Chapter 14 The New Mansion "Then the household affairs will be handled by Madam."...

Jiang Zhiyao was quite surprised when she saw the spacious mansion; she had originally thought it would just be a small house.

Before me are exquisite pavilions and halls, winding covered bridges, a garden full of various flowers, tall trees and shrubs arranged in a well-ordered manner, and a natural rockery and flowing water sit beside a pond with a large number of lotus flowers in the pond.

Jiang Zhiyao had been walking for almost half an hour and still hadn't finished exploring the mansion.

A month has passed since the last commotion in the study. This morning, Jiang Zhiyao brought her things and followed Yan Zhenxi to the new mansion.

Nan Zhi couldn't help but follow behind Jiang Zhiyao and sigh softly, "Miss, I feel like this place isn't much different from the Yan residence."

However, there is one difference: this mansion belongs entirely to Jiang Zhiyao and Yan Zhenxi.

After Jiang Zhiyao finished shopping, she returned to Yan Zhenxi's side. Yan Zhenxi noticed her coming and turned to her with a smile, asking, "Madam, are you alright?" "Yes, yes," Jiang Zhiyao nodded repeatedly.

Although this mansion is not as large as the Yan mansion, Jiang Zhiyao felt that the pavilions and some of the scenery here were even more exquisite than those in the Yan mansion.

"Then the management of the household affairs will be entrusted to Madam."

"Ah." Jiang Zhiyao realized what was happening and waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no, I didn't expect this place to be so big..."

Such a large mansion, if one were to manage the household affairs, the servants needed to maintain the residence, and the expenses of the mansion, it would be a headache just to think about it. Jiang Zhiyao felt that she was not up to the task.

Although she had learned from Sister Ji before, Jiang Zhiyao had never actually managed these things, so she had no confidence at all.

“Madam,” Yan Zhenxi called to her, “it’s alright. This will be our shared residence from now on. You are the master of this place, and you can do whatever you want.”

Seeing that Jiang Zhiyao was still hesitant, Yan Zhenxi said, "Uncle Xu used to be the steward of the courtyard, and now he is the temporary steward here. You can ask him if you don't know anything."

Uncle Xu had come from the original Yan residence. He was standing slightly behind Yan Zhenxi when he heard this, and nodded to Jiang Zhiyao: "Madam."

"From now on, all the affairs of the household will be left to Madam. It doesn't matter what she does," Yan Zhenxi said earnestly to Jiang Zhiyao.

After a few seconds, Jiang Zhiyao replied, "...Then I'll give it a try."

Inside the accounting office.

"So many?" Jiang Zhiyao exclaimed, looking at the thick stacks of land deeds, house deeds, and shop deeds beside her.

Although Yan Zhenxi used to give Jiang Zhiyao a monthly allowance of one hundred taels, she didn't really have a clear concept of how rich Yan Zhenxi was. Now, looking at the property deeds in her hands, all of which were in prime locations in the capital, Jiang Zhiyao finally had a better understanding of the situation.

It was because Yan Zhenxi usually dressed plainly that Jiang Zhiyao had the misconception that Yan Zhenxi wasn't very rich.

But looking at the expenses recorded in the ledger for Yan Zhenxi's clothes and accessories, Jiang Zhiyao couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement. They were so expensive! Even a small accessory on his hair crown was priceless.

For the next period of time, Jiang Zhiyao was learning to manage various matters in the mansion. Although she was a little flustered at first, she quickly became familiar with the work and everything became well-organized.

-

"Yaoyao," Cheng Mingzhu complained, "you've been so busy lately, we haven't hung out together in ages."

Ji Wanqing: "This is a good thing. Our Yaoyao has started managing the household."

Today, Jiang Zhiyao finally had some free time, so she invited Ji Wanqing and Cheng Mingzhu to her residence.

"By the way, so why exactly are the prefectures divided?" Cheng Mingzhu asked curiously.

