The Dandy's Duchess

Chapter 181: Entering the Hall (3)

Yun Qianyue's face darkened. Just as she was about to retort, she suddenly remembered that her maid, Cailian, was still in that carriage she had left on the street. She immediately turned to look back, but there was no sign of Cailian. Stopping in her tracks, she said, "Hey, I think I left my maid and the carriage on the street."

"If we had waited for you to remember, your maid and carriage would have been roasted dry under the sun by now. Don't worry, I already had them return to Prince Yun's Mansion. Since you're staying here, you won't need her to serve you," Rongjing replied.

"They went back?" Yun Qianyue frowned. "I've been with you the whole time. When did you arrange that?"

"While I was helping you get dressed." Rongjing said this without a hint of shame or embarrassment.

Yun Qianyue's expression immediately soured. Just thinking about it irritated her. She had no doubt that the Old Lord and this black-hearted scoundrel were secretly in on it, knowing well that he disliked Ye Tianqing and thus using her grandfather's threat against her.

Without another word, they crossed the suspension bridge and arrived at the edge of the purple bamboo grove.

At the grove's entrance stood a stone slab with bold, red characters carved into it: "No entry without permission." The characters were haphazardly scrawled but still eye-catching, as the stone was quite tall. Yun Qianyue sneered, "Why didn't you just write 'Trespassers will be killed'?"

"It's the same idea. Those who enter without permission are as good as dead," Rongjing replied.

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes. "Do you really think of yourself as some kind of lofty recluse?"

"Not exactly a recluse, but this bamboo grove isn't easy to get through without guidance." Rongjing suddenly stopped and, seeing her roll her eyes, raised an eyebrow and asked with a smirk, "Want to try? See if you can make it through on your own?"

"I'm not looking to die early." Yun Qianyue stopped in her tracks, urging, "Hurry up and lead the way. Isn't it almost lunchtime? I'm hungry."

Rongjing glanced at the sky, rubbed his forehead, and resumed walking. "It seems the days are too short. I was wise to decide you should start learning to read at third watch."

"Can you even get up at third watch? If you can do it, I'll do it; if you can't, don't expect me to," Yun Qianyue shot back. She watched his steps closely. In her previous life, she had studied mechanics and the art of formations under a master, so she recognized the intricate design of this bamboo grove's array. But without her martial arts, she dared not test it. If she still had her abilities, she would have given it a try. Now, she could only follow Rongjing's lead.

"I can get up. So, you'll have to get up too," Rongjing replied.

Yun Qianyue scoffed again but fell silent.

The purple bamboo grove looked dense from the outside, but it wasn't very large. Soon, they emerged from the grove, and Yun Qianyue, who had expected a cramped corner, was astonished. Beyond the bamboo grove was a clearing over a mile wide, filled with various medicinal herbs. The strong scent of herbs hit her before she even stepped in.

Clicking her tongue, Yun Qianyue said, "If someone didn't know better, they'd think your family makes a living selling medicinal herbs."

"Not far off. Most of my family's wealth comes from these herbs," Rongjing replied with a nod.

Yun Qianyue paused, looking away from the herbs to the courtyard ahead. She could see the landscape through the open gate of the courtyard. She had seen his carriage made of agarwood and had tasted his rare snow lotus dishes, but even those were nothing compared to the shock she felt now. She stared at Rongjing, eyes wide as if seeing a creature from another world, and finally managed, "You actually used jadeite for the ground, white jade for the fence, coral for the trellis, black jade for the table, agate for the stools, turquoise for the steps, and amethyst for the curtains... You... you're unbelievable!"

Rongjing looked at her, smiling faintly. "I'm surprised you can recognize all of it."

Feeling a pang of resentment, Yun Qianyue forced herself to look away, studying Rongjing with a disbelieving gaze. "Hasn't anyone tried to dig up this courtyard to plunder it? How can you even sleep here?"

"No one dares, so far. I sleep quite soundly." Rongjing walked forward into the courtyard.

Yun Qianyue stared after him, shaking her head. Comparing oneself to him was only asking for frustration.

They entered the courtyard one after the other, allowing Yun Qianyue to see the details even more clearly. She clicked her tongue in amazement and muttered ceaselessly, cursing Rongjing for his extravagance.

In the courtyard, a gardener, a maid, and a young boy were busy with their tasks. When they noticed Rongjing and Yun Qianyue entering, they greeted him, and then they looked at Yun Qianyue, who was casually hurling insults at their master. Yet the master merely smiled as if he hadn't heard a thing. The three exchanged glances of surprise, which quickly turned to understanding. They had already heard that their master treated the young lady of Prince Yun's Mansion differently. But this was beyond mere "different." Who else would dare scold him like that? Even the emperor had to show him respect. They quickly decided that from now on, they wouldn't dare to cross her, even if given a thousand chances.

After ranting at Rongjing for a while, Yun Qianyue finally noticed the three people in the courtyard. They wore plain clothes—a gray-haired old man holding pruning shears, who looked around sixty, a maid about sixteen or seventeen years old, and a young boy with delicate features who seemed no more than thirteen or fourteen. Yun Qianyue studied each of them closely. Their breathing was shallow and steady; the old man, especially, didn't make a sound, clearly indicating their high martial prowess. She glanced around, realizing that the intricate formation outside and these three experts inside were more than enough to keep any intruder at bay. It was no wonder Rongjing slept soundly.

"This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!" Yun Qianyue muttered to herself, deeply struck. In her past life, she had worked tirelessly, yet all her money combined couldn't compare to a tiny patch of this courtyard. She thought of the twelve Buddha statues she had painstakingly hidden in Lingtai Temple, which probably wouldn't even cover the price of the ground she was standing on. Glaring at Rongjing, she grumbled, "Why didn't you tell me sooner that your family is loaded? If I had known, I wouldn't have bothered hiding those statues. I would've just come to your place to 'borrow' a little. Do you know how much I went through for those statues?"