The Emperor joked that he would visit Chu Ao Villa for a vacation whenever he had time. Those who had been there since its opening all sang its praises. Particularly, young noblemen were thoroughly satisfied with the food and fun, relishing their comfortable experiences and often inviting friends to Chu Ao Villa. Gradually, the number of visitors continued to increase.
When the family elders heard that the Villa was purely a place of leisure, free from any unhealthy activities, they no longer prevented their descendants from going.
The elders of those extravagant youths were even more encouraging, as the Villa not only helped correct their offspring’s bad habits but also helped strengthen their bodies and allowed them to make new friends.
When the elders heard their descendants recounting the wonders of the Villa, they became intrigued. One by one, they traveled by horse-drawn carriage or sedan to the Villa, often choosing to stay overnight in the hotel, indulging in the novel and chic recreational projects, the breathtaking scenery, and the meticulous and thoughtful service. Everyone returned singing its praises.
Soon, Chu Ao Villa became the hottest topic in the Capital. Upon meeting someone, the inevitable question was whether you had visited Chu Ao Villa.
If you hadn’t, those who had wouldn’t stop boasting, leaving the unvisited starry-eyed and scheming to enjoy it for themselves.
If you had, everyone would gather together and enthusiastically discuss the delicacies they had eaten, the activities they had partaken in, the rankings they had achieved in competitions—not without pride.
For a time, the Villa was overcrowded, with many people from other places also drawn by its fame, all arriving with anticipation and departing with satisfaction.
Located in a secluded spot surrounded by mountains and waters, Chu Ao Villa seemed an ideal year-round destination, cool in the winter and warm in the summer. As Sheng Xia approached, many scrambled to book rooms in advance, with some even opting for long-term rentals.
By the end of the month, the accounting showed a total income of over one hundred thousand taels of silver. After deducting expenses, the net profit was nearly ninety thousand taels. Prince Ning and the others had smiles as wide as flowers, while the Emperor was both delighted and shocked.
Seeing the daily wealth pouring into Chu Ao Villa, Nangong Lingfei was quite envious and eager, approaching Yang Mengchen with hopes of building villas in other locations.
Yang Mengchen agreed, however, she made it clear that she would take sixty percent of the profits, with the remaining forty percent to be evenly divided among the five families.
Upon receiving the news, the Emperor felt deeply moved. This daughter-in-law constantly considered him with utmost devotion and filial piety, so naturally, rewards flowed continuously to Chen Prince Mansion.
After sorting out the Villa affairs, with the Hot Spring Villa still under construction, Yang Mengchen then devoted herself to arranging the affairs of the Royal Charity Event.
Princess Ning and many other noble ladies voluntarily donated money and goods, with Princess Ning acting as the intermediary for the donations.
Understanding that some people were genuinely sincere, while others hoped to leverage her connections with the Emperor and Long Xuanmo to gain advantages for their husbands and families, Yang Mengchen made it clear that she was pleased to see everyone willing to do good, but she did not need a donor list.
The purpose of establishing the Royal Charity was twofold: to help those truly in need and to accumulate blessings for the Emperor and the Royal family. However, as it was only in its infancy, the systems were not yet perfected, and the collection of funds could easily lead to discrepancies and potentially endless troubles.
After Yang Mengchen’s intent was communicated, indeed some people became less enthusiastic, but the members of the extended Royal family remained very supportive.
The Royal Charity didn’t just provide money and goods to those in need as before, but also took in homeless children, offering free education from teachers as well as free vocational training classes to enable the students to earn their own living. After all, it is better to teach someone to fish than to just give them fish.
Yang Mengchen also worked with Princess Ning to establish a girls’ academy—it was smaller than the Yangshan Girls’ Academy and offered different courses.
The curriculum included music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, home finance management, needlework, and social etiquette, as well as basic medical skills.
The legitimate daughters of noble families, except under special circumstances, were usually the main homemakers after marriage and naturally needed to learn household management and social etiquette. Furthermore, many women died under mysterious circumstances or during childbirth; knowing basic medical skills could prevent foul play.
Although the tuition fee for the ’Happy Girls School’ was quite high, before enrollment even started, many were eager to sign up based solely on its reputation. In less than half a month, nearly a hundred girls aged between six and fourteen had enrolled.
Once the regulations were established, Yang Mengchen left the management of the school to Princess Ning and other noblewomen. Unless there was a special circumstance, she did not intervene.
Princess Ning and the other noblewomen managed the school with extreme diligence and responsibility, keeping everything in perfect order. And with the school’s shareholders holding such esteemed statuses, no one dared to cause trouble.
Years later, future generations would regard the Yangshan Girls’ Academy as the foremost girls’ school, and the Happy Girls School as the second. These institutions continued to be passed down through the ages.
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