Chapter 115 Buying a Residence

Chapter 115 Buying a Residence

Qiu Huanian politely mentioned, "The standards of the residences in this area are too high for us to live in."

The Yu Dynasty's etiquette laws clearly stipulate what standards of residences officials of certain ranks and nobles of certain levels can reside in. Qiu Huanian could tell at a glance that it was not feasible; even if someone were to move out, he currently could not move in.

However, Sixteen said, "No matter, Du Yunse will eventually hold a high official position. A residence is a legacy for generations, so we can plan first and then take our time to achieve it."

The point was that it didn't matter if they couldn't live there now; they could first select a desirable residence and slowly plan, eventually acquiring it.

Qiu Huanian felt that the owners of these residences likely wouldn’t appreciate their "gradual planning."

Sixteen's thinking was truly one of a kind.

Qiu Huanian cleared his throat, "Let's talk about this later. In a little over a month, the Palace Examination will be held. I want to find a residence that we can move into as soon as possible. Do you have any recommendations, Sixteen?"

The provincial examination was held at the Gongyuan in the east city. The Palace Examination, held a month after the provincial examination, was overseen personally by the emperor and took place within the imperial city.

Just outside the main gate of the imperial city, Chengtian Gate, across a street, were the official offices of the six ministries and other central institutions. Turning east from there led to Nanxun District.

Qiu Huanian simply thought, living here would be close to the Palace Examination venue, so it would be best to buy it early and move in soon. When the time came, candidates living elsewhere would have to leave early in the morning to queue up, while Du Yunse could still snooze at home for a bit before setting out.

Although Du Yunse had strong adaptability, the smallest details could make or break it.

The opportunity to become the Number One Scholar comes only once in a lifetime!

Sixteen nodded regretfully, handed the reins to Xing Mi, and signaled Qiu Huanian to walk along the street with him.

They were currently on East Chang'an Street, just outside Chengtian Gate, where they could directly see the towering walls of the imperial city and the river surrounding it. Those who could build residences in this area were all high-ranking officials and nobles with official ranks no lower than third grade and noble titles no lower than prince or earl.

Walking a hundred steps south into the district, the residences weren’t as grand, and Qiu Huanian could finally consider them.

Sixteen was dressed plainly. Although he was the Crown Prince's secret guard, few had seen his face. Walking with Qiu Huanian on the bustling street, followed by Xing Mi and Bai Quan, they went unnoticed.

Before turning into an alley, he gestured with lingering fascination to a residence across the street.

"That residence covers fifteen acres, built less than ten years ago, with designs by the top architect from Jiangnan. Inside, the pavilions and towers are incredibly intricate, with several small courtyards of different sceneries and a large garden with hidden landscapes. You would probably like it."

Qiu Huanian noticed the design above the door.

Oh, it was a residence for a second-rank official.

"Who is the owner of that residence?"

"Bi Yongshi, the Minister of Personnel and Grand Scholar of Jinshen Hall. However, he doesn't live here now; the current resident is his eldest son, Bi Zhen."

"Bi Yongshi..." Qiu Huanian remembered cramming this name.

"The maternal grandfather of the Second Prince, the father of Consort Wen in the palace," Sixteen remarked casually.

"..."

No wonder Sixteen was so focused on that property; it was an irreconcilable enemy from the start.

Bi Yongshi was a strong supporter of the Second Prince. The Second Prince was inclined towards martial arts, while Bi Yongshi's official position was almost at the pinnacle of civil officials, having already entered the cabinet as a senior grand councilor. One step further would be the ultimate for a civil official—the Chief Grand Councilor. Together, the Second Prince could be considered both martial and civil.

Compared to them, the current Crown Prince appeared somewhat vulnerable.

Although the late empress remained a forbidden topic for the emperor, a deceased mother could not always protect her child everywhere.

