The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 2)

Chapter 267 - Crawl Back

"Your Majesty is so thoughtful. I have nothing to repay your kindness with, except to invite you to enjoy the flowers together when they bloom," Ye Yun said with a smile.

She looked around and saw that most of the renovations were already complete. The doors, windows, and wooden corridors had all been freshly painted, and the window paper was newly replaced. The roof also appeared new, likely having just been re-tiled.

Hearing noise from the front yard, the head eunuch overseeing the construction hurriedly came out from the back to greet them.

"Servant Li Yonghuai greets Your Majesty and Ming Xiuyuan."

"No need for formalities," Ning Chen waved his hand. "I've come with Ming Xiuyuan to check on the progress of the repairs in this courtyard. Since you're in charge, show us around."

Li Yonghuai quickly bowed again before rising with a smile. "This Zhao Chun Pavilion is a two-part courtyard, but it's a little different in structure. The front area is larger, while the back is smaller. Upon entering the main gate, there's the front yard with a main house and two side wings. Beyond that, separated by a wall with an ornamental gate, is the smaller backyard with another main room and two small rooms on either side, though it's not as spacious as the front."

Ye Yun hadn't paid much attention to these details before. Yuxiu Pavilion was a standard courtyard with just one main house and two side wings. Since she entered the palace, she had always stayed in the main house, with the side rooms used by her maids.

Now, looking more closely, she noticed the side rooms really were quite small. She thought of Yao Xiang, who had been pushed into living in the east wing of the Weirui Palace by Yi Shunrong, and couldn't help but smile inwardly.

"It seems you're quite satisfied, you haven't even seen much yet and you're already smiling," Ning Chen teased, gently squeezing her hand.

Ye Yun snapped out of her thoughts and smiled at him, "Since Your Majesty has bestowed it, I like everything about it."

Seeing their affectionate interaction, Li Yonghuai grew even more cautious. The emperor's favor for Ming Xiuyuan was clear, and offending her was entirely out of the question.

He quickly resumed introducing other parts of the courtyard. Most of it was quite standard, except that the east wing had been specially modified into a birthing room, a thoughtful change. It was cleverly designed so that after the child was born, the room could be restored and used again, either for living quarters or as a small storage room.

As for the rear hall, it was being prepared for the child. In the palace, even if children were raised nearby, they did not sleep next to their mothers, but in separate courtyards.

When they reached the back, palace workers were still repainting and retiling the rear courtyard, so they didn't go in to see it. Instead, they returned to the front yard and entered the main house to take a look.

The layout hadn't changed much, but it was much more spacious.

"I noticed that you had quite a few pieces of yellow pear wood furniture, so I had everything replaced with this. Try it out first, and if you don't like it, we can change it," Ning Chen said while running his hand over a nearby table, finding its texture to his liking.

Ye Yun looked around, naturally pleased, and with a smile, she went inside to have a look. Although the bed hadn't been made yet, the wardrobe and bed frame were already in place. At a glance, she was surprised.

"Is this bed made of nanmu?"

(Translator Xiaobai: Nanmu (楠木) is a type of wood native to China, particularly known for its use in high-quality furniture, construction, and art. It comes from evergreen trees of the Phoebe genus, which belong to the laurel family (Lauraceae). Nanmu wood has been prized for centuries, especially during the Ming and Qing dynasties, for its durability, fine grain, and resistance to warping or decay.)