Perfume

Wang Yu was a normal young man. He had all the normal desires of any young man. In the short term, Li Yunxiu was out of the question, and Qianqian was clearly adept at keeping him on a string, pulling close only to slip away. It was not in Wang Yu's nature to force anyone. After all, he wasn't the real Zhao Yu, and he didn't want to make reckless moves on the maidservants in the manor either. Brothels, however, were a wonderful alternative! Buying an unblemished courtesan—one blessed with beauty, grace, and artistic talent—and bringing her home would not only take care of his needs, but also put some pressure on Qianqian. It was a win on both counts! Wang Yu snapped his fingers, drew a deep breath, and scolded Zhao Yingjie, "Who said anything about brothels? We came out to buy perfume for Qianqian!" Zhao Yingjie: ??? *When did I ever say anything about going to a brothel?* Then he caught Wang Yu's look, saw the light, and nodded repeatedly. "Right, right! It is all my fault!" Qianqian covered her mouth with a light chuckle from the side, cast a coy, coquettish glance at Wang Yu, and looped her arm through his, her supple softness pressing lightly against his arm. "Brother Yu, do you smell that fragrance? It's coming from that tent up ahead!" Beyond permanent shops, the market featured dedicated plazas partitioned into lots, set aside for traveling merchants from across the lands to pitch tents, conduct trade, and store wares. Quite a crowd had gathered before the entrance of a tent up ahead, most of them clad in splendid attire, clearly individuals of high standing. Wang Yu led his party inside. Four guards immediately took up positions—two in front and two behind—parting the crowd to shield Wang Yu, Qianqian, and Zhao Yingjie in the middle. A few people in the crowd recognized Zhao Yingjie, and seeing him bowing and scraping beside a young man, their eyes widened, and they hastily cleared a path. Stepping into the great pavilion of a tent, the entire chamber was suffused with fragrance. Though this foreign caravan had journeyed thousands of li, the inside of the tent was clean and orderly. Exquisite Persian carpets hung upon the fabric walls, and a long counter partitioned the entrance. Behind it stood curio shelves displaying gemstones, scimitars, jewelry, and several small metal vials. A few Westerners with prominent noses, deep-set eyes, and curly brown hair held up uncapped metal vials, which radiated a rich, sweet perfume. They were introducing their wares in halting, unpracticed Chinese. "This is the latest invention from ten thousand li away in the West!" "You can carry it on you. Sprinkle just a few drops onto your clothes, and the fragrance will last for a full two hours!" "How is it made? That is a secret, of course, and truth be told, I do not know either. I am merely a merchant, not an inventor." "We brought only two scents: lavender and tulip." "Ten taels of silver per bottle." *Hiss—* Wang Yu drew a sharp breath. *Damn, that's pricey! Truly, from ancient times to modern days, perfume has always been a luxury item.* Ten taels of silver was enough to support an ordinary family of three for several months. Yet despite selling for ten taels a vial, the perfume was actually the cheapest merchandise this caravan had on offer. The rest—cat's-eye gems the size of a finger, ornate jewelry set with blue gemstones, and scimitars gleaming with gold and encrusted with jade and rubies—were each more expensive than the last! A bystander glanced sideways at Wang Yu, then caught sight of Qianqian and chuckled knowingly. "It's not expensive at all. Just two or three drops at a time lasts two hours—plenty of time to heighten the mood when you're doing that sort of thing." "The scent is rich, far more stimulating than an incense burner," another man remarked. "How many did you bring? I'll take them all!" The lead merchant offered a smile. "Honored guest, after traveling thousands of li, we started our journey with two hundred bottles, but by the time we arrived here, only a little over a hundred and twenty remain." "Ahem! That many? I'll take ten bottles first, then." "Twelve taels a bottle. We'll take every last one!" a voice suddenly boomed from the entrance of the tent. "Who is that? So arrogant!" "It's one thing not to haggle, but who raises the price on themselves? Does your family have money to burn?" The crowd turned, only to see a middle-aged man draped head to toe in fine silks strolling inside. Behind him followed two men who were thin and looked completely unthreatening. Yet the moment the onlookers laid eyes on them, everyone fell silent. The middle-aged man soon noticed Wang Yu's party as well. He paused briefly when he saw Zhao Yingjie, and when his gaze shifted to Wang Yu, it carried a look of keen appraisal. He gave Wang Yu an amicable nod. "We only require one hundred bottles." *Is this supposed to be a gesture of goodwill toward me?* Wang Yu looked at Zhao Yingjie. *Who is this? Who dares act so brazen on my turf?* "That is the Longshan Prefecture steward for the Wang clan of Jiangnan, responsible for purchasing rare Western goods here," Zhao Yingjie whispered. "This perfume has never appeared in the Central Plains before. Jiangnan is affluent. Once shipped there, people will buy a bottle for thirty or even fifty taels without batting an eye." Wang Yu raised a brow. "That Jiangnan Wang clan?" Zhao Yingjie nodded. "The Wang and Xie of Jiangnan—yes, that Wang clan." Among the noble clans of the world, Jiangnan stood foremost; and among the clans of Jiangnan, the Wang and Xie held supreme honor. When Wang Yu lived in Jingji Circuit, he had heard tales of the Wang and Xie clans of Jiangnan. It was said these two houses had been passed down for nearly a thousand years—a literal embodiment of the saying, "Dynasties last a century, but noble houses endure a millennium." Compared to the heritage and immense wealth of the Wang and Xie of Jiangnan, his Prince of Zhenxi's Manor was almost like a country bumpkin by comparison. Wang Yu maintained an impassive expression, turned to the merchant behind the long counter, and extended his hand. "May I have a drop?" "Of course!" The merchant dropped a single bead of perfume onto the back of Wang Yu's hand and gestured politely. "This scent will make your entire person fragrant, lasting well over two hours." Wang Yu brought the back of his hand to his nose and sniffed, forming