New Residence

Congratulations, Lord Dongfang, on acquiring your new residence!

"Many thanks Marquis Wuqiang for parting with your money!"

Having already experienced buying property for the first time, Zhang Xuezhou was quite adept at it for his second purchase.

The procedures involving property inspection and price determination had already been formalized by relevant officials with Rong Tianding; all that remained was the exchange of money between the buyer and seller upon their meeting.

When the appointed time arrived, Zhang Xuezhou and his group met Zhuang Qingdi at the residence of the Prefect of Jingzhao.

Zhuang Qingdi's face was extremely rosy; clearly, the result he wanted was better than he had anticipated.

Many plans failed to keep up with the changes, and the established facts made it difficult for Zhuang Qingdi to defend himself; he didn't even have to use the rules based on precedent.

But the result was very good, and this result was inseparable from the cooperation between the two sides.

Zhuang Qingdi not only landed safely, but he also returned to his former official position.

Despite years of busy work that seemed to have come to nothing, including losing the Law Treasure cloth and a house, Zhuang Qingdi felt it was a worthwhile investment, and his fate was far better than that of his predecessor, the Imperial Censor Zhi Buning.

"Lord Dongfang is now a Vice Minister and is well-versed in palace affairs. If there is anything involving me, I hope you will offer me assistance!"

After paying twenty taels of gold as tax, Zhuang Qingdi also returned the thousand taels of gold that Zhang Xuezhou and others had used to purchase the house.

After exchanging pleasantries with Zhang Xuezhou, his parting words were extremely earnest.

Although his official rank had been reduced, Zhuang Qingdi's authority and ability were still superior to Zhang Xuezhou's, but he did not let his guard down for a moment.

The affairs of the court are not something that can be resolved overnight; rather, they are a long-term endeavor. Since we all see each other frequently, mutual care and support are essential for long-term stability.

"No problem!"

With just a nod, Zhang Xuezhou knew very well that he and Zhuang Qingdi would become allies, and that this would bring them various benefits in the future.

However, this was something Zhang Xuezhou was rather wary of, since he had already achieved his initial goals in the imperial court and did not need to pursue anything further.

On the contrary, Zhang Xuezhou needs to avoid taking sides or siding with other officials, lest he be implicated in their misdeeds and lose the new emperor's trust.

He gave Zhuang Qingdi a perfunctory reply, which made Zhuang Qingdi, a seasoned official, narrow his eyes slightly.

See you next time!

Zhuang Qingdi had originally planned to take Zhang Xuezhou for a walk around the official residence and to celebrate Zhang Xuezhou's move to his new home, but all those thoughts ultimately vanished from his mind.

He cupped his hands in greeting to Zhang Xuezhou, then pulled the curtain of the Marquis's carriage back up.

"Marquis Wuqiang is truly wealthy and powerful. He didn't even blink at a transaction involving a thousand taels of gold, and then casually returned it, even paying our taxes!"

Only after Zhuang Qingdi's carriage had gone far away did Rong Tianding, who was carrying the wooden box containing the gold, finally speak.

"His family was considered poor among the marquisate Aristocratic Clan!"

Zhang Xuezhou shook his head.

In the social hierarchy of the Han Kingdom, the rank of Marquis was second only to that of King.

The wealth accumulated by such Aristocratic Clan over three generations is astonishing. Even if each generation is less wealthy than the last, the foundation of wealth remains, and they will continue to accumulate money even without doing anything.

Rong Tianding thought Zhuang Qingdi was very wealthy, but compared to other marquises, Zhuang Qingdi's wealth was only considered to be below average.

"It's a situation where the poor are dying of poverty and the rich are dying of wealth!"

After Zhang Xuezhou explained for a while, Rong Tianding couldn't help but complain.

"So many people toil and struggle for a few coins, yet they can't compete with the casual spending of these people," Rong Tianding sighed.

"That's because their ancestors risked their lives. Even in the Great Han Dynasty's founding war, which affected tens of millions of people, only a few like them emerged," Zhang Xuezhou laughed. "You reap what you sow. You can't expect their ancestors to fight to the death and end up like those who toil and struggle!"

"That's true!"

Rong Tianding nodded resignedly, feeling that what Zhang Xuezhou said made sense.

He felt that these people shouldn't be so wealthy, and that the gap between the rich and poor in society was too great. But their money wasn't stolen or robbed; it was the result of profits from various businesses.

Although Rong Tianding still felt uneasy about this, he couldn't find any reason to object.

When Zhang Xuezhou talked about the distribution and flow of social wealth, Rong Tianding felt somewhat bewildered.

