Glass Bottle Perfume

At the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion, servants had been hanging red silk from the entrance since early morning. Word of the upcoming event had already spread through every street and alley of Chang'an over the past few days.

Even before the shop opened, a crowd of eager customers had gathered at the door, unable to contain their anticipation.

"Oh, when are they going to open?"

"Exactly! I'm dying of waiting! I heard the grand prize today is one of Golden Curtain Terrace's glass cups—worth four or five thousand gold! Even if you just turned around and sold it, you'd make a tidy profit!"

"Right, right! I heard that was the grand prize, so I bought thirty bottles of face powder yesterday. Granted, the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion's powder really isn't cheap!"

One customer had barely finished complaining when another rebutted her.

"But it's totally worth it! Even at the most upscale porcelain shops, you couldn't find bottles this pretty. The patterns woven in blue and white—if I hadn't bought one myself, I'd swear these were straight out of the palace!"

"I agree! When my father heard the second prize today was a reservation slot for next month's glass cups from Golden Curtain Terrace, he gave me silver on the spot to go buy face powder. He's always been stingy, but today he moved faster than I've ever seen."

"What time is it now?" a woman beside her asked. "Usually by now, the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion would have opened ages ago. Why are they so late today?"

"Maybe it's because of the event," the woman who'd spoken earlier said hesitantly. "No matter—we're near the front, so we can head straight in once they open."

But as time passed, the opening was delayed far longer than usual...

Inside the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion, Zhou Yao and the other young women were hard at work, carefully dabbing a single drop of perfume onto the silk strips placed before each bottle.

The room filled with a crisp, sweet blend of floral and fruit notes, grounded by a steady woody undertone—an unexpectedly alluring fusion of fragrances.

The night before, they had moved every bottle of perfume from the storeroom to the shelves, the solid wood cabinets bowing slightly under the weight.

Worried that the summer heat might overwhelm the crowd, they'd placed blocks of ice around every corner to keep things cool.

After setting aside separate areas for the raffle and for shopping, the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion officially began selling perfume!

"When are you finally opening?! The sun's already up and it's scorching hot..." someone in the crowd grumbled.

But just as she finished speaking, the front doors swung open from within.

"Apologies for the wait, honored guests. Today, the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion has prepared a small surprise for everyone. If we fall short in any way, please forgive us."

Zhou Yao was dressed in full splendor today—light makeup, robes of vibrant color, and a rose-scented perfume she'd applied specially for the occasion.

A few ladies from wealthy families with keen noses caught the fragrance immediately.

One of them exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, where's the rose scent coming from? It wasn't there just a moment ago—and it seems richer, sweeter than ordinary roses."

"Yes, even when admiring flowers in the garden, I've never smelled anything this intense."

"Didn't the owner just say she had a little surprise for us?" the woman said, turning to her friend with a puzzled look. "Could this be it?"

With the doors wide open, Zhou Yao stepped aside to let the customers in.

"Wow! What's going on in here today? It smells incredible!" She wandered around the shop. "But there's not a single flower in sight—where's the fragrance coming from?"

"This..." A timid young woman shrank back, tugging at her companion's sleeve. She whispered nervously, "I've heard... there's a kind of sorcery..."

"No way, right?"

Her words spooked most of the customers in the shop.

Seeing the situation turn sour, Zhou Yao stepped forward to explain, walking up with a smile. "Everyone, please don't be alarmed~ The source of this fragrance comes from the glass bottles before you."

A few bolder girls picked up the glass bottles to examine them, then carefully brought them to their noses and gave a gentle sniff.

"It's true!" one customer gasped. "The bottle in front of me smells like sandalwood!"

"The old face powder was made by blending all kinds of spices, and the scent was thick enough to be cloying. But even after using it for so long, it can't compare to these?!"

"What exactly is this?" someone asked, looking at Zhou Yao.

"Inside these glass bottles is a special 'perfume' created exclusively by the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion. As for the bottles themselves, they're specially provided by Golden Curtain Terrace."

"The quality is identical to the glassware that requires a reservation slot at Golden Curtain Terrace each month," Zhou Yao replied with a smile.

"Since this is a new product from the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion, if you notice any flaws, please do offer your suggestions. If we adopt your idea, we'll have an extra thank-you gift for you."

"Those of you holding a small blue-and-white porcelain bottle who wish to enter the raffle, please follow our staff to the back courtyard."

"For those who participate in the raffle and don't win, we'll offer an 88-percent discount, valid at both the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion and Golden Curtain Terrace."

