Republic of China: My great warlord, many children, many blessings.

"Go to Shanghai?"

Xu Wenqiang paused for a moment, then nodded.

He was aware of the reputation of Shanghai.

Because of the large number of foreign concessions, the area was very prosperous.

However, he was penniless and didn't know how to get there.

Seemingly noticing Xu Wenqiang's predicament, Shen Hao took out a bankbook from his pocket.

"This is 500 silver dollars, not much, but enough to buy new clothes and get a foothold in Shanghai."

This trip to Shanghai will inevitably involve a lot of sightseeing, so you'll need plenty of money.

This money is a small token of my friendship; please use it without worry. I have great respect for patriots.

Xu Wenqiang is also a talented individual, worth investing in, and we'll need him in the future.

Xu Wenqiang shook his head and refused, saying, "It is common for poor scholars to be poor. Although their clothes are tattered, they can still cover their bodies. Why should they be fancy?"

Mr. Shen, I am already extremely grateful for your help in getting me out of prison, how could I possibly ask for more?

Xu Wenqiang had his own pride and was unwilling to owe Shen Hao too many favors.

With his beloved woman lying in Shen Hao's arms, he instinctively felt a bit of rejection towards Shen Hao, so how could he accept Shen Hao's donation?

After saying this, Xu Wenqiang cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and left gracefully.

36. Buy a Prince's Mansion

Watching Xu Wenqiang's retreating figure, Shen Hao smiled and didn't mind. If he were Xu Wenqiang, he might even punch him.

"Let's go, I'll take you to buy a house."

buy house?

Fang Yanyun was stunned for a moment, then realized that Shen Hao had promised to give her a house yesterday.

Fang Yanyun hurriedly said, "The thousand silver dollars from this morning is enough. 200 yuan is more than enough to buy a small courtyard, and the rest is enough for my mother's medical treatment."

Saving money? Dream on.

How could Shen Hao agree to this? It's a system task; the cost of taking a concubine will be refunded tenfold. How could he save money? He should splurge!

Shen Hao said with a stern face, "Nonsense, you are my woman, how can you live in such a dilapidated place?"

It has to be at least a large mansion. I've already asked around, and there's a prince's mansion up for sale recently, so I'll buy it and give it to you.

At the Prince's residence, Fang Yanyun stared at Shen Hao in disbelief.

I was deeply shocked.

She knew all too well the value of the mansion—tens of thousands of silver dollars—but she never expected Shen Hao to buy her such an expensive property.

I was deeply moved. Although I don't like material things, this level of materialism had a tremendous impact on me.

The more Shen Hao treated her well, the less she wanted him to spend money on her.

"Master Shen, please forget it. I'm fine with staying anywhere. I'm not worthy of the Prince's mansion," Fang Yanyun hurriedly shook her head.

Shen Hao looked at Fang Yanyun with deep affection and said seriously, "You are my woman, and you are so beautiful. You should live in the best house and use the best things. So give me a chance to make it up to you, okay?"

Fang Yanyun nodded blankly, feeling incredibly sweet inside.

Shen Hao's series of punches left her dizzy and disoriented.

Is this what it feels like to be loved?

A strange sense of anticipation welled up inside me, and I was even somewhat glad I made the choice last night.

Although it was a transaction, Shen Hao treated her really well.

Love is priceless, but when the other person gives too much to you, it can be hard to control your emotions.

My heart was filled with joy and happiness.

In Fang Yanyun's heart, Shen Hao's image was becoming more and more prominent.

Even though Shen Haoguang said he wouldn't buy it, Fang Yanyun gradually accepted Shen Haoguang's decision.

Soon, we arrived at the Prince Rui's Mansion, which the agent had mentioned.

During the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican era, houses in Beijing were cheap and of high quality, especially those belonging to princes.

It is said that there are more than a hundred princely mansions in the capital, not including the princess mansions which are of similar size.

According to the "Xiaoting Miscellaneous Records", there were as many as 89 mansions in the capital city with the rank of Duke or above during the mid-Qing Dynasty.

The transfer of power between the Republic of China and the Qing Dynasty was civilized and peaceful.

On the eve of the Xinhai Revolution, the Qing court's second, third, and even tenth-generation officials, such as Liangbi and others, who considered themselves to have "royal genes," even threatened to kill all the Han people!

Liangbi was punished by history and was killed by patriots, but the Republic of China government did not pursue criminal charges against most of the Zongshe Party members and those who had ideas of restoring feudal monarchy.

