The results of the provincial examinations were announced in early September, and He Youyou's family arrived in the capital in mid-September.
This time, they traveled to the capital with Cheng Tingrui and the caravan.
With more people, safety is guaranteed.
Moreover, the caravans were familiar with the routes, making it convenient to arrange accommodations.
None of the people in this group actually knew much about the real estate market in Beijing.
Although Cheng Tingrui's family lived in the capital, his clan forbade him to buy houses or land. In addition, he rarely wanted to come back and rarely inquired about such matters.
Although Steward Qian had previously pursued the imperial examination path and even lived in the capital, he had been living far away in Jizhou for the past ten years or so, and his memories of the past ten years had become hazy.
Needless to say, He Youyou and Han Wenzheng are even more so.
Completely clueless.
There's no other way; professional tasks should be left to professionals.
Some money is destined to be earned by others.
He Youyou had no choice but to ask Cheng Tingrui to find a seasoned real estate agent to consult with her in detail.
Zhuangzhai broker was a middle-aged man surnamed Xu, named Xu Laosan, who had been in this line of work for twenty or thirty years.
He knew the housing situation in every part of Beijing by heart.
As soon as Xu Laosan arrived, he asked confidently, "May I ask which house you would like to buy, Madam? There isn't a house in the capital that I'm not familiar with. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
He Youyou smiled and said, "That would be great. Could you please tell me about the area near the Imperial College?"
Xu Laosan's expression froze instantly.
His smile was forced: "Madam, you're from out of town and just arrived in Beijing, aren't you? You haven't been here long, have you?"
"Yes, I just arrived. I arrived in the capital yesterday."
“No wonder then.” Old Xu San immediately understood. “Madam, you may not know this, but I can buy you a house anywhere in the capital. It’s just that you can’t buy one near the Imperial College.”
He Youyou asked in surprise, "Why? If you're worried about the price being too high, you can tell me first. If the house is nice, I'm not afraid of the price."
Xu Laosan chuckled: "Hehe, Madam, you're from out of town, so you don't know. This area around the Imperial College is all official residences; there aren't any private houses."
He Youyou then asked, "What is an official residence?"
"Official residences are houses built with funds from the imperial court. The rules of our Great Gan Dynasty prohibit officials and commoners from living together. Therefore, when our founding emperor established the dynasty, the court allocated a large plot of land near the Imperial Academy for the construction of official residences. All officials must live in houses allocated by the court and are not allowed to buy houses in their place of office. That is to say, officials in the capital are not allowed to buy houses in the capital. Local officials are not allowed to buy houses in their place of office. The Great Gan Law stipulates that all officials are prohibited from purchasing land or houses in their current location; those who violate this rule will be punished with fifty strokes of the cane, dismissed from office, and their land and houses will be confiscated by the government."
"So strict? Not even a chance?"
"That's right, it's very strict. That entire area is filled with government houses; there isn't a single private residence. Madam, would you like to take a look at the houses in other places? There are some nice mansions a little further away. Especially in the areas where wealthy merchants live, those houses are all very beautiful and sturdy."
Since that's the case, He Youyou had no choice but to accept it.
She couldn't bring herself to buy a house near the Imperial College, so she could only send Xu Laosan to help find a few houses that were a little closer to the Imperial College.
Xu Laosan readily agreed, "Madam, just wait and see. I'll definitely find you a satisfactory courtyard."
"I'll look at a few more places and choose carefully. If there are scholars in the family, it would be best to find a quiet place that isn't too noisy."
"Okay."
Even after Xu Laosan left, He Youyou still felt a little regretful.
Such a prime location, how come it's all occupied by government offices?
They stayed at an inn until they found a house.
The steward hadn't been to the capital for over a decade and was very interested in the changes there. He told his mistress and went out for a stroll.
He had only walked a dozen or so feet from the inn when someone suddenly covered his mouth from behind and pulled Steward Qian into a nearby alley.
The housekeeper was greatly alarmed.
Has the security situation in Beijing deteriorated so much since he's been away for so many years?
The world is going to the dogs! The world is going to the dogs!
While he was internally complaining, his body was suddenly released.
The housekeeper worked hard to establish himself.
There was a person standing in front of me.
He wore a golden crown and a python robe, and had handsome features.
The steward was so frightened that he immediately knelt down: "Greetings, Your Highness."
Previously, he was addressed as "Master," but now that he has been granted the title of "King," the way he is addressed has changed.
Zhao Changqing said calmly, "Get up."
Steward Qian stood up and asked in a casual tone, "Your Highness, what brings me here today? What brings you here?"
The newly appointed Prince Yue curled his lips slightly: "Oh? Old Qian, do you know why I'm looking for you? Why don't you guess?"
Butler Qian shook his head: "I really can't guess."
Zhao Changqing was too lazy to beat around the bush with him: "I heard He Youyou is looking for a house? Where is she looking?"
The housekeeper replied, "The mistress is planning to find a house in an area where wealthy merchants live."
"Nonsense, that broker Xu Laosan from the Zhuang family clearly said she wanted to find a house next to the Imperial College."
The housekeeper smiled awkwardly: "Initially, the mistress did mention it. But later, she heard that the area was all official residences and there were no private houses, so she gave up. Now we are looking for houses in areas where wealthy merchants live."
Zhao Changqing gave him a cold look.
"Go back and tell her that the house at the Imperial College has been found."
Butler Qian: "...Yes."
"Wait!" Zhao Changqing added, "I'm afraid you're getting old and forgetful, and you won't be able to convey the message clearly. Xiao Wu, you go back with him to see He Youyou, and say it the way I taught you."
"yes."
Butler Qian was escorted back again.
Upon arriving at the inn, he knocked on He Youyou's door.
He Youyou came out and was surprised to see the two people standing at the door: "Hey, isn't this Xiao Wu? What brings you here? Come in and talk to me."
The two entered the room, and Xiao Wu bowed to He Youyou and said, "Madam, I just ran into Lao Qian on the street and learned that you brought the young master to the capital. So I came over to pay my respects."
"I just arrived yesterday, and I'm already having a really tough time finding a place to live," He Youyou complained to him.
"Old Qian told me you're looking for a house near the Imperial College?"
"Hey, don't even mention it. I was looking for a place right next to the Imperial College, but when I got here and asked around, I found out that all the houses in that area are government residences, and I can't buy one."
After hearing this, Xiao Wu chuckled and said, "That's not entirely true."
He Youyou was an extremely intelligent person. Upon hearing this, her face lit up with joy: "You're saying that's not entirely true? Is there still a chance?"
Xiao Wu explained to her in detail: "Madam, you may not know this, but even though the Imperial Academy area is full of official residences, not all official residences are the same. The official residences where ordinary officials live are official houses, which belong to the imperial court. They are used by officials while they are in office, but when they leave office, the imperial court will take them back. They can't take a single table or chair with them."
"Is there anything that won't be taken back?"
Xiao Wu nodded: "Yes. There is another type of official residence, which is a bestowed residence, given to kings and nobles, and can be inherited by their descendants."
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