Tianliangyuan

Chapter 183 A Plot of Land

Sun Huaizhi has been coming frequently these past few days.

However, he clearly had ulterior motives.

Those who are interested will generally know about the power dynamics among the elites in the capital.

With the decline of the Sun family, Sun Huaizhi knew that he could no longer rely on the elders of the Sun family, so he thought of taking advantage of the Marquis's mansion.

The old lady's current illness presents a perfect opportunity for Sun Huaizhi to make the most of it.

It's perfectly reasonable for his grandson to come and take care of him when he's ill.

Sun Huaizhi was a smart man; he knew what he could use and what bottom lines he couldn't cross.

Therefore, when he was in the government office, he would deliberately mention to his colleagues that he was going to the Marquis's mansion to take care of the sick, so that people would know that he and the Marquis of Anxin's family were not ordinary relatives, but that he was a legitimate grandson of the Marquis.

Those who are interested can see through his little scheme, but they won't expose it, since he is indeed related to the Xu family.

Some newcomers to officialdom, however, are completely oblivious until someone points it out, and they then realize that the person is showing off their powerful connections.

Sun Huaizhi has done a good job at the East Market Office. At least so far, he has not caused any trouble, nor has he been reprimanded by the East Market Magistrate.

After arranging things for Sun Huaizhi, the Xu brothers, Xu Han and Xu Wen, didn't worry about him much. After all, he was just a minor city official, and they didn't usually have any dealings with him. Over time, they forgot about him.

It was after the old lady fell ill and Sun Huaizhi visited several times that he finally clashed with Xu Wen, who was returning home early.

Xu Wen wasn't surprised to see him, but asked coldly, "Why are you finishing your shift so early today?"

Sun Huaizhi bowed and said, "Second Uncle, my maternal grandmother is unwell. As a junior, I should do my best to take care of her. As for the affairs of the yamen, I have already made arrangements before I left."

"Well, you're new to officialdom, and although your rank isn't high, you'll still be subject to assessments. Don't let anyone find fault with you and affect your future promotion."

"Yes, Second Uncle."

"Alright, if there's nothing else, then go ahead."

Xu Wen had just lifted his leg when Sun Huaizhi hurriedly said, "Uncle, please wait. I suddenly remembered something that might be related to you."

Xu Wen is currently serving as the Vice Minister of War, wielding considerable authority, but this authority is limited to military officers.

Therefore, Xu Wen never thought that his nephew Sun Huaizhi, who was pursuing a career in the civil service through the imperial examinations, could possibly need his help with anything.

"Is something wrong?"

"Second Uncle, it's like this. The East Market Office intends to build houses on that vacant lot in Pingkang Ward. I found out that there is a piece of land there that belongs to the Marquis's Mansion, so I wanted to come and ask when we can go through the paperwork to transfer this land to the East Market Office."

Xu Wen was completely dumbfounded.

Is Sun Huaizhi out of his mind?

Since he said it was the Marquis's land, why should it be assigned to the government office?

Is this an attempt to raid their property?

"Can you say that again?"

Sun Huaizhi then smiled again and said, "Perhaps I didn't explain myself clearly just now. We also have new arrangements for this vacant land. Of course, we won't make things difficult for you, Uncle. Chang'an County will also contribute money to that land. This is something we will do together with Chang'an County. The purpose is to make the capital city cleaner and more level."

This reason sounds absurd.

And you said you'd give money, how much?

Furthermore, if Chang'an County wants to be clean and tidy, shouldn't it first find a way to repair the road surface and then arrange more manpower to sweep the streets?

So, what does it have to do with that vacant lot?

You should know that even beggars are not allowed to enter the capital.

Furthermore, what kind of place is Pingkangfang?

That place has the most entertainment venues, and many dignitaries from the capital go there to drink and listen to music. How could the streets not be tidy?

Whoever is appointed as the magistrate of Chang'an County or the magistrate of the East Market will first take charge of environmental improvement here.

Even though Xu Wen had been away from Beijing for many years, he was not a fool.

So don't try to fool yourself with those convincing excuses.

"You can consult with the Marquis about this matter yourself; I will not interfere."

Xu Wen looked Sun Huai up and down and thought that his nephew was too carefree.

When Sun Huaizhi saw that Xu Wen refused to help, he thought that his second uncle was afraid of his eldest uncle. In addition, the Hou family property should have been 70% to the eldest uncle and only 30% to the second uncle. Furthermore, the second aunt's family was clearly inferior to the eldest aunt's.

Therefore, Sun Huaizhi felt that his second uncle's family was not particularly wealthy, and he probably dared not inquire about his eldest uncle's affairs.

Sun Huaizhi thought he had seen through all the interests involved, so he just smiled and left the mansion, pondering how to get his due benefit from this matter.

The Marquis of Anxin's residence does indeed own a piece of land there, and it's quite large.

This piece of land has remained undeveloped for many years. It was acquired by Xu Han from someone else shortly after Emperor Yong'an ascended the throne.

Because he didn't buy it with his own money, and given the special circumstances at the time, Xu Han didn't start construction for a long time after obtaining the land deed, and just put it on hold because he still missed the incense offerings of his old friends.

But now, this piece of land has caught the eye of Sun Huaizhi.

Xu Wen couldn't help but have doubts when he thought about the trouble that piece of land had caused back then.

Xu Han tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table, his expression slightly cold: "Sun Huaizhi has probably been used by someone. What 'improving the county's appearance'? I think it's clearly someone using him to try and take that land back."

Take it back?

Xu Wen frowned deeply: "Brother, do you mean Prince Qing?"

That piece of land back then was obtained from him by Xu Han through trickery.

But in reality, what Xu Han truly wanted back then wasn't this piece of land, but a mother and son.

As a result, whether it was due to Prince Qing's impulsiveness or not, in the end, Prince Qing refused to hand over the mother and child, preferring to give up such a large piece of land. This made Xu Han feel as if he didn't recognize him at all when he received the land deed.

Xu Han failed to save the mother and child's lives, but in return, he received a piece of land that he actually disdained.

Whenever he thought about the land here, he would remember that he had failed to protect his friend's family and relatives, and he wished he could kill Prince Qing with a sword!

The events of that year were complex and cannot be explained in a few words, nor are they simply a matter of right and wrong.

Xu Han couldn't get over that hurdle in his heart, so even when he was short of money, he would rather beg his wife for money than ever think about selling that piece of land.

Houses in the capital are not cheap, especially in Pingkangfang, which is known as a den of iniquity. If one can build a house there and manage it well, one will surely make a fortune every day.

Unfortunately, Xu Han just left it to waste.

This piece of land has become a piece of cake that many people want to touch but dare not touch, for fear of burning their hands, yet they are also thinking about its delicious taste!

But the self-righteous Sun Huaizhi barged in, hoping to put Xu Han in a difficult position.