Chapter 52
The item had been purchased by his personal attendant, who presented it to him like a treasure.
The attendant had always felt sorry for his master, who personally scrubbed his sword for ages in the cold wash basin. Now that winter had arrived with its biting chill, this redwood bristle brush would finally free the prince’s hands.
What the attendant didn’t realize, however, was that this outrageously expensive redwood brush was actually meant for polishing antiques.
Then again, for a wealthy lord like Prince An, using it to wash a sword wasn’t such a bad idea.
After all, the prince was fastidious and obsessed with cleanliness. He insisted on personally washing his heavy sword each time.
In fact, it usually took two or three men just to lift the weapon.
Part of it was that he disliked others touching his sword, but mostly, he found it too troublesome to have them help.
Come to think of it, the only person who had ever touched his sword… was that little Ah Chan, who had once bitten the hilt.
Recently, Han Ji Fragrance House had launched a new product. Displayed in front of the beauty consultant were small jars of fragrant toothpaste. It quickly became the latest darling of ladies’ dressing tables—and even the noble young men were growing obsessed with it.
Many young aristocrats lined up to buy toothpaste, often purchasing several jars at a time.
After all, everyone had their little insecurities. Bad breath, for instance, was something no one wanted to be disliked for.
Lu Hanzhi translated the entire passage as follows, keeping the original meaning intact but using natural English in past tense:
However, things like fragrant orchid flakes and mint leaves could only barely mask the odor.
It was impossible to completely remove all the dirt and residue from one’s mouth.
As long as these impurities remained, bad breath would inevitably return.
Teenagers in relationships often struggled with bad breath, especially newlyweds who wanted to get intimate—only to have bad breath ruin the moment.
Business was simple: if I needed something and you happened to have it, I would pay to buy it!
Lu Hanzhi had never expected that toothbrushes and toothpaste would sell even better than balms and fragrant soap.
Toothpaste was usually sold together with a toothbrush, and a set could range from several dozen to several hundred wen.
He watched, eyes wide, as his task progress bar skyrocketed. At this rate, he would definitely complete the mission within three days.
Feeling pleased, Lu Hanzhi calculated his exchange points. Just as he was about to continue, He Ming arrived with an invitation.
Lu Hanzhi accepted it with a puzzled expression and asked, “Huh? Whose wedding invitation is this?”
He Ming replied, “It was delivered by someone from Prince An’s residence. It’s for a wedding at the Crown Prince’s residence.”
Naturally, an invitation from the Crown Prince’s residence would also be sent to Prince An’s household.
Although the Emperor’s sons shared only a superficial brotherhood, they still had to keep up appearances.
As Lu Hanzhi looked at the two names on the invitation, a strange sense of satisfaction washed over him.
Would our dear female lead, Su Wan’ning, explode in rage and destroy her system when she saw this wedding invitation?
Laughing, Lu Hanzhi rolled around on his bed. Just then, he heard a system notification in his ear:
“Congratulations, Host, on completing the third mission of this phase. This phase of missions is now complete.”
“Congratulations, Host, for earning five exchange points, one beginner’s treasure chest, and three loyalty points toward the monarch. With this phase complete, you have received an additional five exchange points and five loyalty points. Your accumulated loyalty points have reached the required threshold, unlocking a side quest related to the monarch.”
Lu Hanzhi immediately perked up. A side quest related to the monarch meant a massive amount of exchange points!
If that was the case, wouldn’t he be able to redeem a high-level defensive talisman for Old Madam Lu soon?
Lu Hanzhi was overjoyed at the thought. However, even with this phase’s monarch mission completed, he only had sixty exchange points—nowhere near enough for the talisman.
If he had known earlier, he wouldn’t have wasted so much.
He had spent a fortune buying Little Fatty Chan a pile of toys. If he had saved up, he might have had enough now.
But there was no such thing as a remedy for regret. This experience only made Lu Hanzhi more cautious—he couldn’t afford to act without a plan anymore.
Determined, he opened the two beginner’s treasure chests. The moment he saw the contents, his eyes nearly popped out of his head!
This time, he had unbelievable luck!
Not only did he get a 50% discount voucher, but he also obtained an unlimited exchange voucher.
That meant he could redeem any magic artifact, regardless of level, without spending a single exchange point!
Lu Hanzhi was so thrilled he danced around in joy. The sky over the liberated zone was bright and clear—Old Madam Lu was saved!
He didn’t know why he felt such a strong compulsion to save Old Madam Lu, but deep down, he was obsessed with pulling her out of the abyss of mental torment.
Without hesitation, he entered the exchange shop and redeemed a high-level defensive talisman. He decided to store the unlimited exchange voucher in his warehouse for future emergencies.
While storing it, he discovered a double-reward buff voucher he had left in there earlier. No wonder completing this mission had been so difficult—he hadn’t used the double-reward buff!
Still, a completed mission was a completed mission. He had no intention of using the double-reward now.
Only if he ever reached a point where he truly couldn’t complete a mission would he consider using it.
Tucking the talisman into his robe, Lu Hanzhi planned to make a trip back to the Lu household to find an opportunity to use it on Old Madam Lu.
Judging by Su Wan’ning’s ruthless nature, Old Madam Lu likely didn’t have long to live.
When exactly did Old Madam Lu pass away in the original story? Lu Hanzhi couldn’t remember.
But it definitely wasn’t this early. At that time, Old Madam Lu had been a great help to Su Wan’ning, always supporting her unconditionally.
Now, things were different. Because Lu Hanzhi hadn’t killed that child, Su Wan’ning had suffered repeated setbacks. Her mental control over Old Madam Lu must have intensified as a result.