Qiu Huanian pretended not to hear Sixteen's recommendation. Even if the Crown Prince eventually brought down Bi Yongshi, it would not be accomplished quickly, and it was still too distant from him now.

As for why Sixteen knew so much about the interior of Bi Yongshi's residence, Qiu Huanian wisely chose not to ask.

Sixteen and Qiu Huanian walked south for about a quarter of an hour, making their way through various streets and alleys. Sixteen was very familiar with the area.

Qiu Huanian noticed a unique building on his right front, which looked more like an official office than a private residence.

"What is this place?"

"The Office of the Crown Prince's Affairs, the Crown Prince's official office."

Qiu Huanian nodded, understanding.

Other princes who wanted to befriend ministers and cultivate their own forces had to do so secretly, as any misstep could lead to accusations of forming cliques and plotting rebellion.

But the Crown Prince was different. In the Yu Dynasty's power structure, there was a special institution established for the Crown Prince—the Office of the Crown Prince's Affairs.

The Office of the Crown Prince's Affairs was responsible to the Crown Prince. Its chief officer, the Grand Master of the Office, held a third-rank position, usually concurrently held by a Vice Minister or Minister of one of the Six Ministries. It included positions such as the Assistant Grand Master, the Secretary, and the Registrar, who both instructed the Crown Prince and followed his orders.

Although the Office of the Crown Prince's Affairs was not located in the area just outside the Chengtian Gate, it was only separated from the offices of the Six Ministries by a river, with a bridge specially built for easy access.

After the Jiangnan corruption case involving cliques in the winter of the 20th year of Emperor Yuanhua's reign, the Emperor, in a burst of anger, placed the Crown Prince under house arrest and abolished the Office of the Crown Prince's Affairs. Even though the Crown Prince had been released from house arrest for over half a year, Emperor Yuanhua had no intention of reestablishing the Office.

Without the support of the Office of the Crown Prince's Affairs, the Crown Prince's position as the heir apparent was not secure, indicating that the Emperor still harbored resentment. This was good news for the supporters of other princes.

Sixteen did not bring Qiu Huanian to see the abandoned and overgrown site of the former Office of the Crown Prince's Affairs. After answering the question about what this place was, he continued walking forward.

The two entered a side alley, turned a few corners, and arrived at the back wall of a large residence.

Sixteen introduced to Qiu Huanian, "This residence covers five mu, with a main courtyard of three sections, a main hall with five rooms, a study building, and a small courtyard of three rooms. There is also a small garden on the side, which can barely serve as a temporary residence."

Qiu Huanian cautiously asked first, "Who is the owner of this residence?"

Without seeing the main gate, he couldn't judge the owner's official rank.

"The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, who was once the Secretary of the Office of the Crown Prince's Affairs. In the winter of the 20th year of Emperor Yuanhua's reign, he falsely accused the Crown Prince in the Jiangnan case and was later promoted to the Ministry of Personnel, spending a fortune to purchase and renovate this residence." Sixteen recounted these details as if they were well-known.

So, it was a traitor who had betrayed the Crown Prince.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel held a fifth-rank position, while the Secretary of the Office of the Crown Prince's Affairs was a sixth-rank position. This person had betrayed the Crown Prince and only been promoted half a rank, which didn't seem like a good deal.

However, the Ministry of Personnel was the head of the Six Ministries, and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel had a much brighter future than the Secretary of the Office of the Crown Prince's Affairs. If he hadn't been instructed to falsely accuse the Crown Prince, he wouldn't have been able to afford such a large residence in the southwestern part of the Nanxun Ward, where land was extremely valuable.

From Sixteen's cold expression, Qiu Huanian read the meaning of "It's time to confiscate the traitor's property."

Thinking about it, with the Crown Prince's intelligence and capability, it had been over two years, and the former Secretary of the Office of the Crown Prince's Affairs, who had betrayed his master for his own benefit, must have long been in the Crown Prince's grasp.

