Chapter 113: Reorganizing Properties

Chapter 113: Reorganizing Properties

Although he planned to buy a house, Qiu Huanian did not immediately start working on it.

The capital's inner city is divided into thirty-three districts, nine of which encircle the imperial city and are known as the central district.

Among the nine districts, the most central are Dashiyongfang and Nanxunfang, located closest to Chengtian Gate and near the clusters of the Six Ministries, the Hanlin Academy, the Honglu Temple, and the Five Military Commissions.

Exaggerating a bit, those who have houses in these two districts have some background; if you tossed a signboard, it might hit three officials.

Their housing prices are as sky-high as those in Beijing's Chaoyang District or Shanghai's Jing'an District in another world.

Because they are adjacent to the power center of the entire Yu Dynasty, having money without status won’t secure you a house.

When the Zhu family gifted properties in the capital, they only sent shops and estates, not houses, because it was difficult for them to buy good houses in Dashiyongfang and Nanxunfang, and houses in other districts were not practical enough for Du Yunse's family, so they preferred to send shops.

When Qiu Huanian buys a house, he targets these two most central districts. He even wants to buy more precisely, ideally within a half-hour walk of the Hanlin Academy.

This would confine him to a small area in Nanxunfang’s southwest, increasing the difficulty.

The two thousand taels of silver he brought from Xiangping Prefecture might fall short.

Therefore, Qiu Huanian plans to first clarify the shops and estates in the capital, assess his assets, and then try to buy the best house within his means.

Capital properties, barring unforeseen events, will always hold their value and might be lived in for a lifetime.

Among the districts in the inner city, the eastern district houses the Examination Hall and the Wensi Academy, the northern district’s eastern side is home to the Imperial Academy and the Confucian Temple, giving it a more scholarly atmosphere. The western district draws many merchants, its streets lined with shops, bustling with prosperity, and filled with rare goods from across the globe.

Someone once said, if you can’t find it in the capital’s western district, it doesn’t exist anywhere.

The two shops sent by the Zhu family are both located in the western district, one in the concentrated West Market and the other near Xuanwu Gate, both in excellent locations.

After two days of rest, Qiu Huanian took Xing Mi and Bai Quan to inspect the shops.

Bai Quan’s previous employer was a capital official, and Bai Quan’s late father served as a steward in the mansion. Under his father's guidance, Bai Quan is very familiar with capital affairs.

Du Yunse was studying at home and required no assistance, so Qiu Huanian brought Bai Quan along.

The capital comprises thirty-three districts of varying sizes, each roughly the size of an ordinary county town. Traveling by carriage from the eastern to the western district through several districts would take over an hour, even without traffic.

The Yu Dynasty’s districts are separated by wide main roads, unlike the Tang Dynasty where they were enclosed by walls. The main roads teem with people, flanked by shops, theaters, and teahouses.

While driving the carriage outside, Bai Quan occasionally turned back to introduce the districts they passed to Qiu Huanian.

Qiu Huanian's personal servant, Xing Mi, is about the same age as Bai Quan, but unlike Bai Quan, who lost his father early and had to take care of his father and younger brother, Wu Da and Lark are very capable. Although Xing Mi is a servant, he was pampered by his parents and is much more naive than Bai Quan.

Qiu Huanian is lenient and doesn't want his entourage to be replicas of each other, so he didn't make Xing Mi change anything.

It was Xing Mi's first time walking the streets of the capital, and he couldn't help but lift the carriage curtain, excitedly watching the scenery speeding by.

Bai Quan spoke calmly, providing more detailed introductions, and Qiu Huanian listened with great interest.

As the saying goes, like master, like servant. Xing Mi's curious and lively nature is somewhat similar to Qiu Huanian's.

When they reached the western district, Qiu Huanian had Bai Quan drive the carriage to the West Market first.

Although every district can have shops, the capital has planned two specialized markets, east and west, for concentrated trade.

Influenced by the different atmospheres of the eastern and western districts, the East Market is filled with bookstores, bookshops, and shops selling writing materials, while the West Market sells a much more chaotic array of goods, gathering items from all over the world, making it overwhelming.

The shop given by the Zhu family, located in the West Market, is a large one. It's a two-story building facing the street, with a small courtyard at the back. It used to sell the Zhu family's silk and fabrics.

The shop's manager and clerks knew it had changed hands last autumn, but since Qiu Huanian had not sent anyone to the capital, the handover had not taken place.

Following the directions on the deed, Qiu Huanian arrived at the location. When he got off the carriage, he noticed the silk shop's business was clearly worse than the surrounding shops. Through the open door, he saw half-empty shelves that hadn’t been restocked, and the silk on sale was of very ordinary quality.

Qiu Huanian frowned, and Xing Mi immediately understood. Though naive, Xing Mi wasn’t foolish and had been taught to be clever by Wu Da and Lark.

"Stay outside and watch the carriage. I’ll go in with the young master to pick out fabrics," Xing Mi took the opportunity to specifically instruct Bai Quan.

Bai Quan lowered his head and gave a faint "Mm."

