Chapter 301 Inventory

Chapter 301: Taking Stock

When Song Tingzhou returned and heard about the emperor's gracious gift of a residence, he was both surprised and unsurprised. Lord Bian's case had been handled exactly as His Majesty had wished.

Meng Wan finally pieced it together. "The ones who sent the couple Bian Erxing here were..."

Song Tingzhou pressed a finger to his lips. "Wan'er, don't say it."

Meng Wan tilted his head and caught the finger between his teeth, gnawing at it playfully before letting go. "The case is closed, and Guo Wanzhen has vanished. Did she flee, or was she..."

He trailed off, scalded by the heat in Song Tingzhou's gaze. They never made it to dinner that night—Meng Wan spent the whole night in the bedroom, kept busy with his fingers in other ways.

---

Guo Wanzhen clutched a bundle of valuables of unknown origin, hiding on a manure cart as she slipped out of the city. She didn't dare hire a carriage to leave the city, waiting until they reached the riverbank before daring to climb down.

"The two hundred coppers I promised you—here, take them." She tossed the pre-strung coins onto the front of the cart and fled toward the main road without looking back, bundle in hand.

As the stench of the manure cart faded behind her, her eyes were filled with determination. Her husband was dead—or as good as—and her son was only a gē'er, a burden to drag along. She'd find a prosperous village, settle down, and marry a widower if she could. If not, she had money in hand and wouldn't starve anytime soon.

A smile curled at the corner of her mouth. Then pain exploded from her neck, searing and sudden. The suffocating pressure wiped her mind blank, her head lolling helplessly. The last image before her eyes was half a bloodied thin blade, and the nauseating stench that filled her nostrils.

The short, wiry woman's entire form was shrouded beneath coarse cloth. The slender blade withdrew slowly from Guo Wanzhen's neck—gentle, deliberate movements that kept the blood flowing at a trickle, avoiding any messy spray that might invite unnecessary complications.

It was a practiced, cold-blooded, and clean sequence of moves.

An hour later, the woman appeared within the imperial palace.

"All taken care of?" The emperor's imposing voice echoed from the imperial study. The palace attendant guarding the door had long since lost the ability to straighten his perpetually bowed back, yet remained loyal in his duty to protect the sovereign.

The female assassin stood in sleek black robes. "Your Majesty, she's dead for good. But she left behind a child still in the Song household."

"Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"Understood, Your Majesty."

---

On the day of the Little New Year, Meng Wan began moving again. This time, he didn't just hire monks—he also brought in Taoist priests, letting both traditions pick an auspicious day.

Chu Ci had even brought the snow wolf to the new residence three days in advance to check the place out. After confirming all was well, another bitterly cold dawn arrived.

The carriage pulled up to the main gate, and the family stepped over a brazier of burning coals one by one, eldest to youngest. Past the main gate and entry hall stood a screen wall with Taoist carvings. West of the wall were the carriage house and stables; to the east, a secondary entrance and several empty rooms.

Crossing through the second gate led to a flower hall with a small bridge over flowing water. Beyond it lay the second courtyard, centered on the main reception hall, flanked by rows of side rooms on either side.

The reception hall had front and back doors, with the back door opening directly into the main courtyard. This courtyard was designated for Song Tingzhou and Meng Wan—spacious, with half given to gardens and the other half crossed by the same stream from the flower hall, connecting water and greenery. In spring and summer, it would be vibrant with life. Too bad it was all bare now.

In addition to the row of north-facing main rooms, the east and west wings housed the kitchen, storerooms, and guest quarters.

Where the side rooms met the reception hall, covered walkways branched off to two additional courtyards—one set aside for each of Chu Ci and A Xun in the future.

Flanking the main rooms were two side chambers, with gates beside them leading to the rear courtyard. Beyond lay the fourth courtyard, where the rear main hall was Chang Jinhua's residence, with two small bedchambers on each side—compact suites that could be turned into two small courtyards by adding walls.

