I was a stepmother in ancient times, and I led my whole family to wealth.

Chapter 378 Xue Shangshu Mansion

But who could have imagined that a sudden change would lead to the death of one of the two young princesses in the royal palace and their disappearance?

Over the years, the prince and princess have gone through a lot of hardship in their search for this young princess, and everyone in the mansion has been worried sick about her.

Now that the young princess has finally returned, how could he not be excited?

Dongfang Yuan smiled and took Dongfang Jin's hand, her face full of pride and joy: "She is Xiao Jin'er, the little rascal who always stole your wine when she was a child."

Upon hearing this, Cang Hai could no longer contain his excitement; his face flushed red, and his voice trembled slightly with emotion.

Shouting, "Little Princess..." he was about to kneel down before Dongfang Jin.

Dongfang Jin reacted quickly, immediately stepping forward and steadily lifting him up with both hands: "Uncle Butler, no!"

Seeing this, Dongfang Yuan smiled and said, "Butler, you must not behave like this in front of Xiao Jin'er in the future."

This child doesn't like being made to kneel.

At this moment, Cang Nanxi and the others were about to reach the ground with the Ruyi Carpet. They walked over steadily, their expressions calm and their innate authority carrying them as they instructed, "Alright, Cang Hai, have someone prepare some food and arrange some accommodations for these children."

Cang Hai immediately bowed and replied respectfully, "Yes!"

Recalling how the young master had been searching for this young princess all these years, whenever he heard a clue...

Regardless of the bitter cold or scorching heat, or any difficulties or dangers, they never gave up hope.

Now that the young princess has returned safely, the prince and princess have finally regained their former radiance. It's just a pity about that one...

He was genuinely happy for this family and secretly resolved to take good care of the young princess and make up for the lack of care she had received over the years.

Gu Caiwei curiously looked around at the buildings of the Prince's Mansion, tugged at Dongfang Jin's sleeve, and whispered, "Mother, is this Grandpa's house? It looks so grand."

Yang Wenwen nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with wonder: "Yes, it's even more spectacular than I imagined."

After they learned that their maternal grandfather was a prince, they asked many people, especially pestering Master Zhao.

I learned a lot of information from him.

Shen Qihui looked excited: "I wonder if I'll be able to meet Prince Dun in person. I really want to see him."

Dongfang Jin glanced at her adoptive father and suppressed a laugh. These kids, apart from Gu Jingye, Caiwei, and Wenwen, didn't know that their adoptive father was Prince Dun.

I wonder how they'll react when they find out.

Gu Jingye patted his shoulder with a sly look in his eyes: "Don't worry, now that you're here, you'll see him eventually."

……

After settling them in, Dongfang Jin entered the courtyard her mother had prepared for her. She went inside, closed the door, entered her spatial dimension, and used the teleportation bead to return to Lingwu Village.

"How is it? Is everything arranged?" Gu Chenglin asked eagerly as he greeted his wife upon her return.

"Everything is arranged. They've all gone to the Prince's Mansion. We'll go home in a bit."

"Yeah, I guess my brother-in-law and older brother's men have already taken care of things. My cousin's men were watching over there before."

"Is there anything else you need to bring?" Gu Chenglin asked.

Before Dongfang Jin could speak, Xiao Jin jumped down from the tree: "Jin-jie, I want to go to the capital with you too."

Dongfang Jin stared at it: "Why are you following me?"

Xiao Jin jumped onto Gu Chenglin's shoulder: "I heard that Beijing is a lot of fun, I want to go too."

"Everything is arranged?"

"It's all arranged, it's all arranged."

Dongfang Jin looked at Gu Chenglin: "Go and call for help, let's go."

……

The group arrived at No. 12, Zhongjie Street, Xuanwu Street in the capital, in the backyard of the Gu residence.

Jun Wenhui cautiously looked around the bustling streets of the capital. A magnificent mansion suddenly came into view. This was Minister Xue's residence.

Looking at the surrounding buildings, one can feel a unique charm, completely devoid of the ostentation of grand mansions.

As the group stepped off the auspicious carpet, a spacious courtyard came into view. The finely textured blue bricks were laid out flat, each one polished to perfection and joined together seamlessly, showcasing understated sophistication.

