The matter of finding houses was handled by Fan Xicheng and Han Laoshan. For several days in succession, Han Qian routinely brought Zhao Kuo, Fan Dahei, and Lin Haizheng to the Linjiang Marquis’s Residence each day to report for duty.
Emperor Tianyou had still not appointed a lecturer for Third Prince Yang Yuanpu. Feng Yi and Kong Xirong remained as lazy and slack as before. Li Chong grew close to Yang Yuanpu in a “proper and justified” manner, actually taking Chen De’s place in shouldering the responsibility of instructing Yang Yuanpu in archery and horsemanship…
Although Han Qian did not incessantly press his father about developments at court, he believed that in the eyes of interested parties, the court could not possibly remain indifferent to these matters.
Perhaps Yang Yuanpu had been suppressed too long within the palace. Leaving the palace for his residence, he could at least breathe some air of freedom. Though extremely young, he showed great interest and persistence in practicing archery and horsemanship.
Since no official had been appointed as residence lecturer, there were no other lessons to study. Everyone spent entire days immersed in the rear garden. Han Qian also took advantage of this rare opportunity to practice archery and horsemanship.
Whenever Han Qian and the others were present, Guo Rong always remained at Yang Yuanpu’s side, even more “devoted to duty” than Guard Battalion Commander Chen De. The female official who had made a fleeting appearance when entering the residence usually stayed in the rear quarters, only occasionally showing her face in the rear garden or front courtyard.
After entering the residence, Han Qian had not even had the opportunity to speak with that female official named Song Xin, who had long ago received Empress Xu’s decree to attend to the daily needs of Consort Wang and the Third Prince.
Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s attitude toward him was no different from his treatment of Feng Yi and Kong Xirong. Han Qian naturally would not stick close either, unnecessarily provoking the suspicions of Guo Rong and Song Xin.
Marquis Xinchang Li Pu and Prince Li Yu of Eastern Zhe were brothers sharing the same father but different mothers. They did not fear suppression from Anning Palace. Han Qian still needed to keep as low a profile as possible to avoid bringing unwarranted disaster upon his father.
The calm days continued until late September when the weather turned crisp and clear. One morning, Han Qian brought Zhao Kuo, Fan Dahei, and Lin Haizheng to the residence and saw Guo Rong and Chen De directing guards and palace attendants bustling about in the front courtyard. He wondered if some important personage would be coming over in the next couple of days.
“Yesterday His Majesty summoned Academician Reader Shen Yang in Wenying Hall, wanting him to assume the position of lecturer at the Linjiang Marquis’s Residence. But that old scoundrel Shen Yang claimed illness before His Majesty, saying he had been wheezing and physically weak for months and was unequal to the task. He asked His Majesty to select someone more capable. He was severely rebuked by His Majesty in Wenying Hall, and an edict was issued on the spot requiring Shen Yang to enter the residence two days later to transmit lessons to the Third Prince. Refusal would be treated as defying the imperial decree…”
Just as Han Qian was puzzled, Feng Yi emerged from somewhere, leaned close to Han Qian’s ear, and told him in detail the gossip he had heard.
Han Qian listened to Feng Yi’s vivid account of what had happened in the palace yesterday, but looked at Feng Yi with puzzlement, wondering how he knew in such detail about something that had just occurred in the palace yesterday.
Like his father Han Daoxun, Feng Wenlan and Kong Zhou had no ambiguous relationships with ministers aligned with the Crown Prince or Prince Xin, at least on the surface. It was precisely for this reason that he, Feng Yi, and Kong Xirong had been selected to serve as prince reading companions in this arduous duty.
“The Ministry of Finance lacks sufficient funds to pay official salaries. My father was summoned to Wenying Hall by His Majesty yesterday for consultation and happened to witness this scene.” Feng Yi said without concealment.
Han Qian’s impression of Feng Wenlan was not deep. Having met him twice, he only remembered him always wearing an expression cold and severe, rarely smiling. It was hard to imagine he would so casually relate what happened in the palace as an anecdote to his rather wayward son.
Lecturer Shen Yang would not officially enter the residence to transmit lessons until tomorrow. After idling away a day at the residence, Han Qian returned home. His father Han Daoxun also returned from the office just after dark, but his eyes could not hide his exhaustion. Han Qian did not know what matters were troubling his father.
