The shortage of charcoal was no trivial matter.
Though Su Muyao appeared as steady as an old dog on the surface, inwardly she felt somewhat panicked.
Ancient times were unlike the modern era, where winters offered air conditioning, heating, and so many ways to stay warm. Sometimes, while curled up at home, Su Muyao would even feel too hot and stuffy, taking ice cream from the fridge to cool down.
The only way to keep warm in the ancient palace was by burning charcoal. Whether it was heating the floor, using braziers, warming by the fire basin, or filling hot water bottles—all required charcoal.
Burning dry grass or wood was not an option; open flames indoors were strictly forbidden. If discovered, the punishment could range from being dragged away for a beating to being sent back for "reforging."
Without charcoal, there was no choice but to endure the cold.
During the day, it was still bearable, but once night fell and temperatures dropped, how could one possibly withstand it?
Moreover, ancient times lacked the greenhouse effect, making winters far colder than those of the modern era.
Su Muyao admitted she was most afraid of the cold. Perhaps it was due to her constitution—she wasn’t particularly sensitive to heat. Even during the hottest summers, she rarely sweated. But in winter, the slightest chill made her feel utterly miserable, wishing she could just burrow into her blankets and stay there.
The body she had transmigrated into was remarkably similar to her original constitution—also the type that feared cold but not heat.
As Su Muyao pondered, thinking that if the charcoal truly ran out, she would risk her life to make a scene at the Yingzaosi, Yun Mo returned from outside.
She had already taken stock of their remaining charcoal.
This year was an ordinary year, and the first month of the lunar calendar was a long month with thirty days. At twenty catties of Heitan per day, the total amount of Heitan received for the month was six hundred catties.
In the first twelve days, one hundred and eighty catties of charcoal had been used, all of it in good condition. Of the remaining four hundred and twenty catties, nearly three hundred catties were damp and unusable.
In other words, only one hundred and twenty catties of usable charcoal remained.
Su Muyao did a quick mental calculation based on what Yun Mo had said.
Normally, they used fifteen catties of charcoal per day: ten catties for heating at night and five catties for daily use during the day.①
With eighteen days left in the month, they would need two hundred and seventy catties of charcoal. Originally, they would have spent fifteen catties per day, but now, to make it to the end of the month, they could use at most six catties and six taels per day.
Compared to before, this was less than half.
Even frugality had its limits.
Yun Mo added, "Miss, we cannot skimp on the charcoal used for heating at night."
It could freeze someone to death.
Though Yun Mo didn’t say it aloud, Su Muyao understood.
After a moment of contemplation, she said, "Let’s be frugal during the day. Once the weather clears up in a couple of days, we’ll take the damp charcoal out to dry in the sun. Once dried, it might still be usable. Also, when using the fire basin for warmth at night, place some of the damp charcoal around it…"
Since they couldn’t conjure charcoal out of thin air, their only option was to make use of the damp charcoal.
Yun Mo also knew this was no small matter and listened attentively, nodding repeatedly.
Su Muyao was preoccupied with the thought of drying the charcoal once the weather cleared, but it seemed as if the heavens were against her. For the next four or five days, it remained overcast, with heavy snow falling endlessly like torn cotton.
Amidst all this misfortune, the only good news was that her health was gradually improving.
Despite eating and drinking little, and even having to meticulously calculate their charcoal usage, Su Muyao’s recovery was entirely due to her Spirit Spring Water.
Although Spirit Spring Water cannot cure all ailments, it contains boundless vitality and has the effect of strengthening the body. Every time Su Muyao drinks tea, she adds a few drops to her cup.
It’s not that she refuses to give Yun Mo any, but Spirit Spring Water only has therapeutic effects on those with physical issues. Yun Mo is healthy and doesn’t need it for now.
As for the body she transmigrated into, it was inherently frail from birth, which is why the Spirit Spring Water works for her.
After recovering her health, the first thing Su Muyao did was walk around the covered walkway, exploring every corner of Qianxi Sisuo from front to back.
Qianxi Sisuo is a three-courtyard palace complex, with the entire structure facing south and arranged in a "目"-shaped layout.
Entering through the main gate, one arrives at the first courtyard. To the left, connected to the main gate, is a row of reverse-facing rooms. The outermost one is a teaching office, the middle ones are living quarters originally occupied by the matrons who taught the rules to the Xiuanxiu candidates—all of whom have long since moved out—and the innermost one is a restroom.
Separating the first and second courtyards is a screen wall, with a hanging-flower gate in the middle, supported by eaves columns. Passing through this gate leads to the second courtyard, the main courtyard.
The second courtyard was originally intended for the Xiuanxiu candidates, with an abundance of rooms. The northern wing alone has twenty bedrooms, while the eastern and western wings each have fifteen. Additionally, there is a main hall, as well as side rooms and annexes for the maids, accommodating up to fifty candidates in total.
Su Muyao lives in the third room from the right in the northern wing.
Passing through the connecting hall leads to the third courtyard, also known as the rear courtyard. The western side houses the kitchen and tea rooms, while the eastern side consists of storerooms for supplies. The northern side features a row of rooms, also called rear covering rooms, which were originally for the servants attending the Xiuanxiu candidates but are now empty.
Even after this, the three-courtyard palace complex is not fully explored.
Because Qianxi Wusuo leads into Yuhuayuan, Qianxi Sisuo also includes an attached Dongkuayuan.
Entering through the moon gate in the northeast corner of the rear courtyard, there is a small flower hall with windows on all sides. A flowing stream is diverted from the north, winding around the flower hall to form a pond in the courtyard. Various trees are planted along the pond’s edge. As it is now winter, the pond is frozen, and the trees are bare, allowing a clear view to the end—nothing particularly remarkable.
