Half a month later.
Under Master Yuan's personal site selection and guidance, a True Dragon Hall was built in the imperial garden of Daming Palace.
Daming Palace stood atop Longshou Plateau in Chang'an, and the hall's location happened to sit upon the baihui acupoint of the dragon's head. Built according to the numbers of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, it secretly accorded with the laws of heaven and earth. The hall was square, with eighty-one red-lacquered wooden pillars, signifying nine times nine returning to one. Its carved beams and painted rafters displayed the imperial family's extravagance and grandeur to the fullest.
Above the main entrance hung a plaque bearing three gilded characters: True Dragon Hall.
The square True Dragon Hall was surrounded on all sides by eight rectangular pools, each containing a Bagua diagram carved from massive stone.
The Bagua diagrams encircled True Dragon Hall. At the center of the hall was also a round, clear pool, with an enormous yin-yang diagram on its floor. Apart from the pools, the hall was completely empty. The bluestone-paved floor gave True Dragon Hall a somewhat chilly air, while palace maids and eunuchs continued busily decorating it.
A thick, towering stone wall stood north of the pool directly opposite the main doors, carved with a majestic, domineering, lifelike divine dragon.
Between the stone wall and the pool stood a slightly broad and exquisite dragon throne and desk.
The dragon throne and desk were made from the finest golden-thread nanmu wood, even the footstool being of the same material. The broad dragon throne resembled a low couch, suitable for sitting or reclining. It was a little too short to sleep on as a bed.
The arrangement was imposing. Seated upon the dragon throne with the dragon-carved stone wall at one's back and a