He Youyou recalled the regulatory issues that Cheng Tingrui had mentioned to her before.
This is no small matter.
It could easily become illegal.
“The residences of kings and nobles are all of a high standard, so I dare not live there. For a commoner like me to live in such a residence, wouldn’t that be a violation of the rules? It would be a crime of usurpation.”
Xiao Wu had anticipated that she would say that, and had already thought of a way to deal with it.
No, it's that the prince has already taught me how to deal with it.
"Madam, don't worry. In royal families, with many heirs, it's inevitable that a few spendthrift sons will emerge. Although no one dares to buy their mansions casually, there are ways to raise money from them."
"What method?"
"If the mansion isn't selling well, then we'll chop it up and sell it secretly."
He Youyou asked curiously, "Chop it up? How do you mean chop it up?"
“Open a small gate in the street-facing part of the mansion, enclose a piece of open land, and sell it separately. Build a few houses in this enclosed courtyard that do not violate regulations, so even ordinary people can live there. Wealthy merchants who want to infiltrate the official circle love to buy these small courtyards. They are surrounded by princes and generals, so they can keep an eye on their movements from time to time, and it is convenient to move around.”
He Youyou thought to herself, "The ancients were really clever; they could even do that?"
That's not a bad idea.
Do you know which mansion is selling this kind of house?
"Hehe, what a coincidence, I happen to know one, I can make a connection for you, madam."
"That's great! But how much will it cost? I'm afraid it'll be astronomical."
Xiao Wu hesitated for a moment and asked, "How much does Madam want to spend?"
"Look at what you're saying, how would I know the going rate for this kind of house?"
"Uh... how about one hundred taels?" Xiao Wu asked tentatively.
"No..." He Youyou was shocked, "So cheap?! You must be joking."
Xiao Wu chuckled awkwardly: "Heh heh, spendthrift, spendthrift. He probably has too many debts from other places and can't keep up with them, so he's in a hurry to pay them off. He said he'd sell it for whatever amount he wanted."
The spendthrift Zhao Changqing suddenly felt a tickle in his ear.
He Youyou was overjoyed: "Don't even mention a hundred taels, I could accept a thousand taels for a house like this. Could you please ask Xiao Wu to help me make a connection and find out what's going on?"
"good."
"I need it urgently, so I'll ask him if it's convenient for me to go and see the house today."
"Convenient, convenient, definitely convenient," Xiao Wu said hurriedly.
How did you know?
"...I...I just ran into him when I went out today. He told me that I'm welcome to view the house anytime."
"Okay, then I'll trouble you, Xiao Wu. I'll wait for your message."
"I'll go find him right now."
After noon, Xiao Wu indeed brought that spendthrift son.
This man's surname is Zheng, and his name is Zheng Sheng.
He looks to be just a young man in his early twenties.
The person is quite clever, but...
His demeanor did not suggest he came from a royal family; there was no arrogance between his brows.
He Youyou asked with some skepticism, "May I ask which noble family you belong to?"
She remained somewhat wary of this strangely priced business.
Even though the matchmaker was an old acquaintance named Xiao Wu, we still couldn't let our guard down.
“Uh… this house has changed hands several times and is no longer in the original owner’s hands. I only took it over later, and I am not a descendant of a king or nobleman,” Zheng Sheng replied.
"Oh. Then I'll have to go and see for myself before deciding whether to buy it or not."
"Alright, Madam, please take a look. Or shall we go now?" Zheng Sheng did indeed seem very anxious.
He Youyou couldn't wait to go now.
The group boarded a carriage and headed towards the Imperial College.
Upon arriving at their destination, He Youyou got out of the car and calmly surveyed the various mansions around her.
This place is indeed a gathering place for the mansions of kings, nobles, and generals.
Every house is built with double eaves and bracket sets, and carved beams and painted rafters.
Just looking at the gate makes a difference.
According to the "Great Canon Code," the decorations for gates of different ranks were as follows:
The gates of noble and high-ranking families were painted with gold, and tin rings were placed on animal-face ornaments.
First and second grade officials had green paint on their doors and animal-face decorations with tin rings.
Officials of the third to fifth rank used black lacquer on their doors and had tin rings placed on them.
Those of the sixth to ninth ranks could only use black gates and iron rings.
He Youyou looked at the golden gates around her and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
The courtyard they came to see seemed to be brand new.
Even the courtyard walls were freshly painted, spotless, and dazzlingly white.
The houses inside were brand new, with no dust on the beams and rafters.
"This house is much newer than I imagined..." He Youyou murmured.
Xiao Wu: How could it not be new? The newer the title of Your Highness is, the newer this courtyard is.
Our prince started scheming the moment he acquired this manor.
"Yes, this house was just renovated this year, so it's not surprising that it's new," the young man named Zheng Sheng said with a laugh.
He Youyou looked around the courtyard from front to back.
This courtyard not only has new houses, but also unique landscaping.
The trees, greenery, and flowers in the courtyard are arranged in a very poetic way.
I was very satisfied.
She asked Zheng Sheng, "How much are you willing to offer for this courtyard?"
Zheng Sheng looked at her and asked, "One hundred taels?"
He Youyou was surprised: Why is it still a question? Is he asking for her opinion?
Seeing that she remained silent, Zheng Sheng was unsure and assumed she thought it was too expensive: "How about... eighty taels?"
This guy actually lowered the price by another twenty taels, which completely shocked He Youyou.
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