Zhou Yao gestured toward the perfume display on the other side. "For those interested in the perfume but unsure which scent to choose, just ask our staff for help—all the perfumes on the tables are free to sample."

"To avoid mixing scents on your skin, you can first sniff the silk strips placed in front of each bottle to pick your two or three favorites, then try those. That way, you'll avoid any confusion."

"And for regular customers who bring in new guests, today's new arrivals come with a 30-percent discount, plus a buy-five-get-one-free offer on top of that."

A curious girl paused and asked, "The owner's said so much, and the perfume does smell wonderful. But... how much does it cost...?"

She voiced what everyone was thinking.

"The craftsmanship is intricate and truly unique, so the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion has set the price at four thousand six hundred gold per bottle."

The moment those words left Zhou Yao's mouth, everyone in the room was stunned.

"Compared to Golden Curtain Terrace's glass cups..." someone mentally tallied the cost.

Su'er answered on Zhou Yao's behalf, smiling. "For your first purchase, you can combine today's 88-percent discount. Once you've used up the perfume, you can bring the empty glass bottle back to the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion, and in exchange, you'll receive a certificate exclusive to us—a glass bookmark."

"With that certificate, your next perfume purchase will enjoy a 69-percent discount."

Sixty-nine percent off four thousand six hundred gold—that came to three thousand one hundred seventy-four taels.

Calculated that way, it was barely acceptable.

"I know you all have reservations, so today, feel free to sample first," Zhou Yao said, still beaming. "Why don't you all start with the raffle..."

Before she could finish, a girl waved her hand grandly and bought five bottles of rose perfume on the spot.

"I brought a new customer today," she asked. "If I buy perfume, do I still get the buy-five-get-one-free deal?"

"Of course," Zhou Yao replied, leading the way. "Right this way..."

With that precedent set, the other customers who wanted perfume began sniffing and sampling in earnest.

Some went for the raffle, others sampled the scents—everything in the shop proceeded in perfect order.

Most customers, after trying the perfume, bought five bottles outright to take advantage of the stacked discounts.

Seeing that buyers made up the majority, Zhou Yao was delighted by the sight and wrapped packages at twice her usual speed. A few girls also came in just to buy face powder.

It was a busy day, but they made a fortune.

In the end, the grand prize went to a lavishly dressed young woman. Zhou Yao had never seen her before, but from her attire and bearing, she could glean a thing or two.

Those who won reservation slots were registered on the spot, with Cui Wei collecting the records and reporting to the Nine Kilns before production began.

News that the Elder Princess had praised the perfume at her birthday banquet spread like wildfire, and combined with the Fragrant Orchid Pavilion's free sampling service, it didn't take long for everyone to discover the perfume's virtues.

Overnight, perfume became the hot topic in Chang'an.

The marriage of glass and perfume became, at that moment, the ultimate mark of trendsetting fashion, beloved by noble ladies and matrons alike. Even at full price, production could never keep up with demand.

Zhou Yao would have loved to keep such a lucrative stream of income going, but forced by practical realities, she could only institute a monthly purchase limit on the perfume.

The sweltering summer passed smoothly, and with autumn's arrival, the weather gradually turned cool.

Zhou Yao sat across from Qi Yanhan in the courtyard, playing go, their black and white stones interwoven in a dead heat.

"Were the matters I entrusted to you handled?" she asked Duyun offhandedly. She'd given him the task of training the beagle a while back—by her calculations, it should be done by now.

"Yes, Your Highness. The task you assigned is complete. The training is up to standard—you may schedule the inspection whenever you wish."

Zhou Yao nodded absently, and that moment of distraction shifted the tide of the game, ending in her crushing defeat.

"Ah, what a shame—I lost!" Zhou Yao sighed. "No way, let's go again! This round doesn't count!"

Qi Yanhan gave a helpless smile, his fox-like eyes brimming with indulgent affection. "Very well, in the next round, I shall let you win."

"Not! Ne! Ces! Sa! Ry!" Zhou Yao straightened up. "I can win on my own merit."

"The land deeds you instructed me to purchase have all been acquired. If I may ask... what does Your Highness intend...?" Duyun hesitated to ask.

"Just opening a school, nothing much," Zhou Yao said, holding a white stone and focusing completely on the board.

"A school?" Qi Yanhan looked at Zhou Yao in confusion. "Why would Your Highness suddenly take an interest in opening a school?"

Zhou Yao didn't really want to answer that, so she changed the subject. "Focus on the game."

Qi Yanhan glanced at her for a moment, then lowered his eyes to ponder.

He set his stone on the board, pressed his thin lips together, then looked up at Zhou Yao once more.