Previously, it had been a trivial matter, not urgent to act upon. But now that Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian needed a residence in the Nanxun Ward, it was time for him to return everything he had gained from betraying the Crown Prince.

Qiu Huanian recalled the Crown Prince's words at the royal estate, "I will find a way to have someone vacate a residence for you." He was certain that the residence of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was the one the Crown Prince had planned to "vacate" for him.

So why had Sixteen asked him earlier where he would like to live and "recommended" the residence of Grand Master Bi Yongshi?

...Let's just say Sixteen had a knack for the 'swift confiscation' real estate business and was scouting locations ahead of time.

Returning his attention to the residence in front of him, the residence of a fifth-rank Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was quite suitable for Qiu Huanian at the moment. Upon moving in, he would only need to make minor modifications to the main gate and change the eaves to make it compliant, unlike the residences of first and second-rank officials, which were much more difficult to handle.

—Why was he even thinking about the residences of first and second-rank officials?

Qiu Huanian shook his head, blaming it all on sixteen's quick property confiscation operations.

The current issue was, when and for how much can we snag this house?

As if he could read his mind, sixteen spoke up, "When do you want to buy the house?"

"As soon as possible."

It would still need some fixing up before we could move in.

"Then we'll confiscate it tomorrow."

"..."

Qiu Huanian was at a loss for words, gave a thumbs up, and thought sixteen was pretty awesome.

Ahem.

"Get fifteen hundred taels ready. Officials will come by the day after tomorrow to sign the property deed with you."

"That cheap?"

The house was pretty big, in a prime spot, and had just been completely renovated. Qiu Huanian thought it would cost at least twenty-five hundred taels.

"The person who bought the house used connections from behind the scenes and only spent fifteen hundred taels. The renovation costs were too messy to account for, so after confiscation, it will still be sold for fifteen hundred taels."

It was a stretch, but Qiu Huanian liked it.

Who wouldn't love to save some cash? He had earned this fair and square by teaching the Crown Prince, so he felt good about it.

Sixteen had to get back to the royal estate to serve the Crown Prince and couldn't stay away too long. Once the house was settled, he was ready to head out.

As he said goodbye, he added, "Besides Bi Yongshi's place, the homes of the Vice Minister of War, the Left Assistant Censor, and the Director-General of the Transmission Office nearby are also pretty nice. You can compare and see which one you prefer."

"..."

Was this the Crown Prince's hit list?

Qiu Huanian's mouth twitched, showing he'd pick carefully and push Du Yunse to climb the ranks fast enough to live there.

Sixteen liked the idea of pushing Du Yunse.

"You're not in great health, so don't push yourself too hard. His Highness has access to the best doctors and meds in the world. Later on, you could ask His Highness to have a royal doc check you out."

"You should mention it yourself, I can't bring it up."

Qiu Huanian wanted to ask why sixteen was keeping his distance, but sixteen had already walked over to Xing Mi in the distance, took the reins, and swiftly mounted the horse to leave.

...

Qiu Huanian went back to the small east city courtyard where he was staying for the time being. Deng Die was out, and Wang Yinzhi was reading in the side room. Qiu Huanian headed to the main room, shut the door, and filled Du Yunse in on the day's happenings.

When Du Yunse heard Qiu Huanian had met the Crown Prince at the royal estate, he was a bit surprised but not shocked.

"I never imagined that your thirty acres of land were dug up from the royal estate... but that's good, at least we don't have to worry about safety, and we can benefit from the good things at the royal estate."

"It's just that we'll definitely be frequently 'consulted' in the future."

After a pause, Qiu Huanian said, "Are we both being roped into working for the Crown Prince?"

Du Yunse smiled, "Huanian has the abilities of Duke Zhou and Guan Zhong. The capable always have more on their plate."

"..." Qiu Huanian gritted his teeth, "Are you teasing me with these wild comparisons?"

Du Yunse couldn’t hold back anymore. He stood up, embraced Qiu Huanian, and carried him all the way to the bed.