Truly, one never knows until they explore, and exploring can be quite surprising.
Just this simple walk took Su Muyao a full half-shichen, equivalent to over an hour, leaving her feet sore and numb.
Nevertheless, she was quite pleased. The number of rooms wasn’t the main thing; what mattered most was the spaciousness of the courtyards.
For now, she had no plans to renovate the small garden in the main courtyard. After all, it was her own living space, and stepping outside to see so many colorful flowers was quite delightful. However, the rear courtyard, with its vast open space, would be perfect for growing vegetables and grains once spring arrived.
Having been here for so many days and confirming she couldn’t return, Su Muyao had already come to regard Qianxi Sisuo as her retirement home for the next few decades.
Moreover, she was quite satisfied with the prospect of having such a magnificent place to retire.
Seeing this, Yun Mo couldn’t help but remind her, "Miss, we will have to move out one day."
Su Muyao blinked. What did that mean?
Yun Mo said worriedly, "Qianxi Sisuo was built for Xiuanxiu candidates. The current emperor is still young, only twenty-eight, and will surely arrange Xiuanxiu in the future. Once the palace becomes more crowded, we’ll have to make room for others!"
Su Muyao exclaimed in surprise, "Then where will we live?"
Yun Mo thought for a moment and said, "It should be around Cining Palace. When Emperor Shunzhi (Kangxi's father) passed away, there was a group of consorts whose situation was exactly like yours—newly selected palace ladies who had never received the emperor's favor. Later, they were moved to the area around Cining Palace. I heard that one of them is still alive now, living in a large compound next to Xinzheku, though she’s so old her hair has turned completely white."
Su Muyao: "…"
A large compound?
Why did that sound like the place where Little Swallow lived at the beginning of My Fair Princess?
Besides, although she didn’t know exactly which remote corner of the palace the large compound was located in, she did know about Xinzheku—and it was definitely not a good place.
Her earlier happiness vanished in an instant!
Su Muyao took a deep breath to calm herself. "Let me take a moment to process this."
She closed her eyes for a while, then opened them again, composed and steady. "Don’t worry, we won’t be moving."
Now it was Yun Mo’s turn to be full of questions.
Why was her young lady so certain they wouldn’t have to move?
But Su Muyao had no intention of explaining.
As a time traveler, her advantage lay in knowing what would happen in the future.
Qianxi Sisuo was named as such because it was located west of the Hall of Heavenly Purity.
There were five palaces in a row here, collectively known as the Qianxi Wusuo, corresponding to the five palaces east of the Hall of Heavenly Purity, known as the Qiandong Wusuo.
The place they lived in was the fourth palace from the left, hence the name Qianxi Sisuo.
Su Muyao had visited the Forbidden City before. Although many palaces were fenced off and inaccessible for viewing at the time, she had listened to the tour guide’s historical explanations along the way, which mentioned Qianxi Sisuo.
It was a fortunate palace, yet also an unfortunate one.
Its fortune lay in the fact that by the 21st century, the other palaces of the Qianxi Wusuo and Qiandong Wusuo had been demolished, rebuilt, or damaged.
Qianxi Yisuo was rebuilt during the Qianlong era into the Shufang Zhai, becoming a place for watching operas.
Qianxi Ersuo was reconstructed during the Daoguang era into the Chonghua Palace, serving as a residence for princes and imperial grandsons.
Qianxi Sansuo was largely destroyed by a fire during the Guangxu era and later demolished.
The Qiandong Wusuo was renovated during the Jiaqing era and transformed into the Ruyi Hall, Shouyao Pharmacy, Jingshi Office, Sizhi Warehouse, and Antique Room.
Only Qianxi Sisuo stood out remarkably. Since its establishment in the Ming Dynasty, it had maintained its original form, untouched by the countless storms of history.
Yet it was also unfortunate.
After Kangxi’s death, for some inexplicable reason, it became a neglected and unused cold palace, never again welcoming a true master.
Perhaps it was due to its geographical location, perhaps because the Forbidden City had too many palaces, or perhaps because it had been built too long ago…
In any case, Su Muyao could rest assured and live here boldly. Without exaggeration, she could stay here from the Qing Dynasty all the way to the 21st century without any issues.
This was the greatest stroke of luck she had encountered since her transmigration.
But soon, Su Muyao realized she had thought too simply.
Who said having a three-courtyard grand palace was the greatest stroke of luck?
Clearly, there was an even greater one waiting for her!
Yun Mo, that silly girl, had been so busy taking care of the bedridden Guaerjia for the past two months that she hadn’t even thought to explore the other rooms in Qianxi Sisuo.
After finishing her rounds, Su Muyao returned to her room and suddenly thought of something. When the twenty-five other beauties who had entered the palace in the same batch as the original owner were sent to guard the imperial mausoleum, their move out of Qianxi Sisuo had been extremely hasty. Moreover, with the late emperor's passing, some items were forbidden to be taken, while others were simply too large to carry…
Therefore, it was likely that many leftover items remained in their rooms—perhaps even charcoal, gold, silver, and jewelry…
Su Muyao suddenly felt a bit shameless, but shameless or not, her survival was already so difficult that she couldn't afford to worry about anything else for the time being.
Besides, those beauties were bound for the imperial mausoleum for life, with no chance of ever returning. If she didn't take advantage of the things they left behind, someone else surely would in the future.
So, it all boiled down to two words.
Plunder!