Chapter 855: Yu Garden
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After Yu Youyao arrived in Xiangping, she should have moved into the Yue Fei Residence to be safe. However, the Xie family did not want to be separated from Yu Youyao.
With Yu Youyao’s current status, it was not suitable for them to live under the same roof.
King Yue Fei had arranged for two adjacent residences. It was also a compromise.
Yu Youyao did not want to be separated from the Xie Residence. She did not interact with the Xie Residence like she did with her grandmother in the Yu Residence.
However, true family members actually did not need to trouble themselves to please each other. They cared, respected, and took care of each other’s feelings. Naturally, they were an inseparable family.
Madam Zheng said gently, “It’s been a tiring journey. Go back and rest first. Tonight, the family will have a reunion meal. It can be considered a welcome for you.”
Yu Youyao was mourning, so it wasn’t appropriate for the family to hold a banquet.
The two residences were built on a mountaintop. In the middle, there was a corridor that pierced through the mountain. It was like a “green belt” that divided the two residences into two, like a pair of fish.
There were ancient trees along the corridor, and strange stones stood tall. They were in a strange shape, and there were wild vines on the stones. There were unknown wild flowers.
A side door opened in the middle of the two residences. After pa.s.sing through the side door, Yu Youyao saw a green stone that was half the height of a person standing at the door of the residence opposite. The stone naturally showed the color of a lake and a mountain.
The words “Yu Garden” were engraved on it.
Yu Youyao looked at the familiar words steadily, and her eyes suddenly welled up.
Madam Zheng smiled. “This piece of Laoshan green stone has the texture of jade. The color is semi-transparent and unclear. Under different light, it will reflect different scenes. It’s very strange. King Yue Fei named the residence ‘Yu Garden’. The words on it were also carved by him personally.”
A woman’s household could not be established in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and women could not leave their families to live alone.
At this moment, the words “Yu Garden” seemed to have broken the barrier that had been placed on her. She couldn’t live alone without her family, but she could enjoy a unique courtyard and live as she pleased.
Yin Huaixi had always understood her. Yu Youyao chuckled. “The Yu Garden is quite good.”
Madam Zheng sent Yu Youyao to the next room and returned.
Yu Youyao was excited. She ignored the fact that her ankle had yet to recover and wanted to stroll around the residence.
Auntie Xu couldn’t dissuade her. Thinking that she had walked a lot just now, she ordered a servant to carry the shoulder carriage. “Let Dong Mei accompany you. It’s been a long journey. I’ll go to the small kitchen to prepare a medicinal bath for you first and some food.”
The layout of the courtyard followed the terrain. There was a jade belt stream that meandered. It was also deep and hidden. The long corridor rose and fell according to the mountain, winding into the pavilion with mountain rocks on the left and the right.
It revealed a deep, simple, natural, and unrestrained aura.
As they strolled, they arrived at the main courtyard.
Seeing that the place where the plaque had originally hung on the front door of the courtyard was still empty, Yu Youyao suddenly said, “There is a famous musical piece called Jiushao. This will be renamed the Jiushao Courtyard.”
From now on, it was truly her territory.
Dong Mei helped Young Miss walk around the main courtyard.
Dong Mei arrived early and introduced, “The layout of the main courtyard is a little similar to the Yi Water Courtyard. His Highness personally found a powerful craftsman and renovated it according to the requirements. His Highness said that Young Miss is used to living in such a house. She can be more at ease if she lives in the same kind of house.”
As soon as Yu Youyao walked over, she saw that there were pebbles of all sizes on the ground. The color, shape, and patterns of the pebbles were ever-changing, revealing thousands of patterns.
Dong Mei explained, “It’s damp and bitterly cold. His Highness is worried that Young Miss won’t be used to it. Anshan is rich in limestone, but limestone isn’t as heat-resistant as pebbles. His Highness has made the decision to lay out large, smooth sea pebbles in the courtyard. The sea pebbles absorb moisture and resist the cold. The fireplace burns in winter. Not only is it heat-resistant, but it also transmits heat. In summer, sprinkle some water on the ground to relieve the heat. It’ll be warm in winter and cold in summer.”
There were fewer large sea pebbles, and the largest could reach more than 30 feet (about 10 meters).
The courtyard occupied a large area. It was not easy to polish the sea pebbles, so it was impossible to complete it in just three months. Yin Huaixi must have arranged for someone to make preparations early in the morning.
He had indeed put in a lot of effort.
Dong Mei supported Yu Youyao and finally stopped under the old elm tree in the courtyard.
Coincidentally, this was also a purple elm tree. It was even older than the one in the Xie Residence. Its roots were intertwined, like a huge dragon entrenched. It was strong and slanted, spiraling up. The green cover above was like clouds, resembling layers of green clouds that the “dragon” spat out.
Yu Youyao couldn’t help but think of the old elm tree that accompanied her mother’s growth in the Yi Water Courtyard. “Was this purple elm planted here from the beginning?”
Dong Mei nodded. “That’s right.”
The purple elm tree was already full of leaves. Yu Youyao couldn’t help but smile and say, “I’ll get Auntie Xu to make elm leaf pie another day. When the elm tree grows, I can even make elm egg pancakes.”
In the main house, there was an exquisite velvet blanket. The furnishings in the house reflected the Yi Water Garden. In addition, there was a heated bed, a heated bed table, and a fireplace built with pebbles.
Yu Youyao took a medicinal bath and washed away her fatigue from the journey. Suddenly, she felt a sense of stability that she had not felt for a long time.
Auntie Xu brought lunch over.
In addition to light and nourishing medicinal porridge, eggs, mushrooms, and so on, she had also prepared cold elm leaves and a golden and crispy elm leaf pie.
The fresh and tender elm leaves tasted abnormally fresh with a little sweetness. It was a very simple and natural taste.
It was cold in the north, so there were no wooden beds. Most of them slept on brick beds, making them look a little simple.
Considering that Yu Youyao was used to a thousand-jointed bed, Yin Huaixi had set up a thousand-jointed bed room around the bed. It was no different from the thousand-jointed bed she usually slept in. It was wet and cold. Wood such as agarwood and old sandalwood were not as moist and comfortable as elm trees, so old purple elm wood was used for all the materials.
There was a jade blanket woven with jade pieces on the bed.
After traveling in the open for a few days, Yu Youyao couldn’t help but feel a little tired and took a nap.
When she woke up, it was already past midnight.
Chun Xiao helped Yu Youyao wash up. “Uncle Sun and Butler Wen from the Yue Fei’s Residence are here.”
Yu Youyao quickly said, “When did Uncle Sun come over? Why didn’t you wake me up?” With a thought, she asked, “The butler of the Yue Fei’s Residence is surnamed Wen? Is he an old man who used to be by the old Princess Consort’s side?”
The surname of the old princess consort’s maiden family was Wen.
Dong Mei picked out a green dress with embroidered branches, flowers, leaves, and a round collar. When she heard this, she said, “Uncle Sun has only just arrived and asked us not to disturb the Princess Consort. As for Butler Wen, he used to be the old Princess Consort’s escort and is very trusted by His Highness. Previously, when the Yu Residence was renovated, it was also Butler Wen who helped manage it inside and out.”
Yu Youyao asked about Butler Wen. Then, she got up to enter the side room to change her clothes.
It was more bitter and cold, and the clothes were heavier. The top with a round collar and big sleeves reached her calves. It was paired with a skirt that had eight pleats. Two to three inches of the top of the skirt and one or two inches of the bottom of the skirt were decorated with an exquisite and complicated lace. They resembled water ripples that rolled with delicate waves.