Chapter Twenty-Eight: Buying a House!

Zhao Yizhen, as if oblivious to any hidden meaning, looked at Empress Dowager Yang with a face full of filial affection. "Mother Yang, the Yang family is, after all, my maternal kin; I shall see to it that they are well cared for."

Empress Dowager Yang was deeply moved. She held down Zhao Yizhen’s hand as he reached for a second bowl of porridge. "Your Majesty, it is late. Eating too much will only cause indigestion. One bowl is quite enough."

Zhao Yizhen chuckled sheepishly and had no choice but to set down his bowl and chopsticks.

Empress Dowager Yang’s visit was a complete success. After exchanging a few more words of casual, familial chatter, she ordered Zhi Ting to pack up the bowls and the food box, then took her leave.

Zhao Yizhen stared at the flickering candlelight, his expression as dim and shifting as the flame.

He waved his hand to summon Yu Zhong and asked in a low voice, "Have you found out where the rumors originated?"

Yu Zhong shook his head, his expression grave. "This old servant is useless. The time has been too short, and too many hands have been involved. I still need more time."

Zhao Yizhen leaned back slowly into his chair, his demeanor restless and anxious.

His sudden return to the capital was twofold: first, the situation at Wanfo Temple had reached an unbreakable deadlock, and staying there was futile. He decided to withdraw, hoping to give the monsters lurking in the shadows a chance to reveal their tails.

Second, news had arrived from the Imperial Tombs that the late Emperor’s Consort Chen, who had been guarding the tomb, had passed away. As the Emperor, he had to return to the capital to issue an edict and express his mourning.

Third, immediately following Consort Chen’s death, rumors began to circulate through the palace, claiming that it was Empress Dowager Wen who had forced her to her death. The reason, they said, was that Consort Chen was actually his biological mother, and Empress Dowager Wen was merely a foster mother who had stolen him away.

The first two matters were not of great concern, but this last one was truly hair-raising.

Regardless of whether the rumors were true or false, Zhao Yizhen’s growing detachment from Empress Dowager Wen over the past few days was all too real.

Yu Zhong could not bear to see the current situation from the bottom of his heart. When the late Emperor was alive, Consort Chen had never been favored, and after his passing, she had accomplished nothing. Everyone knew of her incompetence; otherwise, she would never have been sent to guard the Imperial Tombs. Meanwhile, Empress Dowager Wen had exhausted herself and turned her hair white, all for the sake of the Great Yu dynasty and the Emperor’s throne.

Even if she were not his biological mother, what of it? How many biological mothers could have done as much?

But these were words Yu Zhong dared not speak; they were words that cost heads.

Zhao Yizhen was silent for a moment, then asked, "Have you found any witnesses to the events of that year?"

Yu Zhong shook his head again. "Your Majesty, twenty-three years have passed. Two groups of palace servants have been dismissed over the years, and most of the elders are no longer with us."

This matter, like the affair at Wanfo Temple, had plunged into an inescapable dead end.

Manager Su moved with great efficiency. Within two or three days, he had selected several suitable houses for Li Xubai and personally took him to inspect them one by one.

Since he was buying a house for the Li family, Li Xubai brought along Li Xuzhang and Li Yunnuan, while Song Shiyu carried the soundly sleeping Li Xuwei in her arms. However, the way she held the child looked awkward no matter how one viewed it.

Li Xubai couldn't help but laugh. "Sister-in-law, really, don't drop the child."

Song Shiyu’s hands were accustomed to cold steel, and holding this soft, boneless infant left her feeling flustered and helpless. Hearing Li Xubai’s remark, she shoved Li Xuwei into his arms. "You hold him!"

"..." Now, it was Li Xubai’s turn to be at a loss.

Seeing this, Li Xuzhang hurried over to take the whimpering Li Xuwei from Li Xubai, cradling and coaxing him.

Li Xuzhang’s injured leg had been reset the day before. Having endured the bone-deep pain, he was now looking toward a fresh rebirth. Li Xubai had spent a small fortune to craft him a wooden wheelchair by hand and assigned him the lightest chores in the Li household: holding the baby, coaxing him, feeding him, and changing diapers.

