Chapter 16: Selling Houses at the Brothel, Su Liang is Ambushed

Selling houses at the brothel, Su Liang is ambushed.

Chang Le was seen playing with the Rubik's cube that Su Liang had made.

Ever since Chang Le moved into the Hibiscus Garden, she had been clinging to Su Liang every day.

Before they were married, she would not allow Su Liang to take any concubines.

Su Liang was speechless about this; he already had enough women as it was.

Seeing that Chang Le remained silent, Su Liang then said, "Chang Le, accompany Brother Su to the East Market today to take a look."

"Alright," Chang Le said with a beaming smile.

She immediately stood up and took Su Liang's arm.

Half an hour later.

The East Market of Changancheng.

In front of the general store, the commoners were discussing among themselves.

"This stove is different from the ones in the past..."

"Of course it is. If the things Young Master Su made were the same as before, what would be the point..."

"Look here, you can also grill food under the base..."

"There is a valve here; just turn it and water comes out..."

"There is a rack here for drying clothes..."

"The stoves Young Master Su makes are just good..."

"Not only can you keep warm and boil water, you can also cook meals..."

"That's right, you can even have hot pot and barbecue..."

"But isn't what Young Master Su is selling a bit too cheap..."

"In my opinion, the cost is at least one thousand wen, yet it's only selling for one hundred wen now..."

"I wonder what Young Master Su is thinking..."

"Heh heh... who told you Young Master Su is rich..."

"Go, go, go... what do you know? Young Master Su is benefiting the people..."

"It is said that sweet potatoes roasted in this stove are especially fragrant..."

"Heh heh... you make it sound like you've eaten them before..."

"Won't we be able to eat them in just a few days..."

"Heh, you're overthinking it... the sweet potatoes Young Master Su brought out are only 3,000 jin, enough to plant only 30 mu of land..."

"It is said that those 3,000 jin of potatoes were also only planted on 15 mu of land..."

"They say there are only 10 days left until the harvest..."

"The places where they are planted are the most fertile lands in the Capital Region. According to the Imperial Son-in-Law, the yield per mu can reach 8,000 jin. That is why the imperial court has dispatched heavy troops to guard them against any mishaps..."

"Heh... don't even think about eating them; after the harvest, they still need to be used as seeds for next year..."

"I heard that the Drunken Immortal Pavilion will have a small supply when the time comes..."

"I must go and taste it then..."

"Sigh, when His Majesty let the people try them outside Changancheng, I missed the chance to eat them..."

"Why are you all worrying so much? At worst, we'll just eat them next year. Last time, the noble clans donated over a million shi of grain; they won't let you starve..."

"The Imperial Son-in-Law also donated one hundred thousand shi last time..."

"You all should worry about whether you can buy a stove today; this time, each household can only buy one..."

"There are only one hundred thousand today..."

"It is said that the Imperial Son-in-Law has already arranged for a large number of people to work through the night to rush production..."

"Sigh... the Imperial Son-in-Law is truly too good to us..."

"Do you think we should set up a shrine for the Imperial Son-in-Law when we get home..."

At this moment, Su Liang and Chang Le were quietly listening from the side, and Su Liang had black lines all over his head upon hearing this.

Su Liang immediately walked toward the person who spoke with a dark face and said, "Why would you want to set up a shrine for me? I'm not dead yet."

That person explained, "The Imperial Son-in-Law is an immortal descended to the world, and you care so much for the people; it is only right to offer incense and worship you morning and night."

Su Liang was speechless, then said, "Alright, this young master does not need your worship."

After a pause, he continued, "You should all hurry up and line up to buy them; in a few days, there will be a supply of high-quality coal."

After saying this, he left immediately.

He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would really be enshrined by these people.

The stove Su Liang designed is cylindrical, two feet high and one foot wide.

Wood, charcoal, and coal can all be used.

There is a water inlet on top and a water outlet on the bottom; just attach a pipe for easy water access.

The top of the stove can be used for cooking, hot pot, barbecue, etc.

The base is used for ash removal and can also be used to grill food.

