The setting sun hung low in the sky.
By the time they reached the Flying Heavens Pavilion, they saw a red sun settling on the rooftop.
There was a sculpture of an eagle on the roof, which at that moment seemed poised to spread its wings and take flight, looking lifelike.
Though they hadn't yet seen the Inspector's Suite, the sunset view alone was extremely beautiful.
"This building wasn't here before, was it?"
"That's right, it's newly built. My lord, you've come at a good time. If it were during the peak season when out-of-town merchants come to stock up, this suite would likely already be booked."
Inspector He merely smiled faintly, not taking it seriously.
A room costing a thousand taels per night couldn't possibly be casually booked up; it was probably just marketing talk.
Even he, as an inspector, couldn't really afford to stay here on his official salary.
There were many memorials in the court criticizing Commander Jiang, accusing him of acting arbitrarily, using his birthday to extort gifts and money, being greedy, and having low moral character. All kinds of insults were hurled. Strangely, though the civil officials attacked fiercely, they didn't accuse him of dereliction of duty, usurpation of power, or poor performance in his official duties.
These attacking memorials were all personal attacks, filled with extreme hatred, but lacking in substance.
The street in front of the Flying Heavens Pavilion was very wide. There were no small stalls, but many children were playing in the street.
Watching the children running back and forth, playing boisterously, the Book Boy couldn't help but ask, "What if someone comes in a horse carriage or on horseback?"
Old Wu the Third smiled and pointed to a sign by the road.
"There's a red cross and a picture of a horse on it. This means there's a speed limit. All vehicles and horses must slow down in this area. If they go too fast, they'll be fined. So the children can play safely on the road."
They were walking slowly, and indeed saw a horse carriage approaching that slowed down when it reached them.
"I hear this Inspector's Suite is Lord Commander's property?" Inspector He asked.
Charging a thousand taels for one room, not to mention the rest – this Commander was indeed quite greedy.
Old Wu the Third shook his head: "This is the property of Lord Commander's Youngest Daughter. The Lord Commander dotes on his daughter extremely, all of this belongs to her."
Inspector He raised an eyebrow slightly.
"This way, sir," Old Wu the Third led the way. Having guided so many people, he had some discernment.
The old man before him exuded an air of officialdom, looking extremely formidable – clearly no ordinary person.
One's clothes and appearance could be changed, but this aura was difficult to alter.
Old Wu the Third didn't slight the old man at all despite his ordinary attire.
In their training, they were given many examples: helping an ordinary-looking old man, putting on boots for an old gentleman, gaining recognition, being rewarded with wealth and beauties.
Upon entering, there was a row of chairs covered with thick cloth. When one sat down, they would sink into it, feeling something soft supporting their lower back, causing the whole body to lean back and the legs to relax.
Then someone brought over a steaming hot cotton cloth.
"Sir, please clean your hands."
This clean, white cotton cloth was actually for wiping hands.
He picked it up and sniffed it, detecting a faint fragrance, even more pleasant than his wife's perfume, like the scent of spring grass, very fresh.
After wiping his hands, someone brought steaming hot tea and snacks.
Surprisingly, without asking anything or collecting payment, they first let the guests eat and drink?
The entrance was a very large hall, very high, but not empty.
Apart from these soft chairs, there was even an artificial mountain and stream not far away, right in this room, allowing one to drink tea while listening to the sound of a spring.
Moreover, sitting in this position, one could still see the red sun setting.
It was like a painting.
Not to mention how much the Inspector's Suite cost, just this moment of rest upon entering made one feel that there was a reason for its high price.
Inspector He was well-traveled, having been in and out of the imperial palace in the capital many times, and was himself from a noble family, yet he still felt that this scene was truly beautiful.
Sitting on the soft couch, watching the sunset, listening to the sound of the spring, he even thought that it was fortunate the Emperor hadn't seen this scene. If the Emperor were to see it, he would surely start another grand construction project, wanting to build something just like it.
This great hall had many intricacies, with numerous candles inside making it very bright.
The candles seemed to burn endlessly, and each had a beautiful lantern cover. Looking up, it was as if one saw a sky full of stars.
It was like a very luxurious hall, with the only difference being that outsiders could enter here.
As he sat there drinking tea and resting, people came and went around him. Each time someone entered, a waiter would gently call out, "Welcome home."
