I have settled down and made a home here.

He handled all of this with practiced ease, every step appropriate and measured, yet one matter continued to trouble Li Xi. Originally, he had prepared a gift of two thousand coins to present to Chang Huaide, the Prefect of Shaozhou. Customarily, for a ninth-rank official like himself, it was expected to offer three hundred coins as a first greeting to a superior; anything beyond that would certainly earn special notice.

Yet Chang Huaide was not an ordinary man. He had risen from common birth through the imperial examinations, having lived in poverty for much of his life before suddenly attaining wealth and rank. This had given him an unusual obsession with money. Before arriving in Shaozhou, Li Haishan had already warned Li Xi to treat Chang with utmost care. Li Xi, knowing he was new and had not yet aligned himself with Chen Hongzhi’s faction, dared not risk offense. Gritting his teeth, he decided to offer five hundred coins as a visit, but was met with a cold shoulder—Chang claimed he was busy and refused to see him. Li Xi was left with no choice but to add another five hundred coins and several precious gifts, and only then, after another day, did Chang finally grant him an audience.

After smoothing things over with Chang, Li Xi plucked a few more feathers and paid respects to several influential colleagues. Thus, he managed to pass the critical trial of his new appointment.

Chang Huaide, in a show of magnanimity, granted Li Xi seven days’ leave to settle his family. After all, the position of adjutant was a leisurely one; his presence was hardly essential. The year was drawing to a close, taxes had already been collected, tributes dispatched, and local allocations settled. There was little left to do but wait for the New Year.

So, on the fourth day after his arrival in Shaozhou, Li Xi began searching for a residence. The official housing provided was not only cramped and dilapidated, but also too close to the government offices and crowded with colleagues—highly inconvenient. Li Xi enlisted a local constable familiar with the area to guide him through the city’s streets and alleys in search of a suitable home. Though Qujiang County, being the prefectural seat, should have offered ample choices, decent residences were few and far between. After much searching to no avail, Li Xi changed tactics: if a ready-made house could not be found, he would secure a plot of land and build anew. He would be in Shaozhou for at least three years, possibly five, and with his family in tow, he could not afford to be careless with their dwelling.

Since it would be a new home, it did not need to be in the city proper; the countryside offered pleasant scenery as well. Though there were bandits in Lingnan, none dared challenge the area around the prefectural seat—at least not within fifty miles of the city, where safety was assured. With this in mind, Li Xi spent three full days before finally discovering a gem: at the eastern edge of the city, at the confluence of the Zhen and Wu Rivers, was a place called Phoenix Terrace.

Phoenix Terrace was a cluster of low hills, lush with trees even in the depths of winter. The site lay across the river from Shaozhou city; by land, the round trip was seven or eight miles, but by boat only two or three. At the foot of the hill stood a small fishing village of about two hundred households.

Li Xi set his sights on a small hill on Phoenix Terrace that looked across the river to Shaozhou. To the south, the three rivers converged; to the west, the mighty current flowed; to the northwest, the fishing village, complete with a private dock. The hilltop held a large but rundown residence, formerly the retreat of the previous Shaozhou Commandant. After his transfer, his family had departed, leaving two caretakers to watch over the property—a burden and a waste, yet too valuable to simply abandon.

When word spread that Li Xi was interested in purchasing, the old caretakers agreed readily, and, learning he was an official, even offered a discount. It was a most economical deal. Standing atop the hill, Li Xi gazed around—rivers on one side, half the city on the other—a fine view indeed.

He also surveyed the long, tongue-shaped land to the north and mused: “The city of Shaozhou sits in a low-lying area, often plagued by floods. If a new city were built here, controlling the river junctions, would that not be a grand endeavor?” Of course, the idea was fleeting; building a new city would be a colossal undertaking, far beyond his current means.

But to construct his own manor here was certainly within reach. Li Xi made up his mind to purchase the land. The decrepit house was no matter—he would level and rebuild it anyway. With enough money, he could create a palace if he wished. His official purse was ample; he need not fret over the expense. Later, he would find a way to buy the entire hill, erect a wall at the base for a private estate, and keep a pack of fierce dogs for security—no mere lapdogs, but real guard dogs—and hire a few gatekeepers. On second thought, with Zhang Long and Zhao Hu as his trusted men, there was no need to hire extra guards.

Having settled on his plan, Li Xi followed local custom and invited a geomancer to inspect the site. The geomancer stroked his beard, paced about for a long while, and finally declared, “The site is good, but the yang energy here is too strong and could harm your fortune.”

Li Xi inquired about a remedy. The master, after a moment’s calculation, replied, “Young sir, you currently have four women in your household. That is too few. You must add two more—one of pure yin, one of partial yin.”

