Chapter 38

The small boat glided along the clear and transparent Qinhuai Outer River. Beyond the majestic and grand Jubaomen, the southern gate of Jinling, lay the world-renowned Ten-Li Pearl Curtain Qinhuai River. There, one could find the sacred ground of scholars across the land, the "Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall," one of the four great Confucian temples, the "Fuzi Temple," one of the four famous gardens in the south, the "Zhan Garden," and the "Wuyi Lane," where the swallows that once graced the halls of the nobility now flew into the homes of commoners. There were also countless courtesan houses, the gathering places of the Six Dynasties' moonlit districts and the centers of luxury and elegance.

The small boat drifted gently on the calm river surface. Occasionally, delicate and exquisite lanterns floated downstream, each perhaps carrying the beautiful wishes of some young maiden.

Every Lantern Festival, the Qinhuai River would be illuminated by tens of thousands of lanterns, creating a sea of lights. Various painted boats and lantern boats competed in splendor. Since the Ming Dynasty established its capital in Jinling, the Lantern Festival in the capital gradually earned the reputation of having the best lanterns in the world. The lanterns and boats on the Qinhuai River also began to gain fame.

Xu Hao recalled the scene when he entered the capital with the old dowager during this year's Lantern Festival. Although it was only a short day, it left a deep impression on him.

At that time, he and his elder sister and younger sister released five lanterns together, but unfortunately, it was in the Xu family garden. The elders were worried about the chaos outside and the risk of getting lost, so no one was allowed to go out to admire the sea of lanterns.

He could only stand in the highest pavilion of the Xu family garden to enjoy the brilliant night view of the Qinhuai River. He did not know that the Zhan Garden, a national-level cultural relic in later generations, was actually the Xu family residence. He only knew that, apart from the imperial gardens, the Xu family garden was one of the most beautiful gardens in the capital, and its location near the Qinhuai River was specially built by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang to honor the meritorious minister Xu Da.

Of course, the current Wei Guogong Xu family residence was not yet the Zhan Garden, nor was it the Zhongshan Wangfu, which was bestowed upon Xu Da after his death. It took several generations of Xu family descendants to repeatedly renovate and expand it, gradually forming the perfect Jiangnan garden.

Xu Hao was very much attracted to the beauties of the Ten-Li Qinhuai, but he was not particularly interested. First, he was not a talented scholar; second, he had no money; third, he greatly respected the Eight Beauties of the Qinhuai during the late Ming Dynasty; and fourth, stripping away the so-called grand reputation embellished by literati, it was still just a red-light district where people paid for pleasure.

Of course, the Qinhuai River was a refined and elegant place, not a place for quick pleasure like the "Old Courtyard" nearby, where numerous brothels were densely packed. Because literati were inherently cheap, the more cultural and refined the place was packaged, the more they flocked to it.

Unfortunately, the taste of the young master Xu Hao was not high. He did not understand the most popular southern tunes of the Qinhuai River, had no interest in competing with cultured ruffians for elegance, and had no time to engage in intellectual battles with talented courtesans.

The influence of the Qinhuai River's elegance on the economy and people's livelihood was evident. The most famous was the Pearl Market, where a large number of jewelry and ornaments were bought by wealthy customers every day, just to win a smile from a beauty.

Xu Hao's father, Xu Qingtang, ran a silk shop hidden in the Pearl Market, and business was naturally prosperous, after all, there were so many women here.

Xu Qingtang's original name was Xu Yuntang, but they all changed their names to avoid the taboo of the character "Yun" in Zhu Yunwen's name.

Xu Hao was not yet fully aware of the details of his family's business. He had always wanted to open a high-end shop to cater to the characteristics of the capital, where there were many wealthy families. This idea was still in the conceptual stage. In fact, if he could turn a corner of the Xu family garden into a commercial street, he could sit at home and collect rent, and the money would flow in.

It seemed that ministers were often beheaded and their properties confiscated. He did not know if their residences would be confiscated by the state or sold at a low price. Both were possible. The laws regarding private property in ancient times were very complete. He could buy a residence or several houses near the Qinhuai River and develop real estate.

This idea was worth a try and must be done before Zhu Yuanzhang passed away. At this time, the ministers' lives were uncertain. If the benevolent Jianwen Emperor came to power, the ministers would have security, but in a few years, there would be wars and turmoil, affecting the environment for making money. Waiting for Zhu Di to enter the capital? By then, it would be too late.

As for the huge amount of funds needed, Xu Hao innocently blinked. As a glorious and great secret agent, the organization would certainly provide a large amount of funds.

