Chapter 431 Xunyang Real Estate Speculators?
"Why is Fellow Daoist Lu asking this?"
Xie Lingjiang's tone was curious.
Ouyang Rong glanced at the expressionless young man in the Taoist robe who had suddenly appeared, then turned to look at the riverside restaurant not far from the window.
He released his junior sister's hand, poured her a cup of hot tea, and handed it to Lu Ya to warm her up, while slowly speaking:
"A wealthy merchant from Yangzhou, seemingly a widow, with substantial family wealth, is the head of the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce in Xunyang City. She is suspected to have made her fortune by selling smuggled salt."
"In the past two years, they have been investing money everywhere, spending lavishly in Xunyang. Recently, a group of wealthy merchants from Yangzhou, led by Pei Shisan Niang, have been keen on buying land in Xingzifang, making quite a stir."
"However, Xingzifang has a long history and old houses. Although the location is good and it is adjacent to the river view, the houses in the neighborhood are scattered, the planning is chaotic and the area is crowded. The property deeds are scattered among a large number of small landlords."
"Among these people, some are building ancestral homes to pass down to their families, some are living off rent, and some are simply leaving their homes idle while others are living elsewhere... In short, the property rights are scattered, there are historical entanglements, and there are many disputes."
Ouyang Rong shook his head and answered truthfully. Rather than telling Lu Ya, he was simply explaining the whole story to his junior sister.
Lu Ya remained expressionless, listening intently, his face completely blank.
Xie Lingjiang picked up a butterfly-shaped red paulownia leaf, twirling it between her two fingers, glancing occasionally at her senior brother who was calmly narrating.
"So this Pei Shisan Niang has been trying to get in touch with me since the beginning of this year."
"These Yangzhou merchants who came ashore to sell salt are indeed not short of money. Unfortunately, money alone is not enough to buy the land they want. There are many holdouts in Xingzifang, and many landlords are not short of money either. Why would they sell their houses?"
"When faced with this situation, they have money but nowhere to use it. They might be able to deal with a few small landlords, but they can't solve everything. There are too many small landlords, and they will always run into tough ones... As for the underhanded methods they used when they were salt merchants, they can't fully utilize them in Xunyang City, so they thought of getting in touch with the government."
“With the government's endorsement, things are different. As long as the Jiangzhou government cooperates and issues the corresponding decrees, it can help them clear the obstacles and force those small landlords to obediently sell their houses at market prices. This move is indeed feasible, and the plan is quite good.”
"This Pei Shisan Niang is the person in charge that this interest group put forward. She is good at social maneuvering and has a sharp tongue. When she first came to me at the beginning of the year, she came under the pretext of repairing the sewers in Xingzifang, which is located in a low-lying area. She brought a bunch of water conservancy experts with her and said that she wanted to improve the lives of the people in Xingzifang and was willing to take on the entire sewer repair project. One condition was that the Jiangzhou government cooperated with them to remove the holdout households. Ha."
"After the Shuangfengjian section was completed, the Xunshui River outside the West Gate was diverted and moved away. Xingzifang, which was at the lowest point, was no longer threatened by floods. She stopped mentioning the water conservancy expert excuse. Maybe she knew I didn't like that kind of thing and became more obedient."
Ouyang Rong shook his head.
Xie Lingjiang lowered her eyelashes and smiled at Hongye:
"What about that time in the elegant courtyard behind Xunyang Tower, when we invited Senior Brother to listen to the pipa behind closed doors? Did Senior Brother really not like it?"
Ouyang Rong sat up straight and began by sacrificing a pawn to save the king:
“Yuan Huaimin likes it, but I’m not interested. To be honest, I only went to take a look because he strongly recommended it to me. But I didn’t expect this.”
Xie Lingjiang puffed out her cheeks slightly and nodded: "It's best if Senior Brother really didn't expect this."
"If I thought of that, why would I go?" Ouyang Rong glared at her.
My junior sister is getting more and more into entrapment tactics, trying to get information out of him. She's definitely a woman, huh.
Lu Ya didn't quite understand what the two were saying. His eyes seemed to process Ouyang Rong's words for a moment before he asked again:
"They bought so many dilapidated houses in Xingzifang all at once. Is there some huge profit to be made by reselling them, which is why they're interested in this?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but there are only two possibilities."
Ouyang Rong quietly pressed down on the delicate hand that was pinching the soft flesh of someone's waist, turned her head, and casually analyzed:
"If it weren't for the long-term bullish outlook on land and housing prices in the Xingzifang old town area, and the sharp rise in prices, I wouldn't have been planning to buy low and sell high to make a fortune."
"Either they have too much spare money that needs to be laundered, or they are acting as fronts for some high-ranking officials in Jiangnan. It's too troublesome to leave this money idle, so it's better to use it to purchase stable assets."
"However, after experiencing the huge profits from the gray salt trade, it is estimated that ordinary low-profit businesses can no longer satisfy their appetites. Instead, these low-priced properties in prime locations near Xunyang Ferry are more to their liking."