To regain his father’s trust and regard, Han Qian would not ask too many questions about his father’s office affairs. But each night at dinner, he would recount all the major and minor events that occurred at the Linjiang Marquis’s Residence.
Having openly drawn in forces like Empress Xu, Prince Li Yu of Eastern Zhe, and Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, the seemingly small Linjiang Marquis’s Residence could now be said to have undercurrents surging. The slightest disturbance was enough to provoke endless speculation.
Emperor Tianyou forcing Shen Yang to serve as residence lecturer could not be a small matter in the eyes of court ministers with sensitive perception. However, in Han Qian’s view, what happened in Wenying Hall yesterday being spread by Feng Wenlan’s mouth was even more intriguing.
“…How do you view this matter?” Han Daoxun made time each day to listen to Han Qian speak about events at the Linjiang Marquis’s Residence. Seeing him more concerned with details like Feng Yi passing on messages and believing this was Feng Wenlan deliberately spreading news unfavorable to the Third Prince, he asked with considerable interest.
“The Feng family has no entanglements with either the Crown Prince or Prince Xin. Ultimately they will simply be loyal to whoever holds the throne. Originally there was no need to become involved in these disputes. If matters truly were as Father initially said, with Third Prince’s hopes for the throne being slim, our serving as the Third Prince’s reading companions would have no future impact and would not affect the rise and fall of the Feng or Han families. But the problem lies precisely with Li Chong—I think Father also finds this quite troublesome now, yes?” Han Qian said.
“…” Hearing Han Qian say this, Han Daoxun could not help but let out a long sigh.
Seeing his father Han Daoxun’s manner, Han Qian knew his judgment was correct.
The conspiracy of Wanhong Tower with Marquis Xinchang, Consort Wang, and others had misled court ministers into thinking Prince Li Yu of Eastern Zhe was involved in this matter, to a certain degree changing court and public expectations about Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s prospects for the throne.
Previously, Empress Xu and the Crown Prince’s faction perhaps only needed to have Guo Rong, Song Xin, and others watch Third Prince Yang Yuanpu closely. There was no need for any additional moves. But with Prince Li Yu of Eastern Zhe drawn in and the attitudes of military ministers at court shifting, how could Empress Xu and the Crown Prince’s faction possibly continue to hold their forces?
At this time, Feng Wenlan making these small moves, though somewhat precipitous, was mainly to distance the Feng family from involvement with the Marquis of Linjiang, avoiding the Feng family receiving blows from Empress Xu and the Crown Prince’s faction.
This also showed that although Prince Li Yu of Eastern Zhe’s involvement had to some degree changed expectations, Feng Wenlan still believed Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s hopes of ascending the throne were slim.
“The Feng family is already rushing to distance themselves. What does Father intend to do?” Han Qian asked.
“As long as our conscience is clear, there’s no need to worry too much. We can meet all changes with constancy…” Han Daoxun said.
Han Qian stared at the sky-blue wine cup before him, thinking: what kind of response strategy was this?
But at this moment he could not fathom what his father was truly thinking and found it inconvenient to say more.
……
……
At this time, Fan Xicheng and Han Laoshan entered to report on their inquiries these past days about vacant residences near Lanting Lane.
“…” Han Qian had returned home earlier than his father these past days, but when Fan Xicheng and Han Laoshan encountered him, they had not mentioned this matter. He had thought his subordinates were slow in handling affairs and that Fan Xicheng and Han Laoshan had not yet thoroughly investigated the vacant residences nearby. He had not expected that in the eyes of Fan Xicheng and Han Laoshan, he was ultimately just the “young master” while his father Han Daoxun was this household’s true head.
Han Qian coldly glanced at Fan Xicheng and Han Laoshan, then sat to the side listening to them discuss the situation of residences in nearby streets and lanes.
Lanting Lane was located in the southern part of the city.
Unlike the northern city where the imperial palace was located and where mostly royal ministers and great lords resided, the southern city was mostly inhabited by poor common people.
Even after Emperor Tianyou made Jinling his capital and many wealthy families moved in, because Emperor Tianyou’s criminal law was severe—those who committed even minor offenses were either exiled to serve in the army or immediately executed, and additionally city taxes were extremely heavy with harsh levies and demands—many in the city were driven to ruin. There were still quite a few vacant residences for sale in the southern city.
Those more dilapidated residences were also quite cheap.