The side rooms were smaller than those in the main courtyard, suitable as two rows of servants' quarters. Huang Ye and Jin Gu stayed on the side with the kitchen, and Zhu Yan and the other maids stayed on the opposite side.

The final courtyard was narrower still, with another row of rooms and a side gate on the east opening onto a small alley.

The residence had clearly sat empty for a long time, with a chill of neglect and solitude. But the Imperial Household Department had evidently sent people to renovate—the buildings and corridors were clean and tidy, with even the brick paths freshly laid.

Lingnan houses left empty too long grew mold and fungus; northern houses left empty lost their lived-in warmth.

Now smoke curled from the kitchen chimney as servants rushed around unpacking. Meng Wan and the others gathered in the rear main hall.

A Yan was exhausted, and Tong'er wasn't much better. Xue Sheng had lit the floor heating, but before the room could warm up, both children had collapsed onto the inner bed and fallen asleep.

"Why are they sleeping on the bed instead of the heated kang?" Chang Jinhua worried they'd catch cold, pulling another thick quilt from the luggage. Just as she moved to cover them, a big white tail stuck out from between them.

No wonder they'd each taken a spot on the edge—the snow wolf was stretched out in the middle, serving as their blanket.

Meng Wan sat by the brazier. "Don't worry, Mother. Xue Sheng will get the heating going and warm the room up soon. Those two run hot—they won't catch cold."

Song Tingzhou sat right next to him. "Mother, you should rest a while too."

Chang Jinhua climbed onto the kang. "At my age, I don't need much sleep. I've been wide awake since I got off the carriage."

Chu Ci stepped forward and felt her pulse. "Grandmother's health is still strong."

Chang Jinhua smiled fondly. "Thank you, Xiao Ci. Why don't you sleep here with your grandmother—A Xun is staying in the little courtyard right next door."

At the mention of A Xun, Chu Ci's face flushed with discomfort. He waved his hands awkwardly a couple of times and hurried out.

"Wan'er." Chang Jinhua couldn't wait to speak once he was gone.

Meng Wan knew exactly what she wanted to discuss and immediately assured her, "I know, Mother. Xiao Ci must have feelings for A Xun. But how deep are those feelings? Has he made up his mind to spend his life with him? If he's made up his mind and comes to tell me himself, I'll go ask A Xun how he feels right away. Once everything's settled, I'll personally return to Xiwu Prefecture to make the marriage proposal to the Miao family."

Chang Jinhua was puzzled. "Isn't it always arranged by parents and matchmakers? When you and Da Lang married, it wasn't this complicated."

"Ah." Meng Wan coughed lightly. "We should still ask what the children want. Otherwise two perfectly good young people could end up resenting each other."

Chang Jinhua urged, "Then put some effort into it. If Xiao Ci doesn't come to you soon, don't let him get too old. He'll be another year older right after the New Year."

Meng Wan nodded hastily. To change the subject, he brought up their new residence again.

"Mother, isn't this place grand? All because His Majesty favors my husband's service at court." His tone was full of pride.

Chang Jinhua looked around. The house was indeed large, but she felt no sense of belonging. The house on Shichun Lane had been awkward too, but at least it was small. This place felt completely unfamiliar. "Our Da Lang is capable, no doubt. But do we have the deed to this house? They won't take it back while we're living here, will they?"

Meng Wan laughed. "Rest easy, Mother. We have both the deed and the land title. Once it's light out, I'll give you a proper tour."

They chatted a moment longer before Chang Jinhua suddenly remembered something important. "What time is it? Shouldn't Da Lang be heading to court?"

There was a morning audience today, though since it was a holiday, it wasn't a formal session. Song Tingzhou glanced at the sky outside and rose. "Almost time. I'll be off, Mother."

He stopped Chang Jinhua and Meng Wan from getting up, then went out to have Xue Sheng accompany him to the palace.

The residence was located on Shuanghua Lane. Unlike the Bian family's home near the Shuntian Prefecture, Shuanghua Lane sat in the northern district of the second ring around the imperial city—what commoners called the Second City.

