Chapter 557: Tingyu Pavilion

The residence arranged by the Marquis of Linhuai’s Residence was located in the rear courtyard. Now that Zhu Ping’an and Li Shu were married, he could naturally be considered part of the family rather than an outsider, so the manor’s arrangements for him were entirely reasonable.

Zijuan walked ahead to lead the way while Zhu Ping’an followed behind at an unhurried pace. Several servant girls carrying luggage trailed after them at the rear of the procession. Leaving the guest quarters and heading toward the inner residence, they passed beneath an elegant and magnificently decorated hanging flower gate before officially entering the rear courtyard.

Following the covered corridor within, they moved past a stone screen set in the passage hall, turned through two winding corners, crossed a side gate, and continued along a narrow, meandering path for some distance. Soon, several relatively independent courtyards came into view. Each one appeared exquisitely furnished, refined in taste, immaculate in cleanliness, and quietly luxurious without being ostentatious.

From what he had seen along the way, Zhu Ping’an formed a general impression of the Marquis of Linhuai’s Residence’s rear residence: courtyards nestled within courtyards, gardens beyond the walls, paths connecting both garden and residence seamlessly together, with servant women stationed throughout. Security, privacy, and convenience had all clearly been taken into careful consideration.

Truthfully, however, the greatest difference between the rear courtyard and the outer residence was not the architecture—

—but the unmistakable feminine atmosphere.

The people coming and going were all maids and elderly nursemaids. Whether it was the flowers and plants, the furnishings, or even the faint fragrance lingering in the air, everything carried the delicate scent of cosmetics and powder, soft and distinctly feminine.

“Young Master-in-law,” Zijuan said with a smile as she led Zhu Ping’an into a courtyard beside a bamboo grove, “this is Tingyu Pavilion, the residence the Old Madam prepared for you and Fifth Miss. Everything inside was newly furnished. The furniture and decorations were specially crafted by master artisans from the Imperial Household Department using huanghuali and zitan wood. As for the daily necessities and ornaments, they were all purchased through imperial merchants. If there is anything lacking, please let this servant know. The Old Madam has already instructed us that you and Fifth Miss must live here comfortably.”

As she spoke, she directed the maids to arrange the luggage before stopping beside a cluster of blooming spring azaleas. Their vibrant crimson petals swayed gently in the breeze, making her smile appear even warmer.

“Newly furnished?” Zhu Ping’an rubbed his chin and muttered to himself, “Wouldn’t that mean there’s a lot of formaldehyde… and toluene too…”

Generally speaking, newly renovated rooms and freshly made furniture released harmful volatile compounds such as formaldehyde, benzene, and toluene. If every piece of furniture in this courtyard had just been made, didn’t that mean he was about to become a human vacuum cleaner?

“Hm?”

Zijuan blinked in confusion.

“Young Master-in-law… what is ‘formaldehyde’? And what is ‘toluene’?”

She had been standing close enough to hear his muttering clearly, yet the unfamiliar terms left her completely baffled. Why would new furniture contain such strange-sounding things?

“Uh…”

Zhu Ping’an glanced at her, the corners of his lips curling upward slightly before he shook his head.

“It’s nothing.”

How could someone from this era possibly understand modern chemical terminology? Explaining molecular structures, chemical properties, and toxic volatility would require lessons in physics, chemistry, and biology. Even if he talked for ten days straight, he probably still wouldn’t manage to explain it clearly. Rather than waste the effort, it was easier not to explain at all.

Zijuan herself was a perceptive person. She could tell that the young master simply did not wish to elaborate, so she tactfully refrained from pressing further. Even so, she silently committed the strange words “formaldehyde” and “toluene” to memory, intending to ask around later. After all, anything spoken by the empire’s top scholar surely could not be ordinary knowledge.

While Zhu Ping’an and Zijuan spoke, the other servant girls had already carried all of his belongings into the rooms and neatly arranged them.

“I’m very satisfied with the courtyard,” Zhu Ping’an said, cupping his hands politely toward the group. “Thank you all for your trouble. Miss Zijuan, please also thank Grandmother on my behalf. After I wash up and settle briefly, I’ll go pay my respects to her.”

At once, Zijuan and the maids hurriedly bent at the waist to return the courtesy, laughing softly as they repeatedly insisted they dared not accept such thanks.

