No matter how desperate Tianyuan felt, he could not stop Xiao Huayong from secretly visiting the Crown Prince's tutor and then beginning to understand the preferences of the noble young ladies in the capital...
Shen Xihe remained completely unaware of this. She had been busy these days—the people sent to purchase fragrant spices from other regions had entrusted a security agency to escort a batch of spices back, and the Living-Alone Pavilion had also been properly arranged.
During this time in the capital, she had not been idle either. She had long instructed Hongyu to purchase and train some servants. However, mastering incense blending could not be achieved overnight, so she could only hire several Fragrance Artisans at a high price and set up a workshop at a manor in the suburbs.
Shen Xihe began blending the Jute Flower Incense for the Guardian Temple herself while also teaching Hongyu some incense formulas.
Hongyu was already skilled in incense blending, as she had always been responsible for Shen Xihe’s makeup.
The Living-Alone Pavilion was not only meant to sell incense products; fragrant balms, fragrant oils, fragrant dew, fragrant beads... Shen Xihe planned to manage them all.
No woman disliked beauty or fragrance. Profit was secondary; the important thing was to use the Living-Alone Pavilion to infiltrate the inner quarters of the civil and military officials in the capital and obtain firsthand information.
"This incense..." Shen Xihe had newly blended a type of incense and lit it for Biyu and the others to experience.
The fragrance was intense but not pungent. Most importantly, as the scent spread, a warmth like steaming heat enveloped them.
"Cold-Dispelling Incense," Shen Xihe said after the fragrance had dispersed. She waved her hand to guide the scent toward herself, and after savoring it, she was quite satisfied.
"Is this the Cold-Dispelling Incense that the Dandan Kingdom presented during Emperor Wu of Han’s time?" Hongyu’s eyes sparkled.
Shen Xihe nodded slightly. "Winter is approaching. This incense will surely be highly sought after."
"Your Highness, the formula for this incense..." Hongyu looked at Shen Xihe eagerly.
Shen Xihe handed her the formula she had prepared earlier. "Even with the formula, you must practice diligently."
Hongyu carefully read it several times, closed her eyes to confirm she had memorized it, and then burned the formula to prevent it from falling into others' hands.
Shen Xihe took a small box of the Cold-Dispelling Incense and handed it to Moyu. "Have Mo Yuan deliver this to the Eastern Palace as a gift for the Crown Prince."
She had received many favors from Xiao Huayong in the past, and today she would return the gesture.
"Your Highness, for the birthday gift for Princess Ding, would a glass screen be appropriate?" Biyu had inventoried Shen Xihe’s belongings and drafted a list of gifts to present for her approval.
Shen Xihe replied, "Give her the five-stringed rosewood pipa."
The Nine Unrivaled Talents of the Capital were famous for their unique skills. Bian Xianyi was unparalleled in dance, while Ye Wantang was unmatched in playing the pipa.
That five-stringed rosewood pipa was a trophy of Shen Yueshan’s. It was inlaid with red agate, tortoiseshell, and mother-of-pearl to form exquisite patterns, making it one of a kind in the world. Its strings were made from a rare type of silk, producing an exceptional tone.
Shen Xihe was more skilled in playing the guqin, and such a fine pipa would be wasted in her possession, like a pearl covered in dust.
"As you wish."
Princess Ding’s birthday banquet could not be grandly celebrated, as the Empress Dowager’s birthday was less than a month away. To show filial respect, Prince Ding and his wife would modestly defer.
In the Sixteen Princes' Residence, Prince Ding, Xiao Changtai, ranked fourth and happened to live next to Prince Xin, Xiao Changqing, who ranked fifth.
It was said that Xiao Changqing had returned from Fahua Temple yesterday, and it was uncertain whether he would appear at Prince Ding’s residence today.
