Li Shimin knew that there were officials from the palace in charge of the commercial street, so he sent someone to summon them. He was very satisfied with Qin Mu's handling of the relocation and resettlement of the people in the commercial street, so he only wanted to know how the commercial street operated.
Accompanied by a group of ministers, they went to the marketplace again. Li Shimin was very satisfied with this marketplace that belonged to him, even though it looked smaller than one of his palaces.
The goods sold in the mall are nothing to these important figures, but the sheer number of people is a testament to how thriving the business is.
"Greetings, esteemed guests. The fifth floor is for female guests only. Please wait here." Li Shimin and his entourage were stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
Hearing that the upper floor only received female guests, Li Shimin had no choice but to stop and look around, examining Qin Mu's furniture store.
"You little rascal! Business is good!" Li Shimin said with a laugh before Qin Mu could speak.
Qin Mu had no choice. He had been quietly staying on the fourth floor to prevent any trouble. When Li Shimin arrived, he was looking at the other half of the street and didn't see him. However, he did see the people coming from the fourth floor, especially a group of people walking towards the fifth floor. Therefore, he recognized Li Shimin at a glance and hurriedly went to greet him.
"Your Majesty..."
"Call me Master!" Qin Mu had barely opened his mouth when Li Shimin interrupted him.
It's like being interrupted while taking a dump; you've just squatted down when someone knocks on the door. The feeling of being interrupted is extremely unpleasant. Qin Mu swallowed back the words he was about to say, paused for a moment, and then smiled and said, "Master, gentlemen, what brings you all here to enjoy yourselves?"
"Hmph! Why can't we come? And what's wrong with this mall? There's not even a place to rest," Li Shimin complained.
The mall certainly had rest areas, but those were just some benches placed in the wide aisles. Of course, none of Li Shimin and his entourage wanted to sit on the roadside.
Qin Mu couldn't very well argue with Li Shimin, so he could only smile wryly and say, "There is an office on the fourth floor. If you gentlemen don't mind the simplicity, you may move in and rest for a while."
"Hmm!" Li Shimin responded with satisfaction, then followed Qin Mu to a room in the corner of the furniture mall. Actually, this was also a kind of storage room, mainly for storing small furniture. Currently, since the mall only uses it for display, most of the warehouse was empty.
Perfect timing! The tables and chairs are all ready, and there's enough room for the dozen or so people who come. As for the guards, they'll naturally stay outside.
"Tell me about it," Li Shimin asked calmly after sitting down.
"What did you say?" Qin Mu looked at Li Shimin blankly, not knowing what he was asking with this seemingly random question.
"Of course it's about the commercial street! How does the commercial street operate?" Li Shimin glared at him and said.
"The commercial street is not much different from a regular market, except that it has a commercial street management office. They are responsible for the management and operation of the commercial street, such as sanitation and garbage removal. However, they do not interfere with the commercial activities of the commercial street," Qin Mu explained.
"Is it really that simple?" Li Shimin asked incredulously.
"It's very simple. Merchants rent shops on the commercial street, and how they sell their goods is their own business. Although I provided some ideas, whether they implement them or not is their business. If it affects their own business, then it's none of my concern. There are dozens of snack shops on the commercial street. If you don't do well, people will go to eat at other places," Qin Mu nodded and said.
"Yes, that makes sense. So how much investment is needed for the commercial street? Will it be profitable?" Li Shimin nodded slightly.
"Of course it's profitable. The commercial street construction cost 1.2 million guan, and there are 46 shops in total. With the current business, these houses should be worth at least 20,000 guan each, right? There are also 20 warehouses! So it's definitely not going to lose money. As for the management office, there are annual management fees provided by the merchants," Qin Mu explained.
After a moment of quiet reflection, everyone realized that in such a prime location, a shop costing 20,000 strings of cash would surely attract many buyers, and their own family was certainly willing to pay.
"So the money to build the commercial street will be borne by these businesses, and the resettlement housing is all earned?" Fang Xuanling's eyes lit up, and he stood up, looking at the houses faintly visible in the distance, and asked.
"What you say is true, but how could I let the merchants bear so much money? So most of the shops here are only for rent, not for sale. Only the people who invested at the beginning are eligible to buy them," Qin Mu said righteously.
"Pah! Little fox." Some people were stunned for a moment before they realized what was happening and couldn't help but curse in their hearts.
