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Su Biluo knew what they were referring to. She smiled faintly and didn’t take it to heart.
“Let’s eat together. You two have been waiting outside all day, you must be hungry, right? She motioned for them to sit.
Moonglow and Vivid, of course, didn’t dare sit, not until Su Biluo insisted three more times.
Su Biluo shared the food and ate with them, all the while asking this or that about the general’s estate. Meticulous questions, like how many people were here, the temperaments of each family member, all the way to their property and real estate, and detailed questions about the family finances. She wanted to be clear on all of it.
By the time the meal was over, Su Biluo knew how things stood.
Once they were finished eating, Su Biluo reckoned it was about ten at night, give or take. Guests would be leaving here and there, but it was still early. For a modern CEO like her used to working long hours, she was not at all ready to go to sleep.
“Come with me while I take a walk around the place.” She stood and led the way out the doors.
Moonglow and Vivid hurried after.
Once outside, Moonglow called to a passing pageboy to bring a lantern, then took Su Biluo for a tour, pointing everything out.
The general’s estate was expansive and imposing. Nothing like the imperial palace, but not a bit inferior to the Su mansion.
The estate covered three hectares and excepting the flower garden, lotus pond, curved bridge, and pavilions, there were 108 rooms in total, divided into east, south, west, and north compounds. Each compound had twenty-seven rooms.
The grand general’s estate had been conferred by the previous emperor to Mo Zichen’s grandfather, and it had endured to the present. But if there was another great military success, the emperor would likely not be able to grant such a large and magnificent mansion.
Mo Zichen’s father and grandfather were both outstanding, illlustrious high-ranking military officers who had laid down their lives on the battlefield for their country, leaving behind two widows who lived in the north compound.
The east compound was the residence of the four brothers and sisters of the Mo family: the eldest, Mo Zichen, then the second eldest, Mo Ziqian, then Mo Zi’an, and their younger sister, Mo Ziling. The other twenty or so rooms were empty.
The south compound was for the steward, Mo Di, and was where the maidservants and pageboys lived. They guarded the grand general estate’s main gates.
As for the west compound, it was said to be the original location of the ancestral shrine and Buddhist hall, but because the north compound had many spare rooms and because the dowager had been having more trouble getting around the last few years, they were moved to the north compound so that she didn’t have to walk so far every morning and evening to burn incense for the old general.
So the west compound became a place where odds and ends were piled up. There were cobwebs and dust everywhere.
“What I’ve learnd after strolling around here is that although the grand general’s estate is expansive, with magnificent buildings, the plants and flowers and trees are all withered and everything is dilapidated. Is it because there’s no money for maintenance and renovations?”
Su Biluo stood in the courtyard of the west compound, staring blankly at the fallen leaves and the cobwebs clogging the eaves.
Vivid sighed. “Yes. Most of the maids and pageboys have been banished since funds became scarce. There used to be over a hundred, but now there’s only fifteen left to wait on the masters, doing everything such as cooking and washing clothes. When do we have time to sweep the gardens and courtyards?”
Su Biluo nodded and sneered. “There’s no sense holding onto what can’t be maintained. Moonglow, Vivid, come with me.”
She quickly led Vivid and Moonglow back to the east compound, where she opened the only dowry trunk that had silver in it and had Vivid bundle 200 taels, then they urgently rushed out of the general’s estate.
Vivid and Moonglow were confused and asked about it, but Su Biluo didn’t respond.
It was late. Looking up, the stars in the sky were like bright diamonds inlaid in inky velvet. When she looked back down she saw the streets bathed in dreamy, silver moonlight. She walked down the street with lively, happy steps.
The roasted cake vendor at the corner of the street had not yet closed up shop; a few people were buying late-night snacks to take home with them.
Su Biluo walked up briskly and said outright, “Give me whatever roasted cakes you have left. I want them all!”
The Courtyard 