Managing the courtyard
When Fu Zhi Qiao woke up, there was no one beside her. She sat up, stretched, and her eyes instantly filled with tears.
Just as I was about to call out to Ginkgo, Xie Zhuo pushed the door open and came in.
While Fu Zhi Qiao was still asleep, he had already finished practicing his boxing, taking a bath, and getting ready.
As soon as he entered the house, he saw a scene that made his eyes water.
Fu Zhiqiao sat up on the bed with her eyes half-closed. Her porcelain-like skin was flushed with pink. Because she had just woken up, her clothes were half-open, revealing an undeniable curve to her chest.
Xie Zhuo appeared calm and composed, but the joy in his eyes was impossible to hide. Noticing Xie Zhuo's gaze, Fu Zhi Qiao reached out her hand to him, her star-like eyes filled with laughter.
Xie Zhuo's heart pounded wildly. His eyebrows twitched, and he walked over, bent down, and picked Fu Zhi Qiao up in his arms.
Holding her in his arms, Xie Zhuo finally felt a sense of reality. He had married her; she was his wife!
"Are you feeling unwell?"
Fu Zhiqiao shook her head.
It was only a few steps from the bed to the clean room. Even though Xie Zhuo was holding her, Fu Zhi Qiao's hands were still a little restless. She would touch his face, tug at his clothes, and her fingers couldn't help but caress his earlobe.
Xie Zhuo's body stiffened for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbed twice, and he calmed his breathing without making a sound.
Just as he was about to tell Fu Zhi Qiao to behave herself, he heard a very soft laugh from his arms. He knew that Fu Zhi Qiao was deliberately teasing him, and he said with a bit of helplessness, "How about you do whatever you want tonight? You still have to serve tea to Father and Mother."
Fu Zhi Qiao couldn't help but smile, feeling a sweet warmth in her heart.
On her first day in the family, a new bride is expected to serve tea to her parents-in-law.
In the main courtyard of the Prince's Mansion, Xie Zhuo and Fu Zhi Qiao walked side by side along the tree-lined corridor leading to the main hall.
According to her observation, there weren't actually that many servants in the inner courtyard of the Prince's Mansion. Most of them were guards. Guards from the outer courtyard were not allowed to enter the inner courtyard, so Fu Zhi Qiao only saw some maids and servants serving her in the inner courtyard.
Maids and servants carried trays through the courtyard, some feeding the birds in their cages. The scene was almost entirely silent, highlighting the strict rules of the Prince's mansion.
Fu Zhiqiao sighed inwardly, "No wonder it's a royal residence."
Soon they arrived at the main courtyard.
Upon entering the hall, step forward to greet them.
The main hall was furnished very formally, with mahogany armchairs with longevity patterns on both sides and two gold-painted and jade-inlaid grand master chairs in the middle. Xie Chi and Zuo Murui sat on the grand master chairs on the left and right sides respectively.
Fu Zhi Qiao glanced at it briefly, then looked away. She knelt down and bowed with Xie Zhuo, saying, "Greetings, Father and Mother!"
Zuo Murui's scrutinizing gaze remained fixed on Fu Zhiqiao.
Fu Zhi Qiao's eyes were smiling, and she exuded a natural charm that made people want to get close to her.
Because brides usually dress in festive attire, Fu Zhi Qiao wore a bright red silk dress, her smooth hair was styled into a high bun at the back of her head, and she wore a set of red gold gemstone headdress and a gold and jade ruyi necklace around her neck, which was dazzling with its jewels.
Adorned head to toe with gold and silver, she exudes nobility without being vulgar; her appearance is truly stunning at first glance.
Seeing that she was poised and spoke clearly and naturally, without the slightest hint of timidity or cowardice, Zuo Murui's anger dissipated considerably.
A maidservant brought over some tea.
The two men picked up teacups from the tray, exchanged a glance, and said to Xie Chi, "Please have some tea, Father!"
"Good, good, good!" Xie Chi smiled and took a sip of tea, then took out a red-sealed purse and handed it to Fu Zhi Qiao.
"Thank you, Father!" Fu Zhiqiao said with a smile, taking the red envelope and handing it to Yinxing.
Next, tea was served to Zuo Murui.
"Please have some tea, Mother!"
Seeing Fu Zhi Qiao kneeling in front of her, Zuo Murui felt a mix of emotions. Looking at the joyful smile in her son's eyes, Zuo Murui sighed inwardly. Oh well, as long as her son is happy, that's the most important thing!
Thinking this, Zuo Murui gracefully accepted the teacup and drank the tea that Fu Zhiqiao had offered as a gift to his daughter-in-law.
