Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 105 The Tang Family of Pingxuan Ward

Zhangjiawan, a canal wharf near the capital, is the end point of the northern section of the Grand Canal and is known as the "First Wharf of the Grand Canal". Hua Yan stood on the deck and looked into the distance. As the Fujian ship got closer and closer to the shore, she saw the plump Donggua squeezed in the front, waving a red handkerchief vigorously.

"Miss, Aunt Mei has also brought a few Dongguas to pick us up."

Hua Yan waved in response, then quickly walked into the second-floor cabin and deftly put the veil on her young mistress. Mingyue's face was ashen, and she looked like a sick cat. Who would have thought that Mingyue, who could easily climb to the roof with a stomp of her foot, was seasick...

"Hua Yan, go and tell Mama Wei to have Mingyue carried off the ship." The second young lady's complexion was not good either. She had been cooped up in the cabin for nearly twenty days due to the long journey. It was May when she came, but now it was mid-June.

Mingyue forced herself to sit up, saying with shame, "This is truly utterly disgraceful! Senior Sister will definitely give me a thorough dressing-down..."

Hua Yan smiled but didn't have time to comfort her. She went to the next room to inform Wei's mother, and the boat had already docked.

As expected of the No. 1 dock, at this moment, sailboats, cargo ships and passenger ships of all sizes are densely packed together, with masts standing tall and sails casting heavy shadows. After Tang Xian, along with the old lady and Madam Yun, disembarked first, the second young lady and several other young ladies walked towards the carriages by the dock with the help of their maids.

The Tang family had many women, so Tang Lin instructed his steward to take the best spots early on. As soon as the Tang family's passenger ship docked, he hurriedly led Tang Wen from the Huai'an Marquis's residence to greet them. The servants spontaneously formed a circle around the carriage. Outsiders didn't know which wealthy family was traveling, but they could tell from the style of the procession that they were extremely rich. Therefore, they only dared to look from afar and did not dare to get closer to take a closer look.

The old lady looked quite well. She held Tang Wen's hand and said a few words, saying that she would send a formal invitation to the Marquis's residence another day after everything was settled. Since there were many people around and it was inconvenient to discuss further, she was helped into the carriage by Su Wen.

Hua Yan followed closely behind with the second and fifth young ladies, while the other young ladies were taken care of by the stewards.

Aunt Mei was very shrewd. As soon as the second young lady disembarked, she brought Donggua and the others over to inquire about her well-being. Before half a cup of tea could be brewed, the second young lady was already sitting comfortably in the carriage, which was covered with a brocade carpet with peony patterns.

Hua Yan was worried about Mingyue, so she quickly told Aunt Mei. Donggua slapped his forehead and said, "I knew something was missing. Little Mingyue is seasick? I'll go carry her." With that, he turned around and rushed onto the boat.

Ruizhu blurted out, "Our courtyard has arranged three carriages. Aunt Mei was worried that the Second Miss wouldn't be able to withstand the rocking of the boat, so the carriage at the back has a soft quilt laid out. Miss, please don't worry."

Mengzhu held her mistress's hand, her eyes red. Since she was five years old and had been serving her mistress, the two of them had never been apart for such a long time.

The carriage was filled with the incense that was often used in the embroidery room in the past, which made the second young lady feel quite at ease. She took the tea that Mengzhu handed her and said, "Aunt Mei is always very thorough in her work. You have all worked hard. You will all be rewarded when you get back."

Outside, the Yun family also sent a steward to greet them. Madam Yun only responded with a few words. The steward of the Yun family knew about the grudge between the mistress and the former eldest daughter. Thinking of his master's instructions, he looked at the eldest young master of the Tang family with envy and became even more respectful to Madam Yun.

More than eighty years ago, the Wu Dynasty collapsed, and Emperor Gaozu of Zhou moved the capital to present-day Yanjing. The layout of the former capital, Chang'an, was continued. The entire capital was centered on the imperial city, with inner and outer cities surrounding it in layers. It still had a "回" (hui) shaped layout, and the buildings along the streets were more magnificent and imposing than those in Lin'an.

As the carriage traveled along, Hua Yan peered through the curtain, mentally matching each of the inner and outer city wards and markets that Madam Yun had mentioned in the past year or two. Zhangjiawan was near Yanxing Gate and not too far from the Tang family's new residence on Fuqian Street in Pingxuan Ward.

Entering the city through Yanxing Gate leads to the territory of Xinchang Ward, the most famous place here being Guangyuan Temple, a place of great religious significance. Because it is located on the outer edge of the inner city, officials of the fifth rank and below, their families, and residents of several nearby wards and markets all liked to come here to offer incense.

According to Wei's mother, the most renowned thing about this temple is its ability to grant marriage proposals, which are said to be extremely effective.

The clatter of hooves blended into the bustling city. In less than half an hour, we passed Xinchangfang, then Xuanping and Yongningfang, before turning north and arriving at Pingxuanfang. This was truly a prime location; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.

Continuing north along Qipan Street and across the moat, it takes about half a cup of tea to reach Anshang Gate. The area within this gate falls within the imperial city. All government offices are located here, such as the Hanlin Academy, which is not far away. Coincidentally, Tang Lin currently serves as an editor at the Hanlin Academy, a prestigious and important position, which is a key factor in Grand Secretary Su's decision to choose Tang Lin as his granddaughter's husband.

