Chapter 178: The Consort

Chapter 178: The Consort

Azure Phoenix Lord's Qing Lord mansion is located in Caomao Alley in the Dashiyong district, spanning nearly fifty acres. The entire alley is lined with the mansion's high red walls from south to north.

The location of the Qing Lord's mansion is exceptionally advantageous. Just a short walk from the alley is Chang'an Avenue, and a few hundred meters further is the West Gate of Chang'an, practically living next to the imperial city.

Originally, this was the mansion of a royal earl. The earl had backed the wrong side in the last succession struggle and was beheaded by the Yuanhua Emperor. After reclaiming the mansion, it was expanded and renovated, doubling in size, and was then awarded to Azure Phoenix Lord by the Yuanhua Emperor.

What does fifty acres mean? Under the Yu Dynasty's ceremonial laws, this surpasses the typical size of a Qing Lord's or princess's mansion, usually reserved for princely mansions. Inside are dozens of courtyards of various sizes, needing over six hundred servants for daily upkeep.

However, since Azure Phoenix Lord built his mansion outside the palace, he has never married, spending most of the year traveling in search of immortals and discussing the Dao. The vast mansion, large enough for horse riding, often lacks a resident master, leaving it somewhat desolate.

This year, Azure Phoenix Lord has stayed in the capital since the Longevity Festival, remaining in the capital and even 'snatching' a consort, finally breathing life into this massive architectural complex.

Just after dawn, the orange-red sun rose in the east, its warm rays driving away the early spring chill.

Azure Phoenix Lord had ridden his horse around the mansion's training ground more than a dozen times, working up a light sweat. He handed the horse to a groom, tossed the whip away, and strode forward, asking, "Is the consort up yet?"

A palace servant deftly caught the whip, woven with gold thread and inlaid with large gemstones, and followed with quick steps, "The people from the consort's courtyard just reported that he rose a quarter of an hour ago."

Azure Phoenix Lord smiled faintly, "Let's go take a look."

The palace servant sighed inwardly, wondering what new method the Qing Lord had thought of today to torment the consort.

How this consort, Jie Tanguang, came to be was well known throughout the capital. Those who openly or secretly criticized the Qing Lord for his arrogance and disregard for propriety could almost form a circle around the Qing Lord's mansion. Yet, the Qing Lord remained unrepentant, and the more he was criticized, the more he tormented the consort.

Once, the Qing Lord had brought in a stack of honey-scented tribute paper made from a foot-thick layer of agarwood bark, demanding the consort finish painting all the sheets within three days. After the consort completed over a hundred paintings day and night, the Qing Lord tore them up one by one in front of him.

Besides this, on scorching afternoons, he would sit in a cool pavilion and demand someone collect a full bottle of dew from the garden; in the dead of night, he would rouse people to sit face-to-face in the hall, not allowing sleep like taming a hawk; on snowy days, while enjoying the snow by the stove, he would force someone to take chestnuts from the stove with a hot pair of tongs. Such tormenting acts, Azure Phoenix Lord would perform every few days.

Many of the servants in the Qing Lord's mansion were old hands brought from the palace. Before Consort Jie entered the mansion, they had never imagined the Qing Lord could be so malicious, as if he harbored some deep-seated hatred for the consort, itching to bully him every few days.

What they had not anticipated was that this scion of the Jie clan from Jinzhou, a paragon of virtue and talent, never resisted. Whatever the Qing Lord commanded, he would silently comply, neither struggling nor bowing in flattery, which made others sigh in pity.

If the Qing Lord truly cherished Consort Jie and wanted to live well with him after snatching him away, then so be it; being able to marry the Qing Lord was, after all, an honor for the consort.

But the Qing Lord clearly treated him as a plaything. For such a prodigy as Consort Jie to fall to this state was truly a pity.

Jie Tanguang did not reside in the main courtyard where Azure Phoenix Lord lived but in the chess courtyard next to it. The small, single-courtyard house was fully visible from the gate, not large but quiet and exquisite, with dozens of bamboo poles in the corner, their new and old leaves intermingling.

Azure Phoenix Lord stepped into the courtyard, the door of the east wing half-open, where Jie Tanguang, just risen, sat reading by the window.

Azure Phoenix Lord took the book from above and tossed it onto the desk beside him. Jie Tanguang neither looked up nor objected.

"A few days ago, Du Yunse and Hua Nian came to the mansion. What did Du Yunse say to you alone? Still not telling?"

Azure Phoenix Lord did not expect an answer from Jie Tanguang. Clapping his hands, he said, "Not telling, huh? Then let's change the subject. I heard many relatives, even remotely connected to you, have recently arrived in the capital. I plan to host a family banquet for you."

Jie Tanguang was silent for a moment, "I am already a discarded piece. They know Your Highness's stance and will not come."

"So you will write the invitations. I don't care how you do it, but by the appointed day, I want to see everyone on the list present."

"..." Jie Tanguang stared at Azure Phoenix Lord for a few seconds, "What exactly does Your Highness intend to do?"

"Aren't you the Jie family's proud prodigy? Guess."

Jie Tanguang's voice was steady, but there was a slight tremor at the end, "Isn't it enough for Your Highness to just confine and torment me?"

Azure Phoenix Lord's body stiffened slightly, then he sneered, "Of course not. I want the Crown Prince to win, and the aristocratic families to perish. Do you think you have enough face to make me change my mind and stop?"

He leaned in and whispered to Jie Tanguang, "Don't forget, it's you who owe me, not the other way around."

...

