Chapter One

Early that morning, servants of the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion hung red silk from the doors. In the days leading up to this, news of the event had already spread through every street and alley of Chang'an.

Even before the doors opened, a crowd of impatient customers had gathered at the entrance.

"Ah, when are they going to open?"

"Exactly, we've been waiting forever! I heard today's grand prize is actually a Liuli cup from the Golden Curtain Pavilion! Worth four or five thousand gold—even if you just took it and sold it, you'd make a fortune!"

"That's right, I heard the grand prize was that, so yesterday I bought thirty bottles of fragrance powder at once. I have to say, the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion's powder is really expensive!"

Just as one customer complained, another countered, "But it's worth it! Even the most upscale porcelain shops couldn't produce such beautiful little bottles. The patterns woven in blue and white—if I hadn't bought it myself, I'd swear this was from the palace!"

"I agree! When my father heard that the second prize in today's lottery was a reservation slot for next month's Liuli porcelain from the Golden Curtain Pavilion, he immediately gave me silver to buy fragrance powder. He's usually stingy, but today he moved faster than I've ever seen."

"What time is it now?" a nearby woman asked. "Usually the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion is open by now. Why are they so late today?"

"Maybe it's because of the event," the woman who had just spoken said hesitantly. "Never mind, we're pretty close to the front, so we can go straight in as soon as they open."

But time passed, and the opening was delayed far longer than usual...

Meanwhile, inside the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion, Zhou Yao and the other girls were bustling about, placing a single drop from each perfume bottle onto the silk cloth in front of it.

The room was instantly filled with a refreshing, sweet fruit-and-flower fragrance, intertwined with a steady woody base note—unexpectedly blending into a uniquely alluring aroma.

The night before, they had moved all the perfumes from the storeroom to the display shelves, and the solid wooden shelves were now bowing ever so slightly under the weight.

Anticipating a crowd and the summer heat that might cause someone to faint, they had placed blocks of ice in every corner to cool the place down.

After setting aside separate areas for the lottery and shopping, the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion officially began selling perfume!

"When are they finally going to open? We've been waiting long enough that the sun's come out, and it's so hot..." someone in the crowd grumbled.

But just as she finished speaking, the doors of the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion opened from within.

"Thank you all for your patience, honored guests. Today, the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion has a little surprise prepared for you. If we're lacking in hospitality, please forgive us."

Zhou Yao had dressed up for the occasion, with light makeup, a colorful dress, and a specially applied rose-scented perfume.

A few keen-nosed young ladies from wealthy families noticed the scent of roses.

"Oh? Where's that rose scent coming from? It wasn't there just now. It's more intense and sweeter than ordinary roses," one of them asked in surprise.

"Yes, even when admiring flowers in the garden, I've never encountered such a potent floral aroma."

"Didn't the proprietress just mention a little surprise for us?" another woman said, looking puzzled at her friend. "Could this be it?"

The doors of the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion swung wide open, and Zhou Yao stepped aside to let the customers in.

"Wow! What's going on here? It smells wonderful!" a woman exclaimed as she turned around inside. "There's not a single flower in here—where is that scent coming from?"

"This..." a timid girl shrank back, tugging at her companion's sleeve and whispering, "I've heard... there's some kind of sorcery..."

"You don't think..."

Her words alarmed most of the customers.

Seeing the situation turning sour, Zhou Yao stepped forward, smiling, to explain. "Everyone, please don't be alarmed. The source of this fragrance comes from the Liuli bottles before you."

A few bolder girls picked up the Liuli bottles to examine them, then carefully brought them close to their noses to sniff.

"Indeed!" one customer gasped. "The bottle in front of me has a sandalwood scent!"

"The previous fragrance powders were made by blending various spices, and the scent was so thick it was cloying. But even after using them for so long, they can't compare to these!"

"What is this?" someone asked Zhou Yao.

"These Liuli bottles contain 'perfume' specially made by the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion. The Liuli bottles you see here are specially provided by the Golden Curtain Pavilion."

"The quality is the same as the Liuli that requires monthly reservations from the Golden Curtain Pavilion," Zhou Yao replied with a smile.

"Since this is a new product from the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion, if you find any shortcomings, please offer your suggestions. If we adopt your advice, we'll give you a special thank-you gift."

"All patrons who brought their small blue-and-white porcelain bottles to participate in the lottery can follow our staff to the backyard for the drawing."

"For those participating in the lottery who didn't win, we'll give you an 18% discount, usable at both the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion and the Golden Curtain Pavilion."