There was much discussion in the capital about this matter, with everyone speculating about what had happened.

Yan Zhenxi's public statements were very formal, and there was nothing unusual about them. He attributed all the blame to himself, saying that they were incompatible and violated filial piety, without mentioning anything about other people.

But the more this happened, the more curious everyone became. They felt that Yan Ciying must have gone too far, or that Yan Zhao was too biased towards his second son, or that Gu Lanru had done something to murder him. Various speculations emerged one after another.

Jiang Zhiyao shook her head: "I don't know either." She probably doesn't know as much as others.

"That can't be right. Something as big as the branch office must have a reason."

"That's the day Yan Ciying came to the study and made a scene with him, and Yan Zhenxi said he wanted to separate the mansions." Jiang Zhiyao truthfully recounted what happened that day.

"Huh?" Cheng Mingzhu scratched her head, not expecting that it was because she had someone beat up Yan Ciying that he suspected Yan Zhenxi.

"Well done," Ji Wanqing affirmed from the side. Originally, she thought Cheng Mingzhu's act of sending someone was a bit reckless, but she didn't expect it to lead to the establishment of the branch residence.

From now on, Jiang Zhiyao won't have to put up with the attitudes of those people from the Yan family anymore, which is actually a good thing.

"But is that all?" Cheng Mingzhu was still somewhat skeptical.

Jiang Zhiyao shook her head again; she really didn't know.

Seeing this, Cheng Mingzhu didn't ask any further questions. Back when Yan Zhenxi was a big shot in the capital, the Yan family treated him that way. Once, Gu Lanru even tried to drug Yan Zhenxi at a banquet. Although nothing bad happened in the end, it was still outrageous.

Moreover, Yan Zhenxi is now blind, so he probably can't stand them anymore.

"Wow!" Cheng Mingzhu exclaimed as she walked into the garden of the mansion, looking at the scene before her. "It's so beautiful!"

Ji Wanqing nodded: "The layout of the garden, the selected flower species, the pond and rockery next to it, the bridge over the pond and the pavilion next to it all combine to make it look very comfortable and beautiful."

Jiang Zhiyao laughed, her eyes curving into crescents: "Isn't it beautiful? I designed this place."

In fact, she didn't need to personally manage the layout of the mansion. If she wanted to make any changes, she could just instruct others to do it. However, Jiang Zhiyao still specially rearranged the garden. Although the original garden was beautiful, Jiang Zhiyao wanted to decorate it herself.

She had always wanted her own garden, and now it had come true. It's just that she wished her mother were here.

Jiang Zhiyao felt a little melancholy for a moment, but quickly let go of her worries and looked at Ji Wanqing and Cheng Mingzhu.

As she expected, both Ji Wanqing and Cheng Mingzhu praised it.

Hearing the praise around her, Jiang Zhiyao's smile widened even more: "We can come here to play more often in the future."

When Jiang Zhiyao was living in the original Yan residence, she felt it wasn't very comfortable or convenient to invite Ji Wanqing and Cheng Mingzhu over, but things will be different from now on.

The mansion was very large, and Jiang Zhiyao rarely saw Yan Zhenxi, so she figured she wouldn't bother him while playing around there.

She also asked Yan Zhenxi, and since Yan Zhenxi didn't mind, Jiang Zhiyao had no other concerns.

Looking at Jiang Zhiyao, who seemed more lively than before, Ji Wanqing smiled slightly.

When she first planned to rebuild the garden, Jiang Zhiyao asked Yan Zhenxi for advice, fearing that he might think it was unnecessary.

Yan Zhenxi replied, "I'll do whatever you say."

At first, Jiang Zhiyao asked Yan Zhenxi about his preferences and ideas regarding the arrangement of the garden, but as she continued to ask, Jiang Zhiyao would reveal her own preferences when Yan Zhenxi asked her softly.

