Chapter 33: Two Completely Different Lifetimes of Love...
It's true, people only realize the value of something after they've lost it.
For example... instant noodles and cola that you can buy anytime you want in modern times, as well as various snacks and foods that cannot be replicated in ancient times.
Qi Chengming had already prepared himself for the grief of losing them forever, but now, seeing this mission reward, he was overwhelmed with emotion and tears welled up in his eyes: "...!!!"
Did the system detect how anxious he was? The reward it offered was something he couldn't wait to complete!
Qi Chengming's desire to achieve his goals surged to an unprecedented level.
He spent the shortest amount of time, together with Chairman Mao and Mr. Huang, finding a five-courtyard house he liked and buying it.
Yes, it's not renting, it's buying.
This was originally the house of a wealthy family that had suddenly fallen on hard times. When Qi Chengming went to see the house with the tenant, the plants in the courtyard were withered and neglected, but one could still see the splendor of its former glory.
With a front porch and a rear hall, east and west courtyards, carved beams and painted rafters, animal-head eaves, and the ground and eaves all paved with blue bricks and tiles, it was a huge architectural complex that looked exceptionally beautiful to Qi Chengming, a modern man.
What pleased Qi Chengming most was that the original family here didn't seem to be nouveau riche; they didn't have any extravagant displays of wealth or lavish decorations. This house was clean and tidy, with a style reminiscent of the refined and elegant thoughts of scholars and literati.
It is said that this large, multi-courtyard house is about three acres in size and can house several hundred people. However, such a huge complex can only be considered the size of a prince's mansion.
And this only cost one thousand taels of silver.
Yes! The price was so low that Qi Chengming almost couldn't resist buying more houses... cough cough cough, bad habit, this is a bad habit.
Liuzhou is too remote. This house has been vacant for many years and no one has bought it. There are very few people willing to pay a thousand taels of silver for such a large house. After all, there was no inflation in those days, and the purchasing power of one tael of silver was considerable.
After a while... the house became a useless burden.
"Your Highness, are you planning to buy it directly because..." Master Huang asked hesitantly. As a master architect, he was very sensitive to this matter and immediately realized his prince's intention.
“That’s right. With a little renovation and adjustment of the specifications, my Prince’s Mansion will be complete, won’t it?” Qi Chengming said with his hands on his hips, raising his eyebrows triumphantly.
This was something he had planned long ago.
Otherwise—do we have to go through the trouble of building him a new one from scratch? That's too much trouble, full of drawbacks, and it would also affect his reward settlement time.
Qi Chengming originally planned to rent a courtyard for everyone to live in temporarily, and then buy a suitable mansion for them to live in once Master Huang finished building it.
Who knew I'd find one I liked right away?
Let's skip all that and just get it done!
The thirteen-year-old second prince, who was so smug, suddenly became mischievous, revealing a bit of his youthful spirit.
Master Huang's expression turned serious and sharp for once, and he slowly said, "...It's difficult."
But he likes it.
Master Huang's lips curled up with a reserved yet arrogant smile, his desire to challenge him ignited.
Their convoy already had nearly two hundred people, and what was remarkable was that most of them persevered to Liuzhou. Only a few people had to fall behind due to injuries and were recovering, waiting for others to catch up.
This mansion is already packed with so many people, but what if more people join in the future? And where will His Highness live after he marries and has children? So the scale needs to be raised, and the space needs to be expanded.
Most importantly—no matter the reason, Your Highness must have a Prince's Mansion on the surface, not a County Prince's Mansion.
Master Huang was extremely concerned about this and thought about it very deeply. He took it very seriously. After buying the house, he immediately became engrossed in the floor plan, pointing and gesturing, wishing he could find a place to write it down immediately.
...Designing an entire prince's mansion—a massive project! He loves it!!
"This will be our home from now on." Qi Chengming looked at the mansion with emotion, walked around the courtyard a few times, and found everything familiar and pleasing to the eye.
