Chapter 328: A maid who does not want to be a concubine is not a good maid

Inside Jingwu Yuan.

Jia Jing brought several maidservants into the rear hall's main room, which was cleaned even more thoroughly than the courtyard.

The books on the shelves had been rearranged, neatly ordered by the categories of classics, history, philosophy, and literature.

The brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the desk had been replaced, with new brush and ink, and a lotus‑colored gauze canopy had been set up over the bed.

A pot of jasmine on the windowsill was in full bloom, its faint fragrance coming and going in the night breeze.

Jia Jing looked around at this familiar scene and couldn't help sighing inwardly: No matter how good things are, nothing beats being home!

"Third Uncle, everything in the courtyard that needed packing has been packed. Are we moving to the Dong Fu tomorrow?"

Upon entering the inner room, Qingwen saw Jia Jing looking around and, unable to contain her anticipation, stepped forward to ask him.

Xiangling straightened the cushion on the chair, had Jia Jing sit down, then picked up the teapot and poured tea—the liquor was a clear jade green, with steam curling upward.

At the same time, she looked at Jia Jing with a hint of joy on her face, waiting for his reply about the move.

One must admit, both Xiangling and Qingwen felt a mix of surprise and delight at the prospect of moving to Ning Guo Fu.

In Rong Guo Mansion, they had been doing quite well, and their status among the maidservants was exceptional.

Yet the Western Mansion also had many masters, leaving them somewhat ill at ease.

Moreover, although Jingwu Yuan is nice, it is merely a courtyard—how could it compare to the grand, imposing duke's mansion of the Dong Fu?

They had indeed been to Ning Guo Fu before and knew that its estate surpassed Rong Guo Mansion in many respects.

It boasted a large garden, pavilions, terraces, towers, small bridges and flowing water, and its excellence lay not in extravagance but in its orderly layout, strict regulations, and magnificent grandeur.

Therefore, they approached this move with anticipation and joy.

Jia Jing sat down on the chair, took the tea Xiangling handed him, sipped it, and said:

"Excellent! Ning Guo Fu has been granted to me as a separate estate by imperial decree; before the Jingguo Duke's mansion is completed, we will settle in the Dong Fu!"

"Pack up your belongings, and tomorrow morning you'll follow the carriages over there."

"Zhu Que should have everything settled over there; we will reside in the Ning An Tang Zheng Yuan of the Central Route."

The layout of Ning Guo Fu follows the ancient "front court, rear chambers" ritual, divided into the Central, Western, and Eastern Routes,

embodying the strict principle of central‑axis symmetry and clear hierarchy.

The Central Route's main hall lies at the core of the estate's axis; it symbolizes decorum and serves as the mansion's hub, where grand ceremonies are held, important guests received, and official business conducted.

Passing through the gate, ceremonial gate, hall, warm pavilion, inner hall, then the main hall and rear courtyard, a succession of doorways leads inward in a solemn, imposing manner.

In fact, it corresponds to the Rong Xi Tang Zheng Yuan occupied by the Second Branch of Rong Guo Fu, serving as the lord's office and residence.

Besides the Central Route, there are also the Eastern and Western Route compounds and the rear garden, Hui Fang Yuan.

The Western Route compound mainly houses the Jia family ancestral shrine, while the Eastern Route compound is the primary living area for the other family members.

Hui Fang Yuan needs no further explanation—it is the rear garden of Ning Guo Fu, with exceptionally beautiful scenery.

Within the garden there are not only lovely views but also several key structures: the Tian Xiang Lou, Deng Xian Ge, Ning Xi Xuan, and Cong Lv Tang.

Hearing Jia Jing's definite reply, Qingwen and Xiangling both wore pleased smiles and murmured an assenting "uh".

After drinking two sips of tea and exchanging a few brief words, he inquired about how they had been at home these past months,

Jia Jing set down his teacup, glanced at the weary faces of the few present, and said:

"It's getting late today—go rest!"