After finishing her tea, she took off a jade bracelet from her wrist and put it on Fu Zhi Qiao's wrist. "This bracelet was given to me by the old princess when I got married. Today I am giving it to you, hoping that you and Zhuo'er will live happily ever after and have children for the royal family soon."
On the very first day of their marriage, Xie Zhuo was pressured to have children, which made him somewhat dissatisfied. "Mother!"
Zuo Murui glared at him and continued to say to Fu Zhiqiao, "Zhiqiao, from now on we are family. As a member of the Prince's Mansion, your words and actions represent the face of the Prince's Mansion. You must not bring outside habits into the Prince's Mansion."
Knowing that his mother was giving Zhi Qiao a warning, Xie Zhuo frowned. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Fu Zhi Qiao reply from the side, "I will obey Mother's teachings!"
Seeing Fu Zhiqiao's humble and respectful attitude, Zuo Murui felt comfortable.
"Alright, get up quickly, don't hurt your knees kneeling. We don't have those messy rules in our Prince's Mansion," Xie Chi said.
Zuo Murui had originally intended to assert her mother-in-law's authority and have Fu Zhiqiao serve her morning and night, but upon hearing her master's words, she abandoned the idea. Thinking about it again, she realized that she herself had never served her in-laws in this way, and demanding the same from her daughter-in-law now would inevitably earn her a reputation for mistreating her. So she decided against it.
From then on, Fu Zhi Qiao accepted everything Zuo Murui said without question. She wore a gentle smile and spoke in a calm and soothing voice, which was very pleasant to listen to.
Fu Zhi Qiao's obedient and compliant demeanor appeared obedient and sensible to Xie Chi, who immediately felt even more favorably toward this daughter-in-law.
After receiving gifts from elders Xie Chi and Zuo Murui, Fu Zhi Qiao, as the sister-in-law, also gave a gift to younger generation Xie Huai Wei.
The Prince's mansion had a small population, and the tea ceremony was completed quickly.
Unlike Zuo Murui's cold attitude, Xie Chi's attitude was very gentle. He asked Xie Zhuo to take Fu Zhiqiao for a walk in the courtyard and then have dinner together in the evening.
*
Upon leaving the main courtyard, seeing that Fu Zhiqiao was not in high spirits, and remembering what his mother had just said, he comforted her, "Don't take what Mother said to heart. We'll have a child whenever you want to."
"Um."
"Ah Qiao, you can live as you please, I will never let you suffer any injustice!" Xie Zhuo stopped and stared straight at Fu Zhi Qiao, his tone carrying a fawning tone that he himself did not realize.
Fu Zhi Qiao smiled slightly, "I believe you!"
Xie Zhuo held her hand and continued walking forward.
When the servants saw that it was the young master and his wife, they all lowered their heads and stepped aside.
After the two had walked away, the servants dared to whisper among themselves, “Good heavens! We thought our young master was already a rare beauty in the world, but we never expected that the young master’s wife would be one in a million as well. We’ve really seen something amazing today.”
"Yes, the Crown Princess is such a beautiful woman, she is a perfect match for our Crown Prince!"
"Shh... Keep your voice down! I heard from Xiao Zhao, who went to move the dowry chests yesterday, that the Crown Princess's dowry chests are packed full of things and are very heavy!"
"More than that, there's so much that the Qinghun Courtyard can't hold it all."
...
Xie Zhuo took Fu Zhi Qiao on a tour of the mansion, introducing her to the scenery of various parts of the mansion.
The scenery of the Prince's Garden is incomparable to that of ordinary residences.
There's a waterside pavilion and stream in front, and a bamboo grove garden behind. Every step reveals a new scene. The pillars of the covered walkway are carved with various lifelike flower and bird patterns, which are truly astonishing.
The water ripples and the rocks are rugged. Unlike the ponds dug later in the homes of ordinary people, the ponds in the royal palace are filled with flowing water and connected to the moat. In the height of summer, you can occasionally see wild river fish swimming in from the moat.
I never expected that such a beautiful scene was hidden inside the simple and solemn courtyard.
After walking for a short while, Fu Zhi Qiao had only finished strolling through the garden. She was tired. Since she was already married into the family, she could enjoy the scenery later.
Back at Qinghui Courtyard, Xie Zhuo summoned the servants from the courtyard.
Xie Zhuo said gently, "A Qiao, from now on, Qinghui Courtyard is entrusted to you. You don't need to do everything yourself; just give instructions and the servants will take care of it."
