Actually, there was nothing difficult to say.

“My mother is particular about everything—what she eats, wears, uses… She thought that courtyard was too small and argued with Father twice. When he refused, she moved to the east section on her own.”

Fearing Yan Sanhe might misunderstand, Zhu Yuanmo quickly added, “But there was no rift between them as husband and wife. They were quite loving.”

“Old Master Zhu never took concubines?”

“No.”

“No concubines, yet sleeping in separate courtyards.”

Yan Sanhe frowned again. “How did they manage their marital life? Who went to whose courtyard?”

As soon as these words came out, everyone’s faces—except Li Buyan’s—turned red as monkey bottoms.

Young Master Pei looked at Yan Sanhe, thinking: You, a young unmarried lady, dare to ask such questions—who went to whose courtyard? Oh my, this innocent young rooster is about to die of embarrassment.

The old steward quickly said, “The old master dined in Madam’s courtyard every evening. After eating, they’d talk or rest, returning to his own courtyard after nightfall.”

In other words, Old Master Zhu and Madam Zhu’s marital relations took place in Madam Zhu’s rooms.

Yan Sanhe: “Even on rainy or snowy days, Old Master Zhu would return to his own courtyard to sleep, never staying overnight?”

“Yes, Miss Yan.”

The old steward continued, “The old master said only in his own courtyard, in his own bed, could he sleep well and soundly.”

Could this be considered nostalgia?

Yan Sanhe wondered to herself.

As they spoke, they arrived at the northwest corner. The old steward pointed ahead. “This is where the old master lived.”

At the courtyard gate, people stood on both sides—two guards on one side, a row of servants on the other.

Yan Sanhe counted—eight servants total: two rough-work maids, four senior maids, and two personal manservants.

“These are all people who attended to my father.”

Eldest Brother Zhu pointed to the two guards nearby. “These two are from the manor. I specifically had them guard this courtyard.”

Very good—not one missing.

Yan Sanhe: “Let me look at the courtyard first.”

The courtyard had two sections. The first contained the main hall, side hall, and small parlor. The second held the bedroom and study.

Several side rooms housed the servants.

Yan Sanhe’s first impression of this courtyard was ordinary—ordinary layout, ordinary furnishings, nothing special, let alone anything ingenious.

“When the residence was renovated, was this courtyard left untouched?”

“Untouched.”

The old steward replied, “The old master said he was accustomed to living here and didn’t want changes.”

Yan Sanhe: “When was the residence renovated? How old was the old master then?”

The old steward thought for a moment. “After the old master took charge, the first, second, third, and fifth households moved away one after another. That’s when the residence was renovated.”

Old Master Zhu took charge at thirty, so that year too the Zhu Manor was renovated.

Yan Sanhe calculated the time and asked again, “Old Master’s belongings are all still here?”

Eldest Brother Zhu quickly said, “Everything’s here—not a single item missing. After learning Father had a heart demon, I specifically instructed them not to let anyone touch anything.”

Finally, unlike Old Lady Ji and Jingchen, whose things had all been discarded.

Yan Sanhe breathed a long sigh of relief. “Let’s go. Let me see inside.”

What truly needed viewing were actually only two places.

One was the bedroom.

One was the study.

The bedroom wasn’t large, furnished simply. The bed was a mother-of-pearl canopy bed with simple carvings—all auspicious flowers and plants.

Beside the bed hung a palace lantern. The lantern was quite exquisite, though it appeared rather old.

Seeing Yan Sanhe’s gaze fall on the lantern, Eldest Brother Zhu quickly said, “This lantern was bestowed on my grandfather by a palace noble. Grandfather gave it to Father, and Father treasured it like a precious object.”

Yan Sanhe asked casually, “Which noble?”

Eldest Brother Zhu hadn’t expected Yan Sanhe to ask in such detail. His eyes quickly sought help from the old steward.

The old steward said carefully, “The late grand master didn’t say—only that it was from a palace noble.”

Yan Sanhe: “Do palace nobles frequently bestow gifts?”

“To be honest with Miss Yan, they do indeed.”

The old steward’s eyes showed some pride.

“The Zhu family is the pinnacle of this profession. When imperial consorts need an auspicious date chosen, they all seek out the Zhu family. When the divination is accurate, naturally there are rewards.”

Yan Sanhe: “What are the rewards usually?”

The old steward: “Nothing particularly valuable—mostly common items. But they represent the nobles’ regard. If Miss wishes to see, there are still some stored in the treasury.”

“We’ll discuss that later.”

Yan Sanhe’s gaze shifted. Beside the palace lantern was a small table with a beauty vase on it. The vase held nothing—it was empty.

“What was originally in this vase?”

“It’s just decoration. My father didn’t like having plum blossoms or bamboo in the room—he preferred it clean and bare. My mother thought the room too plain, so she chose a vase to place here.”

Yan Sanhe leaned in to examine the vase. One glance told her it was from a master craftsman—the glaze was very soft.

Under the window was a daybed with a tea table and several brocade cushions on it.

The tea table’s color had worn somewhat old, clearly showing Old Master Zhu liked to recline here.

Opposite the daybed stood two cabinets. Yan Sanhe opened them to look—inside hung Old Master Zhu’s clothes for all four seasons.

The clothes were primarily in blue and gray, with occasionally one or two festive colors.

Looking at the size of the garments, Yan Sanhe asked, “How tall was Old Master Zhu?”

“The old master and eldest master had similar builds and appearances.”

The old steward said, “When the old master was young, he was actually slightly taller than the eldest master. As he aged, his body shrank.”

Yan Sanhe: “These clothes require fair skin to look good.”

The old steward nodded. “Miss’s observation is very meticulous. The old master’s complexion took after his birth mother—fair and clean.”

Yan Sanhe asked, “What kind of person was his birth mother?”

The old steward: “The old master’s birth mother was surnamed Fu—the late madam’s cousin.”

Cousins serving the same husband?

Yan Sanhe: “Why did the late madam agree to take her cousin as a concubine?”

The old steward: “Concubine Fu was born with deficiencies, sickly from childhood, taking medicine year-round. No one within a hundred li dared marry her. The late madam, seeing she was getting older with brothers who found her burdensome, took her in out of sympathy.”

Yan Sanhe laughed coldly. “The late madam was truly magnanimous—willing to share her own husband for a cousin?”

“This…”

The old steward quickly explained, “Miss doesn’t know—the late madam’s original intention in taking her in was to give her a place to stay. After all, the Zhu family was large and prosperous—supporting one idle person was nothing.”

Yan Sanhe: “Supporting her and supporting her into the man’s bed are two different things?”

This statement—except for Li Buyan—everyone found harsh.

Especially the two Zhu masters. By blood, this Concubine Fu was actually their paternal grandmother.

“Miss Yan, Concubine Fu was an excellent person—proper and well-mannered.”

The old steward continued slowly, “After coming to the Zhu family, she never left her quarters, staying quietly to nurse her health. Even during festivals, she rarely appeared. Later, the late grand master took a fancy to her himself and discussed with the late madam about consummating the marriage. Concubine Fu initially refused. Only after Madam persuaded her for months did she nod in agreement.”

Yan Sanhe: “How many concubines did your late grand master have?”

The old steward: “Four concubines.”

Yan Sanhe frowned slightly.

Four?

That’s quite a few!