"You want to buy? I'm not selling here." Qin Mu's approach has two advantages. First, it elevates the status of the commercial street, naturally increasing its value, which investors will definitely appreciate, allowing for long-term rental income. Second, it keeps these businesses firmly tied to the area, ensuring their compliance with management. After all, if you don't want to, fine! I won't rent it anymore, is that acceptable?
It's definitely better to kill a chicken that lays eggs year after year than to kill it and eat it directly; you don't even need to do the math to know that.
Li Shimin was also tempted and regretted not investing any money. However, thinking that Qin Mu's mention of shops did not include shopping malls, he felt happy.
This shopping mall belongs to the royal family. If you think about it carefully, it seems to accommodate more merchants than outside. Thinking of this, Li Shimin couldn't help but smile happily.
Of course! He didn't know that the first floor was a vegetable and grocery store, and the rent wasn't high. Qin Mu's fourth floor was factored into the consulting fees paid to the royal specialty store. So the mall only made money from the rent on the second and third floors. However, it was such a large mall, acquired for free, so even though a large management fee had to be paid every year, Li Shimin would never lose money.
"I'd like to ask, Huai Dao, could you also renovate the other wards and markets in Chang'an?" Fang Xuanling asked Qin Mu.
"Renovation is certainly possible, but who will pay for it?" Qin Mu asked.
"Can't it be like this? After the renovation, the extra land is yours. Whether you want to sell it or use it yourself, the court won't interfere." Li Shimin's heart stirred. He also thought of the benefits. After the renovation, not to mention anything else, just looking at these neat streets would be pleasing.
The streets were wide and convenient for both marching troops and pedestrians; this kind of architecture and street layout is what a capital city should look like. The brick and stone structure made it less prone to fire; and the centralized housing of the people made it harder for thieves to hide.
People in the martial arts world, though seemingly carefree, are nothing more than a group of wandering rogues with some martial arts skills. The saying "the poor are scholars, the rich are warriors" isn't just a saying; due to the threat of the beastmen, even ordinary people in this world learn archery or weapon handling, resulting in a more rugged and untamed culture. Most choose to join the army, and the imperial court also has a system of conscripted soldiers, but some cannot bear the discipline of the military or find the survival rate too low, so they choose to wander the martial arts world.
Many of them were just idle hooligans who practiced martial arts with the goal of making a name for themselves; of course, there were also quite a few young people who yearned for the passion and freedom of the martial world and plunged headlong into it.
Most people in the martial arts world are poor, and it's impossible for them to buy houses in Chang'an. So, by renovating Chang'an, we can have a better understanding of the population.
With Qin Mu's proposed renovations, Chang'an could accommodate even more people. Considering the numerous benefits, Li Shimin was also tempted and looked at Qin Mu with bright eyes.
"Your Majesty! Gentlemen! It is extremely difficult to completely renovate the vast city of Chang'an. Even if Your Majesty's wishes are followed and the extra houses are given to me after the renovation, I dare not accept them! Moreover, you do not know that if the entire city is renovated according to this model without the support of a commercial street, losses are inevitable."
Leaving aside the brick and tile buildings that everyone can see, urban redevelopment involves many things, including underground drainage and surface roads, all of which require a huge investment.
Even during heavy rain, the commercial street won't flood. This is because there's a river here to drain the water, and the underground infrastructure has been extensively renovated. Most importantly, the materials! The renovation of the commercial street has already caused material merchants in Chang'an to raise prices. So, how much would it cost to renovate the entire city of Chang'an?" Qin Mu explained with a wry smile.
Of course! He was indeed tempted, but accepting it all was impossible, even though real estate is one of the most profitable industries. Nowadays, ordinary people's purchasing power is such that even if they were offered installment plans, they still couldn't afford it.
We can't accept it all, but we can renovate some parts, at least some of the affluent areas, which can be sold.
Qin Mu's words caused everyone to frown, considering the feasibility. Some people's eyes darted around; they wanted to take over. Qin Mu didn't have the financial strength to take over, but they did! Losing money? That was out of the question. Acquiring a large amount of land in Chang'an was worth the money. A single street cost over a million strings of cash—it wasn't expensive by any measure. Moreover, other areas didn't need to be renovated to such a high standard, so the price could be even lower.
"Your Majesty! Your subject is willing to share Your Majesty's burdens and renovate part of Chang'an!" Wang Gui quietly took several deep breaths before standing up and speaking solemnly.