On both sides of the handle on top of the stove are two U-shaped iron racks that can be set at a 45-degree angle for easy drying of clothes.

They can also be easily removed when not in use.

Three days later, a steady stream of honeycomb coal was sold in the East and West Markets of Changancheng.

Unlike charcoal.

Charcoal can only burn for a little over half an hour.

Honeycomb coal can burn for two hours.

At this time, the price of ordinary charcoal in Changancheng was three wen per jin.

High-quality charcoal cost ten wen per jin.

Each piece of honeycomb coal weighs two jin, and each person is limited to ten jin, enough for winter heating.

Within ten jin, it is one wen per jin; any amount exceeding that is three wen per jin.

Su Liang was also using an expedient measure, as the mining level of the Great Tang is currently limited.

There was not enough time this year, and only this Taixi coal from the Helan Mountains was easy to mine.

By next year.

He would naturally introduce smokeless coal at two wen per jin, or even one wen per jin.

The fifteenth day of the eleventh month, Wude Year 9, at noon.

In Pingkang Ward, Changancheng.

Su Liang announced that the houses in Taoyuan City were for sale.

Originally, Su Liang had planned to announce the sale of the real estate at the Tianqiao Workshop in Taoyuan City.

Seeing that Su Liang had not visited Pingkang Ward for many days, the crowd refused to let him go.

They kept asking, so he had no choice but to announce it on the spot.

Afterwards, he had people bring over various floor plans.

They were all modern Sihe Academy designs, ranging from one hundred square meters to one thousand square meters.

The one-hundred-square-meter units were one thousand wen per square meter.

The two-hundred-square-meter units were two thousand wen per square meter.

And so on...

The largest, one thousand square meters, required ten thousand wen per square meter.

Most of the houses were under three hundred square meters; one hundred square meters was a small unit, similar to an apartment; two hundred square meters was a standard unit for ordinary people to live in; three hundred square meters was a large unit, mostly for wealthy families.

Most units over three hundred square meters were near the park, had relatively better locations, and were relatively more expensive.

However, compared to the housing prices in Changancheng, they were still quite cheap.

At this time, an ordinary household in the Great Tang could save at least ten taels of silver a year.

Houses in the seventy-two villages of Taoyuan County only cost three hundred wen per square meter, which a family of five could afford with one year's income.

Many people had seen the houses in Taoyuan City.

If nothing went wrong.

They would not need repairs for twenty years.

The news of the sale of houses in Taoyuan City instantly swept through Changancheng.

The people of Changancheng flocked there, and many second-generation officials and children of noble families were all present.

Even a large number of people from the counties around Changancheng came one after another.

That day, Pingkang Ward was overcrowded.

In just half a day, fifty thousand units were sold.

Excluding the ten thousand units Su Liang kept for himself, only one hundred thousand units remained.

The second-generation officials and children of noble families bought out all the units over three hundred square meters.

Even many brothel women who had redeemed themselves were buying houses.

They all asked Su Liang when the Tianqiao and Tianman workshops would open for business.

They all volunteered to go to Taoyuan City to work.

Su Liang was speechless about this; he only wanted to announce the housing sales.

Helplessly, word of mouth spread that Su Liang was selling houses in Pingkang Ward.

For three consecutive days, people constantly entered and exited Pingkang Ward.

Three days later, the houses in Taoyuan City were completely sold out.

At the same time.

Su Liang also announced that the sixteen Shanzhuang within Taoyuan County were for sale.

They would be auctioned publicly in Tianqiao Ward in one month, with the highest bidder winning.

It would certainly allow everyone to move in before the new year.

The ninth year of Wude, November 20th.

The Hour of the Dog (7:00 PM – 9:00 PM).

Twenty miles outside Changancheng.

Su Liang stood on a hillside not far from the official road.

At the bottom of the slope, nearly a hundred corpses lay scattered in disarray.

A long while later.

Su Liang put away his Wenxin sword, which did not have a single drop of blood on it.

He then said, "Have you investigated clearly? This is already the third time."

