The scenery of the lakeside pavilion was indeed excellent. Surrounded by water on three sides, it offered views of the lotus flowers to the south and the stone mountains to the west. Living here in summer must have been wonderfully cool, likely without even needing an ice basin at night.
Living by the water, however, meant inevitable mosquito troubles. The mosquitoes by the water were large and bit fiercely. Yet, during the construction of this lakeside pavilion, a large amount of camphor and boxwood had been used. Both woods possess a unique aroma and rich oils, serving as effective mosquito repellents.
The roller blinds in the corridors were likely woven from dried *qingxiang mu* branches and mugwort leaves. Walking past them released a faint medicinal scent.
Li Man'er guessed that these two plants had been soaked in medicinal water before drying, doubling their mosquito-repelling effect.
The lakeside pavilion was not large, but every inch of it exuded meticulous craftsmanship and thoughtful design. The furnishings within were all valuable items, even the octagonal sheepskin palace lanterns hanging under the eaves were particularly exquisite.
"Does the young lady like it here?" Aunt Min inquired, "The Princess had people redecorate everything inside and out, hoping the young lady would feel more at ease living here."
Li Man'er was, after all, a young lady of a marquis's estate, not a common physician's assistant. Moreover, her maternal family, the Ning family, were exceedingly wealthy merchants. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she grew up surrounded by luxury. Princess Wuyou did not wish to slight her and treated her as an honored guest, all of which Li Man'er could feel.
"The Princess has been very thoughtful, and it's very good here." Li Man'er was quite satisfied with the place, thinking of it as a vacation. A few days of leisure would be beneficial. She could not, however, fathom who had been poisoned to warrant such a considerable investment and effort from Princess Wuyou.
"It's good that the young lady likes it," Aunt Min said. At this point, she suddenly called out towards the outside, "You girls, come in."
From outside, four young maids entered together, standing neatly in the small hall, their heads slightly bowed.
"These four maids are assigned by the Princess for the young lady's service. If the young lady has any needs, feel free to command them." Aunt Min stepped aside, and the four maids stepped forward to introduce themselves.
"Your servant, E Huang."
"Your servant, Liu Lü."
"Your servant, Yue Bai."
"Your servant, Yin Zhu."
All four curtsied in unison, "Greetings, young lady."
Well, they were all named after colors, making them easy to remember. They would also match well with her own maids, Zi Yan and Lü Yi.
"Sisters, there's no need for such formality. I'm only staying for a few days. Please carry out your duties as usual."
The maids responded in unison, appearing to be very well-behaved on the surface, though their true natures remained to be seen.
Seeing that it was getting late, Aunt Min said, "Young lady, why don't you rest for a while? Dinner will be sent over. The Princess has important matters to attend to and cannot get away immediately. We can meet tomorrow, it's the same."
Li Man'er was a guest, and as guests do, she naturally wouldn't object.
"Alright, then I shall pay my respects to the Princess tomorrow."
Aunt Min smiled faintly and said, "Young lady, please go and rest. After dinner, you may take a stroll by the lake. The scenery around the lakeside pavilion is lovely, and I believe you will enjoy it."
"Thank you, Auntie. Please go slowly."
As soon as Aunt Min left, Li Man'er dismissed the four maids, E Huang and Liu Lü, and went into the inner chambers.
Zi Yan and Lü Yi were diligent and soon finished unpacking the items brought from the marquis's estate.
"Young lady, you must be tired. There's a washroom nearby. Why don't you wash up and change into some indoor clothes?"
"Alright," Li Man'er said with amusement, "This is quite something. You two, plus the four outside, all have names with colors in them."
Lü Yi pouted, "There's even one named Liu Lü, her name overlaps with mine."
Zi Yan couldn't help but laugh at her, "What's so strange about overlapping names? Haven't you seen that the second young lady's maids are all of the 'Cai' generation?" Such as Cai Yue, Cai Lian.
"That's different. They're not from the same household, so it feels a bit strange."
"It's only a couple of days anyway, just bear with it. Oh, go and ask outside where we can get water. We'll help the young lady wash and change."
"Alright!" Lü Yi turned and left the room. Before long, two elderly women entered with two large buckets.
"Young lady, should this water be delivered directly to the washroom? Is it for the mistress to wash?"
Zi Yan quickly replied, "Yes, thank you."
The two women repeatedly said they dared not, and carried the water into the washroom, pouring it into the bathtub.
They had to fetch water five or six times before they had enough, and they also collected Li Man'er's discarded clothes.
"Thank you for your hard work," Zi Yan handed over two strings of coins, placing them into the women's hands, "This is a small token of appreciation from our young lady. Please use it to buy some sour plum drink to cool yourselves."
The two women were somewhat embarrassed to accept, but their eyes gleamed with joy. They demurred, "How can we accept money from the young lady, who is such an honored guest of the Princess?"
"This is a reward. Our young lady will be staying for a few more days, and there will inevitably be times when we trouble you. Please accept it."
Seeing Zi Yan's sincere words, the two women happily took the money and left after repeatedly expressing their gratitude.
Once outside the room, in a place where no one could see them, they whispered to each other, "This young lady seems very amiable. She's not like what they say outside."
"People's mouths are like two sides of a coin, and hearts are hidden behind them. Can we believe the gossip from outside? I say, it must be someone with a rotten heart who deliberately wants to ruin her reputation."
"Exactly."
The two women tucked the money into their bosoms and happily returned to their own quarters.
After bathing and changing, Li Man'er, with her hair unbound, sat by the window reading. When she had nothing else to do, she enjoyed reading historical accounts and storybooks of the Zun Kingdom. The long nights required something to pass the time.
"Young lady, it's quite chilly by the window. Be careful." Lü Yi draped a shawl over her shoulders, chattering, "It's like two different climates here compared to outside. You just had a bath, you mustn't catch a cold."
"It's fine," Li Man'er picked up a piece of mung bean cake and put it in her mouth, asking without looking up, "How do you find this place? Is it better than home?"
Lü Yi chuckled, "It's just novel. How could it be better than home? Besides, for people like us, home is wherever our master is."
"But honestly, your servant feels today is a truly good day. Just thinking about the second young lady running into a wall and how unpleasant her face must look makes me feel so happy." Lü Yi thought of the scene and felt a sense of satisfaction, regretting only that she couldn't witness it herself.
"No matter how much effort the second young lady puts in, Princess Wuyou wouldn't let her come along. After the unpleasantness last time at the Princess's mansion, how could she have the nerve to want to come?" Zi Yan said, "If it were me, I would be too ashamed to show my face."
Li Man'er put down her book and smiled, "Haven't you heard the saying, 'The most shameless are invincible'? She probably thinks she can win by being thick-skinned." Unfortunately, Aunt Min was not swayed by her tactics at all.
The two maids covered their mouths and laughed, "Young lady, your words are very apt. It's truly the case."