Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 327 Living in Chang'an is Not Easy
The 108 wards of Chang'an were the largest, most populous, and most prosperous city in the world at that time.

Although the city is vast, it is not friendly to everyone. Despite the abundance of abandoned houses and wastelands within its walls, many people never manage to find a place of their own here in their entire lives.

For example, the mid-Tang poet Gu Kuang jokingly remarked to Bai Juyi that "living in Chang'an is not easy." While Chang'an was indeed a prosperous city, the cost of fully enjoying its splendor was extremely high. Many people came with lofty ambitions, only to leave disappointed, becoming mere passersby.

Zhang Dai was born into an official family and had access to various resources accumulated by his ancestors. He was also quite successful in business, so he didn't have the pressure of owning property to support his family. However, if he wanted to acquire other property, it would be quite difficult.

In particular, Zhang Dai's main purpose in buying property was to shorten his commute to work, so he could only choose a house in the neighborhoods between Xingqing Palace and Taiji Palace, which is the area between the three major palaces in the northeast corner of Chang'an.

As everyone knows, the neighborhood between the three main palaces is the most elite area in Chang'an, inhabited entirely by powerful and wealthy families. Owning property there is extremely difficult.

However, no matter how large it was, considering the hardships of working from dawn till dusk and running around, Zhang Dai still decided to purchase a house here. It didn't need to be very big; even just a small courtyard of three to five acres would be enough for him and his servants to live in. He could arrange banquets and entertaining guests back at the Yonglefang mansion.

Upon returning home, Zhang Dai instructed his family to spread the word throughout the city. Both the east and west markets had real estate agents who bought, sold, and rented properties. These agents obtained information directly from the prefectural and county governments, and also scourd the streets and alleys for information. Each of them possessed a considerable number of listings, making it far more convenient than inquiring on one's own.

In the afternoon, brokers began to arrive one after another. In addition to their name cards, each of them also carried a list of properties they had access to. This made the selection process convenient, and Zhang Dai quickly selected three brokers whose properties were of good quality, and instructed his family to bring them in.

Before long, three middle-aged men were led into the hall. The one at the front bowed to Zhang Dai and said, "I am Chen Dong, the Right Supervisor of the Imperial Workshops, and I greet you, Zhang Xielu. I have often had the pleasure of hearing the exquisite music played by the musicians under your supervision in the office, and I am deeply impressed. Today, I am fortunate to be here in your hall, and I will do my utmost to select the most beautiful house for you!"

Zhang Dai held many concurrent positions, but only the position of Xie Lu Lang was of the highest rank, so people still referred to him by this title.

It was not uncommon for Tang Dynasty officials to have concurrent positions, because the salaries of officials in the capital, especially those of lower-ranking officials, were extremely low, while the cost of living in Chang'an was extremely high. In order to survive in the city, they had to try their best to generate income outside of their official duties.

For example, Zhang Dai's grandfather used to enjoy writing epitaphs for others in his early years, which was a kind of part-time job. Later, when he became a high-ranking official, he could make money by embezzling even faster, so the production of epitaphs decreased sharply.

The Directorate of Works was responsible for managing civil engineering and construction, while the Right School Office was in charge of the construction of palaces, halls, and pavilions. If Zhang Dai wanted to buy a house, it was essentially like having the head of a department in the Housing and Construction Commission act as his intermediary—how could he possibly make a bad choice?

"Supervisor Chen, there's no need for such formalities. The journey between the East and West Palaces is arduous, and most of the day is wasted on the road. I fear that I might neglect my duties to the king. I would like to ask Supervisor Chen to recommend a place for me to rest in between the two palaces."

Zhang Dai bowed slightly, gesturing for Supervisor Chen to take a seat.

The other two brokers, though not holding official positions, were prominent figures in their respective fields. Upon hearing Zhang Dai's requirements, they immediately declared, "We each own several properties in these areas and are confident we can find a suitable residence for Young Master Zhang!"

Although they were all full of confidence, when it came to the properties available through the agency, none of them quite satisfied Zhang Dai. The reason was simple: properties in the area were extremely scarce.

Between Xingqing Palace and the Imperial City were four wards: Anxing Ward, Shengye Ward, Chongren Ward, and Yongxing Ward. Anxing Ward housed the residences of Prince Shen and Prince Qi, while Shengye Ward housed the residences of Prince Ning and Prince Xue. The remaining residents were also members of the imperial family and nobility. Chongren Ward mainly housed the residences of princesses, and Yongxing Ward mainly housed the residences of eunuchs and generals of the Imperial Guards.

The three men claimed to have accommodations in all the neighborhoods, but in the end, it turned out that the other neighborhoods were just tiny plots of land, either someone's abandoned stables or someone's koji field. No matter how unrefined Zhang Dai was, he couldn't just pitch a tent there and stay there!
As for Yongxingfang, they each had their own accommodations, but it was the place Zhang Dai least wanted to consider. The reason was simple: if they stayed in this area teeming with Imperial Guards, they might be surrounded by those dogs from the Northern Army while they were sleeping!
Seeing that Zhang Dai remained silent, the brokers grew anxious and began to praise their properties, some for their excellent location, others for their grandeur and spaciousness, and still others for their proximity to the powerful and wealthy.

