Chapter 10
The conversation in Old Madam Lu’s room ended there, and naturally, Lu Siwei couldn’t go around spreading it.
Just as everyone was feeling unsettled, sudden news arrived from the Great Zhao Prison—it was said that the Fourth Prince, Prince Ling’an, had broken into the prison and taken the Eldest Prince away.
This made Old Madam Lu even more uneasy. On top of that, Lu Haozhi had returned to his maiden home these past two days, crying and wailing in his room, making it even harder for her to find peace.
When the Crown Prince chose his attendant, his initial preference was the third young master of the Lu family, Lu Hanzhi.
When the imperial edict arrived at the Lu residence, even the Crown Prince’s household believed that Lu Hanzhi would be the one marrying into the palace.
But for some unknown reason, in the end, it was Lu Haozhi who became the Crown Prince’s attendant instead.
The original decree only stated that a son from the Lu family would be chosen as the attendant—it never specified whether it was Lu Hanzhi or Lu Haozhi.
And in the end, even the Crown Prince himself approved, allowing Lu Haozhi to enter the household.
Perhaps Lu Haozhi’s appearance was so unappealing to the Crown Prince that, even on their wedding night, he didn’t lay a finger on him. Three days later, when Lu Haozhi returned home, he was still completely untouched.
Aunt Du was so furious that she slammed the door in rage, while Madam Lu couldn’t help but laugh out loud as she walked.
Overjoyed, she wrote a letter to Lu Hanzhi, saying that once his father’s anger subsided in a few days, she would go visit him.
The household was in complete disorder—concubines who didn’t follow proper etiquette, a main wife who lacked the dignity of her position.
At the root of it all, it was her own good-for-nothing son who had no sense of priorities.
At that moment, Su Wan’ning sat across from her, absentmindedly stirring her tea.
Old Madam Lu said, “If you’re tired, go back and rest. Dong Qing and Chun Lu are here.”
Su Wan’ning snapped back to reality, only to realize that the tea in her hands was already ruined.
She forced an awkward smile and said, “Grandmother, I was just thinking that the Hanshou Temple in the southern suburbs is known for its miracles. You’ve been feeling unwell these past few days, so I was thinking of going there tomorrow to offer some incense for you.”
Old Madam Lu, preoccupied with her own worries, waved a hand dismissively and said, “It’s enough that you have the thought. Go rest.”
Old Madam Lu lifted her gaze to the night outside the window.
In the struggle for the throne, the worst mistake was backing the wrong side.
When the imperial decree appointing a Lu family son as the Crown Prince’s attendant arrived, the entire Lu household was overjoyed—except for her.
Although the Crown Prince had his mother’s family as support, and the Empress enjoyed the Emperor’s favor, in terms of court politics, the Crown Prince’s position was the weakest.
The Third Prince had always been aggressive, exuding dominance both openly and covertly.
Over the past two years, the Emperor’s health had declined, and it was impossible to say whether the Third Prince might resort to force.
But what was truly baffling was the Fourth Prince—he had always been silent and unassuming.
So how had he suddenly managed to seize the Great Zhao Prison?
That prison was heavily guarded, and the Fourth Prince had only just turned eighteen.
It seemed that the rumors about his exceptional martial arts skills weren’t just exaggerations.
Meanwhile, at the countryside estate, Lu Hanzhi was living in absolute leisure.
He found that staying away from the main plot was incredibly refreshing—every day felt like a dream.
Servants buzzed around him attentively, and when he went for morning runs, the tenant farmers on the estate all greeted him with a respectful, “Third Young Master.”
He had his small courtyard planted with bamboo and peonies, built a pavilion and a swing—it was the very picture of a carefree life.
Elegant yet comfortable.
Yesterday, he had asked around about the progress of the main storyline, but it didn’t really concern him much.
Though he did wonder if the Fourth Prince’s sudden deviation from the original events would impact the future, ultimately, it had nothing to do with him.
The only thing affecting him right now was this frustrating system he was forcibly bound to.
Just as he thought about that annoying system, a notification rang in his mind:
“Congratulations, Host, for completing a side quest! The severe flu virus has been completely contained. You have earned five exchange points, and your loyalty value to the monarch has increased by one. Keep up the good work!”
Lu Hanzhi’s eyes sparkled. Wow! Little Gluttony’s food supply had arrived!
But what was that loyalty-to-the-monarch nonsense?
Lu Hanzhi frowned and decided to ignore anything unimportant for now.
Little Ah Chan had been eating even more lately. It hadn’t even been a full week, yet the formula he had stocked up on before was already almost gone.
That had him worried—could his meager savings really support such a little glutton?
Still, the formula was clearly working wonders. Ah Chan was noticeably plumper and healthier than other babies his age.
At that moment, he was lying sprawled out on his little bed by the window, wearing a red bellyband embroidered with the character for “blessing,” napping in an utterly unrestrained position.
Lu Hanzhi glanced at him and had to resist the urge to cover his face—what a wild sleeping posture!
He stepped forward to tuck a thin blanket over him, then, after some thought, went into the system’s exchange shop and redeemed a few more tins of formula.
These would last him for a little over a month. Checking his remaining exchange points, he saw there were still seven left.
Earlier, he had spent one point on medication to treat the severe flu. Thanks to the side quest, that medicine had been available for unlimited exchange at the cost of just one point per dose.
However, now that the quest was complete, the exchange option had been locked again.
Thankfully, Lu Hanzhi had the foresight to stock up on extra medicine, just in case he encountered a similar illness in the future with no cure available.
Since he didn’t have the habit of taking afternoon naps, he started researching soap-making techniques instead.