Whether the place was heavy in yang or yin, Li Xi did not know. But he was impressed that the master could guess he had four women in his home. He suspected the master’s insight came from the constable who led him there, but since the master seemed eager to play along, Li Xi saw no reason not to indulge him.

Feigning sincerity, Li Xi asked for clarification: what did “pure yin” and “partial yin” mean? The master explained that pure yin referred to an unmarried virgin, while partial yin meant a woman who had given birth. Li Xi, amused, asked, “So master, are you suggesting I take two more concubines?”

The master shook his head with a smile. “That’s not necessary. You need only hire two female servants to handle your household chores. No need for anything extravagant.” Li Xi understood: the master was angling for a commission by acting as an intermediary. If he refused, his fortunes would surely suffer—at least according to the master.

Very well, he thought. In a place where he knew no one, local help was essential; without it, even his beauties might struggle to find a proper meal. So Li Xi earnestly asked the master to assist in finding two suitable women, promising a commission of two coins—a windfall, since the usual fee for such arrangements was only fifty cash. The delighted master thumped his chest and promised to have the women delivered by evening.

Li Xi stopped him with a smile. “There’s no rush. What matters is that you find me a clever one, preferably someone who can read a little.”

In an age when the literacy rate was under five percent, and less than one percent for women, finding a young, literate, and clever female in a small city like Shaozhou was no easy task—let alone one willing to be a servant. The master frowned at the demand, but soon broke into a smile. “No problem. Leave it to me.”

While the master went off to find suitable candidates, Li Xi arranged for the transfer of the property. Being an official certainly made things easier—when the Qujiang magistrate, Fu Liangbi, heard the new adjutant wanted to buy a house, he immediately assigned Assistant Mu Tong to personally handle the process.

Though Assistant Mu’s rank was minor, he worked with remarkable efficiency. Li Xi seized the opportunity to purchase the entire hill; all told, the expense was only one hundred twenty coins.

With everything settled, the new adjutant of Shaozhou led his wife, concubine, and the two maids, Ruhua and Siyu, up Phoenix Terrace. With the air of a leader, he pointed out various spots and outlined his grand vision for their new home:

Here, a small tower would rise, with a parlor below and a study and bedroom above;

There, a pavilion would be built, furnished with stone tables and benches, surrounded by clusters of bamboo;

Elsewhere, a pond would be dug, planted with lotuses and stocked with fish—not ornamental goldfish, but fish they could actually catch and eat. In their leisure, he and his family could fish for sport;

At another spot, a gatehouse—kept humble in appearance but practical, with someone on duty day and night;

And a kennel, for no estate of such size could be secure without a pack of dogs. Lapdogs for the inner quarters, but seven or eight fierce guardians for the grounds.

The inner and outer quarters must be separated by a brick wall. The outer section would have two rings: the one closer to the inner house would be used for storage, entertaining guests, and recreation, but left uninhabited; the ring closer to the perimeter wall would house the staff. Li Shisan, Wang Cai, and the brothers Long and Hu would each have their own small courtyard, with a gate on the perimeter wall and a family nameplate: the Li Residence, the Zhao Residence, and so on.

After painting his grand design, Li Xi took his wife and maids on a tour of the site.

Mu Yaxin was thrilled; Cui Yingying, however, frowned. Li Xi asked, “Why so glum, my wife? Is it because I bought the land without consulting you? For such a trifling sum—just one hundred twenty coins—I didn’t think it worth troubling you.”

Cui Yingying replied, “Buying land and a house is your prerogative as head of the household. I only worry that if you build as you’ve planned, the cost will not be less than a thousand coins. It’s not that we can’t afford it, but we’ve only just arrived, with little footing and few connections. Is it really wise to draw so much attention? Shouldn’t we settle in this old house for now, wait until you’ve secured your position, and then build next year? Besides, with more time, we can find skilled craftsmen at fair prices and ensure our home is solid and well-built.”

Li Xi clapped his hands in praise. “See, this is how a true mistress manages a household!” Having commended Cui Yingying, he then used her prudence as an excuse to veto Mu Yaxin’s demand for a fancy carved dressing table, declaring it frivolous, wasteful, and impractical.

Ruhua and Siyu chimed in, showering Cui Yingying with exaggerated praise, while Mu Yaxin pouted, “This house is such a wreck—drafty on all sides, ready to collapse. With all the rain in Lingnan, how can anyone live here? If we follow your plan, we’ll have to rent for a year. It’s nothing for us to put up with hardship, but I worry it might undermine someone’s official dignity.”