Qiu Huanian and Xing Mi entered the shop, and it took a moment before a clerk came to greet them.

Xing Mi seized the moment to scold, "Are you blind? Didn’t you see my young master come in? Are you even doing business? Call your manager out!"

The clerk smiled bitterly and begged for mercy, "Please forgive me, young sir. I’m the only one in the shop right now. I was busy with the accounts and didn’t notice you. I apologize."

In the capital, no one could afford to offend others, and the clerk knew how to survive.

Qiu Huanian glanced at Xing Mi, who understood and continued, "How are you the only one here? Do you own this shop? It seems like you’re trying to trick me."

The clerk had to explain carefully, "Young sir, you might not know, but this shop originally belonged to a big merchant from Liaozhou. The former owner had many businesses in the capital that supported each other."

"After the shop changed hands last autumn, the former owner sent a letter saying the new owner would use the shop for a new business and would no longer deal in silk and fabrics. Since no one came to take over, the original managers left for other opportunities. Now, only I remain to guard this shop."

"The good stock in the shop has already been sold. Everything in the storeroom is on the shelves. If the young master likes anything, we can talk about the price."

The clerk explained the situation helplessly. He hadn’t sought other opportunities because he wasn’t a free man—he was part of the shop that had been gifted.

Though merchants couldn’t openly buy slaves, money could always control someone.

Qiu Huanian nodded and then inquired about the prices and stock of the remaining silk and fabrics on the shelves, estimating in his mind as he asked.

After getting all the necessary information from the questions and answers, Qiu Huanian suddenly spoke up.

"From last autumn to now, it’s been about four months. There should be five hundred taels of profit in the books. Is it still there?"

"Ah?" The clerk was stunned.

"The Zhu family gifted this shop to me, including everything in the storeroom and the clerks attached to the shop. The profits from these four months should belong to me, right, Guan Liu?"

Qiu Huanian smiled warmly, but beads of sweat instantly formed on Guan Liu’s forehead.

He realized this distinguished young man was the new owner of the shop.

"There are three hundred and sixty taels of silver in the accounts," Guan Liu’s heart raced as he spoke in fear.

When the previous managers left, they had taken some silver with them. Out of fear of the Zhu family, they hadn’t dared to take too much. Guan Liu had thought the new owner wouldn’t notice.

But the new owner had immediately stated the exact amount. Including what the former managers had taken, the profit over the four months was indeed a little over five hundred taels.

How did he know? Could he be a god?

Qiu Huanian didn’t explain and directly asked, "Where are the managers who took the silver now? Do you have any evidence?"

"They are still in the West Market, working as managers in other shops. When they left, they altered the accounts, but I copied the original ledger."

Guan Liu was very cautious. Afraid that he might be implicated if things went wrong, he had prepared a backup plan early on, and now it had come in handy.

Qiu Huanian thought with satisfaction that this person was indeed a moldable talent, showing good judgment and caution. He planned to transfer his indenture later and train him to manage the business in the capital.

Qiu Huanian intended to give him another test to see how well he could handle tasks.

Qiu Huanian untied the Township Lord token from his belt and handed it to Guan Liu. This token was newly made by the Ministry of Rites after he was granted the title last year.

"I am Township Lord Qishu, the new owner of this shop. Go and find the previous managers who took the money. Use whatever method you need to get every coin back."

Guan Liu was stunned and asked in disbelief, "You are Township Lord Qishu?"

The Zhu family only mentioned that the shop had changed hands but did not reveal who the new owner was.

Qiu Huanian smiled, "What, am I famous in the capital too?"

"Can't speak for other places, but in the West Market, who doesn't know Qiu's Six Staples, your oyster sauce, floral essence, cooling oil, and plum blossom ointment?"

Many products of Qiu's Six Staples are sold in limited quantities at specific times, but over time, some inevitably leak out and are resold elsewhere at much higher prices.

Guan Liu excitedly asked, "Will our shop also become Qiu's Six Staples in the future?"

In the West Market, everyone is well-informed. Who doesn't know the good products bearing the name Qiu's Six Staples?

A small bottle of oyster sauce can sell for three or four taels of silver, and the floral essence and plum blossom ointment are not far behind. Even the unlimited cooling oil is worth half a tael, and it's often in short supply.

Opening a Qiu's Six Staples in the West Market, Guan Liu couldn't imagine how profitable it would be.

Guan Liu's heart raced. He never expected that being the last one forced to stay would turn out to be the biggest advantage. Those who left early and embezzled money would probably regret it deeply when they found out.

They lost the chance to make a fortune and offended Township Lord Qishu.

Guan Liu was extremely excited, but Qiu Huanian remained calm.

"Let's not rush. After I assess the situation in the capital and decide where to build the workshop, we'll determine how to open the shop."

Everything has its pros and cons. The rarer and more profitable something is, the more likely it is to attract envy and trouble.

In the capital, filled with high-ranking officials, imperial relatives, and nobles, Qiu Huanian, a Township Lord, and Du Yunse, a scholar, are indeed very insignificant.