He sat there eating and drinking.
The tea was excellent, without added fragrances, yet with a natural tea aroma. It was slightly bitter, but left a lingering fragrance in the mouth, with a sweetness rising in the throat.
The snacks were also particularly exquisite.
It felt like each bite was worth a tael of silver.
This was just for resting, yet the treatment was so good that one would feel embarrassed to leave, to say they weren't staying.
Then a waiter came over, surprisingly a young woman, who crouched down in front of him openly, holding paper and pen, saying she needed to register his check-in information.
The waiter was literate, a pretty girl who looked like a noble lady from the capital.
Yet she was doing work that involved public exposure.
People around seemed used to it, and Inspector He almost couldn't help but ask if she had some grievance.
Fortunately, he held back. There would be time in the future.
He gave a false name, Su Lin, a merchant from the capital.
Even the Book Boy had to register his name. The Book Boy didn't give a false name; he was called Ji Zi.
After registering, she also checked both of their identity documents.
Inspector He noticed the young woman flipping through Su Lin's identity document several times, but she didn't say anything.
She politely inquired about their needs: "Sir, do you have any special requirements? Do you prefer it cool or warm? Also, do you have any preferences for the mattress? Does the sir prefer to sleep on something softer or firmer? Does the sir prefer sweet or savory food? Or if you have any additional requests, need to receive guests or invite someone, you can tell us. After you check in, you will have your own personal steward. You can ring the bell to call him for anything, and he will appear immediately."
Inspector He didn't state his preferences, but was somewhat shocked by what the young woman said, as if a place for an overnight stay could cater to every aspect.
He only booked for one night, leaving two thousand taels as a deposit.
The Book Boy painfully took out the bank notes.
He felt it was outrageous.
How could accommodation cost so much?
Were they sleeping on a bed made of gold?
After the two paid, Old Wu the Third was about to leave. Inspector He wanted to give him a tip, but saw him repeatedly refuse.
Inspector He thought he must be getting a cut for bringing in such a big customer.
But Old Wu the Third said he had a salary, they were all government officials, no need for tips. If the great man could put in a good word when he saw his superiors, praise him a bit, that would be enough.
This made Inspector He feel somewhat amused.
Old Wu the Third clearly looked like a street ruffian who had changed professions, yet he was asking for a good review.
Well, throughout the journey, this man had indeed been quite interesting. They were waiting for him to swindle them, but it seemed he hadn't. The Book Boy grumbled that they must have been swindled – otherwise, how could he recommend a room that cost a thousand taels a night?
The Steward was a scholarly-looking man, wearing a moon-white robe, refined and cultured.
When he spoke, his words were indeed eloquent, and he spoke with great sophistication.
The Steward led the way while introducing things.
First, they passed through a long corridor, then arrived at the entrance of a courtyard.
Above the door was written "Inspector's Suite."
The Steward took out a key to open the door. As they pushed it open, the Book Boy looked down at the ground, which was surprisingly covered with cloth. Stepping on it felt soft and fluffy.
The epitome of luxury and extravagance.
Walking on the red cloth, they climbed a few steps and reached the room. There was another layer of locks, which when opened revealed a very clean interior with a faint fragrance. Upon entering, one's nose felt cool, and the whole mind seemed to clear up a bit.
It was dusk now, and the weather was somewhat stuffy.
The Book Boy had casually mentioned that their master was afraid of heat.
As soon as they entered, the Steward went to a pole by the door and lifted it up. Suddenly, they heard the pitter-patter of rain, and a cool breeze came from somewhere, lifting the robes that clung to their bodies.
Looking up, they saw that it had suddenly started raining outside their room? But it wasn't really rain, just a rain curtain outside their room, while it was clear in the distance.
Then the rain curtain fell, water droplets hitting the stone steps at the entrance, creating a deep and shallow rustling sound together.
It wasn't clear how it was done, but in the corner there was an automatic wooden piece spinning around, and a cool breeze started blowing in the room.
Very comfortable.
This thousand-tael room wasn't as large as imagined.
It looked like an ordinary room, with an entrance hall and a screen upon entering.
On either side of the entrance hall hung a couplet.
The upper line read: "Frugality nurtures integrity, pure as the autumn moon without blemish."
The lower line read: "Strict with oneself, as clean as plum blossoms with their natural fragrance."
...