Li Xuzhang had pulled himself out of his despair and plunged headfirst into the life of a super dad. Surprisingly, he was quite adept at it and found great joy in it. He seemed to have a real sense of accomplishment.

Li Xubai sighed to himself. Perhaps it wasn't his leg that was the problem, but his brain!

"Second Young Master, this is the last house," Manager Su said, leading the Li family across Zhou Bridge, turning through two lanes, and pointing to a black-lacquered wooden door at the mouth of an alley.

Li Xubai looked around the alley. It was not particularly deep, lined with residential houses—six households in total. At the end of the alley stood a well, making access to water very convenient. A quarter of an hour’s walk from the alley brought one to Zhou Bridge. Standing at the entrance, one could faintly hear the peddlers on the bridge and the gurgling of the water flowing beneath it.

He nodded to himself. This location was equivalent to the third ring road of the capital. The price would certainly not be low.

Manager Su had the agent open the door, and the group entered. The courtyard was the smallest of the four they had seen, less than half a mu, but it was tidy and clean. The center was paved with blue bricks, and there were patches of vegetable garden on either side. Because no one had tended to them and the farming season had passed, the ground had gone fallow and sprouted some weeds.

Facing the courtyard gate was a row of four blue-brick tile-roofed rooms. The paper on the windows was torn and rattled in the wind. The black tiles on the roof, however, looked newly renovated, their color fresh and neatly laid.

Pushing the door open, the four rooms were remarkably bright and airy, with excellent lighting. The walls had been plastered with lime, and each room had a large heated brick bed built against the wall.

The kitchen was at the west end, with a small utility room in the corner.

Li Xubai nodded repeatedly, quite satisfied. "Sister-in-law, Third Brother, Fourth Sister, what do you think?"

Song Shiyu had been born into a prestigious, noble family in her previous life. Though she had lived through hard times after her downfall, she had never known poverty again once she took refuge under a powerful patron, and she had certainly never lived in such a dilapidated house. She couldn't say whether she was satisfied or not, so she stood with her arms crossed, looking indifferent.

Li Xuzhang and Li Yunnuan were exceptionally excited, already starting to plan what they would plant in the courtyard.

Li Xubai understood. He turned to the agent and asked, "How much for this house?"

The agent chuckled. "Young Master has a sharp eye. This house has great lighting, a prime location, and it’s newly built. With this craftsmanship and these materials, it will last for decades." He paused slightly and added, "The price is a bit steep; the original owner is asking for eight hundred taels."

"How much? Eight hundred taels? Why don't you just go rob someone!" Li Xubai exclaimed. He had expected the place wouldn't be cheap, but he hadn't anticipated it being this expensive. If they bought this, they would be penniless overnight.

Li Xuzhang and Li Yunnuan were also startled, stumbling back a step.

Li Yunnuan tugged on Li Xubai’s sleeve and whispered, "Second Brother, how about the previous one? It was only three hundred taels."

Manager Su shook his head. "Second Young Master, while that one is cheap, it only has one and a half rooms." He looked troubled. "With so many of you, how could you possibly fit?"

Li Xubai hadn't liked that one either; it was not only small but also far away. He shook his head. "That won't work. It's too far from the carriage and horse depot; it would take me an hour to get there."

"Second Brother, how about the one for six hundred taels? The courtyard is large, we could plant lots of vegetables, and we could build more rooms," suggested Li Xuzhang.

Li Xubai fell into deep thought.

Song Shiyu spoke up coolly, "That won't work either. The alley is too chaotic; it's surrounded by gambling dens and brothels. Even good people would be corrupted there."

The group fell silent for a moment. The suitable ones were too expensive, and the cheap ones were too decrepit.

"Fine, enough agonizing. Let's take this one. There are benefits to paying more." Li Xubai made the final decision. While his heart ached for the silver, he thought of the story of Mencius’s mother moving three times—perhaps their family could also produce a great official one day?

Upon hearing this, the agent was overjoyed. "I said the Young Master had an eye for quality! The original owner said that although the asking price is high, it is absolutely worth it. Young Master, the owner is a capital official being reassigned to an external post. He is leaving all the furniture and decor behind. When you move in, you won't need to purchase a single thing."

Once Li Xubai heard this, his last bit of hesitation vanished. It was essentially move-in ready. What more was there to wait for?