Chapter 651: The Rent Was Too Low
Sooner or later, Luoyang would take notice of Xiaolangdi.
Li Daoxuan had anticipated this, considering how close Xiaolangdi was to Luoyang. What he hadn't anticipated, though, was that the Prince of Fu's Residence would be the first to take notice.
Gao Yiye couldn't help but voice her surprise. "The prefect, who's actually responsible for local administration, hasn't bothered with us, yet the Prince of Fu's Residence showed up first? What's the logic in that?"
Bai Yuan spread his hands. "Because... Xiaolangdi is, in fact, a fief of the Prince of Fu's Residence."
Gao Yiye gasped, "What?"
Li Daoxuan chuckled. "Ah, I see."
Zhu Changxun, the Prince of Fu, had been Emperor Shenzong's most favored son.
Emperor Shenzong had once considered naming him Crown Prince, sparking the "Great Controversy over the Heir Apparent" during the Wanli reign, a conflict that simmered for fifteen long years.
While the Prince of Fu's Residence couldn't rival the formidable Prince of Qin's Residence, which held the realm's premier princely fiefdom, it was certainly among the top two most powerful in the empire.
As Li Daoxuan was sifting through these scattered historical facts, he heard Bai Yuan explain, "Representatives from the Prince of Fu's Residence came for a stroll and a look around. They haven't turned hostile yet, but they did inform us that this is their fiefdom, and if we intend to establish ourselves here, we'll need to pay rent."
Gao Yiye pouted, grumbling, "When Xiaolangdi was overrun by water bandits, the Prince of Fu's Residence didn't dare utter a peep. Now that we've chased them off, brought in settlers, and started developing the area, suddenly they show up? Ha! Is this how they bully honest folk? Are we supposed to just take it with a gun to our heads?"
Li Daoxuan chuckled. "Haha, no need to get worked up. If the land truly belongs to them, then us using their property and paying a small rent is, in fact, quite reasonable. From antiquity to modernity, past or future, paying rent is a perfectly normal business practice."
Bai Yuan blinked. "Oh?"
Gao Yiye tilted her head. "Hmm?"
Neither of them had expected the Heavenly Lord to take the side of the Prince of Fu's Residence.
However, Li Daoxuan's tone swiftly shifted. "But, their land was originally overrun by water bandits. We drove them out, which certainly counts as solving a major problem for their family. Therefore, we should also charge them a 'bandit expulsion fee.' That, too, is a perfectly reasonable business practice."
Hearing this, Bai Yuan and Gao Yiye realized the Heavenly Lord was simply jesting. They both burst into laughter. "Precisely, precisely!"
Li Daoxuan began, "Next time the Prince of Fu's people come, you just—"
Before he could finish, a militia soldier ran up, breathlessly reporting, "Eunuch Zheng from the Prince of Fu's Residence has arrived!"
Li Daoxuan smiled. "Speak of the devil, and he appears."
A moment later, a soft sedan chair approached the entrance of Yellow Turban Fortress, carrying a pale, portly man with a smooth, beardless face. His nostrils flared towards those around him, his gaze fixed on the sky. When he spoke, it was with the delicate, high-pitched voice of a eunuch: "Master Bai, I trust you've been well?"
Only after speaking did he notice that Bai Yuan wasn't alone. Standing beside him were a handsome, dashing male warrior and a young, beautiful female warrior.
These two warriors exuded an extraordinary aura, clearly not common adventurers. Were it not for their martial attire, the eunuch might have mistaken them for the young master and lady of some prominent household.
Bai Yuan was about to make introductions, but Li Daoxuan stepped forward and introduced himself. "Eunuch Zheng, greetings. My name is Xiao Qiushui, and this is my wife, Tang Fang. We've traversed the jianghu for over two decades, specializing in bandit extermination."
Eunuch Zheng found this man's manner of speech quite lacking in propriety, his entire bearing radiating a casual, carefree indifference. He mused, *Jianghu folk truly have no grasp of conversational etiquette.*
He couldn't be bothered with such rough jianghu types; only a man of Bai Yuan's standing could barely warrant his attention. He refocused on Bai Yuan. "Regarding the rent we discussed last time, Master Bai, what have you decided?"