a general impression of the perfume in his mind. "Five bottles will do," Wang Yu said. "Three of lavender, two of tulip." Zhao Yingjie immediately drew a banknote from his robe—a standard fifty-tael note from the Datong Money House—and handed it to the merchant. "You know where to exchange this for silver?" "I do!" The merchant snatched it eagerly. "The Datong Money House in the south of the city! Never mind Longshan Prefecture, they even have branches in Yumen Prefecture!" Taking the banknote, the merchant promptly handed five small metal vials to Wang Yu. The people present were all perceptive enough to notice the Wang clan steward's deferential demeanor toward Wang Yu, so no one raised an objection. Yet with Wang Yu buying five and the Wang clan claiming a hundred, only fifteen bottles remained. If they didn't buy now, who knew when another shipment would arrive from the Western Regions? "I want five!" "I want ten!" "I'll take the remaining fifteen!" Right then, a voice rang out. The tone was soft and gentle, yet it resonated with absolute clarity beside the ears of every person in the tent. "I shall take two bottles, one of each scent." The crowd spun around in surprise, finding three figures standing at the tent's entrance. A middle-aged man with three wisps of a long beard beneath his chin carried a wooden case on his back, measuring four feet long and a foot and a half wide. To the man's left stood a graceful, middle-aged woman in a purple dress, a purple bamboo xiao tucked into her sash. To his right stood a young girl in green, wearing a light veil, who was clearly quite young. Upon seeing the trio, the Wang clan steward first glanced at the purple bamboo xiao at the woman's waist, then at the wooden box on the man's back. Though a look of surprise crossed his eyes when he looked at the green-clad girl, he evidently recognized the first two. The Wang clan steward stepped back and bowed respectfully. "Greetings to..." The man waved a hand, cutting off the steward's words, and drew out two banknotes. "I merely wish to buy two bottles of perfume to try something novel." The man's demeanor was gentle and cultured, yet his bearing possessed an overwhelming, soul-stirring presence. The crowd was once again cowed into silence, watching helplessly as the merchant produced another two bottles of perfume and placed them into the man's hands. *** Leaving the tent, Wang Yu asked Zhao Yingjie, "Who were those three? Could you tell?" Zhao Yingjie answered sheepishly, "I couldn't tell, but for the Wang clan steward to show such reverence, their status is certainly remarkable. They are likely renowned masters from the martial world of the Central Plains." Wang Yu shot Zhao Yingjie a sideways glance. The man had just displayed the supreme art of transmitting voice via internal power—of course he was a martial master! Qianqian let out a playful giggle. A flicker of disdain crossed her eyes, followed by a hint of doubt, then brief contemplation, before she instantly reverted to her innocent, wide-eyed look. Just then, the crack of a leather whip and muffled groans of pain came from a short distance to the side, mingled with the crisp weeping of a young girl, disrupting the relatively peaceful air of the East Market. "What is going on?" Wang Yu frowned. The person wielding the whip was a Westerner with a high nose, deep-set eyes, and curly brown hair. The person taking the lashes, however, had the black hair and dark eyes of someone from the Central Plains. As Wang Yu's brow furrowed, two guards immediately stepped forward and seized the Westerner. The surrounding crowd broke into clamorous chatter, and two constables keeping order hurried over to investigate. "They are not from the Central Plains! They are slaves I bought in the Dayuan Kingdom. I have their deed of sale!" "This slave let three of my fine Dayuan horses die of illness! They were worth at least five hundred taels of silver!" "The two of them together are barely worth five taels!" The Westerner was beside himself with fury, waving the whip in his hand. "They are my slaves! I'm going to beat them to death!" "Wuu-wuu-wuu... please don't hit my father! My father knows how to tend horses—he takes wonderful care of them!" A young girl of barely ten, dressed in tattered rags, threw herself across the man. "You were afraid of running into horse bandits, so you forced the sick horses to press on with the journey! That's why they died of illness!" Though the girl's Chinese bore an accent, it was far more fluent than that of ordinary folk from the Western Regions. In the surrounding crowd, someone's eyes lit up. After studying the girl closely for a moment, he narrowed his eyes and stepped forward to offer a suggestion. "Brother, those three horses of yours are already dead. Beating them to death will only vent your anger. Why not sell them off and recover some of your losses? "I have no use for the man, but his daughter looks quite pretty and delicate. Even if you sold her to a brothel, you'd only get three to five taels. How about you sell her to me for eight taels?" "You certainly have a good eye, brother. The little girl may be filthy, but her skin is fair and tender. Clean her up, and she should turn out quite nice." "What, are you interested too?" "I already have three at home; I really don't have the stamina for more." "Hahaha!" Listening to the jests of the crowd, the little girl trembled in terror. Her father pushed himself up with great effort, doing his best to shield her behind him, but his body shook violently, his strength clearly exhausted. Despair filled the eyes of father and daughter, and then their gaze collided with Wang Yu's. Wang Yu pointed at the Westerner and sneered, "Brawling and causing an uproar in the East Market, disrupting public order—what is the penalty for this?" The two constables looked at each other. People shouting and arguing happened every day. So long as it didn't involve shortchanging weights, peddling shoddy goods, bullying the market, or committing fraud, they usually just broke it up with a reprimand. Zhao Yingjie's eyes darted, however, and he immediately chimed in, "Shouting and brawling, violently assaulting another to disrupt public order, and interfering with others doing business qualifies as market bullying! The sentence is eighty strokes of the cane, a fine of one hundred taels of silver, and confiscation of illicit property!"