Chapter 18
Lu Hanzhi was a bit stunned. He nervously thought to himself, Did my brother notice something strange about me?
How should he explain it? How could he hide his true identity?
He certainly couldn’t say that one day, on a certain month and day, he found a medical book in a mountain cave, right?
He should have thought of this earlier; medical knowledge wasn’t something that could be hidden easily.
This unusual method of treating illnesses, something no one had ever heard of before, was hard to explain.
Lu Xuzhi looked at him for a long time, but then his tone shifted. With a sigh, he said, “I know you’ve been clever since you were young, enjoying reading medical books and learning about herbs. You could recite the Lingshu and Suwen by heart when you were ten. Why then, do you try to hide your talents and wish to live as an ordinary person? Living in this big family, even I wish I could be as brave as you. Unfortunately, I’m already caught in this current, and there’s no way to turn back.”
Lu Hanzhi: ?????
I’m not, I haven’t, don’t put words in my mouth!
Your younger brother is clever, otherwise, how could he have helped the Crown Prince when his military power was weak, paving the way for his eventual ascension to the throne, all because of your younger brother’s influence?
But really, I hadn’t thought about it that much. I just wanted to stay alive.
Sigh, forget it. Since you misunderstood, I might as well go along with it.
Lu Hanzhi sighed lightly and said, “Second brother, are you going to mock me as a coward?”
Lu Xuzhi stepped forward, patting his shoulder, saying, “You’re not a coward. I actually think you’re a true warrior. If I were you, I might have listened to mother’s plan, sent Ah Chan away, and entered the Crown Prince’s residence.”
Lu Hanzhi shot him a sidelong glance and said, “Brother, don’t try to fool me. If you went to the Crown Prince’s residence, what would happen to my second sister-in-law?”
“Second sister-in-law?” Lu Xuzhi frowned.
Lu Hanzhi continued to glance towards the backyard.
Lu Xuzhi: …
“You little rascal! Are you looking for a beating? Do you think you can joke about the Eldest Prince?”
Saying that, Lu Xuzhi pretended to go and hit Lu Hanzhi, who dodged while shouting, “Second sister-in-law! Second sister-in-law! Second brother’s going to hit me!”
At that moment, he collided with Yuwen Min, who had just returned, crashing straight into his chest.
Lu Hanzhi looked up, immediately taking a step back and respectfully bowed, “Greetings, Prince Ling’an.”
Yuwen Min glanced at him coldly, his sharp brows and cold eyes exuding a sense of gloom and detachment.
He then looked up at Lu Xuzhi, who also bowed to him, “Your Highness.”
Unexpectedly, Prince Ling’an was quite polite to Lu Xuzhi. He nodded at him and even called out, “Second brother Lu.”
Lu Hanzhi: …
I protest, why is there such obvious preferential treatment within our own family?
But looking at how Yuwen Min treated second brother, he probably knew about the relationship between the Eldest Prince and him, right?
Lu Xuzhi’s expression immediately became serious, his tone heavy as he asked, “In this current situation, what does His Highness intend to do?”
Yuwen Min did not avoid Lu Xuzhi, replying calmly, “We have already gathered evidence that my older brother has been wronged. However… I fear someone will have to take the fall. But it’s not unjust for him to bear this blame.”
Without Yuwen Min naming names, Lu Hanzhi already had a good idea of who it was.
When the late Emperor’s younger brother, Yuwen Mingji, framed Yuwen Jue, it had been secretly orchestrated by the third prince, Yuwen Jing.
Although Yuwen Jing was a fool, he had a very trusted military advisor by his side.
This advisor seemed wholeheartedly loyal to Yuwen Jing, but in truth, he had been planted there by Yuwen Mingji to carry out many of his schemes.
Saying it wasn’t unjust for him, indeed, it wasn’t.
At that moment, although Yuwen Jing hadn’t started blatantly seizing power, the things he was doing behind the scenes were already clear as day.
Lu Xuzhi nodded and asked, “Is there anything I can help with? Please feel free to ask, Your Highness.”
Yuwen Min thought for a moment, then said, “…Would you be able to go to the palace and check on my mother?”
While reading books, Lu Hanzhi had already known that Yuwen Min had lacked love from a young age. No one paid attention to him, such a marginalized prince. In fact, many people looked down on him, considering him a worthless product. Even the palace servants would mock him behind his back.
Though Yuwen Min didn’t care about this, deep down, it bothered him.
Only Concubine Rong and the Eldest Prince treated him like family, offering warmth and care, something he had never received elsewhere.
So, before Concubine Rong and the Eldest Prince passed away, Yuwen Min had been a weak, innocent, and pitiful little prince.
Thinking of this, comparing him to the calm, composed, and methodical young man standing before him now, Lu Hanzhi’s heart couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Where was that weak, innocent, and pitiful little prince from the rumors? Was this cold and decisive kingpin who could break someone out of prison just a facade?
If that was the case, he would never believe anything he said again!
Lu Hanzhi silently tried to calm himself, wondering what kind of situation this was.
At night, Lu Xuzhi did not stay here.
First, staying overnight at the estate might raise suspicion. Second, the Eldest Prince wasn’t fully recovered yet, and if they stayed together too long, they might accidentally stir up trouble.
Lu Hanzhi, however, was carefree. He spent three worry-free days at the estate, finally finishing the production of five hundred fragrant soaps.
