Chapter 267 – The Hot Springs of Jishan (Part Two)
“Wow, I couldn’t have guessed you’d be this kind of Yuan Jing!”
When Liu Zhi found out where Mr. Yuan Jing was currently staying and learned from his book boy that Mr. Yuan Jing had taken a bunch of students to Jishan to soak in the springs, it seemed he’d be there for several days. The fact that Liu Zhi’s trip had been in vain made his expression break into an almost tangible frown… Did he expect him to wait a few days?
Meanwhile, Liu Zhi was in a funk like never before.
Why was he feeling down?
He certainly couldn’t drag his daughter to the hot springs to seek out Yuan Jing as a master, could he?
Sure, the hot springs had separate sections for men and women, but…
Not only that, over the years, societal norms had become increasingly conservative. The status of women was visibly declining, and the devaluation of their roles meant their freedom was severely restricted. Consequently, in the colder weather, most of those heading to the hot springs were men, with women almost completely absent.
Even when women did appear, they were usually high-born ladies, accompanied by retainers to prevent any accidents.
So asking Liu Zhi to take his daughter to a hot springs full of men just to find one Yuan Jing? That was just crazy!
But if he didn’t find Yuan Jing, the only option was to wait until the latter had had his fill playing with his students and left Jishan on his own.
If Yuan Jing were really that exceptional, why hadn’t he foreseen Liu Zhi’s plans and instead chose this moment to soak in the springs?
Ugh! (ノω<。)ノ))☆。。
Liu Zhi sulked for a while, then sighed and continued to brainstorm for solutions.
Before he could come up with anything, Feng Ren had the audacity to invite Liu Zhi to Jishan for a little relaxation, complete with a ready excuse.
“With evaluations approaching, all the young talents of Dongqing are gathering in the capital. Numerous elegant gatherings and poetry meetings are popping up. You, Zhongqing, are always busy with official duties; you should take some time to relax. Jishan is a popular spot for such gatherings; why not join me for a little fun?”
While it sounded like fun, it also presented an opportunity for a “covert inspection” to really see what the young talents of Dongqing were made of.
Liu Zhi kept his lips sealed, thinking, when on earth did the Minister of the Interior get so much free time?
Judging by Feng Ren's familiarity, it seemed like he was a regular at the Jishan hot springs, probably going there frequently.
Looking at Liu Zhi himself, even though he was just a governor of Hujun, he had been so busy for years, working tirelessly without a single day off.
Here he was on a governor's salary, yet doing the workload of an emperor.
And Feng Ren was one of the top ministers, an actual high-ranking official, and he was this relaxed?
After pondering for a bit, Liu Zhi decided to ask his daughter’s opinion. If she was up for it, they’d go; if not, they’d just wait a few more days.
Unsurprisingly, Jiang Pengji's answer was definitely a yes!
"Why not go?" Jiang Pengji countered Liu Zhi.
Liu Zhi opened his mouth but couldn't muster a single word.
Oh, right, why not go?
But dear daughter, you’re still my daughter!
Liu Zhi felt as if he were swept away by the wind; he sensed that he and his daughter were on two very different wavelengths.
Geographically speaking, the northern part of Dongqing boasted many natural hot springs, with Jishan being the most concentrated near the capital.
During the time of the Great Xia, the imperial family constructed a hot springs palace in Jishan, which was expanded by several generations of emperors thereafter.
Those emperors held the hot springs in high esteem, and many undocumented historical accounts even suggested that the springs had miraculous properties, extending life, curing ailments, and were thus revered by many commoners as the "Fairy Springs." Naturally, this respect trickled down from the top, encouraging spring-soaking to become a popular activity across all social classes.
Whether from noble lineage or common folk, everyone loved soaking in the springs, especially in the late autumn; they practically wouldn’t budge from the place.
After the Great Xia's downfall, the realm splintered, and Dongqing was established with Shangyang as its capital, now known as "Shangjing."
With so many hot springs in Jishan nearby, a carriage ride only took a couple of hours – convenient indeed!
The Dongqing royal family took advantage of the previous dynasty's assets, simply renovating the original hot springs palace into the new royal palace.
Because the Dongqing emperors of the last two or three generations had been incompetent, seeking pleasure as their life’s goal, they showered the hot springs palace with attention, inspecting it four times a year, each visit lasting at least a month and costing the populace dearly.
With Jishan's landrich in hot springs, the largest section was claimed by the royal family, while other areas were taken over by various families and wealthy merchants, turning them into hot spring lodges with varying sizes and clienteles.
Wealthy and influential patrons enjoyed top-notch services, while common folk could scrape together enough to experience a basic soak.
Thus, every year when the weather turned cold, the business at hot spring lodges flourished.
Jishan Hot Springs had long since transformed from a simple soaking place into a tourist destination centered around hot springs, where visitors could also enjoy taverns, tea houses, eateries, and shops selling various exquisite trinkets, plus many talented individuals hosting elegant gatherings and poetry meetings. There were even numerous brothels and entertainment establishments where cheerful tunes and laughter never ceased.
By night, the place lit up like day.
The Feng family carriage wound its way from the foot of the mountain to the hillside, finally stopping before an extraordinarily lavish estate.
Stepping down, Liu Zhi noticed many ornately decorated carriages already arranged around him, and upon closer inspection, each bore various family crests.
"If not for Xiangde leading the way, I might have thought this was the estate of some high-ranking noble, unable to tell it was a hot springs lodge."
Besides the commoners, those from noble families built hot spring lodges not for profit but to provide a place for their younger generations to enjoy themselves.
The hot spring lodge Liu Zhi observed was several times more extravagant and spacious than his own Liu Residence!
Lavish and opulent!
Words could hardly capture the sheer extravagance.
"This is under the name of Changshou Wang. It's said to have been built by following the blueprints of his estate. Every evaluation month, it opens up for free to all young talents, which is why this place hosts the most elegant gatherings and poetry meetings. With so many people, I thought I'd take advantage and join the fun."
Liu Zhi was left speechless, while Jiang Pengji stifled a chuckle behind him.
Who would've thought that Feng Jin, despite appearing so mature, would have such an amusing father?
Feng Ren made it clear: he was keen on this hot springs lodge precisely because of its luxury, elegance, and free entry.
“Changshou Wang...” Liu Zhi furrowed his brows. “...such blatant flattery...he really is ambitious…”
Over the years, Liu Zhi had poured all his energy into Hujun and hadn’t paid much attention to political dynamics.
Even if he’d learned from Gu Min that Changshou Wang would later be a contender for the world, it was hard not to hold a grudge against her flawed historical accounts. All he remembered was that this fellow exited the scene quickly and was a notoriously soft-hearted coward, with only the strategist Qi Guanrang under his command... With such impressions, Liu Zhi had been led astray, seeing Changshou Wang as nothing but weak and worthless. But now, it seemed the guy at least had some ambition!
Feng Ren cleared his throat and whispered, “Let’s go soak first, and then discuss this.”
Picking up a bowl to eat meat, he put down his chopsticks and cursed under his breath... They hadn’t enjoyed the free soak provided by Changshou Wang yet, so that topic could wait.
If they were going to blast someone, it would have to be after they’d enjoyed their soak!
Liu Zhi: “……”
Wow, I really couldn't have guessed you were this kind of Feng Ren!
