Chapter 22: The Gathering of the Duchesses' Daughters

"Five taels of silver for a bottle? Has this kid gone mad with poverty?"

"If he can actually sell them at that price, I'll stand on my head and eat dung, how about that?"

"Let's go. Who would buy something for five taels a bottle?"

Many people shook their heads, preparing to leave. Jiang Qingyan looked on with growing concern; her second brother’s pricing was, after all, far too high!

"Xirou, not only can Jiang Han compose poetry, but he also has a close connection with the great scholar Zhongli..." Wang Siyi’s mouth hung open in shock as she turned to look at Gu Xirou. She truly did not know what to say; the events of today had left her utterly stunned.

Gu Xirou’s delicate brows furrowed. The look in her friend’s eyes made her feel deeply uncomfortable, and she suddenly let out two cold laughs. "What poetry could he possibly compose? Those poems might not even be his; perhaps they were plagiarized from somewhere, or maybe his father, Jiang Zhensheng, wrote them..."

"Indeed, that must be it! Since the Jiang family’s reputation suffered after I broke off our engagement, his father must have ghostwritten a few poems to help him salvage his name. He must have deceived the great scholar Zhongli, which is why the scholar holds him in high regard and even wrote a couplet for him."

Her analysis sounded reasonable, and after a moment of thought, Yin Rong nodded as well. "This Jiang Han is certainly adept at leveraging influence. He wants to use the great scholar Zhongli’s name to conduct business, but he is a small-time merchant after all, short-sighted and narrow-minded. He thinks that by borrowing Zhongli’s prestige he can make a fortune, but by setting such an exorbitant price, he will ultimately never amount to much."

Wang Siyi looked at Gu Xirou. Although her friend’s analysis held some logic, she couldn't shake the feeling that Jiang Han’s current words and actions were completely different from the past, as if he had become an entirely different person.

Just then, a magnificent and imposing carriage rolled into the alley. The spirited horse pulling it was a Snowy-Hoofed Black Dragon steed. With a long neigh, it came to a halt in front of the shop, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

"What an impressive carriage! Whose is it? Why would it stop here?"

"That carriage must be worth a thousand taels of silver. There must be some big shot inside!"

"Hmph, a thousand taels? A thousand taels wouldn't buy a hair on it. See that Snowy-Hoofed Black Dragon? That is a steed worth more than a thousand gold pieces! Only a marquis’s estate could own such a thing!" Yuan Bin said, shaking his head while keeping his eyes fixed on the carriage.

The coachman lifted the curtain and lowered the footstool. A young girl in gorgeous, flowing silk robes stepped out. She was beautiful, with bright, spirited eyes, and possessed an air of haughty elegance and vibrant energy—clearly someone of extraordinary status.

"Who is that? What is she doing here?"

"I know who she is! She is the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhong’s estate!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.

The crowd fell into a sudden silence, and many gasped. The daughter of the Duke of Zhong—no wonder she could ride in such a carriage! But why had she come here?

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the beautiful girl walked toward the shop with a bright smile. She swept her gaze across the area and landed on Jiang Han. "Are you Jiang Han?"

"Indeed. And you are, miss..."

"I want to buy some perfume!"

"This humble shop has three varieties of perfume. I wonder, miss..."

The young girl waved her small hand. "I want three bottles of each!"

"Miss, each crystal bottle costs ten taels of silver..."

"Crystal bottles! Uncle Fu, pay him!"

Many onlookers were dumbfounded by the scene. As expected of the daughter of the Duke of Zhong, her spending was lavish! She had spent ninety taels of silver without even blinking.

Before the crowd could recover, two or three more carriages rolled into the alley, causing everyone to cast their eyes toward them.

"Ah, why are more carriages coming?"

"What magnificent carriages."

"Hiss! Another Snowy-Hoofed Black Dragon! What kind of day is this? Why have so many big shots arrived?"

"That looks like the carriage of the Duke of Ning’s estate."

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances. Just then, several high-pitched, resonant horse calls echoed from the east. The three carriages that had arrived earlier pulled aside to clear a path for a larger carriage, drawn by two spirited horses, to slowly enter the alley.

This carriage was even larger and more imposing, and the horses pulling it were different from the other Snowy-Hoofed Black Dragons; they were entirely snow-white, with only their hooves being black.

"Pure white, those are Snow-Treading White Colts! Which great figure has come now?" someone stammered in disbelief. Snow-Treading White Colts were priceless, yet this carriage was pulled by two of them.

At that moment, the curtains of those carriages were pulled back, and the young ladies inside began to speak across the distance.

"Sister Zhaoyue is here!"

"Sister Zhaoyue doesn't usually ride this carriage; she actually brought it out today."

"Hmph, so grand. Such a display just to buy some perfume."

Three or four young ladies stepped out of the carriages; they were all daughters of dukes and marquises from Luoyang.

The scholars present were left speechless. These noble ladies, whom they would normally never even catch a glimpse of, had all gathered here today.

Most surprising was the carriage in the middle pulled by the Snow-Treading White Colts. As the curtain was lifted, a young woman stepped down with graceful ease. She wore a stunning moon-white gown that trailed along the ground. She appeared to be in her early twenties, with a glittering gold hairpin in her hair, looking dignified, luxurious, beautiful, and aloof.

The young woman glanced around, her voice clear and cool: "If I hadn't taken this carriage, I wouldn't have been able to keep up with you sisters."

She moved with light, lotus-like steps toward the front of the shop. Her gaze paused for a moment when it landed on Zhongli You. She was surprised in her heart—why was this world-renowned scholar, Lord Zhongli, here?

Zhongli You was also taken aback when he saw the young woman. Why had the Fourth Princess of Great Yu, Princess Zhaoyue, come as well? This Princess Zhaoyue was the twin sister of the Crown Prince; she possessed a prodigious memory and was not only well-versed in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but could also recite military strategy and Confucian classics by heart. She was truly a woman of great erudition.

Then, seeing Qin Yunmian standing behind Princess Zhaoyue, Zhongli You understood.

"Lord Zhongli, why are you here?" Princess Zhaoyue asked.

Zhongli You stroked his beard and chuckled, "My young friend is opening his shop today, so I came to show my support."

Princess Zhaoyue felt a slight shock. For Zhongli You to call him "young friend" meant he placed Jiang Han on equal footing. What kind of ability did this Jiang Han possess to earn such regard from the great scholar?

Princess Zhaoyue said, "I heard that a perfume shop had opened in Yunyang County, but I didn't expect to meet Lord Zhongli here. You have quite the refined taste... and even wrote this couplet yourself."

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at the couplet by the door.

Immediately, she looked at Jiang Han and noticed that he was only eighteen or nineteen. Although his appearance wasn't exceptionally handsome, he had sword-like brows and starry eyes, with a forehead like a full moon, and his gaze reflected a sharp, brilliant spirit.

When he saw her, he only showed a look of appreciation before shifting his gaze away.