Thanks to his part-time jobs during his school years, he actually knew how to make handmade soap using soap pods.
The only problem was that ancient ingredients were rather limited—he wasn’t sure if he could get the results he wanted.
He had Qin Se gather a large amount of pig pancreas and various spices, yet he still felt unsatisfied with the fragrance they produced.
In the end, he gritted his teeth and used one exchange point in the trading marketplace to obtain soap fragrance essence.
The scent was refreshing, lingering, and unlike anything the ancients had ever encountered.
A single small bottle was enough to make a few hundred bars.
This kind of fragrance was reserved for premium products; for regular soap-making, he would still use ordinary spices.
First, he dried and ground five different ingredients—soapberry, aloeswood, spikenard, white sandalwood, musk, and clove—into powder. He then mixed them with white bean powder, egg whites, and pig pancreas.
After adding the fragrance essence, he stirred the mixture until it formed a solid mass, then left it in a cool place to dry.
Since this was just an experiment, he only made ten bars.
If they turned out well, he planned to market them.
In the fictional era of Lu Hanzhi, there were no bath beans or fragrant soap products.
Perhaps it was due to the incomplete worldbuilding of the setting, or maybe it didn’t directly replicate any historical dynasty.
Based on the way people lived, it seemed to be set sometime before the Tang dynasty.
In any case, there were countless things waiting for him to explore.
While waiting for the soap to cool, Lu Hanzhi had Qin Se invite the top courtesan of the town’s only brothel, Jinlan Pavilion—Miss Caiwei.
Upon hearing this, Qin Se was so shocked that her jaw nearly dropped.
Though she knew some things were best left unsaid, she couldn’t help but remind him, “Y-Young Master, you… you can’t, right?”
After all, he was a Xiao Langjun, and Xiao Langjun were incapable of responding to women. They could only be aroused when intimate with men.
Lu Hanzhi’s face darkened. “I know that! Can’t I just have a conversation with a lady about certain experiences?”
The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He hadn’t phrased it clearly.
But it was too late—Qin Se had already misunderstood.
Clearing her throat, she said, “Well… it’s human nature. If Young Master has someone he admires, it wouldn’t be out of the question.”
Lu Hanzhi: …
Forget it. Explaining would only make it worse.
As Qin Se went to the town to fetch Caiwei, Lu Hanzhi checked on his handmade soap.
Wanting them to look more appealing, he had shaped some into different designs—roses, hearts, and auspicious cloud patterns—using simple molds.
Soon, Miss Caiwei arrived.
A brothel’s top courtesan typically had some proficiency in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. They weren’t as heavily marked by the dust of their profession.
Caiwei, in particular, was a renowned scholar’s muse. Whenever scholars from the surrounding villages held elegant gatherings, they would certainly invite her.
As such, she was quite familiar with the town’s young elites, but she had never heard of this “Young Master Lu.”
However, he was clearly wealthy—he had tossed a silver ingot at the brothel’s madam, and with that, Caiwei had been sent over.
As a top courtesan, she carried herself with a certain dignity and naturally looked down on those who only knew how to throw money around.
So when she arrived, she was already feeling somewhat displeased.
Before long, Luan Feng came to report that Miss Caiwei had arrived.
Lu Hanzhi immediately stood up, preparing to meet the beautiful courtesan.
Just as he stepped out of the second doorway, he frowned—he had forgotten to bring the freshly unmolded soap. So he turned back into the room to retrieve the samples.
The moment he pushed open the door, something felt off. When he had left, he hadn’t closed the door—so why was it shut now?
Did Luan Feng come in to tidy up? Impossible. Luan Feng knew he disliked dim spaces; during the day, his doors were never closed.
A wave of unease gripped Lu Hanzhi. His chest tightened as he hurriedly pushed the door open and looked toward Ah Chan’s small bed.
Seeing it empty, his heart skipped a beat, and the veins at his temples throbbed. Worry surged through him, and his palms grew damp with sweat.
At that moment, the door behind him slammed shut. A tall figure dressed in black stood there, pressing a heavy sword against his neck. In the man’s arms was Ah Chan—so small he barely reached the length of his forearm. The man’s voice was low yet forceful as he issued a warning: “Don’t make a sound. Don’t move. Or your child will suffer the consequences.”
Lu Hanzhi instinctively stepped back, the sweat on his palms instantly turning cold. Seeing Ah Chan, he let out a breath of relief—but at the same time, he couldn’t help cursing inwardly.
That little brat was far too relaxed! Even with someone gripping his throat, he was still sleeping soundly.
The intruder must have entered after he left—was he planning to use the child to threaten him?
Lu Hanzhi raised his hands. “Sir, please stay calm! The child is innocent. Why don’t you take me as a hostage instead?”
But the man ignored him. Instead, he let go of the heavy sword and quickly caught the person slumped against his back. Only then did Lu Hanzhi realize there was another person—someone dressed in prison garments.
The moment he saw this newcomer, Lu Hanzhi’s brows furrowed in shock. Stammering, he blurted out, “T-The E-E-Eldest… the Eldest… the Eldest Prince?!”
Hearing this, the masked man in black showed no surprise.
Instead, he casually tore off his face covering, revealing a strikingly handsome face with an air of defiance. He lifted his gaze to Lu Hanzhi and, in an icy tone, warned: “If you dare let this slip, you might as well say goodbye to this estate.”
For the first time in his life, Lu Hanzhi truly understood what it meant to shoot oneself in the foot.
Damn his itchy hands. Why did he have to write that letter to the Fourth Prince?
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