A person in black clothes and a black robe to the side spoke up: "Reporting to you, Young Master, it has been investigated clearly."

"All three attacks were instigated by Jieli Khan's youngest son, Ashina Teqin, and his nephew, Ashina She'er."

Su Liang asked, "No one else?"

The man in black said, "No one else."

Su Liang said indifferently, "Did you find the reason? It couldn't just be for revenge. Without a special reason, they wouldn't have the guts to head south."

The man in black said, "After Jieli died, the other four tribes of the Turks demanded an explanation from Tuli. Tuli Khan stays behind closed doors all day and is mocked by others."

"Zhishi Sili saw this and wanted to support Ashina Teqin as Khan."

"Pressed by the pressure from the other four tribes, and at the instigation of Zhishi Sili, they gathered ten thousand men, intending to ambush and kill you, Young Master."

"Now, fewer than a thousand have reached the Jingji Circuit; the rest were all killed by us."

"Heh..." Su Liang chuckled, then said, "They are merely here to throw their lives away."

A moment later.

Su Liang asked, "What about Jieli's other sons?"

The man in black said, "Jieli had three sons: the eldest, Ashina Poluomen; the second, Ashina Dieluozhi; and the youngest, Ashina Teqin."

"In the battle at Jingji Circuit, the eldest, Ashina Poluomen, was killed in action."

"The second son, Ashina Dieluozhi, is kind by nature and dislikes fighting."

Su Liang asked, "Then Dieluozhi doesn't want revenge?"

The man in black said, "According to our investigation, Dieluozhi did not participate."

Su Liang asked skeptically, "Does this matter have anything to do with Princess Yicheng?"

"That has not been investigated; currently, we can only identify Zhishi Sili, Ashina Teqin, and Ashina She'er."

The man in black replied.

A moment later, Su Liang asked, "Where is Princess Yicheng now?"

"The Yinshan royal tent," the man in black said.

"Alright... later, have Wang Xuance write a memorial to send to His Majesty; presumably, His Majesty already knows of your existence."

After saying this, Su Liang left immediately.

The back hall of the inner courtyard of Furong Garden.

At this moment, only Su Liang and Wang Xuance were present, and the two were quietly tasting tea.

Su Liang suddenly asked, "How are the horses coming along?"

Wang Xuance said, "They are ready, all purchased at a high price according to your requirements, Young Master. Although they cannot travel a thousand li by day and eight hundred by night like the Cloud-Stepping Black Steed, they can still manage six hundred li by day and four hundred by night."

"That is, excluding rest time, they can travel one thousand li in a day and a night?" Su Liang asked.

"Yes," Wang Xuance affirmed.

"And the weapons?" Su Liang continued to ask.

"The weapons and armor have all been forged," Wang Xuance said.

"Good..."

Su Liang immediately said it was good.

After thinking for a moment, he continued, "Take a set of armor and weapons and send them to His Majesty, so he stops bothering me every day."

"Have the White-Robed Guards prepare; we depart tomorrow."

Half an hour later.

Inside the Ganlu Hall of the Taiji Palace.

The ministers were discussing matters when Su Liang walked straight in.

Seeing Su Liang enter, Li Shimin immediately asked, "My virtuous son-in-law, what brings you to my Ganlu Hall today?"

Everyone stared at Su Liang, wanting to see what the Imperial Son-in-Law was about; it had been nearly half a year since Su Liang entered the capital, and this was his second time at the Taiji Palace, the last being during His Majesty's enthronement.

Su Liang walked slowly, found a seat, sat down, and said, "I just want to take a trip to Mobei and bring back some cattle and sheep."

"It's only a little over a month until the new year, so I need to prepare some holiday goods and send some gifts to His Majesty."

"I have come specifically to inform His Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin was delighted and immediately said, "Oh... so you intend to lead an army north, virtuous son-in-law?"

"I wonder how many troops you intend to lead?"

"Heh..." Su Liang smiled upon hearing this.

He then said, "His Majesty is overthinking it. This time, I am only taking the White-Robed Guards. I'll go and return quickly; I don't want to spend the new year on the Mobei grasslands."

