"Wow!"
The moment they stepped inside, the entire group gasped in amazement.
Before entering, they had guessed that the house Chen Liejiu prepared for Xu Huaiqian wouldn't be bad. But even with that mental preparation, they were still stunned upon seeing it.
Green tiles and vermilion accents, red pillars and intricately carved rafters, elegant halls and tiled roofs—every part was like a painted scene, beautiful beyond reproach.
"This is too beautiful!" Sheng Yunjin, arguably the most worldly among them, was at a loss for words when he entered. "Brother Liejiu, how did you manage this?!"
The Sheng family had properties in both Jiangnan and the capital. Sheng Yunjin had visited the homes of high officials and nobles with his elders during his previous time in the capital. He felt that n of those residences were as exquisitely beautiful as the home Chen Liejiu had created for Xu Huaiqian.
Yes.
It was exquisite and beautiful, not gaudy or ostentatious like something merely golden and brilliant.
From the main gate entering the covered corridor, the view was filled with meticulously cultivated plants and flowers. The shadows cast by the carved beams and painted rafters along the corridor were artfully arranged. The various styled residences and the gardens meticulously designed into different themes were even more impressive.
"The mythical Jade Pool and Penglai Garden couldn't be better than this!" Sheng Yunjin exclaimed as he walked, marveling at every step. "Even the timber and tiles are so carefully chosen."
Others might not see the details, but he could. The bricks and wood Chen Liejiu used were all beneficial to Xu Huaiqian's health.
Furthermore, now that he studied medicine, he recognized that the carefully planted flowers and herbs all possessed medicinal properties beneficial to Xu Huaiqian, allowing him to convalesce simply by living here.
"The carvings, the craftsmanship..." With each step, Sheng Yunjin found more to marvel at. "This isn't something ordinary craftsmen from outside can achieve."
His family had also built houses and knew how difficult it was to hire top-tier master craftsmen. For Chen Liejiu not only to hire them but also to decorate the residence so exquisitely required not just wealth but also influence.
Holding Xu Huaiqian's hand, Chen Liejiu was in high spirits. "You're right, these weren't d by outside craftsmen. The Ministry of Works sent people to build it."
He pointed next door. "See, our neighbor is an official from the Ministry of Works. He gave me a lot of suggestions for this house."
He had to admit, people from the Ministry of Works were different. Initially, he thought the craftsmen hired from outside were quite good. But once the Ministry of Works team arrived, he instantly understood the gap.
Those who worked for the court and the imperial family had a different approach to layout and planning.
If he had hired master craftsmen from the private sector, they would never have considered the layout with Xu Huaiqian's illness in mind.
But the imperial approach was different. They not only sent Ministry of Works officials to plan the layout but also dispatched an imperial physician. Based on Xu Huaiqian's medical records, they planted many herbs throughout the property to make breathing more comfortable for him.
On the day the house was completed, he himself had marveled: It was perfect!
He had to thank that petty-minded Vice Minister of Revenue. Otherwise, he might never have imagined a house could be built like this.
Duan Youyan and the others, coming purely from the countryside, were utterly speechless. Even Pei Wangshu's family had my, but local limitations restricted his vision. He had never imagined a dwelling could incorporate so many intricate details. From the moment they entered, they were stunned into silence by the ingeniously designed residence, leaving Sheng Yunjin to speak for them.
Hearing that Chen Liejiu had actually enlisted the Ministry of Works to build the house, they were all astonished. "Even with my, the court wouldn't allow officials to build private residences, right?"
Unless it was a special grant or an honor.
Chen Liejiu turned his head and looked at Xu Huaiqian, who was watching him with the same surprised and puzzled expression as the others. "Indeed, you normally can't hire them. But when the Emperor gives the order, how could they refuse?"
"The Emperor?!"
Hearing this title, every's curiosity intensified. Just for building a house, the Emperor actually issued an order commanding Ministry of Works officials to handle the repairs?
"—Huh?" Xu Huaiqian, hearing that his house involved the Emperor's intervention, looked at Chen Liejiu with even greater curiosity.
His wife had only been away from him for three months. Could he have pulled off another major stunt?
Xu Huaiqian remembered the last time Chen Liejiu went out to sell charcoal. He promised to return after selling just boatload, but instead came back with a fleet covering the entire river.
Seeing every staring at him curiously, Chen Liejiu raised his chin, a hint of pride in his expression. "Because I met the Emperor!"
"How did you meet him?!" The group's jaws dropped, their curiosity burning even stronger.
Even Wang Wanwan and Chen Xiaomei were shocked by their brother's words.
