According to Alan's previous idea, after his new garden was built and he moved out, he would renovate the old castle here, and put the film and television company and some elderly servants' residences here. He would not take some old vehicles and so on with him.

In this way, hundreds of houses can be freed up, which will also be beneficial to the future development of the company.

Although he didn't build any company buildings or office buildings, how many companies in the world have their headquarters in castles?

Just look at the quality of this office location...it's ahead of more than 99% of ordinary companies in the world.

Now……

Alan is short of money recently!

He wants to expand his western restaurant and start selling medicine next year, which requires a large amount of money in the early stages. All these plans require money everywhere, and he doesn't like to bring others along to play with financing and loans.

But these plans now rely only on his few old money-making projects. They can be maintained, but they are beyond his ability to expand rapidly.

He now needs to make some quick money to supplement his increasingly dwindling piggy bank.

At this juncture, renovating a castle, even to the lowest standards, would cost nearly 10 million pounds, right?

This old castle of his might not be worth much if it were really sold, but it would be very expensive to renovate.

Because this thing is considered an ancient building and a Class A protected ancient building.

Ordinary people can simply demolish and rebuild their houses, or redecorate them, and the cost is not outrageous. But if Alan really wants to renovate the castle according to his own ideas, the cost will be expensive.

Why?

Class A protected ancient building?

Alan thought about it, suddenly raised his head and asked a question that made Hut a little uneasy.

"Since the castle at home is also a protected ancient building, can I ask the Welsh Parliament to apply for some funds to repair the castle for me?"

"???"

"Looking for...looking for the Parliament?"

Hut was a little confused. He had been a butler for so long and had seen the old earl get weapons and ammunition into his home through all kinds of strange channels, but he had never seen anyone asking the parliament for money to repair his own castle. Isn't this... inappropriate? You can't bully people like this, right?

If this is the case, will the young master prepare to restore the monarchy next, and then start collecting taxes and plundering the people's wealth?

…

"No?"

Alan asked this question with great confidence, as if... the Welsh Parliament was his own little piggy bank.

"Master... although the castle is a Class A protected building, uh... there are also relevant funds for the maintenance of these ancient buildings, but we can't count them in. As long as you still live here and are the owner of this castle, all the expenses for the repair of the castle will need to be funded by you. The Welsh Parliament is not responsible for this."

Hut tried his best to explain and make Allen give up the idea.

"Well, since I'm moving soon, I won't be considered to be living here. Can't I ask the Welsh Assembly to allocate funds for me to build a castle?"

“…”

Hut tried his best to keep smiling, he really tried, but these explanations seemed to have little persuasiveness to his young master.

“That’s enough!”

Alan was a little annoyed. He was asked for money everywhere. Where should he get the money?

Does he really need to spend so much energy and effort to raise funds for a dilapidated castle?

Seeing Allen's frowning and irritable look, Hut opened his mouth and said after a moment of hesitation: "Young Master...why don't you go out for a walk these two days and see how other nobles' castles operate. Seeing more of their operating methods...it can also give you some inspiration, and by the way...relax your mind?"

Feeling that his young master had become increasingly irritable recently, Hut came up with a trick and prepared to subtly suggest that Alan go out for a walk and relax.

"Oh? That's a good suggestion. Where are we going?"

Alan was very tempted by Hut's suggestion. It seemed that it would be okay to visit other nobles' homes if they didn't have to go far. He seldom went out to visit people before. One reason was... he had few connections. This was an old problem.

Although Huth had been with the old earl for so many years and he knew people, but... how could a housekeeper bring the current head of the family to establish a relationship? This was just nonsense.

If it were a few years ago, even if Allen had gone to someone's house to try to establish a relationship with them, it would still be hard to say whether they would pay any attention to him.

To put it bluntly, personal connections are just something disguised as an exchange of interests.

What’s the point for an ordinary person to know many people if they don’t have good relationships with them?

When you really need to use your so-called connections to get things done, would you dare to give less benefits?

Just relying on knowing a few people, flattering them without doing anything, and expecting them to do things for you?

Is it possible?

