A Pawn's Passage

In the eyes of many within the Daoist Order, Qi Xuansu was already regarded as the Fourth Prodigy, one of the potential candidates for the future Deputy Grand Master.

At this time, this outstanding Daoist prodigy was certainly not worrying about affairs of state or problems of the world. Rather, he was occupied with a personal lifelong matter—buying a house.

That was because to get married, he would first need a house.

Qi Xuansu did have a house, an old residence in Haichan Place. Zhang Yuelu did not look down on him either. However, their marriage was not merely between two individuals, but between two families.

Before the prestigious thousand-year-old Zhang family, his current house in Haichan Place was somewhat unpresentable. Besides, this old house would not be fitting for them as newlyweds.

Strictly speaking, all houses in Jade Capital were centuries old. Even the Grand Master or Deputy Grand Master lived in residences that others had occupied before. Yet in most people’s perception, a newly purchased house was considered new. At worst, one could simply renovate it.

Thus, Qi Xuansu now had this problem to deal with.

Qi Xuansu’s income was now fairly substantial, about 10,000 Taiping coins a year. In the past, he would not have dared imagine such wealth. After all, his bribe to Sun Yongfeng had once cost him a mere 200 Taiping coins.

But even so, buying a house in Jade Capital was no simple matter.

Jade Capital was unlike any other place. It was the ancestral seat of the Daoist Order. Technically, no one could truly purchase a house there. In name, all buildings in Jade Capital belonged to the Daoist Order and were overseen by Tianji Hall.

This was akin to the practice of “one field, two owners.” A piece of land could be divided into its land and its surface. The land and surface grants could be held by different people, each functioning as separate and non-interfering parts that were freely bought, sold, mortgaged, or gifted.

The landholder could not farm and could only collect rent. To farm, they would have to buy the ownership of the surface. Meanwhile, the surface holder could farm but must pay rent. They could also freely sell or transfer the surface grant or even build houses or graves upon it with no interference from the landholder. If the surface holder defaulted on rent, the landholder might seek repayment in other forms, but could not evict the former unless the surface holder sold the surface. This was the “one field, two owners” system.

Similarly, the residents of Jade Capital held no ownership of their houses, not even the Grand Master. They possessed only the right to use and not ownership. Thus, all were tenants, though the leases were very long, extending to 100 years. Daoist priests customarily referred to such century-long leases as “buying” a property.

Qi Xuansu’s purchase was in fact just a lease. But given that he and Zhang Yuelu were still very young, it would have to be for the full hundred years, which was no small sum.

If it were only that, it would not be a problem. Back then, Qi Xuansu’s master had rented a small courtyard in Haichan Place for 1,000 Taiping coins for 20 years. A 100-year lease would be 5,000 Taiping coins, which was barely half a year’s income for Qi Xuansu, hardly worth fretting about.

However, Qi Xuansu could not continue living in Haichan Place.

Firstly, Haichan Place was poorly situated, far from Taiqing Square and even farther from Xuan City. It was also not close to the flying-ship ports outside the city, either. Even within Haichan Place, prices varied. Roadside homes were more expensive, while those deep in alleys, like Qi Xuansu’s old residence, were cheaper.

Secondly, each neighborhood had its own distinction. For instance, members of the Great Xuan royal family lived in Xuanyuan Place, while most Daoist Sages resided in Taishang Place, with only a few scattered in other Upper Eight Neighborhoods. Since Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were about to be promoted to Sages, they risked being branded eccentric if they chose to live in Haichan Place instead of Taishang Place. This was a label strictly disallowed since the fifth-generation Grand Master’s rule.

Most importantly, Qi Xuansu had to consider the feelings of his future in-laws. The Heavenly Preceptor had granted him so much kindness, so he could not just throw it away. If he truly made Zhang Yuelu live in a small courtyard with him, the Zhang family would be displeased. To put it plainly, the Zhangs were overbearing. Qi Xuansu could ignore that or even push back, but when they made reasonable demands, he could not rightly refuse. If he lacked the means, that would be one thing. But since he did have the means, what would it look like if he chose Haichan Place just to save money? That would only give the Li family reason to laugh at them.

Qi Xuansu’s old home was merely a small courtyard with two bedrooms, a study, a kitchen, and a living room. Their new residence could not be so small. It had to be large, with multiple courtyards.

A location in Taishang Place with multiple courtyards for a 100-year lease—with such conditions, prices naturally skyrocketed. By then, not to mention 5,000 Taiping coins, even 500,000 Taiping coins would not suffice.

Another key point was that the Zhang family would prepare a house as part of Zhang Yuelu’s dowry. If Qi Xuansu did not want to be branded a matrilocal son-in-law, then his purchase should at least match that. If he chose to give up and accept the label, the Zhangs would be only too glad. After all, they would not lose out on having a Sage as a matrilocal son-in-law, even in name.

This left Qi Xuansu in difficulty. There was no way he could earn such a vast sum of Taiping coins in the short term. He could save for a lifetime and still not have enough.