The neighbors were all high-ranking officials and nobles, one residence per lane. A bit further south sat the manor of Count Chengen, whose secrets Song Tingzhou had uncovered. One street west was the home of Minister Kou Wen of the Ministry of Revenue.

If the First City housed prince mansions, dukes' estates, marquis residences, and princess manors, the Second City was the circle just below them—a neighborhood money alone couldn't buy.

Being so close to the palace, Song Tingzhou no longer needed to rise early for court. Shuntian Prefecture was in the Third City, but still in northern Shengjing, so it wasn't far from Shuanghua Lane. Compared to Shichun Lane in the opposite direction, this was incredibly convenient.

Meng Wan dozed off in Chang Jinhua's quarters. When he opened his eyes again, the sun had climbed to its zenith. The children still hadn't woken, and the snow wolf blinked cautiously from the bed, not daring to move.

"Good wolf—I'll cook you two pork hocks later." Meng Wan patted its head.

Outside, chaos reigned. Huang Ye was run ragged, wishing he could split himself into eight.

Meng Wan freshened up and stepped out, calling over little Zhu Yan, "Have all the things brought from Lingnan been organized?"

Zhu Yan was small in stature but quite steady, "Reporting back, master, Brother Huang Ye has people sorting things out. Everything remaining from Shichun Lane has also been moved over. Most items are being arranged, but we haven't dared touch the imperial sacred objects—they're placed in the main courtyard."

"Tell Gui Cheng and Gui Qian to move all the imperial gifts and furniture to the reception hall in the second courtyard. We're not keeping them in the main courtyard." The main courtyard was for the family's private use, and having them there risked accidental damage. Storing them away would also be wasteful—displaying them in the reception hall would be a fine show of prestige.

Zhu Yan acknowledged the order and trotted off toward the main courtyard, while Meng Wan strolled leisurely to the kitchen.

Chang Jinhua wasn't well-versed in such mundane household matters and didn't interfere. Today was Minor New Year, and she and Jin Gu were in the kitchen preparing the evening meal. Seeing him arrive, she handed him a plate of freshly fried tofu balls. "You must be hungry after sleeping till now? Have some tofu balls to tide you over—there'll be a big feast tonight."

Meng Wan took the plate, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and started eating. The golden, fluffy balls were made with scallions and eggs, and being tofu-based, they weren't greasy at all. In no time, he'd polished off half the plate.

Just as he set the plate down, Jin Gu brought over another tray of pastries. "Master, try these. I bought them this morning at a pastry shop—they're called golden milk pastries. They have a lovely milky aroma when fresh out of the oven. I thought the two young masters might enjoy them, so I bought a pack."

Meng Wan picked one up. The outside was so flaky it crumbled, while the filling inside was soft and smooth, with a rich milky flavor. "Not bad. Buy some more tomorrow—A Xun might like them too, who knows."

Having scrounged a full meal in the kitchen, Meng Wan headed straight for the main courtyard's storeroom. There were many valuable items that even Huang Ye didn't dare touch without him.

"Master, you've come." A pleased look crossed Huang Ye's face.

Meng Wan handed him a bowl of golden milk pastries. "Have a bite to tide you over first. How's the storeroom coming along?"

The eastern wing of the main courtyard consisted of four large rooms, which Meng Wan had designated entirely as storerooms. People were bustling in and out, carrying everything from large huanghuali rosewood chests as tall as a person's waist to various shaped sandalwood boxes, unloading them piece by piece from carts until the open space before the rooms was piled high.

Huang Ye took the bowl from Meng Wan and, not caring about appearances, wolfed down a piece in three or four bites. He gave the rest to the youngest helpers, Zhu Sha and Gui Yuan, who were still busy working. "You two go eat over there. The carts are all unloaded—go check if the old lady needs help with the fire in the kitchen."

His heart went out to the two little ones, forgetting how brave he'd been as a child when he'd rescued his own mother.

Meng Wan smiled at him. "My Ye Geer is really shaping up to be quite the steward. Not bad at all."