"Courtesy demands reciprocity; since the Turks treat me this way, I cannot lose my manners."

Zhangsun Wuji suddenly said, "Virtuous son-in-law, wouldn't three thousand men be a bit too few? You should take at least thirty thousand to prevent any mishaps."

Du Ruhui said, "The Imperial Son-in-Law wants to use speed to win; too many men would be a hindrance. I presume the Imperial Son-in-Law is launching a light cavalry expedition."

Hearing this, Li Shimin's gaze sharpened as he stared at Su Liang and said, "Virtuous son-in-law, are you trying to emulate the three thousand Tiger Guards of the Great Han?"

"Have you decided on your route of march?"

Su Liang said indifferently, "I can pass through Ningzhou and Qingzhou, reach Lingzhou, and then depart from Lingzhou to strike directly at the Yinshan royal tent!"

"It is only two thousand li to Yinshan, and the White-Robed Guards' horses are all fine steeds; we will arrive in five days at the latest."

Li Shimin said, "Virtuous son-in-law, you intend to pass through the territory of Liang Shidu?"

"Heh..."

Su Liang chuckled, then said, "His Majesty just needs to wait for my good news."

He then immediately took his leave.

The ninth year of Wude.

November 24th, the Hour of the Monkey (3:00 PM – 5:00 PM).

Twenty miles outside Shuofang City.

Wang Xuance looked at Su Liang and asked, "Young Master, aren't we going to Lingzhou?"

Su Liang answered irrelevantly, "How much do you think is appropriate for the bride price for Changle?"

Wang Xuance asked in confusion, "What does the Young Master mean by this? Do you intend to take down this Liang State?"

Liang Shidu had been defeated repeatedly, and at this time, the military strength within Shuofang City was less than twenty thousand; they could take advantage of the situation.

Su Liang thought to himself, then said, "Why not?"

"Liang Shidu has repeatedly colluded with the Turks to lead troops south and has harassed the borders of the Great Tang many times; he deserves to die!"

"Let's go... we'll go meet this Prince of Liang."

He then led the White-Robed Guards toward Shuofang City.

Half an hour later.

Three thousand six hundred White-Robed Guards were arrayed beneath the walls of Shuofang City.

They were no more than three hundred meters from the city wall.

Su Liang looked at Wang Xuance and joked, "Xuance, shall we compare archery skills?"

"How shall we compare?"

Wang Xuance also asked with interest.

"Your range is also three hundred meters; how about we see who shoots more?"

Su Liang said indifferently.

"Alright... today, Xuance will accompany the Young Master to have some fun."

After Wang Xuance spoke, he immediately drew his bow and shot an arrow.

"Whoosh..."

A sharp arrow tore through the void and shot toward the soldiers on the city wall.

Suddenly, a soldier on the wall was seen slowly falling.

"Good, it's my turn..."

Su Liang immediately took out the Overlord Heaven-Splitting Bow.

"Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh..."

As each sharp arrow was shot, a soldier on the city wall would slowly collapse with every shot fired.

After several hundred breaths, no soldier on the city wall dared to show their head.

"You have lost..." Su Liang chuckled, then ordered someone to call out to Liang Shi.

A quarter of an hour later.

Liang Shi also climbed onto the city wall under the protection of his soldiers.

At this moment, Su Liang and Wang Xuance had already reached a distance of twenty meters from the city wall.

Seeing that the visitor was Su Liang, Liang Shi immediately said, "I did not know the Prince of Chu of the Great Tang had come in person; what is the purpose of your visit?"

Su Liang was immediately covered in black lines; they had clearly already fought their way to the gates, yet he was still acting like this—no wonder he was defeated time and time again.

He then said, "Naturally, I am here to invite you to open the city gates and surrender, and from this day forth, submit to our Great Tang."

Liang Shi immediately snorted coldly, "The walls of my Shuofang City are four zhang high, and the moat is one zhang and seven chi wide; do you really think your mere three thousand men can break through?"

"Oh... then may I ask how many men would be required?" Su Liang also asked indifferently.