Chapter 54: Perfumer

In early June, a major event occurred in the palace.

The eunuch who was in charge of purchasing spices for the Incense Bureau drank a few ounces of cat urine and ate a few peanuts one day, and then he blurted out all the secrets in his heart like pouring beans.

He said that although he was just a small eunuch in charge of purchasing, he had already made a fortune, all of which was due to "making money".

Not only did he collude with spice merchants outside the palace, adulterating and selling spices and making false accounts to make personal profits, he also colluded with the incense masters of the Incense Bureau and embezzled precious spices for his own use.

They even smuggled palace spices out of the palace for resale, making a profit out of nothing, and split the profits among themselves.

This kind of "making money" business exists to some extent in various departments of the inner court, but everyone is low-key and dares not reveal a word on weekdays, always keeping their tails between their legs.

As long as it's not excessive, the boss above will turn a blind eye.

But who would have thought that the young eunuch from the Incense Bureau got drunk and made a loud noise, and the news eventually reached the ears of the emperor.

When the emperor learned about this, he was furious and ordered a thorough investigation of all the prisons and departments in the inner court. Among them, the Incense Bureau was completely wiped out, and countless people were imprisoned. Nearly half of the incense masters had dirty hands and were sent to the Imperial City Bureau to be punished.

When something happens to the person above, the people below have to take over. Unfortunately, these people are not skilled enough, and the incense they make does not satisfy the emperor, so they are ruthlessly demoted.

Everyone in the palace was in a panic, and the three concubines who held great power, assisted in managing the six palaces, and handled miscellaneous affairs were the most troubled.

Such an incident was undoubtedly a slap in their faces, making people doubt their ability to manage the six palaces.

But the most urgent task is to find an outstanding incense master to take over and appease the emperor's anger.

In Changchun Palace, the series of events gave Concubine Shu a headache and her face looked haggard.

Chuntang, the personal maid, poured her a cup of hot tea and said distressedly, "My Lady, why don't you go and rest for a while?"

Concubine Shu waved her hand, took the hot tea and drank it all.

"How can I rest peacefully until all these messy things are dealt with?" she sighed helplessly.

Knowing that he couldn't persuade her, Chuntang simply went around to the back and massaged her shoulders. Hearing this, he couldn't help but complain in a low voice:

"It was clearly the Imperial Fragrance Bureau, which is under the Imperial Concubine's jurisdiction, that caused this mess, but they had to implicate you, the Imperial Concubine, and cause you to be reprimanded by His Majesty as well."

If the people from the Ministry of Incense hadn't been so ostentatious, how could they have caused all these things that happened later? It made the Empress extremely anxious.

Concubine Shu was very pleased to hear this and gave her a sidelong glance: "You can say such things in your own palace, but you must pay more attention to me when you are outside."

Chuntang laughed and said, "Don't worry, Madam, I won't dare to go out and do anything silly."

Isn’t this Sixiang Bureau a lesson learned from the past?

After sitting for a while, Concubine Shu's fatigue dissipated. She stroked the armor on her hands, stared at the tea leaves floating in the cup, and said in a faint tone:

"The most important thing now is to find a perfumer that His Majesty is satisfied with. Once this matter is resolved and His Majesty is no longer angry, the rest of the issues will be resolved."

Otherwise, if something happens in the harem, the power she holds may fall into the hands of others.

The key is where to find a perfumer who can satisfy His Majesty.

Chuntang nodded in agreement, "But the incense sent by the Incense Bureau recently is really not very good. It burns a lot of smoke and has a strong smell. It's not as good as the previous Third Madam’s—"

"hiss."

An idea suddenly flashed through her mind, and she said excitedly, "My Lady, I have an idea!"

Concubine Shu paused, "You say."

Chuntang pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, the Incense Bureau is currently short-staffed. The former incense masters have been imprisoned or are not as skilled as they used to be. If someone can create an incense that will satisfy His Majesty..."

