Chapter Nine, Emperor Qianwen

Yangxin Hall, the place where the Emperor of the Great Qian dynasty conducted his official business

Oh? Goat milk soap? Upon hearing this, Emperor Jianwen first pondered for a moment in his mind, but he had no impression of it, so he curiously asked again, "What is goat milk soap?"

Standing a foot away from him, an elderly eunuch with his head bowed and holding a whisk was staring intently at every move of Emperor Qianwen, as if every action of the emperor was tugging at his nerves

The Empress Zhao may have thought of these matters, or perhaps she has not. However, one thing she is clear about is that the Zhao family's strength is still somewhat lacking; once they are besieged by other forces, they will surely be unable to withstand it. Given this situation, it would be better to let Ao'er and the Princess Consort unite. Ao'er is her own nephew; if he succeeds, wouldn't it also bring her, as an aunt, a sense of pride? More importantly, Shen Ao can become independent. If one day she departs from this world, she can face her deceased sister with a smile. Ao'er is her own nephew; if he succeeds, wouldn't it also bring her, as an aunt, a sense of pride? More importantly, Shen Ao can become independent. If one day she departs from this world, she can face her deceased sister with a smile.

With the permission of Her Majesty Consort Zhao, everything is entirely different. The matters concerning the Zhao family will be explained by Her Majesty, allowing him to focus wholeheartedly on the collaboration with the Princess.

"Hehe, on this point, my dear aunt can rest assured. It is not that I fear they will ask for too much, but rather that I fear they will not ask for enough." Shen Aoru laughed like a little fox. He was playing the game of hunger marketing, claiming to the outside world that there was no stock left, so that the goods could be sold at a better price. As for the production volume, it is merely a matter of formulation; in fact, it is quite simple to make. How does it go again? Right! For those who know how, it is not difficult; for those who do not, it is impossible. As for the production volume, it is merely a matter of formulation; in fact, it is quite simple to make. How does it go again? Right! For those who know how, it is not difficult; for those who do not, it is impossible.

The major direction has been discussed, and there are still some minor matters that need to be clarified. For instance, Empress Zhao is very concerned about the production volume of goat milk soap. If the quantity is too low, it will be difficult to form a scale, and making significant profits will also be challenging

In response to this, Shen Ao stated, "Auntie, we naturally claim that the output is very limited, and we can only do our best to satisfy the needs of the palace. However, if there are those with good connections or if someone is introduced, we can certainly do them a favor and sell to them, but the price must not be low."

When the Emperor and his entourage arrived at the Gathering Lotus Palace, Consort Zhao, accompanied by a group of maidservants, stepped forward, bowed, and said, "I pay my respects to Your Majesty"

Seeing that the Emperor indeed noticed the scent on her body, Consort Zhao's face flashed with a hint of shyness, and she then spoke softly, saying: "Your Majesty, this is the fragrance left on my body after using goat milk soap."

Oh, can anyone who speaks on behalf of others do so? Ao'er, those who can come forward to find a concubine are all of significant standing, and naturally, they are not lacking in silver. What they require will not be too little; can you meet their demands?" The Empress Zhao asked with a hint of concern in her eyes.

Oh? Empress Zhao is indeed thoughtful. In that case, let us dine at the Gathering Lotus Palace this evening

Those who do not understand will find it impossible to comprehend, while those who do can find it exceedingly simple. Currently, only myself, along with Shi Lei and two other guards, as well as the Hu father and son, are aware of the secret formula. As long as they do not disclose it, the chances of others figuring it out are not entirely impossible, but the likelihood is less than one in ten thousand.

"The servant obeys the command." As the goal was achieved, Yan Fu also chuckled in a teasing manner beside him. As the chief eunuch of the imperial palace, who was always at the emperor's side, there were many opportunities to gain benefits. However, how to make these gains more enduring depends on one's personal abilities

Uncertain how much time had passed, a young eunuch approached the old eunuch quietly and whispered something. Upon hearing this, the old eunuch nodded gently and instructed the young eunuch to stand by and attend to the Emperor, before turning to leave. After a while, he returned to this place, replacing the young eunuch who had just delivered the message.

Like Yan Fu, in many matters he merely offers a suggestion, but the ultimate decision rests with the Emperor. Once the Emperor has made a decision, he will unconditionally obey. It is precisely for this reason that Yan Fu has gained the Emperor's favor, serving for over a decade, from the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace to the current Imperial Palace

As the sky gradually darkened, Emperor Qian set aside the memorials he had reviewed and rose to head directly to the Juheng Palace, accompanied by Yan Fu and a group of eunuchs. The news had long reached Consort Zhao, who had already made all the necessary arrangements. Naturally, this included a thorough bathing, and the indispensable use of the powerful goat milk soap.

Upon hearing these words, Shen Ao felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. It seemed that Empress Zhao believed that the poem "Little Pond" was written for him by someone he had paid. However, upon reflection, it was not entirely unjust; the poem indeed originated from another's hand, though that person was not of this world.

The objective achieved, the next step was an explanation from Empress Zhao after careful consideration, to which Emperor Qianwen nodded repeatedly. Subsequently, Caiyue, following Empress Zhao's instructions, presented an unopened bar of goat milk soap before the Emperor.

"Yes." Caiyue immediately understood the intention of Empress Zhao and responded with a smile.

At this moment, before the Dragon Throne, Emperor Qianwen was seated on the golden dragon chair made of pure gold, reviewing the memorials submitted by his ministers, occasionally making annotations with his pen.

After clearly conveying his meaning, Yan Fu fell silent, and a fan appeared in his right hand, which he gently waved, bringing a refreshing breeze to Emperor Qianwen.

The confidence in Shen Ao's eyes fell into the gaze of Empress Zhao, and she felt a sense of assurance in her heart. "Alright, this matter, my dear niece knows how to handle it. Next, Ao'er just needs to prepare well for the poetry gathering. Hmm, have those behind you prepare more poems similar to 'The Little Pond'; as long as they can establish a connection with the Grand Princess, there should not be too many issues with the collaboration."

"Haha, my beloved consort, there is no need for such formalities, please rise quickly." Emperor Qianwen quickened his pace, stepped forward to assist Consort Zhao in standing up, and then a subtle fragrance wafted towards his nose, prompting him to gently sniff and inquire, "My beloved consort, where does this delightful scent come from? It is quite pleasant."

"Your Majesty, it is merely a trivial matter." A slightly sharp voice sounded as the old eunuch Yan Fu hurriedly approached Emperor Qianwen, who was about to drink tea. He said, "Just now, the female officials from the Juhua Palace came and informed this old servant that they have prepared the summer ginseng soup."

Regarding everything that has transpired, Emperor Qianwen, who was attentively reading the memorial, was fully aware of it all. Once the chief eunuch returned to his position and steadied himself, he then shifted his body slightly, stretched lazily, and, while moving his limbs, inquired, "Yan Fu, is there something you wish to discuss?"

Shen Ao left with two hundred taels of gold, leaving behind two boxes of goat milk soap. After he departed, Empress Zhao turned to the female official standing beside her and said: "Cai Yue, take some silver to the Yangxin Palace to look for Master Yan."

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