As he spoke, he had Uncle Tong, the steward of Qinghui Courtyard, bring out a large bunch of keys for Fu Zhiqiao.
Uncle Tong summoned all the servants in Qinghui Courtyard to Fu Zhiqiao so that she could recognize their faces.
Most servants are opportunistic, always flattering the powerful and belittling the weak. Everyone has their own sense of right and wrong. Seeing how much the young master values the princess, they are careful not to offend her.
"Madam, Suochun and Suoqiu are the second-class maids in the courtyard. They are the most reliable and trustworthy. If you have any requests in the future, just ask them to do so."
"Your servants Suochun and Suoqiu greet Madam!"
Fu Zhiqiao smiled faintly. These people all seemed well-behaved. Most of the servants in the Prince's Mansion were born into the family. These people had been the Prince's Mansion for generations and were the most loyal to the manor. They were also the master's confidants. The estates, shops, and land properties in the outer residence, as well as the management, purchasing rights, and warehouse keys in the inner residence, were all entrusted to them.
Fu Zhi Qiao had already asked Yin Xing to prepare some small red envelopes and distribute them to the servants below, saying, "Everyone has worked hard. Tonight, I'll have the kitchen add two dishes for everyone."
The servants immediately took the purse with smiles, and upon weighing it in their hands, their smiles deepened in surprise.
"Thank you, Madam!"
"Thank you, Madam!"
After receiving their rewards, the servants all withdrew.
In most families, the matriarch is in charge of managing the household affairs, because only by holding the power over money and personnel can she demonstrate her authority as the matriarch.
However, the Prince's Mansion is not like an ordinary family. The power to manage the household affairs is in the hands of Zuo Murui. Zuo Murui is still young and far from the age where she needs to hand over the management of the household affairs. Therefore, Fu Zhiqiao only needs to manage her own little plot of land.
Previously, the steward Tong Shu was in charge of the trivial matters in Qinghui Courtyard, including Xie Zhuo's food, clothing, and housing. Now that the young master is married, these matters should naturally be handed over to the new lady.
"I am new here and don't know much, so I hope Uncle Tong can give me some pointers."
Uncle Tong's real name is Xue Jiatong. He is an old man in the Prince's mansion. He used to be a confidant of the old Prince Xie Heshan. He is only a little younger than Xie Heshan, so everyone in the mansion respectfully calls him Uncle Tong. Fu Zhiqiao also calls him Uncle Tong.
"Madam, you are too kind. Please do not hesitate to give me any instructions."
"That's good. Uncle Tong, please bring me the account books from the courtyard so I can take a look." As the saying goes, those in a position should fulfill their responsibilities, and Fu Zhi Qiao did not intend to be a hands-off manager.
Uncle Tong nodded and replied, "Yes." He quickly brought over the account books of Qinghui Courtyard. "Madam, these are the account books of Qinghui Courtyard in recent years. Please take a look."
Fu Zhiqiao took the top ledger, quickly flipped through a few pages, and the sound of pages turning filled the room.
Xie Zhuo's food, clothing, housing, and transportation were all paid for by the central government, but his salary and rewards were not paid through the Wangfu's public accounts; they were all recorded in separate ledgers.
To accommodate Xie Zhuo's occasional cravings for late-night snacks or desserts, a small kitchen was also set up in Qinghui Courtyard.
Fu Zhiqiao looked at the purchase records for the small kitchen, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
The kitchen is a place with a lot of oil and grease, and some of the purchase prices were significantly higher than the market price, but not outrageously so. Since things are too clear, Fu Zhi Qiao decided to turn a blind eye. She looked at the accounts and raised some questions, which, though minor, demonstrated her housekeeping skills.
Uncle Tong glanced cautiously at Fu Zhi Qiao's face, and a cold sweat broke out in his chest.
The Crown Prince's wife is so imposing, she's no less so than the Crown Prince. No wonder people say that birds of a feather flock together.
After Uncle Tong left, Fu Zhiqiao continued to look through the account books.
She wasn't clear about the income and expenditure of the entire Prince's Mansion, but the income and expenditure of Qinghui Courtyard... Fu Zhiqiao clicked her tongue twice, Xie Zhuo wasn't as rich as her.
Xie Zhuo owns seven or eight shops that collect rent, but almost no estates. He does own several courtyards and houses, though. Fu Zhi Qiao guesses that the estates and shops are probably registered under the Prince's Mansion and not under Xie Zhuo's personal name.
Besides, Qinghui Courtyard has many items bestowed by the imperial court, but the imperial antiques and calligraphy and paintings cannot be sold off, so in terms of silver alone, Xie Zhuo is far inferior to her.
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