Zhou Yao then pointed to the perfume display on the other side and introduced, "For those interested in perfume, if you're unsure which scent to choose, feel free to ask our staff for help. All the perfumes on the table can be sampled for free."

"To avoid mixing scents on your skin, you can first smell the silk cloth placed in front of each perfume, pick your top two or three favorites, and then sample those. That way, you'll avoid any confusion."

"Regular customers who recommend new guests will enjoy a 30% discount on today's new arrivals, plus a buy-five-get-one-free offer on top of that discount."

A curious girl stopped to ask, "The proprietress has said so much, and the perfume smells divine. May I ask... what's the price?"

She voiced the question on everyone's mind.

"The crafting process is intricate and unique, so the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion has set the price at four thousand six hundred gold per bottle."

When Zhou Yao said this, everyone present was taken aback.

"The Liuli cup from the Golden Curtain Pavilion... compared to this..." some people mentally weighed the costs.

Su'er stepped in to answer for Zhou Yao, smiling, "On your first purchase, you can combine today's 18% discount. After you've used up the perfume, you can bring the empty Liuli bottle back to the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion, and we'll give you a certificate—a Liuli bookmark."

"With that certificate, your next perfume purchase will enjoy a 31% discount."

Sixty-nine percent of four thousand six hundred gold is three thousand one hundred seventy-four taels of gold.

Calculated that way, it was barely acceptable.

"I know everyone has reservations, so today you can try first," Zhou Yao said, still beaming. "Why not start with the lottery..."

Before she could finish, a girl waved her hand grandly and bought five bottles of rose perfume outright.

"I brought a new customer today. If I buy perfume, do I also get the buy-five-get-one-free offer?" she asked.

"Of course," Zhou Yao replied, leading the way. "This way, please..."

With that precedent set, other customers who wanted to buy perfume also began to sniff and test.

Those participating in the lottery went for that, and those sampling scents stayed here—everything in the store was orderly.

Most customers, after trying the perfume, immediately bought five bottles to take advantage of the layered discount.

Seeing that the majority were buying, Zhou Yao was delighted and wrapped the purchases twice as fast as usual. Occasionally, a girl would come in to buy fragrance powder instead.

The day was busy, but profitable.

In the end, the grand prize went to a lavishly dressed young lady. Zhou Yao had never seen her before, but could infer a thing or two from her attire and bearing.

Those who won reservation slots registered on the spot, with Cuiwei collecting the orders and reporting to the Jiuyao Kilns for production.

Thanks to the news spreading that the Eldest Princess had praised the perfume at her birthday celebration, combined with the free sampling service at the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion, everyone quickly discovered the merits of perfume.

Overnight, perfume became the hot topic in Chang'an.

The combination of Liuli and perfume became the ultimate symbol of trendsetting at that time, beloved by noble ladies and matrons alike. Even when sold at full price, the perfume often couldn't keep up with demand.

Zhou Yao would have preferred not to give up such a lucrative venture, but due to practical constraints, she had to impose a monthly limit on perfume purchases.

The scorching summer passed smoothly, and as autumn arrived, the weather grew cooler.

Zhou Yao sat facing Qi Yanhan in the courtyard, playing chess. Black and white stones interwove between them, evenly matched.

"Have the matters I entrusted to you been handled?" she casually asked Duyun. She had previously given him the task of training Bige, and considering the time, it should be done by now.

"Your Highness, the task you entrusted to me is complete. The training is now thorough. You may schedule an inspection whenever you wish."

Zhou Yao nodded absently. That moment of distraction shifted the game entirely, and she lost by a wide margin.

"Ah, what a shame, I lost!" Zhou Yao sighed. "No, let's go again! This round doesn't count!"

Qi Yanhan gave a resigned smile, his fox-like eyes full of fondness. "Very well, I'll let you win next round."

"I DON'T! NEED! IT!!" Zhou Yao said, her expression turning serious. "I can win through my own skill."

"The deeds you asked me to acquire, Your Highness, I've purchased them all. May I ask... what do you plan to do with them?" Duyun probed hesitantly.

"I'm going to establish a school, nothing more," Zhou Yao said, holding a white stone, her attention fixed on the board.

"A school?" Qi Yanhan looked at Zhou Yao, puzzled. "Why would you suddenly take an interest in opening a school?"

Zhou Yao didn't want to answer. She changed the subject, "Focus on the game."

Qi Yanhan glanced at her for a moment, then lowered his head in thought. He placed his stone on the board, his thin lips pressed together, then raised his eyes to look at Zhou Yao once more.