By late October, winter had already arrived.
Cold rain drifted down endlessly, soaking the earth and chilling the air.
And winter, of course, was the best season for soaking in hot springs.
A carriage escorted by a large contingent of guards slowly entered Xi'an and headed straight toward the rear courtyard of the fertilizer shop. Inside sat Gao Yiye.
Dao Xuan Tianzun, carrying a birdcage, had already been waiting for her for quite some time.
A playful smile appeared on Gao Yiye's face as she looked him up and down.
"Oh my. This Heavenly Lord statue isn't as finely made as the one at Xiaolangdi."
Li Daoxuan laughed.
"This is just the first prototype. Of course it can't compare to the upgraded version."
Gao Yiye laughed softly and reached out to gesture at his body.
"The build is exactly the same, though. I even made a set of knightly robes for the prototype while I was on the road."
As she spoke, she stepped closer and personally helped Li Daoxuan remove his old clothes and change into the new outfit. The knight's robes were exquisitely tailored, resembling the youthful princely attire worn by Michael Miu's Yang Kang during the martial arts contest for a spouse.
Handsome beyond compare.
The most handsome Yang Kang there ever was.
Li Daoxuan admired himself in the mirror, clearly pleased.
"Yiye, your tailoring skills really are superb."
Just then, the fertilizer shop suddenly grew noisy. Voices rose from outside as a crowd gathered at the entrance, merchants talking over one another in excitement.
Gao Yiye tilted her head.
"What's going on out there?"
Li Daoxuan chuckled.
"Today's the grand opening of the hot spring resort. I never told them where it was, so they've all grown restless. They want to follow us today and check in on the very first day."
Gao Yiye laughed.
"Then I arrived at the perfect time. I can enjoy the hot springs too."
"Mhm. Let's go."
Still carrying the birdcage, Li Daoxuan took his wife's hand, and the two walked out side by side. Outside, the street was packed solid with merchants and officials, so crowded that it was difficult to move.
Only one person was conspicuously absent from the throng.
Zhu Cunji, heir to the Prince of Qin, waited on a different street in his carriage. As the heir to the most powerful princely domain in the realm, he found it beneath his dignity to squeeze together with merchants and minor officials.
He would go, but he would not jostle.
This was his line of separation from the ordinary wealthy class.
"Li Yuanwai, please lead the way!"
"My entire family is here, elders and children alike. We're all going to see the resort together!"
"Hah, I plan to write a few good poems this time."
Li Daoxuan and his wife boarded their carriage.
His carriage was custom-made, far sturdier than ordinary ones. The wheels were wrapped in rubber, and it was drawn by eight powerful horses.
This was not for show.
He was simply too heavy. Without such reinforcement, a normal carriage would have collapsed on the spot.
To outsiders, however, it looked like blatant extravagance.
Many merchants quietly thought to themselves, Li Yuanwai's carriage is a bit too grand for his status.
Then they shrugged. Not our business.
A massive procession formed, carriages stretching as far as the eye could see, accompanied by servants and guards. It was a truly astonishing sight.
Leaving Xi'an, the group traveled dozens of miles eastward.
Li Daoxuan still did not reveal the destination. The dignitaries, all people of restraint, did not ask and simply followed.
As they went on, Wu Shen frowned slightly.
"This road," he said, "isn't it close to the Huaqing Palace ruins? We even came here for a spring outing this year."
Shi Kefa suddenly remembered as well.
"That's right. The Huaqing Palace ruins. When we visited in spring, there were only broken walls and weeds everywhere. A truly desolate sight. Comparing the splendor of the Han and Tang dynasties to the present… this humble official cannot help but feel sorrow."
The two sank into melancholy reflections.
Meanwhile, Zhu Cunji, deliberately staying at the back, spoke quietly with his consort inside his spacious carriage.
"It seems we're nearing Huaqing Palace. This hot spring resort Li Yuanwai mentioned… it can't possibly be built there, can it? That place is nothing but ruins."
His consort whispered,
"Could he be playing a trick on everyone? Leading so many people this far, only to make fools of us all?"
Zhu Cunji frowned.
"Li Yuanwai may lack refinement, but he is a man of substance. He wouldn't dare play such a joke. Still, this feels strange. If we pass the Huaqing Palace ruins and he still doesn't say where we're going, we shouldn't continue. It wouldn't be safe to go too far."
No sooner had he finished speaking than loud shouts erupted from the very front of the procession.
"Wow!"
"Wow!"
"Huaqing Palace!"
"Huaqing Palace has been rebuilt!"
Zhu Cunji exclaimed,
"What?!"
Wu Shen and Shi Kefa froze as well.
"What did they say?"
Everyone hurried forward. After rounding a patch of woodland, their view suddenly opened up.
Ahead stood a vast and magnificent complex. Black tiles and red pillars gleamed in the rain. Railings were carved with exquisite detail, and the layered eaves flowed elegantly, radiating refined beauty.
Wu Shen and Shi Kefa were completely dumbstruck.
"This spring… this spring it was still nothing but wasteland!"
Zhu Cunji pulled aside his carriage curtain and stared from afar, a startled sound escaping him.
"The Huaqing Palace ruins… became this?"
His own Qinwang Mansion was beautiful, but he lived there every day and had long grown accustomed to it. Seeing a newly risen palace of such splendor stirred him deeply.
Zhu Cunji immediately mounted his horse, galloped forward, and drew level with Li Daoxuan's carriage.
"Li Yuanwai," he asked cautiously, "isn't this resort built a little… beyond your station?"
"Not at all," Li Daoxuan laughed.
"It only looks like a palace. In truth, it's just an inn, albeit a very beautiful one. There are no imperial yellow robes inside, no dragons, no phoenixes. Absolutely none."
Zhu Cunji finally let out a long breath of relief.
He had truly been worried. For commoners, it might not matter, but as a prince, he had to be careful. Sitting on something resembling an imperial dragon bed or wearing imperial yellow embroidered with dragons could bring the Embroidered Uniform Guard knocking on his door the very next day.
The group arrived at the entrance.
Neatly dressed attendants stepped forward at once, taking Zhu Cunji's horse and guiding Li Daoxuan, Zhu Cunji, and the others inside.
From the outside, the resort already seemed luxurious. Once inside, however, the sense of awe deepened even further.
Palace-like buildings stood throughout the grounds. Towers rose here and there. Pavilions dotted the front, gardens stretched behind. Covered bridges wound through drifting mist and rain.
It looked like a living painting.