It was despicable to ask for money and think about the girl Mu, but Xu Hao did not care.

Because being greedy and lustful, though derogatory, was also a good protective charm in a certain sense. In the eyes of the great figures, a subordinate with flaws was easier to control than one without. Like his second grandfather Xu Da, who spent countless gold and silver to build a garden, kept dozens of singing girls at home, and enjoyed life at home.

In contrast, the prime minister Hu Weiyong was known for his integrity and public service. His close subordinates almost praised him as a saint not inferior to the famous prime ministers of ancient times. Could such a person be without ambition? Zhu Yuanzhang would never tolerate it, and he ended up as a ghost under the knife.

There was also Li Shanchang, who was greedy and lustful, which originally made Zhu Yuanzhang feel quite at ease. Even though he was involved with Hu Weiyong, he was not pursued.

However, although Li Shanchang was greedy, he was not willing to spend money. Ten years after Hu Weiyong's death, when he saw Xu Da building a garden, he also tried to expand his residence. To save money, he even asked the Marquis of Xinggong Tang He to lend him three hundred soldiers for free labor. Tang He, fearing for his life, told the emperor. What do you want to do with all that money? Do you want to rebel?

This was not all. Xu Da stayed at home for ten years, not caring about anything. But Li Shanchang, though old, still had a young heart. When his relatives got into trouble, he went out to plead for them, which was the most detested by Zhu Yuanzhang. In the end, all old and new accounts were settled, and he was charged as a remnant of Hu Weiyong's faction, and his entire family of seventy people were executed together.

Xu Hao, lost in thought, sat at the bow of the boat, secretly thinking that his second grandfather was a time bomb. Who knew when he might be beheaded?

Li Shanchang's eldest son was spared death because he was a prince's son-in-law. He did not know if the princess and prince's son-in-law could save their lives. What about the fake prince's son-in-law? He might as well run to the seaside and become a pirate, specifically raiding Japan. No, he got seasick, oh, his head was dizzy.

"Master, we have arrived."

Lai Bao interrupted his bitter enjoyment. Xu Hao saw that they had arrived at an estate by the river, surrounded by a few small villages, and the tall and continuous city walls could be faintly seen in the distance.

At the dock, there were more than a dozen boats, and the courtyard gate was filled with young men wearing scholar's robes or Taoist robes. Xu Hao secretly cursed that there would always be people who fawned on the rich and powerful, especially when it was a great opportunity to gain both wealth and status.

If I marry Ningxue, I will not take a single penny from the Mu family, Xu Hao proudly divided himself and the others into two categories: good people and bad people.

Xu Hao, who claimed not to be greedy, gave Lai Bao a wink. Lai Bao lowered his head and hurriedly disappeared. Xu Hao smiled and sat at the bow of the boat, waiting to watch the fun.

After a while, Lai Bao came out of the estate and said expressionlessly, "One tael of silver per exam paper, willing to buy and willing to sell, no explanations! Limited quantity, first come, first served."

In a moment, Lai Bao was surrounded by a group of young men, who eagerly took out their silver. To Xu Hao's surprise, no one questioned the authenticity of the exam papers. He did not know that buying and selling exam papers in the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall had been a common practice for generations, and there were even more bizarre things. A tael of silver was nothing; they would buy it first and see if it was real or fake.

In less than half a cup of tea's time, Lai Bao had run off with more than thirty taels of silver. Xu Hao coughed lightly and leisurely got off the boat.

As he passed two young men, he heard them curse, "A bunch of incompetent scoundrels, even if they manage to sneak into the Mu family, they will eventually be exposed."

"Pay no attention to those small people, quickly study the poetry. The princess likes this, we must cater to her tastes."

Xu Hao sneered, thinking, don't dream. A noble princess, a pure and innocent young lady, would never set exam questions for you men. Is it because I have watched too many TV shows and novels, or is your imagination too rich?

Only relatives of my status have the right to meet and speak to her in a proper manner. I even have her personal poetry, and I won't tell you.

Xu Hao walked briskly, feeling elated. Even if I met a princess, I wouldn't have to retreat, right?

As they say, enemies meet in narrow paths. Xu Hao suddenly saw the eldest son of the Cao family, who had changed from the brocade and jade of the Jingchuan Marquis to a simple white Taoist robe and plain socks and shoes.

Seeing Xu Hao, the eldest son of the Cao family pointed at him and shouted, "Brothers, it's him, everyone, attack him."

The page turns, and the advertisement begins.

The page turns, and the advertisement ends.