Chapter Thirty-Five: A Woman's Madness

"Ru-xue, have you changed your sachet? Why does it smell so wonderful?"

A gorgeously dressed woman leaned in close to Bi Ru-xue, her eyes filled with a touch of bewilderment. The fragrance was simply too intoxicating and intense; could it be that she had switched to a superior kind of sachet?

A group of other women nodded in agreement. Ever since Bi Ru-xue had arrived, they had been harboring the same curiosity—where on earth did she buy such a unique-smelling sachet?

Bi Ru-xue smiled and shook her head, spreading her arms to show them her person. To their utter astonishment, Bi Ru-xue was not wearing a sachet at all. The floral scent originated from her very skin.

"No sachet? Ru-xue, how did you manage this?" The women stared at her with vacant, stunned expressions. This was simply contrary to all reason.

"This is a treasure gifted to me by the First Prince. It removes grime while bathing and leaves the body infused with the fragrance of flowers," Bi Ru-xue said with a light smile. "This scent lasts for the entire day."

The entire day! The noblewomen looked at Bi Ru-xue with envy. They had known all along that the Emperor would never arrange a marriage between the Great General's daughter and a mediocre, incompetent prince. He must have had his own exceptional qualities, and now, they were revealed.

Several women spoke up immediately: "Ru-xue, what is this thing called? Could you bear to part with some?"

It was no wonder they were so blunt; after closer inspection, they realized that Bi Ru-xue’s complexion had indeed become much fairer. The cleansing effect alone was far superior to the products they usually used, to say nothing of the lasting floral scent.

Bi Ru-xue smiled calmly. "It is called 'Floral Essence.' It is a marvelous item the First Prince discovered in the barbarian lands. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to manufacture; after all this time, he has only managed to produce ten jars. He even specially made this rose-scented batch just for me."

The women gulped, their eyes fixed intently. "Ru-xue, do you mean to say that one can choose the floral scent?"

"Of course," Bi Ru-xue replied, beaming. "Whatever the raw material—the flower—that is the scent it will carry. However, for custom orders, the price will naturally be higher, and there will be a waiting period."

Waiting? Price? These were of no concern to them.

They were only focused on one thing: was this product truly as miraculous as Bi Ru-xue claimed?

"Ru-xue, it is not that we don't believe you, but this item... we have never seen it before," one woman said slowly. "We cannot all just take your word for it, can we?"

Her words acted like a bucket of cold water on the heated atmosphere. Everyone realized that they hadn't actually seen or touched the product, so how could they blindly believe her?

"That’s right, Ru-xue, could you bring some out for us to see?"
"It’s not that we doubt you, but seeing is believing."
"Exactly, if this product is truly that good, I will be the first to buy it."

Watching their reaction, Bi Ru-xue smiled inwardly. These were, of course, plants she had arranged beforehand. She needed them to voice doubt so that she could reveal the product naturally.

"Since you all feel that seeing is believing, I shall gladly share this treasure with you." She waved her hand, and several servants walked out carrying small boxes. "Each of you may take one box containing the Floral Essence. When using it, first moisten your body with water, apply a small amount and rub it in, then rinse clean."

The servants set down the trays, and the noblewomen each took one. One woman, quite impatient, opened it immediately to inspect it. A rich floral fragrance instantly filled the air, putting the doubts of the others to rest.

"Ru-xue, how much does this cost?"

"It is not expensive: one tael of silver for one tael of Floral Essence. If you require a custom scent, you must provide the flowers yourself, and the price increases to one and a half taels of silver per tael of Floral Essence, with a three-day wait."

Waiting? In reality, no waiting was required. The craftsmen could make it within a day. But if they didn't make them wait a few days, how would they realize the rarity of the item? How could they be willing to part with their money so easily?

The noblewomen gasped. It wasn't because they thought it was too expensive; rather, they felt it was far too cheap.

"One tael? Is that truly the price?" The plant asked, playing her part perfectly.

Bi Ru-xue responded naturally: "Truly. However, I currently only have rose, orchid, chrysanthemum, and peach blossom scents. If you want others, they must be custom-ordered." These were the scents she had recommended to Zhou Hao.

These four scents covered the preferences of most noblewomen. Those who disliked them would naturally opt for custom orders, allowing for an even greater profit.

After obtaining the Floral Essence, many of the women lost interest in viewing the flowers. They only wanted to return home as quickly as possible to test its efficacy.

By the next morning, before Zhou Hao had even risen, a servant came to report. Just as he stepped through the front door, he heard a thunderous pounding. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought someone had brought a battering ram to his gate.

When he opened the door, his expression changed. The courtyard was filled with noblewomen, each attended by several servants, waiting in line.

"Ladies, why have you come to the First Prince’s residence?"

"First Prince, we heard from Ru-xue that you have Floral Essence for sale. Is it true?"

Upon realizing they were here to buy, Zhou Hao broke into a smile. "Indeed. Are you all here for the Floral Essence?"

"Yes, yes! First Prince, you rose so late!"

Zhou Hao looked up; the sun was just cresting the horizon, and the sky was still dim. This was considered late? Were they so excited they hadn't slept at all, arriving as soon as the sky turned light?

"Ladies, please, follow me." Since there were so many, he could only host them in the courtyard.

"Since you are all here for the Floral Essence, I trust you have heard my terms from Lady Ru-xue?" Zhou Hao gestured, and servants brought out nine jars of the product.

The women stared, their eyes locked onto the jars, not even turning their heads. They had tried the product the night before and knew how wonderful it was; they were not about to let this opportunity slip away.

"We know, we know! One tael of silver for one tael of Floral Essence. But there are only nine jars here—that won't be enough for all of us!"

"That's right, First Prince! Can't you provide a little more?"