Spring is when flowers are in full bloom. The climate in the capital is neither too hot nor too cold, neither too dry nor too humid, making it suitable for the growth of many flowers. At the start of spring, Qiu Huanian began cataloging the fresh flowers at home while notifying the people at the large estate outside the city to speed up the production of seasonal floral essences.

When the apricot blossoms in Cun Jin courtyard had all fallen, and the peach blossoms and magnolias in the garden had mostly withered, March was coming to an end. But as one flower wilts, another takes its place. Lilacs, trumpet vines, and redbuds all flourished in the April sunshine, leaving no room for loneliness.

Qiu Huanian started training Jiu Jiu to manage Qiu's Six Staples. He didn't expect her to be a business whiz, but he hoped she could understand the accounts, manage the flow of goods, and know how to manage the staff to protect the family's assets.

Because of Qishu County Princess's prying, Qiu Huanian worried that Jiu Jiu might encounter some mishap if she went out. Once, when he went to the royal estate, he casually brought this up with the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince immediately had sixteen arrange a team of guards for Qiu Huanian.

Sixteen handpicked eight individuals, all experts in their field, enough to guard against any covert attacks.

"They are under your command now. Besides protecting you and your family's safety, if there's anything you need done discreetly, you can also assign them to handle it."

When sixteen said this, his voice was cold. Although he didn't explicitly say it, Qiu Huanian understood the underlying meaning—the so-called discreet tasks were likely referring to things like murder and arson.

Qiu Huanian let out a dry chuckle, "Their protection is all we need."

Sixteen looked at him, then nodded after a while, "You're right. Stay out of such matters. If anything needs handling, I'll deal with it."

Qiu Huanian had no choice but to emphasize to sixteen that safety and health were the most important, and he should never put himself in danger.

With the protection of the guards, Qiu Huanian felt more secure going out. Spring plowing was already underway on the estate, and the fruit tree seedlings from last year's cultivation were ready for transplanting.

Using air layering and nutrient-rich soil, the time for fruit tree seedling cultivation was drastically reduced to just one year, with a survival rate of over 90%. This amazed many seasoned fruit farmers.

For most of last year, Wei Li would go to the fruit tree seedling fields every day to observe, meticulously recording various details and issues. He created numerous sketches in Qiu Huanian's style. Once compiled and organized, it would become another excellent agricultural book that could benefit the people and promote agriculture.

Qiu Huanian had planned last year to give the fruit tree seedlings to the people for free. He always kept his promises. After setting aside a few hundred grape seedlings to plant a large vineyard for himself, he intended to give away all the remaining seedlings.

The Zhu family's shop at Xuanwu Gate proved useful. Xuanwu Gate connects the inner and outer city, with a constant stream of people. However, most of them are common folk traveling between the inner and outer city, with little spending power, so the tea stall had always struggled to make ends meet.

Now, Qiu Huanian didn't need it to make money; he just needed it to advertise the free seedlings and provide a convenient place for people to collect them. Its drawbacks had become strengths.

To prevent fraud or resale of the seedlings, Qiu Huanian didn't work alone. He borrowed the Crown Prince's men to verify household registrations and identities before allowing people to collect the seedlings.

The seedling distribution went smoothly, with more and more seedlings being given out each day. The seedlings were dug up with their roots intact, wrapped in straw nets, and could be planted in any piece of land. By autumn, they would provide benefits to the households.

A few times when Qiu Huanian went to the tea stall to supervise, he encountered people who were collecting the fruit tree seedlings. Upon hearing that he was Qishu County Princess, they became so excited that their faces turned red, kowtowing and bowing. Some even insisted that Qiu Huanian touch their children's heads to bless them with a lifetime free from hunger.

Qiu Huanian was torn between amusement and embarrassment, quickly calling for people to help the common folk up and offering words of encouragement to each child.

Qiu Huanian's act of distributing seedlings garnered a lot of attention in the capital, inevitably accompanied by malicious speculations. Qiu Huanian turned a blind eye to these, only seeking to benefit the people with a clear conscience.

Among the common folk, Qiu Huanian's reputation soared once again. Previously, rumors about the stars of Suixing, Wenqu, and Jiangxing descending to assist the Crown Prince resurfaced. When the news reached Qiu Huanian, he keenly realized something.

"Are these rumors deliberately spread by the Crown Prince to build momentum for himself?" Qiu Huanian asked Du Yunse.

Du Yunse nodded, "So-called auspicious signs and omens often come about this way. As long as tangible contributions are made, the people's hearts can be won. There's no need to be overly concerned with minor details."

Qiu Huanian expressed that he understood this. In ancient times, anyone who wanted to achieve something significant had to find a pretext to show that they were ordained by heaven. Whether it was the story of Emperor Gaozu slaying the white serpent, the prophecy of "Great Chu shall rise, Chen Sheng shall be king," or the celestial phenomena at birth, they were all of the same nature.

In the current capital, the forces behind the three princes were all striving to build momentum for their respective candidates. The group of talented scholars behind Prince Jin wrote poems and essays praising him as a rare genius. The second prince, stationed at the border, also occasionally spread "miracles" of his unmatched bravery and ability to summon wind and rain.

In comparison, although the atmosphere around the Crown Prince was somewhat mystical, it was all based on facts, as it directly impacted the well-being of the people, making it more effective than the other two.

Although the other factions were envious and jealous, there was little they could do.

Even if they were willing to spend a large sum of money to "buy" the people's hearts, they couldn't immediately produce as many fruit tree seedlings as Qiu Huanian had, nor did they have a Qishu County Princess who was well-versed in agriculture to act as their spokesperson.