"Commander Mao, please lead the brothers to work hard these next two days. The house has been in disrepair for many years. There are problems with the roofs, eaves, and load-bearing walls everywhere. There are holes, weeds, and pests such as insects, ants, and rats. Let's deal with the house we live in first, and then we'll deal with the rest when the convoy arrives."
Qi Chengming gave instructions, realizing that twenty-odd people weren't a lot at all. There was clearly too much work to do; they'd have to wait until most of the work was done so that everyone could work together.
Let's settle them down first.
The most important thing is to protect against pests. This place is close to Lingnan, where poisonous insects are frequent and the climate is humid and hot. Qi Chengming has prepared so many herbal medicine packs for prevention in the palace, which can be taken out when the main force arrives.
"Alright," Commander Mao replied without hesitation. It just so happened that it was raining, which gave them a perfect opportunity to inspect and take notes.
Once the Imperial Guards had scattered and gone off to do their work, even Master Huang had vanished without a trace, apparently off to observe the structure in person. Only Commander Mao remained, following Qi Chengming like a bed board.
With him around, it seems like even the fine drizzle falling from the sky has decreased.
Qi Chengming wiped his face, both amused and exasperated, and glanced enviously at the other man's muscular and masculine physique. He then gestured for the other man to leave, saying, "Let's go, to the inn room we booked earlier."
"...Your Highness?" Commander Mao listened patiently, waiting for the next words. He vaguely felt that His Highness had a plan. Throughout the journey, His Highness had been clear-headed in all matters, and was very purposeful and had his own ideas.
“I have a lot of things I want to do right now, but before I can do any of them, I have to get the officials in Liuzhou on my side,” Qi Chengming explained as he walked. “To put it bluntly, we need a puppet—let’s go see how that brother’s inquiries are going.”
The remaining guard was named Zhu Zi. When Qi Chengming and his companion found him, he had changed into ordinary clothes and was sitting in a small tavern on the street, arm in arm with someone, laughing heartily, with a pile of snails in front of him.
With two spoonfuls of cloudy liquor, you can fumble for a snail and suck it into your mouth—it's an incredibly delicious and cheap snack to enjoy with the liquor. If you find it bland, you can dip it in wasabi paste for a spicy kick.
Qi Chengming and Commander Mao did not disturb him, but quietly waited until the event ended before going over.
In the meantime, Qi Chengming, making small talk, asked Commander Mao a question out of curiosity:
"By the way... speaking of which, it seems like you guys didn't have any feelings towards me from the beginning, Boss Mao? I thought you would all be dissatisfied."
As a result, the entire Imperial Guard was completely obedient and did not cause any trouble. Having such a loyal and devoted team on this arduous long journey was a great help.
"Actually, at first everyone was a bit unconvinced," Commander Mao chuckled sheepishly. "They all said it was the grandson of the Marquis of Weiyong..."
He looks so thin and weak.
Warriors obey orders, but it's not so easy for them to truly accept someone.
"And then?" Qi Chengming asked curiously, understanding the implication. These were all troubles he expected to face but hadn't encountered.
He initially thought it was because his maternal grandfather and great-uncle had such great influence that Commander Mao, an honest man, kept everyone from causing trouble by suppressing their bullets, thus preventing the troops from becoming chaotic.
He wasn't afraid of having some reservations, but his actions on the road eventually won everyone's approval.
—After all, the title of prince is prestigious, but at that time Qi Chengming's status was really insignificant, and he was traveling. Even if the Imperial Guards really caused trouble, what could he do?
Qi Chengming was still very grateful to Chairman Mao.
Now that everyone has arrived in Liuzhou, and he has some money, he can treat everyone well and give them a "hardship allowance".
Despite being a straightforward man, Commander Mao showed gratitude and spoke softly:
"Then, when everyone went home before setting off, they found out... Your Highness, you actually sent people to take care of and settle the brothers' families."
"General Song visited every family that was in trouble or in danger. One brother's family had a sudden accident and was having a really hard time, but it wasn't time for them to go out to fight in the army... General Song left some silver for them, which was a great help!"
