Chapter 279: The Great Wealth of the Qin Residence

Within Yuejing City, the Western District stood in stark contrast to the Southern District.

Unlike the Southern District, which was uniformly filled with grand mansions and compounds, the Western District consisted entirely of uneven, low-rise houses inhabited by the poorest families—those who worked the lowest-tier jobs, such as laborers, petty vendors, and small-scale traders. Of course, it was also home to a number of idlers and ruffians who did no work at all, as well as down-and-out families who had moved in from other districts.

In direct opposition to the Western District lay the Eastern District, where wealthy merchants and influential families resided.

Although these families did not hold official positions and thus could not live in the Southern District, their mansions and deep courtyards were built more extravagantly than the next. Each spared no expense to ensure their residence stood out prominently in the area, striving to outshine the other wealthy households.

Naturally, there were a few particularly renowned families whose estates left others in the vicinity without even the thought of comparison. Not only were their properties vastly larger and more opulent, but the families living within them were also immensely wealthy merchants and magnates.

The super mansion located at a corner of the Eastern District—the Qin Residence—was one such prestigious household.

Covering an area of several dozen mu, it left anyone familiar with the capital’s land prices utterly astounded.

The Qin family was not only fabulously wealthy, monopolizing a quarter of the Yue Kingdom’s copper mining business, but it was also said that the family head wielded immense influence, with high-ranking officials at court specifically speaking on their behalf.

Given the stature of such an eminent family, its servants naturally carried themselves with great confidence and spoke far more loudly than those from other households.

Qin Gui, the gatekeeper of the Qin Residence, certainly thought so.

Every person who came to the Qin Residence seeking an audience with the family head, regardless of their status or background, whether they held an official position or not, treated him—a mere servant of the Qin family—with utmost respect, not daring to offend him in the slightest.

Over time, this gave Qin Gui the almost delusional sense that he, too, was a person of importance.

As a result, it became customary for anyone delivering a visiting card to seek an audience with someone in the Qin family to offer some form of “tribute.” Otherwise, Qin Gui would not give them a friendly reception; he might even delay their notification for three or four days before relaying their request.

Of course, if someone of significant status actually showed up, Qin Gui would behave properly, presenting himself as a dutiful and loyal servant.

To the young masters and ladies who frequently came and went, he was especially attentive, serving them with utmost diligence.

Surprisingly, this attitude earned Qin Gui the satisfaction of many of his superiors. There were even rumors that he was recently to be promoted to external affairs steward, tasked with managing business operations elsewhere. Upon hearing this, Qin Gui felt even more pleased with himself, and these past few days, he had been walking with an almost floating lightness.

Today, the esteemed Qin Gui had moved a long bench to rest in the shade at the entrance, escaping the summer heat. Early that morning, the family head had gone out to discuss business, and the young masters and ladies had gone with other young nobles to visit the nearby Chongshan Temple. Aside from a few of the ladies, the only one left in the residence was the widowed cousin young mistress.

This allowed Qin Gui to relax a bit and steal a moment of leisure.

Just as Qin Gui was beginning to doze off under the cool breeze, a timid young man’s voice suddenly sounded in front of him.

“Excuse me, is this the Qin Residence?”

The voice shattered Qin Gui’s drowsiness, irritating him immensely. Without even opening his eyes, he flew into a rage and shouted, “What are you yelling for? Can’t you see your Lord Gui just lay down?”

Only after saying this did Qin Gui reluctantly open his eyes, his face full of anger.

This was because, based on the timid tone of the speaker, he had already assumed the other was a nobody, and thus felt free to act so arrogantly.

Qin Gui finally got a clear look at the person who had spoken: a man in his mid-twenties, dressed in coarse clothing, with an ordinary and unremarkable appearance. He exuded an air of rustic simplicity from head to toe, clearly a country bumpkin who had just arrived in the city.

Seeing this, Qin Gui felt even more confident.

He sat up and, without a word, launched into a fierce scolding, as if disturbing the rest of the great Qin Gui was an unforgivable sin.

This tirade went on for what felt like an eternity, with Qin Gui spewing saliva as he ranted. The rustic young man seemed utterly bewildered by Qin Gui’s outburst, standing there dumbfounded and at a loss, simply listening to the reprimand in stunned silence.

After a long while, once Qin Gui had thoroughly vented his frustrations, he finally ended his tirade, though he still seemed somewhat unsatisfied.

Then, he glanced sideways at the young man and, as if recalling the initial question, casually asked, “What are you doing at our Qin Residence? We don’t need any laborers or servants here, so you’d better leave! Being a servant here isn’t so easy! We don’t just take in anyone of unknown origins. You should find a guarantor first before coming back!”

Drawing on his past experience, Qin Gui immediately concluded that this young man, who still reeked of the countryside, was surely fantasizing about securing a position at the Qin Residence. He had seen plenty of such people!

“I’m not here for a job… Qin Yan is my uncle. My family asked me to bring this letter to Uncle Qin!” The young man seemed to snap out of his daze after the storm of scolding. Hearing Qin Gui’s words, he hurriedly pulled out a crumpled letter from his chest and stammered an explanation.

“What? The master is your uncle?” Qin Gui, who had been feeling thirsty and was about to take a sip from a nearby teapot, was so startled by the young man’s words that he spat out his tea in shock. “Are you serious?”

