was only worried that if the matter grew too big, there might be trouble, and that it would be disadvantageous to Your Majesty. Your servant absolutely has no selfish motives!"