Love Across Time - Chapter 31
Giant dragons are carved on the stone pillars on both sides of the gate, soaring into the sky on clouds, their postures lifelike and proud.
The four floors and eight courtyards are the structure inside the fortress.
The first half consists of:
Fengyun Tower, belonging to the council hall, occupies the right wing and is where the heads of various units gather for meetings.
Juxianlou served as a reception hall and venue for large banquets. It is the first building one sees upon entering and is located in the center.
Haoran Building, the office in charge of accounting and internal affairs, is located on the left wing.
The Righteousness Tower is responsible for overseeing personnel matters in various regions, including promotions, rewards and punishments, investigations, and disciplinary actions. It is also responsible for maintaining order and discipline.
The four buildings have an identical exterior structure, being two-story structures. While the Fengyun and Juxian buildings are fully open to the public, the rooftops of the Haoran and Zhengqi buildings house the four chief stewards and are considered private residences, with the ground floor used for offices. The buildings occupy a considerable area, with a built-in floor area exceeding 300 ping (approximately 133 square meters), and with additional garden landscaping, the total area is around 500 ping (approximately 133 square meters). The four main buildings are employee offices and employees can move freely, unlike the Eighth Hospital.
Behind the fourth floor, separated from the Eighth Courtyard, is a stone wall with an archway in the middle, forming a restricted area. Only the designated cleaning staff are allowed to enter and exit. The Eighth Courtyard is the master's living quarters.
Entering through the low gate, one finds a narrow, flat stone path about ten feet wide, with the eight courtyards, each separated from its own area, on either side.
The Orchid Courtyard is the first building on the right at the entrance. Its small courtyard is filled with potted orchids, arranged sparsely on bamboo trellises on both sides. The house contains bedrooms, a study, a bathroom, and a practice room. The furnishings are entirely masculine, with minimal decoration; only a few powerful calligraphic works hang in the study as the sole ornaments. This is Shi Wuji's residence.
The Pine Courtyard features only a single, thousand-year-old pine tree, standing solemnly and austerely, with a few potted azaleas adding a touch of color. The rest of the garden is filled with grass. The layout is largely the same, but the decorations are antique and refined. Two walls of the entrance hall are lined with cabinets filled with rare antiques. Several exquisite antiques are also displayed in suitable places in other rooms, pleasing to the eye. This place exudes a distinctly masculine atmosphere, naturally belonging to Shi Wuhen.
Shi Wujie lived in the Willow Courtyard. Unlike other courtyards, the Willow Courtyard was built over a pond, situated in the middle of water. The pond was filled with lotus flowers, and green willows hung on both banks. Colorful carp could be seen everywhere in the pond. From the long corridor to the interior, there were stone sculptures of various animals, as well as natural strange stones. The whole room was full of strange and unusual things.
There's no deliberate path within the Plum Garden; it's filled with plum trees, so getting inside requires a bit of a winding journey. Every window is draped with white gauze curtains. Climbing vines and ornamental plants are cleverly planted on the windowsills. A snow-white stone table and chairs sit in the long corridor, with a guzheng (a traditional Chinese zither) on it and a cup of sandalwood incense, creating an elegant and serene atmosphere. This is a flawless boudoir, so the practice room has been converted into an embroidery room. Every threshold inside is covered with layers of light gauze, and when the windows are open, the white gauze flutters in the breeze, creating a dreamlike effect.
Leng Ziyang and his son lived in Xingyuan, which was clean and devoid of any extravagance.
The incense hall enshrines the ancestral tablets of the Shi and Leng families.
The guest room is used to entertain distinguished guests at any time.
The bamboo courtyard is filled with lush bamboo. It is a study, divided into three main rooms: one for storing books, one for practicing calligraphy, and one for the bedroom.
There are hundreds of servants in Aolong Castle. Except for the servants who are in charge of the various courtyards and sleep in the small rooms of the guest courtyard, all the others sleep in the buildings on the fourth floor, which are divided into three areas: male servants, female servants, and family members.
These buildings and courtyards, which sounded so dizzying, had been described by Wuxia on the way, but Huan'er still didn't have a concrete idea of what they were like. It wasn't until the enormous Aolong Castle was truly before her eyes, with employees and servants lined up on both sides like a dark cloud to welcome her, that Huan'er was truly astonished. This place was ridiculously large. She knew she had married a wealthy husband, but Shi Wuji was far too... frighteningly rich! When she was helped down from the carriage, her legs almost gave way, and she even forgot to close her mouth.
"Are you feeling unwell?" According to etiquette, Shi Wuji should let go of Huan'er, but Huan'er seemed to be very uncomfortable, so he kept his arm around her waist.
"Some." She didn't dare look at him; she couldn't very well say she couldn't handle big occasions! How embarrassing!
"Young Master, you must be tired from your journey." A middle-aged man, nearly fifty years old, with a face resembling Leng Gang, stood beside Shi Wuji and bowed.
"Uncle Leng, thank you for your hard work this past month." Shi Wuji returned the greeting respectfully, and then said, "Uncle Leng, this is Huan'er, my wife."
"Young Madam."