It should be known that if a mansion in this area is to be traded, it will easily cost several thousand strings of cash. If it is a mansion of great wealth, it is not uncommon to pay tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of strings of cash. As long as the brokers make this deal, it will be equivalent to a year's or even several years' income. How could they not be enthusiastic!
However, they have enthusiasm but no product to impress customers, so all their efforts are in vain.

Just as Zhang Dai was losing interest and preparing to have his family send the three away, one of the brokers stood up and said in a deep voice, "I have another property here that I can recommend to you, young master Zhang. However, this matter is still top secret and you must dismiss everyone else before I can tell you."

Such demands are quite normal. Firstly, good properties are trade secrets, and whoever gets their hands on them wants to make an exclusive deal. Secondly, many high-ranking officials and nobles live in Chang'an, and their sale of their properties often signifies a very serious change, so naturally they don't want more people to know.

"I apologize to you both. If you have other commitments in the future, please come again."

Zhang Dai was already quite disappointed, so upon hearing this, he didn't hesitate and immediately stood up to speak to the two men. The two men looked regretful, but dared not say anything more. They simply glared at the remaining broker before bowing to Zhang Dai and taking their leave.

After the other two left, the broker stepped forward and whispered to Zhang Dai, "Young Master Zhang is a man of distinguished lineage and has achieved early success. He is destined for high office, which is why I brought this matter to your attention. May I ask if Young Master Zhang knows of Lord Song, Li Lingwen?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai nodded. It was two years ago that Song Guogong Li Lingwen was demoted for his marriage alliance with the Uyghurs and soon died of illness in his place of exile.

"Song Gong has a residence in Pingkang Ward, which covers more than a hundred acres. It was once the property of Li Wei Gong. Two years ago, Li Song Gong was convicted and the property was confiscated by the Ministry of Agriculture. Recently, it was put up for sale by the Prefect of Jingzhao. Very few people know about this. I only know about it because I have a relative in an official post."

The broker, with a mysterious yet smug expression, said to Zhang Dai, "Although Pingkang Ward is located south of Hengjie Street, it is not far from the two palaces, and the residences are more comfortable and suitable. It is rare that Li Songgong's property is so large and lucrative. If all the powerful families in the city know about this, they will surely not miss this opportunity and will compete to acquire it as a permanent property!"

It wasn't just the powerful families in the city who were greatly interested; Zhang Dai was also very intrigued upon hearing the news.

The location of Pingkangfang is self-evident. When Zhang Dai returned home in the rain at dawn, he deeply admired Pei Zhen, who lived in Pingkangfang.

Moreover, due to its unique entertainment industry, Pingkang Ward became the most famous of all the wards in Chang'an in later generations. None of the other wards could compare. The thought of working there was simply delightful.

Although Pingkang Ward is located south of Zhuque Gate Heng Street, it is only one ward and one street away from Xingqing Palace to the east and Taiji Palace Imperial City to the west. If Zhang Dai could live there, his commute distance would be shortened several times over. Moreover, living there would make it easier for him to learn about the popular entertainment and dances of the capital region, allowing him to better fulfill his duties as Xie Lülang (a court musician).

Zhang Dai became more and more excited as he thought about it, but this property had one drawback: it was too big, covering an area of ​​over a hundred acres, almost as big as his own Yonglefang mansion.

If it were a mansion of twenty or thirty acres, he could grit his teeth and take it over, but even if he could take over a mansion of over a hundred acres without considering the issue of overstepping his bounds, he wouldn't be able to live in it all!

The broker was a shrewd man. Seeing Zhang Dai frowning and remaining silent, he quickly said, "This property has been vacant for a long time, and the central area is used as a granary by the Ministry of Agriculture's fence. Now that it is being sold, the Jingzhao Prefecture knows that it may be difficult to sell the whole property, so it can be divided into smaller plots! If Young Master Zhang is interested, I can guide you to inspect and select the property at any time."

This is right!

A mansion spanning over a hundred acres—not to mention Zhang Dai, there weren't many in the entire city of Chang'an who could swallow it whole. Having the power didn't necessarily mean having the wealth, and if one were to use their position to embezzle it, being reported and dismissed from office would be a greater loss than gain.

Especially this year, the interpersonal situation in the court has become increasingly tense, and the ministers in the court are all on high alert, for fear of making a mistake and being caught red-handed.

"Then let's go take a look together."

It was already noon, and Zhang Dai had to go to the government office in the afternoon, so he could take the opportunity to take a look around. If he found a satisfactory plot of land, he could make a preliminary agreement.

So they went out and headed north from Xiamen Changjie towards Pingkangfang.

The drizzle that had been falling all morning finally stopped, leaving many puddles on the uneven streets, but it didn't really affect travel.

As Zhang Dai and his party were walking, the sound of galloping horses suddenly came from behind. A gust of wind whistled past, and Zhang Dai was caught off guard, his robes stained with mud and water splashed up by the galloping horses' hooves.

He immediately frowned and looked at the galloping knight, trying to see who it was. The street was wide, yet this person was deliberately riding right next to his group, clearly a provocation!

The knight did not go far. After galloping forward for a dozen or so feet, he reined in his horse and stopped. Then he looked back at Zhang Dai, who was none other than Li Linfu, who had been exiled to the south of the mountains a few years ago!
(End of this chapter)