Wang Gui's stepping forward caused many to narrow their eyes; the old fox's intentions were obvious to many. Li Shimin hesitated for a moment, also pondering Wang Gui's purpose. Although he wasn't entirely clear, he knew there must be some benefit involved, so he didn't immediately agree.
"This matter is of great importance, and I need to consider it," Li Shimin said, waving his hand slightly.
When Qin Mu built the commercial street, everything was out in the open, and members of the royal family were involved throughout the entire process. The largest plot of land was actually the royal family's shopping mall and the surrounding vacant land. Half of the shops on the commercial street belonged to the investors, and the rest also had their share, so in the end, Qin Mu didn't get much. Li Shimin was well aware of this. Investing so much money and getting some shops wasn't unacceptable; with over a million strings of cash, he could buy dozens of shops.
As for these aristocratic families, Li Shimin, who also came from one, knew them well. To say they were ruthless and devoured would be an exaggeration, but to call them bloodsucking mosquitoes would be an understatement. Therefore, Qin Mu's agreement to entrust the matter to these aristocratic families required careful consideration.
Upon hearing that someone was interfering, Qin Mu couldn't help but narrow his eyes. Cutting off someone's livelihood was like killing their parents, especially since it involved the Wang family.
"Your Majesty! Gentlemen, I believe it is a good thing that someone is willing to take over," Qin Mu said, bowing.
Qin Mu's words surprised Li Shimin and the others, who all looked at him, wanting to hear his reasons. Wang Gui, in particular, was taken aback, never expecting Qin Mu to speak up for him.
"It would be a good thing for the country and the people to rebuild Chang'an better, but there must be a standard. Rebuilding a market town and rebuilding a street are two completely different things. The houses where so many people live are the homes of their families for decades or even generations, so the quality of the buildings needs to be guaranteed."
"Like these houses that Chen Xiu built, on the surface they're just brick and tile houses, but inside the main walls, there's a lot of steel as a framework. This steel was provided by the investor at cost price, so if you really want to calculate the investment, it's not that much," Qin Mu said with a smile.
After a pause, Qin Mu continued, "Not only that, gentlemen, please look! Apart from this shopping mall, the shops outside and the resettlement houses where the people live are all separate units. That's because reinforcement arrays have been set up on the buildings. Although it's just simple reinforcement, it has greatly improved the sturdiness of the buildings. Of course, the cost is not low either."
"Well done, Huai Dao! The people here probably don't know that their houses are actually worth so much!" Fang Xuanling praised with a smile.
"You flatter me, Mr. Fang! Of course, you should make money with a clear conscience!" Qin Mu said modestly with a smile. In the other world, he hated shoddy construction projects the most, so when building the commercial street, he designed and planned it with the best of his ability in this world.
"Yes! That's well said!" Kong Yida nodded in approval.
"Therefore, I suggest that whoever is willing to take over the reconstruction of Chang'an, the imperial court must establish strict inspection standards. This includes the sewers, street greening, and all other details; it would be best to establish standards for everything," Qin Mu suggested.
Qin Mu's words caused Wang Gui's expression to change. He secretly resented Qin Mu for ruining his plans. If things were done according to Qin Mu's suggestions, the costs would be far too high; even with the Wang family's wealth, rebuilding a market town would be a heavy burden. The key issue was how much land they would ultimately acquire and whether it would be a net loss. This required them to return and gather their advisors for a careful calculation.
Every market town has some wealthy families who don't need any renovations, and they own a considerable amount of land. This means that a large portion of the land will be deducted. So it's not true that you can get a lot of land by renovating a market town.
Wang Gui had originally planned to take some measures to relocate some people outside the city. He believed that with some subsidies, many would be willing, since Chang'an was a large city and living there was not easy. However, Qin Mu's suggestion would definitely block this path.
"Hmm! Your words make sense, my dear minister! Let's do as you say. The Ministry of Personnel will discuss it and set a standard! At the same time, we will improve the system. I do not wish to disappoint your loyalty and patriotism, my dear minister Wang." Li Shimin smiled with satisfaction.
If we really follow Qin Mu's suggestion and renovate Chang'an to make it even better, what's wrong with letting others profit from it? After all, Chang'an has many mud houses, dirt roads, and numerous slums. It's not only dirty and chaotic, but also harbors many criminals. Regular inspections are impossible; these guys can easily hide and disappear. After the renovation, the market areas will be much simpler, and the number of residents will be more fixed, making management much easier.
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