"This... I don't like it. What if it ruins my makeup!"
Hearing this answer, Qin Yu smiled helplessly.
He knew that women love beauty, which wasn't incomprehensible.
But if we can't even eat, it seems like we're losing more than we gain!
"So what if your makeup's smudged? You can just touch it up after you eat! Filling your stomach is the most important thing!"
Looking at this down-to-earth emperor, Zhao Yan's expression became even more bitter.
"No, I don't have many makeup products left." After the explanation, Qin Yu suddenly realized.
It turns out that, unlike Zhao Lan, who rarely wore makeup during her long military service, Zhao Yan grew up at home and lived a prosperous upper-class life, wearing full makeup almost every day like a young lady from a wealthy family.
The steam from the hot pot is so strong, it's not good to ruin your makeup.
Because those cosmetics and such were almost all carefully selected and specially supplied by Zhao Yan from Longxi.
Not to mention the common people in the capital, it was also difficult to find makeup products that were almost custom-made for them in the palace.
Qin Yu suddenly realized what was happening.
It seems that women pay attention to making their makeup look perfect and natural. The journey from Longxi to the capital is long and arduous, and with the added misfortune of bad weather, the special supplies would arrive late. It's understandable that Zhao Yan would cherish and value them.
But I can't just sit here eating hotpot by myself while I prepare other dishes for her; that would be too boring.
Qin Yu's eyes darted around, then he smiled confidently.
"Eat! My beloved, eat as much as you like!"
Zhao Yan knew that it was a bit excessive for her to show such concern but not dine with the emperor.
Seeing his urging, Zhao Yan could only bite the bullet and carefully pick up her chopsticks to start eating.
But to everyone's surprise, Qin Yu patted his chest and made a promise.
"My beloved concubine, eat as much as you like. After you finish, I'll give you something even better than your rouge and powder!"
"Hmm?" Zhao Yan frowned, her pretty face full of disbelief.
What do these men know about makeup? Especially the emperor, who is busy with countless affairs of state, he couldn't possibly know anything about it.
How could he make such a guarantee if he didn't even know anything about it?
Qin Yu then summoned An Fu and whispered something in his ear.
The latter had a strange expression.
"Huh? What use are these things?"
"Just get ready, don't ask so many questions!"
"It was all so mysterious about meeting the emperor," Zhao Yan's curiosity was piqued.
After all, that was only the amount of makeup used in one day, but the emperor didn't have time every day.
Zhao Yan decided to stop thinking about it and focus on eating and drinking with Qin Yu.
During this time, Qin Yu also ordered two jugs of fine wine.
After a hearty meal, Zhao Yan's rosy cheeks made her even more alluring.
"Your Majesty! What exactly are those things you've been talking about?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Anfu came running over, panting, carrying a large wooden box.
Qin Yu nodded in amazement, "You're really fast! You've collected so many things in no time!"
"After all, these are things Your Majesty requested. This old servant mobilized dozens of eunuchs, and these items were not difficult to find; they were brought over quickly!"
He gestured for them to tidy up the table.
Bang!
The heavy wooden crate was placed directly on the table.
Zhao Yan's eyes blinked, and her fair neck stretched out like a giraffe's.
"What exactly is it? Please don't keep me in suspense."
With a mysterious smile, Qin Yu slowly opened the wooden box lid!
Zhao Yan clenched her fists, even becoming nervous, but in the end, her eyes were filled with strangeness and confusion.
That's all~
The wooden box contained beeswax, balsam flowers, gentian, cinnabar, and even some egg whites.
How could these things possibly be used as makeup products?
Zhao Yan was deeply disappointed, but fortunately she didn't have high expectations anyway, and forced a smile.
"Your Majesty, please don't make things difficult for yourself. Let's go do something else."
"No!"
Qin Yu laid out a huge pile of things, still brimming with confidence, "A gentleman's word is as good as his bond, how could I possibly lie to you?"
A stone mortar stood before him, and he added many medicinal herbs into it, such as pearls, ginseng, cassia seeds, and green tea, and then carefully ground them into a fine powder.
"This can't be used as a makeup product!"
Qin Yu did not respond, but pondered the proportions carefully. She added the ground powder to egg white, honey and water, eventually creating a texture suitable for application.
Having successfully completed his mission, he wiped his sweat and looked at Zhao Yan with delight, asking her questions.
"That's all! My dear concubine, have you washed off the rouge and other residue from your face?"
Zhao Yan shook her head, "There are still some residues."
She quickly realized what he meant, "No, Your Majesty, you wouldn't be thinking of putting these things on my face, would you!"
"You guessed right!"
Urged by Qin Yu, she finally gave in, washed her face, and rested her head on Qin Yu's lap.
Looking at the large, whitish, viscous liquid, Zhao Yan felt only fear and disgust.
"Your Majesty, perhaps we should just forget about it."
"My beloved concubine, just close your eyes and enjoy it!"
He scooped up a dollop of handmade face mask with his large hand, rubbed it on his face, and quickly spread it evenly.
However, after only half an incense stick's time, Zhao Lan could no longer hold back.
"Your Majesty, the itching is unbearable."
"Perfect timing! It's time!"
The palace maid brought her clean water and patiently helped her wash. Then, she hurriedly took a look in the bronze mirror and was completely stunned!
Like her sister, Zhao Yan is a natural beauty with delicate, fair skin.
However, she often wears makeup, which often irritates her skin, leaving her with quite a few minor imperfections, especially a slight redness on both sides of her cheekbones.
But after using this disgusting liquid, her skin became surprisingly white, smooth, and clear, with a very even skin tone and no dark spots.
More importantly, Zhao Yan felt her face felt refreshed and breathable, it was incredibly comfortable!
Looking at Qin Yu, her shocked gaze was tinged with admiration.
"Your Majesty, do you really understand this?"
Qin Yu reveled in the woman's admiration, unable to extricate himself from this wonderful feeling. No wonder there were stories of ancient rulers like the King Zhou who played with the feudal lords by lighting beacon fires; it was simply too exhilarating!
"Of course! I wouldn't lie to my beloved concubine, would I?"
Merchants of this era had not yet discovered the magical effects of face masks; no one had ever seen them before.
In my past life, amidst the overwhelming advertisements, I also remembered some of the core ingredients, which were derived from countless scientific experiments!
Cassia seeds and ginseng are all rare and precious herbs. In the past, merchants were reluctant to use them, but now they use only the best quality ones!
Long-term use can improve skin texture, and the immediate effects are surprisingly good.
Zhao Yan was overjoyed. She held up the bronze mirror and touched and pinched her own face, her mouth never closing as she smiled.
It wasn't over yet. Qin Yu then ground the balsam flowers, gentians, and other ingredients into powder, mixed it to a roughly light red color, and then added it to the oil mixture of rapeseed and beeswax that had already been prepared.
Pour it into a specially made mold, and soon, a simplified version of lipstick will solidify and take shape.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com