"It's presentable and presentable, it can grow slowly over a long period of time, the return is not low, and the amount is large and plentiful, so it can serve as a reservoir for idle funds..."
"Heh, judging from their previous actions, they were playing a big game. This project wasn't just about one or two streets, but most of Xingzifang. They wanted to take over the whole area, connect it all together, renovate and improve it, and make money off the wealthy people of Jiangnan, just like the luxurious private residences of high-ranking officials in Xiushuifang and Xunyangfang."
Ouyang Ronglongxiu, with his sharp tongue and cold observation, remained aloof.
Lu Ya held the peach wood sword across his knee, his eyes seemingly lost in thought.
Xie Lingjiang put down the bamboo basket filled with red leaves and asked curiously:
"The situation in Xingzifang is so complicated and difficult to resolve, with historical issues and a huge mess. Countless governors and chief clerks have come and gone in the Jiangzhou Grand Hall, and even the current senior brother is no exception. Anyone with a clear head wouldn't make any rash moves. It's just a few years in office, a thankless task. Why bother? Are these Yangzhou merchants going to all this trouble to hold onto the property long-term? Are they so confident that once this mess is sorted out, the land price in Xingzifang will skyrocket?"
Ouyang Rong nodded, then shook his head:
"Whether it's in the short or long term, as long as they buy it, they won't lose money."
"Anyone with eyes can see that the location is superior. It is bordered by the Xunyang River to the north, the city gate to the west, and Xunyang Ferry to the east. It has a more advantageous location than Xunyangfang. Not to mention that the construction of the Shuangfengjian Donglin Buddha Grottoes outside the west city gate is also the closest. As for Xiushuifang, it can't even see the river, so don't bother comparing it."
"In terms of location alone, Xingzifang can be said to be the best in Xunyang, but it is not the most expensive area in Xunyang City. In fact, it ranks last. Due to years of disrepair, it has become a low-rent house for ordinary people and migrant workers."
"In the city, Xunyangfang and Xiushuifang have the most expensive land prices, which remain high. The former is expensive, and the latter is wealthy. Xunyangfang is home to the Jiangzhou Grand Hall and many officials' private residences, making it convenient for people to go up and down the city. Xiushuifang is backed by Mount Kuanglu, with secluded and beautiful scenery, and is home to many private residences of dignitaries and celebrities."
He pursed his lips: "So in the short term, there won't be any losses. In the long term, it will definitely rise. As for a big rise, it wasn't certain before, but now..."
"What's going on now?" Xie Lingjiang asked curiously, rephrasing her question, "How come it's confirmed now?"
Ouyang Rong suddenly said:
“Pei Shisan Niang and the others must be hoping day and night that Qin Bo’s expeditionary army will return victorious this time and quickly resolve Li Zhengyan’s restoration army in the southwest, so that there will be no more back and forth like Zhu Lingxu did before.”
Why is that?
He nodded: "Of course it's because we love our Great Zhou Dynasty; merchants never forget the affairs of the country."
"Seriously," Xie Lingjiang said reproachfully.
"good."
He was very serious:
"Because the current head of Jiangzhou is your senior brother, they naturally have great confidence in the land prices in Xunyang and are willing to bet their entire fortunes on it..."
“…?” Xie Lingjiang.
"Speaking of which, should I charge them? It's really letting them off easy, but I can't just hold back and do nothing because I'm worried about letting them get away with it," Ouyang Rong sighed.
Xie Lingjiang was skeptical: "Is that really the reason? It feels like Senior Brother is secretly praising me."
"Get rid of the feeling."
Ouyang Rong smiled, then his expression turned serious, and he said softly:
"It's just a close call that the war in the southwest didn't reach Jiangzhou. It was truly a matter of luck. But neighboring Hongzhou wasn't so fortunate. Not only did it change hands repeatedly and fall into the hands of the rebels, but the war also affected people's livelihoods, industries, commerce, and shipping..."
"In the peaceful days of the past, Jiangzhou and Hongzhou were both located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and were close to each other, so they were implicitly in competition. When the country was founded, Hongzhou also had a governor's office, which was half a level higher than Jiangzhou. It had always been superior to Jiangzhou in all matters and had been siphoning resources from the middle reaches of the Yangtze River."
"Now that the war has broken out and Hongzhou has fallen, Jiangzhou has not only been unaffected and held the last line of defense, but has also become the largest transit station for supplying logistical resources from the entire southeast to the front line."
"Jiangzhou is not only reaping the benefits of the wartime economy now, but also, after Qin Bo's expeditionary army quells Li Zhengyan's restoration army and the war ends, Jiangzhou, being in good condition, will still benefit from the restoration and recuperation of the entire southwestern region."
The novel and insightful perspective caught Xie Lingjiang's eye.
"When that time comes, all the wealthy people in the southwest will flock to Jiangzhou and the southeast, and the prosperity of Xunyang Ferry will reach a new level. Xunyang City already has little open space and the urban area is crowded. Junior Sister, do you think the new luxury houses in Xingzifang should be raised or not?"
"I understand now, they're all incredibly shrewd people," Xie Lingjiang sighed.
