Chapter 35 Phoenix Perches on the Wutong Tree (Part 4) You always take such good care of me...

Deng Jie led the neatly dressed Qingwu out of the back gate of the Sikong Mansion and walked back to the Guo Residence.

Actually, when Qingwu was at the entrance, looking at the inconspicuous lintel and the cramped boundary of the courtyard, he had already somewhat anticipated it.

When she actually entered, the scene before her eyes confirmed her guess: the side rooms, kitchen, granary and wine cellar were piled together, looking rather shabby.

When the woman who came to greet them heard that she had brought the girl to see her and perhaps take her into her home, her kind smile was immediately replaced by surprise and suspicion. She forced a smile and retreated to attend to her business.

But Qingwu was also wondering why there was only one couple as servants, which was really inconsistent with the status of the chief priest.

The two walked around the screen and revealed the front yard, which made Qingwu's face even more embarrassed.

Although she knew that Madam Deng was skilled in medicine, most of the front yard was occupied by a medicinal herb garden, and a table and clothesline further obstructed the view, making the space seem even smaller.

“We usually eat here,” Deng Jie explained, pointing to the broken table. “But if it rains, we move into the corridor.”

Qingwu looked on incredulously. Compared to the fact that each of the ladies and gentlemen in the Sikong Mansion had their own table, this treatment of dining together was practically the same as that of their maids... and even less spacious than theirs.

Deng Jie then showed her the study and bedroom side by side, which was all there was in the house.

Qingwu frowned, but through the doors and windows of the study, she could vaguely see that there seemed to be a backyard, so she asked, "May I go in and take a look?"

He was thinking that if the backyard was spacious, he might be able to build another house there.

"nature……"

"no!"

Guo Jia's voice rang out from behind, interrupting Deng Jie's reply.

As he spoke, he proudly raised his head, clearly having completely forgotten about Xu Chu leading his armored soldiers to storm the backyard and destroy the bees.

But his resolute attitude completely extinguished Qingwu's last illusions.

She had initially hoped that if she could win a little of the master's affection, she might be able to gain a foothold in the mansion by virtue of her youth and good health. But now she has seen through their attitudes.

"Your Excellency has already granted permission, and I have also spoken to Lu Hong."

Guo Jia ignored Qingwu and took Deng Jie's hand directly, as if what was about to happen had little to do with her. "Let's go, I'll take you to the School Affairs Office so you can meet him."

Qingwu stared blankly as Deng Jie was led away, looking back at his own worried expression, his heart filled with indescribable mixed feelings, bitter and hard to express.

In the end, she could only lower her eyes and numbly reply, "Yes..."

To protect the confidentiality of school affairs, the staff of the government had no separate residences. The front yard was used for official business, while a spacious back residence was set aside specifically for their living needs.

As the consul of the School Affairs Office, Lu Hong had a separate residence located at the deepest part of the backyard.

Taking advantage of the suspension of the school affairs office, Guo Jia specially led them through the solemn main gate and walked through the spacious official area.

In stark contrast to the cramped Guo residence, the front courtyard of the School Affairs Office was quite spacious and bright, with the entire courtyard paved with bluestone slabs.

On both sides are government offices with their doors tightly closed, connected by vermilion-lacquered corridors. Although they are not overly decorated, they have their own imposing atmosphere.

Qingwu followed behind, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the grandeur of the place. He secretly marveled, thinking that this was exactly how the Grand Master's residence should be.

Thinking this, I sighed silently.

Guo Jia casually pointed to a few places: "This is the archives, that's the council chamber... Although servants from the inner quarters aren't allowed up here, if it's the wife of Inspector Lu..."

He glanced at Qingwu, whose face was full of timidity, and curled his lips into a smile. "You have given special permission, my lord."

That's natural; what Cao Cao wanted was for her to directly transmit unprocessed information to the Sikong Mansion.

"After passing through this moon gate, you'll reach the inner quarters," Guo Jia said, pointing to a small, tightly closed door ahead.

Without any hesitation, he reached into a recess in the wall next to them and gently turned the candlestick. With a "whoosh," the small door opened.

Passing through this gate, the scene changes instantly; the lively atmosphere of the back courtyard is completely different from the desolate atmosphere of the front yard.

The houses were still arranged in an orderly manner, but the officials coming and going were relaxed and at ease, playing chess, writing books, chatting, sitting in twos and threes, with servants cleaning and serving among them. It was nothing like the gloomy and terrifying scene that the maids of the Sikong Mansion had been discussing in private.

When everyone saw Guo Jia arrive with his entourage, they all stood up and bowed, filled with curiosity about Qingwu's arrival.

"Chancellor, Madam!" Lu Hong changed into a plain-colored casual dress, tidied her hair, and looked much more energetic.

He stepped forward and bowed, his posture extremely humble. "We've been waiting for you three. This way, please."

Guo Jia nodded in satisfaction, signaling him to lead the way.

Qingwu stole a glance at Lu Hong.

His voice was deep, yet he treated Guo Jia with utmost respect.

His face wasn't exactly handsome, but it had a somewhat square and upright appearance, a serious expression, and a commanding presence.

But when he turned around and met her gaze, he shyly looked away, which was far from the "sinister and ruthless" persona they had described.

This feeling... made Qingwu's tense nerves relax a little, and it seemed... not so hard to accept?

Lu Hong led the three through a short corridor and into his secluded courtyard.

