Chapter 329: Chapter 329: Building a Manor (4)
"Impudence! All of you, scurrying about in such panic, what a disgrace!" Xiu Yang frowns in displeasure as he scolds the kneeling man after being bumped into.
"Miss, please spare my life, it wasn’t intentional." The young servant vigorously slaps his own face while pleading for mercy.
"Yangyang, come in." A robust voice penetrates through the study’s door to the outside.
Xiu Yang glares fiercely at the servant, delivers a kick, and then pushes open the door of the study, takes the food box from the maid’s hand, and walks in, leaving the maid to stand guard outside.
"Father, what has happened? I could hear you shouting from far away," he says as he opens the food box and presents a bowl of sweet soup.
Xiu Aotian, angry, turns to sit in a chair, "Asking them to do a simple task, and they can’t even do it right, nothing but a bunch of incompetents."
Xiu Yang, with a charming smile, passes the bowl into his father’s hands, and speaks in a flattering tone, "Father, this is the snow pear and silver fungus soup I made myself in the kitchen. It’s very effective in reducing internal heat this season. Please give it a try."
Seeing his own precious daughter so sensible, Xiu Aotian takes the bowl and drinks a small half, "Mm, not bad."
Noticing that her father is still angry, Xiu Yang tiptoes to his back, begins to massage his shoulders, and speaks, "Father, now that Prince Mei is already dead, the Prince Mei Residence is akin to an empty shell. Why still fear it?"
"Though Prince Mei is dead, his military power remains. If anything happens to the princess consort of Prince Mei, the Emperor won’t just stand by."
"Father, who says the Emperor and Prince Mei Residence are of one mind?"
Xiu Aotian looks at Xiu Yang in surprise, furrowing his brows and scrutinizing his daughter, "Is that not the case?"
Xiu Yang shakes her head at her father, sits down next to the chair, and whispers, "Father, if someone were to stir trouble between them...!"
Xiu Aotian is stunned momentarily, then bursts into a hearty laugh, "That’s a good idea, truly my Aotian’s daughter."
"It’s thanks to Father’s good teaching." Xiu Yang covers her lips with a light chuckle, her eyes twinkling with pride.
Xiu Aotian gives his beloved daughter another once-over, "If you have nothing to do tomorrow, go to the accounts room to get some Silver and buy some clothes and jewelry. Later on, you can go to the Imperial Palace to pay respects to your maternal aunt."
Upon hearing this, Xiu Yang’s face blooms with a blush as she bows gracefully, "Thank you, Father."
Xiu Aotian, watching his daughter’s charming little face, his lips curve upward slightly, narrowing his eyes as he watches his daughter leave; then, he begins to write a letter, sending someone to deliver it to the Imperial Palace for Xiu Taifei.
Upon receiving the letter, Xiu Taifei merely scoffs coldly, then retrieves a copper basin, pulls out a Fire Starter, lights it, and casts it into the basin. She watches as it slowly extinguishes before commanding a servant to take it away.
The teahouses in Capital City are notably rife with gossip, and the hottest topic now is the vast expansion of soil-turning just outside the city. Even idle peasants from nearby Prefecture Governments are coming in droves to lend a hand, making it a bustling scene.
Old Wang, his eyes as small as green beans, tells his tea-drinking companions at the table, "I went outside the city yesterday, and saw a huge crowd, all constantly tilling the soil. With winter about to begin, what on earth are they busying themselves with?"
Old Li snorts disparagingly, "What are you talking about? They were selling winter vegetables last year, and they tasted even better than those in the summer. Who says they’re fooling around?" Annoyed, he rolls his eyes at Old Wang for always demeaning others to elevate himself.
Seeing Old Li roll his eyes and needle him, Old Wang’s face darkens. He sets down his cup and rolls up his sleeves, saying with a sneer, "Hey, Old Li, are you just picking a fight with me? I wasn’t even talking about you. How do you know they’re planting winter vegetables?"
Old Li sees Old Wang’s rolled sleeves and refusal to back down, blows on his mustache, scowling with indignation, "Are your eyes just for show? Can’t you see for yourself?"
"Hey hey hey, you two old geezers, what’s all this about? Whether they plant crops or not, what business is it of yours? Settle down and enjoy your tea," chides Old Sun, older and more stern, disapproving of their daily bickering.
With Sun’s rebuke, the two men stop their quarrel.
"Brother Sun, I can’t help but be curious," says Yun, another spectator, unable to hold back.
Old Sun looks at Old Yun, shakes his head, and sighs, "Isn’t that the truth? I’ve lived many years, and only last year did I taste winter vegetables for the first time."
"Yeah, it’s really hard to say," Old Yun replies, taking up his tea cup and sipping the tea, not wanting to continue the topic.
Leaning forward with a conspiratorial tone, Old Wang whispers, "I’ve heard that plot of land is being tended on the orders of the princess consort of Prince Mei."
"Humph, where did you hear such rumors? They’re not reliable," Old Li retorts disdainfully, skeptical of Old Wang’s words.
"Shh, let’s drop it. Matters concerning the Prince Mei Residence are not for us commoners to discuss," says Yun, caution in his voice as he glances around to make sure no one listens. He exhales, recalling the massacre at Prince Mo Residence, how he had hidden and watched. To this day, the sight makes him shudder.
The group grows silent at the memory, quietly drinking their tea, foreheads beaded with sweat.
Zongzheng Zehang leads his team, bustling with energy. In a few days, the previously barren land is turned over, with some people plowing ahead and others applying fertilizer behind.
Jueqing is also busy, gathering skilled craftsmen from the area to start building walls. With so many hands, the encircling walls rise quickly, and carts of green bricks are constantly brought in.
Beitang Xuan, after visiting several Prefecture Governments to order oilcloth, hurries back and leads his men to cut bamboo on the mountains. Given a shortage of hands, he has sent out all his household servants. Rows of bamboo are carried down and neatly arranged to one side.
"My lord, what kind of wood should we use for the door plaque?" Carpenter head Mu Ze asks Jueqing.
Jueqing pauses and then waves a hand dismissively, "No need, attend to other tasks first, I will send someone with the materials later."
"Understood."
Watching Mu Ze walk away, Jueqing mounts his horse and quickly rides toward the Prince Residence to seek out his cousin.
"Cousin, what’s the name of this estate? The carpenter is waiting to carve the plaque," he calls out before even entering the room.
"Summer Garden."