“I… I don’t know, but my family told me to address him that way,” the young man replied, scratching his head with an embarrassed look.

This time, however, Qin Gui didn’t dare mock him so easily. If this young man really had some connection to his master, Qin Gui would be in deep trouble.

Hesitating for a moment, he cautiously asked, “Could you let me take a look at this letter? Don’t worry, I’ll only check the envelope. I wouldn’t dare open it!”

Surprisingly, the young man nodded in agreement and handed over the letter, mumbling, “I was actually planning to give it to you so you could pass it to Uncle Qin.”

Qin Gui took the thoroughly crumpled letter and quickly glanced at it.

Although most servants were illiterate, Qin Gui had attended a private school for half a year as a child and could read and write. It was precisely because of this that he had been given the coveted position of gatekeeper, which many servants envied.

“To my esteemed nephew Qin Yan!” The bold black characters on the envelope made Qin Gui’s heart race. The phrasing suggested that the sender was an elder of his master’s family.

Realizing this, Qin Gui’s expression immediately changed. He forced a smile and said to the young man, “Young master, my master isn’t home, but several of the ladies are inside. Should I pass this letter to one of them?” Not only did his attitude shift dramatically, but his form of address also instantly became more respectful.

“That won’t do! This letter must be opened personally by Uncle Qin!” The young man hesitated but finally shook his head firmly.

“In that case, how about I report to the ladies first and see how they wish to respond?” Qin Gui didn’t dare let the young man leave just yet. If this turned out to be something important and he delayed it, he would be in serious trouble later. By handing the matter over to the ladies, he could avoid responsibility. Having been a servant for so long, Qin Gui had learned a trick or two.

This time, the young man agreed without hesitation.

Relieved, Qin Gui quickly called over a passing servant to keep an eye on the young man and hurried into the residence.

The other servants he encountered along the way were surprised to see him in such a rush.

Qin Gui went straight to the inner courtyard, exchanged a few words with a maid stationed there, and then returned to the front gate to await a response.

Back at the gate, Qin Gui had just exchanged a few apologetic words with the young man when a pretty young maid came scurrying over.

After glancing curiously at the rustic young man, she relayed a message from one of the ladies: the young man was to wait in a side room until the master returned to verify his identity. After all, the Qin family had many branches, and it was possible that a relative from a distant branch had come seeking help.

With the matter now in the hands of his superiors, Qin Gui felt relieved and returned to his post at the gate.

The young maid then led the young man to a guest room in the front compound.

Along the way, many people glanced curiously at the young man’s rustic appearance, which seemed to make him increasingly uneasy. He lowered his head and followed the maid in silence, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground.

The maid, looking back and seeing his peculiar behavior, couldn’t help but laugh. She smiled and took a few more glances at him, finding him quite amusing.

After settling the young man in a side room, the maid reminded him not to wander off and then cheerfully went back to report.

As soon as the maid left, the young man, who had seemed clumsy and simple, suddenly straightened up. The foolishness in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by a faint air of ease and confidence. There was no trace of rusticity left in him.

“I never expected the Qin family to be so prominent! It seems the demonic path would never overlook such an obvious target,” the young man murmured to himself, frowning slightly as he glanced toward the outside.

He was Han Li, who had traveled at full speed for over ten days to reach Yuejing. The Qin Residence was the place he had been tasked by Li Huayuan to protect.

However, Han Li couldn’t help but feel frustrated when he thought about the identity Li Huayuan had arranged for him.

In the letter, Li Huayuan had asked the head of the Qin family to assign Han Li the identity of a distant relative, posing as a poor cousin from the countryside. This would allow him to remain at the Qin Residence without drawing attention.

Although Han Li wasn’t thrilled about playing the role of a poor country boy, it wasn’t difficult for him to act the part. After all, he had genuinely grown up in a remote village as a child, so he knew exactly how to speak and behave like one. He didn’t need to put much thought into it.

After closing the door, Han Li sat cross-legged on the bed to meditate and cultivate, hoping to make some progress in his training while guarding the Qin Residence.

Unconsciously, after completing a major cycle, it was already evening when someone knocked on the door.

Han Li briefly perked up, but soon the vitality in his expression faded, and he immediately reverted to his simple, rustic young man image.

When he opened the door, a servant stood outside.

“The master has returned. The lady summons you now. Follow me!” the servant said bluntly, then turned and walked away, clearly not thinking much of Han Li.

This was hardly surprising. Unlike Qin Gui, the gatekeeper, this servant was a close attendant of one of the ladies. He had seen plenty of poor relatives coming to the Qin Residence seeking favors over the years, so he didn’t take Han Li seriously.

In his view, the master would likely receive this country bumpkin briefly, give him some silver, and send him on his way, not allowing him to stay a moment longer than necessary.

Han Li obediently agreed and followed the servant out of the side room, heading straight for the Qin Residence’s main hall.

Meanwhile, in the hall, an elegant woman in her forties was speaking to Qin Yan, the head of the Qin family, who sat in the host’s seat, about Han Li.

“Since he dared to come with a letter, it’s likely genuine. It seems some family elder has sent someone to seek us out.”

“See what he wants. If it’s not too much, try to accommodate him. We don’t want our branch to gain a reputation for shunning poor relatives within the family.”

Qin Yan was in his fifties but looked to be in his forties due to good upkeep, showing no signs of aging. He took a sip of bird’s nest tea to moisten his throat before speaking slowly.