"Mm—"

Qiu Huanian patted Du Yunse’s sturdy shoulders a couple of times, but it had no effect, so he had to give up.

Their lips and tongues tangled, the sound of their breaths echoing in the confined room. Qiu Huanian heard the increasingly intense heartbeats of both, gradually synchronizing.

Only when he felt dizzy, his tongue sore and numb, did Qiu Huanian get the chance to take a deep breath. Du Yunse buried his face in Qiu Huanian’s chest, breathing heavily, his arms still tightly wrapped around Qiu Huanian’s waist and back.

"..."

With the exam approaching, they hadn’t been close these past few days. But every time Du Yunse took a break, he would hold Qiu Huanian, kiss him for a while, and then hold him for a long time.

Qiu Huanian gradually realized that Du Yunse’s actions were exactly like how he would pet a cat. This was Du Yunse’s quirky way of dealing with exam stress.

...If it helps him, why not? The examinee is the most important, and it’s not like he’s at a disadvantage anyway.

Qiu Huanian rested his chin on Du Yunse’s head, nuzzling it gently.

...

An official from the Ministry of Personnel was removed from his post, accused of letting his family seize civilian land, extort money, and enslave commoners’ children. The evidence was conclusive, and he was imprisoned and his property confiscated the same day.

This case sent ripples through the capital, as this official from the Ministry of Personnel had previously been the Vice Minister of the Household Administration. Three years ago, he suddenly stepped forward to accuse the Crown Prince of instructing his faction to embezzle and extort wealth in Jiangnan, and to train private soldiers, leading to the Crown Prince being placed under house arrest by the Yuanhua Emperor, with his power stripped away.

With the imperial examination approaching, the Crown Prince suddenly taking action against this person—was he finally done with "farming" and ready to make a move?

Various factions in the capital reacted differently to the Crown Prince showing his claws again, and the bustling city was alive with hidden tensions.

However, these undercurrents had yet to reach Qiu Huanian. He gladly signed the property deed with the government officials who came to him, fully purchasing a mansion in the core area of the capital for fifteen hundred taels of silver.

Sixteen also sent a message, saying that the previous owner of the house had just "moved out," and there might be some nasty surprises inside, so he should wait a few days before moving in.

Thinking of ancient traps, poisons, and curses, Qiu Huanian decided to obediently follow the advice and wait for Sixteen to send people to thoroughly clean the house before moving in.

The imperial examination was just around the corner, and Qiu Huanian’s mind was entirely focused on this crucial exam. He wasn’t too keen on checking out the mansion by himself.

It’d be more fun to wait until Du Yunse was done with the exam, and then they could go together to see the house where they would live for the next few years.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the ninth day of February.

The first session of the imperial examination was today.

Just before dawn, Qiu Huanian woke up. A faint oil lamp glowed in the room, and Du Yunse had already gotten up and washed. He was on the other side of the room, doing a final check on the items he would bring into the examination hall.

Du Yunse saw that Qiu Huanian was awake, "Did I wake you, Brother Hua?"

Qiu Huanian shook his head, "I was already awake... Light all the lamps."

Du Yunse lit two more lamps, and the room lit up instantly, though it was still dark outside.

Qiu Huanian got out of bed and silently watched Du Yunse pack his exam supplies.

Identity documents, writing materials, a leather blanket without hidden layers, comfortable cotton slippers, soft wool gloves, and wrist guards...

Qiu Huanian hugged his knees and sighed, "It feels like just yesterday you were still a scholar. Today, you’re actually sitting for the imperial exam."

The Palace Exam doesn’t cut anyone; it only ranks the candidates into first, second, and third tiers. In other words, as long as you pass the imperial examination, you are guaranteed to become a jinshi or a tongjinshi.

This grueling exam journey had brought them to the last challenge.

Once they passed, it’d be like riding high on success, taking in all the beauty of Chang’an in one day.