After running around for several days, Fan Xicheng and Han Laoshan had thoroughly investigated all the residences available for sale in the southern city. There were roughly several hundred. Now they awaited Han Daoxun’s decision.
Transferring some household soldiers to the city, the residences need not be luxurious. Moreover, the simple independent residences in the southern city were quite cheap—twenty or thirty thousand coins could buy a courtyard about half an acre in size. The housing prices soaring to the sky in the capital of the dream world were completely incomparable.
Han Daoxun’s official salary was limited. Adding the estate’s harvest to provide for the large household’s food, clothing, and expenses was already tight. The twelve cakes of gold Han Qian obtained from Han’s Bronze Ware Shop could be used to acquire five or six small residences.
“You decide which ones to buy, Qian’er.” Han Daoxun handed the decision to Han Qian, also with the intention of testing him.
Han Qian had Fan Dahei fetch paper and brush from his room. He sketched out the nearby streets and lanes, then had Fan Xicheng and Han Laoshan mark the vacant residences available for sale in the nearby lanes. Afterward, he marked the six residences he favored with vermilion brush and handed it to Han Laoshan and Fan Xicheng, saying:
“Uncle Han, Master Fan, tell me again about the situation of these courtyards…”
Fan Xicheng took it and saw that young master Han Qian had selected one residence each at the head and tail of Lanting Lane, two each in Kaoshan Lane and Wuli Lane on either side—six residences that precisely wrapped their residence in the middle.
If there were any disturbances from outside, people living in these six residences could hear first and could gather here at the fastest speed.
The benefits of this arrangement, once sketched out with paper and brush, were clear at a glance without need for further explanation.
Fan Xicheng had served at Han Daoxun’s side for many years and knew the family head had a fine reputation outside for good strategy. He had not expected that after these two months of self-cultivation, young master Han Qian also possessed three or four parts of the family head’s commanding presence. Looking up, he saw that family head Han Daoxun’s eyes indeed held some approval for young master Han Qian…
The six residences were scattered among the three adjacent lanes of Lanting, Kaoshan, and Wuli, not only surrounding the main residence but also controlling the entry and exit points of the lanes.
Seeing approval in his father Han Daoxun’s eyes, and after further understanding the information about these six residences, Han Qian directly decided how to allocate them after purchasing.
The two residences at the head and tail of Lanting Lane—the one at the lane’s end, Han Qian planned to have Zhao Kuo share with a solitary household soldier without family.
Han Qian did not know what secrets Zhao Kuo harbored. He would normally bring him to the Linjiang Marquis’s Residence to report for duty, but did not want to live under Zhao Kuo’s surveillance when returning home.
That would create an inexplicable psychological pressure. Letting Zhao Kuo move out, he could be summoned when needed.
The one at the lane’s head, Han Qian planned for Fan Xicheng and his son Fan Dahei.
Lin Haizheng had a mother, two younger sisters, a widowed sister-in-law, and a nephew only twelve or thirteen years old. They should not remain at the estate performing heavy physical labor. Han Qian gave Lin Haizheng a two-section residence in Wuli Lane.
There were also two residences located in Kaoshan Lane behind the main residence. With ladders prepared on both sides of the courtyards, one need only climb over two walls to directly enter the main residence. Han Qian planned to settle six household soldiers with small families there.
Han Laoshan and his wife, along with the maid Qing Yun, would continue living in the main residence with Han Daoxun and Han Qian.
There was also a three-section residence at the tail of Wuli Lane. To the north was Shitang River connecting to Qiupu River. To the south it adjoined Lin Haizheng’s dwelling. Behind it was Zhao Kuo’s dwelling in Lanting Lane.
This courtyard did not adjoin other common residences. Relatively close by, one could take a boat via Shitang River into Qiupu River to reach Wanhong Tower, or even pass through the water gate to exit the city and reach Chishan Lake south of the estate. Han Qian planned to keep this courtyard separately as a place for him to practice blade and bow…
Fan Xicheng and Han Laoshan exchanged a glance. They knew that even if it were them, they could not arrange things more reasonably than young master Han Qian. They secretly felt the young master’s nature was not bad—the key was that he needed to reform and abandon bad habits.
“Good. Do as Qian’er has said.” Han Daoxun said definitively, erasing the last trace of doubt in Fan Xicheng’s and Han Laoshan’s hearts.