Chapter 23: May I Invest?

Princess Zhaoyue asked, "Are you the proprietor of this shop?"

Jiang Han revealed a knowing smile. He had not expected so many young ladies of noble birth to show up today to support his business. Seeing the "little rich girl" standing behind the young lady in white, his heart gladdened; she had indeed kept her word and brought her circle of friends along.

"Indeed. I am Jiang Han, the owner of this establishment."

"In that case, give me ten bottles of every variety of your fragrance," the Fourth Princess said in a cool, detached tone.

Jiang Han smiled. This young lady was truly generous! There was no need to wonder whether she wanted glass or porcelain bottles. He turned to the courtyard and called out, "Qingyan, bring out ten bottles of each of the three fragrances."

Jiang Qingyan’s eyes widened in astonishment as she hurried to the back courtyard to retrieve the pre-packaged glass bottles. Jiang Han presented them to Princess Zhaoyue and said with a smile, "Thank you for your patronage, my lady! That makes thirty bottles in total, amounting to three hundred taels of silver."

Princess Zhaoyue said coolly, "Siqi, pay him." Her maid reached into her robes, produced a purse, and handed a stack of silver notes to Jiang Han.

At that moment, the other ladies from the ducal households could no longer contain themselves and stepped forward one after another. "Proprietor, I want some too! Three of each." "I want ten bottles! Here is the silver."

This spectacle left not only the scholars stunned but even Jiang Qingyan dumbfounded. She had assumed that with such high prices, no one would buy them, yet these women were snapping them up by the handful as if silver were mere pebbles.

Li Qiushui and Yuan Bin, who had been lingering outside, stepped into the courtyard as well. Initially, they had no interest in this "fragrance," but seeing the noble ladies buying with such fervor, they grew curious. Since they were already here, it would be a wasted trip not to buy a bottle to see what the fuss was about.

Seeing so many noble ladies—clearly brought by Princess Qin Yunmian to support Jiang Han—made Li Qiushui feel a pang of bitterness. It seemed this Ninth Princess really had taken a fancy to this fellow. Li Qiushui looked at Jiang Han and huffed, "Give me one bottle of the plum blossom scent!"

"Which type of bottle would you like, sir?"

"The glass one!"

"That will be ten taels of silver. Thank you for your patronage."

Li Qiushui handed over the ten taels and took the glass bottle from Jiang Han, feeling a sharp sting of regret. He was actually charging ten taels for such a tiny glass bottle! He was determined to see what was inside that could be bragged about so extravagantly, to the point that even the great scholar Zhongli had lent his support.

He pulled out the wooden stopper and took a deep sniff. A faint, ethereal fragrance wafted up, instantly refreshing his spirit. *Oh?* This scent was even better and more lingering than a sachet. His eyes brightened. He dabbed a little on his clothes, and suddenly, he was enveloped in the scent of plum blossoms, as if he were standing in the middle of a forest of them. It really did have the effect of leaving one with a lingering fragrance, just as Jiang Han claimed! This stuff… it was actually quite good.

Yuan Bin, who had been skeptical, thinking this was merely perfume for women—which might seem a bit effeminate for a man—saw the scent clinging to Li Qiushui and felt his interest piqued. *Li Qiushui smells wonderful!* Wait… if he wore this to the entertainment district, wouldn't the famous courtesans be completely bewitched? Perhaps even the elusive Courtesan Shishi could be conquered!

"Jiang Han, give me one of each! In glass bottles!" Yuan Bin exclaimed.

Jiang Han spread his hands apologetically. "I’m sorry, sir, the glass bottles are sold out. Only the porcelain ones remain."

Yuan Bin was taken aback. Sold out so quickly? If Li Qiushui had a glass bottle and he only had porcelain, wouldn't he be outdone? But what could he do if they were gone?

Meanwhile, the Fourth Princess opened a bottle and took a sniff, her expression one of pure delight. The scent was identical to the one Qin Yunmian had gifted her, though that bottle had been tiny! She glanced at Jiang Han. *Could this be my future brother-in-law? He certainly has a knack for business.* She had heard he was the second son of Jiang Zhensheng, the head of the Anxiang Academy... *Hmm, I must have someone look into his background.*

Seeing this, some of the scholars outside could no longer resist and stepped inside to make a purchase. Even if they weren't interested in the fragrance, it was a chance to get acquainted with the likes of Li Qiushui.

As Jiang Qingyan collected the money, she calculated the total and was shocked to realize her second brother would likely bring in a thousand taels today! After expenses, he would net seven hundred taels. Seven hundred taels! Her own monthly allowance was only two taels. When had her brother become so good at making money?

Outside, Gu Xirou was completely bewildered. She couldn't understand why these noble ladies were buying so frantically. Was a mere bottle of fragrance worth that much?

Wang Siyi whispered, "Xirou, should we buy a bottle too? It looks quite nice."

Gu Xirou replied expressionlessly, "No! It's just a bottle of fragrance. Didn't I give you a box of Purple Cotton Incense last time? Could this be any better than that?"

Wang Siyi stuck out her tongue. "I suppose you're right. Never mind then..." She looked at the shop, itching with curiosity, but with her friend and Young Master Yin Rong there, she felt she couldn't go in.

Gu Xirou could not stand it anymore. Watching Jiang Han succeed at business was painful, as it seemed to prove her own judgment had been flawed. He had become successful immediately after she broke off their engagement—what was this? "Siyi, let’s go!"

Yin Rong glanced at the shop, his face dark. Since when did this useless fellow from Yunyang County know so many noble ladies? And was his fragrance really that good? He would have his people investigate it thoroughly once he returned. He had to find out where he was sourcing it!

...

Jiang Han was busy, but then Qin Yunmian walked over, her clear eyes fixed on him as if she had something to say.

"Miss Qin, is something the matter?" Jiang Han asked.

Qin Yunmian looked serious. "I have a business proposal I would like to discuss with you."

"Please, go ahead," Jiang Han said with a smile. If it weren't for this "little rich girl" bringing everyone here, business wouldn't be this good. If he could win her over, perhaps he wouldn't have to work so hard for the rest of his life.

Qin Yunmian kept her face stern and looked at him intently. "I want to invest in your business! Name your price!"

"Huh?" Jiang Han blinked, stunned as he looked at his benefactor. She was a beautiful girl with a lithe figure and delicate curves. So, what did she mean by this? Did she have some strange hobby?