Taoran House was a three compound courtyard. The front compound was to receive guests and a place for the guests to rest; the following compound was the central room, an excellent place for meeting guests or hosting an important event, while the left and right-wing rooms could also be used for guests' accommodation. The side of the courtyard was where the servants lived, and the kitchen was near there. The third compound was the master's quarters, exquisitely furnished and had about ten other rooms in various sizes.
The only thought Yuxi had after looking at it, it felt spacious. After walking around, she asked, "Why isn't there a backyard here?" No wonder that girl, Zisu, kept her on tenterhooks. Taoran House didn't have a backyard at all.
Kufu smiled and explained, "Miss, the Taoran House was built larger, and this location is also good, so there was no yard left to turn into a backyard." So the reason why Rose Courtyard had a backyard was not only because it was built smaller but also because it was in a remote location.
When Yuxi looked at the garden, two green pines were leaning against the east wall. She was very impressed with these two pines since they had been there for a good deal of years.
These two pine trees were very pretty good, as they stood tall and straight. A table made from rosewood mixed with marble was under the trees, with low wooden stools padded with leather felt. There was also a cobblestone path extending to the stone table.
After seeing everything through, Yuxi muttered, "Where can I plant rose flowers in this place?" Although it was more spacious here, she thought that Rose Courtyard was much better. None other for the reason that every side here was all surrounded by buildings. When she was surrounded like this, she didn't feel terrific.
Zisu really couldn't understand Yuxi, "Miss, this is much better than Rose Courtyard. Your study here is twice as big as the one you had before."
Yuxi looked at Zisu and asked, "How did reading my book have to do with the size of the study?" [+]
Zisu replied, "How come it doesn't matter? It's good to have lots of light in the study since it won't hurt your eyes! Miss can embroider in the embroidery room from now on, so Miss doesn't need to go to the yard to do it anymore." In the past, there were too few rooms in Rose Courtyard that they didn't even have enough room for them to live in. Thus how could they shift one as an embroidery room? However, now, there was no such worry.
Yuxi muttered, "It's been a long time since I've last embroidered." Not only she hadn't embroidered in more than half a month, even calligraphy she hadn't touched in more than half a month either.
Yuxi advanced towards the bedroom and looked at the washed yellow rosewood furniture. She couldn't help telling Zisu, "You don't have to envy Yuchen from the hereafter."
Zisu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Miss, my envy is also your envy, okay?" When did she ever envy? She was just taking up the cudgels against the injustice done to her own Miss, that was all.
Yuxi looked at the furniture and softly asked, "I wonder, for whom these things were actually for?" Their appearance looked like they were already 20 or 30 years old.
Kufu knew this better as she said, "Miss, the furniture in the bedroom was moved out of the warehouse by the Old Lady." Seeing Zisu's puzzled face, Kufu explained, "The Old Lord prepared these things for Dagu Nainai. However, when Dagu Nainai got married, she couldn't use them, so she kept them locked in the warehouse."
Yuxi curled her mouth. Dagu Nainai, whom Kufu was referring to, was her father's eldest sister. She was born from the same mother as the Second Lord, Han Jingjun. However, she had no idea of her. Other than her unexpected participation in the palace election, and had been chosen to enter the palace. But, unfortunately, she died of illness less than a year after joining the palace. Any more than that was unclear to Yuxi. Women who entered the palace didn't need to prepare large pieces of furniture, and contrary to what Yuxi expected, it somehow had become something advantageous for her.
Maidong said an untimely remark, "Fortunately, those bandits didn't set them on fire, or else the furniture wouldn't have been saved." After saying that, she knew she had said the wrong thing. The events of that night were taboo and could not even be mentioned in residence. The main reason was that too many people had died, a combined total of seventy people, so one could imagine how huge the number was. [+]
Zisu gave Maidong an angry glance, but with Yuxi present, it wasn't her turn to lecture Maidong yet.
Yuxi questioned, "What's been going on lately, Maidong? Either your heart wasn't here, you were lost in thought, or you were just talking nonsense? If something happens, you should tell me, don't keep it to yourself alone."
Maidong bowed her head, unsure of what to say.
Zisu was angry, "Maidong, if you have any difficulties, you should tell Miss. If you can't solve it, Miss can also help you solve it."
Yuxi's expression turned soft, "Tell me, what matter has made you this awkward?" Seeing that Maidong still looked like she was struggling, Yuxi didn't bother to ask any more questions, "Think about it more, and tell me when you're done." Among the four maids beside her, only Maidong didn't talk much. But because she did her daily work properly, Yuxi decided to keep her.
After she had finished seeing the bedroom, Yuxi entered the study next. The study was very spacious, and the furniture here also had the taste of primitive simplicity, and their appearance looked like they also had been for some few years. Especially the coffee table in the study that made of rosewood. Yuxi asked, "Where did the things in the study come from?" She had some hindsight that these few pieces of furniture had a history of at least 180 years.
Zisu replied, "These things were moved from the big warehouse of the front courtyard by the First Lady. I heard Mama Li say that these things were all from the Old Lord's study." The so-called big warehouse of the front courtyard of the residence meant something that belonged to the public, while the warehouse inside a yard was a part of private property. In general, it was necessary to get the person in charge’s consent to use public things, while the courtyard owner could freely manage one’s private property.
