Seeing the old man truly getting anxious, Yun Ye stopped provoking him. He pulled out a map from the bookshelf—this was one Yun Ye had copied from his own map, only changing the names. He pointed to a waterway and said to Li Gang, “Sir, look. Wood floats—this is a principle everyone knows. Why not use it? Your student will have golden thread nanmu cut down from mountains by the Yangtze River, remove the branches, cut them to suitable lengths, then bind them into rafts and push them into the Yangtze. We’ll find people with superior water skills to control them, letting them drift downstream along the Yangtze directly to Yangzhou. Upon reaching Yangzhou, your student will have them pass through the Han Canal, then continue north along the canal. If boats can travel it, why can’t your student’s rafts? Upon reaching the Eastern Capital Luoyang, do you think your student still has no way to transport that golden thread nanmu back to Chang’an?”

“Leave one good piece for me to make a coffin. Yushan, Lishi, Yuanzhang, and that old man Gongshu probably also need them. You’d better make the coffins and send them to me to save us the trouble. Also, this year’s student recruitment also needs you to run around for it. We don’t lack teachers now, but having only three hundred students is really too few. Additionally, when you’re building the palace, let some students participate. This will greatly benefit them. You can put academy matters aside for now. First get the money back. I’ll help you watch over the academy—nothing will go wrong.”

Old Li swore this was the last time he’d discuss money matters with Yun Ye. He also felt sorrow for those merchants who painstakingly transported golden thread nanmu back from the Shu plank roads. Golden thread nanmu was about to become cheap as chaff. He hoped not too many people would be impacted.

Old Li Gang was overthinking it. How could Yun Ye sell cheaply the good things he’d painstakingly obtained? Without squeezing and extracting the full value of these items, how could Yun Ye build a grand palace with thirty thousand strings? Right now the Linde Hall didn’t even have a shadow yet. Aside from Yun Ye, probably no one else knew what place the Daming Palace was.

No need to build Li Er something as exaggerated as a Linde Hall. That kind of palace claiming to be the world’s number one should be left to Li Chengqian or Li Zhi to build. Making Li Er moderately happy was enough—just rebuild according to the Taiji Palace. At least that wouldn’t be wrong. Flipping through the regulations of the Ministry of Works’ Construction Bureau, he was quite frightened by the detailed specifications down to the number of rafters. Better not to take matters into his own hands—following established precedents would be fine. If his own ideas were too radical and ended up attracting the verbal attacks of all the court officials, that would be bad. Hadn’t Master Li just advised him not to overstep? Then he wouldn’t overstep.

For some unknown reason, the Ministry of Works sent Yun Ye countless documents and books about construction, all in scrolls, filling three entire cartloads. The Ministry of Works’ minor official was respectful in attitude but grand in tone.

“Marquis, these are just the construction styles for residences and palace buildings that the Ministry of Works has accumulated over these years. The Taiji Palace designs you need are among them—a total of one thousand two hundred thirty-six design drawings, from foundation to rooftop, not a single one missing. Please see if any designs are lacking, Marquis. If so, just speak up. This subordinate will prepare them upon returning, absolutely without delaying your construction of the great hall.”

He understood their current mindset—they weren’t giving Yun Ye the slightest room to back out or cause trouble. Whatever could be done, they would definitely prepare very thoroughly. Yun Ye wanting to find excuses from them was pure fantasy.

Look—the household steward had only been sent to the Ministry of Works to borrow design drawings in the morning, and by afternoon three cartloads were delivered. The efficiency was outrageous. The contract was modified by Her Majesty the Empress—no one could fault the Ministry of Works. Given Yun Ye’s pitiful situation, the Ministry of Works wouldn’t hold things up.

The Ministry of Works officials went to celebrate lavishly again. This time they even called singing girls, and the grade was upgraded from the East Market tavern to Yanlai Tower.

Cheng Chumo escorted five full cartloads of copper cash to deliver money to Yun Ye. As soon as he heard about this matter, he immediately moved over all the copper cash from his household. According to him, he didn’t even leave money for groceries at home.

“Ye Zi, this is all the household has right now. In a few days, when I sell off several properties, there will be more. I know it’s not enough, but more is always better.”

Yun Ye was absorbed in drafting designs and didn’t even lift his head. He said to Cheng Chumo, “Consider this money your investment shares. Have the accounting office calculate it clearly before giving it to me so we can settle accounts in the future. Also, since you’re here, don’t idle about. Go to Zhang Liang’s house and hire some water heroes for me. I have important use for them. The wages won’t be shabby.”

Cheng Chumo jumped up and shouted, “Ye Zi, you absolutely must not talk about repaying money. We’re brothers. I’m making the decision to give you this money. As long as we get through this crisis, will we still fear not having money in the future?”

“Why are you shouting? Who said I’d lose money this time? Did I tell you that? I don’t remember.”

“It’s spread like wildfire outside right now, saying the Yun family is completely finished this time and will definitely be ruined. Her Majesty is too bullying. A palace that requires at least one hundred fifty thousand strings to build, she only gives you thirty thousand strings. You also have to dredge the waterways and rebuild Xinghua Ward. Without two hundred thousand strings, don’t even think about it. Where would you get one hundred seventy thousand strings?”

Watching Cheng Chumo rubbing his hands and pacing everywhere, Yun Ye suddenly smiled. With such a friend, what did he have to complain about? The Cheng family might have some money, mostly in land and residences. Being able to pull together eight thousand strings in one go—this truly was the Cheng family’s maximum capability.

