Chapter Seven: The Hidden Fragrance Dew

Qin Yunmian lifted her clear eyes. "It is indeed him. His father is the Head of the Anxiang Academy, and his mother is from the Xu clan. He currently resides in a detached villa belonging to the Jiang estate."

The guards had thoroughly investigated Jiang Han's entire lineage.

Zhongli You frowned. Could Jiang Zhensheng be lying? No, that was impossible! When Jiang Zhensheng spoke of Jiang Han, his tone was one of genuine frustration, as if he were lamenting a child who failed to live up to expectations. How could the person he heard about and the one he saw be two completely different people?

"Jiang Zhensheng was here just a moment ago. He spoke of his son, saying that Jiang Han had repeatedly failed the examinations for student status, possessed no talent for martial arts, and lost every penny he invested in business... Furthermore, his engagement was recently called off. How could such a person write that poem?" Zhongli You asked.

Qin Yunmian shook her head coolly. "Perhaps it is because everyone has underestimated him."

According to the guards' investigation, Jiang Han had been engaged to Gu Xirou and had been entirely submissive to her, but she had recently broken off the engagement, and the Gu family had immediately accepted a betrothal gift from the Yin family. Perhaps it was precisely because of this profound blow that he was able to write those three heart-wrenching poems of longing.

Zhongli You pondered for a moment. "I find myself increasingly curious about this man!"

Qin Yunmian said softly, "He is selling those three poems to fund his perfume business... By the way, he also mentioned that he would send me some perfume in a few days."

Zhongli You remarked, "Oh? Three poems, you say? What are the other two?"

Qin Yunmian took two sheets of paper from her bosom. Zhongli You took them and read them slowly. His expression gradually became animated. "Excellent! Truly excellent! All three poems speak of longing, yet each from a different perspective—some subtle and restrained, others bold and spirited. This young man is truly remarkable!"

The more he read, the more delighted and radiant he became. "This is entirely at odds with what Jiang Zhensheng described; they are simply two different people... Hmm, you say he is bringing you perfume? When that time comes, I shall take the opportunity to test his scholarship. If he can compose a poem or a lyric on the spot to address my challenge, then there will be no more doubts."

He had come to Yunyang County partly at the request of Meng Hongshang, and partly because Princess Youwei was considered his student. This princess was soft on the outside but firm within; unwilling to accept an impending political marriage, she sought to choose a gifted scholar to her liking before the Emperor could issue a decree. Of course, Zhongli You knew that choosing a consort was secondary; at its heart, it was an act of rebellion against her destiny.

...

Jiang Han was naturally unaware that he had caught the attention of many. He woke up feeling refreshed. After washing, he locked his door, went out, and had breakfast. The Great Yu favored sweets; his breakfast consisted of tofu pudding, meat buns, and fried dough sticks.

Jiang Han was very satisfied; sweet tofu pudding was the only correct way, and the savory version was heresy!

Once his stomach was full, he headed to the West Market to commission a sign from a craftsman. Since he had to conform to the aesthetics of this world, he couldn't be too avant-garde. He had spent the night thinking of a name: "Anxiang Dew." Not only did it borrow the prestige of the Anxiang Academy, but the name also fittingly described the fragrance of the perfume.

After paying the deposit, Jiang Han decided to order a batch of porcelain bottles. Glass bottles would have been ideal, but they were too expensive; the three hundred taels of silver he had on hand might not be enough to commission them entirely. So, he ordered only thirty glass bottles for his high-end perfume, using porcelain for the rest. As for glass—the manufacturing process was too difficult, requiring temperatures of fifteen hundred degrees Celsius, which he had no means of achieving.

He still needed to buy some alcohol... Making perfume was not as quick as he had imagined.

...

The literary gathering at the Cuiyun Pavilion was quite grand. It was said that even the world-renowned Meng Hongshang was in attendance, and the scholars of Yunyang County were eagerly awaiting the results. In recent days, many scholars had arrived from Luoyang. They knew the host of this gathering was a person of great importance and status; if their poetry could stand out and catch the eye of such a person, they would be poised to leap over the dragon's gate and soar into a new life.

However, the host of the gathering had yet to announce any results, and no one knew which poem had taken the crown. Jiang Han, however, paid no attention to the event at all. He naturally did not know that the results had not been announced precisely because they had already been decided.

Over the next few days, the items he had ordered began to arrive, with ox carts delivering various supplies to his villa. This piqued the curiosity of his neighbors. The master of this villa was the son of the Head of the Anxiang Academy; everyone knew he had turned to studying medicine after failing in business. What was he doing now? Had he given up on medicine to start something else?

"Why has Jiang Han been buying so much lately? Where is he getting the money?"

"Bah! His father is the Head of the Anxiang Academy; naturally, he has money to give him."

"Poor Headmaster Jiang. A man of great learning who has taught so many scholars, only to have a son who is a good-for-nothing, living off his father's reputation..."

"I heard that the Gu family broke off the engagement and immediately accepted a dowry from the Yin family. The relationship between the Jiangs and the Gus is completely shattered. The Jiang family is truly the laughingstock of Yunyang County now."

"Jiang the Second is actually a decent person, just a natural-born loser. I heard he nearly shot someone while practicing martial arts, and his businesses have all failed. But what is he tinkering with now?"

As the son of the Headmaster, Jiang Han was inevitably the subject of much gossip. While these idle words did not reach his ears, he could infer much from the looks of others, but it didn't matter. Jiang Han understood that if one cannot succeed, everything one does will be mocked; if one does succeed, even the silliest actions will be viewed by others as eccentric charm.

He would walk his own path and let the fools laugh!

Once all his supplies were delivered, Jiang Han set to work. He assembled the distillation apparatus in the courtyard, ground the slightly dried flowers into bits, and placed them into the still to extract the essential oils. He followed the same process for high-concentration alcohol.

Next came the blending of alcohol, essential oil, and water in specific proportions. It was a long process; an incorrect ratio would result in a scent that was either too faint or too pungent. The cost of trial and error was high. Fortunately, after several attempts, he succeeded in producing some. He then poured the mixture into a sealed container and stirred it continuously.

The stirring process was long and nearly crippled his right hand. Rubbing his sore hand, Jiang Han shook his head. "Looks like you won't be showing off tonight."

While making the perfume, Jiang Han realized that his current body was quite frail, perhaps due to the original owner's habit of testing medicines on himself. He was exhausted after only a short time working. He decided that once he had some free time, he would have to exercise; otherwise, his body wouldn't be able to handle the extravagant life he planned to lead in the future.

On the third day, he filled the glass bottles with the small amount of perfume he had produced. It was a success! Looking at the perfume in the glass bottles, Jiang Han smiled. It was time to deliver the goods to that little wealthy lady.