Such a prime location is something that even wealthy people couldn't buy. It was only through the connections between the Marquis's Mansion and the Yun Mansion six years ago that Tang Xian managed to acquire it. Although this mansion is much smaller in scale than the garden-style buildings of Lin'an, it is still considered quite large in the capital.

Because he bought two adjacent houses, and then combined and renovated them, making them more than three times larger than ordinary official residences!

Hua Yan stepped off the carriage and looked at the layers of eaves, sighing in admiration. Silver was truly a precious thing. Over the years, she had relied heavily on the Yunshang Pendant bestowed by Madam Yun; otherwise, the embroidery shop would not have been able to open in the capital. It is worth mentioning that Fuqian Street was not far from the East Market where the embroidery shop was located, and this was something she had considered when renting the shop.

Then, a dozen or so carriages rolled in, making quite a grand entrance. Most of the neighbors along the street were officials, and they all sent out their gatekeepers. Since Tang Lin had been staying here for a while, several of his close friends, young men, also came to visit.

Seeing several young men in fine clothes walking towards them from afar, Aunt Mei lowered her eyes and stepped aside to block the Second Miss. Hua Yan and Meng Zhu immediately led their mistress into the mansion.

The interior was extremely spacious and tidy. Servants who had arrived early stood on both sides of the gatehouse, respectfully welcoming their masters into the courtyard. Madam Yun, supporting the old lady, led the way inside, followed closely by Concubines Liu and Lu with their young ladies. As for Concubine Wen, she had not come to the capital.

The inner quarters were still divided into several courtyards, with Yun Gui Courtyard naturally occupying the best location. Concubines Lu and Liu lived in the back row, separated from Fu An Residence by a garden. On the other side of the garden was Yun Yi Courtyard, where the second young lady lived, as well as Lan Ting Courtyard, where the third and fourth young ladies lived.

The fifth young lady is now eleven years old, and according to the rules, she should have a new courtyard to learn some things. Madam Yun personally wrote the three characters "Yunxi Courtyard" and built a new courtyard next to Yunyi Courtyard. It is now where the fifth and sixth young ladies live.

On the side of the wall closest to the front yard, there is a gourd-shaped doorway leading to the backyard of what was originally another residence, now intended to be the home of Tang Lin and his future wife after their marriage.

The masters parted ways under the osmanthus tree in front of the corridor and returned to their respective courtyards to rest. This flurry of activity was finally coming to an end.

The second young lady, accompanied by Hua Yan and a few others, followed Aunt Mei into the gate of Yunyi Courtyard. The front courtyard was an elegant courtyard building, but it did not have a rear building. The small courtyards in front of the side rooms had been turned into small gardens, with a wide pebble path leading to the main house. The main house was arranged as a study and a meeting hall for receiving guests. The second young lady's room was a two-story embroidered building behind the main house.

The style was exactly the same as the embroidered pavilion in Lin'an, only a bit smaller. Seeing this, the second young lady's lips curled up, "Thanks to Father and Mother's painstaking efforts, we can be more comfortable in the capital."

Aunt Mei smiled and said, "Miss, please look inside. The layout and furnishings of the embroidery building are exactly the same as those in Lin'an. The former madam specifically instructed us to make sure to restore it completely."

"Aunt Mei has also worked hard. Let's rest for a while before we go to Mother's courtyard to thank her."

Donggua had already tidied up Hua Yan's room, and the two of them were still living together. At this moment, Mengzhu and Ruizhu were helping the second young lady upstairs to change clothes and rest. Aunt Mei pulled Hua Yan aside.

"The current Lady of the Marquis's Mansion is our Second Miss's great-grandmother by seniority. We must pay our respects to her in the next day or two. There are many masters in the Marquis's Mansion, and the rules are strict. You must be vigilant by the young lady's side these next two days."

"Also, the second young lady of the Marquis's mansion sent someone over a couple of days ago, saying she wanted to introduce the second and fifth young ladies to some young ladies from the capital. We need to prepare for that too."

On her first visit to the Marquis's residence, the second young lady spent most of her time interacting with her peers, in addition to meeting her elders. Since it wasn't appropriate for Aunt Mei to accompany her on her social interactions with other noble ladies in the capital, she naturally had to focus on guiding Hua Yan.

Hua Yan said, "Thank you for your advice, Aunt. I'm afraid it's not just that. Since we already have a marriage agreement with the Su family, the eldest daughter of the Su family should also send an invitation in the next few days."

The second young lady of the Marquis's mansion has a capricious nature, and some of the noble ladies she knows are truly difficult to get along with. Fortunately, we've already made acquaintances with her beforehand. Knowing ourselves and our opponents, we can deal with whatever comes our way, Aunt Mei, please don't worry.”

After a moment, Hua Yan asked anxiously, "Aunt Mei, has Sister Huanyun sent anyone to the manor to deliver a message?"

Just now at the dock, Hua Yan saw two familiar figures in the distance. They were the people transferred from Jinan Embroidery Shop when dealing with Ju Chang.