"This is because limited productivity restricts the circulation of wealth in the process of social development," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Original production resources such as land and housing have already been occupied. Only innovative new things can break through the red ocean and accumulate a large amount of wealth. This also requires government policies and market regulation!"

"Um!"

"For example, Xu Yuan selling seeds is also a result of government policies and market changes!"

"I think I understand now!"

"Speaking of which, the soybean business is pretty good right now. If you can buy hundreds of thousands of kilograms of soybeans and store them, you can make a fortune!"

How do you make money selling beans?

"That's related to the government-mandated market; we need to wait for an opportunity!"

Can we do it?

"This is troublesome!"

Zhang Xuezhou and Rong Tianding boarded the carriage.

Not many people went to the official residence in the Imperial City District; at the moment, only Zhang Xuezhou and A Qiao were involved, and even Rong Tianding did not move with them.

As his physical Law Power gradually recovered, Zhang Xuezhou was no longer as passive as before, and returning to his house in Laoshu Hutong would be quite convenient.

He and Rong Tianding whispered to each other all the way, and only after they picked up A Qiao and got into the carriage to go to the mansion did the two of them seriously talk about matters of love and romance.

"Sir, are only the three of us moving to the Imperial City District?"

As A-Qiao carried two cloth bags filled with clothes, she felt a little uneasy as she walked away from the old house.

She found it difficult to integrate into the collective life of Zhang Household Village. After the initial politeness and sweet period, she seemed out of place.

She felt relieved to be away from those old houses, but the new life in an unfamiliar environment also made her uneasy.

There are only two of us: you and me!

Zhang Xuezhou stopped laughing and pointed to A Qiao and himself.

"Just the two of us? What about the others? Isn't Second Master coming over either?"

"That place is too far from Silanfang, it's inconvenient for me to earn money there, so I won't go. You take good care of my cousin over there!"

Rong Tianding waved his sleeve, indicating that he would not follow.

Without Law Power, Zhang Xuezhou could only travel by carriage, but as his Law Power gradually recovered, Zhang Xuezhou flew from the Imperial City District to Laoshu Hutong in less than a quarter of an hour.

Although Zhang Xuezhou lived far away, they were practically neighbors.

Rong Tianding was also skilled in flying and leaping, so going there wouldn't be much trouble for him.

The distance between their residences wasn't a problem, but it wasn't so friendly to A-Qiao.

Thinking about the messenger crows that A-Qiao releases every two weeks, Rong Tianding was also very curious about how A-Qiao defined herself and how she would get along with Zhang Xuezhou in their own world.

The carriage continued to travel through the alleys, and as it sped onto the wide bluestone road, the surrounding houses gradually revealed their grandeur and luxury.

The closer one gets to the Imperial City District, the more mansions and courtyards there are, including many that cover several miles in area, housing hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of people.

The mansions in such places are vast, so it's no surprise that they are expensive, and even having money doesn't guarantee you can buy one.

The mansion purchased by Zhang Xuezhou was relatively small, but it covered an area of nearly one mile. The mansion included gardens, trees, pavilions, and forty-eight rooms for living, as well as other living areas.

As the central area of power in the Great Han Dynasty, the Imperial City District's architecture employed tall, large, and expansive structures to project majesty.

Although it might seem a bit like a nouveau riche lifestyle, Zhang Xuezhou was very satisfied with his living environment.

The mansion that Zhuang Qingdi handed over was not particularly large in the Imperial City District, but it was in a very good location. It was an old house built on land acquired at the founding of the Great Han Dynasty.

If he turns a corner from his residence, he can also go to the Marquis's residence where Princess Dou resides, and he can also enter the palace through the East Sima Gate.

These advantages also meant that Zhang Xuezhou was extremely close to the palace, which was uniquely useful for him in seeking opportunities to promote his martial arts.

This was a completely new day for Zhang Xuezhou, but his good mood about Zhang Xuezhou into his new home faded away in no time.

Rows of muddy footprints were scattered throughout the garden, and various flowers and low-lying trees were cut in half. Many pillars of the pavilions and towers were covered with chopping marks.

"It's alright, the rain will wash away our traces!"

"Yes, these flowers, grasses, and leaves will all grow, making them perfect for practicing swordsmanship!"

"Use it freely, this uninhabited house is our new territory!"

"As long as you follow me, you'll enjoy endless blessings in the future!"

"My swordsmanship..."

Zhang Xuezhou perked up his ears, and the sniffling and faint, familiar sounds immediately reached them, giving him a terrible headache.