No matter how desperate Tian Yuan felt, nothing could prevent Xiao Huayong from secretly visiting the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor and beginning to learn about the preferences of noble ladies in the capital…
Shen Xihe remained completely unaware. She had been busy these days – the people she had dispatched to purchase spices from other regions had returned with a shipment via the escort agency, and the Duhuo Building had been properly settled.
During her time in the capital, she hadn’t been idle. She had already instructed Hong Yu to purchase and train servants. However, since perfume-making wasn’t a skill to be mastered overnight, she first had to hire several perfume artisans at high wages and establish a workshop in the suburbs.
Shen Xihe divided her time between crafting the Zhetihuan incense for the Huguo Temple herself and teaching Hong Yu various fragrance formulas. Hong Yu already possessed knowledge of perfume blending, as she had always been the one responsible for Shen Xihe’s cosmetics.
The Duhuo Building wouldn’t limit itself to selling just incense – Shen Xihe planned to offer fragrant balms, creams, oils, waters, and perfume beads as well. No woman could resist beauty and fragrance; profit was secondary – what mattered was using the Duhuo Building to infiltrate the inner quarters of the capital’s civil and military officials’ households to obtain firsthand intelligence.
“This fragrance…” Shen Xihe had created a new scent and lit it for Bi Yu and the others to experience. The fragrance was intense yet not harsh, and most importantly, as it dispersed, a wave of warmth rose like steaming vapors.
“Cold-dispelling incense,” Shen Xihe declared with satisfaction after waving the fragrance toward herself to sample it.
“Is this the cold-dispelling incense that the Kingdom of Dandan presented during Emperor Wu of Han’s time?” Hong Yu’s eyes sparkled with recognition.
Shen Xihe nodded slightly: “Winter approaches; this fragrance will surely be in high demand.”
“Princess, this formula…” Hong Yu gazed expectantly at Shen Xihe.
Shen Xihe handed her the already-prepared formula: “Even with the formula in hand, you must practice diligently.”
Hong Yu studied it carefully several times, closed her eyes to confirm she had committed it to memory, and then burned the formula to prevent it from falling into others’ possession.
Shen Xihe took a small box of the cold-dispelling incense and handed it to Mo Yu: “Have Mo Yuan deliver this to the Eastern Palace as a gift for His Highness the Crown Prince.”
She had received many favors from Xiao Huayong before; today she would return one.
“Princess, for the Defined Prince Consort’s birthday gift, would a glass screen be suitable?” Bi Yu inquired after taking inventory of Shen Xihe’s possessions and drafting a list of potential gifts.
Shen Xihe replied: “Send that purple sandalwood five-stringed pipa.”
Among the capital’s Nine Perfections, each was renowned for a singular skill – Bian Xianyi for her dancing, Ye Wantang for her mastery of the pipa.
That purple sandalwood five-stringed pipa was one of Shen Yueshan’s war trophies, adorned with red agate, tortoiseshell, and mother-of-pearl inlays forming exquisite patterns. Its like could not be found anywhere else in the world, and its strings were crafted from precious silk that produced an incomparable tone.
Shen Xihe herself excelled at the guqin; keeping such a fine pipa in her possession would be like hiding a bright pearl in the dust.
“Yes, Princess.”
The Defined Prince Consort’s birthday celebration couldn’t be too grand, as the Empress Dowager’s birthday would follow in less than a month. It was merely to demonstrate filial piety, and the Defined Prince and his consort would show appropriate restraint.
Among the sixteen princely residences, Prince Xiao Changtai ranked fourth, and his residence neighbored that of the fifth-ranked Prince Xin, Xiao Changqin.
Word had it that Xiao Changqin had returned from Fahua Temple yesterday; whether he would appear at the Defined Prince’s residence today remained uncertain.
Just as Shen Xihe pondered this, her carriage suddenly shook, as if lightly struck by something. As she steadied herself, she heard a maid outside apologizing: “Please forgive us, we were careless and disturbed the Princess’s carriage.”