This kind of mental manipulation severely drained one’s health. Old Madam Lu was already in her twilight years—holding on this long was remarkable.
So, Lu Hanzhi instructed He Ming to prepare a carriage. He planned to settle this matter that very night.
Just as he was about to leave, he got held up by an issue at the brush factory. The brushes were selling too well, and they had run out of pig bristles.
Lu Hanzhi had never considered this problem before. After all, their household only slaughtered ten to twenty pigs per day. Bristles came from pigs, and high-quality ones were actually hog bristles. Ordinary pig bristles made lower-quality brushes, so there were different grades of brushes.
Now, he had a headache. Brushes were merely a byproduct of the other items they produced. It wasn’t like they could start slaughtering more pigs just to make brushes, right?
With no other choice, he waved his hand and announced that they would purchase pig bristles externally.
There were several slaughterhouses in the capital, along with many butchers. Collecting some pig bristles in an emergency wouldn’t be a problem.
However, the butchers in the capital had never considered that pig bristles could be sold for money. They had always just thrown them away.
Even if the money earned was only enough to buy a jug of wine, it was still far better than simply discarding them.
By evening, Lu Hanzhi had collected enough pig bristles to last a week.
He also instructed Zai Yu to mark the prices, as pig bristles were much more valuable than ordinary pig hair.
This gave everyone a new lesson—when collecting pig hair, it was crucial to sort them properly to fetch a good price.
Once he had finished his tasks, Lu Hanzhi packed up his things, picked up Ah Chan, and headed back to the capital.
Looking at the smoke rising from his factories, Lu Hanzhi felt a great sense of accomplishment.
At present, he owned three production lines: a balm and soap processing factory, a cooked food processing factory, and the newly established brush manufacturing factory.
Toothpaste also fell under daily necessities, managed by the balm and soap processing factory.
Recently, in the rubble district, nearly all the refugees had been recruited by Lu Hanzhi. He figured his task was almost complete.
Meanwhile, when Su Wan’ning visited the rubble district again, she was met only by a few young men giving her lewd smiles.
Carrying a medicine box, she looked around at the now deserted area in confusion and turned to one of the men who had approached her with a flattering smile. “Brother Shikun, where… where did everyone go?”
The man named Shikun gave her an ambiguous grin and said, “Those people ran off the moment they saw money. They all went to work in the southern suburbs. I heard some estate over there is hiring workers, providing food and lodging, and even paying wages. If they work for a year, their kids get to go to school, and their parents are taken care of in their old age. Ha! Who knows which foolish shopkeeper is behind this?”
Su Wan’ning frowned. The southern suburbs? An estate?
The only person setting up a workshop in the southern suburbs was none other than Lu Hanzhi.
The moment this thought crossed her mind, anger flared up within her. Even after moving to the estate, he was still opposing her! He was a menace wherever he went.
She turned to Shikun with a bright smile and asked, “Since it’s such a good opportunity, why aren’t you going, Brother Shikun?”
Shikun’s grin grew even more suggestive. Stepping closer, he said, “No amount of money can compare to my dear Wan’ning!”
Su Wan’ning kept her dazzling smile, but her eyes darkened with venomous malice.
She stared at him for a moment before saying, “Take your brothers and go. Once you’re there, work hard and do what you’re supposed to do… and report back to me regularly.”
Shikun nodded slowly. Su Wan’ning flashed another bright smile and said, “Your good future is my greatest wish. Go on now! You don’t need to stay here for me. I will remember you.”
Gratitude and devotion appeared on Shikun’s face. Bowing his head, he said, “You are…. the greatest benefactor of my life.”
Soon, he and his brothers disappeared down the road leading to the southern suburbs.
Su Wan’ning’s smile gradually faded. “I had no desire to fight you head-on again, but you brought this upon yourself!”
By then, Lu Hanzhi had already entered the city and arrived at the West Market’s quiet district, where his home was located.
However, today, the quiet district was much livelier than usual. A huge crowd was surging in one direction, as if there was something exciting to see.
Frowning, Lu Hanzhi glanced in the direction they were heading and asked the coachman, He Ming, “What’s going on? What happened up ahead?”
He Ming immediately jumped down from the carriage and said, “Young Master, I’ll go find out.”
Lu Hanzhi nodded and watched as He Ming stopped someone to ask.
When he returned, He Ming reported, “They say… a Xiao Langjun suddenly went into heat in the middle of the street. And apparently… he’s a prince?”
Lu Hanzhi frowned, murmuring, “How is that possible? It’s extremely rare for a Xiao Langjun to go into heat unexpectedly. Even if it happens, it wouldn’t be in public. During those days, even family members are on high alert. If it were truly an accident… that would be one hell of an accident.”
Wait a minute. Lu Hanzhi suddenly caught onto a crucial detail. “What did you just say? He’s a prince?”
He Ming nodded. “That’s what they say! But it’s probably just a joke, right? There’s no way a prince could be a Xiao Langjun. In our Great Zhao, princes aren’t allowed to take the sacred medicine.”
This was an unspoken rule of the imperial family. After all, for those of noble blood, there was no need for such a thing.
Lu Hanzhi’s expression changed instantly. He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, “Damn it!”
Before He Ming could figure out what had gone wrong, the crowd ahead suddenly parted. A familiar figure came charging toward them, looking completely deranged.
Your favorite BL chaos wouldn’t be possible without coffee… lots of coffee….
Support Ciacia’s translation temple on Kofi—and if the cliffhanger demons are haunting you, join the Han’er Tier to purge them with advanced chapter access (up to 5!) before the masses even blink.
Obrigada pela tradução ❣️💓