Recalling the strange look on her face when she mentioned Yun Wan just now, Concubine Shu narrowed her eyes, her eyes flashing: "You mean?"

Chuntang nodded: "I am referring to the Third Madam!"

"The Third Madam is a master in making incense. Even His Majesty has praised her and given her a title before. If she were to join the Incense Bureau, it would not only solve the immediate problem, but also allow Her Majesty to place someone in the Bureau. Wouldn't that be perfect?"

Concubine Shu: "Ke Yunwan is my third sister-in-law, the third wife of the Lu family..."

Her brows frowned and relaxed, relaxed and frowned again.

Chuntang continued in a low voice, "This servant understands your Majesty's concerns. The Third Madam is a widow, and it's inevitable that she's been criticized and cursed over the years. But we are in the Imperial Palace, protected by the Emperor's True Dragon Aura. What evil spirit can harm us in the slightest? Who dares to speak nonsense?"

"The young master is our prince's study companion. He has a gift of photographic memory and will definitely be able to help your highness in the future. If the third lady can also help you, then why should we fear the one from Yaohua Palace?"

She lowered her voice, speaking with a hint of meaning.

"Please let me think about it carefully."

Chuntang's words made a lot of sense and were very tempting, and Concubine Shu fell into deep thought.

The nanny beside her couldn't help but frown. It can be seen that although Concubine Shu was hesitant, she seemed to have made up her mind. She finally chose to remain silent.

If she remembered correctly, the third lady was extremely beautiful, and no one in the palace could match her beauty.

After much deliberation, Concubine Shu was finally tempted by Chuntang's proposal.

Without waiting for the next day, she couldn't wait to ask Emperor Jingxuan for instructions that afternoon.

The other party expressed no objection, and the matter of the Sixiang Bureau was left to Concubine Shu to arrange with full authority.

Shufei was flattered and thought that the emperor's delegation of power showed his appreciation for her. She was so happy that she couldn't sleep all night. She was determined to get this matter done in the shortest possible time to prevent the imperial concubine from making trouble along the way.

So the next day Yun Wan was summoned to the palace.

"Perfumer?"

Yun Wan was completely confused before coming, and she was even more stunned after hearing Shufei's plan.

Concubine Shu nodded and explained, "The Incense Bureau is currently short-staffed. I've considered your talent for incense making, so I've personally recommended you to His Majesty and ordered you to temporarily serve as the incense master."

Yun pursed his lips, unable to smile.

She lowered her eyebrows and said submissively, "Your Majesty, I only have a few minor skills. How can I compare with the perfumers of the Bureau of Incense? Moreover, I am a widow, even less suitable for such an important position."

Concubine Shu didn't care: "These are not a problem. With me here, no one dares to discuss your identity. You just need to do your job well. You don't need to worry about the rest."

She saw Yun Wan's refusal and thought she was content with the status quo and timid and afraid of causing trouble, so she threw out the bait:

"I know you're always worried about Chang Sui. If you become an incense master, I'll allow you and your son to see each other every three days. You should know that Chang Sui can only go home once every ten days on weekdays. This is already a great favor."

She sighed, but her attitude brooked no argument. "Sister-in-law, I've already consulted His Majesty on this matter. I'm inviting you here now because I hope you'll go back and make preparations. The guild will send a carriage to pick you up in three days."

Having said this, I am just informing her. Does Yun Wan still have room to refuse?

She suddenly hated herself, wondering why she was still so weak and could only be manipulated by others?

If she was noble enough to look down on them all, did she have the power to say "no"? No one dared to decide her affairs?

The old lady doesn’t dare, Lu Yuanduo doesn’t dare, and Concubine Shu doesn’t dare either?

Hiding her disgust in her eyes, Yun Wan whispered, "I have a question, please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

Concubine Shu: "Sister-in-law, you speak."

Yun Wan: "Where will I live next? How long will I be working at the Bureau of Incense?"