Huang Ye smiled shyly, then handed four ledgers to Meng Wan for review. "Master, take a look at these account books. I just double-checked them—everything from Shichun Lane is accounted for, not one thing missing."

Everything his household could store in the storerooms was of fine quality. Among the four ledgers, one recorded the wild mountain mushrooms, local specialties, and precious medicinal herbs collected from Lingnan.

The second recorded various fabrics.

The third recorded antiques, paintings, calligraphy, and the Four Treasures of the Study.

The fourth recorded gold, silver, jewelry, property deeds, and land deeds.

Tea, salt, and sugar were kept in a small storeroom beside the kitchen, managed by Jin Gu. Ready-made clothing and bedding were stored in a small storeroom in Chang Jinhua's courtyard, under Zhu Yan's care. These four ledgers for the main courtyard represented the empire Meng Wan had built.

All four rooms were being worked on. In the third room, Huang Ye wasn't sure whether to leave some of the antiques and paintings out for display—after all, the house was much larger now, and some spots looked too bare and empty. As for the gold, silver, and jewelry in the fourth room, it would be best for Meng Wan to take a personal look.

Meng Wan first looked at the antiques and paintings. "These six paintings and the other vases go to the banquet hall in the second courtyard. These two paintings of mine, along with the 'Snow Mountain and Blue Lotus' painting, hang in the study that the master and I share. The rest go into storage—we'll take them out when needed."

Huang Ye reminded him from the side, "The paintings should be placed high up, and check the oil paper wrapping carefully. If it's torn, rewrap them."

"Enough, they're just my old pieces, nothing special. Come with me to look at this room." Meng Wan called Huang Ye to accompany him to the fourth storeroom.

The fourth storeroom was the largest, currently empty inside, with over a hundred chests neatly stacked at the entrance.

Meng Wan called out to two of the young pages inside, "Zhifan, Zhi Mao, Song Shan, Song Qiao—you four come here." Two young male servants ran out from the room where paintings were being organized, and two young lads emerged from among the movers.

These four were all servants Meng Wan had purchased from Qinzhou, around thirteen or fourteen years old, well-behaved—they served as their household's second-rank pages and second-rank servants.

"Master." The four came over and greeted Meng Wan.

"Mm. You two go fetch two empty chests and get some silver ready." After instructing the two pages, Meng Wan told the two servants to start carrying chests of silver into the room.

Once the empty chests arrived, Zhifan and Zhi Mao crouched in the storeroom and opened the two chests before them. Inside gleamed dazzling silver—each chest filled to the brim with fifty-tael ingots.

Zhifan and Zhi Mao both couldn't take their eyes off it. They'd never seen this much silver in their entire lives.

Huang Ye knitted his brows and scolded, "Don't waste the master's time. Count quickly."

All the maidservants and pages in the Song household were under Huang Ye's management. After his words, Zhifan and Zhi Mao snapped out of their daze and busily began moving silver ingots tray by tray into the empty chests.

"Steward Huang, this chest has four trays of ingots, twenty per tray, totaling... totaling..."

"Four thousand taels total. Alright, Song Shan, move the counted silver to the far wall inside and reseal it." Huang Ye moved a wooden chest to the doorway to serve as a makeshift table, carefully lifting his arm to record as Zhifan and Zhi Mao finished counting.

Chest after chest of silver was carried deeper into the storeroom. By the time the other storerooms were all organized, they still weren't done. Meng Wan shooed the idle hands off to work, keeping only a few reliable ones to help.

It wasn't until dusk fell, when A Yan came to call Meng Wan for dinner, that all the gold and silver had just barely finished being counted.

Huang Ye handed the newly written ledger to Meng Wan. "Master, seventy-five chests of silver and twenty small chests of gold have been counted. Shall we count the rest of the jewelry and ornaments after dinner?"

Meng Wan rubbed his neck. "Not after dinner—let's do it tomorrow. Lock up the storerooms and head off to dinner first."