Bai Yuan smiled, brimming with confidence; the Heavenly Lord had just coached him on this very matter. "Eunuch, how much was that rent you quoted last time, exactly?"
Eunuch Zheng replied, "This Xiaolangdi, with its hundred li of winding waterways, represents a truly vast expanse of land. Were it fertile farmland, the rent would be considerable. However, I have taken into account that this place has long been desolate and isn't particularly good land, so we'll settle for just three hundred taels of silver a year."
His previous offer had also been three hundred taels, which Bai Yuan had then said he needed to consider, leading to a standstill in negotiations.
This time, Eunuch Zheng's return was driven by an absolute determination; he was resolved to secure those three hundred taels of silver.
Having stated his price, Eunuch Zheng braced himself for a verbal sparring match with Bai Yuan.
However, Bai Yuan listened, a faint smile playing on his lips, but remained silent.
It was Li Daoxuan, standing beside them, who finally spoke, his voice laced with feigned shock. "What? Three hundred taels?"
Eunuch Zheng turned, an eyebrow raised. "What, you think that's too much?"
"Far too little!" Li Daoxuan shook his head emphatically. "This is ridiculously low, far too little! Honestly, Eunuch, no offense, but how can you be so utterly oblivious to current market conditions?"
Eunuch Zheng stared, utterly dumbfounded.
Li Daoxuan adopted a tone of mock exasperation. "Eunuch, this is Xiaolangdi we're talking about! It's situated in the very heartland of the Central Plains, boasts a hundred li of continuous waterways, and offers the unparalleled advantage of Yellow River shipping. Such a prime location..."
Eunuch Zheng found himself momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond.
Li Daoxuan continued, "Let me educate you. You're familiar with Macau, aren't you? A tiny fishing village on the southeastern coast, a barren, broken-down place with nothing to its name and a truly minuscule territory. Do you know how much the Portuguese paid to lease that little patch of land?"
Eunuch Zheng, completely thrown off guard, leaned forward, a spark of curiosity in his eyes. "How much?" he asked.
Li Daoxuan held up five fingers. "Five hundred taels!"
Eunuch Zheng's eyes widened. "Five hundred taels, you say?"
Li Daoxuan nodded. "Precisely! A rundown fishing village by the sea fetches five hundred taels, and yet for a prime location like Xiaolangdi, Eunuch, you offered a mere three hundred. If that's not utter ignorance of market conditions, then what is?"
Bai Yuan and Gao Yiye watched, thoroughly entertained, as the Heavenly Lord spouted his eloquent nonsense, leaving Eunuch Zheng utterly bewildered. They exchanged knowing glances, thinking: *The Heavenly Lord is truly enjoying himself, toying with mere mortals once again.*
Li Daoxuan declared, "In my estimation, a prime location like Xiaolangdi simply cannot command a lower rent than Macau. It must be higher, absolutely higher!"
Eunuch Zheng brightened, overjoyed. "Indeed, indeed, you make an excellent point! So, how much higher would you say is appropriate?"
Li Daoxuan pondered, then stated, "At least one tael more. So, five hundred and one taels."
"Pfft!" Gao Yiye couldn't hold back, a burst of laughter escaping her lips.
Eunuch Zheng felt a distinct sense of being belittled, yet the other party had undeniably raised the price from three hundred to five hundred and one taels, not haggled it down. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, but for the life of him, he couldn't pinpoint what it was.
Just then, Li Daoxuan's conversational tone abruptly shifted. "Oh, by the way, Eunuch! Given how strategically important Xiaolangdi is, why did the Prince of Fu's Residence consistently allow it to remain under the control of water bandits?"
Eunuch Zheng's face flushed with an awkward blush. "Well... the water bandits in Xiaolangdi were indeed numerous and varied, dispersed across countless mountain strongholds and riverine forts. The waterways were a labyrinth, making them exceedingly difficult to suppress. The imperial court launched several campaigns against them, expending vast sums, yet proved utterly unable to eradicate the problem, and eventually, they simply threw up their hands and abandoned the effort."
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