Thus, only two paths remained. First, he could borrow from the Taiping Bank. With his status, the loan would be approved easily, even interest-free. Once he becomes an Omniscient Sage, the bank might even find an excuse to forgive the remaining debt. But Qi Xuansu was unwilling to do so. The key was that his status had changed. If he were advancing large-scale trade under the Daoist mansion’s name, then taking out a major loan would be justified. But borrowing such a large sum just to buy a house was simply unseemly.

Some people would inevitably mutter with ill intent. “Even Zhang Juquan, who barely counts in the Zhang family, owns dozens of houses and keeps countless women. But the Daoist Order’s dignified Fourth Prodigy still needs a loan to buy a house! Who are you pretending to be poor for? Do other Sages take out loans to buy homes? Is Qi Xuansu the only incorruptible soul in this vast Daoist Order, while everyone else is tainted? You’re just chasing fame, trying to flaunt false virtue by making a show of this. What a hypocrite!”

In the Daoist Order, being unconventional was heavily frowned upon. Zhang Yuelu was an example of that. Moreover, the higher one stood, the more others resented them. Qi Xuansu, still so young yet already in a lofty position, had every action scrutinized, with countless people waiting to find fault with him. Unless absolutely necessary, he did not want to stand out over such a trivial matter.

That left him with one final option—turn to the elders.

This was not shameful, as it was difficult to settle down in the foremost neighborhood in Jade Capital if one abided by the rules and relied solely on oneself at his age. Even Li Changge, Yao Pei, and Zhang Yuelu had to rely on family support. So there was no reason Qi Xuansu could not ask Madam Qi for help.

Yet this time, it was not Qi Xuansu who reached out to Madam Qi, but Madam Qi who contacted him.

When Qi Xuansu saw Madam Qi appear on the other side of the mother-child mirror, he was astonished. “Madam Qi? Didn’t you say once I left the Central Plains, you could no longer make contact? Are you in Fenglin now?”

Madam Qi replied, “I’m in Jade Capital. I’m contacting you through a special channel, so naturally, it isn’t bound by such limits.”

Qi Xuansu asked curiously, “A special channel? Do you mean to say that you’re in Jade Capital? Where are you?”

“Yuxu Palace,” Madam Qi said casually.

Jade Capital had two Yuxu Palaces. One stood atop Yuxu Peak and was used for ceremonies, while the other was within the Purple Mansion and belonged to the Earthly Preceptor.

Qi Xuansu asked instinctively, “Which Yuxu Palace?”

Madam Qi answered matter-of-factly, “The Earthly Preceptor’s Yuxu Palace, of course. Do you think I’d be at the ceremonial palace on Yuxu Peak? Why would they have a mother-child mirror there?”

Qi Xuansu was silent for a long while.

Madam Qi snorted. “What’s with that look? So you’re allowed to visit the Heavenly Preceptor’s Biyou Palace, but I can’t come to the Earthly Preceptor’s Yuxu Palace?”

Qi Xuansu coughed lightly. “That’s not what I meant. I’m just surprised. Madam Qi, what identity did you use to enter the Purple Mansion?”

Madam Qi held up a token identical to Zhang Yuelu’s and waved it in Qi Xuansu’s face. “You don’t have this, right? I’ve had this token for 40 years now!”

Qi Xuansu fell speechless once again. Indeed, he did not have such a token. His last visit to Biyou Palace had been with a temporary pass, which had already expired shortly after he left.

Madam Qi said, “Alright, my time is limited, so no more idle chatter. Let’s talk business. I’ve already spoken with Zhi Sheng[1]. We’re going to buy you a residence in Taishang Place.”

Qi Xuansu parted his lips slightly, unable to believe his ears.

Pixiu[2] Qi, who guarded her wealth like life itself, actually offered to buy him a house without waiting for him to ask?! For an instant, he even suspected the woman before him was an impostor.

Madam Qi let out a cold snort. “Hmph! That look again. I told you long ago that I was saving for your marriage, but you never believed me. Instead, you always suspected that I’ve pocketed your measly salary. Now, put your hand on your heart and tell me—have I ever deceived you?”

Qi Xuansu replied sincerely, “No, ma’am. I was wrong for judging your noble heart with petty suspicion.”

But Qi Xuansu’s gratitude did not last long, as Madam Qi quickly added, “But I’ve done the math. The pittance I’ve taken from you is still far from enough to pay off that large sum to get you a house in Taishang Place. So, I’ve already spoken with Pei Xuanzhi. From now on, your stipend won’t be issued to you directly. It’ll go to me instead, counted as repayment of debt until it’s paid off in full. Considering our relationship, I’ll set your interest at the lowest rate. You know my motto—accounts must be clear even between mother and son!”

Qi Xuansu’s smile slowly froze on his face. He thought, This is no impostor. She’s definitely the Pixiu Qi I know...

Madam Qi continued, “Speaking of which, I plan to retire here when I grow old and can’t manage anymore. So you’d better tell me now, who will be calling the shots in this household—you or that Zhang girl?”

1. Sage Cihang’s courtesy name. ☜

2. Chinese mythological beast with a voracious appetite for gold and treasures. ☜