Bi Yu lifted the carriage curtain to reveal an extremely simple vehicle, appearing even more modest when compared to Shen Xihe’s felt-covered carriage pulled by two horses.
The carriage had only a cover for protection against wind and rain, with an open compartment containing a lady wearing a bamboo-moon-colored upper garment, a sky-blue floor-length skirt, and an ink-colored cape. Only her sleeves and collar were embroidered with simple white pear blossoms, and her modest hair arrangement was adorned with just a few pear blossom pearl hairpins.
She maintained a dignified bearing and proper posture, with plain features and cool eyes.
This was Qin Zixie, granddaughter of the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor. Her father was a professor at the Imperial Academy – an entirely family of refined scholars.
Seeming to sense Shen Xihe’s gaze, Qin Zixie acknowledged her with a slight nod, then stepped down with her maid’s assistance.
She was extraordinarily tall – the tallest lady Shen Xihe had ever seen, even taller than Bu Shulin. This very trait had made finding a marriage match difficult, leading to her remaining unwed at nineteen years of age.
Ordinary young men would appear short beside her; Shen Xihe estimated she was about as tall as her brother.
“Princess,” Qin Zixie approached, “Our household’s carriage disturbed yours; I offer my apologies on their behalf.”
Qin Zixie’s voice, like her appearance, was neither delicate nor fine as most ladies’ voices were – not rough, but hardly melodious.
“Miss Qin need not concern herself; it was merely an accident,” Shen Xihe also descended from her carriage, as they had arrived outside the Defined Prince’s residence.
Qin Zixie acknowledged Shen Xihe’s words with a nod of thanks, then proceeded inside with her maid.
“She…” Hong Yu’s eyes followed Qin Zixie’s departing figure, thinking this lady, though proper in etiquette, was truly proud.
“The Qin family has always been thus,” Shen Xihe wasn’t bothered.
A family of scholars for generations, the Qin family had produced two Crown Prince Grand Tutors and one Imperial Academy Director under the current dynasty. Qin Zixie’s father was also designated to be the next Imperial Academy Director, merely waiting for the current director to retire.
Teachers who educated others naturally tended to be more serious and formal than most but harbored no ill intentions.
Just as Shen Xihe was about to step forward, Bi Yu quickly pulled her back while Hong Yu steadied someone who had nearly collided with them.
“Forgive me, Princess. I stumbled and almost bumped into you,” the person Hong Yu had steadied quickly apologized with a bow.
Shen Xihe recognized the delicate face – even more lovely than during their brief glimpse at Jianfu Temple. It was none other than Yu Sangning, the concubine-born daughter brought back by the Marquis of Pingyao’s household.
Shen Xihe’s gaze moved from her demurely lowered eyes to the nervous young lady clutching a handkerchief nearby – presumably Yu Sangzi, the Marquis of Pingyao’s legitimate daughter. Then she noted the carriage parked to the side and Yu Sangning’s maid who had come around from behind Yu Sangzi.
The positioning was quite interesting.
If Shen Xihe hadn’t misread the situation, Yu Sangning would have deliberately walked from the other side of the carriage toward Yu Sangzi, who hadn’t noticed Shen Xihe standing there and had purposely pushed her, causing Yu Sangning to stumble toward Shen Xihe.
Others might have found Yu Sangzi’s pushing reprehensible; a more passionate observer might even have stood up for Yu Sangning.
Indeed, Yu Sangzi lacked magnanimity, which made it easy for Yu Sangning to manipulate, providing Yu Sangning an opportunity to establish a connection with Shen Xihe without leaving obvious traces.
She smiled enigmatically, not sparing either of them a glance as she moved forward.
Unexpectedly, Qin Zixie, who had reached the entrance, had stopped in her tracks. As Shen Xihe approached, she cast a cold glance at the following Marquis of Pingyao sisters and sneered: “How unsightly their machinations.”
With those words, she reached out and took Shen Xihe’s hand.