A true gentleman, humble and refined beyond compare.

If it had been Young Master Zhou or the others, they certainly would not have behaved with such warmth and courtesy. Several of the younger servant girls secretly lifted their heads and stole timid glances at Zhu Ping’an. Looking upon this famed Number One Scholar of Great Ming, faint blushes spread across their delicate cheeks.

Soon after, Zijuan arranged for hot water to be brought into Tingyu Pavilion, along with various household necessities that were delivered one after another into the courtyard. She left behind two servant girls to remain on standby for Zhu Ping’an’s needs and instructed them to guide him later to the Old Madam’s residence once he had rested. Only then did she withdraw with the remaining maids.

After Zijuan departed, Zhu Ping’an took the opportunity to carefully examine Tingyu Pavilion.

It was built in the style of a compact siheyuan courtyard residence. The gray bricks were fitted with exquisite precision beneath glossy glazed roof tiles. The windows were spotless, the furnishings elegant and tasteful, and the entire place exuded understated luxury.

A moon-shaped gate added a touch of artistic beauty to the courtyard. To preserve privacy, a carved wooden screen wall stood directly behind it, upon which was engraved a beautifully detailed relief of rain striking blooming peonies.

Inside Tingyu Pavilion were three main rooms and two side rooms. Near the courtyard entrance sat a small gatekeeper’s room, while a separate kitchen occupied another corner. Covered walkways connected the main chambers to the side rooms, making movement convenient even during rain.

“Young Master-in-law, the hot water is ready,” the two maids said as they approached Zhu Ping’an with curtsies. “Please allow us to assist you in changing and bathing.”

“No, no need,” Zhu Ping’an refused almost instinctively. “I can manage myself. You two may rest in the side room instead.”

He had always believed in doing things himself whenever possible. It wasn’t as though he were planning some “mandarin-duck bath”; for a simple bath, why bother someone else?

But the mention of a “mandarin-duck bath” involuntarily brought to mind a certain little troublemaker wearing split-crotch pants…

Zhu Ping’an immediately felt speechless toward himself.

Honestly, what a scoundrel.

The girl was still underage.

He let out a dry laugh inwardly.

Seems I’m really not a good person after all…

Watching the young master alternately shake his head and chuckle to himself, the two maids exchanged utterly bewildered looks. Still, seeing how firm his attitude was, they reluctantly retreated to the side room. Originally, they had hoped to use this opportunity to build a closer relationship with the manor’s newly arrived son-in-law.

Zhu Ping’an entered the main room.

The interior was separated by partitions into a “one bright, two hidden” layout. The central chamber served as a reception hall for guests, while the remaining two rooms functioned respectively as a study and bedroom.

The bedroom itself was spacious. Another partition divided it into inner and outer sections: the outer room for sleeping, and the inner chamber functioning as a washing room—the ancient equivalent of a private bath.

Entering the inner chamber, Zhu Ping’an removed his clothes and soaked himself comfortably in the wooden bathing tub filled with steaming hot water. He washed his hair using polyporus soap placed nearby and cleansed his body with scented soap cakes.

In the Great Ming Dynasty, both polyporus cleanser and perfumed soap were luxuries reserved for wealthy households. Compared to ordinary soap pods and bath powder, they were far more refined, mixed with fragrant spices that left a rich lingering scent upon the skin after bathing.

As the heat soaked into his body, the exhaustion and dust of travel gradually melted away.

By the time he finished bathing, Zhu Ping’an felt as though he had been reborn entirely anew. His body felt light, refreshed, and utterly free of fatigue.

After drying himself, he selected a clean set of clothes from the wardrobe in the bedroom. These were garments Li Shu had previously prepared for him. Since he would soon be paying respects to the Old Madam, he deliberately chose something more formal.

Fresh from the bath and dressed in fine clothing, Zhu Ping’an appeared several levels more distinguished than when he had first entered the Marquis of Linhuai’s Residence earlier that day.

The saying “clothes make the man” truly was no empty phrase.

The two young maids waiting in the side room could not help staring when they saw the refreshed Zhu Ping’an emerge. The blush upon their cheeks deepened noticeably.

The two girls leaned close together, whispering excitedly into each other’s ears before secretly stealing another glance at him, their eyes bright with shy admiration.

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