In the center of the courtyard, a century-old ginkgo tree stands, its lush branches and leaves stretching freely, golden leaves shimmering in the sunlight, as if silently telling the story of time.

The east and west wing rooms are arranged in a staggered manner, with delicate and exquisite carved window lattices. Warm yellow light shines through the window paper, creating a cozy atmosphere.

I heard that these designs were all created by Minister Xue, and they are simple yet full of the warmth of life.

Accompanied by Granny Qiao and Granny Xu, Dongfang Jin, Gu Chenglin, Jun Qirui, and Jun Wenhui slowly entered the main courtyard.

The group walked forward, passing courtyards that exuded solemnity yet elegance.

"This courtyard is wonderfully arranged. It looks simple, but it shows great care in every detail." As expected of a top expert in the Ministry of Works, Dongfang Jin looked around and praised softly.

Gu Chenglin nodded slightly and replied, "I heard that these designs were all done by the former Minister. As expected of the Minister of Works, he has his own unique insights into architectural layout."

He had heard Lu Yunqing and his brother-in-law talk about how exquisite the house was, but he was still shocked when he saw it in person.

Jun Qirui's gaze fell on the century-old ginkgo tree in the center of the courtyard, and he said, "This ginkgo tree must be quite old, witnessing many rises and falls of the Minister's Mansion."

Jun Wenhui gently stroked the carved window frame and exclaimed, "The carving of this window frame is exquisite, and the warm light shining through the window paper makes people feel cozy."

At this moment, Granny Qiao explained with a smile: "Minister Xue is the most meticulous. He has carefully considered every brick, tile, plant, and tree in this house."

After Minister Xue left the capital, many families in the city coveted this house.

Some families offered as much as 30,000 taels of silver, but the old minister refused to sell.

Granny Xu chimed in, "That's right. Back then, Minister Xue's house was quite dilapidated, but later..."

After that, he used his own salary and his wife's dowry to make up for the shortfall, and hired people to personally oversee the construction.

Moreover, Minister Xue dislikes flashy things and is a particularly old-fashioned person; everything here is practical and down-to-earth.

His house took almost two years to build.

The group walked into the main hall as they talked.

Dongfang Jin took a deep breath and praised, "The fragrance of these nanmu beams and pillars is so refreshing."

Ruyi, [That's great! The walls here all lead to the kitchen, just like our greenhouse.]

Based on this design, the heating system in our greenhouse was probably modeled after this.

[This possibility cannot be ruled out.]

[This way, you won't be afraid of the cold in winter.]

【really. 】

Looking at the plaque that read "Upright and Honest," Jun Qirui said, "You can tell a thing or two about the old Minister's character just from this plaque."

Dongfang Jin...

They really didn't move anything.

He was willing to part with it, but his cousin gave him a blueprint of a Jiangdong plow from the Xue family, which was worth more than 30,000 taels of silver.

This deal is a good one.

However, she should still give this plaque to her cousin; it wouldn't make sense for it to be hanging in her house.

It makes her house look like a government office, which she doesn't want.

Gu Chenglin seemed to know what Dongfang Jin was thinking: "Tomorrow I will take down this plaque and replace it with a landscape painting."

Dongfang Jin looked at him approvingly: "This is a good idea."

Jun Wenhui walked to the mahogany table and chairs and sat down gently: "The table and chairs are arranged neatly, and the flowers on the table add a touch of life."

After speaking, she stood up and moved gracefully to a row of furniture next to her. She reached out and gently touched it, her fingertips tracing the delicate texture.

The table and chairs were made of rosewood, with a deep and mellow color, like wine refined over time, and gleamed with a warm luster in the sunlight.

The desktop is as smooth as a mirror, with natural and flowing wood grain that resembles winding mountains and rivers, showcasing the wonders of nature.

The chair back is carved with plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo and chrysanthemums. The plum branches stand proudly, the orchids bloom gracefully, the green bamboo is upright, and the autumn chrysanthemums are elegant. The carving is exquisite and meticulous, and the veins of the petals and leaves are lifelike.