But now that Allen was doing well, he had this idea in mind. It wasn't about trying to build relationships, it was just about getting to know more nobles. If he could get along with them, he could get along with them slowly. If he couldn't...

People he can't get along with won't let him visit them, so he doesn't have to worry about that. As long as he can visit them, there's a high probability that he can get along with them. He just needs to consider whether these people are worth making deeper friends with.

…

"Uh... Master, I do have a very suitable candidate. Although he is older than you, he succeeded to the throne only two years earlier than you. When you visited his home before, he had not yet succeeded to the throne. It was he who accompanied you to visit his manor. Their manor was opened to the public in the 1970s. He has rich experience in manor management. You might as well go over and take a look."

"oh?"

As for the group of nobles, there are those who are doing well, just like in the movies, with groups of servants around and living in fine clothes and delicious food.

Alan is now barely able to be considered to have a connection with the subject.

But there are also some who are not doing well...

When the family is in decline, they have to find ways to do some business to make a living. The ancestral homes of these nobles are very large, so they opened the old homes to the public and started some visiting business. Ordinary people can also go into the homes of the nobles to have fun and see what the homes of the old nobles are like. They can also visit the collections of the noble lords. The only price they need to pay is to buy tickets!

Ticket prices vary depending on the size of the castle and the scenic beauty of its location.

A lot... It is said that one ticket costs dozens of pounds, and the opening day can receive hundreds or thousands of tourists a day, which means tens of thousands of pounds in revenue that day.

If you spend frugally... you can still live a happy life.

Anyway, the noble have their own way of living, and the poor have their own way of living.

Now... Alan can go and check it out in person, and he is still very much looking forward to it.

"Who? Can I get an appointment?"

"The Boyle family, the Earl of Glasgow, Patrick Robin Archibald Boyle!"

"Oh~ It's him. I know him. Go call his housekeeper and make an appointment for me. I want to go and ask him about his experience in running a manor."

Speaking of this person, Alan was not very familiar with him. They were just nodding acquaintances. He had met the Earl of Glasgow when he was in the House of Lords. He was a very gentle and a little unremarkable old man. He seemed to be in his fifties this year, but he could only be said to be very childlike.

When in the House of Lords, Alan never saw him speak. He looked listless and seemed like every time he went there was just a routine. Alan had very few interactions with him. He didn't expect that the old man was actually staying at home to run his estate in private.

"Okay, Master. I'll go now."

Seeing that Alan finally gave up the idea of ​​asking the Welsh Parliament for money to repair the garden, Hut secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

…

Fairlie, Ayrshire, Scotland.

This is the ancestral land of the Boyle family and the location of their ancestral home. This family is very different from the Hill family. The Hill family has only a few members. For a family like Alan's father, being able to have two sons is considered a remarkable achievement.

But the Boyle family is different. Their family is widely spread and has a large population, but in terms of status, there are not many people in the main line. Now there are only six people.

The current patriarch of the Boyle family is the Earl of Glasgow. The patriarch of their family is not elected. Only the Earl of Glasgow can serve as the patriarch. No one else can serve as the patriarch. Although there are few people in the main line, they have titles, and in the local area... rounding it off, they are almost equivalent to local emperors.

It’s the same as the local gentry families in China.

…

The Boyle family's old home, Kelburn Castle, has a history of about five or six hundred years. It has undergone several reconstructions or restorations. Its current style is a French castle. From a distance, it looks a bit like a barn, ugly and cute.

On the afternoon of November 24, the Kelburn Castle, which had been in operation for many years, was temporarily closed to the public. Two days in advance, the current Earl of Glasgow arranged for his servants and clan members to come to the castle to clean up in order to welcome the distinguished guests who were coming to visit today. As for who the distinguished guests were, the old Earl did not say.

If you say that Alan has a high status now, the two of them are on the same level, both are earls.

In comparison, the current Earl of Glasgow succeeded to the throne two years earlier than Alan, so logically speaking, he has more seniority than Alan.

But Allen is a famous person, and he directly follows the crown prince. How can an ordinary country noble like him compare to him?

He and Alan are alike in one respect... neither of them has much experience in socializing with the outside world.

A few years ago, before he ascended the throne, the Earl of Glasgow was somewhat obsessed with political affairs and actively participated in local construction.

