The next morning, after eating breakfast, he sent out the four letters and finally saw the appearance of his new home.
The three-sectioned mansion, including the courtyard, should be over a thousand square meters in size, with four large rooms, including the east and west wings, main room, and back room, as well as several small rooms for the servants to live in.
The new house was in a great location, just a few hundred steps away from the General’s Manor, making it convenient to seek help if needed. Moreover, it was unlikely for petty thieves to dare to visit during peacetime.
Before everyone arrived in Shu State, Liang Zhen had already sent people to thoroughly clean the house, inside and out, and had purchased all the necessary furniture, none of which were of low quality, and must have cost a fortune.
“Chang Tian, take a look at these furnishings. If you don’t like them, we can send someone to buy new ones.”
Ying Er, Zhang San, and others were directing Liang’s servants to unload the luggage from the carriages, while Liang Zhen accompanied Wei Chang Tian on a leisurely stroll around the house.
The ancient, elegant courtyard was lush with greenery, with red flowers and green grass surrounding the veranda.
“These are quite good.”
Wei Chang Tian didn’t have any particular requirements for the furniture; besides, even if he wanted a sofa, he wouldn’t have one.
“Uncle Liang, I wonder how much these items cost in total? I’ll give you the silver…”
“Ah, nephew, what’s the point of counting the cost? We’re family, after all.”
“This… one thing at a time, I can’t just take advantage of your kindness.”
“If anyone’s taking advantage, it’s me, taking advantage of yours.”
Liang Zhen chuckled: “Just the one elixir you gave to Qin Er is enough to buy several houses like this in Shu State.”
“Cough, Qin Er grew up with me, one elixir is nothing.”
Wei Chang Tian rubbed his nose, deciding not to bring up the cost of the furniture again, and instead casually asked: “Uncle Liang, do you know who lives next door?”
This house was located at the end of the alley, with only one neighboring household.
From noble mtl dot come
The people living here definitely weren’t ordinary citizens, but probably not from a prominent family either.
As expected, Liang Zhen immediately introduced the neighbor: “I’ve had someone investigate; it’s a widow with a son.”
“Her husband was a famous escort in Shu State, but he went missing a few years ago while escorting goods, supposedly due to an encounter with bandits.”
“Fortunately, he had saved up a lot of money before, leaving behind the neighboring house, which should be enough for the mother and son to live on.”
“A widow, huh…”
Wei Chang Tian glanced at the adjacent courtyard wall, thinking that having such a neighbor was both good and bad.
After all, the ancient saying goes: “A widow’s doorstep is prone to disputes.”
“Uncle Liang, let’s go take a look next door.”
“Alright…”
…
Everyone had lunch at Wei Chang Tian’s house, marking the start of their new life.
The chef and several servants were temporarily borrowed from the Liang household, to be used for a while until Wei Chang Tian found suitable replacements later.
After lunch, Yang Liu Shi said she wanted to visit the woodwork shop to buy some furniture, such as dressing tables, for the ladies.
Since they didn’t know Wei Chang Tian would be bringing women, Liang Zhen hadn’t prepared these items, so he let Liang Qin accompany Yang Liu Shi, to avoid any unexpected incidents due to unfamiliarity.
Although Liang Qin was reluctant, she still agreed, quickly taking Yang Liu Shi and Ah Chun on a carriage ride.
Not long after they left, Liang Zhen took Wei Chang Tian to the provincial government, preparing to meet the Governor of Shu State.
Unlike other states, where the governor held both military and administrative power, Shu State’s power was divided.
The governor was in charge of administrative matters, while the general was in charge of military affairs.
The two officials were on equal footing, making it difficult to determine who was in charge during peacetime, but basically, they each managed their own domain, without interfering with each other.
Of course, during wartime, everything would be under the general’s command.
The provincial government was located in the north of the city, occupying an area similar to the Capital’s Hanging Mirror Bureau, with high and low buildings connected in a row, divided into separate areas for different government departments.
Soon, the two men met the Governor of Shu State, Shao Ying An, in a teahouse.
According to Liang Zhen’s introduction on the way, this Governor Shao was from a humble background, had become a top scholar thirty years ago, worked in the capital for ten years, and then spent nearly twenty years in various positions, finally becoming the Governor of Shu State a few years ago.
From a poor student to his current position, it was truly an inspiring story.
“Little Wei Chang Tian, meet Governor Shao.”
With a benevolent face and a strong literary aura, the elderly gentleman, Wei Changtian, politely bowed and greeted him.
Meanwhile, Shao Ying’an hastened to stand up and return the courtesy, saying, “I’ve long heard of your esteemed reputation, Mr. Wei. It’s an honor to finally meet you in person!”
“Your poetry is truly impressive, ‘Clouds think of clothes and flowers think of beauty, standing tall with swords in twelve states.’ I must admit, I’m deeply impressed!”
It’s undeniable that Shao Ying’an’s words were as smooth as water.
He didn’t mention the assassination of the prime minister, only praising Wei Changtian’s poetry.
No wonder he could become the governor of a state.
“I’m grateful for your praise, sir,” Wei Changtian said with a smile, sitting down alongside Shao Ying’an. Beside them, Liang Zhen timely added, “Sir Shao, if Wei Changtian encounters any problems in Shu State in the future, please don’t hesitate to offer your guidance.”
“Of course,” Shao Ying’an replied with a smile.
Everyone present was a seasoned socialite, well-versed in polite conversation.
As for whether Shao Ying’an would actually lend a hand if Wei Changtian came to him for help one day, that remained to be seen.
The room was filled with the fragrance of tea, while the sunlight outside was just right.
The three of them chatted idly over tea, until Liang Zhen asked, “By the way, Sir Shao, has anything unusual happened in the capital during my two-month absence?”
“Everything is as usual,” Shao Ying’an replied, nodding his head. However, he suddenly seemed to remember something and furrowed his brow, saying, “There is one strange matter, though.”
“What is it?” Liang Zhen asked.
“I just received the news,” Shao Ying’an said, looking puzzled. “A merchant convoy returned from An State yesterday, but when they reached the border between the two states, they discovered that half of our Shu State’s boundary stone was missing.”
“Cough!”
Liang Zhen spat out a mouthful of tea, interrupting, “This matter… isn’t that unusual, is it?”
“Ordinary boundary stones wouldn’t be unusual, but this particular one was engraved by the previous emperor and was a lock-spirit stone.”
Shao Ying’an asked, perplexed, “Liang Zhen, isn’t it said that the lock-spirit stone can’t be cut by anyone within three inches? How could it be missing half now?”
“Ah…”
Liang Zhen and Wei Changtian exchanged a glance, both recalling the scene where they had taken turns cutting the three-zhang-high stone in half with their swords that afternoon.
“Sir Shao, perhaps this isn’t a human act,” Wei Changtian analyzed seriously. “The lock-spirit stone can block the true energy of heaven and earth, but it can’t withstand brute force. Demonic creatures, on the other hand, possess far greater power than humans, so… it’s possible that they’re responsible.”
“Demonic creatures…”
Shao Ying’an nodded thoughtfully, “Wei Changtian’s words make sense. I’ll have someone notify the Willow Leaf Agency and have them send people to investigate.”
“Okay.”
Wei Changtian barely suppressed a smile, volunteering, “Sir Shao, since we’re going to the Suspended Mirror Agency’s Shu State branch anyway, I can inform them about this matter as well.”
“That would be even better. Thank you, Wei Changtian.”
“You’re welcome.”