Travel through troubled times and escape famine with the system

Chapter 411 All Rules

This trick really worked.

Upon hearing Lu You's reprimand, Ming Cui and Lu You trembled in fright, then quickly fell silent and stood up, bowing their heads and standing there timidly like two quails.

"I'm asking you, who arranged my room here?"

Upon hearing Lu You's question, Mingcui bent her knees and was about to kneel down, but Lu You held up her chin with the ink plum blossom.

"I said! No kneeling allowed!!"

"You answer whatever I ask, standing up and talking!"

Feeling the coldness of the ink plum blossoms, Mingcui raised her chin and replied tremblingly.

"Replying to Miss, no one has made any arrangements."

"The master asked us to clean your room, so we came and cleaned it ourselves!"

Upon hearing this answer, Lu You was speechless.

However, she didn't want to argue with these maids in front of her, so she pointed in the direction she had come from and asked.

"Then I'll have to ask you to prepare another house for me."

"Um... are there any vacant rooms in the first courtyard right after you enter? I'd like one of those."

"Miss, you absolutely mustn't!" Mingcui hurriedly said upon hearing this, "The first courtyard after entering contains the gatehouse, private school, kitchen, woodshed, carriage room, and watchman's quarters... These are all places where servants live. How can you possibly stay here?"

amount……

Upon hearing this, Lu You put down the ink plum blossom in her hand.

"Then let's go to the second garden. I see there are quite a few rooms there..."

“Miss, the second courtyard won’t do either,” Mingcui said anxiously. “According to the rules, the rooms in the second courtyard should be for the young master of this mansion. The main house is for the eldest son, and the east and west wing rooms are for the second son…”

As Mingcui was speaking, Luyou waved her hand and said...

"Although I don't know the rules, I have heard of The Romance of the Western Chamber!"

"It's clearly stated in there that the west wing of the mansion should be the boudoir!"

Upon hearing Lu You's words, Ming Cui and Bing Qin exchanged bewildered glances.

"Miss, what is The Romance of the Western Chamber?" Mingcui hesitated for a moment before finally asking cautiously.

"The Romance of the Western Chamber is..."

Lu You tried hard to recall the story of Cui Yingying and Zhang Sheng, but could only remember that the story praised the love between the two protagonists that transcended class.

As for other details, she couldn't possibly listen to the garbled lyrics of the opera.

"The Romance of the Western Chamber is... why should I tell you?" Lu You scoffed. "Just tell me, is the boudoir in the second courtyard a boudoir or not!"

“No!” Mingcui replied again: “Except for maids, men and women in the household are not allowed to live together in the same courtyard. This is the rule. The second courtyard can only be occupied by the young masters.”

Upon hearing this, Lu You seemed to have discovered some patterns.

"Then, according to your rules, who lives in the three-courtyard house that I climbed onto the roof?"

“The third courtyard is not for living.” Mingcui could tell at this point that her young mistress didn’t understand the rules of the mansion at all: “Miss, the place you climbed up just now is the main house of the third courtyard, which is used as a meeting hall. The Third Prince and others should be resting there now. As for the side rooms, they are the inner mansion’s storerooms.”

"What about the fourth courtyard?" Lu You asked, leaning on Mo Mei, feeling a wave of weariness.

"The fourth courtyard is the women's quarters."

Women?

Upon hearing those two words, Lu You's eyes lit up with joy.

But before she could say she wanted to move in, Mingcui added again.

"The main house in the four-courtyard house is the room of the principal wife, while the east and west wing rooms are the rooms of the concubines. Apart from the master, no one else may enter them at will."

"I knew it." Lu You said with a forced smile, "Let's continue talking about the five courtyards."

"The rear quarters of the fifth courtyard are where we servants live..."

"Wait a minute!" Lu You interrupted Mingcui, saying, "Didn't you just say that the first courtyard is where the servants live?"

Upon hearing this, Mingcui looked innocently at Luyou.

"Miss, the first courtyard is the living quarters for the male servants, and the fifth courtyard is for the female servants..."

"Yes, men and women cannot live together!"

Lu You rubbed her face vigorously.

"Alright, I won't ask you any more questions. According to the rules, am I only allowed to stay here?"

Mingcui and Bingqin exchanged a glance and then nodded in unison: "Yes."

"Then stay here."

Lu You carried Mo Mei on her shoulder and walked forward, but just as she reached the door of the main house, she heard Ming Cui's voice again.

"Miss……"

"What is it now?" Lu You asked impatiently as she turned around.

“Miss, this main house is the residence of the old matriarch of the family. The side rooms on both sides are yours. The three rooms on the left are the ones we have prepared for you.”

Lu You looked at the main gate of the house in front of her, then looked at the stairs to the second floor on the left, and then, as if she had thought of something, she turned around and ran to Ming Cui's side.

Does Mr. Guan's mother live here?

“No…” Mingcui subconsciously shook her head and said, “Mr. Guan is very old, and the old lady should have passed away long ago…”

"Oh!"

Lu You let out a long breath and said.

If Mr. Guan's mother really lives in the main house, she will definitely exchange some pills and sesame cakes as a gift and pay her a proper visit.

Huh??

Something's not right!!

Lu You slowly turned her head to look at Ming Cui.

"Does Mr. Guan have wives, concubines, children, or grandchildren?"

"No," Mingcui replied, shaking her head. "Master never married and had no children. Apart from us servants, he lives alone in the mansion!"

"Then why did you talk so much nonsense to me?"

Lu You clenched her fists and looked at Ming Cui, asking a question.

"What about young masters in two-courtyard houses, and wives and concubines in four-courtyard houses...aren't all those houses empty?"

“It’s empty,” Mingcui said aggrievedly. “But… the inner quarters are the face of the master. If someone comes to the mansion as a guest and sees that the living quarters are casual and unruly, it will damage the master’s reputation.”

"I……"

Lu You looked at Ming Cui and for a moment didn't know how to refute her.

"I can't be bothered arguing with you feudal remnants!"

As she spoke, Lu You lightly touched the ground with her feet and leaped onto the second-floor veranda.

"This is my room, isn't it?"

"Yes!"

Mingcui and Bingqin jogged up the stairs.

"These three rooms on the left are, firstly, a boudoir; secondly, a living room; and thirdly, a bathing room."

"Miss, the kitchen is heating water for you. I'll send someone to fetch it right away, and you can take a bath and change clothes shortly."

Lu You pushed open the door and looked around. Seeing that the room was very clean, she finally nodded in satisfaction.

Passing through the living room, Lu You turned into the bathroom and saw a vermilion bathtub inside, which was already half full of water.

"Miss, we clean and prepare every day to welcome you back to your residence."

"This water was freshly prepared at noon; just add some hot water and you can take a bath."

Lu You reached out and tested the water temperature; it was slightly cool.

"Go fetch some water, I'll wait here."

About fifteen minutes later, the maids carried buckets of water and flower petals upstairs, along with two sets of clothes.

A dress, paired with a hairpin, hair ornaments, and embroidered shoes...

A set of tight-fitting clothes, very similar to the one Lu You wore when he dominated Qingzhou City...