Yuxi smiled even though everything inside her courtyard was things of shreds and patches. However, after this disaster, the capital had not yet been peaceful. Hence, one couldn't even go out to buy furniture. One could only move them from one's own warehouse. "Not bad." [+]
The furniture in the study was good, but the only bad thing was that it felt too empty. Yuxi muttered to herself, "Pity those books of mine." Sadly, Zisu only brought out some of her medical books but didn't bring out some historical books hidden in the cupboard and the notes that she had made. All had been burned. But it was not yet peaceful out there. So even if Yuxi wanted to go out to buy books, she wouldn't be allowed to.
Image Credit | 百家号/工科老女的留言菲语
An example of set head jewellery.
An example of set head jewellery.
Zisu didn't regret that she didn't move those books out that day. Who made those books too heavy? "Miss, just wait for a few more days. By then, Miss will be able to repurchase them." A set of Yuxi's top head jewellery was enough to buy half a shelf of books.
As Yuxi looked at the writing brush, blotting paper and inkstone placed on the desk, the most valuable things from her old study that Zisu managed to bring out, she felt that her loss was not so significant actually. Yuxi said, "For what else to buy, I'll write a list for you. Don't make your own decisions." Zisu always wanted her to be treated like Yuchen, but Yuxi felt that it was unnecessary. If she were raised too delicately and lived too comfortably, her body wouldn't be able to bear it if she suffered again in the future.
How could Zisu not know what Yuxi was thinking? Although she was unwilling, she still nodded and said, "I got it." Even if she had gotten something good, her Miss would only put it away when she didn't want to use it, so why should Zisu be bothered with that thought!
In addition to the study room, Qiu Shi also arranged an embroidery room and a painting room for Yuxi and a chess room which was really well thought out by her aunt.
Yuxi couldn't help herself from laughing. "Is it necessary to do this? I don't need them. Now, they have taken up all these rooms for nothing." She hadn't touched the painting brush all year round. As for the chess room, it was unnecessary. If she wanted to play chess, it was already good for her to play it in the study. Why would she need to go to the chess room especially?
Zisu said, "The courtyard is empty anyway." Only a few personal maids and trusted old women servants would live in this courtyard, and there were still so many vacant rooms.
Yuxi waved her hand, "Let's dismiss the chess room and the painting room." She knew that this was intended to imitate Tingyun Pavilion, but Tingyun Pavilion wasn't that easy to imitate. Yuxi's chess room and painting room seem to be simply decorated, but a lot of knowledge was put into them, making it refreshing to the mind and pleasant to the eye. [+]
Zisu put forward Qiu Shi's name to persuade Yuxi, "This is what the First Lady had instructed."
Yuxi felt that she was too accommodating during this time as she asked with a cold face, "Are you going to listen to my aunt or to me?"
This question was so serious that Zisu couldn't stand it.
Yuxi felt that she had been really negligent by letting Zisu learn account books and other things but didn't foster her aesthetic concept. Of course, Zisu went to Tingyun Pavilion only a few times, and most of the time, Yuxi was followed by Kufu. "You try to draw a tiger but end up with the likeness of a dog. If I have to say, that is what the current situation we are in. You do have a good intention, but when that time comes, I will be the only laughing stock."
Zisu's facial expression suddenly changed.
Yuxi was also unwilling to dispute with Zisu. Still, she did sense that after they had experienced this unforeseen event, several maids around her were beginning to get fickle and impatient, which was not a good sign. Therefore, she had to fix it, or else it would be easy for them to do something wrong while in this state.
After visiting Taoran House, Yuxi went back with Zisu and Maidong. She had to choose an auspicious day to move here. This time, she only came to see the layout.
Yuxi was lying on the bed reading a medical book. At this time, Maidong suddenly walked in. With her head hung low, she had an appearance of having done something wrong. Thus Yuxi put the book on the pillow, "Tell me, what makes you so hesitant before."
What Yuxi didn't expect was, the problem Maidong hid in her heart was not only one thing. Maidong's mother wanted her to ask for a favour from Yuxi: to find a job for her younger brother and let her younger sister work in Taoran House. Besides, her mother was also planning to betroth Maidong to her biaoge.
Maidong's mother had made these requests because the State Residence was currently short of staff. Maidong's mother thought that as long as Fourth Miss opened her mouth, she would be able to find a good job for her son. She tried to send her youngest daughter to Taoran House because Yuxi was very generous to her servants and gave them many rewards.
Yuxi didn't pay much attention to the first two requests. For maids and old women servants to sharpen their minds to serve their masters was just for the sake of seeking more benefits. However, for the last matter, to go as far as wanting to betroth Maidong to her biaoge, this one had touched Yuxi's bottom line. A maid who personally served her master could not be married without the master's consent. Moreover, the personal maid would not be released until she was at least eighteen years old, and Maidong was only thirteen years old, so it was still a long way for her to get married! Yuxi calmly asked, "Is it because I am always generous to you people that you want to climb on my head one by one?" Being too relaxed wasn't good while being too stern also wasn't good. One had to be calm and relaxed when treating people around oneself. If one didn't manage to grab the proper limits of one's people, it would be easy to give birth to future problems.
What her Miss just said to her was so serious that Maidong trembled and immediately knelt on the ground. Since she had been around Yuxi for so many years, she still knew roughly Yuxi's temperament. This time, she had truly offended her Miss.
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi