Cheng Fengtai manor

It's definitely not an easy task to grasp the scale and the whole layout of Cheng Fentai's manor house. The blueprint of Cheng Manor residence doesn't help a lot, since it looks quite different from drama's traditional Cheng Manor.
The main gate is positioned on the south side of the entire manor and the main courtyard is enclosed by buildings. Cheng Manor is famous for the beautiful garden. The garden is located on the north side of the main building.

## History (Novel)

According to the novel, Cheng Fengtai bought the house from Lord Qi, Ning Jiulang's partner. The house was then called "Qi Wang Fu 齐王府" or Lord Qi Manor. Lord Qi was a Manchu noble of the Qing dynasty, which is how he came to have a royal manor house. Lord Qi's mother committed suicide by jumping into the well of the manor house. At one point in the novel Lord Qi visits to pay his respects and burn joss paper for his deceased mother. Cheng Fengtai bought the house after marrying Fan Xiang'er and moving to Beiping. The house was very expensive but Cheng Fengtai says that he bought it to make Fan Xiang'er happy since she has respect and admiration for the traditions of the Qing dynasty.

## Entrance

Cheng Fengtai's residence was built in a typical prince manor house style. The manor house was called "Cheng Fu 程府". During the Qing Dynasty, only Prince of the Blood, Prince of a Commandery and their heirs, as well as Venerable Prince (Beile), Banner Lord, Dukes (鎮国公 & 輔国公) were allowed to name their residence "Fu", which means residence. When Cheng Fengtai bought the residence, this regulation didn't officially exist anymore, still, he named his residence "Cheng Fu". It also shows, his influence and power and maybe the arrogance of Cheng Fengtai.

On the both side of main gates, there are two small side gates. On the opposite side of the main gate, there is a screen wall. It was also quite common, to put two stone lions as guardians in front of the gate.

Between the main entrance and the south building, which is used as a dining room, there is a spacious first courtyard. The Cheng family usually goes through the south building, to access the second, or main courtyard. There is also a small side gate on the east side of the south building. In episode 47 Shang Xirui comes into the main courtyard through this east gate.

## Dining Room

This beautiful dining room is situated in the centre of the south building. There is the connecting door towards the pavilion on the east side of the building, while the west side of the building is used as a salon.

From the dining room, you can see the pavilion. When Cheng Fengtai holds a birthday party for his son, this room is rearranged for the guest and the stage is set on the pavilion with a paravent. Between the pavilion and the south building, there is a small pond.

the east side roomthe east side room with the connecting doorthe salonthe pond

## Pavilion

As the first picture shows, the main courtyard begins from the pavilion. In the last episode Shang Xirui climbs on the rooftop of this Pavilion and sings for Cheng Fengtai.

a view from the southern buildinga view from the courtyarda view from the eastern corridor

## The Main Courtyard, Cha Cha'er's room and Meixin's room

Between the pavilion and the main building, there are two large side houses, which are all connected by corridors with roofs and enclosed the main courtyard. There must be further buildings around these central buildings, since we see their walls and doors. However, all of the main family members use the buildings, which are facing the main courtyard.

While Cheng Meixin's room is located in the east side house, Cha Cha'er's room is in the west side house. Cha Cha'er's room is later used as a sickroom of Cheng Fengtai.

### Cheng Meixin's room

Meixin going out from her room of the east side housethe sitting corner was facing the main courtyardthe bed corner was positioned at the south corner of the room
### Cha Cha'er's room (later, Cheng Fengtai's sickroom)

Cha Cha'er going back to her room in the west side house

## Living Room

Through the door, which faces the main courtyard, they could directly enter the living- dining room. In the drama, we never watch that they dine in this room, but it must be used regularly, since Fan Xiang'er quite often sits there alone and waits for Chang Fengtai for dinner.

on the other side of the wall there was a sitting corner of the bedchamber.

## Bedchamber

The bedchamber as well as the study are also situated in the main building. Since, there is another entrance on the north side of the building, they don't have to go through the dining room to enter those rooms.

The bedchamber is used as Fan Xiang'er's private space. Directly on the right side of the entrance, a small sitting corner is situated. Fan Xiang'er drinks tea, makes her maid massage, and sometimes manages accounts at this corner. The window behind the sofa, which connects to the dining corner, can be open. A locking chair is also positioned in the middle of the bedroom. There, she often spends her time, when she is alone, that mean, almost everyday.

## Study

In Episode 12 Fan Xiang'er sees Cheng Fengtai from the bedchamber. This scene tells us the position of two rooms. The corridor between these two rooms is separated by a wall with windows. Fan Xiang'er watches Cheng Fengtai through those Windows. That shows, two rooms don't directly connect. To go to the bedchamber, Cheng Fengtai goes from his study in the direction of the dining room and turns around at the corner and then goes along another corridor to the bedchamber (Episode 18). The last picture is a view of the corridor to the bedchamber and the north entrance from the living room. Mire's Vlog also shows the position of two rooms and the dining room well.

The entrance of the corridor to the study.
### Layout of the Study

The study occupies the whole west side of the main building. On the south side of the room, there is a library corner. In front of that, a small sofa and a gramophone are positioned.

The north side of the room consists of a desk, a cupboard and two modern armchairs.

## Garden

Cheng Fengtai and a German engineer go out from the northern entrance.(ep 8) There, we can see a huge garden, which is also enclosed other buildings. One of them on the east side is the building, where Shang Xirui and Shuiyun House use as a dressing room. The kitchen is also located in this area. While the garden of Cheng Manor is famous, the buildings of this part of the residence are less representative.

## The address of Cheng Manor

Both on the sales agreements of Shuiyun House as well as the royal theatre, Cheng Fengtai's name and address are written: Beibingmashi (北兵马司) alley 29. Since his cargo company stands on Zhandaihui (栈贷汇) street, it must be the address of the Manor House. The street name on the Archway says however "zhengyang (正阳) street". It is confusing. One possible explanation for this is that there is indeed an main gate, which is situated on the north side of the Beibingmashi Alley, while they demolished a part of residence' wall and built the driveway, which led to the Zhangdaihui street.

the sales agreement of the Shuiyun Housethe sales agreement of the Royal TheatreCheng Fengtai's Cargo Companeycenter