Butler He and Aunt Dou exchanged glances, bowing deeper than before. They weren’t surprised that Du Jingyi was now in charge of the household. But they also understood that the General was making a point, reminding them to be more careful in the future. They needed to clearly recognize who was in charge of the inner household for things to run smoothly from now on . So, the two of them, who had been a little uncertain before, now firmly decided to fully support Du Jingyi as the true mistress of the household.
After handing over the household duties, Shang Ji still had military matters to attend to, so he didn’t stay with Du Jingyi any longer . He simply left a team of personal guards to protect her and then departed. Once he was gone, Du Jingyi didn’t leave right away. Instead, she turned to Butler He and Aunt Dou and said,
“I’m young, and my family isn’t a famous one, so I don’t know much about managing a large household. I never had anyone to teach me. So, for matters in both the front and back of the house, I’ll still rely on both of you. You’ve been with my mother-in-law for a long time, and you faithfully protected our whole courtyard in Dongyuan. Now that you’re in the General’s Mansion, you can truly show your skills. Please don’t hold back. Let’s work together so the General can focus on serving His Majesty outside without any worries about our home.”
These words brought tears to the eyes of Butler He and Aunt Dou. With their experience from the Duke’s Mansion, managing a small place like Dongyuan truly didn’t use their full abilities. Yet, for three years, Du Jingyi had seen no complaints from them; they had worked hard and managed Dongyuan perfectly. If she could bring that same efficiency to the General’s Mansion, then her future life would be comfortable indeed. Du Jingyi truly meant what she said.
Aunt Dou stepped forward and declared, “Don’t worry, Young Madam, all of us servants are dedicated. Even if you invited any family from Sui’an City to inspect, they wouldn’t find anything out of place.”
“That’s good,” Du Jingyi replied.
Next, Du Jingyi took them to explore the backyard. The front rooms weren’t complicated; they just needed a thorough cleaning and some furniture added. So, no major effort was needed there. The backyard, however, required careful thought, as she planned to bring her sister-in-law Liu, her nephew Shang Zhiping, and her eighth sister Xue Niang to live with them.
The small garden in the southeast corner didn’t seem very big, but it felt open and spacious. After walking around, Du Jingyi made a clear decision. “Butler He, please combine this small garden with the courtyard next to it. The two rooms in front of it will be Ping’er’s study. It’ll be close to the next courtyard, making it easier for my sister-in-law to look after him.”
Her memory of Shang Zhiping was still of a timid and shy boy. It was difficult to change things all at once, so starting with his environment seemed most appropriate. People could become sluggish if they stayed in cramped spaces for too long. But if everything around them was vibrant and green, anyone would feel relaxed and happy.
Such a grand plan couldn’t be explained in just a few words. Butler He and Aunt Dou exchanged admiring glances. They had expected the Young Madam to arrange her own main courtyard first, but instead, the first person she thought of was the eldest young master’s child, Shang Zhiping. This deeply touched them.
Du Jingyi knew what they were thinking and said comfortingly, “Don’t worry about spending more money. The General said all the rewards can be used, so let’s expand this courtyard. Ping’er isn’t a child anymore. In the future, whether he’s studying, practicing calligraphy, or training with the General, he needs a proper place, right?” Hearing this, Butler He and Aunt Dou immediately promised, “Don’t worry, Young Madam, I will definitely take care of this.”
“That’s good,” she replied.
A few moments later, they walked along the corridor to another part of the courtyard. Du Jingyi walked in and looked around. The yard wasn’t huge, with three main rooms and one on each side, but the scenery was unique. There was a maple forest here, which would glow red in the autumn. Just looking at it made one feel happy. She immediately decided, “Leave this place for my eighth sister. I remember she had maple leaves embroidered on her handkerchief. I think she likes them. She’ll definitely love seeing this view.”
Aunt Dou had spent a lot of time with Eighth miss , so she knew her preferences. She smiled and praised, “Young Madam is truly thoughtful. Eighth miss really loves the sight of red maple leaves.”
“That’s good,” Du Jingyi said. Then, she pointed to an open space nearby and told Aunt Dou, “I’d like to ask you to set up a swing here, so when Eighth Sister gets tired of embroidery, she can have a place to relax.”
She arranged everything in an orderly fashion, not at all like someone from a small family. If Aunt Dou had worried before, walking around with Du Jingyi had put her mind at ease.
After carefully inspecting their own courtyard, Du Jingyi led them to the main courtyard of the General’s Mansion. This area was to the north and didn’t have any outstanding scenery. But its advantage was its spaciousness, giving Du Jingyi plenty of room to plan.
Butler He suggested, based on her previous words, “Young Madam, we can build a garden here. We can find some skilled masters from the south of the Yangtze River to build it carefully. It will definitely look beautiful.”
Du Jingyi nodded, then shook her head, and smiled. “A garden needs to be built, but the General’s training ground also needs to be cleared and properly arranged. The General’s Mansion isn’t so big that there’s whispering everywhere; the General’s reputation isn’t good.”
Butler He’s face showed sudden understanding. “What the Young Madam said is true, the old servant almost forgot that. But we’ll need to discuss with the General how to build this training ground properly, as I, as a housekeeper, don’t know the specifics here.”
“Don’t worry, Young Madam, just leave it to the old servant,” he assured her.
“Naturally,” Du Jingyi replied. Then she looked around the yard again, quickly deciding the boundaries. She clearly explained where to build a garden, where to leave open space, where to decorate, and which areas to renovate.
After all this planning, it was almost evening. Looking at the setting sun’s warm glow on the wooden pillars and bluestone floor of the entire General’s Mansion, everyone felt a sense of relief. Finally, there was a bright future, and everything would get better.
Before leaving, Du Jingyi also took them to inventory the warehouse in the main courtyard. The people guarding this place were Shang Ji’s trusted personal guards from the army. Therefore, no unauthorized person was allowed to approach, and there was no chance of anything being lost.