The courtyard gate is clean and simple, and looks bright and spacious.

He then led the three of them to see the study, bedroom, and side rooms. Apart from the essential furniture, there were almost no extra decorations or personal items in the rooms, and it was impossible to tell what the owner's personal preferences were. Although the rooms were clean, they looked completely devoid of any sense of life.

Guo Jia clapped his hands happily, "This place is good, this place is wonderful, this place is spacious, there is plenty of room for the young lady to make her mark!"

He turned to Qingwu, whose expression was complicated, and said, "Miss, you will be the mistress of this place from now on. Tell me what your preferences are. This will help us make this place feel more like home!"

Qingwu was surprised that Guo Jia would suddenly ask a question. She glanced at Deng Jie shyly and whispered, "This servant... This servant was originally in the embroidery workshop of the Sikong Mansion. Occasionally, I would be transferred there to organize some miscellaneous documents for the Sikong... I also know a little about cooking."

"Great, that's excellent!"

Guo Jia pulled Lu Hong along and happily pointed out some things to him, "Look, this room of yours is just sitting empty anyway, it's perfect as an embroidery room!"

Deng Jie, watching from the side, felt a little embarrassed. She tugged at his sleeve and whispered a reminder: "You, you should tone it down."

He took it upon himself to arrange Lu Hong's courtyard with great enthusiasm.

Seeing this, Lu Hong quickly replied, "Yes, yes, what the Chancellor says is absolutely right! That's exactly what I think!"

He bowed to Qingwu, his movements slightly stiff. “I am usually busy with official duties and have neglected the trivial matters of life. I have never spent time with women. From now on, this courtyard will be entirely in your hands, Miss!”

Guo Jia urged Qingwu to answer with great anticipation: "What do you think? You agree to this?" He completely ignored Deng Jie's angry glare.

Qingwu was taken aback; it seemed this matter was truly settled.

Looking at the courtyard in front of her that desperately needed her renovation, and recalling the cramped space in the Guo residence where there was nowhere to live, she felt a sense of grievance and loss, and ultimately succumbed to the arrangement of fate.

She also bowed to Lu Hong and said, "This servant...is willing."

Lu Hong's face showed no joy, but rather a sense of relief. He bowed to the three of them again and said, "I will certainly live up to your kindness, as well as the expectations of the Chancellor and the Madam. I will treat the young lady well in the future!"

Thus, with Cao Cao's favor and Guo Jia's matchmaking, the marriage was tentatively settled.

Guo Jia relayed a message to everyone in the Imperial Academy that the Academy could resume normal operations after the wedding.

Therefore, everyone in the mansion eagerly anticipated this wedding day.

However, a problem arose when it came to the naming ceremony, one of the six rites: Qingwu's surname.

She was born into slavery, and even her name was given to her by Cao Cao; she had no surname.

In an ordinary family, they would turn a blind eye and let it go after the husband takes the surname. But this marriage was to be shown to people like Dong Cheng. It was too condescending, which would not only lose face for Lu Hong and the Imperial Academy, but also make Cao Cao seem unserious. The marriage certificate would look rather unseemly.

Guo Jia wanted to ask Cao Cao to grant her another favor, since she was from the Sikong Mansion anyway, so why not just bestow her a surname? But Cao Cao firmly blocked him: "I have already made an exception and granted her a marriage, freeing her from her status as a commoner. Do you still want me to bestow a surname upon her?"

You created your own romantic entanglements, and now you expect me to clean up the mess for you? Absolutely not!

To become the principal wife is already a great honor; what need does she have for surnames and face? Let her be!

Let Dong Cheng and the others say whatever they want, I just want the Imperial Academy to reopen!

Guo Jia was thoroughly rebuffed and knew that Cao Cao was right. Besides, the root of the problem lay with him, so he had no face to continue to renege on his promise.

He returned home dejectedly and sighed to Deng Jie, "Does this marriage certificate... just write my name without my surname?"

He paced back and forth in frustration. "I can't just give it to her myself, can I? There were rumors before that I was going to take her as a concubine. If I recognize her as a member of the clan now, wouldn't that make Lu Hong a laughingstock?"

Seeing his worried expression, Deng Jie felt a pang of reluctance.

After a moment's thought, she stepped forward to support Guo Jia and said gently, "How about I give you this identity?"

"You?" Guo Jia was taken aback.

"Since I am also from a merchant family, I will tell others that I am my sister who was lost many years ago and was recently found by chance."

Now that she is getting married, it's probably inappropriate to send her off from the Sikong Mansion, so it's perfectly proper for me, as her 'elder sister,' to escort her.

"It's not unusual for a merchant to lose his slave sister..."

Guo Jia was pondering the feasibility when he suddenly realized his slip of the tongue and quickly tried to cover it up, "That's not what I meant...! Without the Deng family, I wouldn't be where I am today..."

Deng Jie chuckled and covered his mouth, "Alright, no need to explain. That's just how the world is. I understand."

A wave of guilt washed over Guo Jia, and he pulled Deng Jie into his arms. "Tell me, Yi, you're always so considerate of me... I'm so sorry..."

Deng Jie raised her hand and patted his back to comfort him: "There's no need for this between us. Besides, helping her get a proper identity can also dispel the previous rumors."

She paused again, a hint of melancholy in her voice, "But... I still don't know... if I've held them back."

A note from the author:

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