The Lu compound was situated near the south wall of the capital. With the Imperial Palace being the first. The Lu compound was the fourth-largest compound in the Imperial City. The courtyard where Lu Tián Qǔ was confined in was hidden close to the corner of the south wall.
General Lu had built a small hidden moon gate there for the old maid to enter and exit the compound to buy things they needed to live. So why did she climb the wall? The memories of the original body owner were very fuzzy during this period of time, and Lu Tián Qǔ couldn't make out much. However, one thing she was sure of was that the old maid had given the original body owner the key to the moon gate before the old maid died.
After sitting in contemplation over the matter for a very long time. Lu Tián Qǔ figured the original body owner must have lost her mind and panicked after being reincarnated again only to have to live the same life of silence and loneliness all over again.
But then Lu Tián Qǔ got confused all over again. In her opinion, this was the perfect setup! The original body owner had free housing, no need to pay rent. Most of her food was grown in her vegetable gardens, so she didn't starve. Wintertime she would dress as a maid and get her food from the central kitchens. With a compound, this big. Maids were continually coming and going. In all her 29 years of life, she was never caught pretending to be a maid. She had a key to the moon gate. She could come and go whenever she, please. She had money, so what was the problem?
She did not need to worry over nosy elders, and to no one did she have to give an account. That was the perfect life in Lu Tián Qǔ's opinion. She could have left any time she wanted to leave. Do anything she wanted to do. No one cared or even remembered her existence. So what was the problem? Lu Tián Qǔ continued sitting there with a heavy frown on her face trying to figure it out.
As the day came to an end, she went to the garden, plucked fresh vegetables, and fixed a simple salad to eat. After eating, she washed up and went to bed. Lu Tián Qǔ slept and slept very well and rose with the sun. After Lu Tián Qǔ took care of her morning ablutions, she once again sat at the vanity in the boudoir of her bedroom trying to figure out what to do with her life.
Lu Tián Qǔ didn't bother paying attention to her new looks after checking to see what she looked like. She was a stunningly, beautiful woman in her past life. However, her looks were never a concern of hers.
Ironically, searching online for male eye candy was one of her most favorite pastimes. But hypocritically, she hated when people were attracted to her for only her looks. So although Lu Tián Qǔ took care of her skin. She never really made an effort to groom herself catering to her looks. Yeah, Lu Tián Qǔ knew she was a bit hypocritical in that manner. But when had she ever claimed to be a reasonable and rational person. Never. Normal will never be a word suited to describe her.
Lu Tián Qǔ sat there until noon contemplating on what to do with her life. Finally, Lu Tián Qǔ thought, instead of sitting there unable to figure out what to do, maybe it would be better if she went out to take a look around. With that decided, she began to wash up and get dressed.
As she got ready, Lu Tián Qǔ began to give some serious consideration to changing her name. Lu Tián Qǔ was her name in her past life, so she was having second thoughts. However, Lu Tián Qǔ thought it would be troublesome if she were to be traced back to the Lu Family.
Finally she decided she would cut all ties with the Lu family and go live happily on her own. In deep contemplation, she thought to do that she would have to leave the Lu compound for good. However, it would be problematic if she purchased everything using the Lu family name only to be traced back to the Lu clan. That immoral father of her predecessor will most definitely snatch everything of hers if that was to happen.
With a glint in her eyes, she decided to change her surname to Liu and keep her given name. In her past life, her mother's family's name was Liu. And in this life, she had blood ties to the Liu family through her predecessors' mother. So from here on out, she decided to call herself Liu Tián Qǔ. She also decided to find a manor and move out immediately.
However, being that she was only thirteen years old, that may prove challenging. Releasing a big sigh, Liu Tián Qǔ thought even if she was a bit tall for her age, she still looked very young. She decided to put more thought into figuring out how to buy her manor without attracting the wrong kind of attention.
With a slight smirk, Liu Tián Qǔ dressed in a silk hanfu of dark green pants and a light green narrow sleeve long tunic. The tunic was of an elegant design with intricate embroidery. She wore light green boots that match the color of the tunic. Liu Tián Qǔ picked out a dark green belt and secured it around her waist.
She then pulled her hair up into a top knot and stuck a light green jade hairpin into the top knot. After fixing her top knot Liu Tián Qǔ walking over to a cabinet in the bedroom of her chambers. She pulled out a wooden accessories box her mother had left to her. From the accessories box, she took out a cute moon rabbit hetian jade pendant. Carefully she secured it onto her belt before putting away the accessories box.
Feeling happy Liu Tián Qǔ checked herself over again. She was satisfied with the luxurious Young Master look she had going on. Liu Tián Qǔ decided to dress this way just in case she came across an opportunity to purchase a manor. She knew from her past life that when people thought you were rich. Nine times out of ten, they show deference and made exceptions no matter how young or old you looked. So she decided to give it a try and see what happens. Maybe she can come up with some good ideas as she thought over the matter throughout the day while out and about.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
After reading tons of web novels about gender-bending, Liu Tián Qǔ was so excited she finally got a chance to play at being a gender bender. The old maid had always advised the original body owner that whenever she went out, she was to dress as a boy and always avoid trouble. Liu Tián Qǔ walked over to the sitting room after getting dressed. She then walked over to the writing desk sitting in front of the window in the sitting room.