"Just as I expected." Lu Ya nodded emphatically.
"As expected?" Xie Lingjiang looked him over, her eyes filled with suspicion. "Fellow Daoist Lu usually doesn't concern himself with worldly affairs, yet he understood these things so early on?"
She swallowed one sentence: How come you, a newcomer and outsider, know more than her? Could it be that Senior Brother wasn't wrong, that she really is an idiot? No, absolutely not…
“I didn’t understand sooner.” Lu Ya shook his head. “Besides, I didn’t really understand the reasoning that Young Master Ouyang just analyzed.”
"..." Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang.
The young man in the Taoist robe with a blank expression said somewhat embarrassedly, "However, I have discerned a simple truth—merchants pursue profit to this extent. That is enough."
Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang exchanged a glance, about to speak, when Lu Ya suddenly changed the subject.
"Does Young Master Ouyang know the current situation at the restaurant we're going to?"
"What does Master Lu mean?"
Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang looked out the window together at the tall buildings along the riverbank in the distance, following the direction Lu Ya pointed.
Immediately, Lu Ya, expressionless, gave a brief overview of the current bustling scene at Xunyang Tower.
Xie Lingjiang suddenly noticed that the smile that had been constantly on his lips since they first met had slowly disappeared, and his previously cheerful expression, which was about to end at mealtime, had also calmed down.
She frowned slightly and patted the back of his hand:
"Let's not go, let's turn around and go home."
After saying that, Xie Lingjiang reached out and lifted the carriage curtain, about to give instructions to the coachman.
"etc."
Xie Lingjiang felt her hand being grabbed, and the grip was quite strong. She turned around and saw that it was him who had stopped her.
Ouyang Rong grasped Xie Lingjiang's soft hand, looked out the window, and remained silent for a moment:
"Let's go and see. We've already come all this way, we can't just keep everyone waiting. There are probably many people here who are just curious and don't know why. Others can be rude, but we can't be rude. Although... ha, the face of a Jiangzhou Prefect is really worth a lot. Even a meal is such a grand affair."
"But……"
Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze, turned back to Xie Lingjiang, and said, word by word:
"Junior sister, I've been teaching you so enthusiastically every day, but this time I've taught you a counterexample. I'm truly ashamed."
"Looking at the current situation, it seems that my way of helping others this time was not quite right... Throughout history, helping others has indeed been a very difficult issue. It is hard to grasp the balance between giving more or less. If you do it wrong, it may turn into an instant enmity. It is better not to help... You should take this as a warning."
“I will not shy away from this problem, so let’s go and see. It will be a good lesson to learn from the past.”
Xie Lingjiang shook her head and stubbornly said:
"Senior brother, don't be disappointed. Your actions were correct, and your intentions were right. That is what is most precious and valuable."
"In this world, the problem is never kindness, but rather human nature, which is easily swayed by power and interests. It is that some people are exploiting kindness."
"Having a kind heart is by no means a weakness. In this matter, no one can blame Senior Brother. In fact, I think Senior Brother is very good, really very good..."
The beautiful woman's eyes were unusually gentle. Ouyang Rong remained silent for a moment, then turned to Lu Ya and sincerely thanked him:
"Thank you for the reminder, Master Lu."
Lu Ya shook his head: "No need to thank me. Young Master Ouyang's words have enlightened me. So that's how it is."
As the carriage approached Xunyang Tower, Lu Ya suddenly took his leave.
Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang exchanged a glance but didn't ask any further questions.
A short while later, the carriage arrived at the entrance of Xunyang Tower. Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang lifted the carriage curtain, and a cacophony of noise and fiery gazes rushed towards them.
Everything before my eyes was exactly as Lu Ya had said.
Ouyang Rong calmly got out of the car, and Pei Shisan Niang greeted him and Xie Lingjiang with a smile.
The two were warmly welcomed into the building.
During this time, Pei Shisan Niang, who had already prepared an excuse to flatter him, glanced at the young man in the felt hat without showing any emotion. She found that there was no dissatisfaction or anger on his handsome face, and he did not even ask a question before quietly entering the building.
The noblewoman, who had "accidentally" created such a grand spectacle, was momentarily surprised and puzzled, but of course, her smile remained unchanged...
Just as the main character arrived, the grand luncheon at Xunyang Tower was about to begin.
On the third floor, in the Narcissus private room, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.
The Huang family father and daughter, who were laughing and talking about their wonderful life inside, were startled. They turned around and saw a familiar yet unfamiliar young man in a Taoist robe walk into the private room and sit down in front of them without any ceremony.
The father and daughter realized what was happening and their expressions turned wary.
"What, it's you again, you old fox? How did you get in here?" Huang Feihong stood up in surprise, habitually rolling up his sleeves.
Lu Ya ignored him, his expression blank, and asked the little girl who was wearing a brand new dress for the first time today:
"Huang Xuan, aren't you curious about what kind of business the woman surnamed Pei who invited you here, and those wealthy merchants outside, are in?"
Huang Xuan's face froze.
(End of this chapter)
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