Especially since Du Yunse is labeled as part of the Crown Prince's faction. In the past, due to investigating and confiscating the property of Imperial Envoy Zhao Tianyu and participating in the crackdown on the traffickers' case in Xiangping Prefecture, he has more or less offended the Second and Third Princes, requiring even more caution.

Additionally, the Second Prince has yet to fully understand "Elementary Mathematics: Equations" and has not been allowed to leave the Imperial Library. It is said that he is extremely dissatisfied with Qiu Huanian, who wrote the book.

At least until Du Yunse finishes the Palace Examination and secures an official position, Qiu Huanian will not make any high-profile moves.

"Work hard these next few days to sort out the accounts and record what the surrounding shops are selling, how their business is, and what kind of customers they have."

Qiu Huanian casually painted a grand vision for Guan Liu, "When Qiu's Six Staples opens in the future, I'll make you the manager."

Inspired by the prospect of becoming a manager, Guan Liu vowed to complete the task diligently.

Qiu Huanian then appropriately encouraged him a few more times.

After telling Guan Liu the address of their temporary residence and arranging for Xing Mi to come later to collect the account books and money, Qiu Huanian and his two companions headed to the next shop.

The second shop was near Xuanwu Gate, the southwest gate of the inner city. Generally, people from the southern outer city enter the inner city through this gate.

Its location is advantageous, but not as much as the first shop.

The first shop is located in a bustling area of the West Market, with a two-story building and a courtyard, spacious and ideal for profitable business. The second shop, however, has only a single-story courtyard house, less suitable for business but an excellent spot for receiving information and resting.

Anyone traveling north or south would notice it immediately when passing by Xuanwu Gate.

The two shops gifted by Zhu Jingcheng were both meticulously chosen after careful consideration.

Originally, the Zhu family had set up a tea stall in this courtyard shop. The row of rooms facing the street had windows and doors opening outward, selling affordable tea and pastries, while the inner rooms served as simple guest quarters for the Zhu family's employees visiting the capital.

Although Xuanwu Gate had a high flow of people, most were commoners from the outer city who didn’t have the spare money to visit the tea stall daily, so the stall’s revenue was modest.

The tea stall was managed by a middle-aged couple, who were quite honest. The stall’s net profit over four months was sixty taels of silver, all given to Qiu Huanian.

For now, Qiu Huanian had no immediate use for this strategically located shop. After acknowledging the couple, he allowed them to continue running the stall as usual.

After completing the handover of the shops, Qiu Huanian spent the next two days tirelessly inspecting the manors in the outskirts of the capital.

On the first day, he visited the large sixty-mu manor gifted by the Zhu family. It was some distance from the capital, requiring a half-day journey. Since the Zhu family rarely traveled all the way to stay at the manor, the main residence had fallen into disrepair.

It wasn’t that Zhu Jingcheng didn’t want to gift something better, but manors in the outskirts of the capital were even rarer than properties within the city, with the vast majority held by high officials and nobles.

This manor had sixty mu of fertile land, a few small orchards, and several dozen tenant farmers, which was already quite impressive.

Using his keen observational skills, Qiu Huanian identified a few issues, admonished the manor head and tenant farmers, took away last year’s harvest of one hundred and fifty taels of silver, and left twenty taels for them to repair the residences.

Of course, he didn’t forget to paint a grand vision.

"Qi Shu," the Township Lord, with a title related to grain, naturally had to focus on farming.

After conquering cotton, Qiu Huanian planned to venture into a new field—this time experimenting with a major project: fruit tree cutting, grafting, and seedling cultivation techniques.

"Spending not a single coin on saplings," "growing a large orchard in just one year," "harvesting fruit in two years"...

With Qiu Huanian’s exceptional eloquence and strong charisma, the tenant farmers were all dazzled. Although reason told them these ideas were far-fetched, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation.

After a busy day, Qiu Huanian rushed back to the inner city before the gates closed, spending most of his time on the road. Once the manor’s residence was repaired, he could stay for a couple of days and take his time, without needing to rush.

Returning home, Du Yunse had just finished reviewing his books. The exam was something Qiu Huanian couldn’t and didn’t need to worry about.

He shared the chestnut cakes he bought outside with Du Yunse, and the two had a late-night snack while discussing matters.

"Tomorrow, I’ll go out of the city to inspect the thirty mu of land the Emperor awarded you after you passed the provincial examination."

Typically, the land awarded to a provincial graduate was fifteen mu in their ancestral home, but Du Yunse not only received double that amount but also in the highly coveted outskirts of the capital.

This imperial favor would give those with ulterior motives much to speculate about.

"Thirty mu—if the location is good and the land is contiguous, we could build some houses, recruit tenant farmers, and create a small manor," Qiu Huanian focused more on the practical use of the land.

He wasn’t clear on the specifics of the land, only knowing that it was very close to the capital. Leaving Xuanwu Gate, it took less than half an hour by carriage, and even faster on horseback.

The next day, when Qiu Huanian actually went out of the city to the location, he was stunned by the sight of the vast land.

The land was indeed excellent—fertile soil, crisscrossed with irrigation channels, neatly connected into a large plot.

But why was it right next to the imperial manor, almost as if it had been carved out from it?