Opening the bottom drawer of the desk, she pulled out a big money box. She took out five ingots of silver equivalent to 10 tales of silver each. Closing that money box, she put it back and took out another one. Out of this money box, she took out ten teals of silver and some copper coins. Putting back that money box she took out yet another box and out of this one she took out 50 teals of gold coins. She put that back and took out the final box. From that box, she took out the equivalent of 4000 gold in paper money called gold certificates.
Some of the certificates were the equivalent of 100 gold, some 500 gold, and 1000 gold. These large gold note certificates as well as silver note certificates were used for big transactions throughout the continent of the Northern Lands. After replacing the final money box. Opening another drawer, Liu Tián Qǔ took out six empty money purses. Dividing the money into the six money purses, she secured the purses separately in different parts of her tunic.
In the Tolling Lands the cost of living was very low and the value of silver and gold was extremely high. Because the cost of living was very low. It allowed the commoners to live well on their income.
If there was one thing Liu Tián Qu didn't lack for it was money. The Lu family was wealthy. When her father exiled her, he gave her mothers' old maid 7000 Taels of gold. However, the old maid taught the original body owner always to be frugal and never wasteful. Out of the 7000 Taels of gold when the original body owner died there were still over 6900 Taels of gold left. Plus she had the money and jewelry her mother left behind with the old maid as well.
Lu Tián Qǔ's mother had managed to save a little over 15000 gold and a lot of precious jewelry and treasures. Although Lu Tián Qǔ mother was poorly treated in the Lei family. To keep up appearances and in fear of the Liu family. Allowances were never withheld from her.
Plus on holidays the Liu family always sent her tons of gifts, jewelry and money. She bought along with her all the money and precious jewelry she managed to save when she married into the Lu Family. However she sneakily hid it all away. When death was near, she left it all in the care of the old maid to be given to her daughter.
Shaking her head in bewilderment, that was also something that puzzled Liu Tián Qǔ. Why would the old maid and the original body owner live so miserly and miserable just to die and leave all that money for someone else to spend? She scolded those two women in her heart. Retrieving the moon gate key, Liu Tián Qǔ left her boudoir.
Liu Tián Qǔ exited the Lu compound through the hidden moon gate. After exiting she locked the moon gate. On the left side of the moon gate, there was an almost invisible niche. Sticking her finger in the niche, she popped out a brick, smiling at the ingenuity of it. Tian Qu placed the key into the hollow brick and then replaced the brick.
First, she decided to get breakfast. With a slight smile on her face, Liu Tián Qǔ strolled through streets heading towards the markets. Liu Tián Qǔ would stop frequently taking in the sights and sounds of the ancient city. 'Aiya how the hell did she sit silently in her boudoir for 29 years, you know I think she did go crazy. Why would you climb a wall when you have the key to the gate.' Tian Qu thought as she strolled through the busy streets shaking her head ever so often.
Arriving in the marketplace, Liu Tián Qǔ stopped to take in the sights and sound of the colorful, boisterous ancient markets. She took in the people bustling back and forth, going about their business. The hawking of street sellers, the various delicious smells of cooking food. The cheerful background noise of hundreds of conversations being carried out at once. The chatter of bypassers, shoppers, shop and stall owners. The pungent scent of raw seafood the smell of fresh vegetables. Oh, it was glorious and made Liu Tián Qǔ so happy to be alive.
With a big smile on her face, Liu Tián Qǔ began to walk from stall to stall. From shop to shop window shopping and trying out the ancient style of street food from the various food vendors. She felt a deep happiness and the pleasure of being alive somewhere different, trying something different.
Liu Tián Qǔ had stopped at a hair accessories stall. She began to look at some hair accessories for her top knots. Suddenly a very enticing smell hit her nose. Sniffing the air, Liu Tián Qǔ followed her nose and almost knocking over an old grandpa in a beautiful deep blue hanfu with intricated designs. She bowed and apologized profusely before she continued following her nose. Maneuvering around people walking in the opposite direction, Liu Tián Qǔ arrived at a small outdoor noodle restaurant not too far away.
'Aiya this smell too good I must have some' Taking a seat Liu Tián Qǔ called out to the owner. "Uncle let me have two servings of noodles with pork and a side serving of pork." As she waited for the owner to bring over her order. Liu Tián Qǔ people watched. Watching the coming and going of people going about their daily life. It didn't take long before the noodles with pork came. They smelled so good that the saliva in Tián Qǔ's mouth almost ran down her chin.
Focused on her bowl of noodles with pork, Liu Tián Qǔ grabbed the chopsticks that were given with her noodles. She scooped up a mouth full of savory steamy fresh hot noodles bringing it to her mouth. She quickly blew on it to cool it down a bit before opening her mouth to shove it in. Just as she was about to shove it in, she happened to glance up.
Standing right in front of her table was a cute but dirty rumpled fat little dumping. He was approximately 7-8 years old. The Little Dumpling's eyes were wide opened and completely focused on her second serving of noodles. Using the back of his hand, he kept wiping the saliva that dripped down. Liu Tian Qu swore she heard his stomach growling.
There was a slight frown on Liu Tián Qǔ's face as she asked the cute fat little dumpling, "Hungry?"
The little dumpling never even looked up as his head rattled up and down and said, "En," his eyes were completely locked onto the second serving of noodles.