He also served as deputy lieutenant of Ayrshire, and it can be said that he was extremely scheming.

…

At the gate of Kelburn Castle, the Earl of Glasgow, wearing aristocratic clothes that he hadn't worn for a long time, looked at the convoy slowly approaching along the country road in the distance, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face.

The Earl of Carmarthen, who is far away in Wales, is coming to his Boyle family's ancestral home today to visit the current Earl of Glasgow. Wow... Just this kind of meeting between the two earls, it sounds so classy!

By riding on Allen's fame, he could gain greater fame for himself and it would also make it easier for him to act locally in the future.

…

"Hahaha, did I bother you, Robin?"

After the convoy stopped in front of the gate of Kelburn Castle, several bodyguards got out of the car. After subconsciously making sure the surrounding environment was safe, one bodyguard walked to Alan's car and informed him that he could get out.

It is already very cold in Scotland in November, and the temperature in Ayrshire is only 7 or 8 degrees Celsius now.

As soon as Alan got out of the car, Xiao Shitou quickly put a windbreaker on him. The windbreaker was longer than the knees, matched with a gray scarf, and a traditional top hat. If it weren't for the car model next to it that was a little bit off, this scene would look very retro, as if dreaming back to the 19th century.

…

"How could I bother you? I can't wait to welcome you, Alan... A few days ago, the housekeeper told me that you were coming to visit my place, so I had people clean up the place a few days in advance, just to welcome you!"

Foreigners are not very reserved. They say whatever they want to say and show their efforts openly. Alan handed the walking stick in his hand to Xiao Shitou, and gave a very warm hug to the Earl of Glasgow who personally greeted him at the gate, as if they were old acquaintances.

After a few brief greetings, Alan took the stick handed to him by Xiao Shitou and looked around the castle in front of him. It looked very new... There were several buildings that could clearly be seen to have been added later.

However, the shape of this French castle always makes people feel that it lacks a bit of dominance and has a bit more of that indescribable feeling of the French, a bit timid... not majestic.

…

"You must have had a hard time traveling all the way. Come with me and take a look around first?"

Robin, the Earl of Glasgow, smiled and invited Alan to come in early. The temperature seemed to be above zero today, but the cold wind was blowing... freezing cold. If it wasn't for leaving a good impression on Alan, he wouldn't want to stand outside and talk in such a cold weather.

"Okay! I came here today specifically to learn from you about castle management experience, so don't hold back."

Alan smiled and tapped the grass on the ground with his stick.

…

According to the traditional rules among the nobility, what is the first procedure when a friend or guest visits your home for the first time?

Of course, I would take my distinguished guests to visit the honor room at home!

Boasting about the achievements of your ancestors not only educates guests about the family history, but also makes you feel proud.

Although... most people in Scotland don't have a good impression of the English, and they have been clamoring for independence every year, the Earl of Glasgow's family is not among these people.

Their family... their ancestors are indeed awesome, but... their family background is somewhat criticized.

That’s because their family is one of the biggest traitors to the Soviet Union.

When England and Scotland were fighting each other, the first Earl of Glasgow accepted a bribe of up to 20,000 pounds, and then instantly turned from a pro-French faction to a pro-British faction, and he was a very firm one!

Don’t underestimate the 20,000 pounds back then. In that era... George III only spent 5,000 pounds to buy the Buckingham Palace from the Duke of Buckingham!

Just think about how much money 20,000 pounds was at that time.

The next move made by Earl Robin's ancestor was very bold.

He took the bribe from the British masters, so he must do the job...

Then their family corrupted several nobles, from dukes to viscounts.

Pull these Scottish nobles together, sell out the Scots, and then get rich together.

later……

The United Kingdom was established. Their ancestors made great contributions to the formation of the United Kingdom between Scotland and England.

Later, after the establishment of the United Kingdom, the whole of Glasgow became their territory. They had connections and guides, and the Earls of Glasgow of that generation were in their prime, with a lot of dirty money in their hands. They vigorously developed their family territory, and later developed it into a big city that is ranked among the top in the United Kingdom and the largest city in Scotland - Glasgow!