The master and servant pair slowly walked inside, with several other servants following behind ready to serve at any time.
Upon entering the courtyard gate, Xia Ruqing observed carefully.
She found that although the courtyard was quite ordinary, it was kept very clean and neat.
Looking closely, it even had a bit of a hidden retreat vibe.
In front of the courtyard was a winding, twisting path leading up the mountain, paved with blue stone slabs, looking rather flat despite being less than a zhang wide.
Behind the courtyard was a chicken coop and vegetable garden.
A few old hens were leisurely strolling inside the coop, while the garden was planted with lush green vegetables.
In the backyard stood a huge pagoda tree.
A dense row of fences surrounded the courtyard, entwined with various wildflowers.
The entire courtyard was very small, with the area not even as large as a main hall in the palace.
But this is exactly what gives it a rustic charm.