As Shen Xihe was pondering this, her carriage suddenly jolted, as if lightly bumped. Just as she steadied herself, she heard a maidservant outside apologizing, "We beg your pardon, we were careless and have disturbed Your Highness's carriage."Biyu lifted the carriage curtain to reveal an extremely simple carriage, appearing particularly plain when compared to Shen Xihe's felt-roofed carriage drawn by two horses.
The vehicle only had a canopy to shield against wind and rain, with an open compartment. Inside sat a young woman wearing a bamboo-moon colored upper garment, a sky-blue floor-length skirt, and a dark blue cloak. Only the cuffs and collar were embroidered with simple white pear blossoms, and her simple hairstyle was adorned with just a few pear blossom hairpins.
Her demeanor was dignified, her sitting posture elegant and proper. Her features leaned towards understatement, with cool, aloof eyes and brows.
Qin Zijie, granddaughter of the Crown Prince's tutor. Her father served as an erudite at the Imperial Academy, making her family distinguished and respected.
Seeming to sense the gaze from Shen Xihe's direction, Qin Zijie nodded slightly in acknowledgment before emerging with the support of her maid.
She was exceptionally tall—the tallest young woman Shen Xihe had ever seen, even taller than Bu Shulin. This very attribute had made marriage prospects difficult, leaving her still unmarried at eighteen.
Most ordinary young men wouldn't match her height. Shen Xihe estimated she was about as tall as her own brother.
"Your Highness." Qin Zijie approached. "Our household's carriage has disturbed you. I offer apologies on their behalf."
Qin Zijie's voice wasn't soft or delicate like typical young women's—not rough, but hardly melodious either.
"There's no need for concern, Miss Qin. It was merely an accident." Shen Xihe also descended from her carriage, as they had already arrived outside the Ding Manor.
Qin Zijie nodded her thanks to Shen Xihe before entering with her maid.
"She..." Hongyu's eyes followed Qin Zijie's departure, thinking this young woman was certainly polite, but equally haughty.
"That's just how the Qin family is." Shen Xihe didn't mind.
Coming from generations of scholarly farming background, the Qin family had produced two Crown Prince tutors and one Imperial Academy chancellor in the current dynasty. Qin Zijie's father was already designated as the next Imperial Academy chancellor, awaiting the current chancellor's retirement.
As educators, they naturally tended to be more solemn and rule-abiding than others, but harbored no ill intentions.
Just as Shen Xihe stepped forward, Biyu quickly pulled her aside while Hongyu intercepted someone stumbling toward them.
"Your Highness, please forgive me! I lost my footing and nearly collided with you." The person stabilized by Hongyu hurriedly bowed in apology.
Shen Xihe recognized the exquisite face—even more delicate than during their brief encounter at Jianfu Temple. It was none other than Yu Sangning, the illegitimate daughter brought back from outside by the Pingyao Marquis household.
Following the demure girl's gaze, Shen Xihe looked toward another young woman nervously twisting a handkerchief—likely Yu Sangzi, the legitimate daughter of Pingyao Marquis. She then noted the carriage parked nearby and Yu Sangning's maid approaching from behind the legitimate daughter.
The positioning was quite telling.
If Shen Xihe guessed correctly, Yu Sangning had deliberately alighted from the other side of the carriage to approach Yu Sangzi. Yu Sangzi, unaware of Shen Xihe's presence, had purposely pushed her, causing Yu Sangning to stumble toward Shen Xihe.
Anyone else would have found the pushing Yu Sangzi detestable. A more impulsive young woman might even have stood up for Yu Sangning.
Indeed, Yu Sangzi's lack of magnanimity made her easily manipulated by Yu Sangning, who seized this opportunity to subtly connect with Shen Xihe.
With an ambiguous smile, Shen Xihe stepped forward without even glancing at either of them.Who would have thought that Qin Zijie, who had already reached the doorway, had stopped at some unknown moment. Waiting until Shen Xihe approached, she cast a cold glance at the Pingyao Marquis's sisters following behind and sneered disdainfully: "Ugly people stir up trouble."
With that, she stepped forward and grabbed Shen Xihe's hand.
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