“Friends should certainly help each other, but we also can’t completely empty the household in one go. Keep five thousand strings as invested capital. Take the other three thousand strings back home. The household still needs to function. A large family isn’t easy. If the Duke’s mansion doesn’t even have reward money for servants, won’t people laugh themselves to death?”

Cheng Chumo hadn’t left yet when Niu Jianhu also dragged three carts of money to the Yun residence. His family wasn’t wealthy—only five thousand strings. He dropped off the money and was about to leave when Yun Ye called him back.

“Brother Jianhu, you all see I’m about to get rich and keep trying to squeeze in? How did you all suddenly become so smart?” Yun Ye joked with Niu Jianhu.

Little Niu’s temper wasn’t good at all. He grabbed Yun Ye and lifted him up, shaking him as he said, “What time is it, and you still can’t change that foul-mouthed bad habit of yours? This time I really want to see how you’ll build the palace with this little money.”

Before Yun Ye could speak, He Shao came wailing into the Yun residence. The Yun family guards simply didn’t stop him. Seeing Yun Ye being held in midair by Niu Jianhu, he rushed over and hugged Yun Ye’s leg, crying out, “My dear lord! Can’t you be peaceful for a few days? Didn’t we agree to only build Xinghua Ward? How did you end up building a palace too? How are my family, old and young, supposed to survive?”

This bastard not only smeared tears and snot on Yun Ye’s robe but even opened his mouth and bit Yun Ye’s leg several times.

Seeing Old He cry so pitifully, Niu Jianhu’s nose also felt sour, and Cheng Chumo was already wiping tears.

“All of you shut up! Old He, if you don’t let go of your mouth, you won’t get anything when dividends are distributed.”

Upon hearing there would be dividends, Old He immediately perked up, jumped up, and stared at Yun Ye without making a sound. This expression only lasted an instant before returning to his mournful face.

“Her Majesty was too ruthless. Building the main hall requires at least one hundred thousand strings, and that’s not even counting bricks, tiles, and stone—parts the Yun family can handle. If you count everything, without one hundred fifty thousand strings, don’t even think about it.”

This was the difference between a merchant and a dandy. He quoted five full strings less than Cheng Chumo’s estimate. He had to give these three a reassurance pill, otherwise, if they all carried the mentality of impending doom, how could they do anything well?

“All of you come inside. I’ll show you a few things. How embarrassing—grown men hugging legs and crying. I don’t feel sorry for your tears; I feel sorry for my robe. It’s covered in snot and tears—how can I wear it?” He kicked Old He. This bastard’s courage was getting smaller and smaller now. This was probably the common ailment of wealthy people.

He had Old Zhuang guard the study and not let anyone else in.

Yun Ye took out the designs he’d drawn these past few days and showed them to the three men one by one.

“Ye Zi, this is Xinghua Ward? Even a celestial palace is only like this—green trees, red walls, pavilions and towers, and gardens. Just, isn’t the garden too large and the residences too small?” Old He sniffled and asked Yun Ye.

“All the houses are three stories. This is an overhead view—that means looking down from above. Actually, the houses aren’t small at all. It’s just to maximize the use of limited land that I made a small modification, changing the planar residences to vertical ones. Look—the first floor is the reception hall, the second floor is the study and guest rooms, the third floor is the inner residence. What’s hard to understand about this?”

“Ye Zi, we should sell these houses for at least two thousand strings each. Also, furniture should be purchased from us.” Old He instantly entered the merchant’s role. He knew the cost of such a house—at two thousand strings, many people would definitely purchase them.

“There are fifty such houses in total. We’ll recover one hundred thousand strings of funds. Deducting the costs of building common gardens, green spaces, pavilions and towers, the profit will be sixty thousand strings. This is just a preliminary estimate that doesn’t yet account for furniture and other derivative profits. Such residences are most suitable for minor officials in the capital to live in. I’ve asked around—those officials’ families are also famous wealthy clans back in their home regions; otherwise, they wouldn’t be recommended for office. So such houses won’t lack buyers.”

“But even if we do everything well, it’s only one hundred thousand strings of profit, still not enough to fill the hole of building the palace.” Though He Shao said this, his face already showed a smile. Adding the thirty thousand strings the Empress gave, only a twenty thousand string hole remained—the pressure wasn’t great anymore. This trip, just hanging the title of building a palace for the imperial family, even if not earning a single coin, would be an enormous benefit.

“Actually, Xinghua Ward is just small money. The largest income actually comes from building the palace itself.” Seeing the three men’s expressions relax, Yun Ye poured himself a cup of tea and drank it.

“Building a palace for people for free still has benefits?” Niu Jianhu nearly jumped up asking Yun Ye.

“Let Ye Zi speak. Don’t interrupt randomly. Right, Ye Zi?” While refuting Niu Jianhu, He Shao carefully straightened Yun Ye’s collar that Niu Jianhu had pulled askew. As for Cheng Chumo, when Yun Ye calculated they were only short twenty thousand strings, he already didn’t care. Twenty thousand strings—the Yun and Cheng families together could easily produce that.

Since it could be produced, it meant this matter wasn’t seriously bad. The remaining tasks could be left to Yun Ye. He just needed to help him finish his own work, then go home and prepare for marriage—that was proper business.