Commander Mao was genuinely grateful to the Second Prince, and his eyes welled up with tears as he spoke of this.
Which prince could do this? He genuinely cares for every brother; who wouldn't be devoted to him?
—If you're still not convinced and want to cause trouble, are you even human?
They were soldiers who valued loyalty and cared deeply for their families. They helped each other out, and that's how they got through many hardships. After this incident, no one dared to speak ill of the prince in private. Even if someone lamented that His Highness was so weak and not skilled in martial arts, someone would always angrily refute them on His Highness's behalf.
...Especially since the Second Prince was so approachable and friendly, sharing meals and lodging with them without any airs, the entire group genuinely submitted to this young lord.
"…………"
After listening to this passage, Qi Chengming's lips moved slightly, but he remained silent for a long time, looking somewhat bewildered.
Did he say anything back then, instructing Steward Song to do this?
Qi Chengming's memory was a bit hazy, but he knew that even if he had given the order, ordinary subordinates wouldn't have been able to help each household solve their problems so meticulously. This was truly a case of someone taking extra care in their work.
And that sum of money—
What kind of silver?
Before leaving the palace, Qi Chengming was extremely poor, so he was intimately familiar with every single change in the accounting records. Even though Steward Song and Xiao Dezi were constantly reviewing the accounts and making purchases, he still knew very well... that this sum of money didn't exist!
Qi Chengming was lost in thought, his lips moved for a long time but he couldn't say anything, his heart felt sour and warm.
...He valued Steward Song highly, but he never expected Steward Song to go to such lengths for him.
Because the position of chief steward is the top leader of the mansion, the chief steward under Qi Chengming, and an indispensable figure in everything. Even if the person is not suitable, and Qi Chengming wants to replace him with Xiao Dezi or Xiao Chengzi, with the title personally bestowed by Emperor Hongren, he cannot easily touch the position of chief steward.
Ironically, after spending a whole night mentally preparing himself after receiving the order, Chief Steward Song immediately pledged his loyalty and jumped onto the talent list. Not only did he accompany him to Liuzhou without complaint, but he also didn't just do things in a conventional way; instead, he displayed 300% initiative!
He worked quietly behind the scenes, even putting his own money into it. If Qi Chengming hadn't accidentally found out about it, the matter would probably have remained unresolved.
Who wouldn't be moved by this?
Although Qi Chengming thought that Steward Song was so loyal that he was adorably foolish, his PTSD from his previous life as a working-class person also kicked in, alarms were raised to the max, his scalp tingled, and he didn't feel any great satisfaction at all just because he had become a capitalist.
Qi Chengming now wished he could turn pale and grab the young steward, Song, to frantically and painfully admonish him:
—Good brother, listen to me. Everything else is fine, but please, please don't pay your own way to work!!!
-----------------------
Author's note: Yes, this is the butterfly effect brought about by the rebirth of the subject!
Chief Steward Song is reborn (replacing the old Chief Steward Song who followed him in the previous cycle).
He first relied on his experience and sincerity to win over the Imperial Guards (in his previous life, there were troublemakers in the Imperial Guards who refused to obey), thus ensuring a smooth arrival.
Then, Steward Song was loyal to Qi Chengming the whole time, and handled everything quickly and well (in the previous playthrough, Steward Song went along reluctantly, which resulted in a major problem and a series of dirty deeds).
With the system's assistance and his own intelligence and resourcefulness, Qi Chengming could eventually handle this messy situation, but the experience in the two lifetimes was completely different:
A person who has just entered the book and is trying to eliminate loneliness and unfamiliarity by embracing the identity is suddenly faced with so many isolated and helpless situations.
The exhaustion is like a desperate struggle; I feel like I can't fit into this world at all! (Mingming sighs in exhaustion.jpg).
Everything he did afterward was in order to escape the life-threatening crisis in the original storyline.
[Tomorrow's the weekend, trying to reach 10,000 views a day (eagerly)]
·
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com