The Emperor implied that Qiao Lian'er's current rank was not high enough to warrant an inscription for a large mansion, and suggested that she use the reward to buy a house for herself.
The Pei brothers waited outside the palace gates.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Qiao Lian'er come out safely. After all, it was the first time that Miss Lian'er had entered the palace to meet the emperor. Although the etiquette and rules had been explained in detail, it was not certain that she could do everything perfectly. If she did something inappropriate and displeased the emperor, there would be more unknowns to come.
Judging from Qiao Lian'er's composed and calm demeanor, it was clear that things were going very smoothly.
Upon hearing that the number of recruits had increased from 3,000 to 5,000, the two brothers were overjoyed. This was a great thing; the Emperor had never set such a precedent before, which showed that he greatly approved of Miss Qiao.
The carriage slowly left the palace gate. Qiao Lian'er said, "Let's buy a house today as my place of residence, and then go and take a look at my fiefdom tomorrow."
Pei Shijiu said, "If you want to stay, you can just stay at the Pei residence. Why make such a fuss and waste money?"
Qiao Lian'er shook her head: "I have a fiefdom in the capital and need to manage the army. I have to make long-term plans. It's not feasible to stay in the Pei residence forever."
“That’s true,” Pei Zhujin said. “We are familiar with the capital, so let’s go and help Miss Qiao choose a house.”
Pei Shijiu wanted to say something, but Pei Zhujin stopped him with a look.
My younger brother is still young and doesn't realize that keeping a girl at home for a long time might tarnish her reputation.
Especially in a place like the capital, the Pei family is a prominent family, and Qiao Lian'er is a county princess who has been granted a title, so they are likely to attract attention.
Fortunately, this time, the three Qiao siblings came, which made things a bit easier.
To facilitate visits and interactions, the house was naturally chosen to be not far from the Pei family's residence, and at most two streets away.
They finally found a place, a medium-sized, three-courtyard siheyuan (traditional courtyard house). When they inquired about the price, Qiao Lian'er was speechless.
It actually costs fifty thousand taels.
The entire Qiao family fortune totaled just over 30,000 taels.
Fifty thousand taels of silver, converted to modern currency, would be equivalent to fifty million, which certainly fits the price range for a prime location in Beijing. However, with housing prices soaring these days, even adding ten times that price might not be enough to afford it.
Qiao Lian'er calculated again that the wealth bestowed by the imperial court and local authorities, including this one, amounted to a little over ten thousand taels, but even combined, it was still not enough.
Moreover, even if she could barely afford it, she couldn't possibly go bankrupt to buy a house where she couldn't guarantee a permanent residence.
This house is located on the main street. It was confiscated property. The owner of the house was originally an official who committed a crime. His house was seized by the Ministry of Revenue and then sold.
If you don't buy it soon, it will be gone in a couple of days at most. After all, owning a house in the capital, especially a house facing the street, is the dream of many people.
"Little girl, do you not have enough money?" Pei Shijiu said, "The Pei family can lend you some; you can pay it back whenever you want."
It doesn't matter if you don't pay it back; being able to help the little girl is the most important thing.
Moreover, with a house, the young girl could stay in the capital for a little longer.
“I won’t lend you money,” Qiao Lian’er said.
Because borrowing money is not just a matter for one person, but involves a large family of more than ten people. If any risks arise and they cannot repay the loan, it would be a disaster.
Although she is confident about the future, she also wants to be prepared for any eventuality, which is a sign of respect for fate.
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