These five hundred soaps, priced according to their production techniques and functions, ranged from five weens to five taels of silver each.
The five wen soap was meant for washing clothes, roughly made with no added fragrance, just a mixture of soapberry and pig lard powder pressed into blocks.
Meanwhile, Lu Hanzhi was also experimenting with using alkali to make soap, as this method didn’t involve soapberry trees and couldn’t be counted as part of the local economy.
But when it came to making money, who would complain about too much?
In this alternate world, Lu Hanzhi wanted to try everything that didn’t exist.
As expected, on the opening day, the small shop was surrounded by curious citizens.
He named his shop Han Ji Fragrance House, taking a character from his name, and since he was selling fragrant products, the name fit perfectly.
The citizens began to whisper, most of them just observing, few actually buying.
After all, Lu Hanzhi’s prices were high. A regular laundry soap cost five wens, which was the equivalent of ten big steamed buns.
It wasn’t until a distinguished guest arrived that things changed. A dazzlingly beautiful woman, graceful and enchanting, walked into Han Ji Fragrance House with a smile.
She was none other than the fashionable and influential Miss Liniang, who set trends across the entire Yongxing County. Her hairstyles, clothing, and makeup were always imitated by the local girls.
After all, although Jinlan Pavilion was a place of entertainment, it primarily catered to refined courtesans.
Lu Hanzhi saw Liniang arrive and immediately went to greet her. He bowed and said, “Thank you for coming all this way, Miss Liniang. Today I have a small gift for you, please kindly accept it.”
Liniang and Caiwei were polar opposites in personality; Caiwei was reserved and subtle, while Liniang was as fiery and passionate as her reputation suggested.
As soon as she entered the shop, her gaze lingered on him for a moment before she spoke, “Tsk, tsk, your figure, young master, makes all us girls feel like we fall short. But it’s no wonder, a Xiao Langjun raised in a wealthy family, of course, is beyond what we country folk can compare to.”
Lu Hanzhi chuckled and replied, “Sister, are you making fun of me?”
Liniang laughed heartily and walked up to him, playfully patting his cheek. “I’m complimenting you! What’s the matter with you? You’re so clueless.”
Lu Hanzhi’s face turned red as he felt shy from being teased by an older sister.
Liniang appeared to be around twenty years old, which made her one of the older women in the courtyard.
She walked around the store, stopping in front of a bar of soap priced at ten taels of silver. She asked, “Oh, little brother, this is quite a luxurious item, isn’t it? Tell me, what makes it so special?”
Lu Hanzhi smiled and answered, “It’s not particularly precious, just added pearl powder. There’s a sample here, you can try it for yourself.”
Liniang immediately took the sample and said, “The one you gave me last time worked wonders. This time, I’ll try it right here.” She walked to the basin of water, dampened one hand, and applied the fragrant soap. A maid quickly stepped forward, gently lathering it, and then rinsed it off in clean water. Her already fair and delicate hand became even more lustrous and smooth.
Liniang wondered if it was just her imagination, but the soap with the added pearl powder seemed to have a whitening and skin-softening effect.
After trying it, Liniang praised the product highly and bought five bars. It was clear that Miss Caiwei was right; Liniang was indeed willing to spend money for beauty.
It was also said that Liniang was one of the most well-off girls in the courtyard, and seeing her lavish spending, that was clearly true.
The five bars of pearl-infused soap amounted to fifty taels of silver. With that, Lu Hanzhi didn’t need to sell anything else. In his mind, the system sent a notification, signaling the mission was complete. He gained five more exchange points, bringing the total to eleven exchange points in his system, including the six points he had left from before.
Lu Hanzhi nearly cried. There was less than half a month before his mother’s birthday.
He wondered if he could earn another nine exchange points in that time. While lost in thought, a fair-skinned middle-aged man walked in and bowed to Lu Hanzhi, saying, “Little boss, my master would like to buy a few bars of your pearl soap. May I ask if you have any in stock?”
Lu Hanzhi also bowed in return and said, “Yes, I have five left. How many would your master like?”
Lu Hanzhi: “………”
He was utterly startled by the sheer size of the order and, with a hint of apology, said, “I’m sorry, dear guest. Our humble shop is just a small business—we can’t prepare that much at once.”
The other person simply smiled and said, “It’s no problem. My master wishes to place a custom order. Here is the full payment in advance. In three days, my master will send someone to collect it.”
Lu Hanzhi accepted the banknote—it was a full five hundred taels.
He could hardly believe his eyes. Had he really just earned five hundred taels… this easily?
Before he could react, the man bowed slightly and left the shop.
Lu Hanzhi frowned. That big customer seemed a bit mysterious!
But no matter who they were, those who paid were always the boss!
If he could establish a long-term relationship with them, that would be wonderful!
With Liniang’s purchase and the large customer’s order, the foot traffic in the shop surged. Many onlookers from the street came in to buy as well.
Watching the shop’s earnings soar to 600 taels for the day, Lu Hanzhi couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.
He wondered if the system would increase the difficulty of his next mission based on this success. He hoped it wouldn’t, but somehow, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it might.
As Lu Hanzhi silently worried, he took the orders back to the estate.
After assigning the tasks, he opened his mental space because he had an initial treasure chest to open. He was curious about what it might contain.
Upon opening the chest, a prompt appeared: “Congratulations, host, you have received an initial buff treasure chest, which contains a 50% off coupon for the mall.”
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