Xiangling let out a soft yawn and said gently:

"There's still hot water in the pot—I'll go fetch it for you, Master!"

Jia Jing laughed and said:

"Just go rest; I'll handle these myself!"

Years of military life had instilled in him the habit of attending to his own needs; being waited on by maidservants actually made him feel somewhat ill at ease!

Upon hearing this, Qingwen pressed her lips together; her bright, lovely oval face showed a trace of stubbornness as she spoke:

"We are your maidservants; serving you is our duty. If we neglected these basic tasks, others would think us frivolous and lacking sense!"

Saying this, Qingwen stepped forward and unfastened the buttons of Jia Jing's outer robe.

Xiangling turned to fetch hot water, soon returning with a bronze basin filled with steaming warm water.

Jia Jing chuckled at Qingwen's "rather lacking self‑awareness" remark, but did not insist on doing it himself.

Xiangling soaked the handkerchief in the basin, wrung it out, and wiped Jia Jing's face.

Meanwhile, Qingwen had already helped Jia Jing take off his outer robe and hung it on the rack.

She then opened the wardrobe, took out a moon‑white middle garment, unfolded it, gave it a shake, and presented it with both hands for Jia Jing to change into.

Jia Jing watched the two bustle about, savoring the feeling of being attended to.

After Xiangling finished washing Jia Jing up, Qingwen had already helped him change into fresh clothes, let his hair loose, tidied the bedding, and tucked in a corner of the quilt.

Xiangling then trimmed the wick of the lamp a bit and quickly prepared some mosquito‑repelling mint fragrance and a cooling tea for nighttime thirst.

"Master, do you need me and Xiangling to keep watch tonight?" Qingwen asked, her lashes drooping, a shadow hidden in her eyes, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

Upon hearing this, Xiangling also blushed and glanced at Jia Jing with a hint of shyness.

"Keeping watch" mainly meant guarding at night, serving late‑night tea, and tending the lamps and candles.

This is one of the core duties of a First‑Class Senior Maid.

Previously, Jia Jing had never asked anyone to keep night watch; he is not Jia Baoyu and does not have the habit of having people attend through the night.

Those assigned night duty usually slept on the heated brick outside the master's bedroom, on the bed outside the lacquered cabinet, or on the incense warmer, so they could be summoned at once—of course, some even slept on the master's bed.

Qingwen's presently somewhat bashful and intimate demeanor made Jia Jing frown slightly; after the incident with Baichai, he could roughly guess what the two were thinking.

After all, a senior maid who does not wish to become a concubine is not a good senior maid! They've grown up, too!

"You don't need to keep me company—just go to sleep!" Jia Jing glanced at the two, waved his hand, and added nothing more.

Xiangling paused, stepped back, performed a bow, and said:

「Grandfather has been busy all day; rest early。」

Qing Wen stared at Jia Jing's calm face for a while, her eyes flickering, her face flushed, she also made a bow, turned and went to the outer room to tidy up, gently closing the door.

After Jia Jing lay on the bed reading for a while, he lowered the curtain; the lotus‑colored gauze curtain glowed warmly in the candlelight.

He reached out and took the green jade tablet from beside the pillow; the two characters 'fragrant orchid' were warm and smooth like jade in the candlelight.

He held the jade tablet in his palm, examined it closely, then took out a ten-thousand-character knot peace buckle; his expression was inscrutable.

The candle flame flickered; the outer room gradually grew quiet. Footsteps faded away, the door curtain fell, lifted again, and fell.

The lamps of Jingwu Yuan went out one by one.

The night passed in silence; dawn arrived.

Just as the sky began to lighten, Jia Jing got up, changed his clothes, then went to the jujube tree in the courtyard to practice martial arts, performing a set of fists.

Afterwards he washed with cold water, took a bath, changed into formal attire, and went to the main hall to begin handling the piled‑up military affairs of the imperial court!