A Jiangnan Mansion

The group walked leisurely, and in the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, they entered Ningxi Lane. They went in from the lane entrance, walked along the high vermilion wall for another time, and then stopped in front of a gate with Zhao Yuanxun.

The vermilion gate was very imposing, and the brass door knockers gleamed in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Except for Zhang Shun and a few others at the front, everyone else stared wide-eyed.

Even though Chen Xin already knew that Zhao Yuanxun lived in Ningxi Lane before he came, he was still very surprised.

It wasn't that he hadn't seen vermilion gates before, nor had he seen the doormen embedded in them. Just thinking about the long, high wall they had just walked through made him feel suffocated.

This house occupies a huge area.

Seeing everyone's surprised expressions, Zhang Shun couldn't help but sigh.

When Zhao Yuanxun first arrived, he invited him and his comrade-in-arms to a banquet with their families. When they saw this house, they were just as surprised as their colleagues.

He came from a poor family, and even after serving as an official for over a decade and embezzling some money, he only had modest savings. To buy a house like this, he would have to give up everything he had. Even with money, as the prefect of Gusu Prefecture, buying such a house was not an easy task.

Who among those living in this alley doesn't have a deep-rooted family background? Even the wealthy merchants are all imperial merchants, with countless connections to the powerful and influential in the capital. They are not people that a prefect with such shallow connections can shake. It is almost impossible to get them to move out and buy their houses.

Throughout his many years as an official, from county magistrate to prefect, he basically lived in the back residence attached to the government office; even if the government office was too dilapidated, they would buy houses to live in, which were all one or two courtyards.

Recalling how his wife and children reacted like country bumpkins visiting the city when they first saw the house, Zhang Shun felt an overwhelming pang of sorrow.

Compared to those from noble families, children from poor families lack far more than just a certain level of social standing.

"Lord Zhang, please; Lord Hu, please; Lord Shi, please; and all my colleagues, please." Zhao Yuanxun greeted everyone one by one, gesturing for them to enter.

"Please, Lord Zhao."

"Please, Lord Zhang." The officials politely declined as they entered through the gate.

Upon entering the gate, instead of the screen wall typical of wealthy families, one is greeted by an artificial hill. Behind the hill is a wide archway, through which one can vaguely see a large pond and a covered walkway on the opposite side of the pond.

The group followed them through the archway, where a wide-open space came into view.

The pond was extremely wide, like a small lake, with a pavilion and a painted boat in the middle. In the distance, there were carved beams and painted rafters, creating a scene of wealth and prosperity.

Even the officials of the prefectural government, who had visited many wealthy merchants, were collectively speechless when faced with such a residence.

That's incredibly extravagant.

In a daze, everyone followed Zhao Yuanxun through the left-hand corridor. After walking for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, they finally arrived at a hall—and this was only the hall in the front courtyard. They wondered what the scene would be like once they reached the back courtyard.

Ding Fugui, an old clerk in the clerk's office, was over sixty years old. He had been working as a minor official in the yamen since he was in his early twenties. He had experienced countless things and seen countless things in his life, and he was a very steady person.

He sat down in the hall, looking at the huanghuali wood furniture and the Ru kiln plum vase on the table, and couldn't help but ask Zhao Yuanxun, "Lord Zhao, was this house passed down from your ancestors, or was it recently purchased?"

If it weren't for everyone's encouragement to treat him to a meal today, and Zhao Yuanxun's own Gao Xing, he wouldn't have planned to invite everyone to his residence.

The house was far too eye-catching, completely contradicting his desire for a low-key lifestyle.

He smiled wryly and said, "My daughter asked a servant to buy it; it must have been purchased within the last year."

When their daughter first told them she had a house here and invited them to stay, they assumed it was just a typical three-courtyard house.

Who would have thought that upon arriving here, they would find a garden-style building that even the powerful and wealthy merchants of Jiangnan rarely had the luxury of living in, and in such a prime location? He and Lady Zhu were immediately taken aback.

Only after confirming with Zhou Chun several times did they dare to enter. Once inside, they were still stunned by the sight.

Zhou Chun said that the girl sent someone to buy the house after she made some money. It was a matter of chance that she was able to buy it at that time.

As for the circumstances and the legality of the situation, Zhou Chun refused to elaborate, saying only that it concerned the privacy of the previous owners, who had promised not to disclose it.

Zhao Yuanxun and Lady Zhu thought the house was too nice and considered not moving in, but Zhou Chun said that it would just be empty and require maintenance, which was a waste. After thinking about it, they decided to stay in the house after some hesitation.

But it was only a corner of the house.

"Huh?" Everyone's eyes widened.

This answer was completely unexpected.

"Lord Zhao, you mean..." Zhang Shun gestured around the room, "This entire house, was it bought by your daughter? Is it your eldest daughter or your second daughter?"

Zhao Yuanxun's wife, Lady Zhu, was keen to befriend them, and would occasionally invite his wife to her residence. The two even went shopping together twice. During their casual conversations, Madam Zhang naturally inquired about the population and situation of the Earl of Suiping's Residence.

Zhao Yuanxun had four daughters. His eldest and second daughters married into prominent official families in the capital. His third daughter, born out of wedlock, married a newly appointed Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination). His fourth daughter, Zhao Ruxi, was the one who came in second place in the provincial examination.

If this house belongs to the husband's family of the eldest and second daughters and is temporarily lent to Zhao Yuanxun, that's quite normal. The Great Jin did not prohibit the sons of merchants from participating in the imperial examinations. If his third daughter married the son of a wealthy merchant from Jiangnan, it would also be normal for her to have this house.

Zhang Shun excluded Zhao Yuanxun's fourth daughter by one exception.

That young lady is not yet married, and she has only been back at the Earl of Suiping's Residence for less than two years, so it is impossible for her to own such a house.

But Zhao Yuanxun's next words left him incredulous. "No. It's my fourth daughter, the one who came in second place in the imperial examination."

"This..." Zhang Shun almost said "How is this possible?", but fortunately he stopped himself in time and didn't say it.

The house belonged to Zhao Ruxi, and when his colleagues asked, Zhao Yuanxun naturally wouldn't tell them it was his. But he also didn't want to talk much about his daughter with these men.

He turned to the servant and asked, "Has the young master returned?"

"The studies at the academy are very demanding. The young master only sent a servant back to inquire about the situation; he hasn't returned yet," the servant replied.

The academy where Zhao Jingtai studied was not located within Gusu City, but at the foot of a mountain outside the city. Students at the academy generally chose to live on campus.

Zhao Yuanxun and Lady Zhu wanted Zhao Jingtai to improve his social skills. Zhao Jingtai also longed for communal living. In the end, Zhao Jingtai moved into the academy with a servant boy. He rarely went home, only returning once a week on weekends.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuanxun said nothing more and instructed his servants to prepare a feast.