Later, Jiang Zhiyao gradually opened up, and in the end, the garden was completely decorated according to Jiang Zhiyao's own preferences.

Jiang Zhiyao looked at the garden in front of her and was very satisfied.

Jiang Zhiyao, Ji Wanqing, and Cheng Mingzhu spent the afternoon in the garden, enjoying the cool air, admiring the flowers, feeding the fish, playing cards, and chatting. Time passed quickly.

When it was time for dinner, everyone was still a little reluctant to leave.

"Why don't you stay for the meal?" Jiang Zhiyao suggested, and Ji Wanqing and Cheng Mingzhu quickly agreed.

-

Looking at the sumptuous dishes before him and the empty seat beside him, Yan Zhenxi asked, "Where is Madam?"

"My lord, Madam invited Miss Ji and Miss Cheng to the manor today, and we are having dinner with them now."

Yes, Jiang Zhiyao had already sent someone to talk to him about it.

Yan Zhenxi frowned slightly, somewhat losing his appetite, and soon put down his chopsticks.

Since moving into this mansion, Jiang Zhiyao had dinner with Yan Zhenxi on the first busy day, and afterwards the two tacitly ate together.

Yan Zhenxi originally disliked dining with others, but if it was Jiang Zhiyao, he felt it wasn't a bad idea.

Now that they've spent some time together, Yan Zhenxi has grown accustomed to Jiang Zhiyao by his side. The soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks, and catching glimpses of her out of the corner of his eye, all inexplicably bring him a sense of peace.

Now that he's not here, Yan Zhenxi, who has been dining alone for many years, is starting to feel uneasy.

After returning to his study, Yan Zhenxi called over Uncle Xu, who told him about Jiang Zhiyao's progress and achievements during this period.

Finally, Uncle Xu said, "Madam is very intelligent; she understands many things very quickly."

"Is that so?" A smile appeared in Yan Zhenxi's eyes, which were covered by a thin veil, and his tone carried a sense of pride that he himself did not realize.

Even when he himself is praised by contemporary Confucian scholars, he would not have such a genuine smile.

After Uncle Xu left, there was a knock on the door a short while later.

"Husband?" It was Jiang Zhiyao's voice. After knocking a few times, Jiang Zhiyao pushed the door open and came in.

"I heard you didn't eat much tonight. Is it because you don't have an appetite in the summer?" Jiang Zhiyao asked with some concern.

"Hmm." Yan Zhenxi nodded in agreement, then asked, "Did you have a good meal tonight, Madam?"

Jiang Zhiyao didn't speak for a moment, after all, she had just eaten very well, especially since she was dining with Ji Wanqing and the others, and she ate half a bowl more than usual while chatting and laughing.

"I've already asked the kitchen to reheat the food," Jiang Zhiyao replied, her voice slightly soft, seemingly unrelated to the question.

"Then, Madam, would you like to stay and have another meal with me?" His tone carried a hint of a smile.

“Okay.” Jiang Zhiyao quickly agreed.

Before long, a few small dishes were brought to the study. Jiang Zhiyao sat to the side, resting her chin on her hand, and watched Yan Zhenxi eat.

His slender fingers picked up the jade chopsticks, and the blue veins on the back of his hand lay quietly beneath his fair skin, revealing a hint of desire.

As she picked up food with her chopsticks and brought it to her lips, her slightly parted lips were a vibrant red. When the chopsticks left her lips, Jiang Zhiyao even noticed the water droplets on them.

Realizing what she had been thinking, Jiang Zhiyao's cheeks flushed, and she quickly sat up straight as if she had done something wrong.

She felt somewhat annoyed, not understanding why she always acted this way towards Yan Zhenxi, again and again.

Jiang Zhiyao shifted her gaze, her eyes landing on the bookshelf behind Yan Zhenxi.

"He has so many books here. It must have taken a long time to move all these books when we moved the mansion," Jiang Zhiyao thought aimlessly.