Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

With only three days left until the wedding day, Zhang Jingwei came to check the layout of the main wedding venue.

The main wedding venue was the former Zhang Mansion, where Zhang Jingwei had once lived. According to Zhang Liu, the Marquis' Mansion was a meticulously constructed palace for a certain prince; the Zhang Mansion, in turn, was the former residence of the Khan of the Chahar Tribe. The entire mansion was divided into six courtyards of varying sizes, and its grandeur was considered the largest in Yunzhou, even larger than the three other official residences of Yunzhou's chief officials combined.

At that moment, Zhang Jingwei looked up, his gaze fixed on the vermilion gate before him. The plaque inscribed with the words "Zhang Mansion" that should have hung high above the gate was now tightly covered by two eye-catching white seals.

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar home in front of him, Zhang Jingwei couldn't help but mutter to himself: "This is my home..." His words revealed endless emotion and melancholy.

Qian Ming, who was standing by, saw this and quickly explained, "I heard that we were able to borrow this mansion this time because of Mu Mu who went to Lord Lu and almost broke his head."

Hearing this, Zhang Jingwei's eyes flashed with determination. He gritted his teeth and said, "When I make money from selling the peppers in the future, I will definitely find a way to buy my house back!"

Qian Ming nodded and said, "Okay, Master. I'll go knock on the door now. Please wait here for a moment!"

Not long after, footsteps approached, and then the door slowly opened, revealing a thin man. It was Wang Ergou. He complained wearily, "Oh, Master, Brother Qian, you're finally here! We've been planning the wedding these past few days, and the wooden decorations have been incredibly extravagant. We're going to have a blast dismantling them. I wonder how much work it'll take!"

Zhang Jingwei waved his hand and said with a smile, "Tie up the donkey, and let's go inside and talk slowly."

The moment he stepped into the door, Zhang Jingwei was stunned. This was not a yard, but a square, which was absurdly large.

The huge ceremonial gate could not block the view of the main house behind it. The tall main house was hung with red silk from the main eaves to the sub-eaves. From the moment one entered the door, a red carpet embroidered with gold thread patterns stretched all the way to the main house.

In the courtyard, a group of handymen were busy at work. Some stood on ladders, carefully stringing colorful paper lanterns one by one, while others were sorting twine and tools on the ground. Among them was a familiar face.

Zhang Jingwei spotted the burly man at first sight and couldn't help but shout in surprise, "Da Zhuang!"

Dong Dazhuang heard the shouts, turned around, a simple smile on his face, and quickly responded: "Congratulations on the young master's wedding, I, Dazhuang, have come to join in the fun and share in the joy!"

Zhang Jingwei smiled and nodded, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, working here in such hot weather. By the way, have you seen any wood?"

Dong Dazhuang wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied, "Brother Mu is busy decorating the wedding room in the back room right now! He's been exhausted lately. Last night, when he was climbing up to hang the lights, he almost fell down accidentally. Fortunately, he has some skills and reacted quickly enough to avoid any harm."

Zhang Jingwei's heart tightened upon hearing this, and he asked with concern, "Really? Then I have to go check on him right away." He started to walk away, but suddenly stopped, scratched his head, and asked sheepishly, "Uh...how do I get to the back room?"

At this moment, Wang Ergou, who was standing by, ran over cleverly and said enthusiastically, "Master, let me take you there!"

……

A long corridor snaked from the front yard to the back house, like a long dragon. On one side of this corridor stood a mysterious and slightly eerie courtyard. Surrounded by a circle of rusty iron chains, Zhang Jingwei couldn't help but feel a strong curiosity about this courtyard. He stopped and stared at it intently.

At this moment, Wang Ergou on the side said: "That was the master's study. Back then..."

Zhang Jingwei was shocked and asked quickly, "Is that where my father set himself on fire? Why is this place locked up?"

Wang Ergou scratched his head and replied in a low voice, "This is what the government wants. But to be honest, I've already secretly climbed over the wall and checked inside. Apart from the room that has been burned to ashes, there's nothing special inside."

Hearing this, Zhang Jingwei became more and more curious. He gritted his teeth and said firmly, "I still want to go in and take a look!"

Wang Ergou hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "Okay, since the young master wants to see you, I'll think of a way. It doesn't have to be that troublesome. How about I carry you up and stand on the wall to take a look?"

Zhang Jingwei's eyes lit up and he immediately responded, "Well, I'll just take a look!"

So, the three of them came to the wall together. The wall of this small courtyard was not too high. Zhang Jingwei carefully stepped on Wang Ergou's shoulders, held the top of the wall tightly with both hands, and then slowly raised his body, finally able to see the scene inside the courtyard.

What unfolded before my eyes was a scene of desolation. The pitch-black house seemed particularly gloomy and depressing; the yard was overgrown with weeds, almost obscuring the original path; the base of the wall was covered with dense vines, their unbridled growth adding a sense of desolation to the entire courtyard; even the floor tiles were covered with thick moss.

Such a strong visual impact made Zhang Jingwei sigh. He could never have imagined that the place where his father often stayed during his lifetime would become like this.

He said he would just take a look. After Zhang Jingwei came down from the wall, he dusted off the dust on his hands and continued walking towards the back room.

Before he even stepped into the back room, Zhang Jingwei could faintly hear bursts of snoring coming from inside. The sound was like muffled thunder, and it seemed particularly abrupt in the quiet environment.

He cautiously reached out and gently pushed open the slightly worn wooden door. The hinges creaked slightly, as if protesting being disturbed. Entering the room, Zhang Jingwei immediately saw Mutou, soundly asleep, reclining on a worn wooden chair, his head drooping and a trace of saliva dangling from the corner of his mouth.

Looking back at the table where the food had once been placed, it was now a mess. There was little left in the bowl, and the chopsticks were casually held in the wooden hand, as if he had just been enjoying a delicious meal when he was unknowingly attacked by sleepiness and fell into a deep sleep while eating.

Wang Ergou, who was standing nearby, shook his head when he saw this. He was about to say something when Zhang Jingwei raised his hand to stop him: "Shh—be quiet. Don't scare him. It's so cold out here. It wouldn't be good if he caught a cold. Quick, go find a blanket to cover him."

Wang Ergou nodded, then turned and walked towards the cabinet, searching for a blanket. Taking advantage of this moment, Zhang Jingwei began to survey the room. A dazzling crystal chandelier hung overhead, its shimmering light illuminating the entire room. Spreading on the floor was a thick, vibrant tiger-skin rug, its fur clearly valuable. The walls were covered in masterpieces by renowned artists, each one incredibly lifelike and breathtaking.

All these arrangements and furnishings exude luxury and wealth.