If he had said he met some high-ranking official, they wouldn't have been so surprised.
But leading with the ultimate bombshell—saying he met the Emperor—was utterly astounding.
Operas and books all said the Emperor lived in the palace and rarely left. Even when he did, he was surrounded by a huge entourage, making it impossible to see him clearly, let al speak to him.
Chen Liejiu smiled, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Because I'm amazing!"
He then explained how he had donated the imitation silver charcoal production method to the court. He looked at Xu Huaiqian. "A-Qian, you won't blame me, will you?"
"I won't." When Xu Huaiqian heard his wife say "you won't blame me," he actually felt a slight tease in his t—like he had already made the decision and was now reporting it.
But on second thought, Chen Liejiu's choice was correct. The court had already taken notice. Whether they sold it or not, the court's determination to obtain the method wouldn't diminish much.
Selling it for too high a price would dissatisfy the court. Selling it too low—were they really lacking that my?
Of course they were! Even a small amount of wool is still wool.
But compared to the court's favor, my meant nothing. The wealthy could never truly rival the powerful. Hadn't they seen countless people offer vast fortunes to gain the Emperor's favor, to no avail? Hadn't they seen others spend huge sums trying to smooth their career paths, only to find no door open?
Especially since Xu Huaiqian was about to take the metropolitan exams in the capital. Losing the court's favor over this would make his official career exceptionally difficult.
And Chen Liejiu had stated his intention to gift the method without a moment's hesitation, effortlessly earning Xu Huaiqian a wave of goodwill in the eyes of the Emperor and the court officials.
If nothing else, the three ministries—Works, Personnel, and Revenue—that would profit from the imitation silver charcoal would now owe Xu Huaiqian some degree of consideration.
Moreover, by gifting it, Chen Liejiu hadn't suffered a loss; on the contrary, he had profited greatly!
"However, I never expected His Majesty to be so generous," Chen Liejiu continued, still amazed. "Not only was he willing to give me percent of the revenue, but he also wanted to ennoble me as a Township Lord." If it weren't for the fact that it was his first time meeting the Emperor and he was certain he wasn't adopted, he might have suspected he was the Emperor's secret son.
The group sat in the comfortable pavilion Chen Liejiu had built for Xu Huaiqian, listening to his tales of life in the capital, utterly captivated.
It sounded so surreal.
One percent revenue sounded small—maybe a hundred taels per prefecture at most. But there were over three hundred prefectures in the nation! That added up to thirty thousand taels annually.
Doing absolutely nothing! Thirty thousand taels a year, just for lying back!
As long as the nation stood, he wouldn't have to worry about competitors. Where else could you find such a good deal?
But that wasn't all...
On top of the my, the Emperor wanted to grant him a title!
A Township Lord!
Although it was the lowest rank of nobility, Chen Liejiu had earned it entirely by himself, without relying on parents or inheritance. What an immense honor!
And with this title, Chen Liejiu would completely leap out of the peasant class and enter the ranks of the nobility as a man.
Because men had low status.
Even men born into the imperial clan couldn't receive titles. But Chen Liejiu could! This was more than just surreal; it was like being the Emperor's favorite son!
The scholars, thinking of their own decade of bitter study without yet entering the noble class, while Chen Liejiu had jumped from peasant to noble in just three months in the capital, couldn't help but look at Xu Huaiqian with envy.
They really envied him.
To have such a capable wife.
If Chen Liejiu really became a Township Lord, Xu Huaiqian wouldn't even need to take the exams. He would directly become the consort of a noble, addressed with a special title. While it held no real power, the ability to freely enter the palace and the homes of high officials was almost as good as having power.
Even if they passed the Jinshi exams, it would take them years to reach his level.
And if Chen Liejiu pleased the Emperor even more and secured an official post for himself, his starting point would be much higher than theirs!
Had Xu Huaiqian saved the world in a past life to have married into such a fortunate match with Chen Liejiu?
"So, A-Jiu, are you a Township Lord now?" Xu Huaiqian, seeing the envious and jealous looks from his friends, quickly changed the subject.
Hmph, my wife is, of course, the best!
But after listening for a while, he hadn't heard Chen Liejiu agree to the title. If he had accepted, they probably wouldn't be living here but in a Township Lord's residence. Yet, if he refused, Xu Huaiqian couldn't understand why he would turn down such a good thing.
The moment Xu Huaiqian finished speaking, Chen Liejiu answered, "I refused."
"Why?!" Every, including Xu Huaiqian, looked at him in disbelief.
A Township Lord!
A title only available to the daughters or sons of commandery princes! With the title came land and income. Such a great thing, and he refused?