Yuan Shikai also formulated preferential treatment regulations for the Qing imperial family, providing them with four million taels of silver annually, allowing Puyi's family to continue to entrenched themselves in the Forbidden City and act arrogantly.

They even turned a blind eye to their collusion with foreign powers.

Many of the princely mansions in Beijing were also assigned to the princes' families, becoming their private property, and their property rights were protected by the Republic of China government.

As for the majority of "Manchus," the Republic of China government did everything it could to care for and treat them well.

For example, in order to give priority to the livelihood of the Manchu people, they were specially arranged to work in the railway department, postal department, and police department, because these units were "iron rice bowls" with guaranteed income regardless of drought or flood, just like their "secure livelihood".

(The ironclad rule of the Manchu people was that their military service was hereditary.)

Regardless of natural disasters or man-made calamities, they received their pay on time, and their rations and benefits were higher than those of the Han Chinese Green Standard Army. Unlike the Green Standard Army, they didn't need to go out to fight as often, so the Banner Army's monthly pay was known as their "ironclad guarantee."

However, the Republic of China government's good intentions were misunderstood. Some Manchus who were used to being pampered still considered themselves "masters" and believed that they were meant to be served and would not serve others.

As a result, they could only live a life of idleness and depletion, selling ancestral property, ancestral graves, and mansions, until they were completely reduced to pulling rickshaws to fill their stomachs, and those who did well became "stinky foot patrolmen".

It wasn't news that some princesses in the Eight Great Hutongs became prostitutes.

The tragic fate of the Manchus was largely due to their own actions.

The descendants of various royal families who claim to have "royal genes," even though their ancestors were princes, dukes, beile, and beizi, were no longer recognized after the establishment of the Republic of China.

However, they all sold some of their ancestral property, which allowed them to live comfortably for a period of time.

37. Not having air conditioning is a real pain.

The once abnormally prosperous antique, pawnshop, and other businesses in Beijing were inextricably linked to the contributions of these "filial sons and virtuous grandsons" of the Qing Dynasty nobility.

Once the ancestral property, such as antiques and calligraphy (books were rare among the items sold by the descendants of princes, as some were illiterate and did not read), was sold, the only remaining assets were real estate.

The buying and selling of princely residences became a major business in the capital.

Shen Hao wanted to buy the properties owned by these Baylors.

However, Shen Hao couldn't afford the large royal palace.

For example, the famous Prince Gong's Mansion, Heshen's residence, would cost at least 20 silver dollars, which is a bargain.

That's still an understatement.

The current owner of Prince Gong's Mansion is Puwei, who has now fled to Qingdao Island to seek refuge.

To get the Japanese to protect him.

Puwei bought up almost all the facilities and utensils of Prince Gong's Mansion except for the calligraphy and paintings, and sold them all to the Japanese.

At least 2000 cultural relics were lost from the Prince Gong's Mansion at that time.

It can be said that during the Republic of China period, almost all the princely mansions, except for the Yongqin Prince's Mansion (Yonghe Temple), were sold.

Even the residences of princesses and other princes and nobles were sold off.

The largest acquirers are Catholic and Protestant churches in Western countries such as the United States and France.

They bought these properties primarily to open hospitals, schools, orphanages, or relief centers, but few priests, pastors, or other clergy used them for residence or converted them into churches.

Shen Hao brought Fang Yanyun to the Prince Rui's Mansion.

This residence exudes historical atmosphere. The entire mansion is magnificent and grand, with a back garden, corridors, and pavilions. It is quiet, ancient, and covers an area of ​​over a hundred acres, which perfectly matches Shen Hao's aesthetic.

The introducer said to Shen Hao, "Mr. Shen, this Prince Rui's Mansion is new."

There is also an old Prince Rui's Mansion, located in the Pudu Temple area south of Donghuamen Street. That was the residence of the first Prince Rui.

This is the new residence built after the restoration of the hereditary title of Prince Rui during the Qianlong era.

Looking at the layout of the Prince's Mansion, which was quite grand, Shen Hao nodded and said, "Not bad."

Shen Hao knew that the first Prince Rui was none other than the regent Dorgon.

A historically famous example of someone who takes over a bad deal.

Soon, a man with a braid, dressed in a suit and tie, carrying a birdcage, arrogantly asked, "You're the one who bought this house?"

Before Shen Hao could speak, the agent hurriedly introduced, "This is Zhongquan, the tenth-generation descendant of Dorbo and the last Prince Rui."

"Stop talking nonsense. Twenty thousand silver dollars. If you have the money, hand it over quickly. If you don't, you can go play wherever you want. I don't have time to play in the mud with you here," Zhongquan said arrogantly.