At the very heart of the resort lay an expansive complex of hot spring pools.
Scattered across the lakeside and nestled among gentle slopes and winding paths were no fewer than fifty or sixty individual pools, each one subtly distinct, each surrounded by carefully arranged stonework, shrubs, and drifting steam. Beside every pool stood a stone tablet, neatly carved with its name and the specific benefits attributed to its waters.
There was the Eye-Cleansing Spring.
The Body-Invigorating Spring.
The Skin-Smoothing Spring.
And many others besides.
The Heir Apparent's Consort stopped in her tracks the moment she reached the Skin-Smoothing Spring.
She leaned closer, reading the inscription word by word. According to the tablet, the spring water was infused with dozens of rare medicinal ingredients, its formula said to originate from Zhang Zhongjing himself, the famed physician of antiquity. The description praised its effects without restraint, claiming that a single soak could slow the passage of time, preserve youth, and keep one's skin smooth and radiant for years to come.
Having never endured the relentless assault of exaggerated advertisements that plagued later generations, the Consort's defenses were nonexistent. The mere mention of Zhang Zhongjing, ancient prescriptions, and miraculous effects was more than enough to convince her.
She almost believed every word.
Her heart itched with the desire to step straight into the pool and soak at once, but reason restrained her. It was still broad daylight. A woman of her status could not possibly bathe in a public hot spring under the open sky.
She would have to wait until nightfall, when the crowds thinned, then instruct her maids to erect privacy screens around the pool before she could finally indulge.
Many of the noblewomen shared the same thoughts.
They gathered quietly nearby, whispering among themselves, making plans to block off the pool after dark and enjoy a collective soak together.
As for the men, naturally, they could be sent far away to the Body-Invigorating Spring.
The tour continued.
Leaving the hot spring area, the group entered the interior of the hotel.
Strictly speaking, the architectural style, created by modern designers drawing inspiration from antiquity, still fell somewhat short of genuine ancient palaces in terms of traditional artistic refinement. Yet the integration of contemporary concepts gave rise to a style that was utterly unfamiliar to the visitors of this era, striking them as both bold and astonishing.
The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by furnishings of overwhelming luxury.
Gold, silver, and jade ornaments were everywhere. Glass appeared so frequently that it seemed almost worthless, forming entire windows. There were even enormous floor-to-ceiling glass panes that flooded the halls with natural light, offering uninterrupted views of the scenery beyond.
Standing before such windows, one felt as though the boundary between interior and exterior had dissolved, as if one were sitting directly amid mountains, mist, and rain.
Wu Shen and Shi Kefa immediately claimed seats at a tea table beside one such window. As they sipped their tea and gazed at the drizzle tracing paths down the glass, their faces lit up with joy.
"Sitting here like this," Wu Shen said excitedly, "drinking tea and watching the rain beyond the glass, I could write ten poems at once."
"No," he corrected himself with a laugh, "twenty!"
Nearby, the wealthy merchants were calculating silently. Bringing business partners here to talk matters over would be infinitely more refined than any tavern in the city.
Next came the tour of the guest rooms.
The butler led everyone first to the most extravagant accommodation of all, the Royal Suite.
The price was immediately announced.
One hundred taels of silver per night.
The room itself lived up to the cost. Every furnishing was of the highest quality, and the bed alone stretched a full three meters across, clearly designed with the lavish households of the wealthy in mind, accommodating wives and concubines without the slightest sense of crowding.
The service philosophy of later generations was far more advanced than anything the Ming Dynasty had ever known.
Everything one could possibly need had already been prepared. Bathrobes, slippers, toothpicks, oil-paper umbrellas, all neatly arranged, giving guests the feeling of having returned home rather than merely lodging for the night.
Li Daoxuan had also made deliberate adjustments to suit ancient customs. The outer room contained small beds for maids. Beyond the private courtyard, several guard rooms were prepared for escorts.
The entire layout aligned perfectly with how people of this era traveled.
Yet none of these features truly astonished the group.
The Prince of Qin's residence possessed similar arrangements, and even finer ones.
What truly captured everyone's attention was the small courtyard behind the Royal Suite.
There, astonishingly, lay a private hot spring pool.
The Heir Apparent's Consort's eyes shone the instant she saw it.
A private pool.
Exclusive to the occupants of the suite. Completely closed off to outsiders.
If I book this room, she thought delightedly, I won't need to wait until night at all.
The butler seized the moment and turned to Zhu Cunji.
"Every room in the resort comes with a private bath. Noblewomen may soak in their own courtyards without mingling in public pools, ensuring absolute privacy. Your Heir Apparent and Consort may enjoy themselves here without the slightest concern."
Zhu Cunji was equally pleased.
Isn't this the perfect place for unrestrained indulgence?
He cast a knowing glance at his Consort.
She returned it with a soft smile, her gaze rich with meaning.
Behind them, the secondary wives and concubines smiled as well, their expressions gentle, alluring, and expectant.
Zhu Cunji felt so delighted he thought he might float into the air.
"This place is excellent," he declared. "Absolutely excellent. I'll take it. I want to book this suite for half a year."
The butler bowed slightly.
"Half a year amounts to one hundred and seventy-seven days. At the original rate, the total would be seventeen thousand seven hundred taels. However, for your Heir Apparent, we will round it down. Seventeen thousand taels of silver."
The number stabbed Zhu Cunji straight in the chest.
Even for him, a sum exceeding ten thousand taels was painful.
But then he glanced at his Consort's hopeful expression, imagined the future days of indulgence with his concubines in the private pool, and decided the pain was worth it.
"I'll take it," he said firmly.
And just like that, the Royal Suite was booked.
The other guests withdrew politely and continued touring the remaining room types.
There were business executive rooms, family rooms, standard rooms, and single rooms.
Everyone eventually found something suitable to their financial standing.
A few merchants were less affluent, and their hearts ached as they looked at the prices. Yet seeing everyone else make reservations, they knew retreating now would mean irreparable loss of face. Business in Xi'an would become impossible.
So even while wincing, they booked the cheapest rooms at twenty taels per night.
At the very least, they had to show they could afford it.
In the blink of an eye, nearly every top wealthy figure in Xi'an had a noticeable chunk carved out of their silver reserves.
For most of them, a few tens or even hundreds of taels was still manageable. Paying that much for lodging was tolerable.
However…
When they opened the price list placed on the tables in their rooms, the true depth of the knife was finally revealed.
Within the resort, a single serving of egg-fried rice cost two taels of silver.
A cup of tea cost two taels.
Happy Fat Water cost two taels.
Chocolate was one tael per mace.
A small packet of Want-Want Snow Crackers cost one tael.
A small bag of potato chips also cost one tael.
And those were not even the most outrageous charges.
At the very bottom of the list, in neat, unmistakable script, was a line stating that all purchases were subject to an additional twenty percent service charge.
No hidden fees.
Everything was written plainly, shamelessly extracting silver in full view.
It was exploitation in broad daylight.
Yet every official and noble present weighed the matter carefully and, in the end, willingly offered up their necks to the blade.