Chapter 33: The Crowd Exclaims

Compared to the rest of the craftsmen, who were nervous and doubtful, Mistress Li was the one who believed in Zhou Hao the most.

After listening to the operational procedure, Mistress Li kept her eyes glued to the pipe. If the First Prince said that something would come out of it, then something would certainly come out!

Her exclamation brought the other craftsmen back to their senses, and they stared intently at the iron pipe, from which grease was steadily flowing.

So, it was actually possible to extract the essence of flowers? Looking at the thick, oil-like substance, it really was extraordinary.

"The First Prince is indeed the First Prince; such a feat is effortless for him."
"Exactly, who could say this thing is useless? This is simply brilliant."

Zhou Hao was unmoved by the craftsmen's flattery. He did not care about their inner thoughts; as long as they worked well for him, he didn't mind if they cursed him under their breath. In the end, they would still have to fall into line.

Zhou Hao took the essential oil and handed it to Mistress Li. "Pass this around and smell the fragrance of this flower essence carefully."

As soon as Mistress Li held it, she felt a powerful, intense aroma. It was as if she were standing in the middle of a sea of flowers, enjoying the scent of every single blossom in bloom. Most of the craftsmen were rough men, yet they too caught the clear and potent floral scent.

The aroma even caught Luo Xu’s attention. Even though the essence hadn't reached his hands, he could smell the distinct, unmistakable fragrance of roses.

"First Prince, you have truly created something extraordinary this time. Can this be mass-produced?" Luo Xu stepped forward abruptly and grabbed the First Prince's arm.

This fragrance was far more intense than any sachet. If one were to sprinkle a few drops of this flower essence into a sachet, it would sell out instantly. Even the ladies of noble families could not resist the charm of such a rich floral scent.

Zhou Hao looked at Luo Xu with confusion, not quite understanding why his reaction was so intense. He said slowly, "Why are you asking all this? This isn't the final product; it’s just a small intermediary item."

"Don't be fooled by how strong the scent is; it evaporates quickly. If it isn't preserved properly, the fragrance will dissipate before long."

This was not alarmism on Zhou Hao’s part. Rose essential oil is highly volatile by nature. He had only produced this much to leave an initial impression on the craftsmen. If not sealed or processed into a finished product quickly, the fragrance would vanish within days. It could not be used for sachets on its own; one would have to drip a bit of the oil into the flower petals themselves to ensure the stability of the scent.

Luo Xu realized he had been unprofessional and coughed awkwardly. "First Prince, please forgive my excitement, but this item is truly exceptional. It would be more than enough to be presented as a tribute to the Imperial family, let alone for the ladies of the bureaucracy."

His words focused entirely on the potential of the oil. Zhou Hao chuckled lightly and said, "Don't be surprised when you see what comes next."

With that, Zhou Hao rolled up his sleeves, crushed some pig pancreas into a fine paste, mixed it with mutton tallow, added a dash of wood ash, and began to stir. Under the surprised gazes of the crowd, the ingredients blended together, and the impurities gradually settled to the bottom. Only the cloudy, white grease on the surface remained translucent.

While the others looked on in confusion, Zhou Hao continued to stir until the mixture was fully incorporated, at which point he put down his stick. "Have someone skim off the top layer of grease. This will be the base."

Zhou Hao felt a bit embarrassed looking at the liquid soap. He hadn't realized that the conditions in this era made it impossible to produce solid soap; he could only make this liquid soap base. But it would suffice.

Once the impurities settled, he poured the essential oil into the mixture and stirred continuously until the oil and the soap base were fully integrated, resulting in a soap liquid that emitted a rose fragrance.

Many of the craftsmen watched his actions with blank stares. What was the use of this? Why did it look so strange?

After a while, Zhou Hao gave an order. Mistress Li was the first to rush forward, using a special wooden ladle to scoop out the liquid soap. The others, seeing this, had to hold back. Zhou Hao nodded; although Mistress Li didn't understand the science at first, she was deft and capable, making her well-suited to lead the craftsmen in soap production.

The amount of soap liquid extracted was not large, and it was soon ladled out completely. Mistress Li then presented the soap to Zhou Hao with both hands.

Zhou Hao paused, then poured the distilled essential oil into the soap liquid, stirring until they were thoroughly mixed. "Alright, Luo Xu, do you want to give it a try?"

Try it? Luo Xu was stunned, not understanding the purpose of the item. He could understand the flower essence, but he really couldn't fathom what this jar of oil-like substance was.

"This is for washing the body. Look at your palms—they are covered in ink. First, moisten your hands with water, then take a little of this soap liquid, rub it in, and rinse it off."

Luo Xu, filled with doubt, followed Zhou Hao’s instructions. With just a little rubbing, the ink on his palms completely dissolved. After a rinse, his hands were clean, with not a trace of ink left behind.

"This... is this item intended for women?" Luo Xu held out his hands and sniffed carefully. The floral scent was not as overpowering as before, but it still lingered on his palms, and he had no idea how long it would last.

Zhou Hao nodded, his face full of approval. He hadn't expected the son of the Prime Minister to have the instincts of a merchant.

"Of course. For ladies who value cleanliness, there is nothing better." Zhou Hao paused, "Not to mention that this floral scent will linger for some time—at least half a day."

Zhou Hao wasn't entirely sure how long the scent would last, so he had added as much as he could. Upon hearing this, Luo Xu’s eyes widened. If this were introduced to the Imperial capital, it would be snapped up instantly! Once people discovered its miraculous effect, all the ladies in the capital would likely go crazy for it.

"First Prince, have you thought of a name for this?"

Zhou Hao thought for a moment and replied, "Soap liquid?"

Luo Xu shook his head. "No, that doesn't sound very appealing. In my opinion, why not call it 'Floral Cleanser'? It sounds elegant and perfectly describes its function."